Daily Archives: April 13, 2014

For the dressing:

3 tablespoons light olive oil
3 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
¾ teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon salt

Mix together all ingredients in a covered jar until well mixed; set aside.

For the salad:

10 cups romaine lettuce, washed and shredded, about 1½ heads
¼ cup Swiss cheese
¼ cup dry-roasted cashews, chopped
½ cup reduced-sugar dried cranberries
1 large apple, chopped
1 large pear, thinly sliced

Toss together all ingredients in a large bowl. Pour the prepared dressing over the salad; toss and serve.

Makes 10 servings.

Per serving: 138 calories, 6.5 grams fat, 2 grams monounsaturated fat, 3.5 grams protein, 18 grams carbohydrate, 3.5 grams fiber and 127 milligrams sodium.

The Mediterranean diet is a heart-healthy eating plan that can promote health and may prevent disease. The plan appears to prevent chronic diseases in several ways. It starts with an abundance of fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish and whole grains to introduce a variety of antioxidants and phytochemicals, which are beneficial for good health.

The eating plan also recommends the use of olive oil to replace some solid fats such as margarine and butter. Olive oil is the best available source of monounsaturated fat that helps lower blood cholesterol and may help reduce the risk of heart disease.

The diet is believed to protect against certain cancers, diabetes, obesity and possibly Alzheimer’s disease. A group that was started on the Mediterranean diet with added olive oil was 30 percent less likely to have a heart-related event. Learning about olive oil will be a great start to get these nutritional benefits.

This week the California Department of Food and Agriculture announced the election of the board of directors for a new state commission established to coordinate the California’s olive oil industry’s efforts to strengthen its competitiveness.

The election came less than a month after a majority of California olive oil producers voted to support the creation of the Olive Oil Commission of California.

“There’s a strong interest in getting this commission up and running.

California’s olive oil industry wants a fair playing field where they can grow and thrive, and consumers need to feel confident about the products they serving their families,” said Sen.

Lois Wolk, D-Davis, who authored the 2013 legislation to establish the commission within the Department of Food and Agriculture.