Yum!



Tried a new recipe last night from Cooking Light and it was a HUGE hit! My nine year old loved the spicy radish and dijon mustard in the dressing. I loved the fresh spring taste in my mouth - I thought the fennel might be too much but it was spot on! Definitely add this to your list of wonderful summery side salads!

* 8 ounces uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
* 1 tablespoon kosher salt
* 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 1/2 cups diced fennel (about 1 bulb)
* 1/2 cup chopped radish
* 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint ( I only had dried and it was fine)
* 3 tablespoons minced green onions ( used chives from my garden - nice light flavor)
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

Preparation

* 1. Cook orzo pasta with 1 tablespoon kosher salt according to the package directions, omitting additional fat. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain well.
* 2. Combine lemon juice and next 3 ingredients (through pepper) in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add orzo, fennel, and the next 4 ingredients (through 1/2 teaspoon salt); toss well to coat. Cover and chill. Top with nuts before serving.

Rori Trovato, Cooking Light
APRIL 2011

We have another winner!

Lentil Barley Burgers from Cooking Light



Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 patties and 1/4 cup salsa)
Ingredients

* Salsa:
* 1/4 cup finely chopped pineapple
* 1/4 cup finely chopped mango
* 1/4 cup finely chopped tomatillo - I skipped this and the grape tomatoes
* 1/4 cup halved grape tomatoes
* 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
* 1 serrano chile, minced - I used a jalapeno


Burgers:
* 1 1/2 cups water
* 1/2 cup dried lentils
* Cooking spray
* 1 cup chopped onion
* 1/4 cup grated carrot
* 2 teaspoons minced garlic
* 2 tablespoons tomato paste
* 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
* 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
* 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
* 3/4 cup cooked pearl barley
* 1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
* 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
* 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
* 2 large egg whites
* 1 large egg
* 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided

Preparation

1. To prepare salsa, combine first 6 ingredients; cover and refrigerate.

2. To prepare burgers, combine 1 1/2 cups water and lentils in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until lentils are tender. Drain. Place half of lentils in a large bowl. Place remaining lentils in a food processor; process until smooth. Add processed lentils to whole lentils in bowl.

3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and carrot; sauté 6 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add tomato paste, cumin, oregano, chili powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add onion mixture to lentils. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, barley, and next 5 ingredients (through egg); stir well. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.

4. Divide mixture into 8 portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 patties; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil and 4 patties. Serve with salsa.


I made these almost bite sized - they would be a great hors d'oeurve with a bit of th esalsa sprinkled on top!

Chickpea Sliders and bulghur salad ... mmmmmm

A couple more Cooking Light recipes I test drove last week included delicious mini chickpea sliders and a lemony bulghur salad...any substitutions I tried are noted next to the original recipe

Chickpea Sliders...

Serve each burger on a whole-grain slider bun or we used mini pita bread with lettuce, crisp radish slices, roasted red bell pepper, and canola-based mayonnaise. Two burgers per person!

Yield: 3 servings (serving size: 2 patties)
Ingredients

* 1 (8-ounce) red potato
* 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
* 1 teaspoon minced garlic
* 1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed, drained, and divided
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley - I used OREGANO
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
* 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten

Preparation

1. Place potato in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil; cook 20 minutes or until very tender. Drain. Cool slightly. Coarsely chop, and place in medium bowl. Add 1 tablespoon oil and garlic to bowl; mash potato mixture with a potato masher until slightly chunky. Remove 3 tablespoons chickpeas; place in a small bowl. Add remaining chickpeas to potato mixture; mash until well blended. Stir in remaining 3 tablespoons whole chickpeas, parsley, and remaining ingredients. With moistened hands, divide mixture into 6 equal portions (about 1/3 cup mixture per portion), shaping each into a 3-inch patty.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 patties to pan; reduce heat to medium, and cook 4 minutes or until bottoms are golden. Carefully turn patties over; cook 3 minutes or until bottoms are golden and patties are set. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 3 patties.

Bulgur with dried carnberries



Serve this lemony bulgur—an American interpretation of Middle Eastern tabbouleh—instead of the more familiar and expected stuffing.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
Ingredients

* 1 cup coarse-ground bulgur
* 2 cups (1/4-inch) cubed peeled English cucumber
* 1 cup dried cranberries
* 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onion
* 1 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley - I used 1 large bunch - can't get enough fresh parsley!
* 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
* 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
* 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil - I used less than 1/4c
* 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
* 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Place bulgur in a large bowl; cover with 2 cups boiling water. Cover; let stand 30 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork. Add cucumber and remaining ingredients; toss gently to combine.

both were a huge hit!

Another Dinner Hit!

I am feeling pretty good here - 2 for 2! Last night I tried another Cooking Light recipe and LOVED it! My changes to the recipe are noted on teh side - if you become a frequent visitor to my blog you will come to realize I almost NEVER follow a recipe exactly nor do I measure spices with a measuring spoon - more of an educated eye to the amount!

So, without further ado, may I present Chicken & Sweet Potato Curry!




Ingredients

* 2 teaspoons curry powder
* 1 teaspoon ground coriander
* 1 teaspoon ground turmeric *** I did not have tumeric so I upped the curry
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
* 1 bay leaf
* 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
* 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
* 1 1/2 cups vertically sliced onion
* 1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger *** or more if you like ginger!
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth *** used 2/3 of a lg can
* 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained *** used crushed and 28oz
* 2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled sweet potato
* 3/4 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
* 1/2 cup frozen green peas *** ommitted - not a pea fan
* 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preparation

1. Combine curry powder, coriander, turmeric, salt, black pepper, red pepper, and bay leaf in a small bowl.

2. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Remove chicken from pan. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion to pan; cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Increase heat to medium-high; return chicken to pan. Cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Stir in ginger and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add curry powder mixture; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour. Stir in potato and chickpeas. Cook, uncovered, 30 minutes. Add peas; cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice. Discard bay leaf.

If you are veg - try adding more chick peas, onion maybe some spinach in lieu of the chicken.

We garnished with Major Grey Mango Chutney and practically licked our bowls clean!

My Love/Hate Affair with Cooking Light....

I have always loved the healthy recipes from Cooking Light but never liked the layout of the magazine. I would give it a try for a few issues but then the jumble of recipes and lack of photos inevitably turned me off and I would abandon the magazine...

so you can imagine my delight when some design and editorial changes were made at the magazine and it became visually more appealing - cleaner layout, photos for the recipes etc.... I decided to give it another go and have been very pleased. It has helped me with my new resolution to plan meals and make them healthy!

Last night I tried Dan Dan Noodles from the Nov 09 issue and it received a 5 out of 5 from my gang! Give it a try and let me know what you think... I am giving the recipe as it appeared in the magazine and indicating the changes I made...




Ingredients

* 1 pound frozen fresh wide Chinese egg noodles, thawed (I used Chinese RICE Noodles as that was what I had on hand)
* 2 tablespoons canola oil
* 1/3 cup dry-roasted peanuts
* 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste) (subbed red hot pepper flakes)
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 2 garlic cloves
* 1 (1/2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled (used closer to 1 inch)
* 8 ounces lean ground pork (used 99% ff ground turkey)
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
* 3/4 cup thinly diagonally sliced green onions
* 1 1/4 cups chopped seeded peeled cucumber
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (more like 1/2 c - I love cilantro!)

Preparation

1. Cook noodles in 6 quarts boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 3/4 cup cooking liquid. Place noodles in a large bowl.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add peanuts to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until fragrant. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Combine peanut mixture, soy sauce, and next 4 ingredients (through ginger) in a mini chopper; process until finely ground.

3. Cook pork and salt in skillet over medium-high heat 8 minutes or until done, stirring to crumble. Add peanut mixture and 3/4 cup cooking liquid to pork; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add pork mixture, juice, and onions to noodles; toss well. Place about 1 3/4 cup noodle mixture in each of 4 bowls; top each serving with 5 tablespoons cucumber and 1 tablespoon cilantro.

this could be good if you marinate the cucumber in some rice wine vinegar and sugar for a few hours before adding to the noodles!

Enjoy!