Nuts, tomatoes, cheese make rich salad

Nuts often get a bad rap because of their high fat content. But the fat in most nuts is the healthy unsaturated variety.

It doesn't mean you should eat nuts with abandon, but it does mean you should feel no guilt about working them into a healthy diet.

The trick is moderation. And because nuts are so rich, moderation can be easy. All that rich flavor means it doesn't take much to feel satisfied.

Nuts generally have a deeper flavor when toasted. To toast raw nuts, place them on a dry baking sheet and roast for 10 to 12 minutes at 350 degrees. Keep a close eye on them because they go from toasted to burnt quickly.

The freezer is the best place to store nuts (same goes for seeds). All their healthy oils put them at risk for going rancid.

Place them in a zip-close plastic bag and squeeze out the air before freezing. Always give your nuts a sniff and a taste before putting them in your dish. If they have any sourness or bitterness, don't use them.

We've chosen to showcase walnuts in this recipe for a composed salad made from roasted tomatoes (the roasting brings out their sweetness) and creamy, herbed ricotta cheese. For a great dinner, serve this with a piece of crusty multigrain bread with some greens and a grilled chicken breast.

Roasted tomatoes with herbed ricotta and walnuts
4 large tomatoes, halved and cored
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
Balsamic vinegar (optional)

Heat the oven to 325 degrees.

Place a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet.

Spray the rack with cooking spray.

Arrange the tomatoes on the rack, cut sides up. Sprinkle the tomatoes with the salt, sugar and white pepper.

Roast for 1 hour.

Flip the tomatoes over and roast for another hour, or until the tomatoes are soft, wrinkly and have shrunken considerably in size.

While the tomatoes are roasting, in a medium bowl stir together the ricotta, basil, thyme and oregano.

Set aside to allow the flavors to meld.

Serve the herbed ricotta alongside the roasted tomato halves.

Sprinkle with toasted walnuts and drizzle lightly with balsamic vinegar, if using.

Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 140 calories; 70 calories from fat (50 percent of total calories); 8 g fat (2.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 20 mg cholesterol; 12 g carbohydrate; 10 g protein; 3 g fiber; 280 mg sodium.