Friday, April 25, 2008

Madras Chicken and Broccoli Salad

  • 8oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed of fat
  • 1/3 C nonfat plain yogurt
  • 1 Tbsp prepared mango chutney
  • 1 tsp hot Madras curry powder
  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 C finely chopped broccoli
  • 1/4 C finely chopped red onion
  • 1/4 C chopped cashews
1. Place chicken in a small skillet or saucepan and add enough water to cover; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, cut into 1/2 inch cubes and cool to room temperature.
2. Meanwhile, whisk yogurt, chutney, curry and cilantro in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Add broccoli, onion, cashews and the cooked chicken; toss to coat.

Robyn's notes: I used regular curry powder. GFers: doublecheck the chutney when you buy it, most brands are GF. To use up leftover mango chutney, whisk with yogurt for a quick dressing, dip or marinade; serve alongside grilled meat, fish or chicken; blend with reduced-fat cream cheese for a spread. This was easy and quick to make.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Salmon Sizzler with Late Summer Veggies

  • 1 large tomato
  • 6-8 leaves fresh basil (optional)
  • 2 (5oz each) salmon fillets or steaks
  • 1 tsp olive or canola oil
  • 2 small yellow squash or zucchini, thinly sliced
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • salt and pepper to taste
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Core the tomato and cut it in half crosswise; gently squeeze the seeds from each half and cube the halves.
3. Stack the basil leaves (if using), roll them into a cylinder and slice across to make thin strips.
4. Brush the salmon with the oil; arrange each fillet on a 12" square of heavy foil. Top with the squash or zucchini, tomatoes, green onions and basil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Fold the foil diagonally over the fish to form a triangle and seal it tightly by folding and crimping the edges.
5. Set a heavy, 10" cast-iron skillet in the oven to heat for 5 minutes.
6. Lay the foil packets in the skillet and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the salmon is opaque at the thickest part and the vegetables are crisp-tender. Transfer the packets to dinner plates and serve.

Robyn's notes: Not having an entirely oven-safe skillet, I used a glass (pyrex) dish.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Salad Bar Pasta Primavera

  • 6oz linguine or fettuccine
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 C broccoli or cauliflower florets
  • 1/2 C sliced zucchini or yellow summer squash
  • 1/2 C sliced mushrooms
  • 1/4 C thinly sliced carrots
  • 1/4 C thinly sliced red or yellow onions
  • 1/4 C sliced red or green peppers
  • 1/4 C sliced celery
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 C dry white wine or chicken broth
  • 3 C spinach leaves, loosely packed
  • 1/4 C frozen green peas, thawed
  • 1/4 C grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1. Cook the linguine or fettuccine according to the directions on the package but without salt.
2. While the pasta is cooking, place a heavy, 10" nonstick skillet over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the oil and stir in the broccoli or cauliflower, zucchini or squash, mushrooms, carrots, red or yellow onions, red or green peppers and celery.
3. Cook the vegetables, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper, then add the wine or broth. Stir in the spinach and peas, cover the skillet and cook for 1 minute, or just until the spinach is wilted.
4. Drain the pasta well. Serve topped with the vegetables and sprinkled with the Parmesan or Romano.

Robyn's Notes: used chicken broth, not white wine. My version of "thawing" the frozen peas was to scoop them into the quarter measuring cup before doing anything else, and letting them sit on top of the stove near the burner I was using. To make it vegetarian, use vegetable broth or the white wine, not chicken broth.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Turkey Florentine

  • 8oz boneless turkey breast cutlets (1/4inch thick)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tsp butter or margarine
  • 4 tsp minced shallots or onions
  • 1/4 C dry white wine or apple juice
  • 8 C spinach, loosely packed
  • 1/8 tsp grated nutmeg (optional)
1. Dry the turkey pieces with a paper towel, then sprinkle them with the salt and pepper.
2. Place a heavy, 8" nonstick skillet over high heat for 1 minute. Swirl in the butter or margarine and add the turkey. Cook, turning as necessary, for 3 minutes, or until the turkey is browned and firm to the touch, with no trace of pink in the center. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
3. To the skillet, add the shallots or onions, wine or apple juice and spinach. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 1 minute, or until the spinach is barely wilted. Sprinkle with the nutmeg (if using). Place the spinach on a serving plate, top with the turkey and serve.

Robyn's notes: used onion not shallot and apple juice not wine. This recipe went over very well taste-wise, but it was kind of a pain for me. It was difficult to find a store that had turkey breast cutlets in stock (several normally carried them but didn't have any when I was there, don't know why), and I always have minor issues with "transfer to a plate and keep warm". No matter where I put the item on the plate (inside microwave often, to keep it off the counter and out of my way) or how I cover it (often covered with a second plate upside down), the meat never stays as warm as I'd like it to.