Macaroni, Tomato, Corn, and Basil Salad

Serves 4

Recipe from Bon Appetit Magazine

Husband-Tested in Alice Wootton’s Kitchen

¾ cup uncooked whole-wheat elbow macaroni OR other bite-sized whole-grain pasta

4 medium tomatoes, cut into thin wedges OR 3-4 cups cherry tomatoes
5 green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup thin slices halved English hothouse cucumber OR regular cucumbers, seeded
1 cup fresh corn kernels or frozen, thawed
1 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves

1/3 cup plain nonfat yogurt
3 Tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
1½ Tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 garlic cloves, peeled

Cook macaroni in medium saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Rinse under cold water. Drain well. Transfer macaroni to large bowl. Add tomatoes, green onions, cucumber and corn.  Blend basil, yogurt, mayonnaise, lime juice and garlic in processor until basil is finely chopped. Add basil dressing to macaroni mixture and toss to blend. Season salad with salt and pepper.  (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Apricot-Basil Chicken Salad

Apricot-Basil Chicken Salad served along with a few Multi-Grain Tortilla Chips
and a fresh, local peach make for a very satisfying lunch!

Recipe from Everyday Food (Darlene Rose Cook)

Adapted a bit and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 4

Chicken salad makes such a great lunchbox main.  I’ve made lots of different kinds of chicken salads and this one is a keeper.  We really like the crunch of the almonds and the flavor of the summer fresh basil.  The dressing has a nice tang to it and I like the fact that the recipe uses a mayo-yogurt combo. We enjoyed this salad with a ripe peach on the side.  When whole chickens go on sale, buy a couple and roast them at the same time.  Remove the meat and freeze in 3-4 cup portions.  (Use the carcasses to make Homemade ChickenStock.) Thaw the meat in the fridge overnight when you are ready to make chicken salad for your lunches. 

3-4 cups cooked chicken, shredded

½ cup almonds, toasted* and roughly chopped

½ medium (½ cup) white onion, minced

1 large celery stalk (½ cup) minced (include the leaves if you have them)

1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped

1/3-½ cup packed fresh basil leaves, torn or chopped

1/3 cup mayonnaise

½ cup plain Greek yogurt

1 garlic clove, minced

½ teaspoon paprika

5 teaspoons white-wine vinegar or champagne vinegar

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

In a large bowl, toss together the chicken, almonds, onion, celery, apricots and basil.  In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, yogurt, garlic, paprika, vinegar, salt and pepper.  Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture and stir together until all the salad ingredients are coated.  Serve.  Store in the fridge.

*To toast almonds, preheat the oven to 400F.  Place the almonds on a baking sheet.  Bake for 7-8 minutes.

Nutritional Information per Serving:  (This info is with 3 cups chicken, low-fat yogurt and 1/3 cup almonds.) 315 calories; 21.2 g fat (2.5 sat. fat); 18.4 g protein; 12.9 g carb; 2.3 g fiber

Tandoori Chicken with Yogurt Sauce

Pictured here is Tandoori Chicken with Yogurts Sauce
served with No-Fail Big Batch Brown Rice and Orange and Avocado Salad

Recipe from Everyday Food Magazine

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Serves 4

This was quite delicious and easy to make. So many flavors….wow!  Because of my schedule, I prepped it all in the morning, left the chicken in the yogurt coating in the fridge and then baked it when I got home. Serve this dish with brown rice and a nice, crisp salad for a dinner worthy of company.  (This was a BIG hit with the hubby and easy for me to make, so it will be in our regular rotation.)

1 cup plain low-fat yogurt (divided)

2 garlic cloves, minced (I used 3 cloves of garlic.)

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground ginger

Coarse salt and ground pepper

4 bone-in, skinless chicken breast halves (10 to 12 ounces each) (I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  Chicken thighs can also be used.)

2 Granny Smith apples

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together ½ cup yogurt, garlic, turmeric, ginger, 2 teaspoons salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add chicken; turn to coat.
  

(You can prep this in advance, keep the chicken in the yogurt mixture in the fridge and then bake later in the day.)


Transfer chicken to a rimmed baking sheet. (To save on cleanup, I put the chicken breasts on parchment paper on a baking sheet.)  

Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of breast (avoiding bone, if using bone-in chicken) registers 160 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes.
**  (If using boneless, skinless chicken breasts, check the temperature at 20 minutes.  It took my oven 25 minutes to cook the chicken.)


Meanwhile, peel apple; coarsely grate into a medium bowl. Add cilantro and remaining 1/2 cup yogurt; season with salt and pepper. (This can be made in advance and kept in the fridge until dinner time.)
Serve sauce alongside chicken, with rice, if desired.

Per Serving:  346 calories; 6.9 grams fat; 54.5 grams protein; 14.1 grams carbohydrates; 1.6 grams fiber