A Menu For Hope - Call For Prizes

What is A Menu for Hope?
Unless you're very new to the world of food blogs, you've likely heard of A Menu for Hope, the brilliant idea of Pim to unite food bloggers the world over in raising money for a good cause. Last year, due to a lot of generosity on the part of food bloggers and food blog readers, we raised $62,925.12 to support the UN World Food Program. This year our goal is to raise even more, and funds from the 2007 campaign will be earmarked for a school food program in Lesotho, a tiny country entirely surrounded by the Republic of South Africa, where one out of twelve kids die before the age of five and 56% of the population live on less than $2 per day.

How does it work?
Food bloggers from all over the world join the campaign by offering food-related prizes for the Menu for Hope raffle. Anyone can buy raffle tickets online (through a site called Firstgiving) to bid on these prizes. For every $10 donated, you earn one virtual raffle ticket to bid on a prize of your choice. This year bidding on prizes will take place December 10-21. At the end of the two-weeks, the raffle tickets are drawn and the results announced on Chez Pim.

How Can You Help if You're a Blogger?

Bloggers can help by donating a prize for the raffle, by being A Menu for Hope supporter and advertising the campaign on your blog, or by joining in the bidding for prizes December 10-21. Here is more information for bloggers from Chez Pim. If you're interested in offering a prize, you should contact the regional host for the area where you live:

UK: Johanna of The Passionate Cook and Jeanne of Cooksister
Europe: Fanny of Food Beam
US - West Coast: Bee of Rasa Malaysia
US - Central: Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen
US - East Coast: Adam Kuban of Slice NY and Serious Eats
Canada: Jennifer of The Domestic Goddess
Asia Pacific, Australia, New Zealand: Helen of Grab Your Fork
Special Wine Blog Host: Alder of Vinography

I'm honored to be participating as a host again this year. If you're a food blogger in the Central U.S. and want to offer a prize, write to me at kalynskitchen (at) comcast (dot) net. If you'd like some ideas about prizes, here are the prizes Mid-U.S. bloggers offered last year.

How You Can Help if You're a Food Blog Reader:

Start watching for prizes to be announced on food blogs close to December 10, then visit Chez Pim or the regional hosts for more information about prizes that are available. Buy as many raffle tickets as you can for the prizes of your choice, and you'll help send food to some hungry kids in South Africa. (Then don't forget to check back at Chez Pim after December 21 and see if you're a winner!)

Thanks in advance to everyone for helping make this a huge success again this year!

Asian Cabbage Salad Recipe with Sesame Seeds and Peanuts

I'm a huge fan of salads with cabbage. While I do like cooked cabbage well enough, there's something about the crunch and slightly-sweet flavor of raw cabbage that makes my mouth feel happy. This particular cabbage got started when I saw a recipe pairing cabbage with rice vinegar, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Of course, I had to add my own twist, so I added a bit more kick to the dressing and a few peanuts, and I loved the result.

Sesame seeds are something that really add an interesting mouth feel to salads and vegetables, and surprisingly I think this is the first time I've written about them for Weekend Herb Blogging. They're actually one of The World's Healthiest Foods, and are highly prizes for their oil, as well as being used whole. The seeds contain a number of beneficial minerals, and are also high in sesamin and sesamolin, two substances found to reduce cholesterol and prevent high blood pressure. Sesame seeds come in several colors, and are used in many dishes, particularly in Asian, Middle Eastern, and Indian cuisines. The ground seeds are also often used for flavoring foods, as tahini in the Middle East, or Gama-Dofu in Japan. Sesame seeds have been used for over 5,000 years, and may be one of the earliest plants used for edible oil.

Weekend Herb Blogging is happening right here at Kalyn's Kitchen this week, so check back Sunday night if you'd like to see what other interesting plants people are writing about, really a huge variety of things this week already and three more days to go! (Here are the rules and how to enter if you'd like to join in.)

Asian Cabbage Salad with Sesame Seeds
(Makes about 4 servings, recipe adapted from the original South Beach Diet Book.)

6 cups green cabbage, sliced in strips (about 1/2 large head of cabbage)
2 T sesame seeds, toasted
2 T peanuts (or more)

Dressing:
2 T rice vinegar (don't use seasoned vinegar, which contains sugar)
1 T sesame oil
1 T agave nectar (can use honey but agave nectar is lower on the glycemic index)
1/8 tsp. Thai Chili Garlic Paste (or use a few drops of your favorite hot sauce)
1/8 tsp. grated ginger (I used ginger puree from a jar)

Slice cabbage in strips about 3/8 inch wide, cutting strips in half crosswise is they are too long. Mix rice vinegar, sesame oil, agave nectar, Thai Chili Garlic Paste and ginger in a small jar and shake to combine. (Can also wisk together in a bowl.) Toast sesame seeds about 1 minute in a small dry pan, until they start to be fragrant and slightly browned. Put cabbage strips into mixing bowl, toss well with dressing, arrange on individual serving plates and sprinkle with sesame seeds and peanuts.

(When I made this there were no leftovers, so I'm not sure how well it will keep in the fridge, but I'm guessing it's best freshly made.)

South Beach Suggestions:
This salad is a perfect side dish for any phase of the South Beach Diet. It would taste great with something like Grilled Ginger Soy Pork Chops or Grilled Fusion Chicken.

More Tasty Dishes with Sesame Seeds:
(Recipes from other blogs may or may not be South Beach Diet friendly, check ingredients.)
Roasted Radishes with Soy Sauce and Toasted Sesame Seed
Spicy Cucumber Salad with Thai Basil and Sesame Seeds
Roasted Asparagus with Soy-Sesame Flavors
Broccoli Stir-Fry with Ginger and Sesame from Simply Recipes
Cauliflower with Almonds, Sesame Seeds and Capers from Lucullian Delights
Thanksgiving Stromboli from Sweetnicks
Sesame Noodles with Mixed Veggies and Baby Pak Choi from Rice and Noodles
Chicken Sesame Salad from Delicious Days
Yin and Yang Salad with Peanut Sesame Dressing from 101 Cookbooks
Sticky Sesame Seed Chewies from Bon Appegeek

Things you might want to know:
You can get Kalyn's recipes by e-mail.
There's a great way to print recipes on Kalyn's Kitchen.
It's easy to find out who's hosting Weekend Herb Blogging this week.
There are actual rules for Weekend Herb Blogging.
Here is another place where I write more about food.

Tags:
Food Recipes Cooking South Beach Diet Recipes
Low Carb Recipes Low Glycemic Index Recipes
Diabetes Friendly Recipes Weekend Herb Blogging

Kalyn's Kitchen Picks: Fini Balsamic Vinegar

I was surprised recently when I realized I'd never featured Fini Balsamic Vinegar for Kalyn's Kitchen Picks, because I've been using it as long as I can remember, and it's been listed on my ingredient sources for ages. I can vividly remember the first time I bought this at Williams-Sonoma, back in the days when every Italian restaurant in the United States was apparently required to offer bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. In those days I had no idea that there were different grades of balsamic vinegar, or that this brand was actually a condiment, not an authentic tradizionale balsamico. Now I know, and I don't really care, I still love the taste of this vinegar. (More proof that I'm not a food snob, in case you needed it! And if anyone is wondering, Fini has never given me any vinegar and is not paying me anything for writing about their vinegar.)

Actually, I usually have at least four different kinds of balsamic vinegar on hand. For recipes like a marinade, where you're using a lot of it, I've actually been pretty satisfied with the Kirkland Signature Balsamic Vinegar de Modena from Costco. (Apparently it's not available online, and the cheaper Costco brand vinegar is garbage, don't buy it.) For salad dressings, or things where I just need a little I use Fini Balsamic Vinegar or sometimes white balsamic vinegar. Of course, if I'm making something really special where I'm just going to drizzle on a tiny bit, I would use the balsamic vinegar I got in the mail from Ilva! Truly balsamic vinegar has to be one of the most useful ingredients a cook can have around, don't you think. Here's a sampling of some of the ways I like to use it. If you've got a favorite recipe you make using balsamic vinegar, or a brand of balsamic vinegar that's your favorite, please let us know in the comments.

Salads with Balsamic Vinegar:
Cucumber and Tomato Salad with Marinated Garbanzo Beans
Cucumber Salad with Balsamic Dressing
Green Bean Salad with Hearts of Palm, Olives, Red Pepper, and Feta
Balsamic Spinach Salad with Mushrooms, Onions, and Feta
Marinated Pepper Salad with Garbanzos and Olives
Tomato, Egg, and Olive Salad with Gorgonzola Vinaigrette
Arugula Salad with Hearts of Palm, Kalamata Olives, and Gorgonzola
Garbanzo Salad with Olives and Herbs
Arugula and Gorgonzola Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Vegetables with Balsamic Vinegar:
Slow Roasted Asparagus
Sauteed Broccoli Rabe with Balsamic Vinegar
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic, Parmesan, and Pine Nuts
Roasted Butternut Squash with Rosemary and Balsamic Vinegar
Roasted Carrots and Turnips with Balsamic and Herbs
Roasted Turnips with Balsamic Vinegar

Balsamic Vinegar in Marinades or Sauces:
Pork Chops with Balsamic Glaze
Balsamic and Onion Pot Roast
Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar
Balsamic Chicken and Mushrooms
Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Olive and Caper Sauce
Roasted Salmon with Balsamic Sauce

Other Bloggers Like Balsamic Vinegar Too!
(Recipes from other blogs may or may not be South Beach Diet friendly, check ingredients.)
Cipolline Onions with Proscuitto and Balsamic Vinegar from Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once
Ricotta Marscapone Mousse with Balsamic Strawberries from Simply Recipes
Braised Leeks with Hazelnuts and Balsamic Vinegar from Lucullian Delights
Fennel Cherry Tomato Tartlets on Balsamic Crust from La Tartine Gourmande
Simple Balsamic Glazed Halibut from Christine Cooks
Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Vinegar from A Veggie Venture
Balsamic Fudge Drops from Habeus Brulee
Michel Richard's Collard Greens and Lentils from The Wednesday Chef
Parsley Polenta with Balsamic Tomatoes from Technicolor Kitchen
Sauteed Kale with Shitake, Balsamic, and Truffle Oil from Tigers and Strawberries

Things you might want to know:
You can get Kalyn's recipes by e-mail.
There's a great way to print recipes on Kalyn's Kitchen.
It's easy to find out who's hosting Weekend Herb Blogging this week.
There are actual rules for Weekend Herb Blogging.
Here is another place where I write more about food.

Tags:
Food Recipes Cooking South Beach Diet Recipes
Low Carb Recipes Low Glycemic Index Recipes
Diabetes Friendly Recipes

Spinach Salad Recipe with Marinated Garbanzo Beans and Feta Cheese

Whenever I have a day or two when I've been overindulging on food (like Thanksgiving!) my body will soon start craving some type of salad to get back in balance. Whether that was the reason, or whether it was just that I had leftover spinach from the Thanksgiving Spinach Salad I made at my sister's house, who knows, but I made this salad over the weekend and it really was just what I wanted to eat. I got the idea for combining spinach, chickpeas, and feta cheese from a recipe I saw in The South Beach Diet Parties and Holidays Cookbook. Then I remembered the idea of marinating the garbanzo beans to bump up the flavor a little, which really made this salad great.

I was eating this for my whole dinner, so if you're using it as a side salad you would want to use a less garbanzo beans and feta cheese. I do think there are a lot of other ingredients that could be added here if you like this combination and wanted to create some variations. In particular, I think Kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, or marinated mushrooms would all go well with these flavors. If you wanted something on the side, whole-wheat pita bread would be perfect.

Marinating the canned garbanzo beans in vinegar for a couple of hours really makes them have a lot of flavor. I used white balsamic vinegar, which let the natural color of the beans show, but you could use any balsamic vinegar you have on hand.

Spinach Salad with Marinated Garbanzo Beans and Feta Cheese
(Makes 3-4 servings, recipe adapted from The South Beach Diet Parties and Holidays Cookbook.)

1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas) rinsed well and drained at least 5 minutes, or dry with paper towels
2 T white balsamic vinegar, for marinating beans
6-8 oz. baby spinach leaves
4 oz. crumbled feta cheese

Dressing:
2 T white balsamic vinegar (or use any type of balsamic vinegar)
4 T extra virgin olive oil

Rinse garbanzo beans in colander until no more foam appears, then let drain well for at least 5 minutes, or dry with paper towels. Combine garbanzos with 2 T white balsamic vinegar in small container with a tight lid, shake to coat garbanzos with vinegar and let marinate a few hours in the fridge.

For each salad, put 2 big handfuls of spinach in mixing bowl, drizzle on about 1 1/2 T dressing, and stir until spinach is well-coated with dressing. Arrange spinach on serving plate, top with about 1/4 cup marinated garbanzos and 1 oz. crumbled feta.

South Beach Suggestions:

This salad would be a great lunch or light dinner for any phase of the South Beach Diet. For phase 2 or 3 you could add whole wheat pita bread on the side. As a side salad, this would taste good with something like Very Greek Grilled Chicken or Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Vinegar.

More Great Salads with Garbanzo Beans
(Recipes from other blogs may or may not be South Beach Diet friendly, check ingredients.)
Tomato and Garbanzo Salad
Garbanzo, Tomato, And Cilantro Salad with Lime and Chile Dressing
Carrot, Parsley, and Garbanzo (Chickpea) Salad with Cumin
Garbanzo and Tuna Salad with Parsley and Red Pepper
Garbanzo Salad with Olives and Herbs
Chickpea and Tomato Salad from Simply Recipes
Garbanzo and Tuna Salad from Exploring the Silver Spoon
Chickpea Salad with Lemon and Parmesan from Orangette
Swiss Chard with Peppers and Garbanzos from Dani Spies
Chipotle Chickpea Salad from A Veggie Venture

Things you might want to know:
You can get Kalyn's recipes by e-mail.
There's a great way to print recipes on Kalyn's Kitchen.
It's easy to find out who's hosting Weekend Herb Blogging this week.
There are actual rules for Weekend Herb Blogging.
Here is another place where I write more about food.

Tags:
Food Recipes Cooking South Beach Diet Recipes
Low Carb Recipes Low Glycemic Index Recipes
Diabetes Friendly Recipes

Lentil Soup Recipe with Ground Beef and Brown Rice

You'd think it was seriously soup weather in Utah, since I'm posting another recipe for soup, but actually so far the weather here has been quite mild for this time of year. The reason for this recipe is that I've developed a terrible cold, bad enough that I came home early from my sister's house, and I haven't felt like cooking anything but soup for the last few days. Don't you think soup is just so comforting when you're feeling under the weather, and this recipe is the kind of simple soup that always tastes good to me.

A lot of the good flavor here comes from the homemade beef stock and homemade chicken stock I always try to have in the freezer, but I think even if you had to use canned beef broth and chicken broth this would still taste pretty good. I would use the low salt version if you used canned broth, and don't be in too much of a hurry and shorten the simmering time, because that's another step that builds in flavor. Lentils are just the type of low-glycemic "good carbs" the South Beach Diet is built around, and this soup uses the kind of ingredients I always have in the house, so it might become one of your favorites too.

Lentil Soup with Ground Beef and Brown Rice
(Makes about 6 servings, recipe created by Kalyn to use what was in the house when she was too sick to go to the store!)

1 lb. lean ground beef / beef mince (less than 15% fat)
2 tsp. olive oil (or more, depending on your pan)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1 T minced garlic or garlic puree (or less if you don't like garlic as much as I do)
1 T dried parsley
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
4 cups homemade beef stock (or use 2 cans beef broth, low sodium recommended)
2 cups homemade chicken stock (or use 1 can chicken broth, low sodium recommended)
2 cups water
2/3 cup brown lentils
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
1/2 cup brown rice (I used Uncle Ben's whole grain brown rice, which I really like)
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Heat 1 tsp. olive oil in heavy frying pan, add ground beef and cook until meat is well browned, using a turner to break up into small pieces. Remove meat to heavy soup pot.

Add another tsp. olive oil to frying pan and add onions and celery and saute 3-5 minutes, until vegetables are starting to soften. Add garlic, dried thyme, ground cumin, and dried parsley and saute 1-2 minutes more.

Add vegetables to soup pot with meat, and rinse out frying pan with the 2 cups of water and add to soup pot. Add beef stock, chicken stock, lentils, and chopped carrots to pot and cook at a very low simmer about 60 minutes, or until lentils are quite soft. Taste soup and decide whether to add a small amount of water. (There should be quite a bit of liquid, and the broth should be flavorful but not too strong tasting. If there isn't very much liquid or broth seems too strong add 1/2 to 1 cup water at this point.)

Add brown rice and continue to simmer soup 30-40 more minutes, or until rice is done but still a bit chewy. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper (I did not add salt.) Serve hot.

South Beach Suggestions:
If you're a South Beach Dieter, be sure to use low fat ground beef and brown rice, which would make this a good choice for phase 2 or 3 of the South Beach Diet. I ate my soup with toast made with South Beach friendly 100% whole wheat bread.

More Great Lentil Soups To Try
(Recipes from other blogs may or may not be South Beach Diet friendly, check ingredients.)
Lentil and Sausage Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Herbs
Lentil and Sausage Soup with Cabbage
Steve's Lentil Soup (Inspired by Farmgirl)
Hearty Lentil Soup with Smoked Sausage from Farmgirl Fare
Lentil Chestnut Soup from Just Hungry
Green Lentil Soup with Coconut Milk and Warm Spices from Orangette
Ethiopian Inspired Red Lentil Soup from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen
Tomato and Lentil Soup from Zen Foodism
Rosemary, Lentil, and Tomato Soup from A Wee Bit of Cooking
Red Lentil Soup with Garam Masala from Sassy Radish

Things you might want to know:
You can get Kalyn's recipes by e-mail.
There's a great way to print recipes on Kalyn's Kitchen.
It's easy to find out who's hosting Weekend Herb Blogging this week.
There are actual rules for Weekend Herb Blogging.
Here is another place where I write more about food.

Tags:
Food Recipes Cooking South Beach Diet Recipes
Low Carb Recipes Low Glycemic Index Recipes
Diabetes Friendly Recipes

Leftover Turkey and Sweet Potato Soup Recipe with Black Beans and Lime

(I'll be driving to my sister's house in a few hours, so I'm posting this before I leave and then I'll be taking a few days off from blogging. Happy Thanksgiving to all my wonderful readers and blogging friends. When I think of all the things I have to be thankful for, again this year I realize how much I am Thankful For My Blog. Edit Thanksgiving Day: Welcome to anyone visiting after Thanksgiving from the Provo Daily Herald, where reporter Natalie Hollingshead featured a couple of my recipes in the article Give Thanks for Leftovers.)

Somehow to me it just doesn't feel like Thanksgiving unless I take the turkey carcass, put it in a big roasting pan with lots of water, onions, carrots, celery, and a bit of Penzeys Turkey Soup Base, and fill up the house with the smell of turkey stock. I'm spending Thanksgiving at my sister's house, having fun with the kids, and I'll definitely be making turkey stock later tomorrow. This recipe is for the soup I made with my pre-Thanksgiving turkey at home, and I'm indulging my new love of sweet potatoes in soup. This recipe is pretty flexible, but don't leave out the touch of fresh lime juice added at the very end. Lime and sweet potatoes, that's what makes this soup something special.

You can make the soup using chicken and even chicken broth from a can, but I highly recommend making turkey stock if you have a carcass left from the big holiday meal. Here's how I make my turkey stock every year at, one of my very favorite Thanksgiving traditions.

Hard to get a good photo, but I simmer my stock right in the roaster, with carmelized bits of turkey still sticking to the pan. If you've never made turkey stock, it's simple. First, strip all the biggest pieces of turkey meat from the carcass, leaving a bit of meat on to flavor the stock. Fill up the roasting pan or a big stock pot with water and add the turkey bones. Add a couple of onions, carrots, and pieces of celery, all coarsely chopped into big pieces. I like to add a few tablespoons of Penzeys Turkey Soup Base, but that's optional. If I'm using the stock for a traditional turkey soup, I'd add a little bit of thyme and sage to the stock. Simmer for hours and hours, adding water if needed, then scoop out the big pieces of bones and vegetables, strain the stock into a smaller pan, and cook a bit longer to reduce and concentrate the flavor. If you have time, you can refrigerate the stock overnight and all the fat will rise to the top where it's easy to scrape off. If I want to make soup that day, I use a fat separator which lets the liquid pour out from the bottom and helps you discard the fat. You can also cool the stock just a little and skim fat from the top.

Leftover Turkey and Sweet Potato Soup with Black Beans and Lime
(Makes 6-8 servings, recipe created by Kalyn)

1 cup diced onion (1 small onion)
1 cup diced celery
1 T olive oil
3 cups diced sweet potato, cut in pieces about 1/2 inch (orange sweet potatoes are often called Yams or Sweet Yams in U.S. stores)
2 tsp. dried oregano (I used Mexican oregano, but either kind will work)
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground chile powder (New Mexico chile powder preferred)
1/2 tsp. dried sage
5 cups turkey stock (can use chicken stock)
2 cans black beans, plus liquid
2 cups diced leftover turkey
2 T diced Anaheim chiles (if canned often called "green chiles"; use more if desired)
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
salt, fresh ground black pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in heavy soup pot, add onions and celery and saute about 5 minutes. Add sweet potatoes, oregano, cumin, chile powder, sage, and turkey stock, lower heat to a simmer, and cook about 60 minutes, stirring a few times.

Add black beans, rinsing out the can with a small amount of water and adding all bean liquid. Simmer soup 30-45 minutes more.

Add diced turkey and green chiles and simmer about 30 minutes more. Stir in fresh-squeezed lime juice, season with salt and pepper as desired, and cook 5 minutes more. Serve hot, with additional fresh lime to squeeze into soup if desired.

This would be great with sour cream, chopped cilantro, grated cheese, or even crushed corn chips for family members who aren't South Beach Dieters.

South Beach Suggestions:

Sweet potatoes and black beans are both considered to be "good carbs" for the South Beach Diet. This soup paired with a perfect green salad would make a great meal for phase two or three.

More Turkey Options for After Thanksgiving:
Brown Rice Salad with Leftover Turkey, Red Cabbage, and Pecans
Turkey and White Bean Chili with Chocolate
Turkey Barley Soup
Leftover Turkey, Mushroom, and Wild Rice Soup
Leftover Turkey Soup with Double Mushrooms
Lentil Soup with Smoked Turkey from Seriously Good
Mom's Turkey Soup from Simply Recipes
Turkey Chili from Simply Recipes
Turkey Curry Soup with Brown Rice from Je Mange la Ville
Turkey, Tortellini, and Watercress soup from A Veggie Venture
Turkey-Escarole Soup from The Perfect Pantry

I Write About Turkey Leftovers at Blogher:
Blogher's Top Ten List of What to Make with Leftover Turkey

Things you might want to know:
You can get Kalyn's recipes by e-mail.
There's a great way to print recipes on Kalyn's Kitchen.
It's easy to find out who's hosting Weekend Herb Blogging this week.
There are actual rules for Weekend Herb Blogging.
Here is another place where I write more about food.

Tags:
Food Recipes Cooking South Beach Diet Recipes
Low Carb Recipes Low Glycemic Index Recipes
Diabetes Friendly Recipes Thanksgiving Recipes

Brown Rice Salad with Leftover Turkey, Red Cabbage, and Pecans

Oh, the interesting life of a food blogger. It's not even quite Thanksgiving, but all too soon the big day will be here, and immediately after that everyone will start searching for recipes to use leftover turkey. My local store had turkeys on sale, so I bought one and cooked it over the weekend to guarantee early "leftovers" so I could try some new recipes. Of course, there's always many kinds of turkey soup at Thanksgiving time, but I thought a salad that used leftover turkey might be nice for a change.

I originally thought of making this salad with dried cranberries, inspired by a brown rice salad I saw in Bon Appetit Magazine. But considering how much sugar the dried cranberries would add, I decided to use something lower on the glycemic index. That's how I came upon the idea of using red cabbage in the salad, and it really did work. I loved the crunch of the cabbage and pecans with the brown rice and turkey. Of course, if you're not a South Beach Dieter and want to make your version with cranberries instead of cabbage, go for it. If you aren't cooking for many people, you might want to cut the recipe in half, since the cabbage will lose some of it's crunch after it's been in the fridge for more than a day. Definitely, this salad could be made with diced chicken any time of the year.

Brown Rice Salad with Leftover Turkey, Red Cabbage, and Pecans
(Makes about 8 servings, recipe created by Kalyn with a little inspiration from a salad in Bon Appetit Magazine.)

4 cups cooked long grain brown rice (see recipe notes, do not use instant rice)
3 cups diced leftover turkey
1 cup sliced green onions
1 1/2 cups finely diced celery
3 cup finely chopped red cabbage (about 1/2 head of cabbage)
1 cup chopped pecans (or more, use any nuts of your choice)
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley (cilantro would be good in this, but I didn't have any)

Dressing:
5 T olive oil
3 T rice vinegar (not seasoned)
3 T soy sauce
2 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2 T agave nectar or honey (use agave nectar for South Beach Diet)
1 T ginger puree (from a jar) or 3/4 T finely grated fresh ginger
1 tsp. Spike seasoning (optional, but recommended)
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
pinch cayenne pepper or dash of hot sauce

At least 2 hours before you want to serve salad, cook brown rice and cool in refrigerator. (I cooked 1 cup Uncle Ben's whole grain brown rice in a rice cooker, which made 4 cups cooked rice. You could use brown basmati rice, but do not use short grain or instant brown rice.)

Put dressing ingredients in small glass jar or plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well to combine ingredients and let flavors blend while you prep other salad ingredients.

Chop turkey, green onion, celery, red cabbage, pecans, and parsley or cilantro and put in large mixing bowl. Add cooled brown rice and gently stir to combine ingredients. Pour over about 3/4 of the dressing and mix until salad is well coated with dressing. (You probably won't need all the dressing, but save it to refresh the flavor of any leftover salad which has been in the fridge.) Serve immediately. The salad will keep in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight, but after that the cabbage will lose it's crunch.

South Beach Suggestions:

This salad is a good choice for phase 2 or 3 of the South Beach Diet. It could be a main dish salad, served with something like Wake Up Your Mouth Thai Cucumber Salad or would be a nice addition to a holiday buffet.

More Ideas for Leftover Turkey
(Recipes from other blogs may or may not be South Beach Diet friendly, check ingredients.)
Turkey Soup Recipes Collection (from other blogs)
Turkey and White Bean Chili with Chocolate
Turkey Barley Soup
Leftover Turkey, Mushroom, and Wild Rice Soup
Leftover Turkey Soup with Double Mushrooms

Kalyn and Mimi's Chicken Salad with Mustard and Cashews
Chicken Salad with Tarragon and Peas
Curried Turkey Salad with Dried Apricots and Cashews from French Kitchen in America
Curry Turkey Salad from Culinary in the Country
Chicken Salad from Simply Recipes

Things you might want to know:
You can get Kalyn's recipes by e-mail.
There's a great way to print recipes on Kalyn's Kitchen.
It's easy to find out who's hosting Weekend Herb Blogging this week.
There are actual rules for Weekend Herb Blogging.
Here is another place where I write more about food.

Tags:
Food Recipes Cooking South Beach Diet Recipes
Low Carb Recipes Low Glycemic Index Recipes
Diabetes Friendly Recipes Thanksgiving Recipes

Roasted Brussels Sprouts Recipe with Balsamic, Parmesan, and Pine Nuts

This is going to be my last offering to add to the collection of Low-Glycemic Holiday Recipes I've been testing for possible Thanksgiving menu options this year, and it's worthy of a big drum roll, not only because it was so delicious, but also because this is the very first time I've posted a brussels sprouts recipe on Kalyn's Kitchen. Yes, I confess that I've been a little slow to warm up to the idea of brussels sprouts, but that was before I tried roasting them. This version of crispy golden brussels sprouts, tossed with Parmesan cheese and just a smattering of pine nuts is something that will be on my table again soon.

Since Brussels sprouts are definitely a vegetable, I thought it might be fun to learn more about them and use this as my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted by Truffle from What's On My Plate. If you'd like to join the WHB fun this week, send her your entry at roshena (at) gmail (dot) com. I'll be spending the Thanksgiving holidays with my sister, but Truffle is in Australia, where it's not a holiday, and I'm trying not to be too jealous that she's eating things like Chicken and Avocado Salad. Now back to brussels sprouts, which I learned from Wikipedia are named for the place they were first grown and are a type of wild cabbage, related to cabbage, broccoli, collard greens, kale, and kohlrabi. Nearly all the brussels sprouts in the U.S. are grown in California, and they're also widely grown in Europe and Canada. They're one of The World's Healthiest Foods, and contain the phytonutrient sulforaphane, which enhances the bodies ability to fight against many diseases, including cancer, especially colon cancer. They're also high in fiber and contain many other nutrients. If brussels sprouts has a bad reputation, it's partly because when they're overcooked they release an unpleasant smell, but when cooked properly they are nutty tasting and delicious. My brussels sprouts tasted and smelled great, so I highly recommend roasting them.

Trim the stem end of the sprouts and break off any discolored leaves, then cut in quarters and toss with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Arrange sprouts in single layer on roasting pan and roast at 450 F for about 20 minutes, or until starting to brown and crisping on the edges. Toss with parmesan, sprinkle with pine nuts, and serve hot.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts Recipe with Balsamic, Parmesan, and Pine Nuts
(Makes 3-4 servings, recipe created by Kalyn with inspiration from Fine Cooking Magazine on roasting vegetables, November 2007.)

1 lb. brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut into quarters
2 T olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 T Parmesan cheese (preferably fresh grated)
1 T pine nuts (preferably toasted, could substitute other nuts of your choice)

Preheat oven to 450 F. Trim brussels sprouts, remove any discolored leaves, and cut into quarters (or halves if they are small.) Put sprouts in mixing bowl and toss with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Cover roasting pan with foil if desired, and spray with non-stick spray if needed. Arrange sprouts in a single layer on roasting pan, and roast 20 minutes, turning occasionally, or until sprouts are slightly crisp and golden brown on the edges.

When sprouts are nearly done, toast pine nuts in a dry pan about 2-3 minutes, until barely starting to brown. (Be careful, they can go from lightly brown to overdone quite quickly.) Put cooked sprouts back into mixing bowl and toss with parmesan cheese. Arrange on serving plate and sprinkle with pine nuts. Serve hot.

South Beach Suggestions:
Although this recipe is not that low in fat, olive oil and nuts are both considered a "good fat" for South Beach, so this is a good side dish for any phase of the South Beach Diet. I would serve it with other menu options that are low in fat.

More Tasty Recipes for Brussels Sprouts:
(Recipes from other blogs may or may not be South Beach Diet friendly, check ingredients.)
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Shallots from Cucina Bella
Golden Crusted Brussels Sprouts from 101 Cookbooks
Hashed Brussels Sprouts with Lemon from Simply Recipes
Cream-Braised Brussels Sprouts from Orangette
Brussels Sprouts Dijon from Seriously Good
Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Basil from Stephen Cooks
Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Garlic from A Veggie Venture
Brussels Sprouts with Kaiserfleisch (bacon) and Red Onion from Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once
Braised Brussels Sprouts with Rosemary and Parmesan Cheese from Lucullian Delights
Brussels Sprouts with Lemon Mustard Sauce from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen
Oven Baked Brussels Sprouts from Delicious Days

Things you might want to know:
You can get Kalyn's recipes by e-mail.
There's a great way to print recipes on Kalyn's Kitchen.
It's easy to find out who's hosting Weekend Herb Blogging this week.
There are actual rules for Weekend Herb Blogging.
Here is another place where I write more about food.

Tags:
Food Recipes Cooking South Beach Diet Recipes
Low Carb Recipes Low Glycemic Index Recipes
Diabetes Friendly Recipes Weekend Herb Blogging
South Beach Diet Thanksgiving Recipes
Low-Glycemic Thanksgiving Recipes