Circa 2011

TUSCAN WHITE BEAN SALAD ON CROSTINI
This elegant appetizer or flavorful side dish features healthy beans. Begin tossing ingredients together about 45 minutes before serving, so the salad can chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Aside from its star, the white bean, the tomatoes, onions, and parsley in this recipe are also rich in cancer-fighting nutrients, while the calorie count is on the skinny side.
Ingredients:
SALAD DRESSING:
• 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
BEAN SALAD:
• 2 16-ounce cans cannelloni beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
• 1-1/2 cups diced plum tomato
• 1/2 cup chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
Two loaves deli-style bread for the crostini. (French, Italian, or whole-wheat, for example.)
Directions:
To prepare dressing: In a nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and oregano; sauté for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar.
To prepare the salad: In a large bowl, combine remaining teaspoon of olive oil and the next seven ingredients: beans through pepper. Add the dressing to the bean salad; toss lightly. Cover and chill for 30 minutes before serving.
To prepare crostini: Slice bread thinly. Toast under a broiler or in the toaster. Top with bean salad. Serves 8.
Approximate per serving: 289 calories, 6 grams of fat. Note: Cannelloni beans are large, white Italian kidney beans. Great Northern beans, which look like white lima beans, can be used as a substitute.
CRISPY SHRIMP SENSATIONS
If you love shrimp, here’s a crunchy new way to eat them.
Ingredients:
• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined (about 24 shrimp)
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 large egg whites
• 1- 1/2 cups finely crushed, reduced-fat buttery crackers (about 35 crackers), such as Ritz
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• cooking spray
• 1 12-ounce bottle cocktail sauce
• lemon wedges
Directions:
Preheat broiler. Place shrimp and cornstarch in resealable plastic bag. Close bag and shake to coat. In a small bowl, combine water and egg whites; beat until foamy. In second small bowl, combine cracker crumbs, paprika, salt, and pepper. Dip shrimp in egg white mixture, then coat with crumb mixture.
Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Spray shrimp with a light coat of cooking spray. Broil 5 minutes or until the shrimp are done, turning once.
Serve with cocktail sauce and lemon wedges. Serves 8. Approximate per serving: 310 calories; 4.5 grams of fat.
MINTED MELON BALLS
Lime juice, mint, and a spoonful of sugar add an upscale twist to this simple fruit salad recipe, and one cup provides one of the five servings of fruits and vegetables needed each day to help ward off cancer. Most people consider melons to be a fruit, but they are really vegetables related to the cucumber and the gourd.
Ingredients:
• 2 cups watermelon, seedless or seeds removed
• 2 cups cantaloupe
• 2 cups honeydew melon
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• 3 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped finely
Directions:
Scoop out watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew melon meat with a melon baller. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring water, sugar, and lime juice to a boil. Boil 2 minutes and remove from heat.
Cool completely. Toss sugar mixture together with melon and mint. Chill well. Serves 8. Approximate per serving: 60 calories; 0 grams of fat
WARM CHICKEN SALAD & WALNUT SHERRY VINAIGRETTE
Ingredients:
• 4 chicken breasts, skinless, poached
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 4 ounces walnuts
• 2 scallions, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup sherry
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• salt and pepper
• salad greens
• chives, chopped, for garnish
Directions:
To poach chicken breasts, bring a pot of salted water, enough to cover the chicken, to a boil. Add the chicken. Return to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook 10 minutes, or until the meat is white in the center. Remove chicken from the water. Salt and pepper the meat and keep warm.
In a sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil and add the walnuts. Saute for 1-2 minutes, giving the nuts a touch of toasting. Remove from pan. Add scallions and garlic. Saute 1 minute. Add sherry and simmer until reduced.
Meanwhile, slice the chicken crosswise in strips. Add the vinegar and 2 remaining tablespoons of canola oil to the sauté pan. Heat through. Add the chicken and walnuts to the pan. Toss with the vinaigrette.
Serve the chicken over a bed of salad greens. Use all the vinaigrette in the pan to drizzle over the chicken. Sprinkle with chives to garnish. Serves 8. Approximate per serving: 306 calories; 14.9 grams total fat; 46.1% calories from fat.
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