A Few Recipes Featuring Seasonal Ingredients

Hello everyone! It has been a while but I thought I would drop in a post a few recipes featuring seasonal ingredients. I hope you are all off to a great start for 2013!

 

Simple Cauliflower, Tomato, and Chickpea Curry

Ingredients: 

-1 cup long grain white rice

-4tsp extra virgin olive oil

-1 large yellow onion diced medium

-3 garlic cloves, smashed and minced

-1-2 TBSP peeled and minced fresh ginger 

-4 1/2 tsp curry powder 

-2 15oz cans of chickpeas, rinsed and drained

-1 pint cherry tomatoes 

-1 head of *roasted cauliflower, chopped in to one inch pieces 

-2 1/2 -3 oz chopped, fresh baby spinach

-fresh cilantro

-salt and fresh ground pepper

-plain Greek yogurt 

-naan (optional) 

Directions: 

Begin to cook your rice according to package directions. 

Heat 2 tsp olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add tomatoes, season with salt and pepper. Saute until tomatoes have started to burst and shrivel a bit -about 5-7 minutes. Once the tomatoes have been cooked through, remove from skillet and set aside in a bowl. Add remaining 2tsp olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until fragrant -about 30 seconds. Add curry powder and stir around bottom of the pan until fragrant -about 30 seconds. Add onion, and ginger and saute until translucent and cooked through -about 5-7 minutes. Add chickpeas, tomatoes, and 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cover for about 8-10 minutes. Add cauliflower and spinach and season once more with pepper only. Simmer again for about 5 minutes and remove from heat. Serve over rice with a dollop of Greek yogurt and naan bread. Serves 4.

 

Seasonal Vegetable Enchiladas Verde

Ingredients: 

-*Roasted acorn squash, skin removed, cut into one inch cubes, and cooled (to prevent over-cooking)

-*Roasted butternut squash, skin removed, cut into one inch cubes, and cooled

-Scallions, whites and greens separated and reserved, whites cut on the angle into 1/2 inch pieces, greens chopped to preferred serving size

-One medium yellow onion, finely chopped 

-One 15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

-1-2 jalapenos depending on your taste, seeded and finely chopped

-three cloves of garlic, minced

-one 10oz bag frozen corn (optional)

-Fresh cilantro, leaves torn and roughly chopped

-1 TBSP cumin

-Prepared or homemade Verde sauce (you will need about 2 Cups)

-Tortillas (use wheat or white -whichever you prefer)

-2 limes

-1 1/2 cups Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded

-1 TBSP canola or vegetable oil

-Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prep all vegetables and ingredients and set aside. 

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and saute until fragrant -about 30 seconds. Add scallion whites, and jalapeno. Saute until softened -about two minutes. Clear a little space in your skillet where no vegetables are and add cumin there. Saute cumin on its own for about 30 seconds until fragrant (sauteing the spice alone further releases its flavor). Stir cumin and moved vegetables together. Add yellow onion and saute until translucent and softened -about five minutes -stirring occasionally to keep ingredients from burning. Season ingredients generously with salt and pepper. Add squashes, black beans, and frozen corn. Saute until ingredients are combined and fragrant throughout -about six to eight minutes. Pour in one cup of the salsa verde and stir gently to avoid mushing the squash too much. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Bring back down to a simmer over low heat for about two minutes and then remove from heat. 

Divide mixture into tortillas. Place tortillas in glass baking dish and make sure not to over or under-stuff the tortillas. Pour remaining cup of verde sauce on enchiladas and then sprinkle cheese over the top. Bake covered in parchment-lined tinfoil for about 20 minutes. Remove tinfoil and let continue to bake until cheese has browned a bit. remove and top with cilantro and squeeze lime juice over the top. Makes about 6-7 enchiladas. Serve with sour cream, tortillas chips with lime juice squeezed on them, avocados, and cilantro.

*Roast squashes by cutting in half, rubbing with olive oil, seasoning with salt and freshly ground pepper, and baking in a 400 degree oven on a baking sheet for about an hour to an hour and a half depending on thickness of your squash and power of your oven (or until flesh is easily pierced with a fork).

*Also, don't be afraid to swap out and play with other seasonal vegetables. Example -you could use sweet potatoes and parsnips instead of squashes.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Sweet Potato Grilled Cheese

~This is a great quick week-night meal and a welcome variation to the classic grilled cheese. 

Ingredients:

-Sourdough bread (or any bread you think sounds good or that you have on hand)

-olive oil

-Your cheese of choice (I like Havarti, Sharp Cheddar, Muenster, or Dubliner with this sandwich)

-Two large, cooked sweet potatoes

-1TBSP brown sugar

-salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

-Heat grill to medium high

-pour olive oil into a bowl and with a pastry brush, brush bread slices, on one side, with olive oil

*(If you prefer butter, you can simply spread butter on one side of the slices -either way is delicious)

-Scoop out cooked flesh from sweet potatoes into a bowl. Add brown sugar and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Stir with a fork until well mixed and smooth

-Spread sweet potato mixture onto bread and top with cheese. Cover with remaining slice of bread and grill until cheese is melted and gooey. 

Serve with your choice of soup or crispy kale. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Avocado and Orange Salad with Lime and Honey

Ingredients:

-Two navel oranges (although clementines and tangerines work well, too), peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

-Two avocados, scooped from skin and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

-2 Limes

-Honey

-Pink salt

-Fresh ground pepper

Directions:

Place oranges and avocados into a bowl. Squeeze juice from both limes onto oranges and avocados. Toss gently and then divide salad onto plates. Drizzle lightly with honey and season with pink salt and freshly ground pepper. Serves two. 

 

 

Frog Eye Salad

It's time for summer picnics and potlucks. Here is one of our family's favorite side salads to bring. It is cool and delicious. Don't let the funny looking "frog eyes" scare you. Yum.

Frog Eye Salad

Ingredients:
1 (1 lb) pkg. acini de pepe pasta
1 can pineapple tidbits
1 can crushed pineapple
1 small can mandarin oranges
4 c. mini marshmallows
1 c. sugar
2 T. flour
Container of Cool Whip
1/4 tsp. salt
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
shredded coconut, optional

Directions:
Cook acini de pepe in salted water for 12 minutes. Drain and set aside. Open pineapple cans and drain their juice into a small saucepan. Save fruit in fridge for later. Add sugar, flour and salt to pineapple juice and bring to a boil. In large bowl, pour hot liquid over the slightly beaten egg yolks. Let cool a little and then add the pasta. Stir and store in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, break up the pasta (it will be stuck in clumps) add reserved fruit, drained mandarin oranges, Cool Whip, coconut (optional) and marshmallows.

Note: This recipe makes a very large amount. I use my largest Tupperware bowl.

Broccoli Salad

Photo by Madeline L.

I was asked to start the next food challenge for May. It is the Salsa Salad challenge. We wanted to challenge everyone to make a fresh salad or salsa this month as a recognition to the gardening season. I am sharing my broccoli salad that is a favorite in my family. This is actually a picture of Madeline's version (she adds fresh spinach and Crasins to hers) but they are pretty much the same.

Broccoli Salad

Ingredients for Salad:

Fresh Broccoli Florets (About 3 crowns of Broccoli)

Sunflower Seeds- 1 cup

Bacon (cooked and crumbled)- 1/2 of a package or 2-3 strips

Green Onions- 1/2 cup chopped

For Dressing:

Mayo- 1 cup

Vinegar- 2 Tablespoons

Sugar- up to 1/2 cup

Dried Onions- 2 Tablespoons (Optional)

Other Optional Ingredients:

Spinach

Craisins

Directions:

Mix Dressing and pour over salad, mix it all together.

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Enjoy!

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For Mushroom Lovers Only

I say this is "for Mushroom Lovers only" because it is a very simple salad of raw Mushrooms...it only has a few ingredients but they go so perfectly together. I saw Giada De Laurentiis make it on The Food Network and i knew i had to make it, it exceeded my expectations, if you love mushrooms then give it a try!




Fresh Mushroom and Parsley Salad

Ingredients
1 pound large button mushrooms, trimmed, cleaned and thinly sliced
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2-ounce piece Parmesan
Directions
Serving suggestion: assorted French cheeses and Poilane Bakery-style breads

In a medium salad bowl, mix together the mushrooms and parsley.

In a small bowl, whisk together the oil and lemon juice until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Add the oil mixture to the salad bowl and toss until all the ingredients are coated. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the Parmesan on top and serve.

MY MOMS CAESAR SALAD

As long as I can remember this salad has been a staple in my life.

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 hard boiled egg

2 lemons, juiced

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnish

Freshly ground black pepper

2 heads romaine lettuce

Directions Make the dressing: Put the hard boiled egg, lemon juice, and smashed garlic into a blender and process for 30 seconds until the mixture is smooth. With the blender running, pour the olive oil in slowly for the dressing to emulsify. Stir in the Parmesan, a pinch of salt and a couple of grinds of black pepper; set aside. (Refrigerate the dressing if you will not be using it right away.) Assemble the salad: Tear the lettuce into a large bowl. Add enough dressing to coat the salad to your liking. Add some extra Parmesan and toss the salad well. Serve immediately.

Fennel and Orange Salad

I think Fennel is something you either love or hate. Fennel, to me, tasted a bit like a combination of celery and black licorice, very distinct but subtle at the the same time. I first saw this salad made on The Food Network, by Robin Miller and before i made it i had never tasted fennel. Needless to say, it was delicious and now one of my favorite salads. I did make a couple changes to the original recipe to suit my tastes a little more, I added the dried cranberries and used mandarin oranges instead of naval oranges. Its not only delicious but very pretty, and its actually better if you let it chill in the fridge for a few hours to let the flavors marry.




Fennel and Orange Salad

1 large bulb of Fennel, sliced thinly
1 tbs. Red Wine Vinegar
1 small handfull of dried cranberries
1 tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 small can of Mandarin Oranges, drained
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix vinegar, oil, salt and pepper together. Add sliced fennel, oranges and cranberries. Let sit either in the fridge or at room temp for a couple hours before you eat. Yummy!

Spotlight Potato Salad

 

Congratulations to my sister in law Sunny. I wanted to spotlight her for her delicious potato salad that she makes, especially during the summer. Every time we go to her house, she goes out of her way to make my husband (her brother) and me something really great. I have more of her wonderful recipes that I will put on this blog in the future but, for now, I want to recognize her for this recipe. This recipe doesn't come with measurements. Come to think of it, Sunny does a lot of her cooking simply by "eye balling" it, and the results, always turn out fantastic. I will, however, provide you with my estimates when I tried it out for myself. Plus, any changes. Thank you Sunny, Enjoy!

According to Sunny's recipe, she uses regular cooked cubed hash browns. I decided to use up some of my potatoes I had in the pantry and yes, I left the skin on them. Being from Idaho, I think the habit of eating the whole potato has not parted from me yet.

Cook cubed potatoes by boiling water until tender.

Drain Potatoes and douse with cold water, drain again.

* I use 6-8 med sized potatoes or 1 large bag of cubed hash browns.

Add chopped boiled eggs.

* I used 1/2-1 egg per potato.

Additional Ingredients:

Chopped Onion

Chopped Pickles

Crumbled Bacon or bacon bits

Mix together

* 1 whole small onion

(I used 1/2 of a Walla Walla Onion)

3-4 large pickles

4-6 slices of bacon or 1/2-1 cup or bacon bits.

Now, she adds Mayo and Mustard.

*Today I used mustard and half mayo, half sour cream. I honestly don't really measure these either but, I am guessing about 2 Tablespoons of mustard and 1 cup of Mayo.

(I used 1/2 cup of each mayo and sour cream approximately)

The nice thing, is you can always add more and it should be good.

Her recipe ends with adding salt and pepper to taste.

(In addition to the salt and pepper, today I added dill weed and paprika)
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What Salad Calls Out to You in the Summer?

Chinese Chicken Salad

This is the perfect salad for summer! It is light and delicious with sweet and salty flavors in the dressing, I promise you will love this asian style salad! Honestly, the dressing is what makes it so fantastic so you can switch up the ingredients to the salad itself any way you like. I have made it with toasted almonds, green onions, and crunched up ramen noodles instead of wonton wrappers and its just as delicious! Just don't mess with the dressing because that is perfect the way it is:)


CHINESE CHICKEN SALAD
2 small or 1 large head of Romaine Lettuce
2 carrots, shredded
1 can Mandarin Oranges
2 Chicken Breast, cooked however you prefer
Wonton Wrappers or Chinese Noodles, fried

Combine all ingredients in large salad bowl and top with dressing right before serving. Enjoy!

Dressing
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp dark sesame oil
3 tbsp white or rice vinegar

Just whisk or shake all ingredients untill well combined.

Cafe Rio's Pork Barbacoa Salad

Some people would argue that Cafe Rio is not real Mexican food. Well, I think it comes very close to the idea of it all. It was started in St. George, UT and has been a growing sensation. This recipe is simply an imitation and it does not replace the original genius. This post is specifically for the Pork Barbacoa and the salad process. Since everything is the same for most of the salads, we like to change it up and make the Fire Grilled Chicken and Fire Grilled Steak salads by simply grilling and seasoning (with dry Cholua) chicken and/or Carne Asada steak and cutting into strips. This is another fast and easy way to have a good Cafe Rio salad if you chose not to do pork that day.

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There are a lot of imitation Cafe Rio pork recipes out there. To me, they seem to be a whole day process and can also be intense with directions. This pork recipe was given to me by sister that she has been making for years now. She has not only cut the time in half but the process in general. The best part is, when I compare it to the all day processed pork, it tastes as good if not better.

Thank You Angie Lopez!

Place (defrosted) boneless pork roast into slow cooker and fill with water until only the top it showing. Cover with lid and slow Cook pork roast on high for approximately 3 hours.

To check if it is ready to shred, stab with fork and twist to see if pork will fall apart. Pork can still be a little pink. Drain water.

Shred your pork (You may have more water to drain as you go). If you find that it is difficult but the pork is done, I have thrown large chunks in my food processor and it shreds it just right
(as shown here).

Set slow cooker on low (warm) and add the following ingredients:

12-16 oz of Coke
1-2 bottles of Taco Sauce
1 cup of brown sugar
1-2 Tablespoons of Cumin

*The ranges on these measurements suggest that I add a little more depending on how it tastes.
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Mix and keep on warm until ready to eat.
This will be Layer # 2.


Layer # 1 - The Tortilla.
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Pre-heat Broiler.
Homemade Tortillas are best or get the kind that you can cook on a skillet.

After they are cooked, sprinkle with cheese and set in individual foil cake pans or on a cookie sheet. The broiler will melt and cook them very fast. So have your other ingredients ready!


Layer #3-Special Rice
Click here to get this recipe


Layer # 4 -Brazilian Black Beans
Click here for this Recipe
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Top layers with Hearts of Romaine Lettuce


Don't forget the special dressing
Click here for recipe


Additional toppings consist of tortilla strips, cheese, pico de gallo, and cilantro. A side of guacamole and a lime wedge can be a great addition too.


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What is your favorite Cafe Rio Dish?

Tilapia and Salad Spritz with Tomato and Green Bean Salad

Instead of Bagels and Lox, I thought I would share my Tilapia and Salad Spritz recipe. It is yet another recipe that I like to throw together. If you have a hard time with fishy fish, tilapia might be something you'd like to try. It doesn't have nearly as much fishy taste as most (kind of like cod). As far as the Spritz goes, I like to put lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil in spray bottles so that the flavor with be evenly distributed without over doing it. I also like to use I can't believe it's Not Butter Spray to add a little butter flavor without the calories and it is cheaper that Butter Extract. With that, this fresh, fast, delicious recipe is waiting for you.

For Tilapia

Mix together, in small cup, equal parts: Dill weed, paprika, dried garlic/garlic powder, lemon pepper, parsley and half part salt.

Lay out fresh or defrosted fillets and rub or sprinkle mix over fillets.

Grill fillets with a little olive oil/butter spray and spray occasionally to get a golden color. Also spray balsamic vinegar and/or lemon juice as desired.

For Salad
Cook whole green beans (find them in the produce section or buy Birds Eye Steamed Bag packs.
Slice tomatoes and lay over cooked green beans (beans will get cool on their own). Spray with butter and balsamic vinegar all over tomatoes and beans. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

For Rice:
When you add rice to the water to cook, also add a little butter, chicken bullion, shredded cilantro or parsley, and lemon juice. Cook like normal, Tastes great!

Does anyone prefer other fish over tilapia?