Melon and Feta Cheese Salad

This fresh and delicious salad was created for the May 9 "What's Cooking?" Class at Sevananda Natural Foods Market as part of the "Foods for Women's Health" class. Using some of the sweetest, ripest melons I've seen this spring, it was a big hit. As the season progresses from spring to summer, substitute watermelon and blueberries for the cantaloupe and honeydew. Feel free to experiment with herbs like mint and parsley and substitute smoked or fresh mozzarella, goat cheese or tofuti soy-feta as well.

Melon and Feta Salad
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
juice from 2 limes
1/2 cantaloupe melon
1/2 honeydew melon
1/2 pint strawberries, halved
1 bunch cilantro
6 oz crumbled feta cheese

In a large bowl, combine onion, lime juice, salt and pepper and allow to marinate. Meanwhile seed, peel and dice the melons into bite sized pieces. Add melons, cilantro to the marinated onions and toss well. Sprinkle with feta cheese and serve.

Sesame Garlic Long Beans

Not only does this vegetable dish cook up quickly, but it's also a nice change from the standard green beans. A little spicy, definitely savory and pretty on the plate. Here you see the long beans tied in knots and served along with soy-marinated chicken breasts.

Sesame Garlic Long Beans

1 lb long beans (or green beans)
3 cloves garlic
½ tsp red pepper flake
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp dark sesame oil
1 Tbsp white sesame seeds (toasted or raw)

Bring a pot of salty water to a boil, and blanch the long beans until they are crisp tender with an emerald green color. Shock in icy cold water to stop the cooking process, drain and set aside. You may tie bunches of 3-4 long beans together into knots for a pretty presentation.

Heat olive oil and sesame oil in a large skillet or on a flat top. Toss the long beans, garlic and pepper flake in the oil and cook until the garlic is tender and begins to brown. Remove to serving dish and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Marinated Chicken with Braised Baby Bok Choy

This is a great dish for grill day. Throw the chicken on the grill and the bok choy are "braised" on the stove top for a fast vegetable accompaniment.

Marinated Chicken with Braised Baby Bok Choy

For the Chicken

1 ½ to 2 lbs of chicken breasts
¼ cup miso tamari or soy sauce
1 stalk lemongrass, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
2” piece of ginger, peeled and grated

For the Bok Choy

2 lbs baby bok choy, ends trimmed, separated
½ tsp crushed red pepper
1 Tbsp agave nectar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4-1/2 cup water

To marinate chicken, combine miso tamari, lemon grass, garlic and ginger in a large bowl. Toss the chicken in to coat and let marinate 20 minutes or up to overnight.

Cook chicken on a preheated grill or griddle five minutes on each side or until no longer pink in the middle (depends on the thickness of the chicken breasts. Those pterodactyl breasts from YDFM can cook for 20 mins!) :et cook chicken breasts sit to redistribute the juices.

To "braise" bok choy, heat water with soy sauce and agave nectar in a large pot until simmering. Stir in the bok choy and crushed red pepper and continue cooking over med-high heat until all of the liquid evaporates and the bok choy is lightly glazed. If using large bok choy, separate the greens from whites and cook the whites first for 3-5 minutes, and stir in the greens toward the end of cooking (the last 3-5 minutes) just to wilt until tender.

To serve, slice the chicken breasts and serve over a bed of the bok choy. Garnish the dish with crushed toasted peanuts or sesame seeds.

Chilled Udon Noodle salad, Gingered Shiitakes and Green Onions

This is a quick and easy meal that would even benefit from the addition of silken tofu or cool edamame, or leftover meat like shredded pork or chicken or even shrimp. Bring this to the next hot-day pot luck as a cool side dish and a tasty alternative to that same ol' same ol' pasta salad. Fresh herbs give it a lovely freshness so use whatever is on hand: cilantro, basil, mint. Also give your serving a squeeze of fresh lime juice for a bright finish!

Chilled Udon Noodle salad, Gingered Shiitakes and Green Onions

1 pkg dried udon noodles
1 red bell pepper
2 pints shiitake mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
2” piece of ginger, peeled and grated
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3-5 scallions, whites and greens separated
2 Tbsp dark sesame oil
1-2 Tbsp miso tamari or soy sauce
2 handfulls of cilantro, roughly chopped

Cook noodles according to package directions until just al dente. Rinse with cold water, drain and toss with 1 Tbsp of the dark sesame oil. Set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a skillet and sauté mushrooms with scallion whites, garlic and ginger. Add remaining sesame oil and miso tamari (or soy sauce). Cook until all of the liquid is absorbed.

Toss bell pepper and mushroom mixture into the noodles and garnish with sliced scallion greens and cilantro. Refrigerate or serve immediately. If refrigerated, check seasonings prior to serving, and moisten with a little more sesame oil and/or soy sauce as needed.