Confetti Chicken Rice Salad August 25, 2008

The following rice salad was created out of the necessity to make dinner using the very limited ingredients in my refrigerator and pantry. I usually do my grocery shopping on Sunday nights but just didn’t get to it this Sunday. Necessity is the mother of all inventions, right? Rice salads can be a light yet hearty and satisfying entree. This is a very flexible dish and can easily be turned into a vegetarian option by using sauteed tofu or chick peas instead of chicken and by deleting feta cheese or by using an alternative. It was a bright and colorful dish and makes for great lunch leftovers the next day.

Ingredients: 

2 grilled chicken breasts ( marinated in olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and dried basil)

1 zucchini, thinly sliced (dressed in olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper)

2 cups cooled brown rice

1 cup chopped carrots (I used my very cool, Pampered Chef hand chopper)

2 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

2 green onions chopped

1/2 English cucumber chopped  

5 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade 

1 jar of quality marinated artichoke hearts, drained with liquid reserved

White wine vinegar, to taste

Lemon juice, to taste

Directions:

1. Cook brown rice and let cool to room temperature, set aside.

2. Grill marinated chicken breasts. I used my George Foreman Grill at 350 degrees for 12 minutes

3. Put seasoned zucchini on a baking sheet and cook underneath the broiler in your oven until nice and grilled. Remove from the oven and let cool.

3. Meanwhile chop and drop into a large mixing bowl your carrots, onions, tomatoes, green onions and basil.  When zucchini cools, chop and add to the bowl. Add the drained artichoke hearts to the bowl.

4. A trick that I learned a long time ago is to use the liquid from the marinated artichoke hearts as the base for salad vinaigrette. The liquid already has the oil, vinegar and spices. I usually add a little white wine vinegar and fresh lemon juice to the mix (it depends on the brand you use). Whisk together and set aside.

5. When the chicken cools enough to handle, cut into 1 inch chunks and add to the mixing bowl.

6. Add the room temperature brown rice to the mixing bowl.

7. Drizzle the vinaigrette to the salad. Start with a little and add to taste (don’t over dress).

8. Serve and top with a sprinkle of feta cheese…Why? Because Feta makes it Betta!  

 Simple, Easy, Breezy and Flexible!

Alisha’s Asian “Summer Roll” Salad July 15, 2008

The following recipe came to me via my good friend Alisha. She had heard of the recipe first from Food Network’s Ellie Krieger. The recipe was for Soft Asian Summer Rolls. The only problem was that when Alisha went grocery shopping she couldn’t find the rice paper rounds so she IMPROVISED and used all of the ingredients for a light and refreshing salad.  I made this last week and it got rave reviews from my dude.

Ingredients:

6 oz. Vietnamese Rice Noodles (mine were called Rice Sticks) cooked according to the package, drained, rinsed and chilled

1 lb. frozen cooked medium shrimp, defrosted and halved (Alisha’s tip was to throw the shrimp in with the noodles about 1 minute before the noodles are finished and it worked well).

1 chicken breast boiled, diced and chilled. Alisha did not use chicken and the original recipe did not use chicken either. What can I say? I felt like a little chicken! ; )

1/4 cup or 12 Thai Basil leaves (or regular basil) rinsed, dried and chiffonade

1/2 cup shredded carrot

1/2 cup or 12 mint leaves, rinsed, dried  and chiffonade

A few cups of torn or chopped Red Lettuce

Chopped Scallions

Sesame seeds for garnish

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss with dressing* to taste.

*Dressing: Alisha used 1part Costco Sesame Salad Dressing and 1 part Ken’s brand Asian Ginger Salad Dressing and it tasted great. I didn’t have either but I did find an Asian Sesame Vinaigrette at Fresh n’ Easy that I doctored with fresh ginger, a splash of soy sauce and 1 tsp. of Sriracha.

If you would like to look at the Original Inspiration for the Recipe you can click on the link below for Ellie Krieger’s Soft Asian Summer Rolls

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/soft-asian-summer-rolls-with-sweet-and-savory-dipping-sauce-recipe/index.html

If you would like to print this revised salad recipe; click on this link below

To Print, Click this link to a PDF of the Recipe asian-summer-roll-salad1

Recipe Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Brown Rice, Tomatoes & Basil Salad July 8, 2008

I was at my sister’s house after 4th of July this weekend. On Sunday I looked through her refrigerator trying to come up with something to make for dinner that could utilize some leftover food from the weekend BBQ. One thing that stood out to me was a large ziploc bag of sliced tomatoes (originally for hamburgers). The bag was filled and unless her small family intended to have sliced tomatoes at every meal for the next week; those tomatoes might definitely go bad. I found a recipe in Ina Garten’s book “Barefoot Contessa Family Style” It was a chilled brown rice, tomato and basil salad. This sounded wonderful and I would be able to use all of those tomatoes! I paired the salad with a roasted chicken and leftover corn on the cob. It was a simple yet flavorful meal. For an extra bonus, take leftover chicken and shred it into the leftover salad for a perfect little lunch for the next day.  

Recipe Rating: 4 out of 5 stars 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_32830,00.html

Autumn Panzanella in the Summer June 30, 2008

If there is something that I love more than cooking, it is cooking with friends. I stopped over my friend Alisha’s house the other night to hang out and have dinner. She had done most of the prep for the salad before I had arrived and in fact, the only thing I actually cooked was the mushrooms . The panzanella turned out super yummy and though it is labeled as an autumnal dish, it worked well in the heat of summer. She paired it with leftover Shrimp, Feta and Orzo salad (see earlier blog entry for recipe). It was a duo of salad; a great summer meal!

Like me Alisha doesn’t follow recipes exactly either. It is usually based on what she already has in the pantry or other convenience factors. That is what is so great about cooking. You may think to yourself, “Oh that sounds too fancy for me to cook”… but don’t let that stop you. Look at the recipe and make it realistic for you and your family. As always if you are vegetarian, delete the cheese or use an alternative.  

The following were revisions made to the recipe…

French baguette with the crust on in lieu of crust free bread for the croutons

White button mushrooms in lieu of wild mushrooms. I am sure that the wild mushrooms add a wonderful earthiness. I think what is more important is the technique that he suggests to cook them. They turned out so wonderful and I had never cooked mushrooms that way.

Fresh oregano instead of thyme (Convenience factor; she had fresh oregano. I am sure either taste wonderful).

Fresh lettuce instead of arugula or spinach (Convenience factor; again I think that either would work just fine)

Michael Chiarello is a wonderful chef with great entertaining ideas. Check out his show on Food Network “Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello” or just browse his recipes on foodnetwork.com 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_32361,00.html

Recipe rating: 4 (the onion dressing was so yummy!)   

Chopped Salad w/ Gazpacho Dressing June 24, 2008

One of the restaurants that me and my amigos used to frequent regularly is the Yardhouse. They always had a great selection of beverages and they had a few salads that I just adored. I tried to recreate their chopped salad with a few additions of my own and I think I did a pretty good job. The salad itself is vegetarian, but I served it alongside some grilled chicken (simply seasoned w/ salt & pepper and grilled on my trusty George Foreman) to round out the meal. This is another dish that is perfect summertime!

Ingredients:

1/2 English cucumber

1 cup of grape or cherry tomatoes

1 red or yellow bell pepper (I actually used 1/2 red and 1/2 yellow for more COLOR!) 

1/2 red onion, peeled

6 ribs of celery (especially the leafy tops)

1 1/2 cups frozen white corn kernels, defrosted and drained

1 1/2 cups black beans, rinsed and drained  

1 tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar

1 small lemon, juiced

1 tsp. Hot Sauce (I used Tapatio) If you want more spice, you can always add it to your dressing after you taste it. 

1/2 cup V-8 juice

1 sprinkle garlic salt

1/4 tsp. paprika

1/4 cup Olive oil

1 avocado sliced

 

1. Cut the cucumber, tomatoes, pepper, red onion and celery into bite sized chunks and toss into a big mixing bowl. Add your drained corn and black beans to the bowl.

2. In a small bowl, combine vinegar, hot sauce, V-8, garlic salt and paprika. Whisk around and slowly add the olive oil.

3. Pour the dressing over your salad and toss.

4. Serve with a few slices of avocado on top (You don’t want to toss your avo with the salad b/c then it will get all mooshy and you know how I feel about mooshy!)   

Yummy!

To Print, Click this link to a PDF of the Recipe chopped-salad-with-gazpacho-dressing

Shrimp, Feta & Orzo Salad June 19, 2008

Summertime is perfect for light and refreshing pasta and rice salads. They are filling without leaving you feeling heavy. I found the following recipe in a magazine that was sent to me by mistake, it’s called the Nest and it is for newlyweds. Hu? I didn’t mind though after I found this recipe.  All of the ingredients are so fresh (follow the recipe and use the fresh herbs) and I love the acidity that the lemon adds to the dish. If you are vegetarian, delete the feta cheese and this dish is vegetarian friendly. BTW, If you are not familiar with orzo it is a small rice shaped pasta that can be found in the pasta section of any grocery store (it a great pasta to add to homemade soups too!).

Ingredients, Serves 2 

1 garlic clove, minced

3/4 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 1/2 tsp. minced fresh oregano

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 lb. medium shrimp (about 18), shelled and deveined

3/4 cup orzo

1/3 cup crumbled feta (about 2 oz.)

1 medium tomato (as long as they are not infected w/ salmonella. Oh no!)

3 scallions, sliced

1/2 cup frshly chopped Italian (flat leaf) parsley

1 cup baby greens

Dressing

1 garlic clove, chopped

2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley

2 tsp. minced fresh oregano

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

1. In a bowl, whisk together garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Add shrimp to the marinade and coat well. Marinate shrimp covered in the fridge for 1 hour. Prepare your grill or grill pan (I used my George Foreman)

2. Cook orzo according to the package instructions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl to let it cool. (Tip: Drizzle with a little olive oil and stir to keep the little noodles from sticking together).

3. For the dressing, combine all six ingredients in a blender and blend until emulsified.

4. When orzo is cool, add tomato, scallions and parsley leaves. Add the dressing to taste and toss well. Season with salt and pepper. Add feta cheese and toss.

5. Remove the shrimp from the marinade; discard marinade. Grill shrimp until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes.

6. Remove shrimp from the grill and toss gently with the orzo mixture.

7. Line salad bowls with baby greens and fill with your orzo salad.

YUMMY!  Super easy to make and quite tasty.

Rating: I give this recipe 3.5 out of 5 stars.   

To Print, Click this link to a PDF of the Recipe shrimp-feta-and-orzo-salad

Juan Healthy Taco Salad June 17, 2008

A lot of times when you think of taco salad healthy may not be a word that comes to mind. But my version of a taco salad is incredibly healthy, filling and nutritious. 

The Protein

Ground meat (beef or turkey) or soy meat

Taco seasoning*

 

The Salad

Romaine Lettuce

Red & Yellow Bell Peppers seeded and chopped

Cucumber chopped

Tomatoes chopped

Frozen corn (defrosted)

Black beans (if canned, drained)  

Fresh Cilantro chopped

 

The Toppings

Avocado

Fresh Pico De Gallo/ Salsa**
Corn tortilla chips (blue, yellow, salt free, fat free, whatevs)

Shredded Cheddar Cheese (optional and in my opinion unnecessary but hey if you need your cheese I can’t fault you for it)

 

I cook my ground meat/ turkey/ soy meat in a pan with the taco seasoning. While the protein is cooking I get out a big bowl and I start ‘chopping and dropping’. You can add more fresh veggies to this salad to make it even more vitamin packed. Some good examples are jicama, carrots, red cabbage, etc. Add your defrosted and drained corn and black beans to the bowl and mix with all the veggies.

 

Once your protein it cooked then it is time to serve. Start with your salad mix, top with your protein and then top with your desired toppings. The chips lightly crumbled on top add that crunch to the salad that you would normally get from the fatty fried tortilla bowl that most Mexican restaurants serve their taco salads in but much healthier.

 

And that’s it! Salud!  

 

Notes…

*Prepared taco seasoning is a rip off especially when you can make your own at home with spices that you probably already have in your cabinet. Mix equal parts… Chili Powder, Paprika, Cumin, Garlic Salt and Dried Onion.*

 

** I use the pico de gallo as a salad dressing. If you are looking for a creamier dressing, mix the pico de gallo with some nonfat sour cream or nonfat plain yogurt.**

To Print, Click this link to a PDF of the Recipe juan-healthy-taco-salad1