Green Bean And Barley Salad

This unusual combination of crunchy-fresh beans and hearty barley is a tasty salad that can be made ahead of time.

Ingredients:

1 lb (454 g) green beans
1 cup (250 mL) pot barley or pearl barley
1/4 cup (60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp (45 mL) white wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) minced fresh thyme
1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper
4 cups (1 L) baby arugula leaves
2 cups (500 mL) grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, halved
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2/3 cup (150 mL) crumbled Canadian feta cheese, (about 100 g)

Direction:

Trim beans; halve diagonally. Blanch in saucepan of boiling water until tender- crisp, about 3 minutes. Cool in ice bath; drain and pat dry.
Meanwhile, in pot of boiling salted water, cook barley until tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain and let cool for 5 minutes.
In large bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, garlic, thyme, mustard, salt and pepper; add barley and beans, tossing to coat well.
Add arugula, tomatoes and green onions, tossing well. (Make-ahead: Cover and let stand for up to 1 hour or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.) Stir in cheese.

Servings: 12

Source:  cbc.ca/bestrecipes

Chicken Pad Thai

Air-chilled chicken has less moisture than chicken conventionally cooled in water during processing. Though more expensive by weight, air-chilled chicken shrinks less during cooking and has superior flavor and texture.

Ingredients:

1/2 pkg (14 oz/400 g) wide rice stick noodles
2/3 cup (150 mL) chicken stock
1/2 cup (125 mL) ketchup
1/4 cup (50 mL) fish sauce
2 tbsp (25 mL) granulated sugar
2 tbsp (25 mL) cornstarch
1 tsp (5 mL) grated lime rind
2 tbsp (25 mL) lime juice
1 tsp (5 mL) hot pepper sauce
4 tsp (18 mL) vegetable oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 lb (454 gr) boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced
4 carrots, thinly sliced
1 sweet red pepper, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp (15 mL) minced ginger root
2 cups (500 mL) bean sprouts
2 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup (50 mL) chopped unsalted peanuts

Directions:

In large bowl, soak noodles in warm water for 20 minutes; drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, in small bowl, whisk together stock, ketchup, fish sauce, sugar, cornstarch, lime rind and juice and hot pepper sauce; set aside.
In wok or large skillet, heat 2 tsp (10 mL) of the oil over medium heat; cook eggs, stirring often, for 2 minutes or until scrambled and set. Transfer to plate.
Wipe out wok; add remaining oil. Brown chicken, in batches, over medium-high heat. Transfer to separate plate.
Add carrots, red pepper, garlic and ginger to pan; cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes or until slightly tender. Add noodles; stir gently for 1 minute.
Return chicken to pan. Stir sauce and pour into pan; cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until thickened, noodles are tender and chicken is no longer pink inside.
Return egg mixture to wok along with bean sprouts; toss gently for 1 minute or until heated through. Serve sprinkled with green onions and peanuts.

Servings: 4

Source:  cbc.ca/bestrecipes

Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry

Soy sauce, oyster sauce, and chili paste make a flavorful sauce for this chicken and vegetable meal. Poblano chile peppers give the dish a little heat.

Ingredients:

• 12   ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1   tablespoon soy sauce
•  Dash ground white pepper
• 3   tablespoons water
• 2   tablespoons organic granulated sugar or sugar
• 2   tablespoons soy sauce
• 2   tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2  2  teaspoons red chili paste
• 2   tablespoons canola oil or cooking oil
• 1   small red onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 6   green onions, bias-sliced into 2-inch pieces
• 4   cloves garlic, minced
• 1  8  ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained
• 1 - 2   large dried poblano or ancho chile peppers, broken into large pieces and seeds discarded or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, optional
• 1   cup lightly salted roasted cashews
• 2   cups hot cooked jasmine, basmati or white rice

   

  Directions:

   

  1.Cut chicken into 1/2-inch pieces. Places chicken in a medium bowl. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce and white pepper; toss gently to coat. Set aside.

   

  For sauce:

  
  

  1. In a small bowl, combine water, sugar, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, oyster sauce and chili paste. Set aside.

  2. Pour oil into a wok or large skillet. (If necessary, add more oil during cooking.) Heat over medium-high heat. Add red onion, green onions and garlic to wok; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until just tender. Remove vegetables from wok.

  3. Add chicken to wok; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until no longer pink. Push chicken from center of wok. Stir sauce; add to center of wok. Cook and stir until bubbly. Return cooked vegetables to wok. Add water chestnuts and dried chile peppers, if you like. Cook and stir about 1 minute more or until heated through. Remove large pieces of chili pepper, if using. Stir in cashews. Serve with rice. Serves 4.

   

  Source: bhg

Soft Garlic Knots

Ingredients:

3 cups bread flour
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 and 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons lukewarm water

Topping:

4 cloves peeled, finely chopped garlic
4 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning

In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the dry ingredients together (including yeast) then add the olive oil, milk and water. Using the paddle attachment or dough hook, mix and knead to form a smooth, elastic dough, adding additional water or flour as needed. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover it, and allow it to rise in a warm area for about 1 hour, until it’s doubled in bulk.

Divide the dough into 8-10 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a long rope, about 10 inches long. Tie each rope into a loose knot. Fold the ends underneath the roll and tuck in to secure. Place knots on a large baking sheet and let rise for 45-50 minutes or until large and puffy. Don’t put rolls too closely together as they’ll double in size and you don’t want them to touch while baking. While rising, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until just golden brown. When rolls are baking, prepare topping by mincing garlic and combining with butter and Italian seasoning. Brush on hot rolls just out of the oven.

Serve warm, or reheat in microwave just prior to serving.