Mexican Quinoa Salad

Recipe adapted from:

dearcrissy.com

Ingredients:

2 cups grilled chicken breast
3 cups cooked quinoa (3/4 cup uncooked)
1/3 cup diced red onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (one 16 oz. can) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups (one 15 oz. can) corn, drained
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium fresh tomato, diced, or 10-15 cherry tomatoes quartered

Preparation:

Mix grilled chicken, cooked and cooled quinoa, diced onion, garlic, and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl. Chop cilantro, then stir into quinoa along with seasonings, black beans, and corn. Stir in oil, tomato, and pepper, immediately before serving.
Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Notes & Tips:

Mat and I have recently embarked on a clean eating lifestyle. This is going to become my staple recipe for quick lunches or dinners on busy nights. The quinoa can be cooked days in advance and so can the grilled chicken. I keep 5 or 6 grilled chicken breasts in the freezer for quick defrosting and adding into recipes. It would also taste great with avocado, black olives and jalapenos too! But it's absolutely delish the way it is!

Lemon Chicken with Cucumber Salsa

Recipe Adapted From:
The Pampered Chef Casual Cooking Cookbook

Ingredients:

Chicken and Marinade
1 broiler-fryer chicken (4 pounds), cut into quarters
2 lemons
3 garlic cloves, pressed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Cucumber Salsa
1/2 medium unpeeled cucumber, seeded and coarsley chopped (1 cup)
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped red onion
1/3 cup pitted ripe olives, sliced
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper

Preparation:
1. For chicken and marinade, rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Trim any excess fat from chicken. Zest lemons to measure 1 tablespoon zest. Juice lemons to measure 1/2 cup juice. Place zest and juice in Mixing Bowl. Press garlic into batter bowl. Add oil, oregano, paprika, salt and black pepper; whisk. Remove 2 tablespoons of the marinade and reserve for the salsa.
2. Add chicken to marinade in mixing bowl; turn to coat. Cover; marinate in refrigerator 2-4 hours, turning chicken occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, for salsa, coarsely chop cucumber and onion. Slice olives; dice bell pepper. Place vegetables in small bowl; add reserved 2 tablespoons marinade and mix gently. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. Prepare grill for indirect cooking over medium coals. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Place chicken, skin side up, on grid of grill. Grill, covered, 45-50 minutes or until chicken registers 180°F in thickest part of thigh portion and juices run clear. Serve salsa with chicken.

Notes & Tips:
I didn't have any fryer chickens so I just used 3 large chicken breasts. It worked out better because it only took 25-30 to cook through. Also, I didn't any paprika so I subbed in cayenne pepper. Which I loved, the spice was very nice. I served this with couscous.

Nutrition Facts:
Serves 4. Calories 470, Total Fat 27 g, Saturated Fat 6 g, Cholesterol 150 mg, Carbohydrate 7 g, Protein 50 g, Sodium 520 mg, Fiber 2 g

Pineapple Coleslaw

Recipe Adapted From:
www.food.com

Ingredients:
5 cups cabbage, shredded
1 (20 ounce) can pineapple, drained and cut into small pieces (drain all juice from pineapple. DO NOT used crushed.)
1/2 cup half-and-half cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons vinegar
salt and pepper

Preparation:

1. Mix cabbage and pineapple.
2. Mix cream, mayo, sugar, spices and vinegar.
3. Add cream dressing to cabbage and pineapple.
4. Salt and pepper to taste.
5. Store covered in refrigerator 1-2 hours before serving.

Notes & Tips:

I think this tasted great! I used it on top of my pork burgers (see recipe below). I did add celery seed, maybe about a teaspoon, and instead of regular black pepper, I used white pepper, which I think has a slightly tangier taste to it.

Nutrition Facts:
Calories 205.7
Total Fat 11.6 g
Saturated Fat 2.5 g
Cholesterol 13.2 mg
Sodium 223.8 mg
Total Carbohydrate 25.7 g
Dietary Fiber 2.0 g
Sugars 16.5 g
Protein 1.6 g

Sesame Chicken Salad

Recipe Taken From:
Taste of Home Healthy Cooking Cookbook 2010

Ingredients:

1/3 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1-1/3 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup chopped fresh snow peas
1 small sweet red pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
4 lettuce leaves
1 tablespoon chopped cashews

Preparation:

In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, soy sauce and ginger. Stir in the chicken, peas, pepper and sesame seeds. Serve over lettuce leaves; sprinkle with cashews. Yield: 2 servings.

Notes & Tips:

Oh man the "dressing" for this salad was amazing! I don't know what else I'd like to put it on, other than everything. Super easy recipe, very fresh and light. I served this lettuce wrap style instead of salad style. This recipe serves 2 so you can always double for more.

Nutrition Facts:

1 cup salad with 1-1/2 teaspoons cashews equals 254 calories, 8 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 76 mg cholesterol, 736 mg sodium, 14 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 31 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 4 very lean meat, 1 vegetable, 1 fat, 1/2 starch.

Mediterranean Shrimp Couscous

Recipe adapted from:
Taste of Home Healthy Cooking Cookbook 2010

Ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon chopped shallot
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 cup chopped zucchini
1/2 cup white wine or reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
2 tablespoons capers, drained
3 cups fresh baby spinach
1-1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1-1/2 cups uncooked couscous
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preparation:
In a large skillet, saute the shrimp, shallot and garlic in 1 tablespoon oil until shrimp turn pink. Remove and keep warm.
In the same skillet, cook and stir the zucchini, wine, tomatoes and capers until zucchini is tender. Add spinach; cook just until wilted. Add broth and bring to a boil. Stir in couscous. Cover and remove from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork.
Whisk the lemon juice, vinegar and remaining oil; add to the pan. Stir in 1/4 cup cheese, the seasonings and reserved shrimp mixture; cook and stir over low heat until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Yield: 6 servings.

Notes & Tips:
This was really great. I didn't have any zucchini, so I used large chunks of mushrooms instead. I left out the sundried tomatoes, b/c for some reason I don't think they ever taste right when I use them at home. And lastly I didn't realize I didn't have enough couscous, so I just used less. I def. think it's important to have enough couscous, but oh well, it still got the thumbs up from Mat.


Nutrition Facts:
1 cup equals 385 calories, 11 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 143 mg cholesterol, 619 mg sodium, 41 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 28 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 2-1/2 starch, 2 fat.

Strawberry Lemonade Muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp lemon zest
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 cups finely chopped fresh strawberries

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in lemon zest, then blend in the eggs one at a time.

Stir in about 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix well, then add in vanilla extract and half of the lemon juice. Add another third of the flour, followed by the remaining juice and the remaining flour mix. Stir until just combined and no streaks of dry ingredients remain. Mix in finely chopped strawberries quickly, just to distribute them evenly into the batter.

Spoon batter out into prepared muffin cups. The muffin cups should be very full.

Bake for 17-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, or with only a few moist crumbs attached. Start at 17 mins and keep adding time in 3 min. increments until cooked through. Turn muffins out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 12 muffins.

Notes & Tips:
You'll need about 3 or 4 large lemons to get enough juice for the quantity needed. Please use fresh lemons and strawberries. It gives the muffins a fizzy pop. Also, the 1 1/2 cup chopped strawberries looks like alot but the amount is just about perfect. Fresh and delicious. The muffins don't rise very much so feel free to fill the cups to the top.

Stuffed Portobellos

Recipe Taken From:
Good Housekeeping Magazine January 2011

Ingredients:

1/2 cup(s) quinoa, rinsed
1 1/4 pound(s) brussels sprouts
4 teaspoon(s) extra virgin olive oil
4 large portobello mushroom caps
1 teaspoon(s) fresh thyme leaves
2/3 cup(s) frozen corn
3 ounce(s) feta cheese, crumbled (3/4 cup)
1/2 teaspoon(s) ground cumin

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In 2-quart saucepan, combine quinoa and 3/4 cup water. Heat to boiling on high; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
Meanwhile, trim and halve sprouts. In an 18-inch by 12-inch jelly-roll pan, toss sprouts, 2 teaspoons oil, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper to evenly coat. Roast 10 minutes.
While sprouts cook, brush mushrooms with remaining 2 teaspoons oil and sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Finely chop thyme and add to medium bowl along with corn, feta, cumin, and cooked quinoa.
When sprouts have roasted 10 minutes, push to one side of pan and arrange mushrooms, gill side up, on other side. Divide quinoa mixture among mushrooms; roast 10 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.

Notes & Tips:
I loved the roasted fresh brussel sprouts. I'd never tried them before and I'm a HUGE fan now. I didn't have any feta so I subbed in Gorgonzola, it was still good though. Make sure you salt the mushrooms or else they'll be pretty bland.

Nutrition Facts:
Calories 290
Total Fat 11g
Sodium 500mg
Total Carbohydrate 38g
Dietary Fiber 9g
Protein 14g

Orzo Pesto Salad

Recipe Adapted from:
Weight Watchers "Meals in Minutes" Cookbook

Ingredients:

4 cups water
1 1/2 cups orzo pasta
3/4 cup basil leaves
2/3 cup arugula leaf
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon walnut pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup dry white wine
2 bay leaves
3/4 lb turkey breast cutlets
6 kalamata olives, pitted and slivered
1 head radicchio, quartered, cored, and sliced
16 cherry tomatoes, quartered
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon fresh coarse ground black pepper

Preparation:

1 Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the orzo, reduce the hear, and cook until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, and put the orzo in a large bowl.
2 To make the pesto, combine the basil, arugula, garlic, walnuts, and 1 teaspoon of the salt in a food processor or blender. Add the reserved hot cooking liquid and puree. Stir 2 Tablespoons of the pesto into the orzo.
3 Bring the wine and bay leaves to a boil in a medium skillet. Boil 1 minute, then reduce the heat to medium and add the turkey. Cover and poach until the turkey is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Drain, discarding the bay leaves.
4 Chop the turkey and add it to the orzo. Stir in the olives and radicchio. Fold in the remaining pesto and then the cherry tomatoes. Add the Parmesan, pepper, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt; toss to combine.

Notes & Tips:
This was so fresh and summery tasting. I was impressed with how fresh it tasted. I couldn't find any radicchio, so I subbed raw spinach. Also, I didn't have enough fresh basil, since apparently there is a basil shortage going around, so I had about a half cup and I just used a little more arugula.

Nutrition Facts:
Calories 216.3
Total Fat 2.3 g
Sodium 522.4 mg
Total Carbohydrate 26.7 g
Dietary Fiber 1.9 g
Sugars 1.8 g
Protein 16.0 g

Tilapia with Cucumber Relish

Recipe Taken From:
Taste of Home Cookbook

Ingredients:

2/3 cup chopped seeded cucumber
1/2 cup chopped radishes
1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon sugar
4 (4 ounce) tilapia fillets
1/8 teaspoon paprika powder
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter

Preparation:

Combine chopped cucumber with chopped radishes in a small bowl. In another bowl or shallow dish, whisk together tarragon vinegar, olive oil, salt, black pepper and sugar. Pour the vinegar mixture over cucumber and radishes and toss to coat evenly.

Mix paprika powder with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle over the fish fillets. Melt the butter in a skillet. Place the tilapia fillets in the skillet and cook until the fish can be easily flaked with a fork. This will normally take around 3-4 minutes per side. Place the tilapia fillets on serving plates and add the cucumber relish.

Notes & Tips:
The relish for this was great. Nice and tangy. I didn't have tarragon vinegar, so I just mixed Apple Cider Vinegar with some dried tarragon. I forgot the paprika, oops... so I just sprinkled a little on the fish as it was cooking.

Nutrition Facts:
One serving (1 fish fillet with 3 tablespoons relish) equals 181 calories, 6 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 90 mg cholesterol, 388 mg sodium, 1 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 32 protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 4 very lean meat, 1 fat.

Warm Fajita Salad

Recipe Taken From:
Taste of Home Cookbook, pg 171

Ingredients:

1 cup lime juice
1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke, optional
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 pound boneless pork loin, trimmed and cut into thin strips
1 large onion, sliced
1 medium green pepper, cut into strips
1 medium sweet yellow pepper, cut into strips
1 tablespoon lemon juice
6 cups torn romaine
12 cherry tomatoes, quartered

Preparation:

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the lime juice, broth, soy sauce, garlic, oil, sugar and seasonings. Set aside 2 tablespoons; cover and refrigerate. Add pork to remaining marinade; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 3 hours, turning occasionally.
Drain pork, discarding marinade. Heat reserved marinade in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork, onion and peppers; stir-fry for 3-4 minutes or until pork is no longer pink. Drizzle with lemon juice. Remove from the heat.
Arrange lettuce on four individual plates; top with meat mixture and tomatoes. Yield: 4 servings.

Notes & Tips:
I know this seems like alot of ingredients, but the marinade is so good! After the marinading time it's really easy to cook the meat, onions and peppers then make a salad. I suggest serving some cut up tortilla strips with it.

Nutrition Facts:
1 serving equals 280 calories, 11 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 67 mg cholesterol, 707 mg sodium, 21 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 27 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 2 vegetable, 1 fat, 1/2 starch.

Tangerine Cashew Snapper

Recipe adapted from:
Healthy Cooking Magazine Feb/March 2011

Ingredients:

* 1 can manderine oranges, drained, keep 3/4 cup juice reserved
* 2 tablespoons lime juice
* 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon brown sugar
* 2 teaspoons ground ginger
* 1 teaspoon sesame oil
* 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
* 4 red snapper fillets (4 ounces each)
* 1/3 cup chopped unsalted cashews
* 2 green onions, thinly sliced

Preparation:
Drain can of oranges, keeping 3/4 cup liquid; chop the fruit and place in a small bowl. Stir in the reserve orange liquid, lime juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, sesame oil and pepper flakes.

Place fillets in a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pour tangerine mixture over fillets; sprinkle with cashews and green onions. Bake, uncovered, at 425° for 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Notes & Tips:
A great fresh tasting recipe. I had a hard time finding snapper until I asked the seafood guy at the grocery store, he had some in the freezer! Snapper was great I'm glad I didn't sub anything else. The original recipe called for 4 tangerines, sectioned and juice squeezed. I didn't have any, but that's ok because the manderine oranges tasted great.

Nutrition Facts:
Serves 4
1 fillet with about 2 tablespoons sauce equals 260 calories, 8 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 40 mg cholesterol, 358 mg sodium, 22 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber,

New England Fried Shrimp

Recipe taken from:
www.eatingwell.com

Ingredients:

* 1 cup pale ale, or other light-colored beer
* 1 cup whole-wheat flour
* 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
* 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
* 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
* 1 pound raw shrimp, large or extra-large
* Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1. Whisk beer, flour, mustard and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl until smooth.

2. You’ll need to cook the shrimp in two batches. Wait to batter the second batch until the first is cooked. For the first batch, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Hold shrimp by the tail and dip in the batter one at a time. Let any excess batter drip off, then add the shrimp to the hot oil, making sure they aren’t touching. Cook, turning once and adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent burning, until golden brown on the outside and curled, 3 to 4 minutes total. Transfer to a platter.

3. Wipe out the pan. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan and heat over medium-high. Batter and fry the remaining shrimp. Season all the shrimp with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Notes & Tips:
Yum Yum!! This was really good. I used a micro-brew from this area (Tall Grass Wheat) and it was perfect! I served this with rice and steamed broccoli.


Nutrition Facts:
Serves 4
Per serving: 213 calories; 9 g fat (1 g sat, 5 g mono); 172 mg cholesterol; 7 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 24 g protein; 1 g fiber; 351 mg sodium; 210 mg potassium.

Rosemary Dijon Pork Loin

Recipe Taken From:
Food Network

Ingredients:

* 1 (4-pound) boneless pork loin
* 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
* 2 tablespoons chopped red onion
* 2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped rosemary leaves, plus a few sprigs for garnish

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Trim any excess fat from the pork loin, leaving a thin-layer of fat over the top.

Evenly rub the entire pork loin with the Dijon mustard followed by the onion, salt, pepper, and garlic. Make sure to really rub in the spices, and then sprinkle the rosemary evenly all over the top. Place the pork in roasting pan lined with a rack and roast for 20 minutes.

Reduce the temperature to 300 degrees F, and continue roasting until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 145 degrees F, about 1 hour more. Transfer the pork to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice and pork and arrange on a platter garnished with rosemary sprigs.

Notes & Tips:
I served this with roasted brussel sprouts. Not bad at all if you like rosemary (which I'm crazy about). I wish there was some kind of sauce that could go with it. Not that the pork is dry, but just that I feel like I should dip it in something.

Nutrition Facts:
Serves 8 4oz servings
Calories 329
Fat 12
Carbohydrates 1.2
Fiber 0.47

Mexican Chicken Salad

Recipe Taken From:
Weight Watchers Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 3/4 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts, poached and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 tomato, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced
• 2 scallions, minced (white and light-green parts only)
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
  

Preparation:
1. To make the dressing, put the lime juice in a small bowl. Drizzle in the oil, whisking constantly. Press in the garlic with a garlic press and add the chili powder; whisk thoroughly.
2. In a large bowl combine the chicken, tomato, avocado, scallions, and cilantro. Pour the dressing over and toss to coat. Refrigerate, covered, until the flavors are blended, at least 2 hours.
3. Divide the lettuce among 4 plates and mound the chicken salad on top.

Notes & Tips:
I made this WAY too spicy. It's def. clear your sinus cavities spicy. I used chipotle chili seasoning. Also, I served this with soft taco shells.

Nutrition Facts:
(1/2 cup lettuce and about 3/4 cup chicken salad), 243 Calories, 14 g Fat, 2 g Saturated Fat, 49 mg Cholesterol, 77 mg Sodium, 9 g Carbohydrates, 5 g Fiber, 22 g Protein, 60 mg Calcium.

Caprese-Style Chicken Rolls

Recipe inspired by:
Rachael Ray Magazine, October 2010

Ingredients:

* 4 chicken breasts
* Salt and pepper
* 1 cup
* 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (about 4 ounces)
* 2 tomatoes, cored and thinly sliced
* 1 tbsp basil

Preparation:

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a work surface, arrange the chicken breasts, pound flat, season with salt and pepper. Divide the spinach among the chicken in an even layer, then top each with some of the basil, mozzarella and tomatoes. Roll up the cutlets and secure with toothpicks.
2. In a pan on medium high, heat 2 tbsp olive oil. When chicken is rolled, place each piece in the pan and brown the outside of the chicken. Turn after about 2-3 minutes, getting the other side golden brown.
3. When chicken is brown, place in oven dish sprayed with cooking spray. Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes.

Notes & Tips:
You can try all different cheeses but I used good Pollyo Mozzarella Cheese. Serve this with a salad or light pasta.

Chicken and Glass Noodle Salad

Recipe Taken From:
Cooking Light Magazine, August 2010

Ingredients:

• 1 (3.75-ounce) package uncooked bean threads (cellophane noodles)
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 cups shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
• 1/2 cup matchstick-cut or grated carrot
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper strips
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
• 1/2 cup chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
• 1 tbsp sesame oil

Preparation:
1. Place noodles in a large bowl. Cover with very hot tap water, and let stand 15 minutes.

2. While noodles soak, combine vinegar and next 4 ingredients, stirring until sugar dissolves. Combine chicken and next 5 ingredients (through mint), tossing well.

3. Drain and rinse noodles with cold water; drain well, squeezing to remove excess water. Snip noodles several times with kitchen shears. Combine noodles and chicken mixture, tossing well to combine. Drizzle noodle mixture with vinegar mixture; toss well to coat. Top with peanuts.

Notes & Tips:
I decided against using the peanuts, I don't really know why but I don't think they really would add anything to the dish. It also needed salt, which I used garlic salt. I really enjoyed this light, low cooking recipe. Also, I didn't have any rotisserie chicken, so I just steam cooked some chicken breasts and shredded them.

Nutritional Information:
Calories:346
Fat:11.7g (sat 2g,mono 5.4g,poly 3.5g)
Protein:27.1g
Carbohydrate:34.1g
Fiber:2.4g
Cholesterol:60mg
Iron:2.1mg
Sodium:589mg
Calcium:44mg

Prosciutto Peach and Sweet Lettuce Salad

Recipe Taken From:
Cooking Light Magazine, August 2010

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
• 1 (6.5-ounce) package sweet butter lettuce mix
• 2 large ripe peaches, cut into wedges
• 3 ounces very thin slices prosciutto, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 ounces ricotta salata cheese, divided into 4 equal pieces
• 2 tablespoons dry-roasted sunflower seed kernels
• Small mint leaves (optional)

Preparation:
1. Combine first 4 ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Gradually drizzle in olive oil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in chopped mint.

2. Combine lettuce mix and peach wedges in a large bowl. Drizzle lettuce mixture with dressing; toss gently to coat. Arrange about 2 cups salad in each of 4 bowls; top each serving with 3/4 ounce prosciutto, 1 piece of ricotta salata, and about 2 teaspoons sunflower seed kernels. Garnish with small mint leaves, if desired.

Notes & Tips:
This is a great salad for summer. Easy to make and no cooking!

Nutritional Information:
Calories:209
Fat:13.5g (sat 3.2g,mono 5.9g,poly 2.2g)
Protein:10.4g
Carbohydrate:14.3g
Fiber:2.1g
Cholesterol:26mg
Iron:1.4mg
Sodium:530mg
Calcium:87mg

Sweet and Spicy Citrus Tilapia

Recipe taken from:
Cooking Light Magazine, August 2010

Ingredients:

• 4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice (about 1 orange)
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons lower-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

Preparation:
1. Arrange fish in a single layer in a shallow roasting pan coated with cooking spray. Combine orange juice and next 9 ingredients (through garlic); pour over fish. Let stand 15 minutes.

2. Preheat broiler.

3. Sprinkle fish with paprika; broil 15 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Drizzle sauce over fish. Serves 4.

Notes & Tips:
I served this with a small salad and green beans. I really liked the sauce on the fish. I think it would taste great as a chicken marinade too.

Nutritional Information:
Calories:225
Fat:6.6g (sat 1.5g,mono 3.4g,poly 1.2g)
Protein:34.8g
Carbohydrate:7.5g
Fiber:0.4g
Cholesterol:85mg
Iron:1.3mg
Sodium:486mg
Calcium:30mg

Havarti-Stuffed Chicken

Recipe Adapted From:
Real Simple Magazine, August 2010

Ingredients:

• 4 6oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4 oz dill Havarti cheese
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp dried dill
• cooking spray

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut a pocket in each chicken breast. Dividing evenly, stuff with cheese, close pocket. Season with salt, pepper and dill. Cook in oven for 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Notes & Tips:

YUM! I love Havarti cheese and this chicken was just delish. All of my cheese fell out of my chicken, which was just fine I just scooped it back into the pocket. I served this with Parmesan noodles.

Nutrition Facts:

334 calories, 17g fat, 0g carbs, 39g protein

Prosciutto and Melon Pasta Salad

Recipe Taken From:
Cooking Light Magazine, August 2010

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces uncooked legume-based farfalle pasta (such as Barilla Plus)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
• 2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup baby arugula
• 3/4 cup diced cantaloupe
• 1/4 cup thinly vertically sliced shallots
• 2 tablespoons torn mint leaves
• 2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into 2-inch-long strips
• 1 ounce shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; cool to room temperature.

2. Combine lemon juice and next 6 ingredients (through garlic) in a food processor; process to blend. With processor on, slowly pour olive oil through food chute; process for 15 seconds or until blended.

3. Combine cooled pasta, arugula, cantaloupe, shallots, mint, and prosciutto in a large bowl. Drizzle the dressing over salad just before serving, and toss gently to coat. Top salad with cheese.

Notes & Tips:
Well this was different, I'm not really sure I liked it. I think the combination of melon and pasta. The textures didn't mix well. I did like the dressing, and I love prosciutto.

Nutritional Information
Serves 4
Calories:357
Fat:12.8g (sat 2.9g,mono 7.5g,poly 1.6g)
Protein:16.8g
Carbohydrate:44.3g
Fiber:4.7g
Cholesterol:13mg
Iron:2.5mg
Sodium:518mg
Calcium:134mg