Chinese Chicken Salad--Barefoot Bloggers

Note to self, change bowls! I just noticed that this is my third post in a row, using the same white bowl, which is my favorite for it's size and shape, but it is getting a bit old. I vow not to use it again for at least another few posts. Our first Barefoot Bloggers recipe for April, Chinese Chicken Salad was selected by McKenzie of Kenzie's Kitchen and it is, for Ina, a lighter, fairly healthy recipe, (although not exactly a low calorie / low fat / low sodium one with all the oil, peanut butter and salt in it). Chicken breast, asparagus and red pepper together in an Asian dressing, it just needed a few tweaks to make it a healthier choice. (My changes are in the Notes/Results section below). 

The recipe can be found in Barefoot Contessa Parties! (pg 98), as well as on the Food Network site here.

Chinese Chicken Salad

Barefoot Contessa Parties!, Ina Garten

(12 Servings)

4 split chicken breasts (bone-in, skin-on)
Good olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound asparagus, ends removed, and cut in thirds diagonally
1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded
2 scallions (white and green parts), sliced diagonally
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds, toasted

For the dressing:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup good apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon peeled, grated fresh ginger
1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub with the skin with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the meat from the bones, discard the skin, and shred the chicken in large bite-sized pieces.

Blanch the asparagus in a pot of boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes until crisp-tender. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking. Drain. Cut the peppers in strips about the size of the asparagus pieces. Combine the cut chicken, asparagus, and peppers in a large bowl.

Whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing and pour over the chicken and vegetables. Add the scallions and sesame seeds and season to taste. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Notes/Results: Light and delicious, a great little salad with good flavor. I reduced the amount to two servings worth, enough for a couple of lunches. Instead of a bone-in, skin-on chicken breast, I used an organic skinless, boneless breast, which worked fine and turned out nice and moist at about 30 minutes in the oven. I switched the vegetable oil to olive oil and cut down the amount by about 1/2. There seems to be a lot of salt in the dressing so I used a low-sodium soy salt and also reduced the amount of kosher salt to a tiny pinch. Finally I swapped out the peanut butter and replaced it with some (a bit less than the recipe called for), natural ground almond butter. In this case the switch was not really for any health reasons, almond butter is what I had on hand because I eat it more often than peanut butter. I think it is a great alternative though, as sometimes too much peanut butter can overwhelm a dressing and the almond butter gives a nice nuttiness without being overpowering. I felt like it made more of the sesame flavor come out. To make up for my swap outs, and still get a flavor punch, I added a bit more ginger, garlic and black pepper to my dressing mix. Although I cut the quantity of the dressing recipe down, it made more than I thought was needed so I didn't use all of it on the salad and it still had plenty of flavor. I tossed a bit of chopped fresh mint in at the end as I had a big bunch in the fridge and I like the complexity it adds. I would make this one again, lightened up of course.

Thanks McKenzie for a great pick and a welcome choice for spring! You can see what the other Barefoot Bloggers thought of this recipe by going to the BB site here.

Thai Chickpea Curry

I took yet another four hour cooking class at the community college last Saturday. I love taking the vegan classes there because we have a great instructor and it always gives me new ideas and inspiration, as well as new recipes. This class was called Dinner Made Simple, one pot vegan dishes. We made three different recipes but this one for a Thai Chickpea Curry was my favorite. It is simple, quick and tastes great.

Thai Chickpea Curry

Chef Alyssa Moreau

(Serves 4)

1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed or the equivalent amount of dried beans, soaked and cooked

1 (15 oz) can "lite" coconut milk

1 cup water or broth

1 tsp garlic, minced

1 Tbsp ginger, minced

1 cup sweat potato, peeled and cut into 1" chunks

1/3 cup red bell pepper, chopped

1 Tbsp mild curry powder

1/4 tsp turmeric

1 stalk lemon grass, bottom half peeled, smashed (optional)

2 kaffir lime leaves, torn slightly to release flavor (optional)

1 Tbsp rice flour or arrowroot, dissolved in 2 Tbsp water

2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped

1/4 cup fresh Thai basil

1 cup frozen peas

1/2 tsp salt

Add the ingredients listed, (chickpeas through kaffir lime leaves) in a large pot and simmer about 20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are cooked through. Dissolve the rice flour/arrowroot in water to make a slurry and add to curry mixture; stir to thicken. Add in the parsley, basil, peas and salt and cook a few minutes more to warm the peas and soften the herbs.

Note: *You can substitute part of the coconut milk with soy milk, almond milk, regular coconut milk or garbanzo bean cooking liquid.

Notes/Results:  Creamy, hearty and delicious. You basically are dumping ingredients in a pot and simmering away. We actually didn't add the extra cup of water, just about a half cup of the bean cooking liquid (our instructor cooked the dried chickpeas ahead of time for us to save time), so there was no need for the slurry, the curry was thick enough on its own. You could easily substitute the veggies you have on hand; cauliflower, green beans, even carrots would be good in this curry. I ate it over some brown rice for dinner that night and for lunch the next day and I was a very happy camper. Alysssa, our chef, recommends it over jasmine rice that you cook with ginger, lemon grass and kaffir lime, which I am sure would be delicious. It would be a bit prettier but I was really hungry and just dumped it out of the take-home container into a bowl when I got home from class without adding any garnishes.

Vegan Three-Seed Lemon Tea Bread

I wanted a nice light little bread to go with my homemade Limequat Curd and found this one for Three-Seed Lemon Tea Bread, marked to try in what is becoming a favorite cookbook, Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson. 

Robertson says: "A fresh lemon taste is the backdrop for this protein-packed tea bread loaded with three kinds of nutritious seeds. The light, not-to-sweet flavor makes it a terrific breakfast bread."

Three-Seed Lemon Tea Bread

Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson

(Makes 1 Loaf)

2 Tbsp flaxseeds

1/3 cup water

1/2 cup sugar or natural sweetener

1 cup soy milk  or other dairy-free milk

2 Tbsp corn oil

Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup chopped hulled raw sunflower seeds

1/4 cup sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9x5-inch loaf pan and set aside. Grind the flaxseeds to a powder in a dry blender. Add the water and blend until thick, about 30 seconds. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, soy milk, corn oil, and lemon juice and zest. Blend in the flaxseed mixture and set aside. In a medium-size bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Using a few swift strokes, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in the sunflower seeds and sesame seeds, then transfer to the prepared pan. 

Bake on the center oven rack until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack before removing from the pan and slicing.

Notes/Results: Delicious! Moist, lightly lemony and a bit nutty in flavor, this is a great little bread. It was perfect with the Limequat Curd, as well as good on its own for breakfast and a snack. It is a healthy little bread; you are getting Vitamin E, Thiamine and a host of other nutrients from the sunflower seeds, Omega-3 Fatty Acids from the flax and Copper, Manganese and other good stuff from the sesame seeds. Not to mention the protein from the almond milk and fiber from the seeds. Of course I wouldn't be me if I didn't make some changes. I used half all-purpose flour and half whole-wheat pastry flour. Since I didn't have corn oil and soy milk handy, I substituted walnut oil and almond milk. I realized I only had about 1/8 of a cup sesame seeds so I ended up using some whole flax seed, in addition to the ground, to make up the 1/4 cup. Finally, I baked them in 2 small loaf pans instead of one and sprinkled some whole sunflower seeds and a little demerara sugar on top for a nice crunch. I will be making this one again.

Egyptian Kushari with Chicken Shawarma for Souper Sunday

This week's recipe for Souper Sunday comes from the latest Clean Living Magazine and is for Kushari with Chicken Shawarma. According to the web, Kushari is a stew usually made of rice, lentils, pasta noodles and chickpeas and is topped with a vinegar, a spicy tomato sauce, and is often garnished with caramelized onion. Clean Eating's version has lentils, quinoa and whole-wheat spaghetti and the vinegar is in the spicy tomato sauce. The magazine "likes them some protein", so they serve it with a spiced yogurt chicken.

Clean Living says: "This hearty lentil stew is often hawked by Egyptian vendors on the street. Usually served as a vegetarian dish, we've added chicken shawarma, (chicken marinated in yogurt and spices), to kick up the protein. But if you would rather go meat-free, just omit the shawarma and sub in vegetable stock without sabotaging the delicious savory flavor. Nutritional Bonus: Aside from filling you up, the combination of high-fiber foods, lentils, quinoa and whole-wheat pasta, have been linked to lowering the risk of coronary heart disease and diabetes, while promoting digestion."

Kushari with Chicken Shawarma

Clean Eating Magazine, May/June 2009

(Makes 6 Servings)

Ingredients: Lentil Stew and Caramelized Onions

3 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable stock

1 cup lentils, cleaned and rinsed

1/2 cup quinoa

1 oz whole-wheat spaghetti or vermicelli (about 1/2 cup), broken into 1 to 1 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 tsp olive oil

1 small onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)

Ingredients: Spicy Tomato Sauce

1 tsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp kosher salt

2 cups tomatoes, crushed

1/2 tsp red bell pepper, crushed (assume this is 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper)

3 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions:

Lentil Stew: Heat stock and 3 cups water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until it comes to a roiling boil. Add lentils, lower heat to simmer and cover. Cook for 25 minutes, until lentils are tender but not completely soft. Mix in quinoa, let cook for about 6 minutes. Then add spaghetti, cook for another 6-8 minutes. If the mixture seems dry, add another 1/2 cup water. Cover and set aside. (Tip: To break up spaghetti, simply wrap it in a clean dish towel and holding the towel by each end, carefully run pasta over the edge of a counter or table a few times).

Caramelized Onions: While lentils are cooking, heat 1/2 tsp oil in a small saute pan over low heat. Place onion in pan and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes, until onion is soft and beginning to brown.

Spicy Tomato Sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Mash garlic with salt together in a small bowl to form a paste, then add to oil in saucepan and cook until soft and lightly brown, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and bell pepper, mixing occasionally until sauce reduces and thickens, about 5-10 minutes. Add vinegar, cumin, and black pepper. Continue cooking until sauce thickens again, about 10-15 minutes. Prepare chicken shawarma. 

To Assemble: Place 1 cup lentil stew in a bowl, pour 1/4 cup tomato sauce over top, then add 2 oz chicken shawarma and add 1 Tbsp caramelized onions. 

Chicken Shawarma

Clean Eating Magazine, May/June 2009

(Makes 6 Servings)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp cardamom

1/2 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp onion powder

12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced into paper-thin strips

Instructions:

In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients except chicken. Then add chicken. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 3 hours. Cook in non-stick pan over medium heat until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. (Time-saving Tip: To make slicing easier, freeze chicken for 20 minutes beforehand).

Nutrients per serving: (1 cup lentils, 1/4 cup tomato sauce, 1 Tbsp caramelized onions and 2 oz chicken): Calories: 310, Total Fat: 5g, Sat Fat: 5g, Carbs: 40g, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 8g, Protein: 27g, Sodium: 440mg, Cholesterol: 35mg.

Notes/Results: The kushari is excellent, hearty and filling. The earthy flavors of the lentils and quinoa are complimented by the tangy, spicy tomato sauce and the sweet onions. The chicken, (I used turkey breast cut into strips instead), is good, but not necessary to the dish and I would omit it the next time and save myself the hassle of another pan on the stove. Since tomatoes didn't look so hot this week, I used a canned crushed tomato, and I also used   some red chili pepper flakes instead of the "red bell pepper" called for in the sauce recipe.(As I assume that must be what they meant). This is a good, healthy meal and I would make the kushari, probably without the chicken, again.

It looks like we have more delicious soups waiting in The Souper Sunday Kitchen.

Lissaloo from One Step at a Time is back with a family favorite soup she has been making since she was 12; McFarland's Potato Soup. Lissaloo likes how easy this creamy, hearty soup is to make. Some potatoes, milk, ham, cheese and lots of other goodies, along with her trusty immersion blender to blend it all together, and she is all set. 

Even though the weather is getting warmer, Reeni from Cinnamon, Spice & Everything Nice is still having soup cravings, which led to her making a big pot of Chicken Tortilla Soup this week. "Spicy, hearty and so very comforting", Reeni liked the different textures and flavors of this soup. 

Christine from Kit's Chow, has an extra spicy Korean soup to share, Soft Tofu Soup/Stew with Enoki Mushrooms (Soon-doo-boo dji-gae). She says this vegetarian soup full of chilies is "hot on hot!" For Christine, this soup is "the equivalent of getting a big whiff of wasabi when eating sushi. It will clear your sinuses, rev up your metabolism and the garlic will boost your immune system."

A freezer clean out. led to mass quantities of chicken that needed using up for Kait at Pots and Plots. What better to do with it than make Tortilla Soup?!  Kait and her husband had never tried tortilla soup and enjoyed it as a delicious, lighter alternative to their usual taco soup. (She does promise there is soup under all those yummy homemade tortilla strips!)

A new face at Souper Sunday this week is Singing Horse from The Peaceable Kingdom, a blog "mostly about vegan food, books, art, nature, photography and movies". Extra polenta on hand, odds and ends in the fridge and a challenge to herself to "make polenta the star of the show", led Singing Horse to make this zesty Polenta Minestrone. It looks delicious!

Winter still has a hold on her neck of the woods, so Natashya from Living in the Kitchen with Puppies, needed something comforting to combat the chilly weather. She found it in this gorgeous Mushroom Soup from Nigel Slater. Rich, creamy and served with homemade bread, she had the perfect meal.

Ulrike from Küchenlatein is feeling the change of seasons and even enjoying some moments of "tee-shirt weather."  To celebrate, she made a springlike, Kohlrabi Parsley Soup. Creamy, herbal and lemony, and served with some thick-sliced wheat bread, Ulrike says this is "a really tasty soup."

Another week of gorgeous bowls of soupy goodness! Thanks to everyone who participated. Go check out their wonderful blogs for the recipes and more details. If you want to share a soup or soup-like dish on Souper Sunday, just click on the logo on the side bar for all of the details.

Have a great week!

Tangy & Delicious Limequat Curd

Remember these little "mystery" fruit I posted recently? They are limequats, a cross between limes and kumquats, I found at the farmer's market. They originated in China and are now grown in several countries, including the US. (These were grown on the Big Island of Hawaii).

Limequats are small, about the size of a kumquat and have a thin, sweet tasting skin and a pulp that is very similar to limes, somewhat sour and bittersweet. They can be used like any citrus and have a good amount of Vitamin C. (They are shown below with a lime so you can see their size).

I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with the dozen or so that I bought, but after some thought, decided to make Limequat Curd. I have made my own curd twice before; once using lilikoi or passion fruit (here) and then a lemon curd that I recently made in a cooking class on sauces. I ended up adapting the recipe from class as it requires less egg and sugar than the recipe I used for the lilikoi curd.

Limequat Curd (Or Any Citrus Curd)

Adapted from a recipe from Chef Laura Gershuni

(Makes approximately 2 cups)

3 large eggs

2/3 cup limequat juice (or other citrus juice)

2 Tbsp limequat zest (or other citrus zest)

1 cup sugar

4 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

pinch salt

In a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk together the eggs, sugar and juice until blended. Cook, stirring constantly to prevent curdling, until the mixture becomes thick, (about 10 minutes). 

Remove from heat. Whisk butter pieces into the mixture, one at a time until the butter has melted. Mix in zest and a pinch of salt. Cover immediately with plastic wrap to prevent a "skin" from forming and refrigerate. (The curd will continue to thicken as it cools). 

Notes/Results: Tangy and delicious, it tastes like a cross between lemon curd and lime curd. Thick, buttery and not exactly healthy, it makes a nice little occasional treat on a English muffin, a scone or a bread. I paired it with a delicious lightly lemony vegan tea bread that I will post on Monday, because it is good enough that it deserves it's own post. This is a keeper recipe that I plan to explore with other fruits.

Prosciutto and Goat Cheese Bruschetta with Black Lentils for Tyler Florence Fridays

A couple of weeks ago, I found some Black Beluga Lentils, which I had been wanting to try. (If you are not familiar with beluga lentils, they are one of the smallest in the lentil family and "glisten" when they are cooked so that they look like beluga caviar). I was searching for a recipe to use them in and found one by Tyler for Prosciutto and Goat Cheese Bruschetta with Black Lentils on the Food Network site here. Since I usually end up loving how Tyler combines flavors and textures, I thought it would be fun to try. To make it even better, the nice people at Ile de France sent me some free goat cheese to sample and review this week, (more on that below), so I was all set. 

Prosciutto and Goat Cheese Bruschetta with Black Lentils
Tyler's Ultimate, Tyler Florence
(Makes 4 Servings)

1/2 loaf country bread, cut into 1-inch slices and the slices halved
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 (4-ounce) medallions goat cheese
4 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced
2 cups black lentils (you can substitute with other varieties if you can't find black lentils)
2 cloves garlic
3 sprigs thyme, divided
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 garlic clove, minced
1 medium red onion
1 (1-pound) bag baby spinach
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. On a sheet tray lay out the slices of bread and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Turn each piece over and drizzle again so both sides have some oil on them. Toast in the hot oven for 1 to 2 minutes until slightly crispy but without color. While it is still hot, gently rub each slice on one side with a garlic clove then set aside.

Layer each slice of toast with 2 to 3 slices of goat cheese, a twisted piece of prosciutto and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Put tray of bruschetta back into the oven and heat until cheese is melted, prosciutto is crispy and bread is golden brown, about 2 minutes.


Place the lentils in a large saucepan and cover with 2 times the amount of water. Add thyme sprig and season with salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 12 to 15 minutes until they are soft and tender. They should not be falling apart. Salt, to taste, then drain any remaining liquid. Set aside.

Make the honey balsamic vinaigrette by combining the vinegar and honey while you drizzle in the 1/4 cup olive oil whisking to combine. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

In a large saute pan heat a 2 count amount of olive oil over medium heat and add the garlic and red onion. Cook until tender and slightly translucent then add the honey balsamic vinaigrette to the onions. In a large mixing bowl add about half of the lentils, washed spinach and the caramelized onions. Toss to coat and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

To serve, lay the prosciutto and goat cheese toast on a plate and serve with warm honey-balsamic spinach salad over the top. Garnish with more lentils.

Notes/Results: Excellent! This is a delicious recipe, where all the flavors and textures come together well. The bruschetta with the goat cheese and crispy prosciutto is great and when you combine it with the warm spinach salad with the caramelized onions and lentils, it becomes even better. I didn't make a lot of changes, mainly cutting back a bit of the oil and using a whole grain bread. The recipe doesn't state what to do with the red onions, so I sliced them. (Speaking of unclear directions, the recipe also calls for 3 springs of thyme, divided, but I can only find one of them actually being used in the lentils). This is not the most photogenic recipe, and it is a bit messy to eat; even with a fork and knife, the prosciutto is a little tough to cut. You could easily make this vegetarian by omitting the prosciutto and maybe using an herbed goat cheese. A great filling but not heavy dish for lunch or dinner. 

A bit about our "cheese sponsor"; Ile de France. Ile de France was the first company to bring Brie, the French "King of Cheese", to America in 1936 and they have been selling cheese here ever since. They offer Brie, Camembert, goat cheese and a goats milk brie. I opted to try the goat cheese and received a 10.5 oz log of it to sample. It has a smooth creaminess and a nice spreadable texture at room temperature. It has a lightly tangy taste and really worked well in the recipe above. I also snuck a few bites while cooking and found it very good plain, on crackers. I plan to try it in a couple more recipes. Mahalo to Ile de France for letting me sample their cheese!

To see what the other TFF participants chose this week and how they liked their recipes, go to the TFF site here, where the round up will be posted in the afternoon. 

Happy Aloha Friday!

(Chocolate Espresso) Banana Yogurt Muffins with Wheat Germ

More over-ripe apple bananas means more banana muffins. This recipe comes from an older, used cookbook I found at a used book store, Yogurt Cookery: Good and Gourmet by Kay Shaw Nelson (published in 1972). The original recipe was for Banana Yogurt Muffins with Wheat Germ, but looking for a "treat" and wanting a little chocolate fix, I decided to add some Tropical Source Chocolate Chips. Next, I was watching Ina put coffee in chocolate cupcakes on the Barefoot Contessa and decided to add some espresso powder to give the muffins a richer flavor. I also used a whole grain pastry flour and threw in some ground flax to make them a bit more nutrient rich. My changes or additions are in red below. 

(Chocolate Espresso) Banana Yogurt Muffins with Wheat Germ

adapted from Yogurt Cookery by Kay Shaw Nelson

(Makes 12-14 muffins)

1 1/2 cups unsifted, all purpose flour  (whole grain pastry flour)

1/2 cup wheat germ

2 Tbsp ground flax seed

1/3 cup sugar (natural cane sugar)

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt 

1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 large)

1/2 cup to 2/3 cup plain yogurt

1/4 cup melted shortening  (used butter)

1 large egg

5 oz dark semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 tsp espresso powder

Demerara sugar to sprinkle on top (optional)

Put the flour, wheat germ, ground flax seed, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, espresso powder and salt in a large bowl and stir well. Combine the bananas, yogurt, butter and egg in a small bowl and mix well with a fork. Add to dry ingredients and mix to blend. Stir in Chocolate chips. Spoon into greased (or lined) muffin tins, filling 2/3 full. Sprinkle a little demerara sugar on top of each muffin cup. Bake in a preheated hot (375 degree F.) oven for about 20 minutes, or until done. Makes 14. (Mine made 12)

Notes/Results: This is a dense muffin for sure, but the yogurt and bananas make it nicely moist, and the chocolate makes it a bit decadent. The espresso powder adds a richness rather than a coffee taste and cuts the sweetness a bit. A great muffin for breakfast or as a snack, made with (mostly) good for you ingredients.