7 Memorial Day Dishes

Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer. And no respectable outdoor shindig is complete without firing up the grill and taking advantage of the fresh, seasonal produce. Our holiday menu has it all… 

Barbecued Raspberry-Hoisin Chicken

Hoisin sauce paired with puréed tart raspberries makes a wonderful Chinese-inspired marinade and dipping sauce for grilled chicken. You can find Hoisin sauce in the Asian section of your supermarket. To plan ahead, marinate the chicken thighs for at least two hours – or up to 24 hours – before grilling.

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 2-3/4 hours

Ingredients
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
3/4 cup hoisin sauce
5 tablespoons rice vinegar, divided
1 clove garlic
1 strip (2-by-1/2-inch) orange zest
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Pinch of crushed red pepper
1-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed, each cut into 3 crosswise strips
2-1/2 cups water
1 cup long- or medium-grain brown rice
1/3 cup thinly sliced scallion greens, divided

Preparation
1. Combine raspberries, hoisin sauce, 3 tablespoons rice vinegar, garlic, orange zest, ginger, pepper and crushed red pepper in a blender or food processor. Blend or process until smooth, about 1 minute. Set aside 1/4 cup for a dipping sauce.

2. Transfer the remaining marinade to a medium bowl and add chicken; stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.

3. Combine water and rice in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed, 40-50 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, until ready to serve.

4. Preheat grill to medium-high or preheat the broiler to high.

5. Meanwhile, remove the chicken from the marinade, scrape off excess (discard marinade), and thread onto 4 skewers, distributing equally.

6. Grill the chicken until browned and cooked through, 3-4 minutes per side. If using the broiler, place the chicken on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray and broil 4 inches from the heat source until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.

7. Just before serving, sprinkle the rice with the remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar and 1/4 cup scallions; fluff with a fork. Sprinkle the chicken and rice with the remaining scallions. Serve with the reserved dipping sauce.

Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Per serving:
398 calories
11 g fat (3 g sat, 4 g mono)
86 mg cholesterol
44 g carbohydrate
28 g protein
4 g fiber
313 mg sodium
376 mg potassium

Nutrition Bonus: selenium (54% Daily Value), zinc (20% DV), fiber (16% DV)

Flank Steak Pinwheels 

These festive wheels of steak, herbed cheese, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes look fancy, but they’re easy to make. For a party, arrange them on a platter atop a bed of spinach. If you’re short on time, prepare the steak roll, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to six hours. When ready to grill, proceed with Steps 5 and 6.

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 40 minutes

Ingredients
2/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
2 cups boiling water
1 pound flank steak, trimmed of fat
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons light herbed cheese spread, such as Boursin
1 cup baby spinach
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preparation
1. Preheat grill to high.

2. Place sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl; pour boiling water over them and let steep until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain and chop.

3. Meanwhile, place steak between 2 large pieces of plastic wrap. Pound each side of the steak thoroughly with the pointed side of a meat mallet until the steak is an even 1/4-inch thickness.

4. Rub garlic all over one side of the steak. Spread cheese lengthwise in a 3-inch-wide strip down the middle of the steak. Top with the sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. Starting at one edge of a long side, roll the steak up tightly, tucking in the filling as you go.

5. Carefully rub salt and pepper all over the outside of the steak roll. Turn the roll so the overlapping edge is on top. Push 8 skewers, evenly spaced, through the roll, close to the overlapping edge to hold the roll together. Slice the roll into 8 equal portions, roughly 1 to 1-1/2 inches thick, with a skewer in each. Lay the slices on their sides and push the skewer through so it sticks out about 1 inch.

6. Oil the grill rack. Grill the pinwheels 3-4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Use a spatula when turning them to prevent too much filling from falling out. (Don’t worry if the ends of the skewers burn. They will still hold the pinwheels together.) Remove the skewers; let the pinwheels rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Per serving:
226 calories
9 g fat (4 g sat, 3 g mono)
46 mg cholesterol
7 g carbohydrate
27 g protein
2 g fiber
332 mg sodium
278 mg potassium

Nutrition Bonus: zinc (27% Daily Value), iron (15% DV)

Blackened Salmon Sandwich 

Forget the Filet-O-Fish; this may be the perfect fish sandwich. Blackening seasoning and sliced red onion add a little kick and the creamy avocado spread melts in your mouth.

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 25 minutes

Ingredients
1 pound salmon fillet, skinned and cut into 4 portions
2 teaspoons blackening or Cajun seasoning
1 small avocado, pitted
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
4 crusty whole-wheat rolls, split and toasted
1 cup arugula
2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

Preparation
1. Oil grill rack, preheat grill to high.

2. Rub blackening (or Cajun) seasoning on both sides of salmon. Grill until cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side.

3. Mash together avocado and mayonnaise in a small bowl.

4. To assemble sandwiches, spread the avocado mixture on the bottom half of each roll. Top with the salmon, arugula, tomato and onion.

Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Per serving:
429 calories
16 g fat (3 g sat, 7 g mono)
67 mg cholesterol
43 g carbohydrate
33 g protein
6 g fiber
755 mg sodium
755 mg potassium

Nutrition Bonus: fiber (24% Daily Value), potassium (22% DV),vitamin C (20% DV), folate (15% DV), good source of omega-3.

Garden Pasta Salad

To make this scrumptious salad more substantial, toss in canned chunk light tuna, cooked chicken or flavored baked tofu. To make this dish ahead, cover and refrigerate for up to one day.Serves: 6

Preparation time: 35 minutesIngredients

2 cups uncooked whole-wheat rotini (6 ounces)

1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise

1/3 cup low-fat plain yogurt

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or lemon juice

1 clove garlic, minced

1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1 cup diced yellow or red bell pepper (1 small)

1 cup grated carrots (2-4 carrots)

1/2 cup chopped scallions (4 scallions)

1/2 cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives

1/3 cup slivered fresh basilPreparation

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 8-10 minutes, or according to package directions. Drain and refresh under cold running water.2. Whisk mayonnaise, yogurt, oil, vinegar (or lemon juice), garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl until smooth. Add the pasta and toss to coat. Add tomatoes, bell pepper, carrots, scallions, olives and basil; toss to coat well.Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Per serving:

205 calories

9 g fat (2 g sat, 5 g mono)

1 mg cholesterol

29 g carbohydrate

6 g protein

4 g fiber

291 mg sodiumNutrition Bonus: vitamin C (97% Daily Value), vitamin A (70% DV), fiber (17% DV)

Jicama Apple Slaw

Crunchy jicama and apple plus oranges and avocado combine in this crisp and refreshing dairy-free slaw. Jícama is a round root vegetable with thin brown skin and white crunchy flesh. It has a slightly sweet and nutty flavor.

Serves: 6
Preparation time: 35 minutes

Ingredients
1/3 cup packed chopped fresh cilantro, plus leaves for garnish
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, plus leaves for garnish
1-2 tablespoons minced jalapeño pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup lime juice
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1-pound jícama
1 tart green apple, cored (not peeled)
2 navel oranges
2 avocados, diced

Preparation
1. Place 1/3 cup cilantro, 2 tablespoons mint, jalapeño to taste, sugar, salt, cumin and lime juice in a food processor. Process until finely chopped, about 30 seconds, stopping once to scrape down the sides. With the motor running, add oil through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream until the dressing is well combined. Transfer the dressing to a large bowl. Do not clean the processor, but change to the shredding disk.

2. Using a small, sharp knife, carefully peel jícama, making sure to remove both the papery brown skin and the layer of fibrous flesh just underneath. Cut the jícama and apple into pieces that will fit comfortably through your processor’s feed tube. Shred the jícama and apple in the processor. Add to the bowl with the dressing.

3. Using a sharp knife, remove the peel and pith from the orange. Working over the bowl with the slaw (to catch any juice), cut the orange segments from the surrounding membranes, letting them drop into the bowl. Squeeze any remaining juice into the slaw. (Discard membranes and peel.) Add avocados; gently toss to combine. Serve immediately, garnished with cilantro and mint leaves.

Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Per serving:
288 calories
20 g fat (3 g sat, 10 g mono)
0 mg cholesterol
29 g carbohydrate
3 g protein
8 g fiber
291 mg sodium
584 mg potassium

Nutrition Bonus: vitamin C (120% Daily Value), fiber (32% DV), potassium (17% DV)

Iced Mint Green Tea 

Crisp and refreshing, you just may find yourself craving this beverage on a hot summer’s night.

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 45 minutes (including chilling time)

Ingredients
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves 
3 green tea bags 
2 tablespoons honey 
4 cups boiling water 
2 cups sake, divided 
4 stalks lemongrass for garnish

Preparation
1. Combine mint leaves, tea bags, honey and boiling water. Let steep for 5 minutes; remove tea bags. Refrigerate until chilled. Divide among 4 large ice-filled glasses. Add 1/2 cup sake to each glass. Garnish with a stalk of lemongrass. Non-alcoholic variation: Omit the sake.

Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Per cocktail:
76 calories
0 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono)
0 mg cholesterol
11 g carbohydrate
1 g protein
1 g fiber
11 mg sodium
67 mg potassium

Strawberry Shortcake 

You’ll want to try this recipe with other fruit, too; peaches, raspberries and blueberries are natural choices. This dessert makes use of white whole-wheat flour, made from a special variety of white wheat. It’s light in color and flavor but has the same nutritional properties as regular whole-wheat flour.

Serves: 12 servings
Preparation time: 1 hour

Ingredients
For the shortcakes:
2 cups cake flour, plus more for dusting
1 cup white whole-wheat flour or whole-wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel)
1/4 cup canola oil

1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons nonfat buttermilkFor the filling:
4 cups sliced hulled strawberries (about 1-1/4 pounds whole berries)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour creamPreparation
To prepare shortcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Whisk cake flour, white whole-wheat (or whole-wheat pastry) flour, sugar and baking powder in a large bowl. Cut in butter using two knives or a pastry cutter until the pieces are about the size of peas. Cut in cream cheese until it’s the size of peas. Drizzle oil over the mixture; stir with a fork until just combined (the mixture will be crumbly). Make a well in the center and add egg and buttermilk. Gradually stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients with a fork until the mixture is evenly moist. Knead the mixture in the bowl two or three times until it holds together.

3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Dust with flour and roll into an 8 x 10-inch rectangle about 1/2-inch thick. Cut the edges square using a butter knife. Cut the dough into 12 equal shortcakes. Transfer to a baking sheet.

4. Bake the shortcakes until puffed and lightly golden, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly.

To prepare filling:
1. Toss strawberries with sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk whipping cream in a medium bowl until it’s thick and holds its shape, 1-2 minutes. Whisk in sour cream until combined.

2. To serve, split shortcakes horizontally. Spoon berries and juice onto the bottoms, top with the cream mixture and replace the shortcake tops.

Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Per serving:
303 calories
14 g fat (6 g sat, 4 g mono)
48 mg cholesterol
38 g carbohydrate
5 g protein
2 g fiber
137 mg sodium
157 mg potassium

Nutrition Bonus: vitamin C (50% Daily Value), folate & iron (20% DV)

Have a Safe & Happy Memorial Weekend!