Bok Choy (my low cal veggie filler)

Bok Choy, an Asian version of cabbage, is available in many markets now, and this recipe is simple itself—allowing the fresh, healthful, and appealing flavor of this intriguing vegetable to shine. Bok choy's popularity comes from its light, sweet flavor, crisp texture and nutritional value. Not only is bok choy high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C and calcium, but it is low in calories.

Ingredients:

2 pounds bok choy (washed & cleaned)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped red onion
5 to 6 small green chillies, split into halves
5 cloves of Garlic, split into halves
2 scallions chopped fine
a pinch of Salt & Black pepper

** (optional) a splash / 1 teaspoon of (freshly brewed) Soy sauce (available in the Asian section of your grocery store, or from specialty Asian markets)

1. Trim the base of the bok choy, then chop off the leaves. Cut the base in half lengthwise, then cut the halves again into halves lengthwise.

2. Place a large wok or a pot large enough to hold all the bok choy over medium heat.
When it is hot, add the olive oil and rotate the wok or pot a bit to coat it evenly. When the oil is hot, add the onion and scallions stir-fry until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the green chillies & garlic, saute for a min.

3. Now add the bok choy and season with the salt and pepper. Cover and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add in a dash of soy sauce (**or skip it like me) and serve hot.

Chicken,beans, Brown rice Pilaf

Carbs: 27gms, Protein 12gms, Fiber 8.3 gms, Fat 4.3 gms
Makes 12, one cup servings.

Ingredients:
1 large onion, diced
1 yellow or red bell pepper, diced
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 bunch Green Onions, sliced, (Reserve the green part for garnish)
1 LB boneless, skinless, lean, Chicken breasts, cubed
1 can of ready-to-eat,baked, black or red kidney beans
2 tomatoes, diced
1 cup Brown Rice
1 cup Water
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Spices:
1 teaspoon, red chili powder
1 Tablespoon Oregano, dried flakes
1 teaspoon Thyme, fresh or pinched dried
1 Bay Leaf, whole
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon black pepper powder


Method:

1. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan on a medium flame. Once hot, reduce the flame & add onions, garlic, diced yellow/red bell pepper & the white parts of green onion. Stir & cook until tender.

2. Now keep the flame at a medium, add Chicken. Cook until it changes color from pink to white. Add spices,salt and tomatoes, stir to combine.

3. When the oil starts to separate & the tomatoes get mushier and almost cooked, add the brown rice. Stir to combine & cook for a minute to coat the rice. Add water. Bring to a boil & immediately reduce to a simmer.

4.Cover & continue to cook for 25 minutes or until brown rice gets tender. Add the can of baked, black or red kidney beans.Stir gently. Remove bay leaf before serving.

5. Garnish with sliced green onions. Enjoy! :-)

Grilled Chicken in Lettuce Wrap with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:
1. 3 skinless, Chicken Breast, cleaned
(Add some lime juice and salt and let it sit for 15 mins.
Now wash it thoroughly with water and pat dry.
2. 1 teaspoon Black Pepper powder
3. 1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper or 1 teaspoon red chili powder
4. 1 teaspoon Salt
5. 1 spoon of Grill Seasoning

Mix the above ingredients and keep it cover in the fridge for an hr. Coat the grill with Pam Spray. Heat the Grill on high heat. Place the Chicken breasts onto the grill. Grill for 6 minutes on each side till well done. Let stand & allow it cool after 10 mins, slice the cooked chicken breasts into bite size cubes.

Filling for the Lettuce wrap:

1. 1 cup fresh bean sprout
2. 1/2 cup shredded carrots
3. 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
4. 1/2 cup chopped scallion
5. 1 tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice
6. Few sprigs of chopped Mint leaves (optional)
Combine 1 to 5. **Season with Salt to taste (optional)**

Spicy Peanut Sauce:

1. 1/4 cup chunky peanut butter, soften in microwave if it has been refrigerated.
2. 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
3. 1 teaspoon Sambal Olek (Spicy Thai Chili Sauce)
Whisk all the ingredients together.

Place large lettuce leaves on the serving plate. Pile chicken and veggie fillings onto the Lettuce wraps and drizzle liberally with spicy peanut sauce before wrapping and rolling. Enjoy it as snack or for lunch.

Vietnamese Spicy Cabbage salad (Raw vegetables)

This colorful, crunchy, tangy and spicy cabbage salad just fills you up. The salad is so refreshing as it cools you in this heat of Summer that I usually like to have 2 huge bowls of salad in the evenings. It is more like a slaw but without the calorie rich salad dressing. I love to pair it with grilled food, particularly one shredded chicken breast or a grilled fish fillet or sometimes with a couple of boiled egg whites for supper. The salad's chili kick and sweet tangy savory side provide wonderful flavor contrasts. I had it at my friend's place who is an expert in Vietnamese-style cooking and decided to include it in my list of recipe collection.

Dressing:

1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup of fresh lime juice
2 or 3 short Indian green chilies, chopped or 2 large green horn peppers chopped fine.
1 clove garlic, chopped. (optional---you gotta brush your teeth :-) later ! )

**Watch it on the chilies. The mortar and pestle pounding releases all the oils and the dressing can be fiery -- enough to make you sweat a bit or feel overheated.

Using a mortar and pestle, mash the chili, garlic, ½ teaspoon sugar, and 1 pinch salt together into a fragrant greenish paste. (Use a sweeping motion at first to crush the ingredients and then pound.) This releases and combines the oils from the chili and garlic. Scrape the paste into a bowl and add the remaining ingredients of fresh lime juice. Slowly, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt in the paste and to combine well. Taste and alter the level of heat or if needed add more lime juice to create a spicy, tart, savory, lightly garlicky dressing. Mix well.

Ingredients for the salad:

1. 1/2 head green cabbage, about 1 pound or 4 cups of thinly sliced cabbage-
quartered through the stem end, cored, and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide ribbons.

2. 1/2 a cup of shredded red cabbage (or just pick the prepacked, ready-to-eat, shredded ones from the salad section at the supermarket).

3. 1 large carrot, peeled and finely shredded.

4. 2 small radishes shredded

5. 1 English Cucumber, peeled skin & diced.

6. 1/2 a cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, or mint leaves

7. 1/4 cup coarsely chopped unsalted roasted peanuts (optional- for garnish & a little bit of good fat) or you could add a teaspoon of Udo's oil or flax seed oil on top of the salad instead of the peanuts.

Method:

1. In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, carrot, radish, cucumber chopped herbs of your choice- either cilantro or mint leaves. Toss to combine and distribute the ingredients well. Chill it for half hour, if you like.

2. Just before serving, pour the lime dressing over the salad and toss to mix well. The salad will wilt slightly. Taste and adjust the flavors to your liking, balancing the sour, sweet, salty, and spicy.

3. Transfer to a serving plate, leaving any unabsorbed dressing behind. Garnish with the unsalted, roasted chopped peanuts or drizzle a teaspoon of Udo's or Flax seed oil and serve with your choice of protein. Enjoy !

**I skipped these ingredients for the dressing used in the original recipe from my friend, such as:
3 tablespoon of Fish sauce
6 tablespoons of rice Vinegar ( **I replaced it with fresh lime juice)
3 tablesppons of sugar (**just used 1/2 teaspoon of sugar for little bit of sweetness...you could instead use Artificial sweetner, though I do not know the long term effects of using Splenda or other sweetner)