When It's Too Hot To Cook, Skip The Fast Foods: Assemble Healthful, Cooling Entrées In MinutesAmerican Institute for Cancer Research AICR's New No-Cook Recipes Boost Health Benefits, Keep Calorie/Fat Counts Low When it's too hot to cook, some people resort to fast food, home deliveries, or other packaged meals that are usually high in fat and calories but low in nutrients. Instead, advises the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), the health-conscious can use its new, no-cook recipes to assemble quick meals that are easy on cooks and waistlines but full of eye appeal and protection against many chronic illnesses.  "Light but filling salads make perfect entrées in hot weather," says Melanie Polk, RD, AICR's Director of Nutrition Education. "With AICR's easy recipes and a little effort spent slicing, opening cans, mixing and assembling, you can quickly create a colorful, rich-flavored meal that's not only nutritious and low-fat, but also packed with lots of substances that protect us from chronic health problems like cancer and heart disease." Polk believes that variety is the secret to making a salad rich in flavor, color and healthful substances. "Just as an entrée has great appeal when it has many colors, flavors and textures, a dish with a wide variety of ingredients, especially vegetables and fruits, has more disease-fighting substances whose powers are boosted by their interaction. There are hundreds of these special substances, called phytochemicals, so the greater variety you get, the better your health protection." The Phytochemicals in Vegetables and Fruits Are Key to Health Protection Researchers tell us that individual vegetables and fruits are distinctive in the particular phytochemicals they contain," says Polk. "For example, the vegetables you typically find in a salad - leafy greens, tomatoes, bell peppers - offer different phytochemicals, each with its own array of health benefits." Just one serving of dark leafy greens is estimated to contain over 100 different phytochemicals. Scientists don't yet understand exactly how they all work, but they do know we can maximize their effectiveness by including them, along with a wide variety of other vegetables and fruits, in our daily meals. Dark, leafy greens like romaine lettuce and spinach contain lutein and zeaxanthin, powerful antioxidants that have been linked to reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration and lung cancer. Other good sources for these phytochemicals include corn, asparagus and eggs. Bell peppers are a good source of phytochemicals called phenols, especially coumarins and terpenes, which help fend off cancer. Red bell peppers also contain lutein and zeaxanthin. Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, considered the most powerful antioxidant in the carotenoid family. Lycopene is thought to reduce the risk of prostate cancer and possibly breast cancer as well. Researchers funded by AICR believe it is the action of many of these phytochemicals, perhaps thousands, regulating and enhancing each other that boost our defenses against chronic disease. For this reason, health experts recommend eating a wide variety of vegetables and fruits every day. When It's Too Hot to Cook, Open, Slice, Mix and Assemble "Your refrigerator and pantry shelves probably contain everything you need to put together a main-course salad," says Polk. "A summer salad can be as simple as opening cans, cutting up vegetables and fruits, mixing a dressing and assembling the various elements - all in just about 30 minutes. "Many families keep leafy green lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers on hand. Your pantry shelves could hold other salad ingredients that can be stored a long time." Many vegetables and legumes are sold in jars or cans: asparagus, artichoke hearts, corn, chickpeas, beans, olives and specialty items like roasted bell peppers and hearts of palm. "Don't forget that canned as well as fresh fruit work well in salads," adds Polk, "but use water- or juice-packed versions, or rinse those that only come in a sugar syrup." "Leftovers can also be used," Polk notes, "from cooked grains like rice, bulgur and couscous to chicken, fish and other meats." Refrigerated cooked grains may need to be briefly revived in the microwave. Dried Asian noodles like bean thread and rice noodles only need to soak briefly in hot water to reconstitute and soften. "Ingredients can be mixed together to form a tossed salad or, for a change of pace and festive, eye-catching appeal, arrange them in mounds on either individual plates or a large serving platter lined with leafy green lettuce," suggests Polk. "Just keep in mind that the most healthful proportion to use is one-third for the meat or other animal protein and the other two-thirds of the plate for vegetables, fruits, beans and grains." The following Mexican Chicken Salad contains rich south-of-the-border flavor and color, and makes a refreshing but filling one-dish meal. Mexican Chicken Salad 3 cups cooked, cubed chicken In a large bowl, place chicken, corn, beans, bell peppers and jicama. Gently toss until well mixed and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil and lime juice until well-blended. Mix in salsa. Add red pepper sauce if desired. Add enough water to thin consistency so dressing can be thinly dribbled over salad. (Mixing bowl and whisk can be used in place of blender.) Transfer to serving pitcher. Drizzle dressing over chicken mixture, tossing to coat salad ingredients evenly. Cover and chill 1 to 3 hours so flavors can meld. Bring to room temperature and check seasoning before serving; add salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Sprinkle top of salads with cheese (if using) and cilantro. Serve with remaining dressing and baked tortilla chips. Makes about 1 3/4 cups dressing and about 8 cups salad. Per 1-cup serving of salad: 173 calories, 2 g. fat (less than 1 g. saturated fat), 20 g. carbohydrate, 21 g. protein, 4 g. dietary fiber, 431 mg. sodium. Per 1 tablespoon dressing: 54 calories, 6 g. fat (less than 1 g. saturated fat), 0 g. carbohydrate, 0 g. protein, 0 g. dietary fiber, 40 mg. sodium. This Chinese-style salad contains no-cook noodles that are regularly stocked in the Asian food section of supermarkets, along with the other Asian ingredients listed in the recipe. Oriental Chicken Salad 2 cups cooked chicken, cut in long slivers or bite-size chunks Place chicken in medium bowl. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 tsp. sesame oil, tossing to blend. Set aside. Place bean thread noodles and 1 tsp. sesame oil in large pan. Pour in enough boiling water to cover noodles. Cover and let sit 5-8 minutes or until noodles are tender. Immediately drain and set aside. Meanwhile, make dressing by placing soy sauce, vinegar, Chinese oyster sauce, chili garlic sauce, sugar and remaining oil in a blender and mixing at high speed until well blended. Transfer to serving pitcher. Arrange lettuce leaves on large plate or serving platter to cover surface. Place drained noodles in center. Arrange chicken, cucumbers, tomatoes, corn and hearts of palm around noodles, alternating light and dark items. Lightly drizzle a small amount of dressing over salad ingredients. Serve salad with remaining dressing. Makes 1 1/8 cups dressing and 16 cups salad. Per 1-cup serving of salad: 131 calories, 4 g. fat (less than 1 g. saturated fat), 12 g. carbohydrate, 13 g. protein, 2 g. dietary fiber, 125 mg. sodium. Per tablespoon dressing: 10 calories, 1 g. fat (less than 1 g. saturated fat), 1 g. carbohydrate, 0 g. protein, 0 g. dietary fiber, 354 mg. sodium. Green curry paste (a blend of green chilies, garlic, onion, and spices) adds a bold, sparkling flavor to this tropical salad. If curry paste is not available, an Asian-style chili paste or Hoisin sauce can be substituted. Polynesian Platter 1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise Using a blender or a medium bowl and whisk, make dressing by blending mayonnaise, cilantro (or parsley), lime juice, chutney and curry paste until smooth and well blended. Slowly blend in cream. Set aside. Transfer dressing to serving pitcher. If rice (or couscous) has been refrigerated, use a fork to break down clumps. Slightly dampen with sprinkles of hot water, cover with a wet paper towel and microwave briefly to soften and slightly reheat. Arrange lettuce leaves on 4 dinner plates to cover surface. Place a mound of rice (or couscous) in the center of each plate. Dividing each equally between the plates, arrange hearts of palm, cucumber, water chestnuts and fruit over and around rice or couscous. Arrange shrimp in a circle at border between rice and other salad ingredients. At this point, salads can be stored in refrigerator, if desired, (covered in plastic wrap) about 1 hour. (Before serving, let chilled salads come to room temperature.) At serving time, re-blend dressing if ingredients have settled. Lightly drizzle a small amount of dressing over each salad. Sprinkle salads with cilantro (or parsley), if using. Serve salad with remaining dressing on side. *Thai green and red curry pastes are available at Asian markets and in the Asian foods section of most supermarkets. Another curry or chili paste, or Hoisin sauce, can be substituted. Makes 2 cups dressing and 15-16 cups salad. Per 1-cup serving of salad: 132 calories, less than 1 g. fat (0 g. saturated fat), 25 g. carbohydrate, 7 g. protein, 2 g. dietary fiber, 144 mg. sodium. Per 2 tablespoons dressing: 9 calories, less than 1 g. fat (0 g. saturated fat), 2 g. carbohydrate, 0 g. protein, 0 g. dietary fiber, 70 mg. sodium.
For more information, or to contact American Institute for Cancer Research, see their website at: www.aicr.org |
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