A Fresh Spin on a Classic Dish

Although summer is drawing to a close, we (in the north) still have a few warm days left to enjoy.  And, I don’t know about you, but on warm days I prefer to eat light. For me, that means salad … vegetable salad, fruit salad, tuna salad, chicken salad … I love ‘em all! Although I’ve recently posted a recipe for one of my favorite chicken salads, Grilled Chicken Salad with Strawberries, I do have one more that I’d like to share. This salad is great with a side of fruit or in pita bread. It’s substantial and filling and I think you’ll enjoy it!

1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 lbs skinned/boned chicken breasts, cooked & chopped
3 cups seedless red & green grapes, halved
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Lettuce leaves (optional)

Stir together 1/2 cup of mayonnaise and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Add chopped chicken and grapes, tossing gently to coat. Cover and chill at least 1 hour. Stir in toasted pecans just before serving. Place one scoop of salad over lettuce leaves.

Note:  I’ve varied this recipe by leaving out the sour cream (increasing the mayonnaise a little) and lemon juice and adding some honey. Also very good!

Estimated nutritional value (6 servings): Calories 287, Total Fat 24 g, Cholesterol 28.6 mg, Sodium 572 mg, Potassium 326 mg, Carbs 19.5 g, Protein 8.5 g

(Original recipe found in Southern Living Magazine)

An Energy Boosting Breakfast

Get your day off to an invigorating start with an energy-boosting breakfast that’s high in Vitamins A, C, E & B group; calcium, iron, magnesium, selenium, zinc and essential fatty acids. This dish is also great for your immune and digestive systems. Top off your breakfast bowl with any seasonal fruit you prefer, like antioxidant-rich raspberries, blueberries or blackberries.

Ingredients:

1 portion sugar-free muesli base (a mixture of oat, wheat, barley, rice and rye)
2 tbsps chopped nuts mixed with seeds (e.g. walnuts, filberts, almonds, sunflower seeds)
2 dates chopped
2 dried apricots, chopped
1 tbsp dried coconut
5 tbsps seasonal fresh fruit or berries
Soy, almond, rice or oat milk to taste

Instructions:
1. Mix the muesli base with the nuts, seeds, dried fruit and coconut
2. Sprinkle the fresh fruit or berries on top
3. Serve with your chosen milk to taste and a glass of freshly squeezed grapefruit or orange juice.

During the dog days of summer, it’s just too hot to cook! Summer is the time to enjoy outdoor grilling and take advantage of the large selection of fresh fruit and vegetables found at the local farmer’s market. This month’s recipe is an easy to prepare, light salad that can be made with any seasonal berry, plus it’s refreshing as well as satisfying. You can use your favorite lettuce, even though Bibb is suggested here. Drizzle on your dressing of choice (sweet dressings such as poppy seed compliment this dish immensely) and enjoy!

Grilled Chicken Salad with Strawberries

Prep Time:  15 minutes Cook Time:  20 minutes                      Ready In: 35 Min

Ingredients:

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 cup sliced strawberries
• 1/2 cup sliced english  cucumber
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 2 heads Bibb lettuce – rinsed, dried and torn

Directions

1. Preheat the grill for high heat.
2. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill chicken 8 minutes on each side, or until juices run clear. Remove from heat, cool, and slice.
3. Arrange lettuce on serving plates. Top with grilled chicken slices, strawberries, cucumbers and pecans*.
4. Drizzle with salad dressing of choice and serve.

*If you like, you can toast the pecans by placing them in a dry skillet over medium-high heat and cooking them until their fragrant, stirring frequently (about 8 minutes).

Nutritional info (without dressing):  Calories 97.3 | Total Fat 7.5 g | Cholesterol 6.9 mg | Sodium 10.8 mg | Potassium 254.7 mg | Carbs 4.6 g | Protein 4.5 g

English Muffin & Asparagus Bake

I found this recipe in the April issue of Better Homes & Gardens. Although somewhat high in cholesterol due to the eggs, this is delicious, easy to make and great for Sunday brunch, lunch or a light dinner.  I used whole-wheat english muffins, substituted 1% organic milk for the half & half and broccolini instead of asparagus (just because I’d never tried it before). Add a tossed salad and/or some fresh fruit as a side dish and enjoy!

BH&G suggestion: A nonstick skillet with flared sides is best for sliding this dish onto a platter for serving. But if your nonstick skillet isn’t ovenproof, use a regular skillet and serve straight from the pan.

Prep: 25 minutes                     Bake: 13 minutes                    Oven: 375° F

Ingredients:

• 1 orange, yellow or red sweet pepper
• 10 eggs
• 1/2 cup half-and-half, or milk
• 2 tsp. Dijon-style mustard
• 1 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning
• 1 tsp. curry powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 6 to 8 oz. thin asparagus spears, trimmed
• 1 cup fresh sugar snap pea pods, trimmed
• 1 cup red or yellow cherry tomatoes
• 2 English muffins, split and halved
• 4 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced, or 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1/4 cup small fresh basil leaves

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Slice bottom half of pepper into thin rings; seed and chop remaining pepper. Set aside.

2. In large bowl whisk together eggs, half-and-half, mustard, lemon pepper seasoning, curry powder and salt; set aside.

3. In 12-inch nonstick oven-going skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add asparagus spears; cook 1 to 2 minutes or until bright green. Remove with tongs; set aside. Add chopped sweet pepper and pea pods; cook 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes. Cook until tomato skins begin to pop. Arrange muffin pieces on top of vegetables. Slowly pour egg mixture over all, making sure to saturate muffin pieces. Top with asparagus spears, pressing lightly with the back of spoon.

4. Transfer to oven. Bake, uncovered, 12 minutes. Top with pepper rings and cheese. Turn oven to broil. Broil 2 to 3 minutes or until top is golden brown, cheese is melted, and eggs are set.

5. Loosen edges and carefully slide onto serving platter. Cut in wedges to serve. Top with fresh basil leaves. Makes 6 servings.

Makes 6 servings.  Per serving: 293 calories, 18 grams fat, 375 mg cholesterol, 525 mg sodium, 16 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 18 g protein.

We’ve all heard it from our mothers, who heard it from their mothers, who heard it from …  well, you get the picture … “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”  Have you ever wondered, though, where that saying came from and if there’s any truth behind it? Do apples have healing properties?

Here are a few bits of apple trivia, core facts and nutritional info to sink your teeth into!

• “An apple a day …” was first proclaimed by JT Stinson at the St Louis World’s Fair in 1904 — adapted from an old English saying “Ate an apfel avore gwain to bed Makes the doctor beg his bread.”
• In medieval times, physicians were taught that cooked apples could relieve disturbances of the bowels, lungs and nervous system.
• In ancient Greece, Hippocrates recommended sweet apples with meals to aid digestion and sour apples for fainting and constipation.
• Archaeological findings show that humans have been eating apples as far back as 6500 BC.
• There are actually 7,500 of varieties of apples grown worldwide. They range in size from slightly larger than a cherry to the size of a grapefruit and vary widely in flavor. Apples can have an aftertaste of citrus, pears, cinnamon, strawberries, coconut, cloves, pineapple or grapes.
• A medium apple is about 80 calories and contains about five grams of fiber. Fiber promotes weight loss and aids in digestion. Apples contain almost zero fat and cholesterol and are high in vitamin C and potassium.
• A medium apple with skin provides the antioxidant activity equal to 1,500 milligrams of vitamin C. Vitamin C is essential for healthy tissues and bones and protects your body from toxins. Antioxidants fight free radicals which damage cells, a contributing factor in the development of cancer and also in the aging process.
• Apples are rich in phytonutrients, antioxidants that help prevent cancer, heart disease and diabetes and may also help in fighting bacterial and viral infections. Phytonutrients have been shown to offer stronger anti-cancer properties than vitamin C.
• Apples contain quercetin, a flavonoid that plays an important part in keeping blood vessels healthy, reducing inflammation throughout the body and preventing DNA damage to the cells. This could be beneficial to those suffering from fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.  Other studies have shown that quercetin may protect the brain from the type of damage that triggers neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease.  Recent research from the University of Massachusetts Lowell suggests that consuming apple juice may protect against cell damage that contributes to age-related memory loss.
• Apples are a natural source of dietary fiber, both soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber helps prevent cholesterol build up in the lining of blood vessel walls, which can lead to atherosclerosis and heart disease. Insoluble fiber aids digestion and promotes weight loss. One apple contains the same amount of dietary fiber as a bowl of bran cereal.
• Apples are good for your lungs. British researchers found that apples are effective in reducing the risk of lung cancer. Dutch scientists have found that smokers who eat an apple a day are half as likely to develop emphysema and chronic bronchitis, common diseases suffered by smokers.
• Apples contain an essential trace element called boron. Boron helps with bone density and, therefore, can help prevent or decrease the effects of osteoporosis.
• Apples are one of the richest sources of malic acid, which can help boost cellular energy and alleviate muscle pain and tenderness.
• Crunching on an apple helps prevent tooth decay by stimulate the flow of saliva.
• An apple is a natural breath freshener.

To get all the nutritional and health benefits from an apple, you do need to eat the skin.  Not only does it contain a lot of  fiber, but all the quercetin is located in the skin and almost half the vitamin C content is just under it.

So there you go.  It appears that the apple does live up to its reputation. Don’t you just love it when something that tastes so good is so good for you?