Grilled Potatoes and Onions

For Fathers' Day, the father of my child wanted steak and everything grilled along with it. He underestimated how much work would be involved for him, but I enjoyed the day off from cooking! We have grilled everything under the sun when it comes to vegetables. My favorites are mushrooms with a little olive oil and zucchini.

As for the zucchini, you slice it in half and then in thin planks. Then I mix fresh lemon juice and olive oil together and coat the zucchini with it. Then just before they are done, top with a little fresh parmesan. My kiddo loves it. We tried this recipe from Our Best Bites that day. It's similar to a tinfoil dinner or where I grew up a "hobo" dinner. So delicious & easy. They were even tastier than they looked -

1 potato per person (any kind of potatoes work; for the sake of sentimentality, I'm partial to Russetts, although red and Yukon Gold potatoes are so smooth and delicious)
1/2 small onion per person (the one pictured is a little large because I used some onions in the corn)
1 Tbsp. butter per person, cut into pieces
1/4 tsp. salt per person
Freshly-ground black pepper
Smoked paprika
Aluminum foil
Preparation:

Tear sheets (1 per person) of aluminum foil into about 16" pieces. Fold each in half into a sqaure-ish and set aside.

Preheat grill. Slice potatoes into pieces about 1/8-1/4" thick. Slice onions about 1/8" thick.

Place 1 potato in the middle of each foil square and dot with butter pieces. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and then sprinkle generously with smoked paprika. Remember, paprika is super mild, so it's hard to add too much.

Top each pile with onions. Fold edges in and secure tightly. It's important to get a good seal because the moisture will cook the potatoes and onions and you want all those yummy juices, so if it seems like there's not quite enough foil, wrap packet in another layer.

Turn heat on grill to low. Place each packet on the grill. Close lid for 15 minutes. Turn and allow to cook for another 15 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully open each packet.

These can also be cooked in the oven at 400 for about 15-20 minutes (just check on them to see how they're doing) or in a panini press for about the same amount of time.

I watched Rachael make these and it looked complicated what with the broiler being on and everything. There is a butcher shop called Snider's Meat Market down the street and everything there is wonderful, but they have these chili rellenos that are absolute cream cheese, fattening heaven. These are a GREAT vegetarian, low-fat version. The red onion makes the whole dish so sweet and yummy. I love it! The rice was also wonderful, but makes quite a bit. I did not want my oven on so I actually used the grill completely by myself :) and just charred the peppers. Then, when I filled the peppers and topped with cheese (which can be omitted if you want to cut even more calories because there is so much flavor), I actually put them in a 9x13 and just put the pan straight on the grill to melt the cheese. Enjoy!

Charred Chili Relleno with Green Rice

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray, 2007

Show: 30 Minute MealsEpisode: Craving Buster

• Level: Easy

• Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock, divided
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups white rice
• 4 large poblano peppers
• 6 ears corn on the cob or 3 cups frozen corn kernels
• 3 tablespoons corn, peanut or vegetable oil, divided
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 (15-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained well
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1/2 palm full
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, eyeball it in your palm
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/2 pound spinach leaves, deveined and coarsely chopped
• 4 scallions, coarsely chopped
• 2 limes, zested, juiced
• 1 cup shredded Chihuahua cheese, Asadero or Monterey Jack

Directions

Preheat broiler or grill pan to high.

Heat about 3 1/2 cups stock in a sauce pot with a bay leaf to boiling. Add rice, cover pot reduce heat to low and simmer 18 minutes until tender.

Place poblanos under broiler or on hot grill and char evenly all over, 15 minutes.

While peppers and rice are working, scrape the corn off the cobs or defrost frozen corn and dry by spreading out on clean kitchen towel. Heat 2 tablespoons light oil in a skillet over high heat. When the oil smokes or ripples add corn, onion, jalapenos and toss until the vegetables char at edges and onions are tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-high and add in garlic, fire roasted tomatoes and season with cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook another minute or 2 then turn pan off.

Place the cilantro, spinach, scallions, lime zest, half a cup of stock and a tablespoon of oil in food processor and process into coarse green paste. Stir into your rice pot in the last 3 to 4 minutes of its cooking time.

Sprinkle the lime juice over the corn mixture.

Split the charred peppers open but not in half with small sharp knife then scoop out the seeds with a small spoon. Place peppers in a shallow baking dish and stuff each split pepper with lots of the corn mix, top each pepper with 1/4 cup cheese and place back under broiler to melt and char the cheese.

Serve peppers on beds of green rice. Yum-o!

Chicken Mole

Ah yes - a challenge has been set before me, and no better time for it with all those babies out there coming soon. I don't know about you - but everyone I know is pregnant! I had a friend ask for freezer meal ideas and this one is one of my favorites. I used to really hate mole, but decided to try this and love it now.

Ingredients

3.5-4-lb. frying chicken, cut into serving pieces (I usually just through in frozen cooked chicken or slightly thaw 2 chicken breasts)
5 Tbs. olive oil, divided
4 Tbs. chili powder, divided
salt & cayenne to taste
2 onions, peeled & chopped
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 cups chicken stock
1-14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup chopped raisins
1 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350, and line a baking sheet wiht aluminum foil.

Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper twoels. Combine 3 Tbs. oil, 2 garlic cloves, and 2 Tbs. chili powder in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and cayenne. Mix well, and rub mixture on chicken. Arrange chicken on the prepared pan, skin side down.

Bake chicken for 20 minutes, then turn with tongs, and bake skin side up for an additional 20-25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink.

While chicken baeks, make sauce. Heat remaining 2 Tbs. oil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and remaining garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes, or until onions are translucent. Stir in remaining chili powder and cumin and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

Add peanut butter, raisins, sugar, and cocoa powder. Stir well and bring to a boil. Then turn to low and simmer sauce for 15 minutes, or until lightly thickened. Season to taste with salt and cayeene. Serve sauce on top of chicken.

Note: The sauce can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated, tightly covered. Reheat over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Note: Can double recipe and freeze in heavy resealable plastic bags. (I often don't even need to double it to freeze it for my small family of 3)

Source: $3 Meals

Granola Tip

Oh world, are you out there?? I know I am the only one who posts quite frequently on this, but sometimes I wonder if I am merely talking to myself. :)

So I have been making Lisa's (my loving sister, who mainly we started this blog to share our recipes together several states apart instead of emailing) Maple Granola with white chocolate chips and cranberries and it is super addicting!! I was watching the Food Network & Sunny from Cooking For Real made granola and added 2 whipped egg whites. So I did a little research online and came to discover that you can substitute the oil or butter for egg whites to help it clump together more. My hubby loves granola for breakfast cereal. He took a big bag of this granola to work, but left it in his car accidentally. He came out to find the chocolate chips melted it together in clumps and said it was absolutely heavenly. I have yet to try it that way, but have been adding the egg whites after I stir in the maple syrup. You have to whip them quite a bit with a whisk to get the desired effect. I have tried it 3 times thus far and this last time, I whipped them for quite a while and finally got it clump really well.

Linguine and Quinoa Meatballs

Recent Costco purchases: 20 lb. bag of organic brown rice, 10 lb. bag of organic quinoa & 10 lbs. of organic whole wheat spaghetti. Must put all to use and here is one way I did.

Typically, meatballs are made with bread crumbs, but this adds quinoa instead to add more protein. I also revamped my spaghetti sauce from the Risotto Cakes recipe 2 more times! I put it in a food processor and added a little water. Then we had mini english muffin pizzas. Then instead of making this sauce, I just added a little more water and used my sauce. I am looking forward to trying this sauce, though, because I pretty much love anything with balsamic vinegar!

Ingredients

SAUCE

¼ cup olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 celery stalks, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

1 large carrot, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

1 tsp hot red pepper flakes

1 28-oz. can tomatoes, chopped, with juices

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbs balsamic vinegar

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

MEATBALLS

3 Tbs canola oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 ½ cups cooked quinoa

½ cup finely grated Parmesan

1 egg

3 Tbs. fresh parsley leaves, very finely chopped

½ tsp. salt

¾ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. linguine

1 large handful fresh basil leaves

Preparation

To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and red pepper flakes and cook until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes, garlic, and vinegar and simmer for 20 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside to keep warm.

To make the meatballs, preheat the oven to 425. Heat the canola oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, partially covered, until very soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the beef, quinoa, Parmesan, egg, parsley, salt, pepper, and cooled onions. Stir until a smooth, homogenous mixture has formed.

Roll the meat mixture into 2-inch balls and set them on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet in neat rows. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until nicely browned but still soft to the touch.

In a large pot of boiling water, cook the linguine al dente. Serve the pasta with some meatballs and the sauce and top with a sprinkling of torn basil leaves.

Source: the 10 things you need to eat and more than 100 ways to prepare them

Smokey BBQ Baked Lentils

Lentils are healthier, right? They don't taste that way with bacon on top, but it was sure delicious.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry lentils
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 cup pomegranate juice
• 2 Tbs tomato paste
• 1 Tbs molasses
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 2 chipotles in adobe, chopped
• 1 Tbs adobo
• 3 slices bacon, preferably applewood smoked

Preparation:

In a large pot, combine the lentils and 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce and let simmer for 30 minutes or until the lentils soften.

Meanwhile, prepare your sauce: Heat olive oil and garlic in a medium skillet and cook until garlic softens. Add next 7 ingredients (through adobo) and whisk to combine.

Bring to a simmer and let reduce for 10-15 minutes, or until it becomes thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Combine the lentils and sauce in a small baking dish. Arrange the bacon in a single layer over the top. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until bacon has crisped up and sauce has become very thick.

Serves 4.
Approx. 160 calories, 3 grams fat, 5 grams fiber, 7 grams protein

Note: I only used one chipotle pepper and it was plenty hot for me. Also, I don't know how many of you buy those peppers in Adobo sauce, but I've always just kept the leftovers in my fridge and thrown it out when they go bad. Now I freeze them and have used them 3 times!

Source: Food Buzz

Cupcakes & Cake Bites

My son's birthday was yesterday and we had a little BBQ with a few friends. I wanted to keep it really simple, but fun for him. We made these cupcakes and they were not only beautiful, but absolutely delicious. All I needed to get with these were a few brightly-colored table top covers and some Mickey Mouse balloons and everyone foolishly thought I outdid myself. I have made a really complicated chocolate cupcake one time from scratch and these were not only easy, but someone at the party said, "These are the best cupcakes I have ever had." Wow :)

I also made these cake bites from Bakerella. The first 10 were practice because I didn't stick the lollipop stick far enough into the cake, but they came out looking really good after I figured that out. I bought some rainbow colored jelly bellies (the sour ones would look best, but I just put together different colors) and put them in a glass bowl. Then I put the pops in like a flower arrangement. I wish I had taken a picture, but my battery died! If you need a fun theme, here you go!

I won't post the recipes because they do need instruction so I'll just post the links.

Risotto Cake with Roasted Vegetables

I know I am posting too many to keep up with, but we had this last night and I had to share. I WISH I had taken a picture, but I thought, I don't know if it will be any good. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I had to cook the risotto a lot longer than it said. I kept testing it and it wasn't soft yet. Then when I tried to make the cakes, they wouldn't really stay together, they just kind of fell apart. So I did my best and then I actually put them all together like a pie on a baking pan. Then I layered all the vegetables on top. Then topped with cheese so it looked like a pizza. And, in fact, that is exactly what I told my son it was. The marinara recipe I used was really good and because all the veggies were so sweet, the honey in it really complimented the dish. However, I'm sure it would be just as good with any sauce you choose. Enjoy! Oh, and I got it from the Canyon Ranch cookbook Nourish. All their recipes are found online here.

Ingredients
Risotto Cake:
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup diced yellow onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic cloves
2/3 cup Arborio rice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock

Roasted Vegetables:
1 medium fresh zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch strips
1 large Portobello mushrooms, cut into 1/4 inch strips
1 cup peeled and sliced eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch thick rounds
1/2 cup sliced red onions
1 red bell pepper, cut in half

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Risotto Cake Seasoning Mix:
1 teaspoon garlic granules
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup Marinara Sauce (recipe follows)

Instructions

1. In a large sauté pan, over medium heat, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent. Add rice to the pan and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add salt, and begin adding vegetable stock to pan 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until liquid is absorbed. Continue adding broth 1/2 cup at a time until all liquid has been absorbed and rice is creamy. Allow rice to cool for 15-20 minutes.
2. Preheat griddle or electric skillet to 350°. For each cake, use 1/3 cup of risotto mix, form into a ball, and flatten to 1/4-inch thickness. Spray griddle with canola oil spray, and place risotto cakes on griddle until crisp on each side. Place each cake on a baking sheet after grilling.
3. Combine all ingredients for Risotto Cake Seasoning Mix together.
4. Preheat oven to 350°. Spread vegetables out on a separate baking sheet. Lightly spray with canola oil spray and dust the vegetables evenly with 1 teaspoon Risotto Cake Seasoning Mix. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes or until slightly browned. Peel skin off red pepper and slice into strips.
5. Evenly divide roasted vegetable mix over each of the 4 risotto cakes. Top each cake with 2 tablespoons mozzarella cheese. Dust each cake with a pinch of remaining Risotto Cake Seasoning Mix and bake at 350° for 5 to 10 minutes or until cheese melts.
6. Ladle 1/4 cup of Marinara Sauce on a plate and top with one Risotto Cake with Roasted Vegetables.

Serving Information
Makes 4 servings, each containing approximately:
295 calories
47 gm. carbohydrate
7 gm. fat
18 mg. cholesterol
13 gm. protein
705 mg. sodium
6 gm. fiber

Fresh Marinara Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 T EVOO
• 2 cups diced onions
• 2 T minced garlic
• 1 1/2 t dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 5 lbs tomatoes, chopped (I just used canned whole peeled tomatoes and chopped them myself)
• 2 Tbs. honey
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 2 Tbs minced fresh basil
• 1 Tbs. minced fresh oregano

Preparation

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Saute the onions until translucent. Add the garlic and brown slightly. Add the dried basil, dried oregano, thyme, and pepper and saute briefly.

Add the tomatoes and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour, or until thickened.

Stir in the honey and salt. (If you want a smooth sauce, puree with an immersion blender and strain the mixture through a large-mesh sieve. I just left it chunky.) Add the fresh basil and fresh oregano and simmer for 5 minutes.

Hoisin Chicken with Cucumber Salad

I finally used the grill almost by myself last night. Doug had to go help someone move about 15 minutes after he got home so he had me turn the grill on before he got home. I have seen him do it, but I am one of those people who has to do it myself to remember. This expands my food repertoire so much now!

Weston loved this meal and is a hard person to get to eat meat, but he just kept saying "mmm, mnmm, I like it!" I took the skin off my pieces of chicken & you really could not tell the difference. So if you want to save a few calories and clogging arteries and cut the skin off, go for it!

Enjoy!

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

• 3/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 3 scallions, coarsely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, sliced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed and halved (remove seeds for less heat)
• Zest and juice of 2 limes, plus lime wedges for garnish
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 pounds skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks (separate pieces)

For the Salad:

• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Kosher salt
• 1 seedless cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

Directions

Prepare the chicken: Preheat a grill to medium on one side. Combine the hoisin sauce, scallions, garlic, ginger, jalapeno, lime zest and juice, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste in a mini food processor or blender; process until almost smooth. Season the chicken with salt; toss with the hoisin mixture in a large bowl.

Make the salad: Bring the vinegar, sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring. Remove from the heat; stir in 1/4 cup ice cubes until melted. Toss the cucumber and red onion in a serving bowl with the vinegar mixture; place in the refrigerator.

Grill the chicken over direct heat until the skin is crisp, 5 minutes per side, basting with extra marinade. Transfer to the cooler side of the grill; cover and grill until cooked through, 10 to 15 more minutes. Serve with the cucumber salad and lime wedges.

Per serving: Calories 375; Fat 16 g (Saturated 4 g); Cholesterol 107 mg; Sodium 1,906 mg; Carbohydrate 30 g; Fiber 1 g; Protein 32 g

Tabbouleh with Chickpeas & Artichokes

I made this salad instead of the cucumber salad with Hoisin Chicken. It is really good the longer you let it sit. However, next time I will definitely half the recipe. It is still sitting in a big stew pot because I had nothing else big enough to mix it in. I'm happy to eat it for lunch & dinner the rest of the week and just switch out my main dishes.

Tabbouleh with Chickpeas and Artichokes

• 2 cups bulgur wheat
• 4 cups water
• 1/2 pound dried chickpeas, cooked according to package directions
  (or about 3 cups canned chickpeas, rinsed)
• 2 cucumbers, peeled and diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 3 tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 14 ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• Zest and juice of 2 lemons
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Handful of basil leaves, chopped
• Handful of fresh Italian parsley leaves, chopped
• Handful of fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Combine the bulgur wheat and the water in a large sauce pan. Bring to a boil and then reduce the mixture to a simmer. Cook the bulgur for approximately 15 minutes until all of the water has been absorbed. Set aside to cool. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.

Rinse the chickpeas and transfer them to the mixing bowl with the cooled bulgur. Add the cucumbers, red onion, tomatoes, and artichoke hearts.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the juice from the 2 lemons and the olive oil. Add the dressing to the bulgur and vegetable mixture. Add in the chopped herbs and toss all of the ingredients together. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour prior to serving.

Turkey Meatloaf with Feta and Sun-dried Tomato

I saw Giada make this on her show and remembered it. I have actually never made meatloaf and never liked it growing up so I wasn't hesitant to try it, but it will be in my rotation for sure. It also was so super easy to make. I only had to buy feta to make it because I keep a big jar of sun-dried tomatoes in my fridge.

Ingredients

• Vegetable cooking spray
• 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped garlic and herb-marinated sun-dried tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced, optional
• 2 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound ground turkey, preferably dark meat

Directions

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Spray a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, if using, eggs, milk, feta, salt, and pepper. Add the turkey and gently stir to combine, being careful not to overwork the meat.

Carefully pack the meat mixture into the prepared pan and bake until the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and slice. Put on a serving platter and serve.

Strawberry Cream Puff Cake

Sundays are dessert days and when I usually try something new for a dessert. I don't think I bought anything to make this because I had everything already. It was so good and that cream cheese whip cream is addicting. I could have just eaten that out of a bowl. I got it from here. Enjoy!

Cream Puff Base:
5 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
2/3 cup flour
3 eggs

Cream Cheese Mixture:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2/3 cup powdered sugar

For the cream puff layer, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bring the butter, water and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the flour all at once and stir quickly until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and stir the mixture until smooth. Let cool for 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until the mixture is shiny with a satiny sheen. Don’t overbeat. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan (or in a pinch, you could use a 9-inch circle cake pan). Using an offset spatula, spread the mixture on the bottom and one inch up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and prick pastry with a toothpick 10-12 times. Return to the oven and bake 5-10 minutes more until golden brown but not overbaked (you can insert a toothpick into the center and if it comes out with sticky dough, it still needs longer in the oven). Cool completely.

For the cream cheese mixture, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar (if you want to ensure there are no lumps, sift the powdered sugar into the cream cheese) and beat with the cream cheese until mixture is smooth and light. Add the remaining ingredients and beat until stiff peaks form. Spread onto the cooled cream puff shell.

Top with fresh sliced strawberries (I mixed 2 cups of strawberries with 1 teaspoon sugar and let them hang out in the fridge while I was prepping the cake) or you can use a 16-ounce bag of frozen strawberries that have been thawed. Mix the thawed strawberries and juice with 1-2 teaspoons sugar and bring to a simmer in a saucepan. Cook until slightly thickened. Cool completely and use as topping for the cake.

Shredded Salad with Chicken & Peanut Sauce over Rice Noodles

I check the foodbuzz recipes every so often when I haven't found anything new to try and had been wanting to try this recipe. This took a long time to make just with the chopping, etc. My advice is to do whatever you can throughout the day or ahead of time. But it was sooooo good, I cannot even tell you. I used whole wheat spaghetti noodles and only 2 of the peppers. It was still spicy, but not too spicy for me. I picked out the peppers after tossing it all together so someone wouldn't get one accidentally and heat rash their mouth. I also didn't add mint just because I didn't want to buy it and only use it for this recipe. I added quite a bit more water and did not even use close to all the peanut sauce.

To poach the chicken:
1 three-inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed and cut in half
10 cilantro stems
2 T toasted sesame oil
1/2 t salt
2 large, bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts

-in a large saute pan, add ginger, garlic, cilantro, sesame oil, and salt and enough water to reach halfway up the side of the pan; bring to a boil over high heat; add the chicken, reduce heat to medium, and cover; simmer until chicken is cooked through; remove from heat and let stand until cool enough to handle
-transfer chicken to a cutting board; remove skin and cut meat from bone, cut meat into small strips or shred with your fingers

Prep vegetables and herbs:
1/2 head green cabbage (or savoy or napa), cored and thinly sliced
6 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced or julienned on slicer
3 serrano chiles, seeded and thinly sliced into long strips
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced white and green parts
1/2 c fresh mint leaves, chopped
1/2 c fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

-place all sliced and chopped vegetables and herbs in a large mixing bowl

Peanut Sauce:
1 five-inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
2 shallots, peeled and minced
1/4 c fish sauce
1/2 c soy sauce
3/4 c freshly squeezed lime juice
1 c smooth, natural peanut butter
1/4 c toasted sesame oil
2 T water if needed

-in a large measuring pitcher, combine ginger, shallots, fish sauce, soy sauce, and lime juice; whisk in peanut butter; whisk in sesame oil; if sauce is too thick, whisk in water starting with one tablespoon and adding more as needed

To finish salad:
1 pound rice vermicelli noodles
1/2 c roasted, unsalted peanuts for serving

-bring a large pot of water to a boil; cook noodles according to package instructions or until al dente; transfer to a colander to drain; rinse under cold water, drain, and place on a serving platter
-add prepared chicken to bowl of vegetables and herbs and toss to combine; pour half of the peanut sauce over this mixture and toss to coat; taste and add more peanut sauce as desired
-to serve, top noodles with chicken salad mixture, drizzle with some remaining peanut sauce, sprinkle with peanuts, and garnish with any extra herbs or green onions

Lemon Basil Shrimp and Pasta

We made this last night and for some reason it just completely hit the spot. I served it with the Coconut Green Beans. The spinach tasted so good to me...so I will be remaking this tons as a way to get me to eat more spinach! I actually checked the Cooking Light Cookbook out from the library and this was in it. They mention, in the book, that you can also substitute chicken for the shrimp to be more cost effective.

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross

A zesty one-pot pasta dish is complete after tossing with capers, basil, olive oil, and lemon juice. Serve with focaccia or crusty baguette.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 3 quarts water
• 8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
• 1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 3 tablespoons drained capers
• 2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups baby spinach

Preparation

Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a Dutch oven. Add pasta; cook 8 minutes. Add shrimp to pan; cook 3 minutes or until shrimp are done and pasta is al dente. Drain. Place pasta mixture in a large bowl. Stir in basil and next 4 ingredients (through salt). Place 1/2 cup spinach on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1 1/2 cups pasta mixture.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 397 (22% from fat)

Fat: 9.6g (sat 1.5g,mono 5.3g,poly 1.8g)

Protein: 31g

Carbohydrate: 44.9g

Fiber: 2.4g

Cholesterol: 172mg

Iron: 5.4mg

Sodium: 666mg

Calcium: 88mg