Cantaloupe Salsa

Cantaloupe Salsa

 

This recipe was actually called "Line-Fighting Salsa" because of its great dose of wrinkle-reducing Vitamin C.  It came from a magazine, and I'm sorry I don't know which one.  Fitness?  Southern Living?  Good Housekeeping?  Mississippi Magazine?  Bon Appetit?

 

I ripped it out because I thought it sounded like a nice salsa for fish.

We eat grilled fish pretty regularly and cantaloupes are in season so I thought it would be a nice time to try it out.

 

It was delicious.  The boys chose to eat their tilapia plain, but David and I both chose the salsa.  David recommended more chile next time, so if the boys aren't going to eat it, then maybe I will add more jalapeño.

 

There's really nothing too it. 

 

Dice up 1/2 cantaloupe, 1/3 peeled cucumber, 1 seeded jalapeño, and 1 small red onion (which I didn't add since we're not raw onion fans).  Stir in together with 3 Tbsp of fresh lime juice and 1/4 tsp sea salt.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

 

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Enjoy!

Avocado Alfredo Sauce

Avocado Alfredo Sauce

Alicia Silverstone shared this recipe on her blog last week so I tried it out.  It originally comes from EcoSalon, and it looked absolutely delicious.

 

I made up a large pot of pasta - rotini was what I had in the pantry.

Then I made the "alfredo" sauce by combining avocados, fresh basil, garlic cloves, lemon juice, sea salt and pepper in the food processor.

 

 

I drained the pasta and tossed it with the sauce, then topped it off with Kalamata olives and a little lemon zest.

 

It was really good.  David and I loved it.  Brennan liked it even better the next day, warmed up for an after school snack. 

 

David was pretty certain I had made this dish before, so I looked here on the blog and lo and behold - a different version of this same meal - although this other version was more of a pesto and included pine nuts.  You can find it here.

 

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Enjoy!

 

Nectarines and Basil

Nectarines and Basil

I saw a short blurb in a recent magazine (maybe Vegetarian Times?) where a chef said one of his favorite things to do with basil is pair it with fruit, like nectarines.

 

So, I followed the photo with the blurb and made a side dish for dinner last week.

 

 

No recipe needed.

I think we all enjoyed the fruit and herb combo!

 

Enjoy!

Brown Rice and Beans with Ginger Chile Sauce

Brown Rice and Beans with Ginger Chile Sauce

My friend Mary sent me this great Bon Appetit recipe that she had recently tried and loved.  Any rice and beans combo goes over great in my house, so we tried it out last week!

 

You start by cooking brown rice, and then tossing it with fresh cilantro.  I had rice on hand so I re-heated 2 cups worth and added in the fresh cilantro and a little sea salt.  It smelled great!

 

Then I cooked a little chopped onion in olive oil, added in cumin and coriander and let it cook through.  Then added in rinsed & drained black beans, vegetable broth, and a little salt and pepper.  I brought it to a boil, then let it simmer about 8 minutes until the beans were thickened.

 

I somehow didn't get a photo of the ginger chile sauce.

It's very simple - in a blender pulse 2 chiles that have been seeded, a garlic clove, 1 Tbsp of chopped ginger, lime zest, lime juice, and a little bit of onion together to make a flavorful salsa. 

 

 

In addition, I had some sweet peppers so I roasted them in the oven to serve with the beans and rice.

 

The original recipe doesn't call for serving on corn tortillas, but I had some so we made little burritos with ours.  Top the cilantro rice, black beans, salsa, and roasted peppers with halved cherry tomatoes, Cotija or feta cheese crumbles, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges for squeezing.

 

Really, really great - the beans disappeared completely.  They were so good!

 

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Enjoy!

Endive Avocado Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Endive Avocado Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

 

So first off I have to ask - what is a salad dressing that is made from herbs, citrus, & oil but contains no vinegar?  Is it still a Vinaigrette?  Let's go with that for now, OK?

 

I saw this delicious salad on Andie's blog Can You Stay for Dinner? 

 

And because I had most of the ingredients on hand, I decided to make it to go with pasta and basil marinara I was already planning last night.

 

It was so, so good, and fresh.

And a very simple recipe, perfect for the spring with all the great produce out.

 

Whisk up the Vinaigrette of fresh lemon juice, a minced garlic clove, olive oil, shredded Parmesan, salt, & pepper.  Then toss the lettuce with the dressing and plate it for each person.  I used endive because it's what I had and was tired of romaine.  Andie's original recipe calls for arugula.  Your pick!

 

Top with halved cherry tomatoes, sliced avocado and a sprinkling of Sea Salt and black pepper.

 

I had a big avocado so we all got generous portions of sliced avocado.  Win-win.

 

Brennan and David felt like it might be a little too lemon-y so you can play with the flavor as you're making up your dressing. 

 

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Enjoy!

 

Mushroom Bisque

Mushroom Bisque

 

I had this soup at a Service League luncheon and it was so good.

I made it for Brennan, David, and me one night and while they didn't love it like I did, I think I could easily modify it and they'd really enjoy it.

 

You start by sauteing cremini (baby portobello) mushrooms and chopped onion in olive oil until the onions are translucent.  I would chop the onions more finely for David next time.

 

Then add vegetable broth and allow to simmer.

In the blender I added more vegetable broth, milk (I used almond but any kind is OK), seasonings, the remaining mushrooms, and walnuts that I had toasted in the oven for 10 minutes first.  I would puree this more finely for Brennan next time.

 

Then I added the blended vegetables and liquids to the cooked vegetables and let it simmer for awhile.  

Then I served it with salad and warm crusty bread.

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Enjoy!