GIRLS LOVE THE TASTE AND THE LOW CALORIES

Lately we’ve been hosting Brazilian girls and not Japanese girls. Naturally, like any  other 20-something female, the Brazilian Beauties are interested in not gaining weight while they are in the States. I tell them not to worry: I am famous at NESE for being the host mother who cooks the healthiest food and the girls who stay with me actually lose weight.

In addition to being sweet, smart and having that attractive, lilting accent, the Brazilians are truly head turners. My daughter, who went to a large American city high school in Cambridge, where the student population speaks 28 languages ( other than English) backs up my statement about Brazilian Beauty.  She said when a group of  Brazilians ( boys and girls) entered the cafeteria at lunch time the clatter stopped, all went silent, and everyone’s heads turned to look.

Here is my recipe for a Low Calorie, tasty salad dressing that the Brazilian girls like.  Ironically, the largest ethnic population in Brazil is the Japanese. I adapted this salad dressing from the recipe my favorite local Japanese restaurant, THE BLUE FIN at Porter Exchange, uses on their fresh greens.

LOW-CALORIE JAPANESE RESTAURANT SALAD DRESSING

• I  large carrot grated
• 1/2  medium red onion, or 1 small red onion grated or finely chopped ( I use food processor)
• 1 t ginger juice, squeezed from grated ginger
• 1T white miso
• 2T vegetable oil ( use soy OR grape seed oil Or vegetable oil , not a strong tasting oil)
• juice of one tangerine or orange, about 2 T
• 1 t ketchup
• 1 t mayonnaise
• 1T water

10 servings 40  (24 gram or about 2 T)  calories each

ON GRATERS:  I use several graters to make this.  First,  a porcelain grater made in Japan: it’s dessert- plate sized, and has bumps in the middle. ( see photo at end of paragraph).  You could use a cheese grater, I suppose, or a fine blade in a food processor.  Second, to grate the ginger, I use a metal ginger grater called oroshi-gane, also purchased at a Japanese store. You grate the ginger, scoop up a pile of the grated ginger pulp and squeeze it to get the juice. Third,to grate the onion, I use the food processor.

MY GREAT JAPANESE GRATER

HOW TO MIX : Grate the carrot well, by hand on the Japanese porcelain grater. Chop the onion and put in a food processor. Process until onion is finely chopped and that will do for grating.  Add the grated carrot to the finely chopped onion.  Squeeze the ginger juice into the onion-carrot mix. Add the miso, oil and juice of one freshly squeezed orange or tangerine. (You can supplement with addition OJ, if you like more watery dressing). Pulse everything in the food processor.  Add the ketchup,  mayo, and water. Pulse.

Store in glass jar. Keeps 5-7 days.

BLUEFIN RESTAURANT, CAMBRIDGE, MA http://www.bluefin-cambridge.com/

where to buy:

Round Porcelain grater with rubber bottom

• http://www.simply-natural.biz/Porc-Grater-Round.php
• http://www.naturalimport.com/inc/sdetail/7922
• http://www.kushistore.com/Round-Porcelain-Grater-6-KW006.htm

Place to buy oroshi-gane  http://www.fine-tools.com/kitchen.htm ( also via Amazon)