Refreshing Kale Peanut Salad

This weekend it was FINALLY (finally finally finally) actually, legitimately warm.

I'm talking this kind of warm:

and this kind:

and best and most fabulous of all, this kind:

In celebration, I decided it was time to start busting out the summertime salads. I found this one over at Once Upon a Chef which also was the source of the very delicious Thai Quinoa salad, which actually had a similar flavor profile. My version is below:

The Stuff:
Kale, a few large handfuls
1 cooked chicken breast (or equivalent; optional)
half a cup sliced almonds, toasted
half a red bell pepper, chopped
3/4c carrot pieces (mine were chopped baby carrots)
handful of cilantro, roughly chopped

dressing:
1.5 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 garlic clove
chunk of ginger (or about 2 teaspoons minced ginger)
.5 tablespoons soy sauce
1.5 tablespoon sesame oil
juice of half a lime
red pepper flakes or chili sauce
pinch salt

What to do with it: 
The dressing is easy, basically take all of the ingredients and blend them up in whatever way you like best (mini food processor, blender cup) or just chop as finely as you can with your own two little hands, and mix very well.

For the salad itself, first prepare the kale. Remove the hard spines, and then the key is to hold a bunch of leaves together in your hand and cut them in small strips (chiffonade). If your strips are a little on the large size, as mine are you should massage it, which just means to squish it in your hands a bit so it is softer. Then, add the other ingredients, toss with dressing, and there you go!

It was very refreshing, plus, I'm a sucker for a good peanut sauce. The nice part about this one is that it's peanuty but really not to heavy. The other nice thing about kale salads is that they really hold up in the fridge, and even though this is half the original recipe, there are lots of leftovers. This is definitely going into the summer rotation!

Avocado Lime Pesto

I've posted before about my obsession with zoodles (zucchini noodles), so I'm always looking for something new and exciting to put on them. One thing I love is pesto, but since it ends up being mostly olive oil, nuts, and cheese, it doesn't always feel like a healthy option... LUCKILY,  I found this recipe over on Cara's Cravings, always a reliable source.

Unfortunately, bright green noodles aren't 100% photogenic, so I had this twice before I got around to trying to blog about it!

I made this whole thing in the smoothie cup of my Ninja blender, which is possibly the best thing I have ever purchased for myself. Besides all manner of green smoothies for breakfast, it makes things like this super fast, and the smaller volume of the smoothie cup works better for small batches than a large food processor does.

This is what you need for the pesto:

- 1/2 avocado

- a BIG bunch of basil, washed very well

- 2-3 cloves garlic

- pinch salt

- half a lime worth of juice

- a little water to help it blend

Basically it could not be easier- dump that all in the blender, hit go, and wait until it's smooth.

I had the pesto multiple times on zoodles- once with mini thai flavored turkey patties (mixed with basil, cilantro, fish sauce, ginger, and grated carrots) and once with a piece of frozen tilapia from Costco, which I marinated in lime juice and herbs. But in addition to the zoodles, it was awesome on top of eggs, on top of chicken- basically, on everything I ate that week! It's much brighter and more refreshing than typical pesto, and would be perfect for all kinds of summer dishes. Try it!

Collard Green Wraps- Who Knew?

As most of you probably did, I spent December in an orgy of cookies and candy and delicious cocktails. I'm not going to lie, it was spectacular. BUT, now it's time to get things back in hand. I decided to do a modified version of a Whole 30 (modified to include the vegetarian options since I just can't stand eating that much meat everyday), which has been great for getting me back into cooking and I've tried a bunch of new recipes.

This one isn't really a recipe so much as a concept. Sandwiches are pretty much off the table for the time being (which is a little rough given that I'm a sucker for a good sandwich, and even have a series of past posts called "The Gallery of Sandwiches", chronicling the best sandwiches I have encountered). Honestly, though, I normally just eat leftovers for lunch so it's not actually any kind of big deal. But, if the craving strikes, this trick is worth a try. I learned it from YJP over at Broccoli is for Lovers.

I have never given collard greens a lot of thought. I've had the Southern side dish version of them and just never liked it. BUT, they are super cheap and have gigantic flat leaves that it turns out are totally perfect for a wrap. The only prep I did was to cut down the spine a little bit, because it's kind of big.

Then, just lay out your ingredients. This was tuna, but it would also be good with the avocado chickpea salad, or really anything else you'd do in a wrap.

(immediately after taking this picture I realized that everything has to be oriented in the same direction for better wrappability, but this was more photogenic)

Then, you know, wrap it!

I will say that one of the perks of these things is that the leaves are really pretty :).

I was surprised at how well this worked- the leaves themselves have a really benign flavor that doesn't have much of an impact on the flavor of the filling, but they also make it taste really light and a little crunchy. It's good I liked it, because my grocery store sold these in ENORMOUS bunches (for  only 59 cents a pound!), so I have wraps for weeks (some of these may become green smoothie fodder). Anyhow, sounds weird, but totally worth a try!

Herbed Thai Quinoa Salad, Super Refreshing for Hot Weather!

Ok, it is starting to get HOT. That means that I don't want to turn on my oven or eat anything even vaguely warm, so it's time to turn to salads! Coming up are a series of salad posts and I'm not kidding, these are delicious!

First up is this Thai Quinoa Salad with Herbs and Lime Vinaigrette.

I got the recipe over at Once Upon a Chef, and really pretty much made it exactly as instructed (for once), so I'll just link you there.

I will say I used both cilantro and basil and I really wouldn't leave either out even though the basil is optional- it was all the fresh herbs that really made this salad. I know some people don't like cilantro, which apparently to some extent might be due to genetic differences in chemosensation. But here it adds such a fresh taste, I just really wouldn't skip it. Fortunately I'm growing basil on my fire escape this summer, which means I have 3 different kinds (Thai, Greek, and purple) so pretty much around here fresh basil goes on everything!

The other thing you must must must do is use fresh lime juice (now that limes aren't as insanely expensive anymore). When you pick a lime, be sure to pick not the biggest one, but the heaviest one- the ones with thinner skin that seem surprisingly heavy will have the most juice. Bottled citrus juice just really can't compare! And for something like this that is so refreshing, you just need the real thing.

The recipe makes quite a bit (I used a lot of veggies so got way more portions out of it than the original post suggested), which is good because one thing I like about grain based salads is the ability to keep them in the fridge and take portions for lunch. The quinoa also makes it very filling as a main dish. By the last day I had to refresh a bit with some new and more crunchy cucumber and some fresh herbs but in general it lasted quite a while. Once, I even had it with some tilapia on top- I put a frozen filet (from costco) in a ziplock bag with lime, sesame oil, and the same herbs as went in the salad and let it sit until the fish thawed, then just cooked it in a pan. This was AMAZING on top of the salad- it would definitely be something you could serve to guests at a summer dinner party.

If you're feeling hot and not up to much more interaction with the stove than boiling some water, give this a try! It was bright, refreshing, and a little different- perfect!

Zoodles Post #2

I posted previously about my zucchini noodles obsession, this is another version, which was also delicious, and is vegetarian if you're into that kind of thing.

 What you need:
-2 zucchinis worth of zoodles
-olive oil
-1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed well and drained
-2 chopped tomatoes (without the slimy guts)
-pesto
- 1/4c chopped basil

Put the beans and tomatoes in a large saute pan with a little olive oil. Cook them until the beans are hot and the tomatoes are cooked down a bit. Stir in a lot of pesto (like, a quarter cup), then add the zoodles. Stir everything around  until the zucchini is soft and everything is hot. If it's not flavorful enough add more pesto. Once it's all generally cooked stir in the basil. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve. Use basil for garnish.

 This was really good- warm and filling and homey tasting, but also a little different. I took it for lunch and it heated up well- the zoodles tend to make a bit of extra liquid when they sit, but in this case, it worked! Give it a try!

Zucchini Noodles: Better Than You'd Think.

I have a new obsession, and they're called zoodles. Yes, zucchini noodles. My childhood self is watching this all unfold in horror.

Actually, my childhood self would have been pretty psyched to get to use my noodle maker:

 

It looks like a normal peeler but it has these little teeth. You scrape it across a vegetable (squash type veggies are the most successful, the sweet potato was a disaster), and it creates these awesome noodle shapes. Apparently there are a few different options for noodle makers, but this one was easy and cheap and does the job. See?

  

For my maiden zoodle-making voyage, I decided to go basic and just had them with a meat sauce that isn't very interesting in and of itself so I won't even go into it. Use whatever you like. You're going to want to warm up and soften up the zoodles. You do NOT need to boil them. I saute, either in a little water, or in a little oil, just for a few minutes until they are pliable.

Then, top and serve!

You will end up eating more zucchini than you'd expect, and remember that it is very light so you may want to err on the side of a more filling sauce with some protein if it'll be a main dish.

There is definitely more of this to come!

 

Two-minute Take-it-to-work Salad

I usually like to take my lunch to work. It saves money, and makes me avoid eating pizza or something that comes from a truck (a delicious delicious truck) every day. But, sometimes you are just not on top of it enough to have anything to bring, which usually means I run around the kitchen dumping random food items into little tupperwares and eat lunch feeling like a toddler. 


NO MORE! I have discovered the easiest, fastest, salad on earth.

I don't think this can even legitimately be called a recipe.

Yes, it's in a tupperware, on my desk. Part of being the easiest fastest salad on earth is that no work is involved other than dumping stuff in a container, shaking it up, and carrying it away with you.

The superstar of the dish is something I just noticed at Trader Joes: the frozen Melodious Blend, which has a couple kinds of lentils, green garbanzo beans, and some tomatoes.

 

Basically, here is what I did. Get a pencil, because it's pretty complicated.
Dump an amount of Melodious Blend that is slightly less than you think you'll want to eat into the tupperware (this is because this stuff will end up being way more filling than you predicted as you poured out frozen beans in the cold morning light). Cut up some bell pepper (or whatever you've got). Dump that on top. Squeeze half a lemon over the whole thing (you could also use vinegar, you just need some acid). Drizzle a little olive oil over the whole thing. Sprinkle some spices straight on there. I was going for easy, which means no thinking, so I used Mediterranean blend, salt, and pepper. Put the lid on it and give it a shake.

It's frozen, but since all the beans are little and separate, don't even worry. Just take it with you, and by lunch time it is a perfect chilled salad temp. If this thing isn't driving to work, and waiting for you to go to the gym, and then waiting for you to toil all morning before you eat it, you could probably microwave it and get a nice warm lentil salad, or do it ahead and leave it in the fridge. But really, the beauty here is in having a healthy option that involves no planning whatsoever.

The next day (today!) I made another version:

This one had a little bit of kale in there, and used creole seasoning (again, a mix, for pure easiness). Both were great! You can see my plating here is just as elegant as it was yesterday.

Anyhow, if you're looking for a backup plan that you can keep in the freezer that will make you feel all nourished and healthy and give the illusion of being totally on top of this whole lunch thing, this is for you!

The World's Most Refreshing Kale Salad

Ok, don't fall over in shock or anything, but I actually have a brand new recipe. It's been a kind of long hiatus- I was busy, I made some stuff that was good that I didn't take pictures of, some stuff that I took pictures of but that wasn't good, and some stuff that I was to lazy to post. Somehow all of the snow this winter put me into some kind of coma. Charlotte loved it. So, now, let's just forget about all that and get back on track.

At this point, it is thisclose to being April, and it is STILL cold around here. I have had soup, and stew, and things made in the slow cooker and I am sick of it  all! So today I decided that I can't be forced to comply with this madness, and I'm just going to go right on ahead and eat as much summery food as I want.

Exhibit A.

My Mom used to make this really good salad when we had enchiladas, with avocado, and grapefruit, and red onions. This is sort of a riff on that, and I must admit, avocados would be the icing on the cake.

Ingredients:

-kale (4 cups, when it has been cut)

-1 pink grapefruit, supremed

-a smidge of red onion, sliced thin (less than a quarter of a small one)

-2/3 can of garbanzo beans

-1 small red pepper, julienned

-1/8c chopped cilantro

-1 tbsp olive oil

- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar or citrus juice

-1/8 tsp salt

-1/8 tsp pepper

-1/8 tsp cumin 

-queso fresco (which I used) or avocado, crumbled or chopped depending which one

What to do with them:

Kale- when I make a kale salad, I like to cut it in very thin strips. I take out the pieces of rib that are by themselves but if they're attached to a leaf then I leave it (hey, fiber). Then I "massage" it which is less exciting than it sounds. Basically, grab it in your hands, almost like kneading bread, just to sort of soften it. It really makes the end product so much more appealing. Then, chop the pepper and cilantro

Garbanzo beans- you're not cooking these or doing anything so really wash them super well so that they don't have any of the slimy broth from the can.

Grapefruit- you're going to need to "supreme" the grapefruit. You have to slice off the peel, including the white pith. Then, very carefully slice along the membrane that separates the sections, so that you have a little section of just the inside part of the section. Go along for each one, and do that. This website has really good instructions http://chefinyou.com/2010/01/how-to-supreme-fruits/

Dressing- mix the oil, vinegar, and spices. It is not a ton, but the grapefruit also makes liquid that contributes to the salad.

Combine it all....

Toss, and serve! It's really good- the grapefruit just bursts in your mouth, it really is the most refreshing salad in the world! In the queso fresco vs avocado debate, it's worth pointing out that taking the avocado choice is the obvious way to veganize it.

One of the reasons I'm so into kale salad is that it's one of the few salads I can think of (involving actual greens) that stands up in the fridge for leftovers. Tonight I had it with some leftover arroz con pollo but tomorrow, this is lunch!

Fast Dinners for When it is 1 Million Degrees Out: Part 1

Ok, so it has been hot. It has been TOO HOT TO BLOG.

What is this? The surface of the sun?

No, no, not quite. In reality, this is a precise rendering of my living room last week.

As you can see, Charlotte has actually melted.

Basically, no one in their right mind is going to cook anything in this situation, but I have been making the best of it and accumulated some cold meal ideas that I have been too lazy to write up. So, I'll be doling those out over the next week or so starting with this one, which is basically a pile of cool, refreshing (vegan) goodness.

First up, simple watermelon salad. I could live on this.

This couldn't be easier. You need: basil, lemon, and watermelon.  First, take some watermelon- I buy them in quarters because otherwise it's a race against time to eat the watermelon before it gets kind of mushy. Chop into slightly larger than bite size pieces. Now take your basil and chiffonade - this basically just means (after washing) stack up the basil leaves and slice them into thin strips. Now, sprinkle this on the watermelon and squeeze the juice of half a lime over the whole thing. Toss it. Eat it. Bask in the glory of the cold sweet watermelon and tart lime and refreshing basil. 

There are more elaborate versions with things like diced jalapeno, red onion, and feta, and that is delicious, but this is easier :).

Next up, little pita tacos. First, roughly chop a cucumber and slice some red onions. Put in a bowl with some red wine vinegar, olive oil, and a little dill, salt and pepper and let it sit. While that's happening you're going to make some hummus (or use store bought hummus, but the home made is SO EASY). Take a can of garbanzo beans, a big spoonful of tahini, juice of half a lemon, and a small clove of garlic- dump in food processor and run it until it looks like hummus (if it is too dry add a little water). Now, resist the urge to put too much garlic in because this is totally raw, and will really permeate the hummus especially as it sits. 

All you have to do is slather some half-pitas with hummus, top with the veggies, pick up like a taco and eat. This is barely even a recipe, but I like it because with a few basic staples (around here in summer cucumber is  definitely a staple- if I wasn't living on watermelon I'd live on cucumber salad).

Cauliflower Fried "Rice"

One of my go to use-up-leftovers meals is fried rice, because honestly, there is almost nothing you can't throw in there. This only increased once I discovered the frozen packs of Trader Joes brown rice, because the one leftover I *don't* normally have on hand is rice. This takes that idea, and shakes it up a bit. If you're watching your carbs or looking for a way to get in some extra veggies, this is the recipe for you.

The basic idea behind this recipe is that rather than rice, you use riced cauliflower. I was mildly concerned about my ability to pull this part of the recipe off, but it didn't end up being a problem. BUT, you must must must have a food processor.

Stuff you need:

-veggies (whatever you like- peppers, pea pods, bamboo shoots, carrots, green onions, green beans, broccoli, whatever)

-protein (chicken, tofu, beef, whatever. should be cooked).

-flavoring (ginger, garlic)

-soy sauce (or, Braggs liquid aminos)

-oil (vegetable, or sesame. I do not recommend olive oil here.)

-2 eggs

First, take raw cauliflower (I used a whole head and had lots of leftovers, you could use half). Chop into florets, (and chunks of stem) and throw in batches into the food processor. Chop, and put in bowl. If you overload the food processor container, the big pieces won't get cut up and you'll get annoyed. So, do it in batches. I also had some baby carrots, so I threw those in with the cauliflower for kicks. I could have also julienned them.

Now, chop up your add ins. I had on hand some cooked chicken, onion, pepper, and ginger. This could be anything you have around. The only constraint would be that if your leftover meat (or tofu) is marinated already, of course you should make sure the flavors are compatible.

Now, heat up some oil (I used sesame oil). And, saute the veggies that need it (here, onions, peppers, and ginger). Once they were cooked, but still a bit crunchy, for texture, I threw in the chicken to heat it. Then, I poured in the cauliflower mixture. Now, just lightly beat the eggs in a little bowl, and pour over the cauliflower. This sounds weird, but it really provides an important binding component to the dish. (If you're vegan and know what would accomplish the same binding action without using eggs, I'd be very interested to hear, but personally I don't know because normal egg substitutes like flax seeds don't seem quite right.). Toss everything around in the pan until the egg is cooked, and add the soy sauce while you're doing it. Always remember that you can always add more soy sauce, but if you put in too much you're stuck with it.

Now...serve up!

This was really satisfying but healthy. It also made a TON and froze really well. Give it a shot!

Fresh Avocado Summer Rolls

It is finally starting to feel at least a little like spring around here, and my pale, mildly cranky (with the weather) vitamin D deficient self is beyond excited about it. Part of what I'm excited about is getting a little more fresh produce- I am pretty sure I was not properly appreciative of California's constant abundance of fresh delicious fruit while I was there.

Anyhow, lately all I want to eat are things involving cold veggies- salads, sandwiches, and now... summer rolls! I got this idea in my head and had to make it happen immediately. The first challenge was finding the proper wrappers. At the first store, all they had were frozen spring roll wrappers. I bought them, however, after immediately panicking and googling it with my phone on the sidewalk, I determined that they were the wrong thing and are really meant for fried/baked spring rolls. What you actually want are rice paper wrappers. They are dry and should be on the shelf in the Asian section. These are the ones I got, but there are apparently many brands:

You can put almost anything you want in there. Your favorite veggies, chicken, shrimp, tofu- whatever! Anything you can put into long thin slices. I chose cucumber, red pepper, carrots, and instead of one of the protein choices, used avocado. You'll also want some type of herb- mint/cilantro/basil- I used cilantro. The important thing is to chop it all up ahead of time because you're going to need to move quickly.

Now- the rice paper will be very dry and stiff when you take it out of the package. I filled an 8x8 pyrex pan with warm water. Submerge a sheet until it is soft (not tooooooooooo soft, or it'll break. it'll also keep getting softer so if it feels a tad bid stiffer than you'd like when you first take it out, that's ok). I had a variety of badly shaped rolls, but when making the most successful ones, I  just immediately folded the rice paper in half, put the filling in the middle, then rolled it around the veggies as tightly as possible. I'm not going to lie, it was kind of hard to get it tight. I'm imagining it is similar to attempting to role nice looking sushi. They were all edible, but the half sized ones were definitely the most sturdy.

You could dip this in any variety of sauces, but I decided to make a simple peanut sauce (because I can't resist a peanut sauce). I used 3 tbsp peanut butter, 3 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp sesame oil, and a squirt of sriracha (if you use regular natural peanut butter add a dab of honey. if you use peanut butter with sugar in it, then don't). This made a lot of sauce- definitely enough for two people.

(I wanted to cut a roll in half to take a lovely picture, but was afraid my rookie-rolls would fall apart, and it was my dinner, so I had a big interest in being able to eat it). 

The combination of the peanut sauce and the crunchy veggies and the creamy avocado- SO GOOD! I can definitely imagine these being a staple in the summer when it's hot out and the idea of turning on the stove or oven is overwhelming. They were really fresh and good- try it!

Chickpea Avocado Sandwiches... nomnomnom

This is one of these recipes that I have been looking forward to making, and now that I did I can't imagine what I was waiting for. Behold, smashed chickpea and avocado sandwiches, from Two Peas And Their Pod. Basically, this is a really good (vegan) alternative to other salady sandwiches, and even if you don't care about the vegan-ness, the lack of mayo is definitely a plus for a lot of reasons.

This is all you need- a ripe avocado, a can of garbanzo beans, chopped garlic, salt, pepper, juice of half a lemon/lime. Now, you're going to want to rinse and drain the beans really well. I also tried to rub them around between two paper towels, and get as many of the skins off as possible (similarly to when I roasted them).

Now, just mash it all together! You want a variety of sizes of bean pieces.

That is basically all there is to it- just fix it up with your sandwich additions of choice (here, arugula and red pepper strips). If you want to save the rest of it, just squeeze the rest of the lemon on it and it should keep the avocado from oxidizing.

I really liked it, I'm sure I'm going to make this again!

Something Light- Fresh Zucchini Carpaccio

In my new home city it has been HOT. (yes. all caps are warranted. I think it would also be safe to use them for HUMID).

Given the whole hot summer in the city thing we have going on here, I have been on the lookout for cool fresh recipes. (I tried to make a veggie pizza and after trying to check on it and pull it out, was basically too melted to even want to eat it).

So, I saw a recipe on Pinterest for "Raw Zucchini Carpaccio".  Then, I googled it, and it turns out there  are tons of recipes out there from the likes of Tyler Florence, Food & Wine,  Epicurious, Smitten Kitchen, etc etc. So, this is mine!

The stuff:

- 2 fresh raw zucchini (you want big, but not TOO big because you don't want too many seeds)

- 3 cloves garlic

- juice of 1 lemon

- 2-3 tsp olive oil

- salt and pepper

- grated parmesan cheese (don't use the powdery kind. also, if you want this to be vegan, this is optional, you just might want a tiny tad more salt)

- walnuts, chopped and toasted

What to do with it:

Now, the most critical thing here is to cut the zucchini as thin as you possibly can. To do this, I used a mandolin (mine is from Oxo because I have issues with my hands and I love all their good grips stuff).

(this is not my mandolin. this is a glamour shot of someone else's mandolin)

Now, the mandolin and I have a complex relationship that involves a lot of me staring at it with a perplexed look on my face and then swearing at it like a sailor. Usually I can get it working, but it takes a lot of tries in which I do my best and nothing comes out the other side. ANYWAYS. I think this is the way to go- what you really don't want here are slabs of zucchini. If you're patient enough to slice it very thinly by hand, then by all means do that. 

I also sliced the garlic using the mandolin (putting my poor little fingers at risk). Now, normally I'm a huge fan of the chopped garlic in the jar, but I think for something with so few ingredients it is very important to use fresh stuff.

Now, just slice the zucchini, toss with the garlic, cheese, and cooled toasted walnuts, and then dress with the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Then, let it sit for about an hour in the fridge to marinate. Then, eat!

This would be really great for a salad course or appetizer, or as a side dish for something grilled. I actually just increased the amount of walnuts and ate it by itself as my dinner. It was light and refreshing and delicious!

Quick Summer Dinner- Grilled Peach Salad

This is barely a recipe, but it was so tasty and quick I figure I'll throw it out there. Last summer I fell in love with grilled peaches. So, the first time I saw some nice peaches in the store, of course that's what I immediately thought of.

This is as easy as it gets... I grilled a Trader Joes Kobe-style burger I had around, threw a peach on at the same time, and served the whole thing with arugula, gorgonzola, and a few toasted walnuts, all drizzled with balsamic vinegar. For a 10 minute meal it absolutely hit the spot!