Mexican Chopped Salad, from Mandy

I am often without jicama, so have been known to sub cukes. It's good.


Mexican Chopped Salad

Salad
2 1/2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 can (15.5 oz) black beans, rinsed and well drained
3/4 cup chopped seeded tomato
3/4 cup chopped peeled jicama
3/4 cup fresh corn kernels, uncooked (or frozen or canned)
3/4 cup thinly sliced radishes
Half a ripe avocado, diced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese

Honey-Lime Dressing
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro (or more to taste)
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 tsp chopped jalapeño pepper (use canned for less heat)

Toss all salad ingredients in a large bowl. In separate bowl, mix dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over mixture and toss again. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Suggested by Mandy - Chicken Diablo

Chicken Diablo
Serves 8

For the marinade:
3 ounces blended oil (10 percent olive oil, 90 percent canola)
5 ounces Grey Poupon mustard
3 ounces lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the sauce:
1 46-ounce can chicken broth
1/4 pound margarine or butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 ounces lemon juice
4 ounces Grey Poupon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

For the chicken:
8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 pounds fresh angel hair pasta

For the chicken:

In a mixing bowl large enough to hold all of the chicken, whisk together the marinade ingredients. Add the chicken and coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate. Can be done 1-2 days in advance, or 2-4 hours ahead. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake the chicken flat on a sheet pan for 12-15 minutes, until thoroughly cooked.

For the sauce:

Melt the margarine and whisk with the flour to make a light roux. Heat gently about 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. In a separate pot, add mushrooms and lemon juice to chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer, and thicken with the roux, using a whisk to mix. Add remaining sauce ingredients, except the parsley. Keep warm until serving.

To finish:

Bring 2 gallons of water to a boil to cook the pasta. Cook pasta and drain. Toss in a pot with the sauce. Add parsley and pre-plate pasta or pour into a large serving bowl. Top pasta with cooked chicken breasts and garnish with parsley sprigs.

Suggested by Mandy - Turkey Jerk Burgers

Here is the recipe for the jerk turkey burgers from last week. The family likes them a lot, though we don't use rolls and I substitute mango for the papaya (I am cheap like that). The squeeze of lime juice is what makes it super.

Turkey Jerk Burgers (swiped from Rachael Ray)

1 1/3 pound ground turkey breast, the average weight of 1 package
1 garlic clove, minced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 serrano or jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1-inch ginger root, grated
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, a few sprigs, leaves stripped and chopped
1 teaspoon allspice, eyeball the amount
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg,
freshly grated or ground
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
Coarse salt
Extra-virgin olive oil or vegetable oil, for drizzling
1 ripe lime, juiced
4 bib or green leaf lettuce leaves
4 crusty plain or cornmeal dusted Kaiser rolls,

split Papaya Salsa:
1 large, ripe papaya, seeded, peeled and diced
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
1 serrano or jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, a palm full of leafy tops, finely chopped
1 navel orange, juiced
Coarse salt


Preheat a large nonstick skillet, indoor grill pan or tabletop grill to medium high heat. Combine the turkey, garlic, scallions, ginger, thyme, allspice, nutmeg, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Form mixture into 4 large patties no more than 1-inch thick. Drizzle the patties with a touch of oil. Place patties in a hot pan or on a hot grill and cook 6 minutes on each side. Squeeze the juice of 1 ripe lime over the patties before removing them from the heat. Place the cooked patties on bun bottoms and top with lettuce leaves. Combine the papaya, red bell pepper, red onion, serrano or jalapeno, cilantro and orange juice in a bowl. Season salsa with salt, to your taste. Pile salsa on top of the lettuce resting on cooked patties and add bun tops to the burgers. Serve with Chili Lime Avocados and pineapple wedges.

Suggested by Mandy - New Potato Curry

New Potato Curry (Judith Finlayson's 150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes)

2 T clarified butter or veg oil
1 lb small new potatoes
2 onions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp curry, preferably Madras
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cracked peperrcorn
1/2 c water or chicken stock
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 chopped cilantro

Heat butter or oil over medium high heat. Add potatoes and cook just till they begin to brown. Transfer to slow cooker.

Back to stove, reduce heat to medium, add onions and cook till softened. Add garlic, curry powder, salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute. Add water or stock, bring to a boil and pour over potatoes.

Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5 till the potatoes are tender. Stir in lemon juice and garnish with cilantro.

Chicken Barbeque, ideas from Mandy

A bottle of good BBQ and frozen chicken breast, cooked all day and shredded, makes a passable sandwich.

I like it more as a pizza, with colby jack cheese and chopped scallions. I love cheese, though.