Eating Well

Cooking Well is one of my favorite magazines. It contains yummy recipes that the average cook can make, and most of the time you can find all the ingredients in your pantry or cupboards. Not only are the ideas different each month, but they are meant to be healthy and nutritous. No wonder why the magazine's slogan is "where good taste meets good health." The recipes come with all the nutrition facts and little tid bits about where certain spices come from and why it's important to use them. Recently, I found a few pages dedicated to stir fry's that I thought looked delicious and pretty simple. I thought I'd share.
Peanut Noodle With Shredded Chicken and Vetatables
Makes 6 servings, 1 1/2 cups each
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup smooth natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons chile-garlic sauce, or to taste (see Ingredient note)
1 teaspoon fresh ginger
8 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti
1 12-ounce bag fresh vegetable medley (or create your own mix), such as
carrots, broccoli, snow peas
1. Put a large pot of water on to boil for cooking pasta.
2. Meanwhile, place chicken in a skillet or saucepan and add enoughwaterto cover; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer
gentlyuntil cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 10 to 12
minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. When cool enough to
handle, shred into bite-size strips.
3. Whisk peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic, chile-garlic sauce and ginger in
a large bowl.
4. Cook pasta in the boiling water until not quite tender, about 1 minute less than specified in the package directions. Add vegetables and cook until the
pasta and vegetables are just tender, 1 minute more. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Rinse the pasta and vegetables with cool water to refresh. Stir the reserved cooking liquid into the peanut sauce; add the pasta, vegetables and chicken; toss well to coat. Serve warm or chilled.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 363 calories; 12 g fat (2 g sat, 0 g mono); 44 mg cholesterol; 36 g carbohydrate; 29 g protein; 7 g fiber; 348 mg sodium. Nutrition bonus: Selenium (58% daily value), Fiber (27% dv), Vitamin C (25% dv), Magnesium (19% dv).
TIP: Ingredient note: Chile-garlic sauce (or chili-garlic sauce, or paste) is a blend of ground chiles, garlic and vinegar and is commonly used to add heat and flavor to Asian soups, sauces and stir-fries. It can be found in the Asian section of large supermarkets and keeps up to 1 year in the refrigerator.
Orange Scented Beef Stir-fry
Orange marmalade is the secret ingredient in this quick stir-fry. For variations, substitute chicken, shrimp, pork or tofu for the beef; adjusting the cooking time accordingly.
Makes 4 servings, 1 1/4 cups each
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
1 tablespoon oyster-flavored sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 1/2-2 teaspoons chile-garlic sauce
4 teaspoons canola oil, divided
12 ounces beef top sirloin, trimmed of fat and cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 large onion, slivered (1 1/2-2 cups)
1 small red bell pepper, diced (1 cup)
1 pound broccoli florets (about 4 cups)
1. Combine 1/4 cup broth, cornstarch, soy sauce, marmalade, oyster sauce, vinegar and chile-garlic sauce in a small bowl; mix well.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add half the beef; stir-fry until browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Stir-fry the remaining beef in 1 teaspoon oil; transfer to the plate. 3. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the wok. Add ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, 10 to 20 seconds. Add onion; stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add bell pepper and broccoli; stir-fry for 30 seconds. Pour in the remaining 1/4 cup broth, cover and cook until the vegetables are crisp-tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Push the vegetables to the sides. Stir the sauce mixture and add it to the wok. Cook, stirring, until the sauce becomes thick and translucent. Stir the vegetables into the sauce and return the beef to the wok; toss to coat. Serve immediately.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 266 calories; 11 g fat (3 g sat, 5 g mono); 42 mg cholesterol; 23 g carbohydrate; 20 g protein; 5 g fiber; 408 mg sodium.Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (273% daily value), Vitamin A (100% dv), Fiber (20% dv), Iron (20% dv).1 Carbohydrate Serving
And for all you Vegatarian Lovers out there....
Tofu with Thai Curry Sauce
Creamy Thai curry sauce gives tofu a spicy, satisfying kick. You can adjust the amount of curry paste depending on your spice preference. Serve with brown basmati rice and lime wedges.
Makes 4 servings, generous 3/4 cup each
Sauce
1 cup "lite" coconut milk (see Ingredient notes)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon red curry paste, or to taste (see Ingredient notes)
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Tofu & vegetables
14 ounces extra-firm tofu, preferably water-packed
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups baby spinach (6 ounces)
1 medium red bell pepper, sliced (1 1/2 cups)
1. To prepare sauce: Whisk coconut milk, cilantro, curry paste, brown sugar and salt in a small bowl.
2. To prepare tofu: Drain and rinse tofu; pat dry. Slice the block crosswise into eight 1/2-inch-thick slabs. Coarsely crumble each slice into smaller, uneven pieces.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add tofu and cook in a single layer, without stirring, until the pieces begin to turn golden brown on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Then gently stir and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until all sides are golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes more.
4. Add spinach, bell pepper and the curry sauce and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are just cooked, 1 to 2 minutes more.
NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 179 calories; 11 g fat (4 g sat, 3 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 13 g carbohydrate; 10 g protein; 4 g fiber; 405 mg sodium.Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (90% daily value), Calcium (20% dv).1 Carbohydrate Serving
TIP: Ingredient notes: Look for reduced-fat coconut milk (labeled "lite") in the Asian section of your market. Red curry paste is a convenient way to add heat and complexity to a recipe. Look for it in small jars in the Asian section of the supermarket.