Thai Steak Salad

The fresh herbs and vegetables in this Thai inspired salad give it its vibrant flavor.  The dressing is delicious on both the salad and the steak making it a perfect combination... the cool crisp greens with the tender savory steak.  It is quick and easy to make, especially if you have an herb garden and a well-stocked Chinese pantry.  I serve it with short grain brown rice to balance out the flavors and textures for my kid's developing palettes.

1 (1 1/2-pound) flank steak, trimmed

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup fresh lime juice 

2 tablespoon brown sugar 

4 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoon fish sauce

4 teaspoons minced fresh garlic

2 teaspoon Sriracha

4 cups thinly sliced nappa cabbage

1 cup julienne-cut carrots

2/3 cup fresh mint leaves

2/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves

2/3 cup fresh basil leaves

Sprinkle steak evenly with pepper and salt. Grill or broil steak for 6 minutes each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove steak from grill/broiler; let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices

Combine juice and next 5 ingredients (through Sriracha) in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.

Combine cabbage and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Add 2/3 C juice mixture to cabbage mixture; toss well. Toss steak in remaining 4 tablespoons juice mixture. Add steak to cabbage mixture; toss to combine.

Skewered Chicken with Pineapple and Peppers

I had a perfectly sweet and fragrant pineapple on my counter that I wanted to use for dinner, so I made these richly-flavored grilled chicken kabobs.   The whole family enjoyed them, in fact, the kids wanted more when they were all gone! I served them with brown rice and a big spinach salad.

Skewered Chicken with Pineapple and Peppers

Marinade:
2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce (such as San J's Reduced sodium Tamari Soy Sauce)
2 tablespons pineapple juice ( I just squeezed some out of my fresh pineapple)
4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
2 teaspoons oil
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 garlic cloves, minced

Kabob:
1 pound skinned, boned chicken breast, cut into 32 bite size pieces
1 cup red bell pepper pieces
1 1/2 cups cubed fresh pineapple

Prepare grill.

Combine the first 9 ingredients in a large bowl.  Add chicken and bell pepper, tossing to coat.  Thread chicken, pineapple, and bell pepper alternately onto each of 8 skewers. Cook about 10 minutes or until chicken is done, turning occasionally.

If you are serving this with brown rice, be sure to start the rice first, as it takes 45 minutes to cook.  The rest of the meal can be prepared while it is cooking.   I buy the soy sauce (which is gluten free for those of you with Celiac's) at Target.  I love the flavor of fresh ginger and keep it on hand for use in drinks and recipes like these.

Watermelon-Lime Agua Fresca

A cool and refreshing summer drink... and even better... it's healthy, and super easy to make!  






















My husband has been working in the yard today in 110 degree weather and my 6 year old wanted to make him a cool and refreshing drink.  This super easy Lime-Watermelon Agua Fresca fit the bill... and he couldn't get enough of it.  The kids loved it too.

Lime-Watermelon Agua Fresca
6 cups cubed watermelon
1 cup cold water
juice of one large lime
Ice

Blend all ingredients in a blender.  Serve over ice.  Blend in a teaspoon of honey if you need to sweeten it.
I mix this in our Bosch blender.  If your blender is a smaller size, adjust the ingredients accordingly.

This drink is also great if you have leftover watermelon and you don't want it to take up all your refrigerator space.

Memorial Day Barbeque

On the Menu:

Grilled Chicken with Avocado Salsa

Lime-Cilantro Quinoa Salad

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Fresh Cut Watermelon

Grilled Chicken with Avocado Salsa

I make this rub and keep it in a tightly lidded glass container in my pantry to use as needed.  It's a great spice mixture to have on hand.  Try it on chicken, fish, beef, or pork.  For best flavor, rub it on the meat the night before, but in a pinch, you can apply it just before the BBQ.

Rub:
1 cup kosher salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon allspice
2 tablespoons ground ancho chile
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon fresh ground pepper

Chicken:

If chicken breast is too thick, pound it to thin it for even cooking.  Rub chicken with spice mixture.  Let it sit in the refrigerator over night if possible.  Prepare Grill.  Grill chicken 6 minutes on each side or until done.  For additional flavor, place some applewood chips in a foil bowl, and place on the hot grill while grilling the meat.  Close the BBQ lid to keep in some of the smoked flavor.  Remove chicken from grill, top with avocado salsa.

Avocado Salsa:

1 cup diced roma tomatoes

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 avocado, peeled and finely chopped

Combine all salsa ingredients in a bowl.  Toss.  Serve over chicken.

Cilantro-Lime Quinoa Salad

Salad: 

3 cups cooked quinoa (1 cup dry cooked with 2 cups chicken broth)

1 cup black beans

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 red bell pepper, chopped

Dressing:

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/8 teaspoon salt

Toss all salad ingredients together in a bowl.  In a separate small bowl, stir together all dressing ingredients.  Drizzle dressing over quinoa mixture.  Serve immediately or refrigerate for later use.

Strawberry & Spinach Salad

Salad ingredients:
Fresh sliced Strawberries
Fresh baby spinach
chopped walnuts, toasted

Poppy Seed Dressing:
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon worcestershire

Toss all salad ingredients in a large bowl.  For dressing, combine all dressing ingredients in a blender.  Process until smooth.  Drizzle dressing on salad.  Save leftover dressing in refrigerator for a later use.

Simply Grilled Corn-on-the-Cob

This is as the name implies.... simple.  Really, if you have fresh corn that is in season... you don't need to add anything to it. Just enjoy the fresh sweet taste that nature provides! 

To make:  Preheat grill to med-low.  Trim ends of corn with a knife, and peel off some of the outer pieces of the husk, making sure not to expose the kernals.  Place corn on grill and cook slowly.  Rotate as needed-- atleast once.   The corn will steam inside the husks, and may turn golden in spots.   You will smell the browning husks when it is ready.  Enjoy!  Eat it plain or add some butter, salt & pepper.



If you want to doll it up, drizzel it with Crema Mexicana and then sprinkle it with chipotle chile powder, salt and fresh ground pepper.  Squeeze some lime over the top if desired.

Posole-- Tomatillo, Chicken and Hominy Soup

Posole, sometimes called "mexican chicken noodle soup", is made of fresh tomatillo, chicken, and hominy. It is a wonderful soup that brings a lot of fresh flavors to the table. Top it with a squeeze of lime, chopped cilantro, diced avocado and a dollop of light sour cream. Serve it with home-made cornbread and some fresh sliced fruit of the season, like pineapple or watermelon.

Bountiful Baskets Note: Great for the mexican ingredient pack (tomatillo, onion, jalepenos, cilantro, lime) . If your not familar with tomatillos, have fun experimenting!




Posole: Tomatillo, Chicken and Hominy Soup
(recipe adapted from cooking light)

Soup:
1 pound tomatillos
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and quartered
1 (30-ounce) can white hominy, drained
1 teaspoon salt

Toppings:
1 avocado, diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
8 lime wedges

Preparation

Discard husks and stems from the tomatillos. Cook whole tomatillos in boiling water 10 minutes or until tender; drain. Place tomatillos in a blender; process until smooth; set aside.

Place broth and the next 5 ingredients (stock through hominy) in a large stockpot; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 35 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken and shred. Stir in pureed tomatillos and salt; cook for 5 minutes or until heated. Stir in chicken, and serve with cilantro, sour cream, avocado and lime wedges.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups soup)

Hominy is made of dried corn kernels from which the hulls and germs have been removed. It looks like a cooked and puffed up corn kernel. You can find it in the canned-vegetable section of the supermarket near the corn. I have come to really enjoy hominy because it offers that masa corn taste and texture that you get in tamales, but with out all added fat and hard labor.

Cilantro-Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa

This recipe is simple, fresh, and comes together very quickly. I had an abundance of tomatoes, avocados, and limes from my bountiful basket, some yellow rice and beans left over from Rochelle's 30th birthday party (thanks Shell!), and broccoli and cauliflower ready for harvest in my back yard.... so this dinner was a sinch. I used boneless center-cut porkchops for a change from chicken breast, but this zesty lime marinade works well with both. Sorry no picture! In the winter time there just isn't enough natural lighting in the evenings to get a good picture!

Chicken or Pork:
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon saltCooking spray

Salsa:
1 cup chopped plum tomato (about 2)
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 avocado, peeled and finely chopped

1. To prepare chicken or pork, combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; toss and let stand 3 minutes. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done.
2. To prepare salsa, combine tomato and next 4 ingredients (through pepper) in a medium bowl. Add avocado; stir gently to combine. Serve salsa over chicken.Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and about 1/4 cup salsa)
Recipe source: Cookinglight

Fresh Fruit Salad with Honey Ginger Lime Dressing

This is a light and refreshing way to dress up a fruit salad. The lime and ginger in the dressing add pizazz but don't overpower the natural flavors of the ripened fruit. Use this recipe for an easy side dish or a nutritious dessert, either way, you can't loose.

Fresh Fruit Salad with Honey Ginger Lime Dressing
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
2 cups sliced peeled peaches (about 2)
1 cup strawberries, quartered
1 cup seedless red grapes,

Combine first 3 ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.
Combine peaches, strawberries, and grapes in a bowl. Drizzle juice mixture over fruit mixture; toss gently to coat. Chill at least 1 hour.