Saturday, July 08, 2006

4 cups hulled strawberries, quartered (1 pound)
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
2 medium cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl, and toss gently to coat. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
Combine cucumbers and juice; toss to coat. Add cucumber mixture, salt, and pepper to strawberry mixture; toss gently to combine. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

From Cookling Light magazine

NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 49(9% from fat); FAT 0.5g (sat 0.1g,mono 0.1g,poly 0.3g); PROTEIN 1.1g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 26mg; SODIUM 150mg; FIBER 3.1g; IRON 0.6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 11.6g

Posted by Diosa in • Low Fat • Salads
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Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Tonight I was ready for a light meal.  I knew we were doing the Lemon Chicken tonight.  I had the chicken marinating last night and the nuoc cham made, all I had to do tonight was prep the salad and cook the chicken.  The chicken was gorgeous!  It was definitely high ranking in my favorites.  There was such a play of flavors with the chicken, the lemon, and garlic with the sugar, the cilantro, lettuce and green onion, the spice and heat of the dipping sauce and the cleansing of the cucumber.  YUM!!  All of it practically danced in your mouth.  The only thing I wasn’t keen on was the pea shoots.  They tasted like grass to me.  Maybe if they were blanched or something but in their straight out of the garden taste, they were not that nice for me.  I’ll admit - I’m picky when it comes to stuff like sprouts or shoots.  I really don’t like most of them because they taste of grass (at least raw).  So next salad, those will definitely be omitted.  The chicken recipe came from the 15 Minute low Carb Recipe book I have.  They only marinate for a few minutes, but I just can’t do that.  I love the intensity of the flavor (not to mention the tenderness) of meat that marinates for hours, even days.  But if you don’t mind that, feel free to marinate on the spot.  The salad recipe I found online somewhere (lost the bookmark to it unfortunately.) I made some variations.  I diced the chicken up as it was better over the salad that way.  Plus I added several dashes of red pepper to the nuoc cham.  I wanted it to be spicy and have some bite to it.  Feel free to leave that out if it’s too hot or too spicy.

Vietnamese Lemon Chicken

1 1/2 lbs (750g) boneless skinless chicken (your choice of white or dark - I used breasts as they were on sale)
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp lemon juice (I just used the juice of a whole lemon and the zest)
2 tsp garlic
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Slenda (or sugar if you prefer the carbed up version)
2 tsp fish sauce (nuoc mam) (i’ll admit - I used more)
1/2 tsp pepper
Oil
Nuoc Cham (see below)

If time permits, combine the everything save the oil and the nuoc cham and let marinate overnight.  Also, if you can, make the nuoc cham the night before just to get the flavors blended together.  If you are pressed for time, pound each piece of chicken until it is 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick.  Put them on a plate.

Mix together the lemon, garlic, splenda, fish sauce and pepper aand pour the mixture evenly over the chicken.  Turn the chicken so that all sides are coated.  Heat 1 or 2 Tbsp oil in a heavy skillet and add the chicken.  Saute 4 to 5 minutes each side, or until cooked through.

While the chicken is cooking, toss together the nuoc cham - see below, but this takes no time at all to put together.

In the last minute or so of cooking, pour the lemon juice mixture remaining on the plate into the skillet, turning the chicken once again to make sure it’s all coated.  After a minute or so, remove from heat.  Serve with a little pool or a bowl of the nuoc cham to dip the chicken in.

Nuoc Cham (Spicy dipping sauce)

2 Tbsp fish sauce (I was a bit liberal with this)
2 Tbsp lime juice (I just used a whole lime)
1 1/2 tsp rice vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar and again, I was a bit generous with the pour)
3 Tbsp Splenda
1/2 tsp minced garlic or 1 clove, crushed
1 tsp chili garlic paste
several dashes red pepper (optional)

Simply mix everything in a small dish.

Vietnamese Green Salad

1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar or white rice vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
¼ teaspoon superfine (caster) sugar (I used Splenda for this)
4 cups oak leaf lettuce leaves—washed, dried and roughly torn (I ended up using escarole, as it’s what they had at the store)
1 oz (30g) snow pea sprouts
1 scallion—thinly sliced on the diagonal
15 thinly sliced rounds of cucumber—cut in half
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro (coriander) leaves (I was generous with this and I’m glad I was.  It’s a great flavor enhancer in this)

MIX together the fish sauce, vinegar and sugar in a bowl until well combined (or shake together in a screw-top jar). PLACE all remaining ingredients, except the dressing, in a salad bowl. POUR the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine just before serving.

Posted by Diosa in • Gluten free • Low Carb • Marinades, Condiments, dressings and rubs • Meats • Poultry • Salads
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Sunday, January 15, 2006

I managed to absolutely gorge myself on salad tonight.  Not just any salad, you ssee.  I’m not what you would call a “salad lover”.  To me, salad is the stuff I feed my rabbits every night.  While it’s great for them, not so much for humans.  But I saw one on TV that totally changed my mind.  I saw it on the Food Netowrk and totally had to try it, even with the Feta cheese.  Being dairy-free is a challenge, since I *love* cheese.  I adore most cheese, and Feta is no exception.  The last dairy I had was the cup of milk in the pancakes (so about half a cup as the pancakes were split between me and the DH.) and it made me bloated and extremely ill for a couple of hours.  Would 1/4 cup of Feta in a whole salad do the same thing?

Now the amusing part of all this is that it’s FREEZING outside.  Normally this is the weather that just begs for soups, stews or other hearty comfort foods.  But for some odd reason I had my heart set on making this salad tonight.  So I started marinating the chicken and prepped most of the salad.  The red onion I had was way too pungent, so I caramelized it.  I thought about roasting some veggies, but didn’t really feel in the mood for it.  What’s the best complement to a salad.  Slices of crusty bread.  Or, in my case, Chebe rolls with rosemary. I was a little worried, as I know how many strong flavors there would be in this salad.  The chicken was marinating in an oregano marinade, there was a “greek” dressing I was making with more oregano and garlic, and of course the Feta cheese and kalamata olives.  I kept some additional chicken on stand-by in case the DH didn’t like it.

I needn’t have worried.

He devoured it.  Absolutely loved it.  He was saying how when summer comes around he’d love to see this in our rotation, or when we have people over, make a huge bowl of this.  He’s just as stuffed on the salad as I am.

Heres the recipe from Food Network.  It’s from Good Deal with Dave Lieberman.  If you can’t tolerate dairy, feel free to leave the cheese off entirely or try a dairy cheese substitute, if you desire.

Greek Salad with Oregano Marinated Chicken

For the chicken:
1 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
A couple good pinches salt
10 grinds black pepper
4 (6 to 7-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts
For the dressing:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 lemon, juiced
2 cloves garlic, smashed with the side of your chef’s knife
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 pinches salt
10 to 15 grinds black pepper

For the salad:
2 to 3 hearts romaine lettuce
1 English cucumber, peeled, cut in 1/2 lengthwise, then cut into 1/2-inch chunks
3 vine-ripened tomatoes (about 3/4-pound), cored and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

To marinate the chicken: In a non-reactive dish, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper and mix together. Add the chicken breasts to the dish and rub both sides in the mixture. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
To make the dressing: Combine all the ingredients in a resealable container and shake vigorously. Refrigerate until ready to serve, and then bring to room temperature before tossing salad.

Assemble the salad: cut off any dark tips and the bitter white bottoms from the romaine leaves. Cut the lettuce into 1-inch strips and place in a bowl that is large enough to hold all the salad ingredients comfortably. Scatter cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, olives, and feta over the top. You can prepare the salad up to a few hours in advance. Cover it with a moist paper towel and refrigerate until 30 minutes before serving.

To cook the chicken: Heat a nonstick skillet or grill pan over high heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook, turning once, until well browned, about 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Let the chicken rest on a cutting board for a few minutes before slicing it into thin strips.

Give the dressing a good shake and pour it into a nice little serving bowl, using the lid to strain out the garlic.

Toss salad just before serving and fan chicken out on top.

Posted by Diosa in • Gluten free • Salads
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Wednesday, July 06, 2005

1 quart container cubed seedless watermelon
4-ounce log goat cheese
1/2 sliced red onion
Tub/jar pitted black olives
Few handfuls hand-torn fresh basil
Drizzle olive oil
Salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients and store in a covered container.

Thanks to Rita for sending this one.  Not sure where she found it, but it’s suprisingly good.  A perfect light summer savory dish.

Posted by Diosa in • Salads
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2 ears fresh, sweet corn, cut off the cob
1/2 medium red onion, diced
2 green onions, white and green parts, chopped
1 1/2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and chopped in chunks
1 jalapeno, sliced & deseeded (optional)
1/4 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves chopped
1 lemon, juiced
1 lime, juiced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, tossing to coat.
Put the salsa in a sealable plastic container and take to a picnic, if desired.

Thanks to Rita for sending this one.  I believe she said this one came from the FoodNetwork

Posted by Diosa in • Gluten free • Salads
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Monday, July 04, 2005

1 (19 ounce) can red kidney beans
1 (19 ounce) can chickpeas
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
1 (12 ounce) can corn kernels (optional)
1/3 red pepper, diced
1 vidalia onions, chopped
1/2 cup diced celery
1 t basil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar (apple cider vinegar works well too)
1/4 cup oil
1 T Dijon mustard
1 clove minced garlic
salt and pepper
1/2 t hot pepper (optional)

Combine chickpeas, kidney beans, black beans, corn,onion,red pepper and celery.  Set aside.  Mix together basil, vinegar, oil, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper.  Pour over bean salad and toss. May add 1 12 tsp hot pepper if desired.

This came from Recipezaar.com.  It’s really flavourful and colourful.  I don’t really like raw onion, so I actually caramelised them and let them cool before adding to the salad.  This one is really open to improv, so have fun with it.

Nutritiona information (per serving) - 324 calories, 8.2g fat (1.2g saturated), 51.6g carbs (13.1g fiber)

Posted by Diosa in • Gluten free • Salads • Vegetarian
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