Southwestern Salad

Hey People! Here's another recipe. It's for a salad I made the other day. I really don't know what to call it- it kinda has a Southwestern or Tex-mex, or Mexican flair. I think you will really enjoy it. 

For the Chicken Marinade:

3 skinless chicken breasts

1 tbsp smokey chipotle pepper hot sauce

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp ancho chili powder

2 limes, juiced 

Directions:

Mix all listed ingredients together and marinate chicken for at least one hour. 

Heat a skillet on high and sear your chicken. Lower the heat to medium and cook chicken until no pink remains. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes and then slice on a diagonal. 

Avocado Marinade:

1 avocado, cubed

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp hot mexican chili powder

1/4 tsp coriander

1 lime, juiced

Salt

Pepper

Directions:

Combine all spices and season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss cubed avocado in marinade and let sit for for 15 minutes. 

Salad Ingredients:

Lettuce of your choice

Cucumber

Grape Tomatoes 

Red, yellow, orange bell peppers, thinly sliced

Red onion, thinly sliced

Jalapeno, thinly sliced, optional

Sliced olives, optional

Directions:

Toss all salad ingredients together and top with as much sliced chicken and avocado as you want. Oh, don't forget to top it with my Southwestern Vinaigrette.

Black Bean and Chickpea Salad

This recipe comes from a bean salad I had for lunch one day at Trader Joe's. I read the ingredient list when I bought it but the memory is kind of fuzzy since that was a while ago. The one thing I remember was mint because I never have it and I rolled my eyes at the thought of wanting to recreate the salad with a herb I never use. I don't have an herb garden and buying fresh herbs is something I reserve for when they are on sale or for holidays. I really must start growing them inside my kitchen. Somehow, someway but that is for another post.

Well, mint never went on sale so I finally just said forget it and bought it because I really did like the salad. It is extremely fresh, light and refreshing. The bright colors, zesty flavors and ease in which it is prepared makes it a winner.

You will need:

4 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno
10 grape tomatoes
2 tbsp mint
2 tbsp cilantro
1/2 cup onion
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 lime, juiced
Kosher Salt
Fresh Pepper

Directions:

1. Mince all your herbs, garlic and onion.
2. Chop tomatoes and jalapeno
3. Add all ingredients to a bowl, add seasonings and mix.

Supercalifragilisticexpialidopedish: Mint and Lime Green Beans

I'm starting a new series and this will be the first entry. The name of this series will be Supercalifragilisticexpialidopedish. This dish was just a random thought and it turned out so well that I actually was kind of impressed with myself. You have really got to try it.


It all started because I have mint in my house which I never have. I need to start a herb garden because herbs are expensive to buy where I am and I get frustrated when they are not on sale. Anyhoo, I bought some mint because I was trying to recreate this bean salad I had from Trader Joe's months ago and remembered that it had mint in it. So, since I had mint and paid a pretty penny for it, I was not going to let it go to waste. (Btw, Mint is about to go in everything so get ready.)

I started thinking, hmmmm, "I've got green beans in there and I am certainly tired of the same ol', same ol' green beans." (That's my southern speaking.)  "Wonder if I put mint in them would that be nasty? I bet it won't. I gotta try it."

So I did, and I now present the bestest green beans you'll have ever tasted from me.

Yield: 5 servings
 
You will need:

1 lb Green beans / Haricot Vert
Olive Oil
Zest of 1 Lime

2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp mint, chopped fine
1/4 cup onion (I used red)
1/4 cup vegetable stock
Kosher salt
Pepper
Fresh juice from 1 lime

Directions:

1. Heat about a tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat
2. Mince your garlic and onion as fine as you can.
3. Zest your lime and chop your mint into very thin strips.
4. Place your garlic and onion in the pan, stirring for about 1 -2 minutes until softened. 
5. Pour in your 1/4 cup of veggie stock and then add your lime zest. Continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes. 
6. Add your green beans and mix thoroughly so that the onions, garlic and zest are coating your green beans. Really get them coated. It's important.
7. Cover and let cook on medium for about 12 minutes. That's how long mine took to get tender, not crispy, but not overcooked either. I think it had something to do with my stock being cold. Your time might be different but just make sure to watch them. These green beans should be bright green, not that canned green bean color. 
8. When they are just about ready, remove the lid and let the extra juice in the bottom of the pan evaporate and continue to stir so that the onion mixture really coats the beans. 
9. Once the cooking liquid is nearly evaporated add a good pinch of kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Then add the squeezed lime juice and stir one last time.
10. Be done and happy!

 

Mighty Green Kale Asparagus and Leek Salad

Hey People,

This is the special salad I mentioned earlier when giving you the recipe to my Lemon Vinaigrette. I wanted to make a healthy salad but one different from the standard romaine, tomato, cucumber salad we all know. This was definitely what I was looking for. Very healthy and very filling. The addition of egg rounded everything out perfectly. I actually think next time instead of boiling it I may make it runny and let the yolk coat the lettuce along with the dressing. Ohhhhh, now I'm salivating. Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

1/2 bunch Kale, rinsed well and spun dry

1/2 fresh bunch spinach or 1/3 bag

1 Leek, cut down the center and rinsed thoroughly

1 bunch thin Asparagus, tough bottoms removed

1/2 bunch Parsley, rinsed and dried

1 cucumber, sliced

1 egg per person

Salt

Pepper

Directions:

1. Boil a large pot of water.
2. Rinse leek. Seriously, get in there and rinse out that leek. They are full of dirt in between the layers and dirt salad just is not appetizing.
3. Rinse your asparagus and cut off the tough bottoms. A nice way to know where to cut is to take one asparagus, hold it at both ends and start to bend. Where it breaks is where you should cut.
4. Place you asparagus in the boiling water and boil for around 2-4 minutes. Asparagus should be right on the edge between crisp and tender. They will still be bright green if blanched correctly. Once blanched, run under really cold water to stop the cooking. Dry them and place in a dish to rest. Sprinkle with a little salt.
5. Repeat the process for the split leeks. Submerge them in the boiling water, let them boil for around 2-4 minutes and remove. Run them under cold water to stop the cooking, dry them and then slice them into 1 inch, half moon shaped, slices.
6. Boil your eggs, cool, then peel.
7. Rinse your cucumber. Peel the skin if so desired and slice into thin rounds.
8. Assemble kale, spinach, leeks, asparagus and cucumbers together in a bowl. Tear parsley off stems and add.
9. Add salt and pepper to each individual serving along with one egg. Serve with Lemon Vinaigrette. 

Cauliflower Mash

Okay folks, I am trying to lose the weight I gained while enrolled in school. I have been trying to avoid really starchy foods and bread but that just exacerbates my lack of side dishes dilemma that we talked about earlier. In trying to expand my side dish repertoire I've been experimenting with cauliflower. I decided to try my hand at cauliflower mash which I think I saw on Pinterest. What I created was actually more like a veggie mash but it turned out really tasty. My husband was so apprehensive of this dish that I decided to put a small amount of potato in it so he would be more willing to try it. He still initially refused to eat it but he eventually came around and once he did he raved about it.

You will need:
1 head of cauliflower
2 Parsnips
2 very small potatoes (white, russet, petite, fingerling, yellow, doesn't matter) 
1 tbsp Butter
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1/2 small onion, husk removed but not chopped
4 whole cloves garlic
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese 

1. Begin by filling a large pot with water and set the burner to high so that you have boiling water ready.

2. While the water is heating,  peel your parsnips and russet potatoes and cut them into small chunks. Once the water is boiling, throw them in along with the garlic and onion. Boil until vegetables are soft and place into a food processor (or bowl if you're using a potato masher). These take longer to soften so that is why I boil them separately.

3. While your other veggies are cooking, break the cauliflower down by removing the leaves and bottom stem. Cut off the florets and cut the core into small pieces. Place the cauliflower into the boiling water and cook until soft, about 7 minutes. Drain and place in the food processor.

4. Once all ingredients are in the food processor add salt, pepper, cheese and butter. Blend to the consistency you desire and the check seasonings on final time. 

You now have a creamy low starch substitute for mashed potatoes with this dish. It made my husband a believer so I think you might like too.

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Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower Recipe

I really struggle sometimes with coming up with vegetable side dishes. Sometimes I feel like I eat the same thing over and over. Well, I do eat this dish over and over but it doesn't bother me one bit because it is good and good for you. The hubster actually knows that if i say I'm making broccoli that it will be roasted. But, just for him I decided to try to change it up a tad with the addition of cauliflower This is a super easy recipe and it takes no time at all. I'm sure you'll like how quick and easy it is as well as the taste.

For this  you'll need:

1 head Cauliflower
3 heads Broccoli
4 tbsp Olive Oil (I really just eyeballed it, this is not a strict recommendation)
Kosher Salt
Pepper
1 1/2 tbsp Garlic
1/4 cup Onion

1. Heat oven to 415 degrees.

2. Wash broccoli and dry thoroughly. How you cut your broccoli is really a personal preference. I eat some of the stem but some people (like my husband) only want the florets. To cut, trim off a chunk of the very bottom portion of the stem, around 1-2 inches, and discard. You can slice the remaining portion of the stem, if you prefer, into 1/2 inch portions or smaller  until you reach the florets. I trim the florets organically, just letting them separate where they will, into large or small pieces.

3. When cutting the cauliflower the florets are face down and the stem is up. Remove the bottom leaves and stem by cutting each leaf until all that remains is the cauliflower core and the attached stems. Cut off each stem until all you have is a long core without florets. Discard the lonely core and combine the broccoli and cauliflower on an aluminum foil covered cookie sheet or roasting pan.

4. Mince garlic and onion and throw in with the florets. Now, drizzle in the olive oil and toss everything together making sure the onion and garlic are on the florets and not just covering the bottom of the pan. Season with salt and pepper, I really just eyeballed that too. Don't skimp on the salt and pepper is all I can say. Don't head down the road to hypertension but don't skimp.

Put this in the oven for at least 15 minutes, more like 20, and you will have a delicious and eaaaaasssssyyyyy side dish.The onion and garlic lend awesome caramelized flavor to the veggie cousins (No really, look it up, they're related) and the little burned corners are heavenly. Yaay for us, our taste buds and easy side dishes!

Baked Spaghetti Squash

My local Kroger had Spaghetti Squash $0.77 a pound so I couldn't pass it up. I was in a rush so I remade my Chicken Parm and Sauteed Mustard's and paired this squash for a new meal. Here's how I did it.

You'll need:
1 Spaghetti Squash
Olive Oil
5 Cloves Garlic, minced
1/4 Medium Onion, chopped
1 tsp Kosher Salt
Fresh Cracked Pepper
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1/4 cup Parmesan 

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse the squash to remove any dirt or debris. Dry and place on a kitchen towel or paper towels to prevent the squash from rolling around. You'll need a large sharp knife to cut the squash. For the initial cut I use the entire length of my knife and cut as deep as possible across the length of the squash (3-9 if you were looking at a clock). I then insert the knife vertically and pull it forward (like a clock going from 12 to 3) to cut through the entire squash. Turn and repeat that movement on the other side. You should now have a squash that looks like this:


2. Take a fork or spoon and pull out all the seeds. I repeat, remove all the seeds. If you don't you will be in agony city. Place the halves on a cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil.

3. Drizzle the squash with olive oil and rub the garlic into the flesh and cavity of the squash. Take 1/2 of your chopped onion and rub it into the flesh as well. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder.

4. Place it on the middle rack of your oven, uncovered and cook for 40-60 minutes. When it's done it will easily string.

5. Let it cool for about 3 minutes, just long enough so you can touch the sides without being burned. Add your Parmesan and the remaining onion and start to pull the squash apart using a fork. Fold onion and Parmesan into the squash as you pull it from the side. Mix thoroughly and adjust seasonings.

SN: Im sure you could take the squash seeds and roast them as you would pumpkin seeds. I plan on doing this next time I make this dish.