Citrus surprise salads

Sunset, Feb, 1992 by Linda Lau Anusasananan

A double dose of citrus and some lean Asian seasonings inject a fresh liveliness into these salads. Serve them as starters for dinner or light main dishes for lunch.

Try kumquats mixed with chicken and a Vietnamese lemon-mint dressing. Pink grapefruit and shrimp take on Thai flavors with coconut and a tart-hot lime dressing. Southeast Asian seasonings also spice orange slices with peppery browned pork bits in cilantro-spiked lemon juice.

Look for pickled ginger and fish sauce in supermarkets or Asian food stores.

Chicken Salad

with Kumquats

1 1/2 pounds chicken breast halves, rinsed Ginger-mint dressing (recipe follows) 3/4 cup (5 oz.) kumquats, thinly sliced, seeds and ends discarded 1 small (about 8 oz.) cucumber 8 to 10 large (6 to 8 oz. total) radicchio leaves or 16 to 20 Belgian endive spears, rinsed and crisped Fresh mint sprigs (optional)

In a 5- to 6-quart pan, bring about 2 quarts water to a boil. Add chicken. Return to a boil. Cover pan tightly and remove from heat. Let stand until chicken is white in thickest part (cut to test), 20 to 24 minutes.

Remove chicken from pan and cool. Reserve water to make broth, or discard. remove and discard skin and bones. Tear cool chicken into bite-size shreds. (If done ahead, cover and chill up until next day.)

In a alarge bowl, combine dressing and kumquats. Trim ends off cucumber. Cut cucumber in half lengthwise; thinly slice crosswise. Mix cucumber and chicken with kumquats. On each of 4 to 5 salad or dinner plates, place 2 radicchio leaves or 5 endive spears. Mound equal portions of salad onto leaves. Garnish with mint sprigs. Serves 4 or 5.

Per serving: 169 cal. (9.1 percent from fat); 22 g protein; 1.7 g fat (0.4 sat.); 17 g carbo.; 72 mg sodium; 52 mg chol.

Ginger-mint dressing. Mix 1/2 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup finely shredded fresh or 2 tablespoons dried mint leaves, 2 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger, 2 tablespoons water, 2 1/2 teaspoons sugar, and 1 tablespoon fish sauce (nuoc mam or nam pla) or soy sauce.

Pink Grapefruit and

Shrimp Salad

1/4 cup sweetened shredded dried coconut 4 large (about 4 lb. total) ruby or pink grapefruit 1/2 pound shelled cooked tiny shrimp Tart-hot dressing (recipe follows) 10 to 18 large (6 to 10 oz.) butter lettuce leaves, rinsed and crisped

In a 6- to 8-inch frying pan, stir coconut over medium-low heat until golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan; set aside.

Cut peel and white membrane off grapefruit. Over a bowl, cut between inner membranes and lift out grapefruit sections; place sections in the bowl. Squeeze juice from membranes into bowl. (If done ahead, cover and chill up to 4 hours.)

Gently drain juice from grapefruit; reserve juice for another use. Add shrimp and dressing to fruit; gently mix. On each of 5 or 6 salad or dinner plates, arrange 2 or 3 lettuce leaves. Mound equal portions of grapefruit mixture onto leaves; sprinkle with coconut. Serves 5 or 6.

Per serving: 120 cal. (17 percent from fat); 10 g protein; 2.2 g fat (1.1 g sat.); 16 g carbo.; 143 mg sodium; 74 mg chol.

Tart-hot dressing. Mix 1/4 cup minced shallots, 1/4 cup lime juice, 2 tablespoons shredded pickled ginger, 2 tablespoons fish sauce (nuoc mam or nam pla) or soy sauce, 2 teaspoons sugar, Oranges on spinach cool the hot, peppery bite of pork.

and 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon (add to taste) crushed dried hot red chilies.

Hot Spiced Pork

on Oranges

5 large (about 3 lb. total) oranges 30 large (about 3 oz. total) spinach leaves, rinsed and crisped 3/4 pound pork tenderloin or loin, fat trimmed 1 teaspoon salad oil 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper Dressing (recipe follows) About 2 teaspoons fish sauce (nuoc mam or nam pla) or soy sauce Fresh cilantro (coriander) sprigs

Cut peel and white membrane off oranges. Cut fruit crosswise into this slices. (If done ahead, cover and chill up to 4 hours.) Drain off juice; save for another use.

Arrange 1/6 of spinach and oranges on each of 6 salad or dinner plates.

Cut pork into 1/2-inch cubes; whirl in food processor until coarsely ground, or finely chop with a knife.

Pour oil into a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over high head. Add pork, garlic, coriander, and pepper. Stir until pork is crumbly and brown film forms in pan, about 5 minutes. Add dressing, and fish sauce to taste; stir to free film. Spoon hot mixture equally over oranges. Garnish with cilantro. Serves 6.

Per serving: 179 cal. (14 percent from fat); 14 g protein; 2.8 g fat (0.7 g sat.); 27 g carbo.; 44 mg sodium, 31 mg chol.

Dressing. Mix 1/2 cup lemon juice, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)