Post by Tim Wescott on Mar 9, 2006 14:55:10 GMT -5
What's Cooking ?
By Carlo Filippone
I have four great salads for you to try: two precontest and two off-season salads. First, forget about those store bought dressings. I’ve heard of fellow competitors actually dieting for their contests using a low-fat dressing or a low-calorie, fat-free dressing.
Whether it is a lack of knowledge or plain disregard for the labels, those dressings just don’t cut it. There are many hidden sugars in those dressings.
Sometimes we make the mistake of buying something that we feel will benefit us. Instead, it actually sets us back.
Tell me, would you rather dress your salad with pure extra virgin olive oil, or corn syrup, which as we know is nothing but simple sugars.
That extra virgin olive oil, though it may contain plenty of fat, will do your body a world of good, as opposed to a dressing loaded with simple sugars which, yes, will taste great, but at the expense of your blood sugar levels rising and falling as quickly as some stocks on the stock market!
Do yourselves a favour and learn how to make these salads and the dressings. Not only are they simple to prepare, but taste even better. I’m sure you will enjoy the food without an ounce of guilt!
Let’s start with the off-season salads. I only refer to these salads as off-season because they have a considerable amount of carbohydrates; otherwise, there is really nothing off-season about them.
4 Great Salads
Potato & Tuna Salad
• 285 grams red potatoes
• 1 can tuna packed in water
• 1 cup string beans
• 1/4 cup red onions, sliced
• 2 mint leaves
• 2 pinches salt
• 2 pinches black pepper
• 1 1/2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. red wine vinegar
• 1 crushed garlic clove, or 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
Method
Boil water in a pot and add potatoes for 20 minutes or until cooked.
Stick a knife in the centre of the potato; if the potato slides right off it is cooked.
If you choose to microwave the potatoes, cook them for about 7 minutes.
Boil the string beans or microwave them for 2 minutes. When both the potatoes and string beans are cooked, place them in a large bowl with cold water to cool them quickly.
Cut the potatoes into cubes and the string beans in half.
In a mixing bowl, combine the tuna along with the other ingredients. Add potatoes and string beans to the bowl. Toss the ingredients.
Place the mix in a bowl and serve. This is perfect not only because it is healthful, but also it can be made ahead of time and placed in a container for you to take with you.
Italian Pasta Salad with Grilled Chicken
• 2 chicken breasts
• 4 pieces sun dried tomato
• 4 stalks asparagus
• 4 slices red onion
• 2 pinches salt
• 1 pinch black pepper
• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. red wine vinegar
• 3 sprigs of chopped fresh parsley
• 2 chopped basil leaves
Method
Why is it called an Italian pasta salad? I don’t know, I figured me being Italian and having put the recipe together was enough of a reason. If you are able to barbecue the chicken, terrific! If not use a Foreman grill if you have one available.
Bring a pot of water to a boil; add the pasta with a pinch of salt.
Cook pasta according to package directions, and be careful not to overcook it. Mushy pasta salad is a no-no.
In a separate pot bring water to a boil and add the asparagus stalks and cook for 2 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, combine all the other ingredients.
When the pasta is cooked strain it and run under cold water.
This will chill the pasta.
Strain the asparagus and add it to the mix.
Add the pasta to the mix and toss it all together.
You can serve the dish or refrigerate it to allow the flavours to set in and chill properly. I prefer to eat this out of the refrigerator; it just tastes much better colder.
Grilled Chicken Salad
• 2 chicken breasts
• 3 cups romaine lettuce
• 2 tbsp. cannellini beans (or white kidney beans) canned
• 4 slices red onion
• 6 large green olives
• 1 plum tomato
• 1 tbsp. parsley
• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp. red wine vinegar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch black pepper
• 1 pinch oregano
• 1 chopped garlic clove or 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
Method
Combine all the ingredients after you’ve placed your chicken on the grill. Toss well and place the chicken breasts over the salad when it’s cooked. It’s about 8 minutes worth of work including the grilling time on the chicken.
Grilled Shrimp Salad
• 8 jumbo shrimp
• 3 cups Arugala (or green of your choice)
• 1/2 plum tomato diced
• 4 slices red onion
• 4 large green olives
• 1 fresh garlic clove chopped
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch pepper
• 1 pinch oregano
• 1/8 cup clam juice
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. red wine vinegar
Method
Place the shrimp on the grill and combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Shrimp cook incredibly fast. Three to four minutes on the grill and they are ready to go.
Toss the mix well and place the grilled shrimp over the salad. If you are not done mixing your salad within that timeframe, remove the shrimp from the grill and then continue.
It is not fun eating tough shrimp, which is exactly what happens when the shrimp are overcooked. You can substitute the shrimp for lobster or tuna. You can grill a lobster tail in the same manner and place it over the salad, or grill a tuna steak and use that as your protein source.
If you’re not in a grilling mood, open a can of tuna, drain the water and throw that on to the salad. Either way, your salad will be loaded with quality protein with minimal caloric intake.
Satisfying to say the least!
By Carlo Filippone
I have four great salads for you to try: two precontest and two off-season salads. First, forget about those store bought dressings. I’ve heard of fellow competitors actually dieting for their contests using a low-fat dressing or a low-calorie, fat-free dressing.
Whether it is a lack of knowledge or plain disregard for the labels, those dressings just don’t cut it. There are many hidden sugars in those dressings.
Sometimes we make the mistake of buying something that we feel will benefit us. Instead, it actually sets us back.
Tell me, would you rather dress your salad with pure extra virgin olive oil, or corn syrup, which as we know is nothing but simple sugars.
That extra virgin olive oil, though it may contain plenty of fat, will do your body a world of good, as opposed to a dressing loaded with simple sugars which, yes, will taste great, but at the expense of your blood sugar levels rising and falling as quickly as some stocks on the stock market!
Do yourselves a favour and learn how to make these salads and the dressings. Not only are they simple to prepare, but taste even better. I’m sure you will enjoy the food without an ounce of guilt!
Let’s start with the off-season salads. I only refer to these salads as off-season because they have a considerable amount of carbohydrates; otherwise, there is really nothing off-season about them.
4 Great Salads
Potato & Tuna Salad
• 285 grams red potatoes
• 1 can tuna packed in water
• 1 cup string beans
• 1/4 cup red onions, sliced
• 2 mint leaves
• 2 pinches salt
• 2 pinches black pepper
• 1 1/2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. red wine vinegar
• 1 crushed garlic clove, or 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
Method
Boil water in a pot and add potatoes for 20 minutes or until cooked.
Stick a knife in the centre of the potato; if the potato slides right off it is cooked.
If you choose to microwave the potatoes, cook them for about 7 minutes.
Boil the string beans or microwave them for 2 minutes. When both the potatoes and string beans are cooked, place them in a large bowl with cold water to cool them quickly.
Cut the potatoes into cubes and the string beans in half.
In a mixing bowl, combine the tuna along with the other ingredients. Add potatoes and string beans to the bowl. Toss the ingredients.
Place the mix in a bowl and serve. This is perfect not only because it is healthful, but also it can be made ahead of time and placed in a container for you to take with you.
Italian Pasta Salad with Grilled Chicken
• 2 chicken breasts
• 4 pieces sun dried tomato
• 4 stalks asparagus
• 4 slices red onion
• 2 pinches salt
• 1 pinch black pepper
• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. red wine vinegar
• 3 sprigs of chopped fresh parsley
• 2 chopped basil leaves
Method
Why is it called an Italian pasta salad? I don’t know, I figured me being Italian and having put the recipe together was enough of a reason. If you are able to barbecue the chicken, terrific! If not use a Foreman grill if you have one available.
Bring a pot of water to a boil; add the pasta with a pinch of salt.
Cook pasta according to package directions, and be careful not to overcook it. Mushy pasta salad is a no-no.
In a separate pot bring water to a boil and add the asparagus stalks and cook for 2 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, combine all the other ingredients.
When the pasta is cooked strain it and run under cold water.
This will chill the pasta.
Strain the asparagus and add it to the mix.
Add the pasta to the mix and toss it all together.
You can serve the dish or refrigerate it to allow the flavours to set in and chill properly. I prefer to eat this out of the refrigerator; it just tastes much better colder.
Grilled Chicken Salad
• 2 chicken breasts
• 3 cups romaine lettuce
• 2 tbsp. cannellini beans (or white kidney beans) canned
• 4 slices red onion
• 6 large green olives
• 1 plum tomato
• 1 tbsp. parsley
• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp. red wine vinegar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch black pepper
• 1 pinch oregano
• 1 chopped garlic clove or 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
Method
Combine all the ingredients after you’ve placed your chicken on the grill. Toss well and place the chicken breasts over the salad when it’s cooked. It’s about 8 minutes worth of work including the grilling time on the chicken.
Grilled Shrimp Salad
• 8 jumbo shrimp
• 3 cups Arugala (or green of your choice)
• 1/2 plum tomato diced
• 4 slices red onion
• 4 large green olives
• 1 fresh garlic clove chopped
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch pepper
• 1 pinch oregano
• 1/8 cup clam juice
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. red wine vinegar
Method
Place the shrimp on the grill and combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Shrimp cook incredibly fast. Three to four minutes on the grill and they are ready to go.
Toss the mix well and place the grilled shrimp over the salad. If you are not done mixing your salad within that timeframe, remove the shrimp from the grill and then continue.
It is not fun eating tough shrimp, which is exactly what happens when the shrimp are overcooked. You can substitute the shrimp for lobster or tuna. You can grill a lobster tail in the same manner and place it over the salad, or grill a tuna steak and use that as your protein source.
If you’re not in a grilling mood, open a can of tuna, drain the water and throw that on to the salad. Either way, your salad will be loaded with quality protein with minimal caloric intake.
Satisfying to say the least!
