Returning to the Real World

Recipe: Grilled Striper with Southwestern Rice


Well, I'm back. Although I had planned to post recipes from our vacation home, this did not happen for 2 reasons. First, with the exception of a very nice Viking stove, the kitchen was horribly equipped for cooking of any sort. I also decided that I would do something totally unlike me and not plan meals. We stocked up on basics, I brought a selection of spices with me, we filled the refrigerator with produce, eggs, and cheese, and the freezer with chicken and fish. I "winged it"! And we lived to talk about it, so the experiment in being loose in the kitchen was a success. :)


Our 2 weeks on vacation were a lot of fun and I am having a difficult time returning to earth. This was a celebration of our 25th anniversary, so we held our breath and rented this extraordinary (uh, except for the kitchen) house. I will post photos of it soon.


Tonight, we had grilled striper for dinner. I have to cook some very healthy meals to make up for the platters of fried shrimp that I consumed during our vacation...

* Exported from MasterCook *

Grilled Striper with
Southwestern Rice

Recipe By : Vicci
Servings : 2







Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------

2 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2/3 cup parboiled rice
1 1/3 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon adobo sauce from a can of chipotle chilies in adobo
10 ounces rockfish fillets*
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup avocado -- chopped
1 tablespoon minced cilantro
1/2 whole lime -- cut into 2 wedges


In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over a medium-low flame then saute the chopped onion until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to stir for another minute. Add rice and saute for 2 minutes. Pour in the water, add the salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 12 minutes. Without removing the lid, turn off the heat and allow the rice to steam undisturbed for 15 minutes.


Meanwhile, mix the lime juice through the adobo sauce in a non-metal baking dish. Add the fillets and turn to coat with the lime mixture. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes.


Remove the lid from the rice (it will be warm or room-temperature when served). Preheat the grill. Coat the fish liberally with cooking spray and cook until opaque (about 4 minutes). While the fish cooks, fold in the tomatoes. After a few minutes, add the avocado and half of the cilantro and stir gently. The heat of the rice will soften the tomatoes a bit, but the avocado shouldn't be added until the rice is a little cooler.


Divide the rice mixture between two plates, top with fish, sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.



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Per serving: 424 Calories (kcal); 21g Total Fat; (43% calories from fat); 30g Protein; 29g Carbohydrate; 50mg Cholesterol; 663mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 3 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 1/2 Fruit; 37 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates


*Mastercook calls it "rockfish", we call it "striper"-- all in the same!

The serving in the photo above looks a bit large, doesn't it? I accidentally photographed Jack's serving (which is actually 2 servings...).

GOING ON VACATION!!!

After a frenzy of packing we will be leaving for vacation on Friday, not returning until June 29th.

I will try and post when I can, since the kitchen of our rental looks pretty nice
and I do plan to be cooking more than eating at restaurants,
so please excuse my occasional absences for the next couple of weeks!

:)

Grilled Chicken Tacos with Avocado-Tomatillo Coleslaw

Recipe: Grilled Chicken Tacos with Avocado-Tomatillo Coleslaw

Soft tacos are one of my favorite dinners. Fillings can be chicken or fish, I always have corn tortillas in the refrigerator, and the toppings are endless-- so it’s no wonder these are a staple of my dinner menus in the summer.

For years I thought of soft tacos as only containing ground beef or shredded beef or, sometimes, shredded chicken. As I grew older and became more aware of alternatives to the beef/shredded cheddar/bottled taco sauce/sour cream version which I was introduced to, which was how I prepared them for many years, my taco repertoire grew. Several years ago, at a cooking club dinner, the host made fish tacos. I had read about fish tacos before and, even though I had long since changed beef taco filling for chicken, I just could not imagine tacos with fish. Silly me! I absolutely loved them, and added seafood tacos to my recipe binder.

I found a salmon taco recipe last year which featured a topping of coleslaw with an avocado-tomatillo dressing. It was excellent, so last night when I arrived home at 6:30 and saw what ingredients were in my refrigerator, I thought of this recipe. I needed to use some Napa cabbage, and a half avocado which I had used the other half in a sandwich the previous day, and some tomatillo puree which was in the refrigerator. This would be the perfect opportunity to make that coleslaw. Unfortunately I was out of salmon, except for a large fillet which is too big for both us and should be saved for entertaining. So I thawed a couple of chicken breasts, rubbed them with a chicken taco seasoning mix bought at Penzey’s last fall, grilled them, and served the slices in corn tortillas with the avocado-tomatillo coleslaw. It was delicious! The smoky, spicy grilled chicken slices topped with crunchy cabbage dressed with a cooling avocado/ sour cream sauce. And chopped tomatoes. Nothing goes better with avocados than tomatoes!

I remembered how darn much coleslaw the original recipe made, so I scaled it back and changed a few ingredients. This is an absolutely excellent summer meal!

* Exported from MasterCook *

Grilled Chicken Tacos with Avocado-Tomatillo Coleslaw

Recipe By: Vicci

Servings: 2

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

---------- ---------- ----------------------------------------

8 whole corn tortillas

10 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast -- (2 pieces)

2 teaspoons chicken taco seasoning -- (I use Penzey's; any seasoning or rub that is made from chili

powder, cumin, oregano, etc. can be used as well)

1 medium garlic clove

1/2 small jalapeno pepper -- seeded

1/3 cup tomatillo puree -- (or 2 large, cooked tomatillos)

1/4 cup cilantro leaves, whole -- loosely packed

2 tablespoons light sour cream

1 tablespoon plain nonfat yogurt

3 ounces avocado -- diced (about 1/2 of an 8-ounce, pitted, peeled avocado)

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 ounces shredded cabbage -- (finely shredded)

2/3 cup chopped fresh tomato

Preheat grill.

Warm tortillas and wrap in a clean towel to keep warm.

Rub taco seasoning into both sides of chicken breasts, spray with cooking spray, and grill until done. Prepare the coleslaw while the chicken is cooking.

In a blender or small food processor, drop the garlic clove and jalapeno pepper into the work bowl while the machine is running. Stop the machine and add the cilantro through salt. Process until creamy. Place shredded cabbage in a medium bowl, pour dressing over, and mix well.

Remove the chicken from the grill and slice into thin slices. Transfer chicken to a serving dish and cover to keep warm.

Spoon chicken onto each tortilla, cover with coleslaw, add tomatoes. Fold. Eat.

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Per serving: 486 Calories (kcal); 14g Total Fat (4g Saturated); (24% calories from fat); 37g Protein; 59g Carbohydrate; 81mg Cholesterol; 774mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 3 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

Occasionally, though, I still crave soft tacos made “almost” the way I learned how in college. Gone is browning the ground beef, then using the drippings to soften the tortillas (eek, what was I thinking?). I now use ground turkey mixed with veggie burger crumbles and the toppings are usually taco sauce, lowfat cheddar, light sour cream, and tomatoes. No, they don’t really taste exactly as I remember, but they are still pretty darn good! Placing a Pink Floyd album on the turntable will add to the effect, as well.

Oops, I'm dating myself... ;)

Three Berry Tiramisu

Recipe: Three Berry Tiramisu



I have a stack of recipes and a folder of photos which have yet to find their way into my writing. Today I am going to post a dessert recipe which I made this afternoon rather than add another scrap of paper to the stack.


Jack's birthday is next Sunday, but today we invited his mother over for his "birthday dinner" since the next week is going to be incredibly hectic. I've had difficulty concentrating on things lately, because there is a lot going on, and for some reason it skipped my mind entirely that I needed to plan a special dessert until last evening (imagine! me forgetting about dessert!!!). I did not want to go to the grocery store, so I limited myself to preparing a birthday-appropriate dessert with what I had on hand. I came up with a tiramisu-like treat which I was very happy with, and which Jack loved. Sometimes, things have a way of working themselves out! Or I'm just lucky...


I had a package of ladyfingers in the pantry, cream cheese (just a bit past its expiration date) in the fridge, frozen berries in the freezer. So I beat the cream cheese (actually, neufatchel cheese) until fluffy, added some sugar and vanilla, then folded in Cool Whip Light to lighten the texture. I dipped the ladyfingers in a mixture of the juices drained from the thawed berries and Amaretto, layered these with the cream cheese and berries, then sifted cocoa over the top. The result was a delicious, light dessert which would be perfect for a summer evening. Although I always try to use fresh fruit, you really need to use frozen as the juices from the berries are essential.


The entire preparation, less the time required to thaw the berries, was a mere 20 minutes. This needs to be refrigerated for at least 6 hours, though, for the flavors to blend and the cookies to soften.


Strips of pound cake would also work in this recipe in place of the ladyfingers. And the only change that I would make next time would be to add some toasted, sliced almonds sprinkled on top of each piece just before serving.



* Exported from MasterCook *

Three Berry Tiramisu

Recipe By : Vicci
Serving Size : 6
Preparation Time :0:20 + 6 hours refrigeration after prep



Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 cup raspberries, frozen -- unsweetened
1/2 cup blueberries, frozen -- unsweetened
1/2 cup blackberries, frozen -- unsweetened
6 ounces neufchatel cheese -- softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup Cool Whip Lite® -- thawed
1 teaspoon powdered sugar
3 tablespoons amaretto -- divided
18 whole ladyfinger cookies
1/4 cup cocoa powder


A few hours before starting, place the frozen berries in a colander set over a bowl to catch the juices (which will be used). When thawed, proceed with the recipe. The Cool Whip Lite should also be thawed and refrigerated, and the cream cheese softened and at room temperature, before beginning this recipe.


With an electric mixer on high, beat the cream cheese in a medium bowl for 2 minutes. Slowly add the sugar and the vanilla and beat for an additional minute. Fold in the Cool Whip with a spatula. Set aside.


Remove the colander from the bowl and set on a plate to catch any drips. Into the berry juices (there should be about 1/3 cup), stir 1 teaspoon of powdered sugar until dissolved. Add 2 tablespoons of Amaretto and stir.


Dip about 10 of the ladyfingers in the juice/Amaretto mixture and line a glass bowl. Spread 1/2 of the cream cheese mixture on top.

















Sprinkle all of the thawed berries directly on top of the cream cheese.


















Dip the remaining ladyfingers and arrange them on top of the berries. Using a pastry brush, cover the ladyfingers with the remaining tablespoon of Amaretto.
















Spread the remaining cream cheese mixture over the ladyfingers and smooth. Sift the cocoa over the top. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.



Start to Finish Time:
"6:20"

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Per serving: 349 Calories (kcal); 12g Total Fat; (30% calories from fat); 7g Protein; 52g Carbohydrate; 27mg Cholesterol; 189mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1 Fruit; 2 Fat; 2 Other Carbohydrates

A Company-Worthy Vegetarian Feast!

Recipes:
Raspberry Mojitos
Guacamole
Savory Corn Cakes with Chipotle Cream
Black Beans in Mango Sauce
Wilted Spinach Salad


Busy, busy, busy and not much time to write! So I apologize for not posting as often as I should.

Our friends Karla and Frankie came to dinner last night. Karla is a vegetarian and has mentioned how many pasta dishes she makes, so I wanted to prepare something different. I have never made a non-pasta vegetarian meal for guests, and this proved to be difficult until I remembered a Mollie Katzen cookbook on my shelf. I actually have two of her cookbooks, Vegetable Heaven and Sunlight Café , both containing great recipes. Sunlight Café concentrates on breakfast and brunch, though, so I went with the other book for menu ideas. And I am happy that I did.

For starters (non-Mollie recipes), we had Raspberry Mojitos and Guacamole with baked tortilla chips. The mojitos were excellent (and, look! good-for-you fruit!!!) and the guacamole is my favorite in the whole world.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Raspberry Mojitos

I have used both fresh and frozen (unsweetened) raspberries in this recipe and like both versions

Makes 6 servings (about 12 drinks)

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

7 medium limes

4 tablespoons sugar

30 large mint leaves

6 ounces raspberries

3 ounces grenadine

24 ounces white rum

49 ounces seltzer water -- or club soda, about 1-1/2 one-liter bottles

Cut each lime into 8 wedges. In a large pitcher, muddle the lime wedges, sugar, and mint leaves

until the limes and mint leaves are mashed up and have released their juices. Add the raspberries and grenadine and muddle a bit more. Pour in the rum and mix.

Pour about 1/3 cup of the rum mixture into an 8-ounce highball glass, spoon in a little of the mashed fruit mixture, add ice, stir, top off with club soda. Serve with short straws.

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Per serving: 370 Calories (kcal); trace Total Fat; (2% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 30g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 15mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Fruit; 0 Fat; 1 Other

Carbohydrates

* Exported from MasterCook *

Guacamole

Makes 6 servings

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

2 medium avocados -- peeled and diced

2 large cloves garlic -- minced

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

1 small jalapeno -- seeded, minced

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

4 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 medium tomatoes -- chopped

Coarsely mash avocado in a bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Season with salt and pepper.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per serving: 125 Calories (kcal); 10g Total Fat (2g saturated); (68% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 11mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1/2 Fruit; 2 Fat; 0 Other

Carbohydrates

NOTES : Can be made 1 day ahead of time. Spoon into a small container and press plastic wrap directly on the surface (and part of the surface exposed to air will brown, but this can be removed with a spoon prior to serving); cover, and refrigerate.

Now for the main course. I would normally opt for an Indian-theme meal because that cuisine is so well adapted to meatless cooking, but our guests have been eating a lot of Indian food recently so I went with a southwestern theme. Savory corn cakes (corn kernels bound together with egg, buttermilk, flour, and cornmeal, flavored with red bell pepper and scallion, topped with a sour cream-based chipotle cream) were delicious and it actually surprised me how filling they were. And don’t skip the Chipotle Cream (I used a combo of Daisy light sour cream and 2% Greek style yogurt for this).

Accompanying these corn cakes were a very flavorful mixture of black beans and mango (spiced with onion, jalapeno, and cumin seed) which was served over rice and also a wilted spinach salad containing onion, avocado, and (surprisingly, to me) apple which was dressed with lemon.

SAVORY CORN CAKES

Adapted from "Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Heaven"
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Yield: About a dozen 4-inch corn cakes

You can whip up these little gems in just 20 minutes, any time of day or night. They can be a light supper in and of themselves, or a first course or side dish for a more complex meal.
* Frozen, defrosted corn works perfectly well in these pancakes.

2 teaspoons butter
1/4 cup finely minced red bell pepper
2 cups corn
1/4 cup minced scallions
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup unbleached white flour (I needed to add an additional ¼ cup of flour and pinch of baking powder)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
Oil or butter for the pan

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:
Cilantro leaves
Chipotle Cream (recipe follows)

1. Melt the butter in a small skillet. Add the bell pepper and corn, and sauté over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the scallions, and set aside.
2. Combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Make a well in the center.
3. Beat together the eggs and buttermilk until frothy. Pour this and the corn mixture from Step 1 into the well in the center of the dry ingredients, and stir briefly until everything is combined. (Don't overmix.)
4. Lightly grease a hot skillet or griddle with butter or oil, and fry the corn cakes for about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden. Serve hot, topped with a few cilantro leaves and a drizzle of room-temperature Chipotle Cream, if desired.

CHIPOTLE CREAM

Adapted from "Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Heaven"
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 cup

Chipotle chiles are smoked, dried jalapeños. They most commonly come in cans, packed in a vinegar preparation called adobo sauce. A little bit of canned chipotles-in-adobo goes a very long way, both in terms of its heat and its powerful smoky essence. In this sauce, sour cream and/or yogurt create a soothing, luxurious vehicle for the chipotle flavor.

* Serve this wherever it seems appropriate--on any egg dish, with beans, rice, cornmeal preparations, or drizzled onto soups.

1 cup sour cream or yogurt (or a combination)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon canned chipotle chiles, finely minced

1. Place the sour cream and/or yogurt in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.
2. Whisk in 1/2 teaspoon minced chipotles, and let it sit for about 10 minutes, so the flavor can develop. Taste to see if it needs more chipotle flavor, and add more, if desired.
3. Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.

BLACK BEANS IN MANGO SAUCE

I only used one mango (a raccoon helped himself to the second one as I was ripening them on my patio table!) but that seemed like plenty. This was great served over steamed rice.

Adapted from Mollie Katzen's Sunlight Café"
Preparation time: About 45 minutes (30 minutes of light work)
Yield: About 6 servings, depending on what else is served.

All you need are a couple of perfectly ripe mangoes, and you're up and running with this quick, exotic dish. To make it into a complete meal, just add some plain steamed broccoli and rice.

Wonderful though they are to eat, mangoes can be difficult to cut up without their turning to mush. The good news here is that in this dish, it doesn't matter, because the mangoes get mashed anyway. So just cut them open and scrape out the flesh, and mince as best you can.

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups minced red onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 3-inch jalapeno chile, seeded and minced
1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
6 cups cooked black beans (3 15-ounce cans, rinsed and drained)
6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 large ripe mangoes, minced
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Minced fresh cilantro (optional)
Squeezable wedges of lime

1. Heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet. Add about 1 3/4 cups of the onion, and the garlic, chile, ginger, cumin seeds, and salt. Sauté over medium -high heat for about 5 minutes.
2. Turn the heat down to medium-low, and add the black beans and about half the lime juice. Sauté for about 5 to 10 minutes, or until everything has mingled nicely, and the beans are heated through. Mash the beans slightly with the back of the spoon, and transfer to a bowl.
3. Stir the remaining lime juice and about 2/3 of the chopped mangoes directly into the hot beans, mashing the mangoes a little as you stir. Grind in some black pepper, then cover and let stand for about 15 minutes to let the sauce develop.
4. Serve warm, at room temperature--or even cold--topped with the remaining red onion and mango, and some minced cilantro, if desired. For a finishing touch, tuck a juicy wedge of lime on the side of each serving.

WILTED SPINACH SALAD WITH GRILLED ONIONS, CUMIN, AVOCADO, AND APPLE

Adapted from "Mollie Katzen's Vegetable Heaven"
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Fresh spinach becomes meltingly tender when wilted by brief contact with hot ingredients. The best spinach leaves to use for this salad are the smallest, freshest you can find.

This tastes best immediately after it has been assembled, when the onion is still warm, the spinach and avocado are at room temperature, and the apple slices are very cold.

1 medium-sized tart green apple
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 small avocado, perfectly ripe
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups sliced onion (in rings 1/2 inch wide)
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1/2 pound cleaned, stemmed spinach—in a large bowl
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Cut the apple into thin slices onto a plate, and drizzle with about 2 teaspoons of the lemon juice. Cover the plate tightly, and refrigerate.
2. Pour the remaining lemon juice onto a second plate. Peel and slice the avocado, then place the slices in the lemon juice, then turn them over until they are well coated. Set aside.
3. Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized skillet. When it is very hot, add the onion rings, and cook over high heat for about 2 minutes on each side. Sprinkle in the cumin seeds, turn the heat down to medium, and cook for another 30 seconds or so.
4. Add the grilled onion rings and cumin to the spinach, and toss until thoroughly mixed. The spinach will wilt upon contact with the hot oil and onion slices. To speed this process along—and to be sure you include every last drop of the flavorful oil—you can add some of the spinach directly to the pan and swish it around a little, then return it to the bowl. Sprinkle in the salt as you toss.

Gently mix in the avocado, including all the lemon juice, and the apple. Grind in a generous amount of black pepper, and serve right away.

All in all, this was a very good meal only made better by the wonderful company and the great weather for dining outside.

Quinoa and Asparagus Salad

Recipe: Quinoa and Asparagus Salad

Quinoa is one food item which I have never had much success with, mainly because I haven't done my research into how to prepare it. The few times which I made quinoa, and a pilaf is one which I remember, it had a slightly “off” and “bitter” taste. It wasn’t until recently that I discovered that this grain needs to be soaked or toasted prior to cooking to avoid the bitterness (which, it seems, that some people are more sensitive to than others. Like cilantro, I guess.). I purchased a bulk quantity at the food co-op a couple of weeks ago, and this attempt at quinoa was much more successful.

Native to South America and quite high in fiber, protein, and iron, quinoa is sometimes called a “superfood”. It is also a complete protein because it contains a balanced set of amino acids.

Because our garden continues to spew forth asparagus at an rate with which we can barely keep up, I decided to make a warm quinoa salad containing asparagus. Jack loves all flavors Asian, so I added a soy-based dressing and was very pleased with the results.

Toasting the quinoa eliminated all traces of bitterness and gave it a wonderful flavor, the asparagus was crisp, the dressing added a salty piquant finish, and almonds gave a nice, crunchy texture. I thought that perhaps it could be served cool, but Jack said that he would prefer it warm. Either way, it was a perfect lunch dish, or could also be a dinner side.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Quinoa and Asparagus Salad

Recipe By: Vicci

Servings: 2

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

---------- ---------- ----------------------------------------

5 ounces asparagus -- 1" diagonal pieces (about 1 1/2 cups); split the thicker stalks

6 ounces diced red bell pepper -- (about 3/4 cup)-- I used orange...

3 large green onions -- slice white and light green parts into 1/2" diagonal slices; also slice some
of the green tops thinly as a garnish

1 1/2 cups quinoa

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup low sodium vegetable broth

2 tablespoons water

2 large garlic cloves -- crushed

1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

3/4 teaspoon sesame oil

3/4 teaspoon minced ginger

1/2 teaspoon Sriacha sauce -- (or chile-garlic paste)

2 tablespoons sliced almonds -- toasted

In a nonstick skillet, sauté the asparagus for 2 minutes, add the onion and red bell pepper, and continue to sauté until vegetables are slightly softened yet still crisp (approximately 3 additional minutes). Remove to a plate to cool slightly.

In a large dry skillet, toast quinoa over a medium flame, shaking and stirring often, until golden (about 5 minutes). A few of the quinoa grains will pop out of the pan during this time. While quinoa is toasting, heat the vegetable broth and water to boiling.

Turn off the flame under the skillet and add the hot water/broth. Turn on the heat again, bring to a boil; reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 12 minutes. Do not remove lid-- turn off heat and allow quinoa to steam for 6 minutes. All liquid should have been absorbed.

Add the vegetables to the quinoa and mix.

In a small bowl combine the 2 tablespoons water through hot sauce. Pour over quinoa mixture and toss well. Divide between 2 plates, sprinkle with almonds and reserved green onion tops; serve.

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Per serving: 614 Calories (kcal); 14g Total Fat, 1g Saturated Fat (19% calories from fat); 27g Protein; 100g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 599mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 6 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 2 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

NOTES : Makes 2 main dish servings

Skillet Lemon Chicken with Asparagus

Recipe: Skillet Lemon Chicken with Asparagus

Asparagus. We have asparagus. Lots and lots of asparagus! Apparently, the fertilizer with which I doused those little emerging tips several weeks ago was a very good choice and they have been quite… prolific. With a household of two, it has been a challenge to keep up but I have made a valiant effort.

This most recent recipe utilizing asparagus is from Canadian Living. It is an excellent entrée, and there is a good amount of delicious sauce which needs to be “soaked up” by a grain such as rice or couscous. Or even served over pasta. I made Israeli couscous with red peppers which was a great accompaniment as well.

Skillet Lemon Chicken with Asparagus

Four servings

1 bunch asparagus (about 1 lb/500 g)
1 lb (500 g) boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 tsp (1 mL) each salt and pepper
1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp (1 mL) dried thyme
1 cup (250 mL) sodium-reduced chicken stock
2 tbsp (25 mL) lemon juice
1 tbsp (15 mL) cornstarch
1 tsp (5 mL) grated lemon rind

Preparation:

Cut asparagus on diagonal into 1-inch (2.5 cm) lengths; set aside.

Cut chicken into 1-1/2 inch (4 cm) cubes; sprinkle with salt and pepper.

In large skillet, heat half of the oil over medium-high heat; brown chicken, about 6 minutes. Transfer to plate.

Add remaining oil to pan; fry onion, garlic and thyme, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, about 3 minutes.

Return chicken and any accumulated juices to pan. Add asparagus and chicken stock; cover and simmer until asparagus is tender-crisp, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together lemon juice, cornstarch and lemon rind; add to pan and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 1 minute.

Additional Information

· Tip: To make this dish for two, divide all ingredients in half but follow cooking directions as specified.

Source

Canadian Living Magazine: April 2006

Nutritional Info

Per serving: about - cal 202 pro 29 g total fat 6 g sat. fat 1 g carb 9 g fibre 2 g chol 66 mg sodium 367 mg % RDI: - calcium 3% iron 9% vit A 5% vit C 27% folate 56%