Water Chestnuts (recipes might make you run to the store!!)

Kalynx

So a few days ago I randomly remembered that I really like water chestnuts - and I bet they are pretty healthy, too. So I did some research, and yup, they are, and very inexpensive! (I found $.75 8 oz cans on sale locally in grocery). They are also a great low cal, sodium free ingredient!

Here are a few recipes I plan on trying soon! Most of the other ingredients I already have on hand so I am pretty excited to use my normal choices in a new way!!

Layered Asian Dip
http://gsn.festfoods.com/Recipes/RecipeFull.aspx?RecipeID=7558

Ingredients
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 tbsp soy sauce 1 can (8 ounces) water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1 can (8 ounces) water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup chopped bok choy
1 cup canned bean sprouts, drained
1/4 cup chopped green onions (3 medium)
Rice crackers or raw vegetables for dipping, if desired


Preparation
1. Mix cream cheese, soy sauce and water chestnuts; spread in 9-inch circle on 12-inch serving plate. Layer bok choy, bean sprouts and onions on cream cheese mixture.
2. Serve dip with rice crackers

Yield
Makes about 3-1/2 cups dip

Cook Time
Prep Time: 10 mins.
Cook Time: 10 mins.

Chicken Salad
http://gsn.festfoods.com/Recipes/RecipeFull.aspx?RecipeID=53354
5 C. chopped cooked chicken
1 C. pineapple tidbits
1 C. water chestnuts (sliced)
1 C. sliced celery
1/2 C. slivered almonds
4 T. chutney
1 C. sour cream
1 C. mayonnaise
1 tsp curry powder


Preparation

Combine chicken, pineapple, water chestnuts, celery, and almonds. Chill. Combine chutney, sour cream, mayonnaise, and curry powder. Stir into chicken mixture.

Yield

Serves 8

Pepper Cheese Vegetables
http://gsn.festfoods.com/Recipes/RecipeFull.aspx?RecipeID=48189
Ingredients
1 10-ounce package frozen cut broccoli
1 10-ounce package frozen peas and carrots
1 Cup milk
1 8-ounce can sliced water chestnuts
1 cup jalapeño jack cheese
1-3/4-ounce envelope white sauce mix
1 1-1/4-ounce envelope cheese sauce mix

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In medium saucepan, cook frozen vegetables, covered, in 1/2 cup boiling water for about 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Do not drain. Stir in milk and sauce mixes. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in water chestnuts and cheese. Turn into a 10 x 6 x 2 inch baking dish. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until heated through and bubbling.

Yield
Serves 4-6

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/bacon-wrapped-water-chestnuts-iii/

Ingredients
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 cups ketchup
1 pound bacon
2 (8 ounce) cans water chestnuts

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup.
3. Cut bacon in half. Wrap one slice of bacon around each chestnut. Secure the bacon with a toothpick. Arrange the water chestnut wraps in a 9x13 inch baking dish.
4. Bake the water chestnut wraps for 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Remove from water chestnut wraps from the oven and drain some of the grease out of the pan. Pour the sauce over the wraps.
6. Bake for 30 to 35 more minutes.

Chicken Bacon Bites
http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Chicken-Bacon-Bites-Recipezaar
12 bacon (strips halved)
10 ozs boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 24 cubes)
8 ozs water chestnuts (sliced water chestnuts drained)
12 cup orange marmalade
14 cup soy sauce
2 garlic cloves (minced)
14 tsp ground ginger (1 teaspoon grated fresh gingerroot)
Directions:

1 Place bacon on a broiler rack. Broil 4-in. from the heat for 1-2 minutes or just until PARTIALLY cooked; cool.

2 Wrap a piece of bacon around a chicken cube and water chestnut slice; secure with a wooden toothpick. In a large re-sealable plastic bag, combine the marmalade, soy sauce, garlic and the ginger. Add the wrapped chicken; carefully turn to coat. Don't puncture the bag!.

3 Seal and refrigerate for 2 hours.

4 Drain and discard the marinade. Broil chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side or until juices run clear and bacon is crisp. Serve warm.

Recipe calls for 10 oz of boneless chicken (cut into cubes) So I used 5 thighs (32 oz) chicken thighs (cheaper and more flavorful to me). Not cubing it, either.

That's 5 thighs so I'm going to chop up 5 strips of my cooked bacon and used that.

Instead of 1/2 cup of orange marmalade I used 2 snack cups of the unsweetened mandarin oranges I had in pantry.

I only used 2 TBL less sodium soy sauce & splashed in 2 TBL dry white wine. And Will all the extra I did about a tsp of fresh ginger root.

It was really really good - and not too hard to throw together...baked in oven @ 450 for 45 minutes covered in foil. (the bacon I had precooked in oven on broiler pan).