Cookbook Challenge # 16 - Under 20
I bought Under Twenty (Weight Watchers, 2013) sometime in 2013 or 2014 when my husband and I were doing Weight Watchers. (We briefly slimmed down, him to his goal weight, me to the lightest I’ve been since before I got pregnant with my son back in 2004, but eventually gained it back, as tends to be the case. With our doctor’s blessing, we’re currently focusing on health at our current size, and I will not be discussing this matter further at this time; please don’t come at me with your diet or how well your GLP-1 is working for you.)
Given that parenthetical, you probably won’t be surprised to hear I haven’t cooked much from this one of late. But after revisiting it for this challenge, I may change that. The title refers to the fact the recipes are supposed to take 20 minutes or less to prepare, which is handy for weeknights even after adding the extra 10-15 minutes for the fact that my chopping skills aren’t chef-speed, time spent rummaging the fridge and pantry for ingredients, etc. And they’re good, healthy recipes for the most part—lots of veggies, not a lot of heavily processed ingredients—and just because I’m trying to avoid the toxic aspects of diet culture doesn’t means I’m against lower-calorie meals.
Tonight I made Chopped Chicken and Peanut Salad, which I expect I’ll make again at some point. It’s always good to have some meals that don’t require turning on the stove for summertime use. (Not that the weather is at all summery today—it’s cloudy and barely crept into the 60s for a high.) However, the dressing was on the bland side, and there wasn’t enough of it to coat all the ingredients. Next time I’ll double the amount and add fresh lime juice.
Chopped Chicken and Peanut Salad
¾ lb fully-cooked grilled chicken breast strips (I used shredded rotisserie chicken from my grocery store’s deli)
¼ c roasted salted peanuts
2 carrots
1 large broccoli stem, peeled (I didn’t bother peeling it)
2 c thinly sliced romaine lettuce
½ red bell pepper, thinly sliced
3 T rice vinegar
1 T soy sauce
¾ tsp grated fresh ginger
¾ tsp dark sesame oil
1/8 tsp black pepper
3 T chopped chives
Pulse chicken in food processor until coarsely chopped. (I skipped this step since my chicken was already shredded.) Transfer to bowl. Pulse peanuts in food processor until coarsely chopped, transfer to bowl. Fit food processor with shredding attachment, and shred carrots and broccoli stem. Transfer to bowl and add romaine and bell pepper.
Whisk together vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil, and pepper in a small bowl. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle with chives.