The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook (36 page)

2.
Combine the crabmeat, corn, onion, avocado, cucumber, and ½ cup cucumber vinaigrette in a large bowl, and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

cucumber vinaigrette

MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP

½ cucumber, peeled and seeded

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

½ cup grapeseed oil

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Place the cucumber, vinegar, mustard, and tarragon in a food processor, and process until smooth. With the machine running, drizzle in the grapeseed oil; process until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate, covered, up to 2 days.

arugula salad with french lentils, smoked chicken, and roasted peppers

SERVES 6

The lentils can be made up to a day in advance and the salad assembled at the last minute. Poached or grilled chicken breast would produce equally appetizing results.

½ pound French green lentils, picked over and rinsed

1 14½-ounce can low-sodium chicken broth, or homemade, skimmed of fat

1 cup water

4 sprigs thyme, plus ½ tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

2 red bell peppers

2½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

½ teaspoon coarse salt, plus more for seasoning

6 ounces baby arugula (about 6 cups)

6 ounces smoked skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into matchsticks

Freshly ground pepper

1.
In a medium saucepan, combine the lentils, broth, water, and thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, uncovered, until the lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and set aside in a bowl to cool.

2.
While the lentils are cooking, roast the red peppers over a gas flame or under the broiler, turning occasionally, until blackened. Place in a heatproof bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand until cool. Peel and seed the peppers, and cut into ½-inch slices. Place the strips in a small saucepan with 1 ½ tablespoon oil; cover, and cook gently over low heat, stirring occasionally, until meltingly tender, about 10 minutes. Set aside, and let cool.

3.
In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegars, salt, thyme leaves, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil until blended. Add half of the dressing to the lentils, and toss to coat. Add the arugula, chicken, and cooled pepper strips to the remaining dressing, and toss. Season both salads with salt and pepper. Arrange the lentils into mounds on each of 6 salad plates, form a well in the center of each, and fill with the arugula mixture.

FIT TO EAT RECIPE
PER SERVING: 250 CALORIES, 9 G FAT, 15 MG CHOLESTEROL, 26 G CARBOHYDRATE, 560 MG SODIUM, 17 G PROTEIN, 3 G FIBER

taco salad

SERVES 6

To reduce the fat, we eliminated the cheese and toasted the corn tortillas in the oven rather than frying them in oil.

2 ears corn, husks and silk removed

3 corn tortillas, cut into 16 wedges each

¾ cup nonfat plain yogurt

2 limes

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cup fresh cilantro leaves

1½ tablespoons finely chopped and seeded jalapeño pepper

½ teaspoon coarse salt

1 pound ground turkey

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ pound iceberg lettuce, torn into 2-inch pieces (about 3 cups)

1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed

2 plum tomatoes, cut into ½-inch-thick wedges (about 1 cup)

½ red onion, peeled and cut into ¼-inch-thick wedges (about 1 cup)

1 small mango, peeled, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch-thick wedges (1½ cups)

1.
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the corn, and reduce heat to medium; simmer until the kernels are tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer the corn to a plate; let cool. Slice the kernels off the cobs; place in a small bowl, and set aside (you should have about 1¼ cups).

2.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the tortilla wedges in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet; bake until crisp, turning once, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven; let cool, and set aside.

3.
Make the dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the yogurt, juice from 1 lime, cilantro, jalapeño, and salt. Set aside.

4.
In a medium nonstick skillet, brown the turkey over medium heat, stirring frequently, until no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, and juice from remaining lime.

5.
Transfer the mixture to a large serving bowl. Add the lettuce, beans, tomatoes, onion, mango, and reserved corn and tortillas. Toss to combine well. Drizzle with yogurt dressing; serve immediately.

FIT TO EAT RECIPE
PER SERVING: 233 CALORIES, 2 G FAT, 37 MG CHOLESTEROL, 32 G CARBOHYDRATE, 207 MG SODIUM, 25 G PROTEIN, 6 G FIBER

southwestern cobb salad

SERVES 6 TO 8 AS A MAIN DISH

¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice, plus juice of 2 limes

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup soy sauce

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

4 large eggs

½ pound thick-sliced bacon

1 yellow bell pepper

1 poblano chile

1 tomato, seeded and cut in ½-inch pieces

½ cup roughly chopped pitted black olives (2½ ounces)

1 sweet onion, cut into ¼-inch pieces

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 ripe but firm Hass avocados, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

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teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 small head romaine lettuce, torn in 1-inch pieces

Green Goddess Dressing (recipe follows)

1.
Combine the ¼ cup lime juice, ¼ cup oil, soy sauce, ½ teaspoon cumin, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Place the chicken breasts in a large resealable plastic bag. Pour the marinade into the bag, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

2.
Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Lift the chicken from the bag, allowing the excess marinade to drain off. Cook until grill marks appear and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Cool the chicken completely, and cut into ½-inch pieces; set aside.

3.
Place the eggs in a saucepan with cold water to cover. Bring to a boil. Cover; remove from heat. Let sit 11 minutes. Drain; rinse under cold running water until cooled. Peel and roughly chop the eggs.

4.
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Cook the bacon until crisp, and drain on paper towels. Crumble when cool; set aside.

5.
Place the yellow and poblano peppers directly on the trivet of a gas burner over high heat or on the grill or grill pan used for the chicken. Turn the peppers with tongs as they char. (Alternatively, place the peppers on a baking pan; broil in the oven, turning as each side becomes charred.) Transfer to a large bowl; cover immediately with plastic wrap. Let the peppers sweat until cool enough to handle. Peel off the blackened skin and discard. Remove the seeds; chop the yellow pepper into ½-inch pieces and the poblano into ¼-inch pieces; set aside separately.

6.
In a bowl, combine the yellow pepper, tomato, olives, and half the chopped onion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; set aside. In another bowl, combine the poblano with the avocados, ¼ cup cilantro, juice of 2 limes, cayenne pepper (if using), and remaining ½ teaspoon cumin; season with salt and pepper; set aside.

7.
Combine the black beans with the remaining ¼ cup cilantro and chopped onion. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and season with salt and pepper; set aside.

8.
Arrange the romaine on a platter. Arrange the chicken, eggs, bacon, tomato, avocado, and bean mixture in sections across the romaine. Drizzle with dressing; serve.

green goddess dressing

MAKES 1½ CUPS

Let dressing sit overnight to meld flavors.

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup sour cream

2 tablespoons buttermilk

1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 bunch chives, coarsely chopped (½ cup)

2 green onions, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon coarse salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days.

fennel crab salad on beefsteak tomatoes

SERVES 6 TO 8

1½ pounds beefsteak tomatoes (about 2), preferably orange or yellow

10 ounces baby fennel bulbs (about 3 or 4)

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ pound jumbo lump crabmeat

5 ounces purslane or watercress

2 tablespoons olive oil

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Cut the tomatoes into ½-inch slices; set aside. Remove the outer peel from the fennel if necessary. Using a mandoline, thinly shave the fennel, and toss with the lemon juice; set aside. Remove any shells from the crabmeat, and set aside. Arrange the purslane on a serving dish, and top with the tomatoes, shaved fennel, and crabmeat. Lightly drizzle each tomato with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper; serve immediately.

lobster salad with grapefruit, avocado, and hearts of palm

SERVES 8 AS AN APPETIZER

4 1¼-pound lobsters

2 ruby red or pink grapefruits

1 tablespoon finely minced shallots

1¼ teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar

1 tablespoon freshly chopped lemon basil or regular basil, plus leaves for garnish

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 avocados, peeled and pitted

4 hearts of palm, cut into ½-inch-thick rounds

1 large head Boston lettuce (8 ounces)

1.
Fill a large bowl with ice and water; set aside. Bring a stockpot of water to a boil. Boil the lobsters for 10 minutes; transfer to the ice bath until cool. Break off the claws and tails; use the bodies to make a stock, or discard. Split the tail lengthwise with a sharp knife; remove the meat. Slice the tail into bite-size pieces. Remove the claws from the shells, keeping them whole if possible. Chill the lobster meat.

2.
Cut the ends off the grapefruit; remove the peel, pith, and outer membranes. Lift the sections away from the membranes, and reserve. Squeeze ½ cup juice from the membranes into a bowl for dressing.

3.
Place the shallots, mustard, vinegar, grapefruit juice, and lemon basil in a bowl; season with salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. Gradually whisk in the olive oil; adjust seasoning.

4.
Cut the avocados into ½-inch-thick wedges; coat with a little grapefruit juice to prevent discoloration. Add the lobster, grapefruit, and hearts of palm. Line 8 dishes with 1 lettuce leaf each. Tear the remaining lettuce into bite-size pieces; add to the lobster mixture. Drizzle with dressing; toss. Fill the lettuce leaves with salad; garnish with lemon basil.

chopped lemongrass chicken salad

SERVES 8

4 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4 pounds)

Lemongrass Marinade (recipe follows)

2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more for seasoning and cooking water

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more for seasoning

1 pound sugar snap peas, strings removed

2 shallots, roughly chopped

1 1-inch-piece peeled fresh ginger, roughly chopped

½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice

¾ cup fresh mint leaves

¾ cup fresh cilantro leaves

6 tablespoons canola oil

1 head romaine lettuce, chopped into pieces

2 mangoes, peeled, pitted, and cut into ½-inch dice

3 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into 1-inch-long matchsticks

1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and cut into ¼-inch dice

6 scallions, white and pale-green parts only, thinly sliced

1.
Place the chicken between sheets of plastic wrap; pound to ½-inch thickness. Place in a plastic or glass dish; coat with marinade. Cover; chill 4 hours or overnight.

2.
Heat the grill or broiler. Season the chicken with salt and pepper; grill until golden brown and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Set aside to cool.

3.
Fill a large bowl with ice and water; set aside. Bring a large saucepot of water to a boil; add salt. Add the snap peas; cook until bright green and still crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer to the ice bath to cool. Drain; cut into ¾-inch pieces.