Soup Lady, "Cooking from the Heart"

Antipasti Salad

There is a nice little Italian restaurant up from our house called Romano's.  We really love their antipasti salad.  A bountiful salad filled with meats, veggies and is full of flavor.

Deb's Concept

Us the type of lettuce you like.  Jamie likes iceberg I like Romaine.  Lots of types to choose from.  We like to chop the lettuce in small bites so it does not hang out of your mouth when you eat it.  Add salami, cheese, olives, pepperoncini, and whatever else floats your boat.  Arrange in a pretty pattern on the plate.  Top with your favorite salad dressing.

Belisimo!

 

Cotija Cheese Salad

This is just a toss together salad using what I had around the house.  Veggies add color, crunch and interest.  Cheese and dressing add the fat and calories - yum! Chopped fruit and sunflower seeds add the unexpected touch.

Ingredients:

Your favorite lettuce, chopped

Avocado

Cotija cheese, crumbled

Carrots, diced

Green onions, diced

Bell pepper

Tomatoes

Sunflower Seeds

Fruit mix (raisins, cranberries, etc).

Salad dressing (your favorite)

Directions:

1.  Base layer lettuce

2.  Second layer veggies

3.  Third layer cheese

4.  Fourth layer raisins

5.  Fifth layer sunflower seeds

6.  Sixth layer dressing

Lettuce Wraps

I really love PF Chang's Lettuce Wraps.  There is a cooking store right up the street from me conveniently called The Cooking Store.  They do cooking demos there and they were sharing the PF Chang's recipe so I had to go.  These take some time to make but are definitely worth the effort.  And, using Weight Watchers they are only 4 points each.

Ingredients:

Chicken Filling:

8 dried shiitake mushrooms

1 tsp. cornstarch

2 tsp. dry sherry

2 tsp. soy sauce

2 tsp. water

Salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 pounds ground chicken

5 Tbl. plus 1 tsp. vegetable oil

1 tsp. minced fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 green onions, minced

Pinch red pepper flakes

1 8 oz. can bamboo shoots, minced

1 8 oz can water chestnuts

1 package Chinese rice stick noodles, fried in oil until crispy

6 to 8 large iceberg or butter lettuce leaves

Stir Fry Sauce:

1 Tbl. hoisin sauce

1 Tbl. soy sauce

1 Tbl. dry sherry

2 Tbl. oyster sauce

2 Tbl. water

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 tsp. sugar

2 tsp. cornstarch

Spicy Sauce:

1 Tbl. soy sauce

1 Tbl. rice vinegar

1 Tbl. water

1/4 tsp. minced fresh ginger

1/2 tsp. minced green onion

1/2 tsp. Asian hot sauce

1/2 tsp. Chinese spicy mustard

Directions:

1.  Cover mushrooms with boiling water and let stand 30 minutes.  Drain, remove stems and mince mushrooms.  Mix all the ingredients for stir fry sauce in a bowl.  Mix all ingredients for Spicy Sauce in a small bowl.

2.  For filling, combine cornstarch, Sherry, soy sauce, water, salt, pepper and chicken.  Stir to coat chicken thoroughly.  Stir in 1 tsp. oil and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.  Heat a wok over medium high heat.  Ad  3 Tbl. oil, then add chicken and toss and cook through.  Remove to a bowl. 

3.  Add 2 Tbl. oil to wok and then add ginger, garlic, pepper flakes and green onion.  Stir fry about a minute - do not brown.  Add mushrooms, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts; stir fry an additional 2 minutes.  Return chicken to pan, tossing to rewarm.  Stir the sauce and add to wok, tossing until thickened.

4.  Break the fried noodles into small pieces and cover bottom os serving dish with them.  The pour chicken mixture on top of noodles.  Serve with lettuce cups to fill with chicken mixture and noodles.  Drizzle with Spicy Sauce.  Roll and eat.

Potato Salad

If they (whoever they are) said to me, you can only eat one food for the rest of your life - I would pick the potato.  I love french fries,  hash browns, mashed, scalloped, baked, potato soup, potato bread, and last, but not least - potato salad. I really like potato salad since there are so many variations (see my Ranch Potato Salad recipe).  This is a basic potato salad, which complements a good sandwich or can be eaten with BBQ.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds small potatoes
• Kosher salt
• 2 cups mayonnaise
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup mustard
• 1/4 cup finely chopped dill pickles with 1/4 cup juice
• 2 tablespoons Litehouse dehydrated red onions
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 3 hard boiled eggs
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Freshly pepper

Directions:

Put the potatoes and eggs into a big saucepan of cold salted water. Bring to a simmer. After 12 minutes remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and let cool. Continue cooking the potatoes until a paring knife poked into them goes in without resistance.. Drain the potatoes in a colander and let them cool in the fridge.

Meanwhile, stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, pickles and their juice, and onion, in a bowl large enough to hold the potatoes. Peel the cool eggs and chop them into the bowl. Stick a fork into the potatoes and lift them 1 at a time out of the colander. Break up the potatoes by hand into rough chunks, add them to the bowl and toss to coat with the dressing. Season, with salt and pepper to taste.

Chicken Coleslaw Salad

Since I work full time, I like recipes that use pre-packaged foods that make quick healthy meals when I get home from work.  It give me less of an excuse to go out and eat fast food or buy more expensive restaurant food when I can eat what I have at home. This recipe takes 5 minutes to make if you are like us and always have chicken around the house.

Ingredients:

• Dog chicken (see recipe, or any cooked chicken)
• Pre-packaged coleslaw
• Green onions (to taste)
• Litehouse brand coleslaw dressing (or your favorite brand)
• Pre-packaged coleslaw
• Slivered almonds

Directions:

• Add coleslaw to bowl
• Add green onions to coleslaw
• Add dressing to taste and mix well
• Add chicken
• Add slivered almonds to top

That's it.  Eat and enjoy.