Well, Hello!

Sheesh, it's been awhile since I've written on this little blog. Blame it on the weather, writer's block, etc., but I think it's about time to get the wheels in motion again.  To ease back in, here are two really great recipes that we enjoyed this weekend. The first is a classic Asian chicken salad from a woman after my own Italian heart, Giada. Clearly, she's able to stretch her talent across many cultural cuisines, because this salad was delicious (and quite easy, actually).

Ingredients

Salad:

• 1 large carrot, peeled
• 3 cups shredded napa cabbage, from 1 small cabbage
• 3 cups shredded romaine lettuce, from 1 small lettuce
• 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and deveined, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh Thai basil leaves or fresh mint leaves, chopped** see Cook's Note
• 2 cups thinly sliced store-bought rotisserie chicken (about 2 small chicken breasts)
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted** see Cook's note
• 1 tablespoon toasted white or black sesame seeds*

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup peanut or vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar*
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, optional

Directions

1/2 cup chow mein noodles, for garnish
For the salad: Using a vegetable peeler, shave the carrot and add to a large salad bowl. Stir in the cabbage, lettuce, pepper, Thai basil, chicken, almonds, and sesame seeds.
For the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, if using.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. Garnish with the chow mein noodles and serve.
*Cook's Note: can be found in specialty Asian markets
**Cook's Note: To toast the slivered almonds, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly golden. Cool completely before using

 

link to food network

The second recipe, via fitsugar, is a sweet treat that is semi-healthy.....definitely healthier than your typical cookie dough. The "dough" uses chickpeas as the main ingredient, which are packed with protein and fiber. A fair warning, though.....taking the skin off of chickpeas (as is called for the the recipe) is much more laborious and time consuming than one might think. There were many chickpeas flying through the air, but fortunately, most of them were salvaged. In the end, the cookie dough turned out to be quite the tasty alternative to the sugar-laden cookie dough that many of us are trying to avoid as sweet, sweet summertime approaches!

Ingredients

1 cup chickpeas, skins removed, patted dry
1/3 cup natural peanut butter
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1/3 cup vegan chocolate chips

Directions

1. Combine chickpeas, peanut butter, vanilla extract, and agave in a blender or food processor. Blend until it's a fine puree.
2. Remove cookie dough mixture from blender, and place in a large bowl. Add vegan chocolate chips, and mix well with a wooden spoon.

Serves 6.

recipe- fitsugar

So there you have it. Two fun and relatively easy recipe to get you inspired to hit the kitchen.  Enjoy!