Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Curried Chicken Salad with Peanuts



2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
12 oz. snow peas, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup nonfat or low-fat plain yogurt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. curry powder
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1/4 tsp. salt
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 small bunch scallions, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice; cook until chicken is cooked through, 5-6 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let cool to room temperature. When cool, cut into 1/2-inch cubes.

While chicken is cooking, bring a medium saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add snow peas and cook for 1 minute. Drain snow peas in a colander and immediately run under very cold water for 1 minute to stop cooking. Drain again and pat dry.

In a large bowl, whisk together yogurt, mayonnaise, curry powder, mustard, lemon zest, salt, and remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Add chicken, snow peas, celery, and scallion to yogurt mixture and toss to combine; season with pepper to taste. Divide chicken salad among 4 plates, sprinkle with peanuts, and serve.

Note: If the chicken is too thick, place it between a large piece of plastic wrap and gentle pound it with a kitchen mallet. It will cook much more evenly if it's not plump in the middle.

This is delicious and would be great in a pita pocket!

Recipe from The South Beach Diet Taste of Summer Cookbook

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Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Shrimp and Celery Salad


1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp. grated lime zest
1 1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 lbs. peeled, deveined, and cooked medium fresh or frozen shrimp (thaw if frozen)
4 large celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced

Whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice, lime zest, curry powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add shrimp, celery, and cucumber; toss gently to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes 4 (1 1/2 cup) servings

Note: This would be great in a pita sandwich.

Recipe from The South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook

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Sunday, October 07, 2007

Turkey Tenderloins and Mixed Sweet Peppers





1 lb. turkey breast tenderloins
3 medium red, yellow, orange or green bell peppers, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2/3 cup chicken broth
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne)
3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch

Heat 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook turkey in skillet about 5 minutes, turning once, until brown. Remove turkey from skillet.

Heat olive oil in skillet. Add bell peppers and cook over medium heat about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until crisp-tender. Stir in broth, basil, salt and cayenne pepper. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Return turkey to skillet. Cover and simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until juice of turkey is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut.

Remove turkey from skillet; keep warm. Push bell peppers from the center of the skillet. In small bowl, mix vinegar and cornstarch; stir into liquid in skillet. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir peppers into sauce to coat. Cut turkey into thin slices. Serve turkey with sauce.

Notes: The original recipe didn't call for it, but I decided to add some olive oil to stir-fry the bell peppers. Next time, I plan to add more vegetables (broccoli, carrots, scallions, etc.). I also plan to use a little less red pepper, as this was a bit spicy. If you like, I think it would be delicious with basmati rice or soba noodles, although that would increase the carb count.

Adapted from Betty Crocker Low-Carb Lifestyle Cookbook: Easy and Delicious Recipes to Trim Carbs and Fat.

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Saturday, October 06, 2007

Crispy Baked Cod


1 cup Japanese breadcrumbs (panko)*
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tsp. grated lemon rind
1 tsp. minced garlic

6 (6-oz) cod fillets
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. butter, melted

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a small bowl.

Place fillets on a lightly greased wire rack in a baking pan; sprinkle evenly with salt. Spoon breadcrumb mixture evenly onto fillets, pressing down gently. Drizzle evenly with 2 Tbsp. melted butter.

Bake at 400 degrees for 17 minutes or until breadcrumbs are golden and fish flakes with a fork.

*1 cup fine dry breadcrumbs may be substituted.

Cut meaty fish such as grouper, wreckfish, and snapper into strips for easier cooking.

Notes: I used both Cod and Tilapia. I didn't need to cook the Tilapia quite as long, but both were delicious. Quick and easy!

Recipe from Southern Living Magazine

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