Gallbladder Diet, 07/21/16, Gallbladder Friendly Creamy Ranch Dressing & Arugula Beet Chayote Portobello Roasted Red Pepper Salad w Baked Salmon

I am a big man. 6'3"+ and it takes a lot of hearty food to satisfy me.

After the last gallbladder attack in 2015 I was extremely concerned I'd not ever again enjoy a hearty meal.

Oh, this salad and creamy ranch dressing is so filling.  But not too filling.  I'm still satisfied an hour after eating tonight, yet not over-stuffed.

And the creamy ranch was so tasty.

Lately the meals have been one half vegan and the other half vegetarian or pescatarian.

Gallbladder diet.  Arugula, Chayote, Beet, Portobello, Roasted Red Pepper Salad

Tonight salad was vegan except for the small amount of baked salmon topping and the cup of non-fat yogurt used in the creamy ranch dressing recipe.

Gallbladder diet.  Wild non-farmed salmon with portobellos ready for the oven

First I baked the portobellos and wild caught salmon in the over at 350F for twenty minutes after marinating the shrooms in soy sauce for ten minutes. Feel free to add garlic powder, pepper, ginger or turmeric if you desire (I did).

Gallbladder diet.  Boil Chayote with their skins unit tender

While the salmon and portobellos are baking, place two whole chayote in a sauce pan and cover with water.  Add a dash of sea salt and bring to a boil.  Cover, turn to low-medium heat and allow the chayote to gently boil for fifteen minutes or so.  The chayote will be cooked when a fork or knife can easily be inserted all the way into the vegetable/fruit.

Gallbladder diet.  Slice chayote into wedge sections, cover and allow to cool in the refrigerator

 My first chayote squash came from a vine in Grandpa's Miami backyard.  As a young boy I loved to watch the chayote vines climb up the sprawling live oaks in Grandpa Morrow's landscape.

Chayote possesses a unique, earthy flavor and soft pear like texture when cooked.  Many like to eat chayote with butter.  Not me.  My gallbladder would erupt.  Chayote with salt and pepper is scrumptious tasting to me.

You should be able to find chayote in any large grocery store's vegetable section.  I purchased these two this week from Costco.

No need to peel chayote but I do remove the seed before slicing into wedges.  Chayote makes a great snack cooked and served hot or cooked, chilled and served with a gallbladder friendly dip (teriyaki or soy sauce works well).

Gallbladder diet.  Slice cooked beets into wedges and chill

While the chayote are cooking, wedge cut three of four cooked organic beets.  Again, I purchase mine from the produce section at Costco.  Beets are also available from most Farmer's Markets or grocery stores.  Place the beet wedges in a bowl and chill along with the chayote.

Gallbladder diet.  These roasted red peppers contain no fat except for the natural oils in the peppers

The delicious roasted red peppers came from Publix in a glass jar.  These particular peppers possessed a slight hint of fire from the roasting process, were sweet but not too sweet and were bottled with water.  Zero grams of total fat usually translates into a happy gallbladder for me.

Gallbladder diet.  Slicing the roasted red peppers for the salad

Slicing then placing the red peppers in the bowl of beet wedges, the salad toppings were chilled in the refrigerator.

Gallbladder diet.  Beet wedges and roasted red peppers

Beet wedges and roasted red pepper slices, chilled make a great happy gallbladder snack on their own.  Sometimes its hard to keep hungry fingers out of the bowl while the beets and peppers chill in the refrigerator.

Gallbladder diet.  Roasted portobellos ready for quartering

Quarter the roasted portobellos and set aside for use as a topping on the salad.

Gallbladder diet.  Salad is starting to come together

Wash then place the organic baby arugula leaves on the serving plate.  Arrange the wedges of chilled chayote, beets, sliced peppers and portobellos as desired over the arugula.

I added about one half cup of the baked salmon on top of all the garnishments for a super hearty and delicious evening meal.  The plate shown should be enough for two hungry adults to share.

Both the adults gallbladders should be very happy with this super low fat meal.

Creamy Yummy Ranch No-Fat Dressing

Gallbladder diet.  Ingredients for the super yummy creamy no-fat, gallbladder pleasing 'ranch' dressing

Back in time before my gallbladder revolted I loved creamy dressings, especially the kind that was full of artery-clogging oils, inflammatory high fructose corn sweetness and mysterious MSG.

For the first six months on my gallbladder diet I avoided creamy dressings.  In fact the only dressings I used were straight up balsamic vinegar or glaze, soy sauce or lemon/lime juice.

Eventually I tried fat free dressings made from corn or potato starch.  These starch dressings did not hurt my gallbladder but they tasted like blah barf times two.

Finally I figured out no-fat yogurt did not hurt my gallbladder either, though it did come in a plastic container.

After experimenting with several recipes I stumbled upon this fab creamy, tasty dressing mix and wow, it is so easy to make!

Gallbladder diet. Creamy ranch dressing is easy to make.  Herbs, spices, yogurt, lime juice and vegetable bullion.

Mix together one cup non-fat yogurt (I use Fage from Costco but any organic, non-fat yogurt would work fine), two tablespoons of lime juice (preferably key lime juice if available), fresh chopped herbs from your garden (basil and sage are shown here) and two heaping tablespoons of vegetable bullion.

Stir until consistency is creamy smooth.

Note: My vegetable bullion has a minuscule, almost negligible amount of oil but this has never bothered my gallbladder.

Gallbladder diet.  Fresh herbs from the garden, basil & sage

Gallbladder diet.  Finished no-fat, creamy, tasty 'ranch' gallbladder friendly dressing.

Chill dressing mixture and serve either on the side or over the salad.

Cheers!  Kevin #Gallbladder life is never boring.