Chicken, Cashew, and Red Pepper Stir-Fry

I prepped this dish and D made it. It was pretty easy to prep. Just had to watch for all the "divided" ingredients. I couldn't taste the sweet...it was really spicy to me (perhaps that is because of the Ass Blaster), but good.
We had with basmati.

Chicken, Cashew, and Red Pepper Stir-Fry

This dish balances salty, sweet, tangy, and spicy ingredients. Spoon it alongside a quick rice pilaf. Cook 1 (10-ounce) package frozen white rice (such as Birds Eye SteamFresh) according to package directions. Combine cooked rice, 2 tablespoons drained chopped water chestnuts, 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

3 3/4 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, divided
2 teaspoons dry sherry
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco) -- we used Ass Blaster
1 pound chicken breast tenders, cut lengthwise into thin strips
1/2 cup coarsely chopped unsalted cashews
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 cups julienne-cut red bell pepper (about 1 large)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions

1. Combine 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and next 4 ingredients (through hot pepper sauce) in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.

2. Combine remaining 2 3/4 teaspoons cornstarch, remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and chicken in a medium bowl; toss well to coat.

3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add cashews to pan; cook 3 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring frequently. Remove from pan.

4. Add oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add chicken mixture to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove chicken from pan; place in a bowl. Add bell pepper to pan; sauté 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and ginger; cook 30 seconds. Add chicken and cornstarch mixture to pan; cook 1 minute or until sauce is slightly thick. Sprinkle with cashews and green onions.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

CALORIES 324 ; FAT 16.6g (sat 2.5g,mono 9.2g,poly 3.8g); CHOLESTEROL 66mg; CALCIUM 33mg; CARBOHYDRATE 13.5g; SODIUM 350mg; PROTEIN 30g; FIBER 2g; IRON 2.4mg

Cooking Light, APRIL 2009

Pork with Lemon-Caper Sauce

So D was really confused why this was on the list this week. I hate lemon caper stuff and he loves it. So I decided to be a nice wife and let him make it.
:)

Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't overly lemony and I could take off the capers. It was really good. D said it was easy to make.

We had with Basmati and Oven-Roasted Green Beans.

Pork with Lemon-Caper Sauce

Serve with orzo and green beans.

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons preshredded fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon dry white wine
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons capers, rinsed and drained

1. Combine flour and salt in a shallow dish. Place breadcrumbs, cheese, and pepper in a shallow dish; place egg white in another shallow dish. Dredge pork in flour mixture, dip in egg white, and dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Coat pork with cooking spray.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan; keep warm. Add broth and remaining ingredients to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook 2 minutes or until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 2 minutes). Serve with pork.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chop and 1 tablespoon sauce)

CALORIES 256 (35% from fat); FAT 10.1g (sat 3.3g,mono 4.9g,poly 0.8g); IRON 1.5mg; CHOLESTEROL 68mg; CALCIUM 82mg; CARBOHYDRATE 11.5g; SODIUM 419mg; PROTEIN 28.2g; FIBER 0.7g

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2008

Spicy Mustard Shrimp

Well, it looked good.
D made this, He didn't use the mango because of our aversion to fruit and protein. So he said it was easy. I thought it was too mustardy. D liked it. There was a tiny bite in it, but not much.

As usual with CL seafood recipes, we didn't get the servings said. We got 3.

We had with zucchini and orzo.

Spicy Mustard Shrimp

Serve with sautéed sliced zucchini and orzo tossed with chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley.

2 teaspoons canola oil
1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp
1 tablespoon whole-grain Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons chipotle hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)
2/3 cup (3-inch) diagonally cut green onions
1 cup diced peeled mango (about 1 medium)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 lime wedges

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp to pan; sauté 1 minute. Add mustard and pepper sauce to pan; sauté 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in onions; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in diced mango. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 cup shrimp mixture, 1 tablespoon cilantro, and 1 lime wedge)

CALORIES 181 (22% from fat); FAT 4.5g (sat 0.6g,mono 1.7g,poly 1.5g); IRON 3.1mg; CHOLESTEROL 172mg; CALCIUM 82mg; CARBOHYDRATE 10.3g; SODIUM 247mg; PROTEIN 23.5g; FIBER 1.9g

Cooking Light, JULY 2008

Slow-Grilled Tequila-Citrus Chicken Thighs

D made these. I really didn't taste the tequila or the citrus. But they were juicy and good.

Slow-Grilled Tequila-Citrus Chicken Thighs

This particular recipe takes grilled chicken to new heights, when the smoky flavor of the grill combines with the tangy and sweet flavors of the tequila and citrus marinade. The key is an overnight marinating - so the flavors seep deep into the meat, insuring a juicy, flavorful finished product. The smell coming from the grill will drive your guests crazy, guaranteed.

Yields: 4 servings

Marinade

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

1/2 cup tequila

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon Tabasco? chipotle pepper sauce

1 tablespoon roughly chopped garlic

11/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

8 chicken thighs (with bone and skin), 5 to 6 ounces each, trimmed of excess fat and skin

In a medium bowl mix the marinade ingredients. Put the chicken thighs in a large, resealable plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Press the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Turn the bag to distribute the marinade, lay flat in a rimmed dish, and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours, turning once. Remove the chicken thighs from the bag and pour the marinade into a small saucepan. Bring the marinade to a boil and let it boil for at least 30 seconds to kill any raw chicken bacteria. Let the chicken sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling. Brush the cooking grate clean. Grill the chicken, skin side down first, over direct low heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until the meat is firm and no longer pink near the bone, 30 to 40 minutes, turning every 5 minutes and swapping their positions as needed for even cooking. During the last 20 minutes of grilling, brush the chicken on both sides with the boiled marinade. Serve warm or at room temperature. From Weber's Charcoal Grilling by Jamie Purviance

FIESTA PASTA SALAD

So Doug found this recipe of Cooks.com. He made it for Guinness's 9th birthday party. It was a hit. I think this because one of our friends actually picked up the bowl later in the night, and ate all of it (after everyone else had some). So there were no left overs.

I put it through WeWa to determine the points.

Fiesta Pasta Salad

Photo by ALB

12 servings was 3 points
16 servings was 2 points
8 servings was 5 points

POINTS Value: 5
Servings: 8

Ingredients
1 cup(s) Hellmann's Light mayonnaise
1/2 cup(s) fat-free sour cream
1/4 cup(s) cilantro, minced
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 medium jalapeno pepper(s), seeded and minced
1 tsp sea salt
8 oz uncooked macaroni, Cooked, rinsed and drained
1 large sweet red pepper(s), chopped
1 medium zucchini, sliced
3 green onions, sliced
Cayenne pepper to taste
SouthWest Seasoning (from Penzey's) to taste

Instructions
Prepare macaroni according to package directions.
Colored pasta makes a festive variation.
In a salad bowl, stir together mayonnaise, sour cream, cilantro, lime juice, jalapenos and salt.
Add remaining ingredients and mix.
Cover and refrigerate.

Makes about 8 cups.

Buffalo Tacos

Buffalo Tacos, Red Hot Salsa...

Yes it is corny... So awhile back Kroghetto had Buffalo meat on sale for $1.99 so we bought some. Weren't sure what we were going to do with it.

D made tacos. The filling was wet, and a bit of a meat paste. It was good. D didn't think they were anything special, and they weren't. We just never have tacos so I thought they rocked.

We had with Black Bean Salad.

Buffalo Tacos

Tacos have broad appeal, making them a good dish in which to try a new ingredient. Buffalo tastes like beef but has less saturated fat. It's available in many supermarkets--at the meat counter or in the frozen section. Substitute ground beef or turkey.

1 teaspoon canola oil
1 cup chopped onion (about 1 small)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound lean ground buffalo
1/3 cup tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 cups water
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 cup chopped tomato
1 cup chopped iceberg lettuce
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
1/4 cup sliced ripe olives
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream


Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and buffalo; cook 5 minutes or until buffalo is done, stirring to crumble. Add tomato paste and next 4 ingredients (through pepper); stir well to combine. Stir in 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until thick.
Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon about 1/4 cup meat mixture onto each tortilla; top each tortilla with 2 tablespoons chopped tomato, 2 tablespoons lettuce, 1 tablespoon cheese, 1 1/2 teaspoons olives, and 1 1/2 teaspoons sour cream. Fold in half.


Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 tacos)

CALORIES 389 (30% from fat); FAT 12.8g (sat 5.2g,mono 4.1g,poly 1.7g); IRON 4.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 72mg; CALCIUM 255mg; CARBOHYDRATE 37.4g; SODIUM 686mg; PROTEIN 33.3g; FIBER 5.5g

Cooking Light, APRIL 2007

Balsamic Pork with Shallots

I made this, and with the exception of cutting the shallots it was pretty easy. I think I had the heat on too high, because I didn't have a shallot sauce, more like a shallot paste.

The taste: it was good, but not grandiose. It tasted like pork in a balsamic reduction. D swore we had it before, and we have had something similar.

I'm kind of eh about the whole thing.

We had with salad and egg noodles.

Balsamic Pork with Shallots

This dish is reminiscent of bistro-style steak with shallot sauce. Serve with rice, egg noodles, or roasted potatoes.

5 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut crosswise into (1/2-inch-thick) slices
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 1/4 cups thinly sliced shallots (about 8)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add pork to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan, and keep warm.

2. Add remaining 4 teaspoons oil to pan; reduce heat to medium. Add shallots to pan; cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup water and vinegar; simmer 6 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spoon shallot mixture over pork. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 3 ounces pork and 1/4 cup shallot mixture)

CALORIES 260 ; FAT 9.6g (sat 2.1g,mono 5.9g,poly 1.1g); CHOLESTEROL 74mg; CALCIUM 44mg; CARBOHYDRATE 16.9g; SODIUM 365mg; PROTEIN 26.2g; FIBER 0.7g; IRON 2.6mg

Cooking Light, MARCH 2009