Tag Archives: Lettuce

January 11, 2013

What’s for lunch? A big salad that is both gluten-free and Weight Watchers friendly.

After almost 5 months I am still having trouble losing that baby weight. I have started eating more salads, not just with dinner, but for lunch too. After something like a million salads they are getting kind of boring. Today I decided to take the initiative and make a really tasty, colorful salad. It was easy to make, incorporated leftovers, was quick to make and filling too. Since I am doing Weight Watchers I have to watch my points. All told this salad was 7 points before adding dressing. If I used chicken breast instead of thighs it would’ve been less, but I used what was already in the house.
big-lunch-salad

A Big Lunch Salad (7 weight watchers points)

Ingredients:
3 C. chopped Romaine lettuce
1/4 Orange bell pepper
1/4 C. cucumber chopped
1/8 C. grape tomatoes cut in to quarters
1/2 oz. French feta (any feta will do it’s just my favorite)
1/2 oz. dried cranberries
2 1/2 oz chicken thighs sliced

Directions:
Cover a plate with chopped lettuce. Layer veggies over lettuce. Topped the salad off with the feta, cranberries and chicken. Measure out dressing of choice if you’re on Weight Watchers.

Weight Watchers tip: Measure dressing and put in side dish, then dip the fork tines in to the dressing before the salad.

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Filed under Produce, Recipes, Salad

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October 6, 2011

Ngoc Mai and the deliciously gluten-free Vietnamese crepe

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I don’t know how many gluten-free people in this world know about the banh xeo, but it is fantastic! Banh xeo, also known as a Vietnamese crepe, is a crispy crepe made from rice flour and coconut milk and filled with mung beans, shrimp and pork. My first experience eating one was as a child in Philadelphia, but where my mom and I used to go it was called a “happy pancake.” Banh xeo is named for the sound it makes when the batter hits the griddle, or so I have read.

One afternoon, a few years ago, a friend and I were meeting for lunch and wanted a new place to try. We had eaten at a few Vietnamese places, but so far none of them were particularly good. We looked on Yelp for reviews, but honestly it’s a to each their own sort of thing. By random luck we chose Ngoc Mai, and I am so happy that we did. I have no idea how it was that I stumbled upon this place so I certainly have no idea how I figured out that banh xeo was a happy pancake, but I did and it became my new passion.

Fast forward to last weekend when I decided that I must have some good Vietnamese food to make up for the crappy Vietnamese food I had eaten the weekend before. D and I started with the bahn xeo. The crepe was crispy, but it had a hole in it. The filling was perfectly cooked and everything was fresh, but they left the tails on the shrimps. Since the crepe looks more like an omelet I was able to open it up and remove them. Banh xeo are served with lettuce and fresh herbs as well as fish sauce and pickled veggies. The way to eat a crepe is to cut a piece of the crepe off, place it in a lettuce leave, top it with herbs, hot sauce, pickled veggies and fish sauce, then wrap it up and it eat. This is a great gluten-free, egg free, soy free and dairy free dish that not every Vietnamese restaurant makes it.

Next we ordered soup. I had the duck curry noodle soup (breast meat only & upon special request) and D had the #8. The duck soup is the best soup in the house. They’re known for their bun bo hue (#1), but the curdled blood cubes aren’t for me. D liked his soup until he crunched down on a knuckle. He was not a fan and called it, “cartilaginous.”

Needless to say, Vietnamese is a staple in this gluten-free gal’s life and Ngoc Mai makes some great soups and a tasty banh xeo. You should definitely check it out! CASH ONLY

Ngoc Mai Restaurant
547 Hyde St
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 931-4899
Hours:
Mon-Sat 10 am – 7 pm
Sun 10 am – 5 pm

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Filed under Civic Center Eats, Eating out, Restaurant reviews

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June 17, 2011

Shrimp tacos with chunky guacamole

After my trip to Gott’s Roadside earlier this week, I was on a shrimp taco kick. Since my husband doesn’t love corn tortillas, and that is the only kind I purchase, I have adapted my tacos and I use lettuce leaves as the wrap. They work like dream. I also had some leftover bacon from a deviled egg experiment, so I added that too.

Garlic shrimp

Ingredients:
1 lb. medium shrimp-peeled and deveined
3 cloves garlic- minced
1/8 C. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 C. Parsley-chopped
1/4 Serrano pepper- minced
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 pc. partially cooked bacon- finely diced

Put all ingredients in bowl except bacon and marinate for 15 min

In a medium saute pan add bacon to one side and put shrimp in the remaining portion of pan.
Cook shrimp until they start turning pink, about 2 min., then flip em’. Cook another 1 min., mix the shrimp and bacon together so the bacon bits are coating the shrimp and cook another 30 sec. Remove from pan immediately.

Guacamole (Can be made while shrimp are marinating)

Ingredients:
1 large avocado
1 clove garlic-minced
1/2 serrano pepper- minced
1/4 C. parsley- rough chop
1/2 lime
salt and pepper to taste

Add garlic, pepper, 1/4 of the lime and salt and pepper to bowl. Mix. Let mixture sit while you cut up avocado. Cut avocado in 1/2 and score into cubes, scoop in to garlic mixture, squeeze in remaining lime and mash with a fork. Keep it a little chunky.

Serve the tacos with:
Boston Bibb lettuce leaves
Guacamole
2 ripe plum tomatoes- diced
Favorite salsa of choice
1/2 lime cut in quarters

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May 24, 2011

Nicoise Salad A.K.A Meatless Monday, another fail

Another Meatless Monday and another failure to report. I tried, really I did, but my salad seemed so bare without a protein (eggs don’t count), so I added some tuna. Below is my version of a Niçoise Salad. I say my version, because mine does not have anchovies and this salad has been made a million and one different ways. The only thing I know is that this is not a tossed salad, it should look similar to what I have pictured, and the dressing is always vinaigrette. The ingredient list is below, but without measurements. Fill free to use as little or as much of anything as YOU like. Make this salad your own!

Nicoise Salad


Ingredients
Lettuce- I like Boston bibb
Ripe tomatoes
Cucumber- I like English cucumbers
Red pepper
Sm. olives
Green beans
Hard boiled eggs (I used 2)
Artichoke hearts
Tuna in oil
New potatoes (I used 2)

DO NOT FORGET TO ADD SALT AND PEPPER!!!!

Bon appetite!

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