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Monthly Archives: July 2012

Chicken Curry Salad with Bananas and Almonds

31 Tuesday Jul 2012

Posted by in Bananas, Chicken, Cooking, Lunch, Recipe, Salad

≈ 1 Comment

There is a banana in my chicken salad! And it didn’t get there by mistake.  Say what?  I was thinking of a way to incorporate bananas into a savory dish and was inspired by the recipe from Dole.  Taking the basic ingredients: chicken, curry, and of course, bananas, I created my own version of Chicken Curry Salad with Bananas and Almonds. 

To be truthful, I didn’t know what to expect, but I was thrilled with the results and happily ate leftovers the next day.


Chicken Curry Salad with Bananas and Almonds

Ingredients

2 cooked chicken breast halves, diced
1 stalk celery, peeled and finely diced
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
1 banana, diced
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 – 1 teaspoon curry powder
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Directions

1. Combine chicken, celery, onion, cranberries and jalapeno in a mixing bowl.

2.  Fold in banana, mayonnaise, lime juice and curry powder. Stir gently and season with salt and pepper.

3.  Refrigerate the salad for at least an hour before serving.

4.  Fold in almonds and cilantro and serve!

You just might be blown away!  The bananas added a nice creaminess to the salad, allowing me to use less mayonnaise.  For even a healthier version, I bet you could leave the mayonnaise altogether and not miss it a bit.

Serve the salad with crackers or on a bed of mixed greens.

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What to do with Challah Dough? Braided, Rolled, and Knotted

25 Wednesday Jul 2012

Posted by in Baking, Bread

≈ 1 Comment

Challah!  The traditional Jewish bread that is rich with egg, sweet, and so delicious!  I have made attempts to making challah before (Challah Apple Rolls and Rosh Hashannah Rolls), but this time around, instead of making the dough, I was lucky enough to get a batch of freshly made dough and play!  While working with the dough, I also learned what the right texture of the dough feels like – it’s ok for it to be on the wet site and a bit sticky.  Resist adding too much flour, or your challah will be heavy and tough.

I was hoping to make a six-braid challah, but failed miserably.  Instead, I made a Four-Braid Round Challah loaf with sesame seeds, and a few other creations.  Read up! 

Knotted Challah Rolls

Divide the dough into small pieces.  I learned that pulling the dough is not ideal, and you should cut it instead – a bench scraper with a sharp edge works great, or you can use a knife.

Roll individual pieces of challah dough into ropes, knot them and place in a lightly greased mini muffin tin.

Proof the knots for 30 minutes, brush with half and half (or an egg wash) and sprinkle with sesame seeds and poppy seeds.   

Bake the knots in the 350 degree preheated oven for about 20 minutes, until they are golden brown.  As you can tell, during the baking, the knots turned into round mini rolls, but they were still delicious!

Rolled Date, Golden Raisin, and Almond Challah Rolls

Pretty, isn’t it?  What do you make with your challah dough?

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Rolled Date, Golden Raisin, and Almond Challah Rolls

25 Wednesday Jul 2012

Posted by in Baking, Bread, Dessert, Recipe

≈ 1 Comment

Hungry for challah?  Then holler!  I just shared a few creations that I made from a batch of challah dough, and wanted to give you a more in-depth look at these Rolled Date, Golden Raisin, and Almond Challah Rolls.  Think of them as a cross between ruggelach and cinnamon rolls.

These are fun to make, sweet and sticky to eat, and freeze very well!  Feel free to play around with the filling ingredients, using your favorite dried fruit and nuts.



Rolled Date, Golden Raisin, and Almond Challah Rolls

Ingredients

3 cups challah dough

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/3 cup chopped dates

1/3 cup golden raisins

1/3 cup chopped almonds

1 tablespoon half and half

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a muffin tin with nonstick spray.

2.  Roll the challah dough on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle.

3.  Spread the sugar, dates, raisins, and almonds in the center of the dough, lengthwise.

4.  Roll the dough around the filling, tightly and pinch together the ends.

5.  Cut the roll into 12 portions, about 1 1/2 inches wide.  Place into the prepared muffin tin and rest for 30 minutes.

6.  Brush the rolls with half and half and bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, until the rolls are golden brown.

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Baked Sesame Rainbow Swiss Chard Chips

23 Monday Jul 2012

Posted by in Recipe

≈ 1 Comment

I can’t quite remember when the baked-kale-chips craze began, but all of a sudden, everyone was eating kale chips, and a lot of people were making them at home.  The kale chips became a close substitute for potato chips (ok, not really… who are we kiddning? potato chips will always be potato chips, no kale or carrot will ever be able to replace them). 
I have been meaning to make kale chips at home, but just haven’t gotten to them yet.  And then, just another day, when I was visiting my friend Era, I got a tour of her beautiful and bountiful garden.  Era sent me home with a bunch of Rainbow Swiss Chard and green lettuce.  The lettuce went into a salad, and I turned the Rainbow Swiss Chard into Baked Sesame Rainbow Swiss Chard Chips.



Baked Sesame Rainbow Swiss Chard Chips

Ingredients

1 bunch Rainbow Swiss Chard

chili sesame oil

salt

sesame seeds

Directions

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place a cooling rack inside a baking sheet.

2.  Separate leaves and stalks from swiss chard.  Wash and dry the leaves.  Drying the leaves is extremely important!  If the leaves are wet, they will be soggy in the oven and not bake properly.

Salad spinner works great for drying out the leaves, but you might need to give them an extra pat with paper towels just to make sure all of the water has been absorbed.

4.  Coat the swiss chard leaves lightly with chili sesame oil.  If you are sensitive to the heat, feel free to use regular sesame oil.

5.  Sprinkle the leaves with sesame seeds and season with salt.

6.  Lay the swiss chard leaves out on top of a cooling rack in a single layer, allowing for some room between the leaves.

7.  Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, until the leaves are crisp.

I found that the chips didn’t stay crisp for a long time, so be sure to eat them right away, which shouldn’t be a problem – they are quite addicting!

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Easy Chicken, Kale and Bell Pepper Frittata Recipe

17 Tuesday Jul 2012

Posted by in Breakfast, Brunch, Chicken, Eggs, Recipe

≈ 1 Comment

Let’s face it – I haven’t been to the grocery store in longer than I would like to admit, but when it comes to making breakfast, I couldn’t present the lack of groceries as an excuse not to cook.  So I turned the contents of my fridge, saving an ingredient or two in the process, into this Easy Chicken, Kale and Bell Pepper Frittata. 

I used leftovers of rotisserie chicken, a cut up bell pepper, and kale, that would’ve completely wilted the next day.  Be sure to scroll down to see my hint for “flipping” frittata to ensure it cooks evenly on both sides.


Easy Chicken, Kale and Bell Pepper Frittata

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped rotisserie chicken
1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 shallot, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 cups kale leaves, torn
salt and pepper to taste
4 large eggs, beaten

Optional: sour cream, salsa, fresh basil

Directions

1.  Heat olive oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat.

2.  Add chicken, bell pepper, shallot and garlic.  Saute for 5-7 minutes until pepper and shallot become tender.  Add kale and saute for another 2 minutes, or until it wilts slightly.  Season with salt and pepper to taste

3.  Pour in beaten eggs, and lower the heat.  Cook the eggs gently, until they set on the bottom.  Use a heatproof spatula to gently push uncooked eggs to the bottom of the pan. 

4.  Place a plate over the skillet, and flip the frittata onto a plate.  Gently transfer frittata back to the skillet and cook on the other side for a few minutes.

5.  Flip frittata again, slice into wedges and serve with sour cream, salsa, and basil.

And here you have it – easy, chicken frittata recipe with kale and bell peppers – healthy, quick, and cleans up your refrigerator too!

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Raw Apple and Grape Coleslaw with Basil Salad Recipe

11 Wednesday Jul 2012

Posted by in Cooking, Gluten Free, Meatless Monday, Recipe, Salad, Vegetarian

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I’m cleansing…sort of.  A friend recommended a raw cleanse and I am following her advice.  I set aside two days and loaded up on carrots and celery.  At the end of the first day, I’m not sure what I think.

After eating one banana, a few apples, a bowl of cherries and a salad of romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell pepper, I wanted something a bit more substantial for dinner.

I had grand plans of going to the store to pick up produce, but the lack of energy prevailed, and I turned to my refrigerator instead.  Using what I had on hand, i created this recipe for Raw Apple and Grape Coleslaw with Basil.


Raw Apple and Grape Coleslaw with Basil


Ingredients


1 cup shredded cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 apple, sliced into matchsticks
1/2 cup red grapes, halved
1/4 cup chopped basil
1 tablespoon thinly sliced shallot
lime juice, to taste
rice vinegar, unseasoned, to taste
1 teaspoon of mustard*
dash of paprika*
ground black pepper, to taste*
sesame seeds, raw

*not raw according to the strictest rules

Directions


1.  Combine cabbage, carrots, apple, grapes, basil and shallots in a salad bowl.

2.  Toss the salad with lime juice, rice vinegar, mustard and season with paprika and black pepper, to taste.

3.  Arrange the salad on a plate and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Perhaps, if you have more time, allow the salad to marinate for half an hour – but be sure to leave the basil out and add it at the end.

Have you tried to follow a raw diet? Please share your success stories and favorite recipes!

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Where to Eat Lunch in Downtown Seattle: The Capital Grille

09 Monday Jul 2012

Posted by in Burger, Lunch, Restaurant Review, Seattle

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I was quite excited to be invited to taste the Summer Plates menu at The Capital Grille.  Located just a few minutes away from my work, The Capital Grille was my lunch destination last Friday.  Not wanting to dine out on my own, I brought along my friend Lera who shared this experience with me and offered her culinary expertise on the meal.

The Summer Plates menu allows you to sample “cool and refreshing flavors of the season” by pairing up a soup/salad with the main entree and a side.

Lera and I resisted a complimentary basket of bread and made our lunch selections.


We began with a Carrot Ginger Soup and a Green Salad.  The soup was a major improvement from the last time I have tasted it – punched with more ginger flavor and a beautiful carrot orange color.  Personally, I would’ve still loved more heat from the ginger and perhaps a texture contrast with croutons.

The salad was just that – a salad.  Lera and I agreed that mixed greens and possibly nuts would’ve dressed this salad up from business casual to business.

There was little surprise when it came to the choice for the main entree.  I selected the Seared Scallops with Sweet and Sour Tomatoes.  OMG.  The scallops were fantastic!  Nicely seared on the outside, they were still creamy, and almost milky on the inside.  They sat, proudly, on a bed of Israeli couscous.  A drizzle of juice from a charred lemon rounded up this dish and made me smile.  I would go back for seconds in no time.

My beef loving friend ordered the Wagyu Cheeseburger with Fried Egg and Crisp Onions.  When asked how she would like her burger prepared, she replied with the standard “As rare as possible.”  And that’s pretty much what she got!  I called it raw beef and she loved it! 

For our sides we enjoyed the crisp green beans with tomatoes and shallots and a salad of watermelon with cucumber and feta cheese.

Usually, we would’ve picked out a dessert, but we were so delighted with our main entrees that we decided to stop there.

Thanks again for hosting us for a lovely lunch.

If you would like to taste the Summer Plates at Capital Grille, please visit them at
1301 4th Ave Seattle or at
www.thecapitalgrille.com/locations/seattle
206-382-0900

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How to make Lamb Burgers With Pesto at Home, plus a Watermelon Salad with Feta and Basil ~ Recipes from Snacking in the Kitchen

08 Sunday Jul 2012

Posted by in Burger, Cooking, Gluten Free, Lamb, Recipe, Salad, Watermelon

≈ 2 Comments

I am trying to eat healthier these days.  The word “healthier” means different things to many of us.  For me, I’m attempting to exercise control when it comes to portion size and cut down on processed sugar and carbohydrates (I actually turned down ice cream last night!).  It’s also, finally summer in Seattle, so perhaps, the plates naturally get a lighter makeover.

Last night for dinner I decided to make these Lamb Burgers with Pesto  to go along with a Watermelon Salad with Feta, Basil and Balsamic Glaze (inspired by this similar watermelon salad).  Dinner was a hit! The plates looked vibrant with jeweled cubes of watermelon, sprinkled with ribbons of basil and little morsels of feta cheese.  The lamb burgers turned out especially flavorful, most likely because of the fresh homemade pesto I used.  If you don’t have pesto on hand, feel free to add minced garlic, chopped basil and a touch of oil to the burger mix.
Let’s get cooking!


Ingredients

1 pound ground lamb
2 tablespoons pesto (best if you have homemade pesto)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
salt and pepper to taste
nonstick oil spray
Directions

1.  Combine lamb and spices in a bowl and mix thoroughly.  Do not over mix or your burgers will come out very tough.
2.  Shape the lamb mixture into 4 burger patties, about 1/2 inch thick.
3.  Lightly grease a nonstick pan or a griddle and heat over medium high.
4.  Cook burgers 4-5 minutes on each side or to your own desired doneness.
What are you serving these days to lighten up your summer meals?