Nectarine-and Chickpea Couscous Salad With Honey-Cumin Dressing

I made this easy recipe last night and all three of my girls chowed it down. Sometimes I forget how easy it is to make couscous. If you live in Utah, the cheapest place I have found to buy couscous is the bulk section of The Good Earth. Nectarines are in season right now and they are fabulous!!!



6 servings
Cooking Light, June 2000 ( 1 cup)

1 ¼ cups water
1 cup uncooked couscous
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
1 ½ cups coarsely chopped nectarines (about 3 medium)
½ cup coarsely chopped spinach
¼ cup thinly sliced green onions
1 (15 ½-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
Nectarine slices (optional)

Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan, gradually stir in couscous. Remove from heat cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork; cool. Combine lime juice and next 5 ingredients (juice through coriander0 in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add couscous, chopped nectarines, spinach, onions, and chickpeas; toss well. Garnish with nectarine slices, if desired.

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Chicken and Corn Fried Rice

Delicious, kid friendly, and cheap! Does it get any better?

It may not seem like spinach with lemon juice would go well with chicken and corn fried rice, but trust me, this works! The different flavors, textures and temperatures go perfectly together. I tried this out on my kids, and all of them loved it (and 2 out of 3 even ate the spinach). This comes from Chef Ming Tsai who responded to a challenge to some of the nation's best cooks: Come up with a meal that is family-friendly, budget-conscious, and delicious. IMO, he nailed all three!

NOTE: I skipped the whole chicken step. I just bought a ready-made roasted chicken (Costco's are really good) and shredded it. I also just did white rice, because I didn't want to cook two different kinds of rice. I'm lazy.

Chicken and Corn Fried Rice

Serves 4

1 pound ground chicken
2 eggs
1 large yellow onion, minced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon ginger powder
2 ears of corn when in season, or 1 bag frozen (12 ounces)
1/2 (10 ounces) bag spinach (washed, spun dry, de-stemmed, leaves torn)
2 tablespoons naturally brewed soy sauce
Juice of 1 lemon
4 cups cold, cooked long-grain rice, brown and white combination, preferably day-old so it's nice and dry*
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Canola oil

Heat a wok or large saute pan over medium-high heat. Lightly coat with oil. When oil shimmers add chicken, season with salt and pepper, and brown, breaking up any large chunks with wooden spoon or spatula. Remove chicken to a plate. Add about 1/2-inch oil to wok and allow to heat; add eggs, which will puff up. Cook scrambled eggs and remove to a paper towel-lined plate. If necessary, add more oil to wok to lightly coat, then add onions, garlic, and powdered ginger, and cook until nicely caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add corn, rice, chicken and egg, and toss to combine. Add naturally brewed soy sauce, toss to combine, and check for seasoning. Place mound of raw spinach in center of four dinner plates. Drizzle with lemon juice and season. Top with fried rice to cover. Enjoy!

*Alternatively, if you're not cooking rice the day before, place the cooked rice in a single layer on a sheet tray, and place in freezer to cool and dry.

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Cooking for One with Katy - Episode #12

Gyosa with Kristi

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Curry pasta

So we had lots of family in town for the 4th of July...I planned out breakfasts, planned out dinners...but forgot about lunch. Noon rolled around and we were famished. So my mother in law whipped this up out of what I thought was no food in the house. So I make it now all the time...a different version according to what's in the fridge. But it is goo-0000-oooooooood.

Curry Pasta Salad

Halved grapes (green or purple)

Chopped celery (or sometimes not if I don't have it)

Chopped onion (whatever you have)

Cashews or peanuts

Cooked or canned chicken (we used canned and it's perfect and so easy)

Cooked pasta (I love whole wheat macaroni)

Blob of mayo (we use low-fat and it tastes the same) plus curry to taste

Mix this all up and chill in the fridge for about an hour. We double it sometimes and eat it for lunch and dinner all week. Lazy.

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Pineapple Sorbet

No picture because me lazy. But this was the most delicious thing I have made in at least 28 days. Here:
1/ 2 a fresh pineapple chopped
1/2 c water
8 Tablespoons of sugar (or more or less depending on what you like, ya know?)
A squirt of lemon (if you feel like it)

Blend this all up. Put it in the fridge for awhile and then put it in your ice cream freezer (I bought a cheap Hamilton Beach one where you don't need salt or ice and it only takes a half hour) and let her go. You will not regret this baby. Not at all.

Type rest of the post here

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