Chicken, Rice, and Black Bean Salad

My friend Kurt is coming over tonight to eat dinner and watch the hockey game with me (our last dinner and hockey game together before he moves to Scottsdale on Wednesday...Boo Hoo!!!), and since it's warm outside and I was looking for something easy to make, I decided to make Chicken, Rice, and Black Bean Salad from an old issue of Everyday Food magazine. It looked like a tastebud-friendly meal that both of us would enjoy, and since I had all of the ingredients on hand, it was a no-brainer to make it.

Since I actually (sort of) planned ahead for dinner tonight, last night I made Key Lime Pie with Coconut Graham Cracker Crust to have afterwards for dessert. (There are two reasons I chose to make a key lime pie. You'll have to wait for the next post.) I'll post a review of both recipes later tonight or tomorrow morning, but I just wanted to get a head start now and post the recipe for our main course (if that's what you want to call it).

Update (as promised): This salad is fantastic and very filling. Kurt's first words after his first bite was, "Damn, this is good." I guess that could sum up my reaction to it, too. I followed the recipe exactly as written. I did leave in the seeds from the jalapeno, and it added a nice kick. I also used a generous 1/2 teaspoon of cumin. I used a few pinches of sea salt and generously grinded fresh black pepper over the salad before tossing it one last time and serving. This recipe makes a LOT of food. (Kurt left tonight with a big plastic container of it, and I cannot wait to eat it again for lunch...and probably dinner...tomorrow.) This would be great to take along to a picnic or BBQ as a different kind of cold salad...you know, not the typical (boring) pasta salad and potato salad you see all the time.

Chicken, Rice, and Black Bean Salad

Source: Everyday Food magazine - June 2005, p. 105

1 cup brown (or white) rice
1 cooked chicken (about 2 ½ pounds), shredded (about 4 cups)
1 can (15.5 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
6 plum tomatoes, sliced*
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 jalapeno chile, minced (seeds and ribs removed for less heat, if desired)
¼ cup white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Cook rice according to package instructions. Spread on a baking sheet; refrigerate until cool.

Place cooled rice in a large bowl; add chicken, beans, tomatoes, scallions, jalapeno, vinegar, oil, and cumin. Season with salt and pepper; toss to combine. Serve immediately, or refrigerate, covered, up to 1 day.

*How to slice plum tomatoes:
Quarter tomatoes lengthwise. Lay quarters skin side down, and slice out seeds. Slice flesh crosswise about ¼ inch thick.

In serving bowl (without flash):

 
















Scooped out into individual bowl (with flash):

 

Cucumber Salad with Rice Vinegar Dressing

I made this salad yesterday to eat as a side to the Ham and Manchego Panini with Dipping Sauce. It was really tasty yesterday, but it tastes even better today after sitting overnight in the refrigerator. It's really easy to make, and the light dressing is very flavorful. (I used Boyajian Toasted Sesame Oil.) The green onions and peanuts add even more flavor along with a nice crunch. The Cooking Light description sums it up perfectly: "Peanuts boost the crunch in this cool, refreshing salad, while dark sesame oil deepens the taste."

Cucumber Salad with Rice Vinegar Dressing

Source: Cooking Light, June 2007

3 cups thinly sliced seeded peeled cucumber (about 2 medium)
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts

Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl; toss to coat cucumber. Sprinkle with onions and peanuts before serving.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup salad, 1 teaspoon green onions, and 3/4 teaspoon peanuts)

 

New Potato Salad

My friend Kurt had his final "Balcony Barbecue Bash" (say that three times fast!!!) this afternoon, and once again, he asked if I would make potato salad. This recipe for New Potato Salad is in the current issue of Cooking Light magazine. I have tried two other Cooking Light potato salad recipes over the years, and I have to say that this is the best one yet. The tangy white wine vinegar and Dijon mustard along with the creamy mayonnaise makes a very flavorful dressing to coat the potatoes and other veggies. The red bell pepper, celery, shallots and green onions add a flavorful crunch as well as a variety of color that make the potato salad visually appealing. (This potato salad recipe is very "onion-y", though, so if you don't like onions as much as both Kurt and I do, you may want to use either green onions or shallots...not both. Personally, I think the onion flavor is the reason I liked this recipe so much.) This recipe does not taste low fat at all. It's every bit as creamy and delicious as fuller fat potato salad recipes.

I also made a batch of cookies today, but you'll have to wait until tomorrow for that recipe. I'm off to wash my face and brush my teeth before Entourage comes on.

New Potato Salad

Source: Cooking Light, June 2007

New--or young--red potatoes hold their shape well after cooking, making it easy to quarter them when tender.

1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/3 cup finely chopped celery
5 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
1/4 cup minced shallots
1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place potatoes in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain. Cool. Cut potatoes into quarters. Combine potatoes and remaining ingredients in a large bowl; toss gently to coat.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup)

 

 

Creamy Potato Salad

It's Hockey Night in Marietta, Georgia tonight. Somehow, it just doesn't have the same ring to it as Hockey Night in Canada, eh? I'm going over to watch the Ducks/Red Wings game with my friend Kurt. I can already envision him clad in his Yzerman jersey and nervous about the game. (What do I care? My team lost in the first round.) In lieu of the cookies or brownies I usually take him, Kurt asked if I could bring "potato salad with no eggs in it" instead. Looks like we both adamantly agree on the fact that potato salad should 100% NOT have any hard-boiled eggs in it. (That's why egg salad was created, people.) I'll comment more later, but I wanted to blog the recipe and pictures while waiting for rush-hour traffic to end.

(I'm taking the remaining four-fifths of the Lemon Cheesecake Pie over with me, too. Along with some purple and green grapes for good measure. He's grilling the chicken and providing the beer for him and the bottled water for me. That's good enough for us both.)

Creamy Potato Salad

Adapted from Cooking Light Five-Star Recipes

2 lbs. small potatoes (I used Melissa's Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes)
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
1 (2 ounce) jar diced pimiento, drained
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain fat-free plain yogurt
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Green onion fan (optional)

Cut potatoes into 1/2-inch pieces; place in a medium saucepan. Add water to cover. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool. Combine potato, chopped green onions, and pimiento in a large bowl; toss gently.

Combine mayonnaise and next 9 ingredients; stir well. Add to potato mixture, tossing gently to coat. Cover and chill. Garnish with a green onion fan, if desired.

Yields: 8 servings