Cilantro Corn Feta . . .and Tomato Salad

Freezer corn thawed
Lots of Cilantro (did you know you can use the whole thing not just leaves?) Could also use basil, instead.
Tomato diced
Onion (unless they are banned in your house like mine)
Black pepper, Sea salt, a little olive oil, a little balsamic vinegar
FETA CHEESE!

I add all ingredients together and just top each serving with feta so it doesn't get all soggy in the fridge. I have also turned this into a pasta salad by adding cooked pasta which is also good, but I prefer it without.

Fumi Yamasaki's Pork Donburi

Brown in a lightly oiled skillet 1 pound of pork steak, cut in bite sized cubes.  (May use  chicken breast)
Add in 2 cups assorted chopped vegetables (green onion, regular onion, cabbage, carrot, celery, bean sprout, brocolli) and saute until tender crisp.
Sprinkle with ground black pepper and 1 T. fresh grated ginger root, 2 T. sugar, 1/2 c. soy sauce
Pour 6 beaten eggs over the top and bake in 300 degree oven until the egg is set.
Cut in wedges serve over steamed rice with pickled ginger.

Homemade Kettle Corn

So I LOVE this stuff. A friend taught me how to make this and I want to eat it everyday. I beg the kids to have a movie night just so I can make this stuff. But unfortunately I just dump everything in so you will have to make this a few times before you figure out your stove and get things just the way you like them.

First you need a large stockpot preferably one that has a heavy bottom. Pour your popcorn in the bottom just don't exceed a single layer of corn across the whole bottom of the pan. Add in oil enough to coat the whole bottom of the pan. And add about a 1/2 tsp of salt or so depending on how much corn you are popping. Then fire up your burner. When it starts to get really hot add in about 1/4 cup - 1/3 c sugar. Stir the sugar and kernels. Put on the lid before the corn starts to fly. Then every 5 seconds or so I pick up my pan and swirl it around. Then continue to let it pop. When the popping is really strong sometimes I pull the pan off the stove and continue swirling it and letting it cool off a touch. The risk that you run is from burning the sugar. Sometimes I pull off the lid and dump off the top and so I can continue to cook the kernels on the bottom.

This stuff is amazing. When it is done you should have white kettle corn. If it is a little bit brown then turn down your heat next time or spend more time pulling the pot off the stove. I have flat electric cooktop and I have tried this on gas too and the gas was a little more difficult. But you will not be sorry if you overcook a few batches until you get it perfect.

Good luck!

Banana Pancakes

Cucumber, Tomato and Feta Salad

This is super fast, easy and is absolutely delicious. I have been eating it for lunch a lot lately.

1-2 cups cucumber chopped
1-2 cups tomato chopped
1/4 cup feta cheese
1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
1 Tbs. olive oil
salt and pepper

Mix the red wine vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Pour over other ingredients. Toss until coated. Delicious!

Latin Chicken with Black Beans and Sweet Potatoes

I made this for Sunday dinner last night. Since we have church at 1:00, I like to try to do something in a crock pot for dinner so it is ready right when we come home. This is one of my favorite slow cooker recipes. The chipotle peppers make it spicy, but if you don't have these, you can use medium/hot salsa.

* 3 lbs bone-in skinless chicken thighs
* 2 teaspoons ground cumin
* salt
* pepper
* 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, or 1-2 Tbs. chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
* 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
* 1 cup water
* 1 Tbs. chicken base
* 1/2 - 1 cup salsa
* 3 large garlic cloves, pressed
* 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed
* 2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks
* 1 cup chopped peppers (red, yellow or green)
* 1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped


Directions:

Prep Time: 15 mins

Total Time: 4 1/4 hrs

1. Put beans,sweet potatoes, and peppers in slow-cooker.
2. Place chicken on bean mixture.
3. In bowl, mix broth with spices, salsa, and cilantro.
4. Pour this over chicken in crock pot.
5. Cover with lid and cook on low 8 hrs or 4 hrs on high.
6. Serve over brown rice.



(I found this recipe at www.food.com/recipe/slow-cooker-latin-chicken-w-sweet-potatoes-and-black-beans-253599#ixzz1FHDs7TDY and made a few changes to it.)

Special Request

I am looking for slow cooker recipes.  Could you gals post some of your faves?  Thanks!

Slow cooker Santa Fe Chicken

FAST, EASY, CHEAP, HEALTHY AND YUMMY.  This recipe is a keeper.  I make it every so often.  Stephen loves it.  It's nothing fancy but it tastes good.

I can't remember where I first found this recipe.  I've changed up a few things to give it more flavor. You really don't need to measure this out -- This recipe is super flexible.  I tried to guess amounts just to give you a ballpark.

2 cups corn (recipe actually called for 2 cans of corn. I like to use frozen corn cuz it's healthier...and better!)
2 cups beans (Recipe calls for 1 can of black beans.  I like more beans and I like to use lots of kinds, just                                                           whatever I have on hand.  I usually don't use canned either)
2-3 chicken breasts
1-2 cups of salsa
Taco seasoning to taste and two or so cubes of chicken bouillon (not in original recipe.  Gives better flavor.)

Just dump all of these ingredients in the slow cooker and turn it on high or low, depending on how long you want it to take before it's done.  On high it will take just a couple hours (in my slowcooker at least) and on low it takes 3 or 4.  Serve over rice.

White Chicken Chili

Hello Fielding sisters! Thanks for letting me join your blog. I know I can't compete with a raised on a farm and now parents own a bed and breakfast background but I do come across good recipes every once in a while. Really, most of my activity on this blog will be taking your good recipes and using them for myself. When ever I cook a good meal my husband always asks where I got the recipe. Most of the time it is from Candice. I don't know why he thinks good meals are never my ideas but that might be because they are always from Candice!

I know my guidelines are to keep it healthy so here is a goodie (and it's healthy!)

White Chicken Chili

1 T. olive oil ( I used less)

1 medium onion finely chopped

1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies

3 T. flour

2 t. ground cumin

2 cans (15.8 oz) northern beans (white beans)

1 can chix broth (14.5 oz)

1 1/2 c. shredded chicken (I used 2 thighs and 1 breast)

In a large skillet, cook onion in oil for 4 mins. or until transparent. Add chilies, flour and cumin; cook and stir for 2 mins. Add beans and chix broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat;simmer for 10 mins or until thickened. Add chix; cook until hot. I also added a little corn starch to thicken it but the recipe didn't call for it.

You can also garnish this with cheese, sour cream and salsa. I didn't because I thought it was great just as is!

My new fave-onion,mushroom and spinach quesadillas

I am into sauteed onions right now. So I came up with this combo.

1/2 onion chopped

Mushrooms

3 handfuls of spinach

Saute onions and mushrooms sprinkle with garlic salt then add spinach and cook until just wilted. Throw in some crumbled bacon(from Costco) if you are into that sort of thing-I am.

Put about 1/2 of the cooked mixture on a tortilla in frying pan of the stove and then sprinkle a little cheese on top. Put one more tortilla on top or not to save calories.

Serve with Avacado and Salsa. And maybe some Tapatio. Love. it.

Confetti Alfredo

In my house we are eating less meat. I am coming about this for a lot of reasons but I think that overall we will be much healthier so I am working at coming to terms with no meat dinner. Last night was pasta night and the only way I feel good about nixing meat is to replace it with lots of veggies. I was running low on most veg but there was still a little left in the fridge to use. I didn't even miss the chunks of chicken. But I loved this because it had lots of colors from the different veggies

1/2 red onion

7 cloves of garlic(or as much as you can stand)

mushrooms

2 whole carrots

1/3 of a red bell pepper

spinach cut up

Saute all the ingredients waiting to add the spinach with the sauce

Then add one can of evaporated milk could use cream but saves lots of fat calories

1 tsp of chicken bullion (or to taste)

1/4 to 1/2 c parmesan cheese

Let simmer for a bit and then I stir my cooked pasta into the sauce or serve separately.

Thanks to Mom for encouraging me to use lots of fresh garlic in my alfredo sauce and I got a new garlic press. I don't think I will be buying the bottled stuff again for a while. Convenient yes but the flavor not so good.

Pasta with Chickpeas and Garlic Sauce

Contributed by Candice

A whirl in the food processor transforms the humble chickpea into a creamy sauce for pasta—a sauce that is a hallmark of rustic Italian cooking. Bolstered with garlic, tomatoes, and parmesan cheese, this easy dish makes the most of flavorful kitchen staples.

Pasta with Chickpeas and Garlic Sauce
This is a great idea for making a creamy pasta sauce with out having to add butter or cream. And it uses ingredients that I usually have on hand. I used the cheapo parmesan cheese instead of the real stuff and wheat pasta. It was delicious.
Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups uncooked medium seashell pasta (about 6 ounces)
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Preparation
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add crushed garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add salt, pepper, chickpeas, and broth; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.

While garlic mixture simmers, cook pasta in boiling water 9 minutes, omitting salt and fat; drain well.

Place chickpea mixture in a food pro-cessor, and process until smooth. Combine chickpea mixture, pasta, tomatoes, minced garlic, fresh parsley, and lemon juice; toss well. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve immediately

Tomato Soup with Roasted Garlic and Seasonal Herbs

Tomato Soup with Roasted Garlic and Seasonal Herbs
Contributed by Candice

This is delicious. The cayenne pepper gives it the perfect kick. I will admit that I added a tiny bit of cream to the finished product. I just couldn't resist because I had it sitting in my fridge and I knew it would be so yummy in the soup.

1/2 large onion
1 rib celery
1 14.5-ounce can Muir Glen Fire-Roasted diced tomatoes*
1 14.5-ounce can Muir Glen Fire-Roasted crushed tomatoes*
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon rosemary
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (or to taste)
4 cloves roasted garlic
1 tablespoon minced parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1/2-1 teaspoon agave nectar or sugar (optional)
4 tablespoons plain soy yogurt (optional, but good)

Sauté the onion and celery in a medium non-stick saucepan (sprayed with olive oil, if you like). When the onion is translucent, add the tomatoes, broth, oregano, rosemary, and cayenne. Simmer on very low heat for 10 minutes.

Transfer half of the soup to the blender, add the roasted garlic, and puree until fairly smooth. If you’d like a chunky soup, add the blended half back to the pot. For a smoother soup, blend the rest of the soup and return it to the pot. Add the parsley and salt and pepper to taste, and simmer for about 10 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Taste the soup, and if it is too acidic, add a little agave nectar or sugar, just enough to take the edge off. Ladle into 4 bowls, and stir a tablespoon of soy yogurt into each. Serve with croûtons, if desired.

Worthy of a Special Occasion Rate the Recipe Read Reviews (56)

Liz's Baked Zucchini Sticks

Liz’s Baked Zucchini Sticks
Contributed by Candice

I got this recipe from my sister in law and I think it is a fun and yummy way to eat zucchini.

3 medium zucchini sliced into 3" x 1/2" sticks
1 large egg white
1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 tbsp grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt & fresh pepper

Dip zucchini sticks into eggs then into bread crumb and cheese mixture, a few at a time and shake to coat. Place the breaded zucchini in a single layer and spray more cooking spray on top. Bake at 425° for about 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Crab and Avocado Salad

Crab and Avocado Salad
Contributed by Candice

Do you remember this recipe in Mom's Lion House Classics cookbook? I used to love it then and I found the recipe in my file and decided to try it and see if it was as good as I remembered. I think it is even better than I remembered. Peter wouldn't try even a little bite. In fact he sat there and stared at me, telling me that I was disgusting and I eat disgusting things. In other words, he is not a fan of this recipe. But that is okay because I love it.
• 2-3 large avocados, chopped
• 1 pkg. imitation crab meat
• 1 cup finely diced celery
• 1/2 - 1 cup radishes
• 2 Tbs. lemon juice
• 2 Tbs. vinegar
• 4 Tbs. oil
• 2 Tbs. green onion
• Dash of cayenne pepper
• Salt
• 3-4 tomatoes, chopped
Mix lemon juice, vinegar, and oil in small bowl. Pour over other ingredients and toss gently to coat.

Chicken Taco Soup

Chicken Taco Soup
Contributed by Candice

This is my favorite dinner. It's pretty healthy, it's easy, and I think it is delicious. And I love eating it again the next day. • 1-2 chicken breasts, chopped
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 cup chopped onions
• ½ tsp. cumin
• 6 cups water
• 1 ½ Tbs. chicken base
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 cup brown rice
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• ½ tsp. chili powder
• 1 Tbs. lemon juice
• 2 cups fresh chunky salsa (I usually make this myself by cutting up fresh tomatoes, onions, and cilantro and tossing with lemon juice and salt)
Directions:
Saute chicken, garlic, and onion in oil. Add cumin and mix well. Add water, chicken base, chili powder, lemon juice, salsa, rice and beans. Bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until rice is done. Add frozen corn.
Garnish with chopped avocado, shredded cheese, tortilla chips, cilantro and lime.

Dee's Healthy Bread

Dee's Healthy Bread
Contributed by Candice

This was a great bread recipe. Probably my favorite one so far. Instead of the bread flour I used 1/2 vital wheat gluten and the rest was all whole white wheat. I didn't follow the instructions as all, I just mixed the yeast and warm water and then began adding the other ingredients in ending with the whole wheat.
2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 cup warm water
3 1/2 cups warm water
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs 2 tablespoons lemon juice
7 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup flax seed
1/4 cup cracked wheat
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
4 teaspoons salt
4 cups bread flour
Directions
In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in 1/2 cup warm water. In a large bowl, mix remaining 3 1/2 cups warm water, honey, molasses, oil, eggs and lemon juice. Mix well. Add yeast mixture and stir.
Gradually add 5 cups whole wheat flour beating well after each addition. Add the flax, cracked wheat and sunflower seeds, stir well.
Let stand for 20 minutes, until mixture is very light. Stir in salt and the rest of the flours until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Knead 10 to 15 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. Put into a greased bowl and cover, let rise in the oven with light on until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch down and shape into 6 round balls. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
Form into loaves and let rise covered in oven until doubled. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) 25-35 minutes.
Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 97 | Total Fat: 2.5g | Cholesterol: 6mg Powered by ESHA Nutrient Database
Nutritional Information
Dee's Health Bread
Servings Per Recipe: 72

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 97

Total Fat: 2.5g
Cholesterol: 6mg
Sodium: 133mg
Total Carbs: 16.7g
Dietary Fiber: 2g
Protein: 3.1g

Celery Citrus Salad

Celery Citrus Salad
Contributed by Candice


This is a keeper. So yummy, yet very healthy. The feta cheese is the only fat in the salad. I did add some walnuts because I had some and they sounded good. Delicious!
5 honey tangerines, Murcotts or Satsumas
1 ounce (about 1/4 cup) feta cheese crumbles
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 cups (about 1/4 pound) mixed salad greens
1 cup roughly chopped celery leaves
3 cups sliced celery

Method
Squeeze juice from one citrus fruit into a large bowl. Add feta cheese and vinegar and mix with a fork, mashing the cheese to make a dressing. Peel remaining citrus and separate into segments. Transfer to bowl with dressing. Add salad greens, celery leaves and celery and toss well.

Nutrition

Per serving: 110 calories (15 from fat), 1.5g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 5mg cholesterol, 190mg sodium, 23g total carbohydrate (5g dietary fiber, 17g sugar), 4g protein

Indian Fish Curry

Buy 4 white fish filets, the thicker the better, but type of fish is not so important.  What ever has the best price.  Frozen fish grocery cases have some great deals.....

Take each filet and put in in a marinade of 2 t. Dijon mustard, 1 t. fresh ground pepper, 1/2 t.salt, 2 T. oil.

Marinate for 30 minutes in fridge.

With one T. oil in bottom of sauce pan sweat 4 coarsely chopped garlic cloves, 1 coarsely chopped onion, 1 inch piece of fresh gingerroot, peeled and chopped.  Add 2 t. of cayenne pepper (or less if you want it less hot) 1/2 t. tumeric, 1 t. cumin, 1 tsp coriander (if you don't have just add more cilantro later) 1 t. salt, 1 t. sugar, 1/2 c. chopped tomato, and 1/2 c. broth.  Stir and cook together to make a sauce then add the fish and you can either bake it at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or just tend it in the sauce pan on low for 20 to 30 minutes or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.  Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and serve with steamed brown or white rice.  When Spencer and Andrea come for Sunday dinner, we have had this several times as we have white fish that hasn't sold for the week and must be used.  They seemed to really like it and I love it.  I love the Indian flavors!

Wonderful flavors!

Green Pork Enchiladas

Last night for dinner I used a leftover pork roast to make some awesome enchiladas. At least I liked them anyway the kids said they tasted like garbage.

Here is how I made the green sauce

5-6 Tomatillos

1 handful of cilantro

3 garlic cloves

1/2 onion sauteed

Add 1-2 cups water

1/4 c sour cream(obviously you could add more to make it creamy, I also tried it with like 4 oz of cream cheese once and it was good)

2 T flour

1 T chicken boullion or more

Put this all in your blender until ingredients are mixed to your preferred consistency. I like mine a little chunky

I then cooked it on the stove until it bubbled

I then filled warmed corn tortillas with pulled pork and a little more onion and monterey jack cheese. Then pored the sauce on top with more cheese and baked in the oven.

Served with Spanish rice and beans it was fabulous.

Honey Coconut Granola

I found a recipe online for granola and then made a bunch of modifications. It turned out AWESOME. Stephen and I both love it. The measurements here are sort of approximate since I was making it up a bit as I went along. Make your own adjustments if you like it sweeter or with more nuts, or whatever. This recipe is not very sweet, but just sweet enough for our taste.

Honey Coconut Granola

5 C oats
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup oil
1-2 tsp cinnamon

1-2 tsp vanilla
1 C shredded coconut
1/2 C slivered (or chopped) almonds and/or pecans

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix honey, oil, cinnamon and vanilla together. Mix in the rest of the ingredients. Spread onto two cookie sheets. Bake in oven for 15 minutes. Take out and stir, then put back in for 5 or so more minutes. Cook to desired crunchiness.

Pork and Broccoli Stir-Fry

Pork and Broccoli Stir-Fry Recipe with Ginger and Hoisin Sauce

Sooooo good. Tasted and looked like a restaurant dish. And it was really easy to make. Very healthy I think too. Just go easy on the oil.

Cut pork into same-size strips and let it marinate in a mixture of soy sauce, sherry, and cornstarch while you prep the other ingredients.

Wash broccoli and cut into same size pieces. To prevent little crumbles of broccoli, cut through the stem and them pull the heads apart. (I don't remember where I learned that trick, but I love it!)

Don't forget to pre-heat the wok before adding the oil. (Don't you just love the looks of my new wok?)

Add the peanut oil and let it heat until it looks shimmery, then add the garlic and ginger and cook about 30 seconds to "season the oil." It's important to remove all this before it gets brown or it can make the oil taste bitter.

Add broccoli to the hot wok and cook about 3 minutes, stirring often. (Some Asian cookbooks say to use a bit of water and put the lid on the wok to steam the vegetables, but I like to keep them more crispy.)

Remove broccoli to a plate, add a tiny bit more oil and then add pork with marinating liquid and cook 3-4 minutes, until it's firm and slightly browned.

If you're using fresh minced ginger and garlic, add it and cook about 1 minute before adding the rest of the sauce. If you're lazy like me and use garlic and ginger puree from a jar, it can be stirred into the sauce. Cook vegetables with the sauce for only about 1-2 minutes more so the broccoli stays crisp.

Pork and Broccoli Stir-Fry with Ginger and Hoisin Sauce
(Makes about 3-4 servings, recipe slightly adapted from The Sugar Solution Cookbook.)

1 lb. pork tenderloin (2 boneless pork loin chops were perfect)
2 T soy sauce
1 T dry sherry
1 T cornstarch (or arrowroot starch)
4 cups broccoli flowerets, cut into same size pieces
1-2 T peanut oil (depending on your pan)
4-5 slices fresh ginger root
4-5 sliced garlic cloves

sauce:
2 tsp. ginger puree (also called ground ginger, or use finely minced fresh ginger root)
2 tsp. garlic puree (also called ground garlic, or use finely minced garlic cloves)
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 T Hoisin sauce *see below for homemade recipe if you don't have sauce on hand
pinch of red pepper flakes or a few shakes or Sriracha sauce

Trim all visible fat from pork chops and cut into strips about 1/2 inch thick and 2-3 inches long. Combine soy sauce, dry sherry, and cornstarch in bowl and add the pork strips. Stir to coat pork and let marinate while you prep the other ingredients.

Wash broccoli and cut into same-sized flowerets, keeping a few inches of stem on the pieces. If using ginger and garlic puree, combine with chicken stock, Hoisin sauce, and hot sauce or pepper flakes. (If using freshly minced ginger and garlic, keep them out of the sauce so they can have a minute or so of extra cooking time.)

Have all ingredients ready and turner and serving plate ready before you begin to stir-fry.

Heat wok over high flame or hot burner about 1 minute, until it feels hot if you put your hand over the wok. Add 1 T peanut oil and heat until the oil looks shimmery, then add garlic and ginger root slices and cook 30 seconds to one minute, just until you start to smell the garlic and ginger. Be careful to remove every bit of ginger and garlic or it will make the oil taste bitter.

Add broccoli and stir-fry, stirring often, for about 3 minutes, or until broccoli turns bright green and is barely getting tender. Remove broccoli to a plate. Add a bit more oil if needed, heat about 30 seconds, then add pork and marinating liquid. Stir-fry pork about 3-4 minutes, until it's firm and slightly browned. (If using freshly minced garlic and ginger, add now and cook about 1 minute.) Add broccoli and sauce and cook about 2 minutes more, stirring until meat and vegetables are coated with sauce and sauce is slightly thickened. (There will not be a huge amount of sauce.) Serve hot.

*Homemade Hoisin Sauce

4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons black bean paste or peanut butter
1 tablespoon honey or molasses
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons sesame oil
20 drops hot sauce
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Greek Barley and Chicken Salad

Greek Barley and Chicken Salad
I love this salad and will be making it in the future over and over again.
2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided
1 cup uncooked pearl barley
2 cups cubed seeded cucumber
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup cubed yellow bell pepper
1/3 cup reduced-fat feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
Dressing:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
Preparation
1. To prepare salad, sprinkle chicken with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Add 1 cup broth; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until done. Cool; shred chicken. Discard broth.

2. Bring 3 cups broth to a boil in a large saucepan; add barley. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 35 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork. Cool. Combine chicken, barley, cucumber, and next 4 ingredients (through olives) in a large bowl.

3. To prepare dressing, combine 3 tablespoons oil, rind, and remaining ingredients; stir well. Add to barley mixture; toss well. Cover and chill.

Nutritional Information
Calories:230
Fat:9.8g (sat 2g,mono 5.7g,poly 1.1g)
Protein:18g
Carbohydrate:18.3g
Fiber:3.2g
Cholesterol:38mg
Iron:1.2mg
Sodium:611mg
Calcium:38mg

Chicken and Broccoli with Spicy Peanut Sauce

I am trying to feed my family some healthy food after all the junk we ate during December. I gained 4 lbs and Peter gained 8! I am especially looking for recipes with lots of veggies in them. Here are some of the recipes we have tried lately that we really liked.
Chicken and Broccoli with Spicy Peanut Sauce
This is awesome. Probably one of our favorite meals. Did I already post this recipe? I don't use quite that much oil and I use sesame oil because I like the flavor better. I don't know how much worse sesame oil is for you than olive oil, but that is what I use.
Ingredients:
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 cup peanut butter, (I like crunchy better, but either will work)
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons peanut or olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 4 cups chopped broccoli
• Chili-garlic sauce, optional*


Directions:
In a small bowl, blend peanut butter, water, soy sauce and sugar; set aside. In a wok or large skillet, heat oil over high heat. Add garlic and pepper; stir-fry 30 seconds. Add chicken, stir-fry until firm and white, about 5 minutes. Add broccoli, stir-fry until bright green, about 3 minutes. Stir in peanut butter mixture. Cook, stirring constantly until sauce is smooth, about 3 minutes.
*I like to add chili-garlic sauce to pb mixture to give it some extra kick. I probably use 1-2 tsp.- we like it spicy.