Asian Chicken and Orzo Salad

I made this pasta salad when I had a few friends over for lunch one Sunday.  It's a great dish because you can make it the night before and serve it cold or at room temperature.  I found this recipe over at the Food Network.  It's from Paula Deen if you can believe it or not, and it doesn't contain one bit of butter.  Based on the reviews I changed things from the original recipe, like I reduced the oil in the recipe and added more soy sauce and some of the other ingredients.  I thought the changes added a lot of flavor, and I really liked it.  This recipe makes a lot, so it's great for a party, light and pretty healthy too.



Asian Chicken and Orzo Salad

• 1 cup of shelled, cooked edamame (you can cook them by blanching them in boiling, salted water for about 4-5 minutes if they aren't cooked when you purchase them)
• 1-16 oz package of orzo, cooked and drained
• 1 cup water chestnuts, drained and chopped
• 3 cups diced cooked chicken
• 2 green onions, whites and greens, sliced thin
• 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil (any neutral tasting oil will work)
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil 
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce 
• 1 tsp Sriracha (optional)

In a large bowl, combine the orzo, chicken, edamame, green onions, and red bell pepper.  In a small bowl, whisk to combine the canola oil, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin, and Sriracha.  Pour over the pasta and chicken mixture and toss to combine.  Cover and chill until ready to serve.  Can serve cold or at room temperature.

Note: When you are ready to serve, give it a taste, it may need more soy or hoisin sauce.  Mine felt a bit dried out the next day, so I drizzled some extra soy sauce  and hoisin sauce over the top, stirred to combine, and it was just great.



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CEiMB: Saffron Chicken, Lemon and Green Bean Salad

It's my week for picking a recipe for Craving Ellie in My Belly.  I chose for our group to make the Saffron Chicken, Lemon, and Green Bean Salad from The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life by Ellie Krieger.  I wanted to pick a recipe that would both use some summer ingredients like green beans and fresh mint, and I also wanted something healthy and light I could take to work for lunch.


However, the main reason I chose this recipe was because it had an unusual cooking technique that I had never tried before.  The recipe calls for boiling a whole lemon for 50 minutes until it breaks down, and the skin is so soft that you actually scoop out the pulp and chop up the peel and add it to salad.  It's kind of messy because the pulp disintegrates and breaks down, so scooping out the pulp is a bit difficult, and I wanted to completely get the skin clean and free of the pith, so I found that laying the lemon flat on the counter and scraping out the pulp with a spoon worked rather well.


I found this salad to be so delicious.  Chicken is marinated in fresh mint, saffron, garlic and lemon juice.  Once it is cooked, it is combined with steamed green beans and the chopped lemon peel.  You then toss the salad in a lemon-honey dressing.  The mint and lemon combination is so bright and fresh.  It really is bursting with lemon flavor, but it is soft and mellow, not tart or abrasive at all.  The saffron adds a subtle floral flavor and the sweet honey balances out the lemon flavor.  I think this recipe is a wonderful discovery, and I will make it again and again.




Saffron Chicken, Lemon, and Green Bean Salad

• 1 lemon, preferably unwaxed
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste, divided
• Pinch saffron
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped mint leaves
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
• 1 1/4 pound skinless boneless chicken breast, pounded to 1/2-inch thick
• 1 pound green beans, washed and trimmed
• Cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Freshly ground black pepper

Prick the lemon in 3 or 4 places with a fork and place in a small pot with 1 teaspoon of salt and cover with water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 50 minutes or until the lemon is very tender.  Drain and set aside to cool.

In the meantime, mix the saffron, mint, garlic, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a small bowl. Pour the marinade into a sealable plastic bag, add the chicken and let it marinate while you prepare the other ingredients. 

Steam the green beans for 4 minutes and set aside to cool. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces.

Preheat a large skillet or grill pan which has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cook the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Set aside to cool. Cut into bite-sized chunks.

Slice the ends off of the lemon and slice it in half lengthwise. Scoop out the pulp. Slice the peel thinly and then again into 1/4-inch pieces.

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, lemon, green beans and thyme. In a small bowl combine the rest of the lemon juice and the honey, whisk in the remainder of the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.

Chickpea and Tuna Salad

 

After a long weekend hiking and backpacking at North Manitou Island (see pictures below), I wanted to prepare something healthy and light to take for lunch over the next few days.  I got home late today, so I didn't have time to go to the grocery store, so I was stuck with what I had in the fridge and the pantry.   I had some red peppers and carrots in the fridge, so I decided to combine them with a can of chickpeas and a packet of Herb and Garlic Starkist Tuna Creations. I tossed in some capers and some fresh parsley and added a dijon-lemon vinaigrette, and I ended up with something quite healthy and tasty.  The sweetness of the carrots and red peppers balances nicely with the tanginess of the capers and lemon juice.  I think this simple salad makes a great lunch when you want something healthy and filling.

Chickpea and Tuna Salad

For the salad:

• 1-15oz can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1-4.5 oz pouch of Herb and Garlic Starkist Tuna Creations
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced baby carrots (I used a mandoline, just be very careful because the carrots are so small)
• 1/4 finely diced red bell pepper
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained 
• salt and freshly ground pepper

For the vinaigrette:

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 3 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 5 teaspoons olive oil

In a medium sized bowl combine the chickpeas, tuna, carrots, red bell pepper, parsley and capers, set aside while making the vinaigrette.  In a small bowl, mix the lemon juice and the Dijon mustard together to form a smooth mixture then slowly drizzle in the olive oil to make a complete emulsion.  Pour the vinaigrette over the chickpea and tuna salad and toss to coat the salad.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Chickpea Salad with Summer Vegetables

When it is the middle of summer, and I am picking vegetables daily from my garden, sometimes the easiest thing to do is just to make a simple, refreshing salad.  Nothing taste better than fresh corn and tomatoes at the peak of ripeness.  They are sweet and delicious.  I've had a garden for three years now, and I have been spoiled.  Each year, tomatoes have been abundant.  A store bought tomato cannot compare with a tomato picked from your backyard.  For the most part, if it's not summer, I usually cook with canned tomatoes because they have so much more flavor than a fresh tomato in the middle of winter. 

This salad is simple and filling it is full of chickpeas and summer veggies.  The zucchini, shallots, and corn are sauteed briefly before being mixed in with cucumber, tomatoes, chickpeas, and feta cheese.  The whole salad is dressed with a light champagne vinaigrette and fresh herbs add some great flavor.  It is a great healthy lunch option.  You could also add some canned tuna to the salad for some extra protein.

Chickpea Salad with Summer Vegetables

 

for the salad:

 

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium zucchini, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 2 cups of fresh corn, from 4 ears of corn
• 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 medium seedless cucumber, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced
• 3 oz feta cheese, crumbled

 

for the vinaigrette:

 

• 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
• 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• salt and pepper

 

finish with:

 

• juice from half a lemon (optional)

  

To assemble the salad:

 

 

First make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl add the vinegar and Dijon mustard, slowly drizzle in olive oil, while whisking constantly to emulsify the vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper, set aside while preparing the salad.

 

In a skillet set over medium heat, add the olive oil and once it is warm, saute the zucchini, shallots, shallots until everything is slightly soft, but not mushy, about 3 minutes. It is going into a salad, so you still want the vegetables to still be somewhat firm. Place in a bowl and allow to cool.

  

Add the tomatoes, cucumber, chickpeas, dill, parsley, and feta cheese to the bowl, pour on the vinaigrette (whisk before adding to the salad if it has separated while it had been set aside), and stir the salad gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper, and if desired squeeze a half of a lemon over the salad and stir to combine. I felt that the salad needed a bit more tartness, which is why I added the lemon juice at the end, but that might not be the case for everybody.

 

 

 

CEiMB: Curried Chicken Salad

I am so excited because this is my week to select a recipe for Craving Ellie in My Belly! The recipe I chose for my fellow bloggers and me to make is the Curried Chicken Salad from So Easy: Luscious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Week by Ellie Krieger. It's a very simple, but delicious salad consisting of chicken and grapes in a yogurt curry sauce.

First of all, I really love the flavor of curry powder, so I was sure that I would like this salad, but I was quite impressed how well the flavors were balanced. The warm spice of the curry balances well with the sweetness of the grapes and the bitterness of the cilantro, and the almonds added a nice crunch and contrast in texture. I actually mixed my sliced almonds into my salad instead of sprinkling them on top. Many chicken salads feel heavy and rich, but this was very light. The recipe doesn't make a lot of sauce, just enough to coat the chicken and grapes, so it doesn't weigh them down, and their flavors really come through. I served my salad on a bed of spinach sprinkled with lemon juice along with toasted whole-wheat pita chips.

The recipe on the Food Network website includes instructions for poaching chicken, so I have included the instructions for that as well in case you wish to cook your chicken that way.

I want to thank all of my fellow bloggers over at Craving Ellie in My Belly for participating with me! I really enjoyed this recipe, and I hope that they did too. Be sure to check out their blogs as well to see how they made their Curried Chicken Salad.





Curried Chicken Salad
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup non-fat plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 2 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 pounds, poaching instructions below)
• 1 cup halved red grapes
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 5 ounces mixed greens (about 5 cups lightly packed)
• 4 lemon wedges
• 4 ounces pita chips

Directions:

• For poaching the chicken: Bring the broth and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add chicken to broth and simmer, covered, for 8 minutes. Turn the heat off and let chicken stand in the cooking liquid, covered, until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the broth and cool completely in the refrigerator. Cut into 1/4-inch dice.
• Toast the almonds in a small dry skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant and beginning to turn golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
• In a large bowl, stir together the yogurt, mayonnaise, and curry powder. Fold in the chicken, grapes and cilantro and season to taste, with salt and pepper. This salad will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• To serve, put a scoop of the chicken salad on a bed of greens and top with the toasted almonds. Add a lemon wedge to squeeze over the greens jut before eating. Serve with pita chips.

Serving size:

• 1 cup chicken salad
• 1 1/4 cups mixed greens
• 1 lemon wedge
• 1 ounce pita chips

French Potato Salad

I hosted a baby shower for my sister-in-law this weekend, and I wanted to serve a potato salad, but most potato salads are covered in mayonnaise (which I like), but I wanted to keep things a bit lighter because I was preparing a lot of other dishes. I decided to make a French Potato Salad that I saw prepared by the Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network. The potato salad is dressed with a light vinaigrette and a bunch of fresh herbs. I added some fresh green beans from my garden as well. It is easy to prepare (you can make it the night before you plan on serving it), and it tastes great. If you are in the mood for a different type of potato salad, I highly recommend this one.


French Potato Salad
serves 4 to 6

• 1 pound small white boiling potatoes, cut into bite size pieces (I used fingerling potatoes)
  
• 1 pound small red boiling potatoes, cut into bite size pieces
  
• 1 1/2 cups fresh green beans cut into 1-2 inch pieces
  
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 10 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1/4 cup minced scallions (white and green parts)
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves

Drop the white and red potatoes into a large pot of boiling salted water and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until they are still firm, but easily pierced with a fork. In the last five minutes of cooking, add the green beans to the pot so they will cook through as well Drain in a colander and place a towel over the potatoes and green beans to allow them to steam for 5 more minutes. Place in a medium bowl, and toss gently with the chicken stock. Allow the liquid to soak into the warm potatoes before proceeding.

Combine the vinegar, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Add the vinaigrette to the potatoes. Add the scallions, dill, parsley, basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss. Serve warm or at room temperature.

CEIMB: Cobb Salad

This week's Craving Ellie in My Belly is from by Gabi from The Feast Within. The recipe can be found on the Food Network Website. It was easy to put together, and I substituted a few things I had on hand for the vegetables on top. Instead of avocado and watercress, I used celery, shredded carrots, and red cabbage. The star of this salad, however, is the dressing. It is really delicious. I would definitely use it again when making a salad. Another good one from Ellie.

Shell Pasta Salad with Cheese and Peas

I am always looking for new pasta salad recipes, so when I came across this recipe from Pillsbury, I thought it would be a good side dish for a recent family get-together. I changed some of the ingredients from the original recipe, but for the most part, it is pretty similar. Overall, I think this is a good dish for a gathering or picnic. The sweet peas balance out the saltiness of the chunks of cheese, and the addition of honey mustard is a nice twist to a traditional mayonnaise based pasta salad.


Shell Pasta Salad with Peas and Cheese
from Pillsbury.com

serves 8-10

For the Salad:

• 8 oz. (2 cup) uncooked small shell pasta
• 1 cup frozen sweet peas
• 1 cup sliced celery
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
• 6 oz. sharp Cheddar cheese, cubed (1 1/2 cups)

For the Dressing:

• 2/3 cup light mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup sweet honey mustard
• 3/4 to 1 teaspoon salt (depending on your seasoning preference)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley.
  

Directions:

• Cook pasta in a post of boiling salted water to al dente as directed on the package, adding peas during last 3 minutes of cooking time. Drain and rinse with cool water. (Usually I do not like to rinse my pasta, but it does get rather sticky when it cools if you do not rinse it.)
• In medium bowl, combine cooked pasta and peas, and all remaining salad ingredients.
• In small bowl, combine all dressing ingredients; blend well. Add to salad and toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with parsley. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes to blend flavors.
  

Panzanella

I love fresh bakery bread, but it rarely stays fresh longer than a couple of days. I usually don't have time to eat it all before it goes stale. I bought a rosemary and olive oil loaf a few days ago and instead of throwing it out, I decided to make a panzanella salad. Panzanella is a salad make up of fresh veggies and toasted bread cubes. I found a recipe for panzanella on The Food Network from The Barefoot Contessa. I scaled down the recipe and made a few slight changes. This salad is really delicious and fresh. It's a great end of the summer salad.


Panzanella
3-4 servings

For the salad:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cups stale bread, cubed
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 cup seedless cucumber, unpeeled, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/4 of a small red onion, thinly sliced
• 10 large basil leaves, chiffonade
• 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• shaved Parmesan cheese (optional)
  

For the viniagrette:

• 1/2 teaspoon finely minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

• Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Add the bread and salt; cook over medium heat, tossing frequently, for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned.
• For the vinaigrette, whisk the garlic, mustard, and vinegar together. Slowly add the olive oil, constantly whisking until it is all incorporated. Mix in the salt and pepper.
• In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, red pepper, red onion, basil, and capers. Add the bread cubes and toss with the vinaigrette. If needed reseason with salt and pepper. Serve, or allow the salad to sit for about half an hour for the flavors to blend.
• Before serving shave desired amount of Parmesan cheese on top of the salad. Enjoy!
  

Creamy Red Cabbage Cole Slaw

I harvested my first head of red cabbage from my garden recently, and I decided to make cole slaw for a family gathering. For years, I didn't eat cole slaw. I always found it to be overly sweet. But recently I have began to try different versions, and it has really grown on me. I especially love cole slaw on top a pulled pork barbecue sandwich. Just delicious. This is a recipe for a very simple, mild cole slaw. It's not too sweet and not to vinegary. Feel free to play with the amounts of mayonnaise or vinegar or sugar to adjust to your own personal taste. For the size of my head of cabbage, these were the right amounts to coat the cabbage and carrots without being too heavy. I don't like when all you can taste is mayonnaise and not the vegetables.

• 1 large head of cabbage, outer leaves and core removed, coarsely chopped (I planted red cabbage this year, but green cabbage would work as well)
• 2 large carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 sour cream (or light sour cream)
• 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
• Juice from 1 lemon (or 1/2 lemon if you don't want the sauce to be tart)
• 2 tablespoons milk (I used non-fat milk)
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
• salt and pepper

-In one bowl mix the cabbage and carrots together.
-In a separate bowl mix the next seven ingredients together and season to taste with salt and pepper.
-Adjust seasonings to your own personal taste and add enough of the sauce to the cabbage and carrots to just coat the vegetables. Depending on the size of your cabbage head and carrots, you may not need all of the sauce, so add large spoonfuls one at a time and mix thoroughly until you reach the desired consistency of your coleslaw. I found using tongs to distribute the sauce works very well without damaging the texture of the cabbage and the carrots.
-Refrigerate for about 30 minutes to allow the flavors blend. Enjoy!

Italian Pasta Salad

Serves 3-4

8 oz. pasta
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing (I used Kraft's Light Zesty Italian)
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup zucchini, diced
2 Tbsp. red onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp capers, drained and rinsed
4 oz fresh mozzarella, cubed
2 Tbsp Italian parsley, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
-Cook pasta according to directions in a pot of salted water, drain and cool to room temperature.
-In a bowl combine the pasta and the salad dressing and toss to coat the pasta.
-Mix in the next six ingredients, season to taste with salt and pepper. (For my taste, I found that I did not need to add any extra salt. I did add a generous amount of pepper.)
-Refrigerate the pasta salad for at least an hour to let the flavors blend.
-Just before serving, sprinkle with parsley.

Notes: This pasta salad is very light and not too heavily coated with dressing. It would also be good with some grilled chicken or shrimp mixed in.