Kitchen cabinet: Readers' recipes tested in sunset's kitchens

Sunset, May, 2002 by Charity Ferreira

Grilled-Salmon Salad

Kathy Mickey, Reno

Kathy Mickey gets many compliments on this salad's great flavor.
You can make the tomato vinaigrette up to 3 hours ahead;
cover and chill.

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 30 minutes, plus at least 30 minutes to chill

MAKES: 4 servings

1 1/2 pounds boned, skinned salmon fillet,
      cut into 4 equal pieces
      3 tablespoons light brown sugar
      1 tablespoon ground cumin
      1 teaspoon chili powder
      About 1 teaspoon salt
      About 1 teaspoon black pepper
    8 ounces salad mix, rinsed and crisped
      Tomato vinaigrette (recipe follows)
    4 ounces fresh chevre (goat) cheese, crumbled
  1/4 cup minced green onions (white and pale green parts only)
  1/4 cup pine nuts

1. Rinse salmon and pat dry. In a bowl, mix brown sugar, cumin, chili powder, and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Place salmon in howl and rub pieces all over with spice mixture. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.

2. Lay salmon on a barbecue grill over a solid bed of hot coals or high heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 2 to 3 seconds); close lid on gas grill. Cook, turning once, until a thermometer inserted in center of thickest part reads 140[degrees], 6 to 8 minutes total.

3. Meanwhile, divide salad mix equally among four plates. Place a piece of salmon on each mound of greens. Drizzle salads equally with tomato vinaigrette and sprinkle evenly with goat cheese, green onions, and pine nuts. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Per serving: 600 cal., 59% (351 cal.) from fat; 44 g protein; 39 g fat (11 g sat.); 20 g carbo (3 g fiber); 1,151 mg sodium; 123mg chol.

TOMATO VINAIGRETTE. In a bowl, combine 1 cup diced firm-ripe tomatoes (about 8 oz.), 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon minced shallot, 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Mix well. Makes about 1 cup.

Per 1/4 cup: 77 cal., 82% (63 cal.) from fat; 0.6 g protein; 7 g fat (0.9 g sat.); 3.7 g carbo (0.8 g fiber); 295 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

Spicy Chicken and Vegetables

Tim Rosefield, Fair Oaks, CA

Tim Rosefield's love for Thai and Vietnamese food inspired him
to put together this spicy stir-fry which he serves over basmati
or long-grain white rice. Hot bean paste is available in jars at
some well-stocked supermarkets and in Asian markets. If you can't
find it, you can substitute 1 teaspoon hot sauce and 2 additional
teaspoons soy sauce for the bean paste.

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 35 minutes

MAKES: 3 to 4 servings

    1 pound boned, skinned chicken breasts
    2 teaspoons chili powder
    1 teaspoon ground cumin
  1/2 teaspoon ground dried turmeric
    1 tablespoon salad oil
    1 cup thinly sliced onion (4 oz.)
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
  1/2 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
  2/3 cup fat-skimmed chicken broth
    2 tablespoons rice vinegar
    1 tablespoon hot bean paste (see notes)
    1 teaspoon soy sauce
    1 teaspoon sugar
    1 zucchini (about 8 oz.), rinsed, halved lengthwise,
      and cut into 1/8 to 1/4-inch-thick slices
      8 ounces green beans, rinsed, ends and strings
      removed, and cut into 1-inch lengths

1. Rinse chicken and pat dry; cut into 1-inch chunks. In a bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, and turmeric. Add chicken and mix to coat.

2. Pour oil into a 12-inch frying pan or 14-inch wok over high heat; when hot, add onion, garlic, and ginger. Stir until onion is limp, about 2 minutes. Add chicken and stir until white on the outside but still slightly pink in the middle (cut to test), about 3 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a 2-cup glass measure, mix chicken broth, vinegar, bean paste, soy sauce, and sugar. Add to pan along with zucchini and green beans. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are barely tender to bite and chicken is no longer pink in the center (cut to test), about 5 minutes. Pour into a serving dish.

Per serving: 218 cal., 23% (50 cal.) from fat; 30 g protein; 5.5 g fat (0.8 g sat.); 12 g carbo (2.2 g fiber); 219 mg sodium; 66 mg chol.

Kitchen Cabinet

Chard Lasagna

Dorothy Pinson, Borrego Springs, CA

Dorothy Pinson created this recipe to use the chard growing
abundantly in her vegetable garden. You can make the lasagna
through step 4 up to 1 day ahead; cover and chill.

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 1/2 hours

MAKES: 10 to 12 servings

    1 package (8 oz.) dried lasagna
    1 pound red or green chard
    1 cup ricotta cheese Salt and pepper
    1 onion (about 8 oz.), peeled and chopped
    1 clove garlic, peeled and pressed or minced
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    3 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
    1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1. In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring 3 quarts water to a boil. Add lasagna and cook, stirring occasionally to separate noodles, until barely tender to bite, about 10 minutes. Drain pasta, immerse in cold water until cool, and drain again. Cover loosely

2. Meanwhile, rinse and drain chard. Trim and discard discolored stem ends. Thinly slice stems crosswise and coarsely chop leaves. In a 4- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring about 1 cup water to a boil. Add chard, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until stems are tender-crisp to bite, 4 to 6 minutes. Drain, extracting as much water as possible with the back of a spoon. In a bowl, mix chard with ricotta; add salt and pepper to taste.