Jerk Chicken Salad with Citrus Dressing

A while back I posted a recipe from The Flat Belly Diet Cookbook for Sassy Water, a refreshing and delicious concoction to make and drink as part of a weight loss plan.  Tonight I improvised on a recipe from that book for a dinner salad, and I just have to share it with you.  I know, what's to get excited about eating a salad, right? This really was great. I loved the jerk seasoned chicken, even though I did buy the seasoning in a jar. And the dressing, light and practically fat free, was perfect for this salad.  Because I didn't have mango that was called for in the salad, nor did I have sweet white onion, I used pineapple tidbits and sliced green onion.

JERK CHICKEN SALAD WITH CITRUS DRESSING 

• Stir together in a small bowl the juice of half a lime, 1 tsp. of olive oil, and 1 tsp. of jerk seasoning. Find it in the ethnic foods aisle in the Jamaican section. Rub this all over two boneless chicken breast halves and refrigerate for an hour. 
• Make your dressing by combining 1 Tbs. of fresh lime juice, 2 Tbs. orange juice, 1 tsp. olive oil, 1/2 tsp. honey, 1/4 tsp. salt, and freshly ground pepper.  Pleeeze, if you are noticing that worn out looking bowl I used for the dressing....I just can't part with my son's first cereal dish with Big Bird in the bottom of the bowl. It's so old, 25 years to be exact, but I just love it!

Put together your salad using any combination of greens. I used romaine and fresh spinach. Add:

• 1/2 of an avocado, cubed
• 2 green onions, sliced
• Handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
• 4 oz. of pineapple tidbits, drained (I buy those little fruit cups, perfect for smoothies, salads, etc.)

Grill the chicken breasts and keep warm while you toss the dressing with the salad greens and divide between two plates. Slice the chicken cross-wise and arrange it along side of the salad or place on top. Either way, this is a winner. Enjoy! And tell me how you liked it.  

Couscous Salad Greek Style

I've been having a bit of trouble typing lately because of some nasty hand surgery. So, I'm tapping this out with one hand just to get it posted in time for the holiday weekend. Make this instead of the expected potato or macaroni salad, and you'll be happy you did. Delicious flavors combine to make this an un-mayonnaisy (I know that is not a word....), better-for-you salad, and a terrific accompaniment to anything you're serving.

COUSCOUS SALAD GREEK STYLE

1 1/2 cups of water

1 cup uncooked couscous

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes, well drained

1 cup diced peeled cucumber

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/3 cup black olives, sliced or halved

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1 15 oz. can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained

1/4 cup water

3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

2 Tbs. olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Bring water to a boil. Stir in couscous and oregano. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for about five minutes or so. Fluff with a fork and then combine with the next six ingredients. Set aside while you make the dressing with the water, lemon juice, oil and seasonings.  Mix well with a fork or whisk. Pour dressing over the couscous and toss to coat well. Chill and serve. Garnish with some slivered lemon peel and a shake of oregano.

Broccoli and Swiss Cheese Quiche

This has been a rough month to say the least! Whadda way to start the new year with my mother in and out of hospitals and rehab. I think I have managed to cook twice this month, this quiche being one of those times.  One of the best things about making a quiche is that you probably have just about everything you need to throw one together at any time... that is, if you keep frozen pie crusts around, and of course I do. Remember what I said in my book, I like a break once in a while too! And really, those frozen pie crusts are pretty darn good.  Combined with a great salad, dinner's ready in no time. Okay, so on with the recipe:

BROCCOLI AND SWISS CHEESE QUICHE
Cover the bottom of a one frozen deep dish pie crust shell with 2 cups of grated Gruyere or any good swiss cheese. If you like, you can use part swiss and part cheddar, your choice. Set aside.

Saute in a Tbs. of olive oil 1 small finely chopped onion, 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning or your favorite herb blend, S&P,  and about 1 1/2 cups of chopped broccoli, stems and florets, until soft. Spread over the cheese. Set aside.

Mix together in a blender or with a wire whisk:

4 eggs
1 1/2 cups of milk
3 Tbs. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. dry mustard OR Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. hot sauce

Pour this mixture carefully over the cheese, onions and broccoli.  A little bit of the filling might not fit. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 55 minutes. A knife should come out clean when tested.  The quiche will be beautiful, puffy and golden brown on top from all that Parmesan you put on top, but will deflate as it cools. Serve it hot out of the oven, or just warm, or have it cold for breakfast.... really good!

Tip: Place the pie crust on a cookie sheet before setting in the oven, and you'll avoid any unwanted spills.

You can view a previous blog entry from September of 2009 entitled Yummy Pictures From the Book Singingirl Cooks for a look at some of the dishes in my book, and of course you know it's for sale. Just ask me!

Thanks and see you next time!