Avocado Love: A Salad

When buying avocados, I always get an extra and give a half to my six-year-old daughter. She loves scooping the fruit out of the peel with a spoon and eating it up. She's determined to grow an avocado tree, and there are a number of pits buried in our backyard in random locations. Unfortunately, I've never heard of an avocado tree growing in Oregon.

If you love avocados too, you'll enjoy this salad. It's super simple and quite delicious. It can be a nice alternative for those who like Caesar salad. It's made with tender butter lettuce, lime citrus instead of lemon, red onion for bite, and avocado for creamy richness.

Salad with Avocado, Onion, and Lime Dressing  PRINTABLE RECIPE

1 cup thin slivers of red onion (about half an onion)
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cups torn butter lettuce
1 cup sliced avocado (about 1 avocado)

Combine the onion, olive oil, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a salad bowl. Let stand at least 10 minutes. Add lettuce and avocado and toss gently.

Cleaned-Up (Vegetarian) Dirty Rice

Here's a little something for you, for Meatless Monday. Be sure to check out the Meatless Monday website if you haven't already heard about this movement.

I got the latest special issue of Cooking Light recently, called Dinner Tonight! (Yes, there's an exclamation point in the title.) And dinner the other night was Cooking Light all the way, except that I made slight modifications to, I think, yes, all the recipes: blackened chicken, dirty rice, and salad.

My husband kept asking me, "What is dirty rice anyway?" Well, I've always thought of it as a leftover rice dish – rice, dirtied up with Cajun seasonings, onion, celery, and bell pepper. But I googled it, and Wikipedia explains: "Dirty rice is a traditional Cajun dish made from white rice cooked with small pieces of chicken liver or giblets, which give it a dark ('dirty') color and a mild but distinctive flavor. Similar to a pilaf, it also includes green bell pepper, celery and onion...."

So, I didn't exactly make dirty rice, because in addition to using a mixture of leftover brown and wild rice, instead of white rice, I also omitted what turns out be the defining ingredient of dirty rice: the chicken livers. Another thing I did was to use smoked hot paprika (instead of standard paprika), which definitely added some heat and, of course, smokiness. Lastly, I kept the hot sauce on the side, thinking it would make the dish too spicy for the kids, but it was too much for them anyway. Maybe our dirty rice wasn't technically correct (shall we say it was clean dirty rice?), but it was flavorful and we really enjoyed it.

The chicken was quite good too, even though, mainly by accident, I altered that recipe a bit too and forgot to make the sauce at the end (we were hungry)!

The best of all, however, was the salad with lettuce, onion, avocado, and lime dressing. Again, accidentally, I altered the original recipe. But my only mistake was to use double the lime juice it called for – nothing major – and we really liked the limeyness (? liminess? limyness?). Anyway, we liked all the lime flavor – especially good with the avocado and onion.

Following is the recipe for my cleaned-up version of dirty rice – perfect for Meatless Monday. Watch for the salad recipe later this week.

Jen's (Vegetarian) Dirty Rice  PRINTABLE RECIPE

1 Tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
3 garlic cloves - minced
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
3 cups pre-cooked (leftover) rice (any kind - white or brown, with a little wild rice mixed in if you like)
2 tsp smoked hot paprika
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
kosher salt
hot pepper sauce (like Tobasco)
2 green onions - thinly sliced

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, and bell pepper and sauté about 4 minutes.

2. Add garlic, thyme, then rice, paprika, and crushed red pepper and stir together. Stir rice occasionally over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until rice is warmed through. Season with salt and hot pepper sauce to taste.

3. Keep rice over low heat until ready to serve. Stir in green onions just before serving.

Roasted Vegetables

For years and years I ate boring steamed vegetables. I can't believe now that I ever even enjoyed them that way. These days, I grill them, stir-fry them, or  – my favorite  – roast them. It started with asparagus. It's been many years now, but the first time I roasted the asparagus, I knew I could never go back to boiled or steamed. Then it was broccoli. I don't think I've ever shared my roasted broccoli recipe here (I just want to keep that one for myself), but it's good stuff. People who think they don't like green vegetables love this broccoli. Someone once told me it tasted like steak (in a good way, of course)!

My new favorite recipe for roasted vegetables is super simple. I'm not even sure why it's so good as there's not much to it. Maybe because the vegetables can just roast and caramelize a bit with very little fuss, and that allows their wonderful flavors to come out all on their own. I found the original recipe from Gourmet magazine via Epicurious on my iPhone. It was for Brussels sprouts. Now, if you don't like Brussels sprouts, it's probably because you've never had them roasted. Am I right? Believe me, you've got to try them. Anyway, the Brussels sprouts were great, but I've used the same recipe for carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and I bet it makes great beets and other vegetables too.

Roasted Vegetables with Caraway Seeds  PRINTABLE RECIPE

About 1-1/2 lbs of firm vegetables (any one or any combination): Brussels sprouts - trimmed & halved, Carrots - peeled & sliced to 1/4" thick, Broccoli - small flowerettes, Cauliflower - small flowerettes, Beets - peeled & sliced to 1/4" thick
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp caraway seeds
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450°

2. In a large bowl, toss vegetables with olive oil, about 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet and arrange in a single layer.

3. Roast on center rack of oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with caraway seeds, and toss. Arrange again in a single layer and roast for about 10 minutes more, until vegetables are crisp-tender and browned in spots. 

That's it. Simple, right? Enjoy! 

By the way, I have to say thank you to Mike Caldwell  – wherever you are these days  – for helping me to learn to spell vegetable way back in 5th or 6th grade:  VE - GE - TABLE.  I still sound it out in my head that way every time I write (or type) the word. Thanks!

Veg Shep Pie (or Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie)

This stuff is good. I mean it. I made it for the first time a couple months ago. It wasn’t the first time I’d made shepherd’s pie, but it was the first time I’d made it like this. I found two recipes that looked good. Each had different ideas that appealed to me, and I thought I’d put the parts I liked together and see how it all turned out. And wow, it was fantastic!

That first time I made it, I really just improvised, consulting the recipes, but also making it up as I went along. It turned out so good that I sat down with pen and paper and tried to remember everything I’d thrown in and approximately how much. Then when I made it again, just recently, I kept notes as I cooked. I tasted and added a little more of this or that, scribbled things out, and fixed the final quantities.

Amazingly, it turned out great again! I have a feeling, however, this will be an ever-evolving recipe. I already have ideas for next time like adding garlic and/or some fresh thyme or oregano. Also, the first time I made it, I used soy crumbles and the second time, I used seitan strips. Both Dave, and I preferred the crumbles initially, though the flavor of the seitan really improved by the time we got to the leftovers a couple days later.

The secrets, I think, that make this so good are the mushrooms, the pearl onions, the red wine, and the extra gravy. I like to pour the gravy over the mashed potatoes and stew on my plate. It really makes a big difference for me. Dave, however, passes on the gravy and tops his with ketchup – whatever!

Another cool tip is to make the stew part in a deep oven-proof sauté pan. Then top with the mashed potatoes and bake the whole thing right in the pan. It saves a step and it’s one less thing to wash.

I have a couple weird (possibly lame) short-cuts, which are the additions of canned mushroom gravy and ketchup. The canned gravy makes the stew and the extra gravy come together nicely for me, though I doctor it up plenty. And ketchup – well, I don’t know. I just tasted it and it needed ketchup. Again, all I can say is – whatever!

So anyway, here’s my recipe, though you’re on your own for the mashed potatoes. Just make your favorite mashed potatoes for the topping – potatoes, butter, milk, salt, pepper, and your favorite add-in’s (chives, garlic, cheese, horseradish, or whatever you like). And remember to taste the stew as you cook it. Add whatever you think it needs, leave out anything you know you won’t like, but please – just for me – try a meatless option for this recipe at least one time. I think you will enjoy!

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie  PRINTABLE RECIPE

STEW
1 Tbsp olive oil 3 carrots – chopped
1 cup frozen pearl onions
1 cup roughly chopped crimini mushrooms
1 sprig rosemary – remove leaves (needles) and chop (discard stem)
1 Tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
¼ cup red wine (I used cabernet sauvignon)
¾ cup vegetable broth
½ can vegetarian mushroom gravy
3 Tbsp tomato paste
¼ cup ketchup
1 cup frozen peas
¾ Lb. veggie (soy) crumbles or meatless (seitan) strips
1 Tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper – to taste

MASHED POTATOES – your favorite recipe (start with about 2 Lbs. of potatoes)

GRAVY
¼ cup chopped crimini mushrooms
¼ cup red wine
½ can vegetarian mushroom gravy
½ cup vegetable broth
kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper – to taste

1. Get your potatoes going and preheat the oven to 375°.

2. Heat oil over medium. Add carrots and onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Add 1 cup mushrooms, rosemary, 1 Tbsp parsley, and ¼ cup red wine. Saute for about 3 to 5 minutes.

4. Stir in ¾ cup broth, ½ can gravy, tomato paste, ketchup, peas, and the soy crumbles or seitan strips. Heat through.

5. Meanwhile, get your poatatoes mashed and ready.

6. Add another 1 Tbsp parsley to the stew and salt & pepper to taste. Stir together. Top with the mashed potatoes.

7. Bake, uncovered, for 35 minutes.

8. In a small sauce pan over medium, stir together ¼ cup mushrooms and ¼ cup red wine. Stir occasionally until the wine is almost completely reduced.

9. Add ½ can gray, ½ cup broth, and salt & pepper to taste. Heat through, stirring often. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Fast Weeknight Dinner with Roasted Green Beans

Dave thought the Asiago-Crusted Pork Chops on the cover of the Cooking Light special issue, Fresh Food Fast Weeknight Meals looked good, so that was last night’s dinner. They were fast, easy, and pretty tasty too. Plus, my son had fun with his dad, pounding the chops with a heavy pan. The thyme – so earthy and woodsy – and fresh lemon juice really made the dish work for me. Go to myrecipes.com for the details if you’d like to try it. The one thing I changed was: instead of panko, I used Italian seasoned bread crumbs, but that was only because I happened to have some bread crumbs in the cupboard that I wanted to use up. I’m sure the panko would be just as good, if not better.

Along with the pork chops, we had some wild rice and green beans with onions. I know wild rice isn’t especially fast, but I just put it on the stove as soon as I got home from work and didn’t even start on anything else until it was almost done.

The green beans were inspired by another Cooking Light recipe. I knew the caramelized onions would be a hit (my five-year old son loves them), but I didn’t really want the sesame flavors the recipe called for. I just didn’t think it would go well with pork chops. So, this is what we ended up with:

Roasted Green Beans with Onions  PRINTABLE RECIPE

1 Lb. fresh green beans – trimmed
1 to 1-1/2 cups slivered white onion
1 large garlic clove – minced
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp salt
lemon wedges for serving

1. Preheat oven to 500°.

2. Combine all the ingredients, except the lemon wedges, in a large bowl and toss to coat. Then arrange the mixture in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.

3. Bake for 10 minutes and toss. Bake for 3 more minutes or until the green beans are just tender.

4. Move the green bean-onion mixture to a serving dish and squeeze lemon juice (to taste) over the top.

Apple Salad with Basil & Mint

It's hot in Portland this week – over 100 degrees! That means I'm going to have to share another salad recipe. We've been eating salad at our house all week: an Asian noodle salad with crisp vegetables, the lentil orzo salad I shared recently (with some tomatoes added), and a hearty bread salad (panzanella).

Here's another salad that's good for a hot day. The original recipe called for chicken. I simply omitted it and added some celery instead for balance. It turned out fine, and the salad is faster and easier to make too!

Apple Salad with Basil & Mint  PRINTABLE RECIPE

1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp light brown sugar
4 scallions (white and light green parts only) - thinly sliced
2 Granny Smith apples - diced
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
2 Tbsp thinly sliced fresh mint
kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/3 cup roasted peanuts - roughly chopped

In a large bowl, combine the lime juice, vinegar, and brown sugar, and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the scallions, apples, and celery, and toss. Add the basil and mint. Sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste and toss again. Top with peanuts and serve.

Salsa Diet (with two salsa recipes!)

I guess it’s time I told you: I’m on a diet. I know – great time to start a food blog! Have you ever noticed though, when you’re on a diet, you kind of get obsessed with food? Well, I’m on this team at work – we call ourselves “Slim Jeans” (no laughing!) – and we’re competing with others to lose the most weight in sixteen weeks. By the way, we’re not calling it a weight loss contest, but a Health Challenge Throwdown – whatever!

Anyway, it’s going really well for me: I’ve lost a few pounds; I’m exercising (a little) more; I’m eating my Lean Cuisines for lunch; and preparing Cooking Light recipes for dinner. It’s working, but I find myself thinking about food way more than I did before the diet. So, here I am, blogging about food. It makes sense really, doesn’t it?

Don’t worry. I know most of you have no interest in boring diet recipes. If I decide to share any “light” recipes, it’ll be because they’re really good, and I won’t even mention that they’re low-fat ‘cause that’s not what this blog is about.

Luckily for me, one of my favorite things is salsa. It goes well with lots of foods, adds mucho flavor, and even on a diet, I can pretty much eat all I want. As with many things, I’m a snob when it comes to salsa. There aren’t many commercial salsas I like, though I’d recommend Native Kjalii Foods Fire Roasted Green Salsa (with tomatillo and avocado). Several Mexican restaurants I’ve tried have good salsa too. One of my favorites is the spicy salsa at El Sombrero on NE Sandy. I won’t claim that my homemade salsa beats either of those two, but it's easy to make and there are all kinds of ways to mix it up, so it never gets boring.

Fresh, chopped salsa is super easy and one of my husband’s favorites. I like the buzz – that rush of heat – from the habañero in this recipe, but please, make it your own way – less pepper, more onion – whatever makes you happy. The quantities are just approximations. I never measure when I make salsa. It's all about what I'm in the mood for at the time. Diced avocado is a great addition to this salsa. Or, try mixing in some chopped tomatillo.

Salsa Fresca  PRINTABLE RECIPE

4 medium-size ripe tomatoes - diced
½ cup peeled, diced cucumber
¼ cup finely chopped red onion
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
½ to 1 habañero pepper (or jalapeño or other) – seeded and very finely minced
1 small garlic clove – minced
1 Tbsp lime juice
½ tsp kosher salt

Mix everything together in a bowl. It’s best if you let it sit in the refrigerator, covered, for an hour or so, then taste it and adjust the ingredients as needed. Keep in mind, you can add, but you can’t take away, so go light on the salt and the hot pepper to start. Also, chile peppers vary greatly in heat intensity, and you can’t tell how hot they are until you taste them. So, be cautious. Use this fresh salsa within a day or two max.

Blended salsa using canned tomatoes is also good. I make this one more frequently in the fall and winter. A teaspoon or so of oregano is an interesting addition to this recipe. Another idea is to take a dried New Mexico (or Anaheim) chile and place it in a lightly oiled hot sauté pan. Turn it occasionally until it starts to blacken and smoke a little. Then add it to the food processor with everything else. I do this for my mom (another salsa lover) and leave out the onion as she prefers.

Salsa Mexicana  PRINTABLE RECIPE

28 oz can whole, peeled tomatoes
4 green onions - chopped into quarters (or 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion or other)
¼ cup jarred jalapeño slices (I like Mezzetta brand)
1 small garlic clove
½ tsp kosher salt

Combine everything in a food processor and blend until mostly smooth or slightly chunky. Taste, adjust your ingredients as needed, and enjoy! Use this salsa within a week.