Southwestern Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

Recipe: Southwestern Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

I usually have the radio on when I am at home. We have a local station, WYEP-FM, which plays a great mix of non-commercial tunes and unless the DJ gets into a country, bluegrass, or folk* frame of mind, there is where the dial is set. For some reason, though, when it is this hot and sticky outside and inside, I tend to turn off the radio. I prefer to listen to the birds, I guess. Or the slow slapping of my sandals as I try to glide through the hot rooms, using as little energy as possible.

*- By the way, there is nothing wrong with those musical genres, they are just not what I enjoy.

Anyway...

Lunch on one of these hot days during this past week was salad. Jack’s least favorite meal type, but I couldn’t even bear to turn on the grill.

I had a lot of “ones” in the refrigerator; one heart of romaine, one avocado, one orange bell pepper, one small cucumber, one ear of corn which had been cooked and was leftover. I also found a half can of black beans, a small piece of cotija cheese, and 2 small tomatoes. Result: a southwestern salad that even Jack liked. Probably because of the cheese, and also because I sprinkled his favorite Trader Joe’s nut/seed mix on top (pepitas, sunflower seeds, slivered almonds). For the salad, I only chopped half of the avocado because I used the other half for a salad dressing which complimented the other flavors perfectly (if I do say so myself). I have posted this dressing recipe before and it is here.

Served with baked tortilla chips, Jack never once uttered "salad for lunch???".

No recipe for the salad itself, though-- just be creative and use what's available!

Shrimp Tikka with Fresh Mango Chutney

Recipe: Shrimp Tikka with Fresh Mango Chutney

The past few days have been entirely too hot and humid for my taste. I enjoy many things about summer—the fireflies blinking and the crickets chirping during the evening, birds singing so joyfully in the cherry tree outside of our bedroom window that I'm wakened before dawn (but I go back to sleep, not being an early-morning type of person), flowers blooming everywhere...

(like this beautiful bed of phlox)

but I hate the humidity. With no air conditioning, my stove is turned off at the gas inlet because even the pilot lights keep the kitchen uncomfortably warm. Because it cools off a bit during the night, breakfast is now the only meal which I do not grill outside or microwave.

My friend Jenni sent me a recipe for Shrimp Tikka with Fresh Mango Chutney a few weeks ago and it has been lying on the kitchen table, waiting to be used. Unfortunately, the mango to be used in the recipe should be unripe and the mango which I wanted to use was very ripe. So, not wanting to delay until I bought mangoes again, I altered the recipe the slightest bit and made Shrimp Tikka with Fresh Mango Salsa Aside from not toasting the cumin (I mixed ground seed directly into the salsa), using a very ripe mango, and adding a half of an orange bell pepper, the recipe was not changed.

It was very good. The shrimp were a little to spicy for me, but Jack said that they weren’t hot enough (hmmm). I love the flavor of mango, ginger, and the spices in the salsa—it seemed to temper the spiciness of the shrimp for me (but not for you-know-who who likes all foods that sear the mouth…). Nevertheless, the marinade did wonderful, delicious, spectacular things to the shrimp and I'll have to use this same recipe with scallops and chicken.

Oh, and once more adjusting the recipe for the man who hates to “work” for his food, I took the fan tail off the shrimp. It would have looked nice, but then I’d be faced with answering the “why are there tails on my shrimp” question and, unless we have guests, Jack simply does not buy the “for aesthetic reasons” explanation.

Shrimp Tikka with Fresh Mango Chutney

Serves 6

Active time:45 min

Start to finish:1 hr

GOURMET June 2008

For shrimp

· 1/4 cup vegetable oil

· 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

· 1 (1-inch) piece fresh jalapeño, chopped (about 2 tsp)

· 1 (1-inch) piece peeled ginger, chopped

· 1 large garlic clove, smashed

· 2 teaspoons ground garam masala (Indian spice blend)*

· 3/4 teaspoon turmeric

· 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

· 2 lb large shrimp in shell, peeled, leaving tail fan attached

For chutney

· 1 teaspoon ground cumin

· 1 (3/4-lb) unripe mango, chopped

· 1/3 seedless cucumber, peeled and chopped (3/4 cup)

· 1/2 cup chopped red onion

· 1 to 2 teaspoons minced fresh jalapeño with seeds

· 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

· 3 tablespoons thinly sliced mint

· 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Marinate shrimp:

Purée all ingredients for marinating shrimp, except shrimp, with 1/2 tsp salt in a blender until smooth. Pour into a sealable bag, then add shrimp and marinate at cool room temperature, turning bag occasionally, 30 minutes.

Make chutney while shrimp marinate:

Toast cumin in a dry small skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Stir together remaining chutney ingredients with 1/4 tsp salt, then sprinkle with toasted cumin.

Make kebabs:

Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over hot charcoal (medium-high heat for gas)

Thread 4 shrimp onto each skewer, leaving small spaces between them. Put on a tray.

Oil grill rack, then grill skewers, cover only if using a gas grill, turning once, until just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes total. Serve with chutney.

Cooks’ notes:

Shrimp can be cooked in a hot well-oiled large (2-burner) ridged grill pan, turning once, about 8 minutes total.

Marinade can be made 1 day ahead and chilled.

Chutney can be made 6 hours ahead and chilled.

Black Bean Veggie Burgers

Recipe: Black Bean Veggie Burgers


For the Fourth of July, Jack and I went to our friends' house for a damp-weather cookout. It was a very rainy day, but that didn't matter a bit because Karla and Frankie always have the kind of party that's fun regardless of what the weather is doing outside. :)


Among a few other items, I brought black bean veggie burgers that I had found on a recipe website. Karla is a vegetarian, so it was the perfect opportunity for me to try this recipe which I had printed out a few weeks before. Unfortunately it drove me nuts. The mixture was so wet that I kept adding bread crumbs, then oatmeal, then oat bran before it would hold even a basic "pattie shape". I also had to bake the burgers to firm them up a bit more, then finish them on the grill at our hosts' house. It was way too much bother (and too much filler).


Today I decided to try my hand at my own version of the burgers. I added oatmeal (pulsed in the blender to chop the flakes up a bit) and also some additional spices. The result was just what I had hoped for-- burgers with a nice texture for grilling or frying, and a great flavor. And they formed a nice patty shape, not needing to be prebaked.


I used 5 ounces of black beans which was perfect for the two of us. If you use canned beans, a 15-ounce can, drained, will yield about 9 ounces of black beans. Just double the recipe for 4 servings, the "missing" ounce of black beans will not matter.


Also, the buns that I find in the stores are so huge. I make my own, and can control the portion size, but in the summer (due to lack of a/c) I have to buy. I purchased some kaiser rolls to take to the cookout which weighed in at over 4 ounces each, and those were way too big. So I bought some wheat dinner rolls at a bakery, weighing about 1-1/2 ounces each. I made the bean patties 3" diameter to fit these "buns", and I had two burgers while Jack had three. These were perfect serving portions for us.


I topped our burgers with 50% less fat jalapeño jack cheese, and a dollop of prepared salsa. These were great! Next time, I'll mix light sour cream with finely chopped avocado for a condiment, and use sliced tomato as well.



* Exported from MasterCook *

Black Bean Veggie Burgers


Recipe By: Vicci
Servings: 2

5 ounces black beans -- cooked, drained
1/2 cup rolled oats
3 ounces red bell pepper -- cut into 1" pieces (about 3/4 cup)
2 ounces sweet onion -- cut into 1" pieces (about 1/2 cup)
2 large garlic cloves -- minced
1 large egg white
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper

hamburger rolls
toppings/ condiments


In a medium bowl, mash the black beans. Set aside


In the food processor, pulse the oats five or six times. Pour into the bowl with the beans. Add the peppers, onion, and garlic into the processor bowl and pulse until finely chopped. Roll the vegetables into several layers of paper towels and squeeze out excess liquid (I believe that, if you chop the vegetables by hand, this would not be necessary. But don't take my word for it...) . Add to the bean mixture and stir until combined.


In a small bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy. Add the spices and mix well. Pour this into the bean mixture and mix well ("hands as tools"!!!). Form into 2 (or more, depending on the size of the rolls) patties, 1/2" thick, place on a plate, and allow to sit for 15 minutes.





Spray patties with cooking spray. Grill or pan-fry over moderate heat for about 3 minutes on each side.


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Per serving: 379 Calories (kcal); 4g Total Fat (1g Saturated fat); (8% calories from fat); 22g Protein; 17g Fiber; 68g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 111mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 4 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable;

Vietnamese Grilled Chicken Breasts with Rice Noodle Salad

I am slowly getting back in the swing of things…

Today was spent weeding, and my back is very angry that I’m not spending my days sitting on a beach chair. Unfortunately, there is a price to pay for two weeks of frivolity and laziness!

Dinner tonight was an easy one. The July issue of Canadian Living featured a recipe for Vietnamese Pork Chops with Rice-Vermicelli Salad which looked very good. Since we do not eat red meat, I substituted chicken breasts and tweaked the marinade a bit; for the salad I prepared it almost as directed except that I added some finely shredded red bell pepper for added texture and color.

This was excellent, very similar to the Vietnamese cold noodle salads that I love to make on hot summer days. The chicken was marinated in a lime juice-fish sauce mixture, which was later reduced and poured on the cooked chicken; this was served over a salad of soft rice noodles and crunchy vegetables dressed with a similar lime juice-fish sauce dressing. Shredded mint and cilantro added that wonderful, unmistakable Vietnamese flavor, and a sprinkling of chopped peanuts gave some extra crunch. Seriously, if you like this type of dish, make it tonight!

* Exported from MasterCook *


Vietnamese
Grilled Chicken Breasts
with Rice Noodle Salad


Recipe Adapted from: Canadian Living

Serving Size : 2




Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
10 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast


3 ounces rice vermicelli noodles
1 tablespoon boiling water
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 clove garlic -- finely minced
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint
3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
1/2 large red bell pepper -- sliced very thinly
1 small carrot -- finely shredded
1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce -- romaine or leaf


2 tablespoons chopped peanuts


In a small baking dish, combine the marinade ingredients (onion through black pepper). Add chicken breasts and turn to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes.


Bring a small pot of water to a boil and add the noodles. Stir and remove from the heat. Allow to stand for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Allow to stand in colander and prepare dressing:


In a small cup, mix the boiling water through the hot pepper flakes. Mix in a large bowl with the noodles and set aside.


Prepare the grill. Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade (reserve marinade) and coat chicken with cooking spray. Place on hot grill and cook until done. Pour the marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat a bit and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.


To the rice noodles, add the mint, cilantro, pepper, carrot, and lettuce and toss well.


When the chicken is finished cooking, remove to a cutting board and slice.


Divide rice noodle salad between two plates, top with sliced chicken, pour reduced marinade over. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts.


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Per serving: 375 Calories (kcal); 14g Total Fat (3g Saturated Fat); (31% calories from fat); 33g Protein; 36g Carbohydrate; 76mg Cholesterol; 1453mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 3 Fat; 2 Other Carbohydrates

Returning to the Real World

Recipe: Grilled Striper with Southwestern Rice


Well, I'm back. Although I had planned to post recipes from our vacation home, this did not happen for 2 reasons. First, with the exception of a very nice Viking stove, the kitchen was horribly equipped for cooking of any sort. I also decided that I would do something totally unlike me and not plan meals. We stocked up on basics, I brought a selection of spices with me, we filled the refrigerator with produce, eggs, and cheese, and the freezer with chicken and fish. I "winged it"! And we lived to talk about it, so the experiment in being loose in the kitchen was a success. :)


Our 2 weeks on vacation were a lot of fun and I am having a difficult time returning to earth. This was a celebration of our 25th anniversary, so we held our breath and rented this extraordinary (uh, except for the kitchen) house. I will post photos of it soon.


Tonight, we had grilled striper for dinner. I have to cook some very healthy meals to make up for the platters of fried shrimp that I consumed during our vacation...

* Exported from MasterCook *

Grilled Striper with
Southwestern Rice

Recipe By : Vicci
Servings : 2







Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------

2 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2/3 cup parboiled rice
1 1/3 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon adobo sauce from a can of chipotle chilies in adobo
10 ounces rockfish fillets*
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup avocado -- chopped
1 tablespoon minced cilantro
1/2 whole lime -- cut into 2 wedges


In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over a medium-low flame then saute the chopped onion until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to stir for another minute. Add rice and saute for 2 minutes. Pour in the water, add the salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 12 minutes. Without removing the lid, turn off the heat and allow the rice to steam undisturbed for 15 minutes.


Meanwhile, mix the lime juice through the adobo sauce in a non-metal baking dish. Add the fillets and turn to coat with the lime mixture. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes.


Remove the lid from the rice (it will be warm or room-temperature when served). Preheat the grill. Coat the fish liberally with cooking spray and cook until opaque (about 4 minutes). While the fish cooks, fold in the tomatoes. After a few minutes, add the avocado and half of the cilantro and stir gently. The heat of the rice will soften the tomatoes a bit, but the avocado shouldn't be added until the rice is a little cooler.


Divide the rice mixture between two plates, top with fish, sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.



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Per serving: 424 Calories (kcal); 21g Total Fat; (43% calories from fat); 30g Protein; 29g Carbohydrate; 50mg Cholesterol; 663mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 3 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 1/2 Fruit; 37 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates


*Mastercook calls it "rockfish", we call it "striper"-- all in the same!

The serving in the photo above looks a bit large, doesn't it? I accidentally photographed Jack's serving (which is actually 2 servings...).

GOING ON VACATION!!!

After a frenzy of packing we will be leaving for vacation on Friday, not returning until June 29th.

I will try and post when I can, since the kitchen of our rental looks pretty nice
and I do plan to be cooking more than eating at restaurants,
so please excuse my occasional absences for the next couple of weeks!

:)

Grilled Chicken Tacos with Avocado-Tomatillo Coleslaw

Recipe: Grilled Chicken Tacos with Avocado-Tomatillo Coleslaw

Soft tacos are one of my favorite dinners. Fillings can be chicken or fish, I always have corn tortillas in the refrigerator, and the toppings are endless-- so it’s no wonder these are a staple of my dinner menus in the summer.

For years I thought of soft tacos as only containing ground beef or shredded beef or, sometimes, shredded chicken. As I grew older and became more aware of alternatives to the beef/shredded cheddar/bottled taco sauce/sour cream version which I was introduced to, which was how I prepared them for many years, my taco repertoire grew. Several years ago, at a cooking club dinner, the host made fish tacos. I had read about fish tacos before and, even though I had long since changed beef taco filling for chicken, I just could not imagine tacos with fish. Silly me! I absolutely loved them, and added seafood tacos to my recipe binder.

I found a salmon taco recipe last year which featured a topping of coleslaw with an avocado-tomatillo dressing. It was excellent, so last night when I arrived home at 6:30 and saw what ingredients were in my refrigerator, I thought of this recipe. I needed to use some Napa cabbage, and a half avocado which I had used the other half in a sandwich the previous day, and some tomatillo puree which was in the refrigerator. This would be the perfect opportunity to make that coleslaw. Unfortunately I was out of salmon, except for a large fillet which is too big for both us and should be saved for entertaining. So I thawed a couple of chicken breasts, rubbed them with a chicken taco seasoning mix bought at Penzey’s last fall, grilled them, and served the slices in corn tortillas with the avocado-tomatillo coleslaw. It was delicious! The smoky, spicy grilled chicken slices topped with crunchy cabbage dressed with a cooling avocado/ sour cream sauce. And chopped tomatoes. Nothing goes better with avocados than tomatoes!

I remembered how darn much coleslaw the original recipe made, so I scaled it back and changed a few ingredients. This is an absolutely excellent summer meal!

* Exported from MasterCook *

Grilled Chicken Tacos with Avocado-Tomatillo Coleslaw

Recipe By: Vicci

Servings: 2

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

---------- ---------- ----------------------------------------

8 whole corn tortillas

10 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast -- (2 pieces)

2 teaspoons chicken taco seasoning -- (I use Penzey's; any seasoning or rub that is made from chili

powder, cumin, oregano, etc. can be used as well)

1 medium garlic clove

1/2 small jalapeno pepper -- seeded

1/3 cup tomatillo puree -- (or 2 large, cooked tomatillos)

1/4 cup cilantro leaves, whole -- loosely packed

2 tablespoons light sour cream

1 tablespoon plain nonfat yogurt

3 ounces avocado -- diced (about 1/2 of an 8-ounce, pitted, peeled avocado)

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 ounces shredded cabbage -- (finely shredded)

2/3 cup chopped fresh tomato

Preheat grill.

Warm tortillas and wrap in a clean towel to keep warm.

Rub taco seasoning into both sides of chicken breasts, spray with cooking spray, and grill until done. Prepare the coleslaw while the chicken is cooking.

In a blender or small food processor, drop the garlic clove and jalapeno pepper into the work bowl while the machine is running. Stop the machine and add the cilantro through salt. Process until creamy. Place shredded cabbage in a medium bowl, pour dressing over, and mix well.

Remove the chicken from the grill and slice into thin slices. Transfer chicken to a serving dish and cover to keep warm.

Spoon chicken onto each tortilla, cover with coleslaw, add tomatoes. Fold. Eat.

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Per serving: 486 Calories (kcal); 14g Total Fat (4g Saturated); (24% calories from fat); 37g Protein; 59g Carbohydrate; 81mg Cholesterol; 774mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 3 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

Occasionally, though, I still crave soft tacos made “almost” the way I learned how in college. Gone is browning the ground beef, then using the drippings to soften the tortillas (eek, what was I thinking?). I now use ground turkey mixed with veggie burger crumbles and the toppings are usually taco sauce, lowfat cheddar, light sour cream, and tomatoes. No, they don’t really taste exactly as I remember, but they are still pretty darn good! Placing a Pink Floyd album on the turntable will add to the effect, as well.

Oops, I'm dating myself... ;)