Cashew Chicken Salad with Mandarin Oranges

3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoon hoisin sauce
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups shredded green or purple cabbage
3 cups shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons chopped dry-roasted cashews
1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges in light syrup, drained


1. Combine the first 6 ingredients, stirring well with a whisk
2. Combine the cabbage and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to coat.

Serves 4

Nutrition Analysis: 300 calories, 10g fat, 2.6g saturated fat, 33.9g protein, 18g carbohydrates, 2g fiber, 94mg cholesterol, 2.6mg iron, 588mg sodium, 54mg calcium

CABBAGE
Purple cabbage, a member of the large family of cruciferous vegetables, is rich in nutrients. Along with significant amounts of nitrogen compounds known as indoles, and dietary fiber, purple cabbage is a rich source of vitamin C (supplying almost twice as much vitamin C as green cabbage).

NUTRITION FACTS: NUTS
We tend to use nuts only as a snack food, or in salads and desserts. Yet these foods are much more nourishing than most snacks. Indeed, in some parts of the world where meat is forbidden, nuts are still a staple food, just as they were in ancient times. Nomadic peoples first gathered nuts growing in the wild, and around 10,000 B.C. settled populations began to cultivate nut trees.

Most nuts are the seeds or dried fruits of trees; and the majority have hard, woody outer husks that protect the softer kernels inside. All of these foods have substantial reserves of protein: Nuts derive from 8% to 18% of their calories from protein. Although the protein is incomplete--except for peanuts, nuts are deficient in the amino acid lysine--it can be complemented by consuming legumes or animal products along with the nuts. Almonds, Brazil nuts, and filberts contain good amounts of calcium, and other nuts have at least a small quantity of this important mineral. Most nuts are also rich in potassium and relatively high in iron. Their oil-rich kernels are one of the best vegetable sources of vitamin E; in addition, they supply the B vitamins thiamin, niacin, and riboflavin (although roasting can destroy much of the thiamin--one reason to eat raw, or unroasted, nuts). The minerals magnesium, zinc, copper, and selenium are also well represented in nuts.

Along with these nutrients, however, comes fat, usually a lot of it, which is the principal reason why nuts are less attractive than legumes or grains as a nonmeat protein source. Most nuts derive between 70% and 97% of their calories from fat. (One exception is chestnuts, which contain 8% fat calories.) Most of the fat in nuts is unsaturated, which can help to lower blood cholesterol levels, but some nuts--especially coconuts, Brazil nuts, macadamias, and cashews--contain more saturated fat than the others.

Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Stamp Program, an equal opportunity provider and employer through the California Nutrition Network. For information about the California Food Stamp Program, please call 1(650) 301-8720