Tag Archives: recipe

Chicken and Udon Noodle Bowl

This is simply delicious. Light, refreshing even, incredibly flavorful, simple. It has a definite Asian influence (udon noodles were the giveaway, right?) but isn’t overwhelmingly associated with any one ethnicity. It made a wonderful dinner but could be a terrific appetizer/soup course for a more complex meal. You’ll love it.

Have you tried udon noodles? Our kids love them because they taste like really soft spaghetti! And we have a children’s cooking alphabet book which has taught them that “U is for Udon Noodles.” How great is that? As for you, you’ll find udon noodles in the Asian section of your grocery store – usually in an 8-10 oz package if dried. Sometimes they are precooked and just need to be reheated. Either will work for this but if you are using precooked, you’ll need to adjust the quantity (probably 2 packages of cooked noodles).

This dish is really low calorie (232 calories per 1.5 cup serving) and still packed with 20 grams of protein, leaving plenty of room for great accompaniments. And isn’t THAT always a bonus?

I am in love with Clean Eating Magazine. Aren’t you?

Chicken & Udon Noodle Bowl
minimally adapted from Clean Eating – July 2010

serves 8

Ingredients:

8 oz. package of dried udon noodles (preferable whole wheat)
4 c. low sodium chicken broth
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
5 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. lime zest
14 oz. unsweetened light coconut milk
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin slices, each about 1″ long
1 1/2 c. fresh baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
6 oz. baby spinach leaves (about 6 cups, loosely packed)
1/2 Napa cabbage, chopped (about 1-2 c.)
12 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped (about 1/4 c.)

Directions:

Cook noodles according to package directions; drain and set aside.

Bring broth, ginger, jalapenos, lime juice, lemon juice and lime zest to a boil in a Dutch oven or large pot; reduce heat to medium-low.

Add coconut milk, chicken and mushrooms, stirring well. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add reserved noodles, spinach and cabbage and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until wilted. Garnish with cilantro before serving.

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Festive Bean Salad (aka Texas Caviar)

If you’re looking for a delicious and healthy recipe to take to a Fourth of July celebration this weekend, this one fits the bill! You may already be familiar with Texas Caviar since there are a million variations of the basic recipe in circulation. This party favorite is essentially a marinated bean salad/salsa that is fiber rich and also sugar-free thanks to the stevia substitution I’ve included here. I usually serve this with baked tortilla chips but feel free to experiment with whatever suits your taste.

As for the name….you can rest assured that there is no actual caviar in Texas Caviar! The dish apparently was created by Helen Corbitt, a famed 1950’s food consultant who was the head of food service at Neiman Marcus in Dallas. I found this recent article which gives more of the history if you’re interested. If you’d rather just cook it…well, then, read on!

Festive Bean Salad (aka Texas Caviar)

serves: many

Ingredients:

1 can black eyed peas

1 can pinto OR hot chili beans

1 can black beans

1 can garbanzo beans

1 16 oz bag of frozen corn (or 2 c. of fresh corn cut from the cob)

1 small jar chopped pimento

1 medium Vidalia onion, diced small

1 c. diced red, green or yellow peppers

6 finely diced jalapeno peppers (seeds removed)

3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro

Dressing Ingredients:

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 Tbsp. water

3/4 c. apple cider vinegar

1/2 c. canola oil

10-15 packets of Truvia sweetener OR 1 tsp. PURE Stevia powdered or liquid extract

Baked tortilla chips or other chips of your choice

Directions:

Drain and rinse the first four ingredients in a colander or strainer. Transfer to a large bowl and add next 6 ingredients. Set aside.

In a saucepan, bring the dressing ingredients to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. Pour over beans and vegetables and stir to coat. Let cool in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (up to 24). Drain most liquid before serving with chips.

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Tuscan Tuna & White Bean Salad

This is a delightful discovery from delish.com that I tried for the first time a few weeks ago. It’s a cold salad with a great balance of flavors and textures, packed with 31 g of protein and only 3 g of saturated fat per serving. Better still, you can make it in about 10 minutes and be eating before you know it which makes it perfect for a weeknight dinner or a fast lunch. Sometimes cooking is really nothing more than assembling a few quality ingredients, and this is clearly one of those times!
I served this with a good crusty whole wheat bread but you could try it with flatbread or pita or even crackers. I thought a bowl of melon chunks (watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew) made the perfect sweet addition to the meal.

Tuscan Tuna and White Bean Salad
photo credit: Frances Janisch @ Delish.com
serves 4

1 can (15 oz.) white cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 c. thinly sliced red onion, halved
1 can (6 oz.) tuna in olive oil (drain; reserve oil)
1 c. diced fresh tomatoes
1/2 c pitted kalamata olives
2 Tbsp. chopped Italian parsley
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest
1/4 tsp. each salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 c. torn arugula leaves

DIRECTIONS:

In a bowl, combine beans, onion, tuna, tomatoes, olives, parsley, 2 Tbsp. of the reserved oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper, tossing gently to combine. Stir in arugula.

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