One more summer salad- Queso Fresco Corn Salad

I think this will be the last of my installments for Summer Salads.  This one is a little different because it's not a "pasta" salad.  This salad is best the day you make it, unlike my last few recipes.  It's a great recipe to bring to a social event.  You can easily make adjustments depending on the veggies you have on hand.  Use up those garden goodies!

*Queso Fresco Corn Salad*
Cilantro Lime Dressing:
2 TB fresh lime juice
2 TB rice wine/white vinegar
2-3 cloves of garlic
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp honey
1/2 c canola oil
1/4-1/2 c cilantro

Combine lime juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, honey in a blender or food processor.  Add oil in a steady stream until combined. Pulse in cilantro to desired consistency.

Salad:
4 c fresh/frozen corn (I use one 12 oz. bag of yellow and one bag of white, thawed)
8-10 oz queso fresco/cojito, crumbled
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped (I used a sweet onion this time, but often will use a pretty red onion!)
1-2 jalapenos, chopped
1-2 avocados, cubed
Salt & pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients except avocado, toss in Cilantro lime dressing (above).  Add avocado just prior to serving (to prevent browning).

*Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites

Corn & Feta Pasta Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

Pasta salad is the answer to summer time cooking (or anytime of the year that you don't want to spend time in the kitchen in the evening)!  Make it in the morning (or the day before)  and stay out of the kitchen for the rest of the day!

This recipe uses a very small pasta, like stars, orzo or even Israeli couscous.  There are many other small pastas available, so choose one that's cute, fun or that the kids might like.  The pasta is so small it almost looks like rice, but it's not!

Bring it to a family BBQ, have it for dinner, bring it for lunch, have it as a snack.  Just try it.  You won't be disappointed!

*Corn & Feta Pasta Salad with Basil Vinaigrette*

Cook Pasta:

1.5 c. small pasta (orzo, couscous, little stars, mini bow ties, etc)

• Cook pasta to al dente, according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water until pasta is cooled.

Dressing

3/4 c. fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

1/3 c. olive oil

2 TB red wine vinegar

1 tsp coarse black pepper

1/2 tsp sea salt

• Combine all ingredients in a small mason jar and shake to combine.

Veggies, etc:

1/2 c.  sweet onion, finely chopped

2 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped

1 can sweet corn, drained and rinsed OR about 1 cup of fresh corn, cooked

6 oz. feta cheese crumbled.

• Prepare all veggies and place in a large bowl.  Add cooled pasta and dressing.  Toss to combine. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.  (This dish can also be served over salad greens.)

*Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine

Cilantro Lime Pasta Salad

"Summa time and the livin' is easy"..... unless you don't have central air conditioning.

This summer, we are living in a small apartment with western exposure. We have a small window A/C unit in our bedroom, but the kitchen remains stifling hot.  Cooking dinner (AKA the hottest part of the day) is no bueno when your kitchen is approximately 85-90 degrees.  I am not complaining however, because summer is my favorite time of the year and I embrace (or adapt to)ALL things summer, even hot kitchens.

My adaptation is Pasta Salad.

Pasta salad can be made in the AM when it's nice and cool, and it just gets better as the day passes.  My trick to cooking in the summer is Pasta Salads and Grilling (fish, burgers, chicken, etc).  So I will be sharing a couple of my fav Pasta Salad recipes.  I just finished off the last of this one for lunch.  IT's REALLY GREAT: It's a new twist, it uses up your garden veggies, it's pretty and it's just awesome!

*Cilantro Lime Pasta Salad*
Cook Pasta:
6-8 oz. of dry pasta, about 1/2 of a normal bog/box (I used a combination of rotini and penne)

• Cook pasta to al dente.  Drain and rinse with cold water until pasta is cool.

Dressing:
1/4 c. fresh lime juice
1/4-1/2 c. fresh cilantro
2 TB olive oil
1 TB honey
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

• While pasta cooks, combine above ingredients in a blender or food processor for 30 seconds.

Veggies, etc:
1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
1 c. green onions, sliced (could also use a 1/2 c.  of sweet onion here for substitute)
1 mango, peach, nectarine, etc, cut in 1/2 inch pieces (I used a nectarine)
1 avocado, cut in 1/2 inch pieces
2 bell peppers, chopped (Use a variety of colors!)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped.

• Prepare veggies and place in a large bowl.  Add pasta and dressing, toss to combine. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. ENJOY!

*Recipe adapted from: www.heatovento350.com & www.BHG.com

Black Bean Tacos

This is a funky, vegetarian taco recipe.  The texture of the bean mixture strongly resembles ground beef, so they are even good for non-vegetarians!

It practically looks like a normal beef taco...how fascinating.  If you are a taco lover like myself, feel free to check out my other taco recipe on the blog: Shrimp Tacos with Lime Cilantro Dressing. I'm still considered a Taco Week on my blog, where I feature a taco-a-day.  YUM!

This recipe is super easy. Check it out.

Measure out spices/seasonings/cornmeal.

Make sure you arrange it in the bowl so it looks pretty.  It makes all the difference..... ;)

Add canned black beans (well rinsed/drained).
Smoosh (yes, this is a word!) with potato smasher... or if you are really fancy and sophisticated, you can put all this in a food processor and pulse until you make a crumbly mixture.

Arrange the mixture in a thin layer on a greased baking sheet, like so:

Bake at 375* for 15-20 minutes, then stir to break up the bean mixture.  Return to oven for 5-10 minutes or until crumbly, brown and slightly crisp.  Remove from oven and continue to stir to break up the beans even more.

Place beans among your favorite taco accompaniments and enjoy.  Also, don't tell your meat eater friends that it's 100% vegetarian and see if they notice.  I love playing the trick your meat-head friend game :)  It's the best.

Black Bean Tacos

1 (14oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cornmeal
1.5 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili in adobe
1 clove garlic, minced

Preheat oven to 375*. Measure out all seasonings into a large bowl.  Add beans and mash with a potato smasher or fork until you make a crumbly mixture. (You could also pulse in a food processor, if you have one).
Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and pour mixture on top, spreading into an even layer. Bake 15-20 minutes.  Break up the bean mixture with a spatula and return to oven for 5-10 minutes until brown and crisp.  Remove from oven and continue to break up bean mixture until it resembles ground meat.  Use as taco filling and top with salsa, cheese, sour cream or your other favorite taco toppings.

Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Lime Dressing

I seriously love tacos.  They are such a cool meal; one of my favorites.  For starters, they are SO easy to make...just chop some veggies & cilantro, grate some cheese, cook up some filler (meat, fish, beans) and wrap it up in your tortilla of choice.  They are also very pretty and fun to photograph.  And of course, they are so darn tasty and everyone likes them!

                          

I have many versions of tacos that I make: good ol' beef, shredded chicken/pork, shrimp, black bean, and fish.  Maybe I'll have a taco week on the blog sometime!

Here's a couple of my secrets to amaaaaa-zing tacos:

1) You must warm up the shells.  I prefer corn tortillas, but flour is good, too.  The easiest way to warm them up is to wrap a stack in a damp dishcloth and nuke them for 1-2 minutes. (Thanks KayCee for this trick!)

2) If you are a corn tortilla lover, like myself, you must double up the shells!  If you choose not to, your taco will end up on the front of your shirt or in your lap.

3. You must have fresh fixins'... think, pico de gallo, cilantro, a squeeze of lime, tomatoes, onions, etc.

4. You must season appropriately!! And I don't mean that salty "taco seasoning."  That stuff is icky.  I usually use chili powder, cumin(one of my fav spices), cayenne and a smashed up chili in adobo sauce. But for this recipe, I make a special dressing that you cook the shrimp in.  It's good drizzled over the top, or as dressing for a taco salad.  It's a knock off from the Nordstrom Cafe Cilantro Lime Salad.  YUM!

5.  And lastly, you must overfill your taco shell so it's practically impossible to roll up!  Greg and I do this every time, he's worse than me though.  It makes a gloriously delicious mess.

Cilantro Lime Dressing

1/3 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon pureed chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro stems and leaves
1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and rinsed well

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and pulse to combine.  Place shrimp in a shallow dish and pour 1/2 the dressing over the top.  Reserve the remaining dressing to drizzle on the tacos.  Allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes.
Heat a little oil in a frying pan over medium heat; add shrimp (dressing and all) and saute about 5 minutes or just until shrimp is pink throughout.  Shrimp cooks very quickly, so please don't overcook, as they like to get tough and chewy!!
Warm the taco shells and enjoy!

D

Open-Face Veggie Sandwich

It was great to see the family & friends for the holidays.  Greg and I got back to the great state of Washington at about 1:30 AM on Friday before Christmas.  We had a whirlwind of visits with everyone eating, drinking and eating some more.  On Tuesday morning, Greg drove back (12 hours) to the frigid Bear Lake and I decided to stay in The Burg for awhile to warm up!  And guess what? 40* feels like a tropical heat wave! 

Besides all of that, I have been a bit of a glutton for the past 5 days or so.  My belly is bloated, I have sugar-overdose headaches, and I'm lethargic!  So it's time to clean up the diet.  

Do you have a favorite meal? Is it breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack-time?  I can't say that I have a favorite, but I DEFINITELY have a least favorite.  And that would be lunch.  I don't like sandwiches very much, salads leave me feeling deprived, leftovers suck and soup gets old.  I tend to just have a snack for lunch, because I dislike most of the typical options.  But I came across this sandwich and since it's toasted and open-faced, I thought I'd give it a try.  Plus, I'm always trying to get more veggies in and this really pumps up the veg intake.

It's a far cry from your usual lunch offering! You'll need:

Whole grain bread

Low-fat cream cheese (Neufatchel)

Tomato

Cucumber

Sprouts

Cracked pepper (or lemon pepper)

Sea Salt

Are you ready? Set? GO!

1. Toast your bread.

2. Chop you veg.

3. Spread the cream.

4. Top with the goods.

5. Dash of S & P.

6. Boom.

It's yummy, filling and healthy for those of your getting back "on track."
Plus, making it an open-face sandwich cuts the calories in half....and you can stack the veggies even higher.

Eat it with your hands.
Eat it with a fork.
Whatever floats your boat.

Of course, there's many veggie combinations you could play with:
Avocado, tomato, cilantro + some cumin/chili powder
Tomato, basil, + balsamic/olive oil
Corn, tomato, kidney bean
Arugula, sundried tomato, bell pepper


And if your world isn't complete without meat, that opens up many more options:
Bacon, lettuce, tomato
Turkey, sprouts, cranberry
Ham, lettuce, whatever.

You get the idea.  Get creative.  Stack on the veggies, because I guarantee you aren't getting enough in your diet on a regular basis.  Just do it.

Because I said so.

D