Soups/Salads

Orzo Salad with Corn, Tomatoes, and Basil

What is it about pasta salad that makes it such a good go-to dish to make when attending a warm weather get-together? A few weekends ago, my friend had a few people over to swim at her pool and like the great hostess that she is, she had plenty of food and snacks waiting for guests upon arrival. When I walked into her kitchen, I saw the biggest bowl of homemade pasta salad and turned to look at the friend I arrived with who was carrying her own container of homemade pasta salad. We both just shrugged because, really, can you ever have too much pasta salad? Ironically, earlier that morning, I had every intention on making Orzo Salad with Corn, Tomatoes, and Basil to take to the party but decided I didn’t have enough time. Probably a good thing.

Even though pasta can sometimes be heavy, there is something about a cold, light pasta salad when it’s warm out that hits the spot. This colorful pasta salad is made with orzo (rice-shaped pasta) and fresh ingredients of corn, tomatoes, and basil. The whole mixture is livened up with a refreshing and simple vinaigrette of lemon juice, olive oil, and red wine vinegar. I took a short-cut and used thawed frozen corn in place of fresh and didn’t really notice a difference. I think canned would work here too. Next time you think about making a pasta salad for a summer event, consider making this. Just call first dibs on whose bringing the pasta salad.

The ingredients:

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. While the pasta cooks, combine lemon juice, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and crushed garlic in a small bowl. Set aside.

Drain pasta and place in a large bowl. Pour half of the dressing over orzo and toss. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Once pasta is at room temperature, add the remaining dressing, corn, tomato, and basil to pasta and toss to coat. Let pasta salad stand for 30 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld.

Additions: None

Omissions:

Red onion

Substitutions: None

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

Spicy Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

May 16, 2012
Shannon
0 comments
Asian, chicken, food, ginger, peppers, soup

Despite the fact that we had perfectly blue skies and warm weather this past weekend in the Philadelphia area, the recent rainy, damp weather had me wanting to run to Au Bon Pain for soup nearly everyday. And even though the weather is supposed to get better, I just felt like making a nice pot of warm and comforting soup. Spicy Thai Coconut Chicken Soup is spicy, creamy, and hearty – just what you want from a soup.

Don’t be freaked out by the coconut in the name of this soup. It comes from light coconut milk which is mild in flavor and provides a silky creaminess. Chopped mushrooms and red peppers provide some rustic bulk while ginger, garlic, and chile paste provide some hefty flavor. Precooked chicken is thrown in at the end which helps save time, making this soup a perfect use of leftover chicken you might have on hand. Toppings of scallions and cilantro add a fresh brightness at the end so don’t skimp on them. I omitted the lemongrass, substituted ground ginger for fresh ginger and used soy sauce instead of fish sauce. These changes seemed to work because I loved this soup. This recipe wasn’t even the reason why I tore out the page it was on from the magazine it was in but what an amazingly pleasant surprise! This just goes to show – pay attention to every recipe you see. You just might end up making it.

The ingredients:

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat and add in mushrooms, bell pepper, ginger, garlic, and lemongrass (I omitted this). Cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add chile paste and cook 1 minute.

Add chicken stock, coconut milk, fish sauce, and sugar and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add chicken to pan and cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Discard lemongrass (if using).

Top with onions, cilantro, and lime juice.

Additions: None

Omissions:

Lemongrass

Substitutions:

Ground ginger for fresh ginger
Chili-garlic sauce for chile paste
Reduced-sodium soy sauce for fish sauce

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

Avocado Chicken Salad

Avocados are in season right now and seem to be overflowing in the produce bins at my grocery store. I didn’t start eating avocados until I was an adult, not because I didn’t like them, but because I didn’t even want to try them. It seems that avocados are either loved or hated by most but there is nothing but love for them in my home. This recipe for Avocado Chicken Salad appealed to me not just because of the fresh avocados but because I also love chicken salad. But this chicken salad is different than most others I have had because there is not one lick of mayonaisse in this dish. Cooked chicken, avocado, plum tomato (or salsa), and cilantro are tossed in a light vinaigrette of lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. I used precooked chicken strips to save time and replaced the salsa in the recipe with a fresh plum tomato. The avocados provide a rich creaminess and the fresh lime juice brings such a brightness that makes it difficult to stop going back for more. I ate mine with whole-grain crackers but dig into this with any of your favorite chips or over lettuce. If you like avocados, this chicken salad is ridiculously good.