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 Photo by Washington Post This chicken, shrimp and fruit salad can be prepared in 25 minutes. |
Healthy dinner's a snap
Wednesday, June 27, 2007 7:08 AM PDT
By Washington Post
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E-mail this articleColor, crunch and sweetness make this a dinner salad with broad appeal. It's a good way to use the stash of chicken tenderloins, and of course, if you buy cooked shrimp, you'll cut prep time. You might want to add the serrano chili peppers after the younger appetites have been accounted for.
This was one of the many dishes served at the "Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives" seminar held in April at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, Calif.
Serve with toasted pita bread or quesadillas.
CHICKEN, SHRIMP AND FRUIT SALAD
4 servings
1 to 2 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots (2 to 3 shallots)
2 medium cloves garlic, cut into very thin slivers
4 to 6 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast or chicken tenderloins, rinsed and patted dry
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
16 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice
1 medium Granny Smith apple
2 to 3 small serrano chili peppers, stemmed, seeded and cut thinly crosswise
1 cup red or black seedless grapes, cut in half horizontally
1 cup green seedless grapes, cut in half horizontally
1 orange, peeled and segmented (pith removed)
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 head Boston or butter lettuce, leaves washed and dried
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro leaves.
In a small nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat the oil until it shimmers. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, for 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Cut the chicken into long, thin strips and place in a medium skillet. Add water to cover and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Heat to almost a boil over medium heat, then cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Use tongs to transfer the chicken to a work surface. Tear or cut it into shreds about 1 inch long and place them in a large bowl. Retain the poaching liquid in the skillet.
Reduce the heat under the poaching liquid to medium-low; add the shrimp and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until just cooked through. Drain, discarding the poaching liquid. Cut the shrimp into 1/4- to 1/3-inch dice and add to the chicken. Set aside.
Combine the sugar and lemon or lime juice in a small bowl with the remaining salt. Set aside.
Core and dice the apple; add it and the serrano chili peppers to the chicken-shrimp mixture. Add the grapes and the orange segments, then the sugar-juice mixture, and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the chopped peanuts, half of the fried shallots and half of the garlic, and mix well.
To serve, divide lettuce leaves among individual plates, flattening them slightly. Portion the chicken-shrimp salad on top of the lettuce and garnish with the remaining shallots and garlic and the cilantro. Serve at room temperature.
NUTRITION Per serving: 239 calories, 17 g protein, 31 g carbohydrates, 7 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 59 mg cholesterol, 552 mg sodium, 4 g dietary fiber.
-- Adapted from "Madhur Jaffrey's Far Eastern Cookery" (Harper & Collins, 1989).
Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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