summer salads, part five: thai chicken salad with peanut dressing

If I could never have peanut butter again, I think I would die. Easily one of my favorite foods, this salad brought it into my life in a wonderful way: a peanut-buttery and coconut salad dressing. Yes, please. This is an easy one to whip up when you have some leftover chicken to use, or just pick up a rotisserie bird from the store like we did. Annnnd the expandable pants make another appearance.

Thai Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing
Ingredients

• 6 cups torn romaine lettuce
• 2 cups shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
• 2 cups fresh, trimmed snow peas (or bean sprouts)
• 1 cup carrots, shredded or chopped into thin rounds
• 3/4 cup sliced celery
• 2/3 cup light coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts
• 4 lime wedges (optional)

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine coconut milk and next 5 ingredients (through red pepper) in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and cool for 2 minutes. Pour warm coconut milk mixture over lettuce mixture. Sprinkle with peanuts; serve with lime wedges, if desired. Serve immediately.

Need more ideas? Check these out:

• Summer salads, part one: smoked turkey salad with cranberries and bleu cheese  
• Summer salads, part two: grilled shrimp salads with basil-garlic dressing
• Summer salads, part three: spinach and bacon salad with grilled peaches and homemade bleu cheese dressing
• Summer salads, part four: loaded lentil salad with feta, walnuts and raspberry vinaigrette
• Thai ginger-honey beef salad

cornmeal-fried fish with curry and veggies

My husband digs fishing – especially deep-sea fishing. And thanks to him (and our friends and family with boats who are kind enough to include him in their trips, for which he gladly repays them with gas money and beer), our freezer is stocked with fresh-caught, minimally processed, white, flaky fish. It doesn't get better than that.

Tonight was a fish night. Said hubs was craving sushi from our local joint, and in an effort to save money and to one-up dinner from a nutrition standpoint, I made another Mark Bittman recipe, slightly modified to save time since it is a weeknight. Let's just say we weren't thinking about sushi after one bite.

Dredged in flour, cornmeal and curry, this pan-fried sheepshead was paired with sauteed snow peas and red onion, and a simple steamed side of zucchini and squash. Quite the tasty and healthy meal. Give it a whirl with any white fish or seasoning you like; you won't be disappointed.

Cornmeal-fried Fish with Curry and Veggies

• 1 lb. white fish fillets, cleaned and deboned (we used sheepshead, which is a crustacean-eating fish that in turn tastes a lot like shrimp or lobster)
• 1/4 c flour
• 1/4 cornmeal (do not skip this!)
• 1 tbsp curry or any other seasoning, such as Italian herbs or Old Bay
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil

1. In a shallow dish, stir the flour, cornmeal and seasonings. Dredge the fish fillets through it, pressing lightly to help the mixture stick.
2. Heat a pan with olive oil over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add a couple of fillets at a time, turning after about 4-5 minutes, or the breading is just starting to brown. Remove from pan and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat until all fish is pan fried and serve immediately.

Serve with sauteed snow peas and sliced red onion, seasoned with salt and pepper, and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Enjoy!