Honey-Citrus Dressing for Watermelon

Cook’s notes: I modified a recipe from Busy Cooks for watermelon with a light citrus dressing. Ripe watermelon doesn’t really need anything else, but this citrus dressing is marvelous. It tastes like a margarita. Several guests at the party wanted to throw it all in the blender! This is also good on pineapple chunks.

• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 4 Tablespoons honey
• 1 Tablespoon silver tequila
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon mango hot sauce (or Tabasco or any hot sauce)

Blend all ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid; stir until honey dissolves, and then put the lid on and shake well to combine. Refrigerate dressing for 1 to 2 hours before serving. Drizzle dressing over watermelon or pineapple chunks.

Green Smoothie: Big Berry Banana Blend

Cook’s notes: One in a series of green smoothies. Cucumber adds a bright note to the spinach and berry blend.

Makes 28 oz total: 2 servings

Blend together until smooth. Puree the cucumber and spinach with the coconut water until the mixture is utterly smooth. (The “ice crush” feature is great for pulverizing the cucumber pieces.) Then add the fruits and puree.

1 cup coconut water
1 mini cucumber with peel, scrubbed and cut into large chunks (1 cup)
2 cups raw baby spinach
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 cup fresh blackberries
2/3 banana, peeled and cut into chunks

Estimated nutritional values per 14 oz serving:
9.7 g fiber; dietary exchanges of 2.0 vegetables and 1.5 fruits.

Vegan Sweet Potato and Spinach Curry

Cook’s notes: Another excellent vegan dinner that is easy to make on a week night. Once you microwave the potatoes, everything cooks in one large skillet. I ate this curry with a warm ciabatta roll and was quite satisfied. Leftovers are great for lunch.

Variations for meat-eaters: If you are not a vegan, a bowl of this mild curry is especially nice with 1 oz of sharp cheddar cheese added. (The flavors also blend well with cooked ground turkey).

Makes about 5 servings (1 cup each)

3 medium sweet potatoes (1.6 lbs), scrubbed
15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
14.5 can diced tomatoes with juice
9 oz bag spinach, rinsed and drained
2 Tablespoons yellow curry powder (sweet, not hot)

Scrub the potatoes, pierce them with a fork, and cook them in the microwave on the Potato setting. When they are cool enough to handle, cut them in half and scoop out the potato flesh. Discard the skins. Cut the firmer portions into large dice.

In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the drained chickpeas and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and add the spinach. Cover and cook briefly until the spinach wilts. Stir in the diced sweet potato and curry powder. Stir together and cook over low heat for 5 minutes until well combined. Serve immediately.

Recommended menus:
The curry is pretty filling on its own, but you might like it paired with these items.

• Menu 1: Sweet Potato and Spinach Curry, cucumbers and tomatoes in yogurt, and pita bread.
• Menu 2: Sweet Potato and Spinach Curry, basmati rice with peas, and a side salad.
• Menu 3: Sweet Potato and Spinach Curry, naan bread, apple chutney, and brown rice.

Estimated nutritional values:
Each serving has 11.2 g fiber; dietary exchanges of 1.7 oz carbs, 2 vegetables, and 4.2 oz protein.

Source: Adapted from Nava Atlas, The Vegetarian 5 Ingredient Gourmet: 250 Simple Recipes And Dozens Of Healthy Menus For Eating Well (New York: Broadway Books, c2001)

Barbecued Chicken Burritos

Cook’s notes: Adapted from EatingWell:  February/March 2005. These burritos include tangy barbecue sauce, some roast chicken (or rotisserie chicken) and vegetables, all wrapped up in tortillas. For the best taste, look for a barbecue sauce without added corn syrup. Start with cooked chicken and dinner can be ready in just 15 minutes. Add a side salad to round out the meal.

4 cups of cooked, shredded chicken meat (from a 2-pound roasted chicken: skin discarded, and meat removed from bones)
1/2 cup prepared barbecue sauce
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup canned corn, drained
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
4 10-inch whole-wheat tortillas (use a brand that is marked high-fiber, 100 calories each)

Place a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, barbecue sauce, beans, and corn; stir to combine. Cook until hot, 4 to 5 minutes.

Assemble the wraps by placing a scoop of chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla and top with sour cream. Fold the sides in, roll up from bottom to top. Slice in half diagonally and serve warm.

Turkey and Vegetable Soup

Cook’s Notes: This recipe was originally posted on another blog as “Susan’s Dirty Little Secret Soup” (link). The “little secret” is using frozen vegetables to make a really wonderful soup. The flavors come together well, you don’t have to chop any vegetables, and leftovers are great the next day.

Wonderful soup...plenty for you

The recipe is very flexible: I added ground turkey and used a blend of broths. You can use any two types of beans and any type of frozen vegetables (about 2 lbs. total). You don’t have to thaw the frozen vegetables before cooking. Instead of potatoes, you can use 1 cup frozen corn or  1/2 cup quick-cooking grain (pearled barley, millet, or quinoa), or 1/2 cup cooked rice.

About ground turkey: The amount of turkey is not critical; just make sure you have at least 0.5 lb / 8 oz of turkey but less than a full pound. It’s used more like a seasoning than the main feature of the soup.  If you want a fancier way to cook the turkey, read these instructions (link).

Feeds a crowd: This recipe filled my 6-quart soup pot (at least 20 cups of soup)

14 oz / 0.88 lb package ground turkey (see note above)
2 cups fat-free chicken broth (organic, low sodium)
4 cups vegetable broth
14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with their juice
15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
15-ounce can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
16-ounce bag frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, corn, and peas)
2 bags (10 ounces each) of frozen Chinese stir-fry vegetables (green beans, broccoli, carrots, red pepper, onions, and mushroom)
2 cups frozen diced potato chunk medley (mixed blend with purple, white, yellow, and sweet potatoes)
1 heaping teaspoon garlic powder (Garlic Garni)
1 heaping teaspoon dried red bell pepper flakes (such as Penzeys brand, cut 3/8″ flakes)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Lightly coat the bottom of a large stock pot (6-quart size) with cooking spray. Cook the ground turkey, stirring often until meat is no longer pink.

Stir in all the remaining ingredients and bring soup to a boil. Lower the heat to simmer, and cook until soup is heated through, vegetables are done, and potato chunks are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. If the soup seems too thick, add more broth. Taste and adjust seasonings before serving.

 

Turkey Taco Rice

Cook’s notes: I first saw Taco Rice posted as part of a lovely story about Japan and knew I had to make this easy Mexican-style dish immediately. Food.com has a recipe for a mild version of the taco seasoning mix; I’ll try that next time.

3 cups cooked rice
16 to 20 oz (1 to 1.25 lb package) ground turkey
2 Tablespoons taco seasoning mix (see below)
1 cup water
Toppings: chopped lettuce, grated cheddar cheese, and diced tomato

Prepare rice (you can use a pouch of frozen pre-made rice that microwaves in 3 minutes).

Lightly coat a skillet with cooking spray and brown ground turkey. Add taco seasoning mix and water; simmer over low heat until liquid is gone

Make a mound of rice on a plate and top with ground turkey. Layer on toppings. You might also like sour cream and guacamole as toppings.

Taco seasoning:
1 tablespoon chili powder (make sure that salt is not listed as one of the first three ingredients)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

In a small bowl, mix together all the spices. Store in an airtight container.

Banana Pudding Pie

Cook’s notes: This recipe is quite easy and very flexible. When you have ripe bananas, and it’s too hot to bake banana bread, pudding pie is a great alternative. This lovely summer dessert can also be made with strawberries instead of bananas. The plain yogurt cuts the sweetness of the instant pudding. Also, I was very excited to find the truwhip brand whipped topping in my local market: it has better ingredients that a standard brand of whipped topping. It’s still a treat, not health food, but pudding pie needs whipped topping.

For a tropical-tasting pie, use whipped coconut milk for the topping.

1 x 9-inch graham cracker pie crust
2 to 3 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced
1 cup milk (we like 2%)
1 cup plain, fat-free yogurt
1 box instant vanilla pudding
Whipped topping or whipped cream

Place banana slices in the graham cracker crust. Whisk the milk and yogurt together. Whisk in the pudding mix. Pour pudding over the bananas. Refrigerate for about an hour. Serve immediately with whipped topping.

Summer Tuna Salad

Cook’s notes: This summer tuna salad does not contain mayonnaise. The key to a good chopped salad is to make sure that items are cut into relatively uniform sizes. I bought organic tuna for this salad, and it made a surprising difference in the quality of the flavor. Store the tuna mixture separate from the leafy greens, and you can eat leftovers the next day without having a wilted salad.

Hold the mayo!

Red Wine Vinaigrette:
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon mustard
1 Tablespoon honey
1/2 Tablespoon Italian herb mix
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Combine the vinegar, mustard, honey, herbs, and salt. Stir until the honey dissolves. Whisk continuously and add the oil in a slow stream until incorporated. (You can also put the vinaigrette ingredients in a lidded jar. Seal well, and shake vigorously.)

 

Tuna Salad

Combine ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Serve the tuna salad on a bed of mixed leafy greens or baby spinach. Drizzle with Red Wine Vinaigrette.

6 oz albacore tuna packed in water, drained and flaked with a fork
1/3 cup diced mixed olives (without pits)
5 oz box cherry tomatoes, halved
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 English cucumber, peeled and diced

Menu: Chicken Tostada Night

Cook’s notes: Cooking Light had an amazing tip: Sprinkle rotisserie chicken with smoked paprika to give the chicken “rich, grill-like flavor with no cooking.” We do this all the time now; it really makes a difference in the flavor. Assemble all the items and let family members build their own tostadas or soft tacos.

Everyone builds their own tostada or soft taco

Menu (shown in picture, clockwise from upper left):

• Basil Corn Salad
  • Blender Salsa
  • Guacamole (store-bought) or diced avocado
  • Strawberry Limeade
  • Corn and flour tortillas, warmed (for tostada shells, spritz both sides of a tortilla with olive oil and bake on a cookie sheet until crispy)
• Black beans, rinsed and drained, and warmed with some balsamic vinegar
• 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken, skin removed — sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Diced black olives
• Diced scallions
• Optional toppings: fresh diced tomatoes, sour cream

Basil Corn Salad with Cherry Tomatoes

Cook’s notes: Adapted from AllRecipes. This easy salad with a homemade basil-lime dressing is perfect for summer.

A summer side salad

Dressing (about 1/2 cup)
1/3 cup minced fresh basil
3 Tablespoons olive oil (1.5 oz)
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Corn Salad:
16 oz bag (about 3 cups) frozen corn kernels
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
4 mini seedless cucumbers, peeled and sliced (about 1.5 cups)

Combine the dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well to combine.

Cook the corn according to instructions on the bag (stovetop). Mix corn with tomatoes and cucumber; stir to combine. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Refrigerate until serving.