Crunchy Asian Chicken Salad

I found this recipe in Pampered Chef's "Make it Fresh, Make it Healthy" cookbook, which is new this spring. I modified it just a bit, since preparing a salad for 6 people when there are only 2 in the house is more than I can eat without getting bored with it -- so I adjusted it for 4 servings. Since I'm now on the Weight Watchers Points Plus Program, I'm always looking for new recipes that are low in points but very filling.

Ingredients

1/3 cup(s) rice vinegar

2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter, without salt

2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp canola oil

2 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 Tbsp sugar

2 tsp ginger root

1 clove(s) garlic clove(s), pressed

1/3 tsp black pepper

1 1/2 cup(s) Napa cabbage, shredded

1 1/2 cup(s) romaine lettuce, chopped

1 cup(s) shredded red cabbage

2 medium scallion, sliced thin (both green and white parts)

3 small (about 9 oz) uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 medium orange(s)

3 serving(s) Wonton Strips (found in the Produce Section with the croutons)

Instructions

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and grill on a George Forman grill or something similar. Set aside.

For the dressing, whisk together vinegar, peanut butter, soy sauce, canola and sesame oils, sugar, gingerroot, garlic and plack pepper until blended; set aside. Combine cabbage, lettuce and onion together; toss to combine and set aside.

Slice the chicken into thin strips and toss with about 1/4 c. of the dressing. Gently toss the rest of the dressing into the lettuce mixture. Split into 4 servings; top each serving with oranges, chicken and wonton strips.

Sauteed Greens, Asian Style

Image by flit via Flickr

We have had an abundance of several types of greens this season, and they are still producing - even after a couple of frosty nights. Last weekend Michael picked some turnip and mustard greens, which I cooked with some Asian flavors. This is a quick, easy dish that is a delicious as it is good for you. Don't be afraid to try different types of greens; there's so much more to life than spinach!!!

Ingredients:

• Fresh greens -- whatever is available: Kale, Swiss Chard, Turnip Greens or Mustard Greens, about 1 to 1-1/2 lbs (serves about 2-3 people)
• 1 sweet onion, halved lengthwise and sliced into thin strips
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons Canola oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
• 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
• Dash of rice wine vinegar (white vinegar works fine too)

Directions:

Wash the greens and dry in a salad spinner (you may have to do this in batches). Cut the greens into smaller pieces and set aside. In the meantime, heat the canola oil in a large pot (I use my soup pot) over medium heat and add the onion. Saute the onion slowly until it is lightly browned and carmelized - about 5-7 minutes. Now add the garlic and saute for only about 1 minute, making sure it doesn't burn. Add the greens, blending them into the onions with tongs. You may have to wait until they start to wilt and reduce in size before adding more. Once the greens have wilted and reduced (which only takes about a minute), add the soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar. Blend well, turn down the heat to medium-low and cover; let simmer for about 5 minutes until the greens are tender. Add a dash of vinegar, stir and serve.

Italian Vegetable Saute

Image by Merelymel13 via Flickr

This is a great recipe for using up those vegetables from the garden, and it takes about 20 minutes. My mom used to call this "Jumbraut" (or something like that). You can add other vegetables as you wish (mushrooms would be awesome). Add a loaf of crusty French or Italian bread and you've got a delicious meal.

Ingredients:

1 onion, halved lengthwise and sliced into 1/4" slices
1 green or red bell pepper, sliced into 1/4" strips
1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced into 1/4" pieces
2 medium tomatoes, coarsely cut up (don't squeeze out the liquid)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
6 or 8 basil leaves, thinly sliced
olive oil

Preparation:

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Coat the bottom with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add the peppers and onions; saute for a few minutes until lightly browned. Add the garlic and the zucchini and cook for a few more minutes until the zucchini have browned and are getting tender. Add the tomatoes and cook for another few minutes until they have broken down and become a bit saucy. Season with salt & pepper, top with fresh basil and a sprinkle of olive oil.

This dish is best served warm (not piping hot), scooped onto a piece of Italian or French Bread. Save some bread for wiping up all that delicious left over sauce -- that's the best part!

The First New Potatoes!

Michael harvested the first potatoes from the garden last night. I thought I would make some for dinner this evening, with lots of herbs from the garden.


Ingredients:

2 lbs fresh new potatoes
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley and dill
2 T butter or margarine
Salt and pepper to taste

Clean and scrub the potatoes, removing all dirt; cut in half or quarters depending on size. Place in a large pot and cover with water. Boil for 10-15 minutes until just tender; drain but leave about 1/4 cup of the cooking water. Put back on a low burner and add the butter to melt. Remove from the burner and add the herbs; season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving platter and serve.

"Fruitful" Coleslaw

Image by shecodes via Flickr

We picked our first head of cabbage in the garden yesterday, so of course coleslaw was on the menu today along with beans and cornbread -- a Poor Man's Supper. After tasting the cabbage and noting how sweet it tasted, I decided to add some fruit to the coleslaw. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

- 1 small head of cabbage, or 1/2 head large cabbage (if you grow your own pick them before they get too big -- they are definitely sweeter), shredded or chopped fine.
- 1 peach, peeled and diced in 1/2" pieces
- 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced in 1/2" pieces
- 1/2 cup light mayonnaise (I like Duke's)
- 2 T apple cider vinegar
- 1 T sugar, or 3 packages of Splenda

Mix the mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar together in the bottom of a large bowl. Taste and adjust the vinegar and sugar to your preference. (The mixture should be smooth but not runny.) Add the cabbage and fruit and toss; season with a few sprinkles of salt. Cover and refrigerate for several hours before serving.

Note: I have been making this type of coleslaw for many years. If fresh fruit is not available, you can add some canned diced peaches or canned diced pineapple, drained well.

Swiss Chard, Potato & Bean Ragout

Image via Wikipedia

I found this recipe on the New York Times website (Recipes for Health) and decided to try it last night; I had picked some swiss chard and spinach in the garden and wanted to put it to good use. I modified this recipe a bit (I used canned beans instead of dried) but it turned out great and we had plenty left over for another meal. This dish reminded me of a dish my mother used to make, Beans & Greens (she used escarole instead of chard). Serve with a garden-fresh salad and a loaf of crusty Italian or French bread. Mangia!

Ingredients:
1 can Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained

A bouquet garni made with 1 bay leaf, a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme, and a Parmesan rind, tied together with kitchen string

Salt

1 generous bunch swiss chard (3/4 to 1 pound), or a combination of swiss chard and spinach

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 to 4 garlic cloves (to taste), sliced

1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Freshly ground pepper

1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving

1. Add the beans to 3 cups of water in a casserole or Dutch oven. Bring to a simmer. Skim off any foam, then add the bouquet garni. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon salt.

2. Meanwhile, stem and clean the greens in 2 changes of water. Rinse the chard stems and dice. Set aside. Cut the leaves in ribbons, or coarsely chop, and set aside.

3. Heat the olive oil in a heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the onion and chard stems. Cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the potatoes and stir together, then transfer to the pot with the beans. Bring back to a simmer, cover and simmer 30 minutes, or until the potatoes and beans are tender. Salt to taste.

4. Add the chard and thyme leaves to the pot, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. The chard should be very tender. Stir in freshly ground pepper to taste and the parsley. Taste, adjust seasonings and serve, passing the Parmesan to sprinkle on the top. Don't forget to remove the bouquet garni!

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

Yellow Squash

Ahhh, the fresh vegetables are starting to appear at the local markets. Michael and I volunteered at the Canton Community Kitchen yesterday (Mother's Day) and were sent home with cabbage, squash and onions. I decided today to use some of the squash and onions to make one of my favorite side dishes, Sauteed Squash & Onions.

This dish is incredibly simple and tastes delicious. It can get a bit watery since the squash is mostly water, but it makes a nice flavorful sauce. If you're bothered by onions making you cry when you cut them, make sure that you are using a very sharp knife. The easier the onion is to slice, the less the onion will "spray" its juice.

Ingredients:

2 lb yellow squash, sliced about 1/4" thick (large pieces should be cut in half)
1 large yellow onion, sliced in half-rings
1 T olive oil
1/2 t Seasoning Salt (more or less, to taste)

Directions:

In a large suate' pan with a tight-fitting lid, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook slowly, about 5-7 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned and softened. Add the squash and the seasoning salt, saute for 1-2 minutes over medium heat, then cover the pan and turn the heat down to medium-low. Cook for another 5-7 minutes until the squash is tender but not mushy. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and serve. Garnish with some fresh chopped parsley.

FRESH TOMATO-HERB TOPPING

This is a very versatile dish. Use as a topping for slices of grilled French bread; serve over grilled chicken, fish or shrimp; or serve over cooked pasta.


2 c. ripe tomatoes (about 4 whole), diced in small pieces, or 2 c. canned, petite-diced tomatoes
½ sweet onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
6 basil leaves, finely chopped
3 mint leaves, finely chopped
2 sprigs Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together; let stand for 10 minutes. This can be refrigerated for about a week. Makes about 2-1/2 cups; very figure-friendly!

SAUTEED GREENS

This recipe is best with small, tender greens fresh-picked from the garden. If you don't grow them yourself, visit your nearest farmer's market or local produce vendor. You won't be sorry!

1 sweet yellow onion, sliced thinly into rings
1 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups fresh greens (Spinach, Swiss Chard or Kale), washed thoroughly*, tough stems removed and torn into smaller pieces
2 T soy sauce

In a large stockpot (6-quart or larger), heat the olive oil on medium heat. Add the onion and cook slowly over medium-low heat, until the onion is golden brown and soft - about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so until the garlic is soft but not burnt. Add the greens, stirring them into the onions with a pair of tongs. If they don't all fit into the pan at once, let them cook down for a minute or so and add the rest to the pan. Add the soy sauce and toss the greens, then cover the pan and let the greens cook for about 6-10 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste. Makes about 2 cups of greens - enough for two people.

*A note about washing greens: the best way is to use a large bowl or washtub, or sanitize one side of a double-bowl sink. Fill it with water and soak the greens. Remove the greens to a big bowl, drain the water and fill the bowl or sink again with clean water and repeat. Do this until the water is clear. This should remove all the dirt and sand from the underside of the leaves where it collects. It also protects the greens from being torn up by rinsing them directly under water.

This recipe is best with fresh greens from the garden - small leaves are the sweetest and most tender so try not to get leaves that are too large.