Wild Rice Cranberry Pecan Salad

When I first started this blog I didn’t have a camera to take pictures with…and then I had a camera but wasn’t very good at taking pics.  I’ve definitely gotten better over time (I’ve been at this for almost 3.5 years!) but have a lot to learn too…I’ve been thinking of a camera upgrade as well…Santa??

So I’m going to go back and start updating some old posts…with new pics!  Starting with this one.

 

I’ve served this salad twice…first to the senior dancers at Tari’s Christmas party.  And then again for Hilary's graduation/Christmas party for over 100 people. I had to make a lot for this one…recipe times 10?!

This was back in 2008, and I don’t know if I’ve made it since!  Both times it was a hit though!

I buy a wild rice and brown basmati rice blend in the bulk section of Whole Foods. Both are whole grains. If you can't find a blend, just substitute brown rice and wild rice in a 3:1 ratio (¾ cup brown and ¼ cup wild).

This salad is more of a method than a recipe...you could swap out any of the ingredients (a different grain, nut, fruit, vegetable...the sky's the limit.  Using orange zest and juice would be really good too! 

Today I ate it over lettuce and added turkey salad and broccoli crunch from Whole Foods…sooooo good!  Double the dressing for the rice and save half to dress the salad!

Wild Rice Cranberry Pecan Salad
adapted from simplyrecipes.com

Makes 10 ½-cup servings

1 cup brown rice wild rice mix
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
½ cup pecans, toasted and chopped
½ cup green onions, thinly sliced
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Salt and pepper

Cook rice according to package instructions, omitting fat and adding 1/2 teaspoon salt. Here is the method I used:

Rinse rice. Put all ingredients (1 cup rice, 2 cups water, 1/2 teaspoon salt) in pot with tight-fitting lid. Stir, bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes. Do not remove lid. Remove from heat and allow to sit covered for 10 minutes. Then uncover, fluff with a fork, and let cool to almost room temperature.

In a medium sized bowl, combine the cooled rice, cranberries, pecans, and green onions.

In a separate jar, mix the lemon juice, olive oil, sugar, lemon zest, and salt and pepper to taste.

Combine dressing with the rice mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to blend. Serve warm, chilled, or room temperature.

Per serving - 168 calories, 10 g fat (1 g saturated), 19 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 3g protein (exchanges: 2 fat, 1 starch)

Coconut Almond Granola

Granola has a reputation for being healthy, but much of what you can buy at the store is far from it…lots of added sugar and fat (in the form of some type of oil – some healthier than others).  Or all of the fat has been removed and all that’s left is carbs (a little oats plus a lot of other starch and sugar). 
For example:
 
Besides the fact that there are 14 grams of sugar (3.5 teaspoons) and 40 g of carbs in half a cup, LOOK at the ingredient list…do you really need all that to make granola?!?



My granola has a much shorter ingredient list.  And it has fat in the form of coconut and almonds, but no added oils.  The applesauce serves two purposes, to naturally sweeten the granola and to make it clump; so it replaces the oil and some of the sugar. 



The grains, oats and puffed brown rice cereal (think whole grain rice krispies), are both whole grains.  That and the applesauce/sugar/maple syrup are the foundation for this mix and match granola recipe.  The combinations of spices, nuts, and dried fruit are endless. 



I chose not to add dried fruit to mine.  I’d rather add fresh fruit to the plain Greek yogurt (Fage) I plan on eating it with. 




Coconut Almond Granola adapted from bakingbites.com

makes 18 half cup servings*

3 1/2 cups rolled oats
3 cups puffed brown rice cereal
1 cup sliced of slivered almonds
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, optional
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut (unsweetened if you can find it, if not reduce the amount of brown sugar by 2 tablespoons)

Preheat the oven to 325F and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat.

In a large bowl, combine oats, puffed rice cereal, almonds, spices, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, applesauce (do not use chunky applesauce), maple syrup, and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir to combine. Spread on prepared baking sheets in an even layer.

Bake for 30 minutes, then turn over the granola carefully using a large wide spatula.  Add coconut, stir to combine, and bake for additional 15 - 30 minutes, until crisp and golden**. Depending on the size of your baking sheet, the center might not be fully dried if your granola layer is thick, so if necessary remove the edges of the cooked granola to a cooling rack and let the rest cook for another 10-15 minutes until done.

Cool on pan.  Break granola up as desired and store in an airtight container.

Per serving (1/2 cup) – 160 calories, 6.4 g fat (2.4 g saturated), 24 g carbohydrate, 3.2 g fiber, 9 g sugar, 3.6 g protein (exchanges: 1.5 starch, 1 fat)

* I prefer to do a half cup serving because I always eat granola with yogurt (usually Greek because I like the thickness/creaminess and the extra protein) and fruit and I think a whole cup would be too much.  However, if I were to eat it with milk I might do a whole cup.

* * The granola continues to harden and get crunchy as it cools.  After 15 minutes into the second part of the baking I took a few pieces out of the pan to cool on the counter and then tasted for desired “crunchiness”.  I continued this until I was satisfied.  I also reduced the oven temperature to 275F at the end to prevent it from getting to dark. 

Chicken and Feta Tabbouleh

 

My “daughter” (Hilary) is going on her mini Spring Break this weekend and requested a few things to take with her:  chicken salad and tabbouleh.  Being the good sister that I am, I happily obliged.  Plus I’ve needed a good excuse to get out of this cooking/blogging slump.

Last summer I mentioned to one of the dance moms who was making tabbouleh for dinner how much I loved it!  Hers had chicken and feta…could it get any better??  She returned that night to pick up her daughter with some for me to try and the recipe.  How exciting!  It was amazing…and healthy, the recipe was from Cooking Light!

Later that month I brought the recipe with me on our family beach trip and it was a hit there as well.  Even our “extra-mayo”, “no-butter-please, country-crock-only" friend loved it! 
 

Tabbouleh is made with bulgur (a quick cooking form of wheat…which is a fiber-rich whole grain), tomato, lots of parsley, and mint.  I opted to leave the mint out.  Bulgur can be tricky to locate…you may be able to find it by the rice and other grains in a regular grocery store.  Whole Foods definitely has it.  In Albertson’s it was by the olive oil?!?

Other changes I made: 1) baked my own chicken…but rotisserie is definitely easier, 2) used a little more olive oil, and 3) doubled the recipe.

I would probably have a smaller serving (not 1 1/2 cups) and serve it over lettuce…yes, another salad!

Chicken and Feta Tabbouleh
adapted from CookingLIght.com

Makes 4 large servings (1 1/2 cups)

3/4  cup  uncooked bulgur
1  cup  boiling water
2  cups  chopped skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
1  cup  chopped plum tomato
1  cup  chopped English cucumber (or a regular one with/ the seeds removed)
3/4  cup  chopped fresh parsley
1/2  cup  (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/3  cup  finely chopped green onions
1/4  cup  chopped fresh mint
2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
1  tablespoon  extra-virgin olive oil
1  teaspoon  minced garlic
1/4  teaspoon  salt
1/4  teaspoon  ground cumin
1/4  teaspoon  black pepper

Place bulgur in a medium bowl; cover with 1 cup boiling water. Let stand 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. 

Combine chicken and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Add bulgur to chicken mixture; toss gently to combine.  Taste and re-season with salt, pepper, and cumin.

Per serving (1 1/2 cups) – 296 calories, 9.5 g fat (3.4 g saturated), 26 g carbohydrates, 6 g fiber, 28 g protein (exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1/2 vegetable, 3 protein, 2 fat; WW points: 6)

Breakfast Cookies

Two words that normally don't go together...breakfast and cookies! I was excited to make these treats, which were chosen by What's for Supper? as this weeks CEiMB recipe. My hopes were high after reading the reviews on the FoodNetwork website (a five star rating is usually a good sign).

I made a few changes so that I could incorporate ingredients I already had on hand (or flavors I prefer), none of which should have had much of an effect on the final product:

1 tsp cinnamon & 1/2 tsp nutmeg -----> 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup carrot baby food ----> 1/4 cup applesauce

1 tsp vanilla ----> 1/2 tsp vanilla & 1/2 tsp almond extract

1/2 cup oats & 1/2 cup bran cereal ----> 1 cup oats

1/3 cup raisins ----> 2/3 cup fresh blueberries

1/3 cup walnuts ----> 1/3 cup almonds

The result? I'm not sure what I think...I've eaten a few of them and they definitely aren't bad, but I'm not about to add them as a regular to my breakfast menu. They aren't decadent enough to qualify as a dessert (but they really aren't supposed to be), and they aren't good enough to replace the usual things I eat for breakfast (oatmeal with fruit and nuts, English muffins with pb, smoothies, yogurt, etc).

That being said, I am not an on-the-go breakfast eater. I have time in the mornings to think about what I want to have for my first meal and then make/eat it at my leisure.

In contrast, I'm sure most of you, if you are lucky, grab something quickly while rushing out the door on your way to school or work...or you drive-thru Starbucks/McDonalds...or you skip breakfast entirely. So maybe this would be a good option for you! They are relatively healthy after all...and if you add a glass of milk or a tall latte for a little extra protein, even better.

Breakfast Cookies

• Per serving (1 cookie) - 190 calories, 9 g fat (2 g saturated), 23 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 3 g protein (exchanges: 1 1/2 fat, 1 1/2 starch; WW points: 4)
• Notes - Whole wheat pastry flour is something I keep on hand to bake with...it is less processed than AP flour (so it has more of the natural fiber/vitamins/minerals) but is "softer" than regular whole wheat flour (so your baked goods aren't so dense)...I know you can find it at Whole Foods or order it online, but I bet Fresh Market carries it and maybe some locally owned grocers do too (Rouses? Acquistapace's in Covington? Calandro's in Baton Rouge?); I love using my (small) ice cream scoop for portioning cookies and cupcakes; If you use fresh berries like I did, fold them in VERY gently at the end
• My thoughts - Mostly, I've already told you what I think of these, but here's a little more...they are slightly sweet, cake-like cookies packed with healthy fats (nuts and canola) and some whole-grains and fruit...might be perfect for a quick grab-and-go breakfast (after they bake, store them in a zip-top bag in the freezer and when ready to eat, pop them in the microwave for about 45 seconds); the serving is one cookie (for around 200 calories), but I would be tempted to eat 2 (plus a glass of milk - can you really have cookies without milk?)...and for some people, a 400+ calorie breakfast might be too much; and just as a comparison, a whole wheat English Muffin plus 1 tbsp peanut butter = 230 calories, 9.5 g fat (2 g saturated), 30 g carbohydrates, 4 - 5 g fiber, 10 g protein

What Does a Dietitian Eat? Part II (Day 2)

Day two looked like the following:

• Breakfast - Oatmeal with banana, almonds, brown sugar, flaxseed; ½ cup cottage cheese with pear syrup; skim milk; water
• Lunch - Pressed ham and cheddar sandwich on a wheat bun with spicy mustard, lettuce, and thinly sliced apple; ½ of an apple; water
• Snack - Vanilla yogurt with stewed mixed berries
• Dinner - Salad with baked chicken, red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, shredded carrot, green onion, crushed pita chips and feta dressing; water
• Dessert - ½ apple

Approximately: 1534 calories (23% fat, 27% protein, 50% carbs); 15 g saturated fat (8%), 185 mg cholesterol, 25 g fiber, 1417 mg calcium

My target numbers: 45 - 65% carbs, 20 - 35% fat, 10 - 35% protein (less than 10% saturated), at least 25 g fiber, less than 300 mg cholesterol, at least 1000 mg calcium

Comments: Day two and still no coffee...I'm going to brunch Saturday morning so I may let myself have a cup then, but not until. I had a smaller bowl of oatmeal this morning and after eating it (and drinking a glass of milk), I still felt hungry. So that's when I decided on the cottage cheese. I sweetened it with a little juice from some canned pears that I reduced to a syrup.

Lunch was yummy and filling. Yes, I do put fruit on my sandwiches sometimes! I really like apple/pineapple/pear and ham together. I couldn't find 100% whole wheat buns at Whole Foods, just regular wheat. What's the difference? Well the first ingredient on the list is organic wheat flour, followed by filtered water, organic whole wheat flour, etc. So the first ingredient isn't whole wheat flour, but there is some...and some is better than none! Each bun still has about 2 g fiber, which is acceptable.

Dinner was very filling too. The dressing that I've been using on my salad is delish! If you like feta, please give it a try!

Creamy Feta-Red Wine Vinegar Dressing
adapted from davidlebovitz.com (he wrote the ice cream book that I love)

Makes about 1 cup (or 8 2-tablespoon servings)

4 ounces feta cheese
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon finely-chopped fresh oregano (or a pinch or two of dried oregano...Italian seasoning would work too)
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 tablespoons water
salt and black pepper

Mash the feta, vinegar, and oregano with a fork until fairly smooth. Mix in the olive oil and water, until smooth. Taste first (because the feta is already salty) and then season with salt and pepper. This dressing will keep for four days in the refrigerator. (After mashing the feta, I added all ingredients to a jar and shook it to combine everything else).

Per serving (2 tablespoons): 69 calories, 6 g fat (3 g saturated), 1 g carbohydrates, 0 g fiber, 2 g protein (exchanges: 1 ½ fat)

Comments: The original recipe says it makes 3/4 of a cup, but I ended up with about 1 cup; David suggests serving it 1) over a Caesar-ish salad with romaine lettuce, red onions, and garlic croutons, 2) alongside tabbouleh, 3) mashed with canned tuna fish and chopped capers or green olives and scallions, 4) drizzled over a plate of seasonal tomatoes with fresh chopped oregano, 5) tossed with a mix of winter greens, slices of pear, and toasted pecans, 6) over grilled chicken breasts or tuna steaks, 7) with falafel, or 8) as a dip for toasted pita chips, radishes, or raw vegetables. Its pretty good on my salad too!

Wild Rice Cranberry Pecan Salad

(This post has been updated here)

I served this salad as a trial run at my party Sunday night...the real event is Hilary's graduation/Christmas party this coming Sunday for over 100 people. Needless to say, I will have to make a very large batch!

I bought a wild rice and brown basmati rice blend in the bulk section of Whole Foods. Both are whole grains. If you can't find a blend, just substitute brown rice and wild rice in a 3:1 ratio (¾ cup brown and ¼ cup wild).

This is meant to be a side dish and therefore it makes 10 small servings...you could add some lean protein to it (chopped chicken or turkey) and serve it as a main course. In that case, I would figure 5 or 6 servings.

Wild Rice Cranberry Pecan Salad

adapted from simplyrecipes.com

Makes 10 ½-cup servings

1 cup brown rice wild rice mix

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped

½ cup pecans, toasted and chopped

½ cup green onions, thinly sliced

¼ cup lemon juice

¼ cup olive oil

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon lemon zest

Salt and pepper

Cook rice according to package instructions, omitting fat and adding 1/2 tsp salt. Here is the method I used:

Rinse rice. Put all ingredients (1 cup rice, 2 cups water, 1/2 tsp salt) in pot with tight-fitting lid. Stir, bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes. Do not remove lid. Remove from heat and allow to sit covered for 10 minutes. Then uncover, fluff with a fork, and let cool to almost room temperature.

In a medium sized bowl, combine the cooled rice, cranberries, pecans, and green onions.

In a separate jar, mix the lemon juice, olive oil, sugar, lemon zest, and salt and pepper to taste.

Combine dressing with the rice mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to blend. Serve warm, chilled, or room temperature.

Per serving - 168 calories, 10 g fat (1 g saturated), 19 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 3g protein (exchanges: 2 fat, 1 starch)

Notes - You could swap the lemon juice and zest for orange; omitting all or half of the pecans would save a few fat grams; this salad is more of a method than a recipe...you could substitute any of the ingredients (a different grain, nut, fruit, vegetable...the sky's the limit); I like serving grain salads over lettuce - I would double the dressing for the rice, saving half to drizzle over the lettuce (or to use with another salad)

Meet Biscotti

My sister (and roommate now that I'm back in Louisiana) is living in NYC this summer doing a fashion internship with Mint. I decided that I needed a temporary roommate...meet Biscotti, aka Scotti, my new kitty (that's Frances, one of my little "sisters", holding the kitty).






He is so cute and very playful! I am enjoying his company (and so is Frances...Scotti has spent quite a bit of time in her baby carriage!).

All of the recipes are from a new cookbook that I bought earlier this year and love. "The Food You Crave" is the title and it's written by Ellie Krieger. As I've mentioned before, she is a dietitian/chef for the Food Network. All of her recipes on the Food Network website have the nutrition information posted. Go to the website and search for "ellie" (which I've done here) and it will show you all of her recipes. You can order the book on Amazon (if you buy it used its only about $16).

Of the following recipes, I've made and love the Thai Beef Salad. If you do nothing else, make the dressing...it is so good!

I've also been told by other TWL participants that the Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach, the Portobello Lasagna Rollups, and the Broccoli with Toasted Garlic are delish.

When I first sent these recipes for TWL it was Super Bowl time, so I included 2 dip recipes and one for chili (being "triple bean" its very high in fiber - 9 grams, 36% of your Daily Value). The Baba Ghanoush is a great dip...starch free and so good (its made with eggplant which when roasted gets really creamy).

Grilled Thai Beef Salad -

• Per serving - 345 calories, 18.5 g fat (4.5 g saturated), 12 g carbohydrates, 33 g protein, 1 g fiber (exchanges: 3.5 fat, 2 vegetables, 4 protein)
• Notes - I buy fresh ginger, cut off what I need, and store the rest in the freezer in a Ziploc bag…it will keep forever; you could (and should) add more veggies to this salad…shredded carrots, diced red bell pepper, snow peas...

Three Bean and Beef Chili -

• Per serving - 295 calories, 8 g fat (2.5 g saturated), 35 g carbohydrates, 22 g protein, 10 g fiber (exchanges: 1.5 fat, 1 vegetable, 2 protein, 2 starch)
• Notes - Chipotles are dried, smoked jalapenos and you can find them canned in adobo sauce (which is made from dried chiles, herbs, and vinegar) on the Mexican food isle...they are optional and I don't really like them and would probably leave them out; chop left-over chipotles and freeze them in small Ziploc bags with about 2 tablespoons in each bag

Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach -

• Per serving - 353 calories, 6 g fat (0.9 g saturated), 42 g carbohydrates, 34 g protein, 8 g fiber (exchanges: 1 fat, 2 vegetable, 1.5 starch, 4 protein)
• Notes - This recipe is great for a FAST week night dinner...less than 15 minutes! Look for whole wheat couscous by the rice that comes in clear plastic containers or by the boxed rice mixes (click here for some pictures/brands)

Fish Tacos with Chipotle Cream -

• Per serving (2 tacos) - 420 calories, 17 g fat (2 g saturated),41 g carbohydrates, 28 g protein, 5 g fiber (exchanges: 3.5 fat, 2 starch, 3 protein)
• Notes - Buy pre-shredded, bagged cabbage to save time and if you don’t want to make the chipotle cream, substitute store bought salsa

Portobello Lasagna Rollups -

• Per serving (one roll...not 2 like the link recommends) - 229 calories, 9 g fat (3.2 g saturated),28 g carbohydrates, 13 g protein, 6 g fiber (exchanges: 2 fat, 1 vegetable, 1 starch, 1 protein)
• Notes - Complete the meal and serve with Broccoli with Toasted Garlic (see recipe below)

Pork Au Poivre -

• Per serving - 235 calories, 10 g fat (3 g saturated), 2 g carbohydrates, 30 g protein, 0 g fiber (exchanges: 2 fat, 4 protein)
• Notes - Don’t overcook the pork…it easily will become tough and dry if you do; complete the meal and serve with a baked potato and steamed green beans; just so you know, poivre, pronounced PWAHV-r, is French for pepper

Broccoli with Toasted Garlic -

• Per serving - 73 calories, 4 g fat (0.5 g saturated), 8 g carbohydrates, 3 g protein, 3 g fiber
  (exchanges: 1 fat, 1.5 vegetable)

Babaganoush -

• Per serving (1/3 cup) - 75 calories, 4 g fat (0.5 g saturated), 9 g carbohydrates, 2.5 g protein, 4 g fiber (exchanges: 1 vegetable, 1 fat)
• Notes - Tahini is ground sesame seed paste common in Middle Eastern cooking and can be found on the ethnic foods isle in most grocery stores...you could substitute olive oil or unsweetened peanut butter in a pinch; serve with vegetables sticks/slices (red bell pepper, celery, cucumber), baked tortilla chips, or whole wheat pita bread

Five Layer Mexican Dip -

• Per serving (1/2 cup) - 140 calories, 8 g fat (2 g saturated), 15 g carbohydrates, 5 g protein, 5 g fiber (exchanges: 1 starch, 1.5 fat, 0.5 protein)
• Notes - The jalapeno and chipotle are optional; each serving has 5 grams of fiber!

Here are some interesting links:

Whole Grains - why you need them, where to get them, and how not to be fooled when shopping

Oatmeal - if you are inspired after reading the previous article, this is a new oatmeal to try...a little less processed than most Quaker instant varieties

Have a great week!