Recipe review from 3/26/12

I think we skipped Summer and went straight into Fall: cool, windy, overcast with off and on misty rain.  40 mile an hour winds are not conducive for walking outside.  Not really good for doing anything outside. 

The coming week is going to be on the short side as I am headed to the Cities on Thursday to visit my NEW nephew (now a month old) and attend the scifi convention Minicon.  A yearly tradition going on 17 years I think?  I've lost count.

In the meantime, two good dishes for review. 

Chicken with Wild Rice and Almonds  (Ckng Lght Dec 2009)
I'm not sure how I missed this one originally, but it fit the menu plan for this week perfectly.  I roasted a chicken on Sunday night and made the salad from the leftovers, but a rotisserie chicken would also work well as a time saver.  We didn't have a full pound of meat, but that's okay, salad made lots anyway.  This would be a great potluck dish or for feeding company.  Serve with some cheese, fruit, crackers or crusty bread (which I did for our lunches).  Yum!   GF if you watch which broth you buy. 

Dressing:  (Recommend doubling)
1/4 cup fig vinegar or white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons canola oil

Remaining ingredients:

2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups uncooked wild rice
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast  (rotisserie or leftover roast chicken would work fine)1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup chopped celery
 1/2 cup shredded carrots (I used diced baby carrots)
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped almonds, toasted 
2 tablespoons minced red onion   (skipped)
Preparation

1. To prepare dressing, combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Gradually add oil, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Cover and chill.

2. Combine broth, rice, and butter in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Remove rice mixture from heat; cool.

3. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan; cook 8 minutes on each side or until done. Cool; cut into 1/2-inch cubes.

4. Combine cooked rice, chicken, celery, carrots, cranberries, almonds, and red onion in a large bowl. Add dressing; toss gently to coat. Cover and chill.

Ashley Bone, Spring Hill, Tennessee, Cooking Light
DECEMBER 2009



Chili Cheese Mac  (Ckng Lght, Apr 2012)
Not a typical meal for us, but this one was a winner.  My substitutions are noted in italics below.  Much to my dismay, I ran out of chili powder!  I decided to substitute 1/2 tsp cayenne and it was not quite right. As the Husband put it, it had heat, but added no body or flavor.  I would recommend subbing chipolte if you find yourself in the same bind.   I would make this again - easy, good leftovers and some nice cool weather comfort food. 

photo from CookingLight.com

1 teaspoon canola oil
3/4 pound ground round  (I used 1lb ground turkey)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium beef broth  (I used 2 cups chicken broth)
1 cup water   (I used 1/2 cup water)
1 (10-ounce) (14 ounce) can mild diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained  (this is why I cut back on the water)
8 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
1/2 cup fat-free milk
4 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
4 1/2 ounces finely shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil. Add beef and next 4 ingredients; cook 3 minutes. Add broth, water, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Stir in macaroni; cover and cook 10 minutes or until macaroni is done.   (NOTE: If using ground turkey, cook and drain before adding spices.  I had over a cup of liquid from the turkey and my spices would have just gone down the drain.)

2. Heat milk and cream cheese in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook 4 minutes or until cheese melts, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in cheddar. Add cheese sauce to macaroni mixture; toss well to coat.

Phoebe Wu, Cooking Light
APRIL 2012