Chicken Salad Wontons

These may in fact be better than egg rolls!!!  And they sure are better for you.  Easy to whip up but not easy to resist...

Chicken Salad Wontons

INGREDIENTS
Wonton Wrappers (40)
Shredded Chicken (1.5 cups)
Broccoli Slaw (4 cups or 1 package)
Mandarin Oranges, drained (1 cup)
Bamboo Shoots, drained (5oz can)
Low Sodium Soy Sauce (3 tbsp.)
Orange Juice (1/4 cup)
Sesame Oil (2 tsp.)
Rice Vinegar (1/2 cup)
Ginger Puree (1 tbsp.)
Garlic Powder (1 tbsp.)
Red Pepper Flakes (1 tsp.)
Splenda Brown Sugar Blend (1 tsp.)

METHOD

(1) Place one wonton wrapper into a mini muffin tins and press down to create a cup.  Spray with cooking spray and lightly sprinkle with garlic.  Bake on 400F until they crisp and start to turn brown on the tips (about 10 minutes).  Remove from oven but do not remove from tray until cups cool.

(2) Finely chops bamboo shoots and mandarin oranges.

(3) In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken, broccoli slaw, mandarin oranges and bamboo shoots.

(4) In a salad dressing shaker (or a small bowl), combine soy sauce, orange juice, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, red pepper and splenda.  Shake or mix until smooth.

(5) Stir dressing into salad until evenly distributed.

(6) Spoon mixture into wonton cups and serve!

This recipe is best if served fairly soon after making.  They will last as an appetizer through a party, however, they will get soggy on the bottom if you them TOO far in advance.

I also like to eat the filling as a salad.  It's healthy and delicious!

STATS
Per Wonton
Serves: 40
Calories: 36
Fat: 0.4g
Carbs: 5g
Protein: 2.5g
Iron: 1.5%
Calcium: 0.7%

Just as Chicken Salad (not in wonton shell)
Serves: 4
Calories: 180
Carbs: 12.5g
Fat: 3.25g
Protein: 20g
Iron: 11%
Calcium: 7%

Beef & Goat Cheese Salad

It's Monday... which means, among other things, that many of us have a left over "Sunday Roast" to put to use.  Here is a great lean recipe to use up your leftovers (rather than a mayo smothered sandwich!).  This salad serves as a whole meal and its fast to make with leftovers.  Still craving beef and don't have leftovers?  No problem, just bake/broil/grill 12oz (for 4 servings) of beef (whatever cut you like) with seasoning until you are satisfied (I like mine with a little pink in the middle).  Happy Monday!!!

Beef & Goat Cheese Salad

SALAD INGREDIENTS:
Beef, 4 slices (3 oz each)
Goat Cheese, soft (2 oz)
Fresh Spinach (4 cups)
Mixed Salad Greens (4 cups)
Tomato (1 large)
Green Onions (4 stalks)

DRESSING INGREDIENTS:
Balsamic Vinegar (3 tbps.)
Dijon Mustard (3 tsp.)
Olive Oil (1 tsp.)
Water (1/4 cup)
Garlic Powder (to taste)
Salt & Pepper (to taste)

METHOD:

(1) Place dressing ingredients into a small saucepan and heat on medium until they slightly bubble and start to reduce in volume.  Whisk to get the mustard blended for a creamy (not lumpy) dressing.

(2) While dressing is warming, cut beef into strips/chunks and chop tomato and green onions.

(4) Arrange greens, spinach, tomato, green onion and beef on four plates (I use pasta bowls for my 'meal salads'); top each salad with 1/2 oz of goat cheese.  It's easiest to use a small spoon to scoop out little chunks.

(5) When dressing is hot, dunk the meat into the dressing for about 15 seconds; take a fork and place each piece of meat on the salads.

(6) Use a tablespoon to evenly dress each of the salads until all the dressing is used up.

STATS:
Serves: 4
Calories: 206
Fat: 7g
Carbs: 10g
Protein: 21g
Iron: 20%
Calcium: 17%

Cherry Quinoa Salad

This salad is a serious crowd pleaser.  Babies to Great Grandparents adore the sweet and savory mix.  Lucky for them it is also packed with nutrients and remarkably lean.

Cherry Quinoa Salad

INGREDIENTS:
1.5 cups quinoa (uncooked)
3 cups vegetable broth (canned, boxed or homemade)
2 cups cherries (any variety)
2 cups fresh spinach
1 cucumber
1 sweet onion
1/2 cup fat-free yogurt
1/2 to 1 tbsp cumin
1-2 tbsp garlic (powder or diced)
2 tsp stevia (if needed for bitter cherries)
salt & pepper (to taste)

METHOD:

(1) Cook Quinoa
Boil vegetable broth (3 cups) and add quinoa (1.5 cups).  Turn down to medium/low, cover and continue to cook for about 12-15 minutes or until all the broth is absorbed into the quinoa.  You can add a pinch of salt to the mixture.  Fluff cooked quinoa and take off of stove and cool.

(2) Chop Fresh Ingredients
(a) Peel cucumber and chop, along with onion, into dime sized pieces.
(b) Pit and cut cherries in half.
(c) roll spinach leaves together and chop.  Do about 8 leaves at a time.  This makes the spinach curl into strips and it mixes much more easily into the salad.

(3) Mix
(a) Mix together all fresh ingredients that have been chopped with cooked quinoa.
(b) Add cumin, garlic and salt and pepper.
(c) Add yogurt to help the salad stick together.
(d) Taste.  If needed, add stevia to sweeten any bitterness from cherries and add more garlic, cumin, salt and pepper to suit your audience.

(4) Chill & Enjoy
When you are satisfied with the taste put your salad in the fridge.  This salad is best if slightly chilled but not super cold.  You can make one-day in advance.

STATS
Time: 30 minutes 
Serves: 6 (as a meal) to 10 (as a side)
Calories: 225 (as a meal) / 125 (as a side)
Fat: 3g (as a meal) / 2 (as a side)
Carbs: 42g (as a meal) / 25 (as a side)
Protein: 9g (as a meal) / 6g (as a side)
Iron: 13% (as a meal) / 8% (as a side)
Calcium: 5% (as a meal) / 3% (as a side)