Thai Chicken salad and Pecan Shortcakes with blackberies

Both of these recipies sound delicious and come from the Healthy Style and Relish inserts (San Diego Union Tribune).

Thai chicken salad - serves 4

1 head green lettuce, torn into pieces
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 carrot, shredded
1 english cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 red onion, sliced
8 oz. cooked rice noodles
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 tbsp. cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp. fresh mint, chopped
2 tbsp peanuts, chopped

dressing:
2 tbsp. fish sauce
2 tbsp. fresh squeezed lime juice
2 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. low sodium soy sauce

Combine veggies in a big bowl and cover with dressing. This sounds so yummy. A good summer salad to help beat the heat. I am going to make this and post a picture one of these days.


According to the Relish insert, shortcakes are made "short" by using a dough that has a high proportion of fat to flour. The fat coats the gluten strands in the dough and "shortens" them, producing a rich, flaky biscuit. Who knew?


Pecan Shortcakes with blackberries

4 cups blackberries
1/2 cup regular sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 cup ground pecans
3 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick cold butter, cut in small pieces
1 tsp. vanille
1/2 cup whole milk
1 tbsp. turbinado sugar (Zulka azucar moreno is also good for this or sugar in the raw).

Combine blackberries and regular sugar. Let stand at least 30 mins.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment, or a silpat - get this at Target.
Combine flour, pecans, brown sugar, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add butter and using your fingers or a fork, cut butter into the flour mixture until it resembles a course meal. Add vanila and milk.
On a lightly floured cuttting board, pat dough into a 5X9 and 3/4 inch square rectangle. Cut into 8 pieces. Sprinkle turbinado sugar on sop.
Place shortcakes on baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes, until puffed and lightly colored. Cool on a wire rack if you have one.
Slice shortcakes into halves horizontally, spoon on blackberries and juice between halves and top with shipped cream, if using.

The recipe says it serves 8, but in my family it would serve 4. We are eaters, I mean to say. Like in that movie My Big Fat Greek Restaurant when the main character is describing her family as "big, loud, greek eaters" or something like that. I related. Hilarious!

Let's eat!