Rice, Bean and Corn Salad with Jalapeño Dressing
- 1 cup converted rice
- 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 15-ounce can small red or black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups fresh, frozen, or canned corn kernels
- 1/2 bunch scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 jalapeño peppers, ribs and seeds removed
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 to 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- Red or green bell pepper strips for garnish
Cook the rice according to package directions, using 1/2 teaspoon of the salt.
Combine it in a large bowl with the beans, corn and scallions, tossing lightly to mix.
Combine the jalapeños, lime juice, vinegar, brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, oil, pepper, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor or blender, and process until the jalapeños are finely minced.
Pour the dressing over the salad, and stir to mix well. Refrigerate it, covered, for at least 3 hours for the flavors to blend. Let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
Can't Be Beet Salad
- 1 pkg Roasted Golden Beets
- 1 pkg Steamed Baby beets
- 1 pkg Steamed Lentils
- 1 btl mango Dressing
Dice beets. Mix with steamed lentils. Drizzle on desired amount of dressing - 1/2 bottle should be enough for most folks.
Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Bean and Wheat Berry Salad
It's just a couple of days before the official start of summer, but the weather is already screaming mid-August. It's 85°F with humidity you can cut with a knife. We're under a severe thunderstorm watch and a flash flood watch until midnight.
Oh, joy.
The rain and the thunder, I don't mind. It's the damned heat. It saps what little energy I have left in my advancing age and places me indoors in the air conditioning. Even Blanche is feeling it. She'll lay outside in her favorite dirt hole in the shade for a bit and then it's indoors and laying in front of the air conditioning vent on the cold tile kitchen floor. Nonna, in the meantime, is sitting in her room with the air vents closed under an electric throw turned to high.
Hot weather may sap my energy but it sure doesn't sap my appetite. I'm the original feed a cold, feed a fever person who gets sick and gains weight. There are not a lot of things that affect my appetite, although extreme heat or cold may affect what it is I want - like ice cream, whether it's blazing hot or blizzarding.
Today, the weather dictated salad - and beans and wheat berries came to mind.
Wheat berries are one of those really overlooked delicacies. I love the flavor and the chew of them after cooking - served hot as a side or cold in a salad. They add great texture to dishes - plus protein and fiber.
And I love beans, as well - more protein and fiber. Mix 'em all together and it's a nutrient-dense dish.
Today's salad is typical of my throw-together dishes. It's made from the stuff that was in the house at the time I made it. I didn't go out and buy anything specific for it and the next time I make it, items will probably change to reflect that day's offerings.
Bean and Wheat Berry Salad
- 1 cup wheat berries, cooked and cooled
- 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 1 small can sliced black olives
- 1 small jar roasted red peppers, chopped
- assorted fresh herbs (today, I used basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, ad mint)
- S&P, to taste
Mix everything together and serve in a nice bowl.
If you're lucky enough to have one handmade by Kel Darling, by all means use it!! Handmade bowls, plates and pottery with a story, and just fun, unique pieces make food taste better.
Seriously.
Most of what I cook is basic stuff that anyone can do. It only looks great because it's on fun plates and platters. We eat with our eyes and something colorful in a fun serving bowl is just going to taste better than the same item in a disposable aluminum pan.
As I learned from my very first job at the donut shop years (and years) ago, it's all about presentation.
Chicken Pasta Salad
After last night's birthday dessert, we rerally needed something a bit less caloric for dinner, tonight - especially since we're going to have another small piece, this evening!
I had taken some chicken out of the freezer this morning before heading to work, and decided a pasta salad would be a great idea for dinner.
Pasta salads are pretty much open, chop, and dump salads around here. It's whatever is open in the 'fridge, whatever veggies are lying about, and whatever looks good from the cupboard. Since there are always a half-dozen or mor pastas on the shelf, it's just a matter of which one I grab, first.
Tonight, it was radiatore. And the fixin's included grilled chicken, marinated artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, blue cheese stuffed olives, white beans, roasted red peppers, and freshly-grated parmesan cheese. The dressing was the oils and marinades from the jars...
Really simple and really good. Another plus is there's enough left for a few lunches.
Now... about that cake...
Spring Salads
The weather has finally turned warm. We may actually see Spring - as in officially see Spring.
Yesterday was a perfect Easter day - low 80s, lots of sun, no humidity... today it's rain - but still warm enough to have all the windows open.
Warm weather means an end to soups and stews and the beginning of salads. I loooooove soups and salads, but by mid-March my body is calling for fresh vegetables. With a few exceptions - because there are always exceptions - we do try to eat as seasonally appropriate, as possible. I rarely buy tomatoes in the winter and never buy berries - I don't care that they're in season in Argentina. It takes away from that anticipation of the first blueberries of the season. Strawberry Shortcake loses its significance when you can eat it any time you want.
Besides... they just don't taste as good.
But once the weather starts turning, my thoughts start turning - to leafy greens and crusty bread.
One of the things I like to do when creating a dinner salad, is have a few different salads already made to add to the plate. Chewy grain salads, rice salads, pasta salads, and fruit salads all have a place on the plate. A couple of spoonfuls of several different salads just makes for a fun meal - and they're also good for a quick snack instead of some of the crap I can find myself noshing on if I'm not paying attention. Tortilla chips and salsa come to mind...
Today, I started off with a grain salad - hard white wheat berries from Palouse - and a potato salad.
Both were throw-togethers. Typical clean-out-the-refrigerator salads.
Wheat Berry Salad
- 1 cup wheat berries, cooked, drained, and cooled
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 5 green onions, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped fine
- 2 radishes, chopped fine
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 2/3 cup roasted unsalted pistachios
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 tbsp sherry vinegar
- garlic powder
- salt and pepper
Simply mix everything together, check for seasoning, and add salt and pepper, as desired.
And then there was the potato salad.
I've been making variations on this salad since I first learned to make potato salad, lo these many years ago. It's my go-to.
Mom’s Potato Salad
- 2 lbs potatoes
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 3 hard cooked eggs, chopped
- 1 dill pickle, diced
- 1 carrot, shredded
- 3 green onions, chopped (yellow or red onion also works)
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp catsup
- 1 tsp yellow mustard
- bit of garlic powder
- salt and pepper
Cut potatoes into serving-sized pieces. Cook until juuuuust done. Drain and chill in cold water. When cold, drain, again. Mix all ingredients, toss well, and refrigerate. That’s it.
I added a bit of radish to this batch - since I had the radish to add. Both salads went into the 'fridge and will be available for many meals, this week.
Salad Time
The calendar says Spring. The thermometer says Summer. And the Stomach says Salad.
It's 83°F outside, right now. That's 28°C for the rest of the world. It's still annoying as hell that we didn't convert to the metric system with everyone else. We sell wine and hard liquor by the liter and beer by the ounce. We sell gas by the gallon, milk by the gallon, and soda by the liter. Miles instead of kilometers, feet instead of meters... The thickness of aluminum foil is measured in millimeters.
Just one more instance why this country is so confused...
But out of that confusion came salads, tonight. Crisp, fruity, tangy salads - with grilled chicken on top.
I really do like salads for dinner - and once the backyard produce starts coming in we will be having them all the time - but for now, it's whatever looks good at the grocery store. Today was iceberg lettuce - because we like crispy crunchy lettuce - and shredded carrots, blackberries, tomatoes, radishes, and marinated grilled chicken - with a simple red wine vinaigrette. If I had thought of it earlier, I would have hard-cooked a few eggs. I'll put a batch on later and we'll have them when we need them - methinks more salads are in our future.
We have a ton of tomato seedlings going - 3 different heirloom varieties and San Marzano seeds brought back from Italy. Victor planted 6 pepper plants this morning that came in the mail from Chili Plants.com. It's a New Jersey company and we got them in less than 24 hours. Not bad, at all. They also have lots of practice shipping things - so... if you're in the market for live plants... give 'em a click.
There's also 2 types of beets out there, along with leeks, lettuce, and green beans - and eggplant and other stuff I can't remember right now, in the seed-starters. It's looking to be a plentiful season...
So here's to Spring in all it's overheated glory. At least it's not muggy.
Summer Salads
It was 79°F here, today. Perfect. No humidity, a light breeze... As close to heaven as weather will ever get around here.
And it's March 9th.
The average temperature for March 9th is 50°F. The average temperature for the month of March is 53°F. The park service even changed their forecast of the peak bloom of cherry blossoms in Washington, DC to March 18-22. Their initial forecast was for peak bloom to fall sometime during March 31 to April 3. Climate deniers can't deny this one...
It's getting warmer. Even Nonna agreed to have her space heater turned off, today. She stayed snuggled under her electric throw, but the blast-furnace that is usually her room was almost bearable.
I knew the moment I got up that it was going to be clean-out-the-refrigerator salads for dinner. When it's cold outside it's clean-out-the-refrigerator soup. Broth or lettuce. Same concept. Both get bread.
Tonight's salad started with a base of romaine, and was topped with hard cooked eggs, avocado, bean salad, grilled chicken breast, sliced red peppers, tomatoes, kalamata olives, blackberries, and maple-bourbon glazed bacon. Victor made a honey mustard vinaigrette.
It was better than good.
Rumor has it tomorrow is going to be another record-breaking day. Maybe we can have ice cream for dinner...
Sriracha Hot Dogs
I have been dreaming about this since Friday's burgers...
It's no secret that my favorite food - after ice cream - is a hot dog. It is the ultimate in versatile comfort food. From beanie-weenies to chili dogs, bacon-wrapped to jalapeño pepper topped - and everything in between - I loves me some hot dogs. Fried, grilled, boiled, steamed, dipped in corn batter - they're all good.
And I knew when I tasted the Sriracha Cole Slaw, that I would be putting it atop a hot dog really soon. Two hot dogs, in fact.
Sweet, hot, crunchy... My stomach is smiling...
Sriracha Cole Slaw
It is rare that I will make something at work all day and then come home and make it for dinner. Welcome to one of those rare days.
Today's gastronomical delight is Sriracha Cole Slaw. Really. Cole slaw with a spicy bbq sauce base. Creamy, crunchy, and mildly spicy - the bbq sauce is tempered by the mayo. It's one of those dishes that keeps me going back for more. And more.
And it's so easy to make.
I've been using the Sriracha BBQ Sauce on everything, from ribs - last night - to chicken, pork, and a tri-tip on the grill. It just works. And, knowing that it just works, I knew it would work as a salad dressing, as well.
Sometimes ya just know.
I made a hefty batch and tonight, put it on burgers. The burger was a total mess to eat. Just the way a good burger should be. There's enough left to have it a few more times, because... well... It's really good.
Sriracha Cole Slaw
- 1 bag shredded cabbage
- 1 bag shredded carrots
- 1 red onion, julienned
- 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
- 3/4 cup Sriracha BBQ sauce
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
Slice onions into strips. In a large bowl, mix carrots, cabbage, and onions.
Add mayonnaise and Sriracha BBQ sauce and mix well.
Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper, as desired.
Tonight's dinner was remarkable in another way, as well. Not the tater tots covered in cheese - I get those now and again... No... It was actually buying pre-shredded cabbage and carrots! That's almost a first, for me!
Will wonders never cease?!?
Summer Salads - In Spring
It's been stifling all day. August heat and humidity at the end of May. We really have ceased to have a measurable Spring, anymore. We go right from winter to summer with a couple of decent days interspersed along the way. It sucks.
Right now, we're having a typical summer thunderstorm. It's banging away with some pretty heavy downpours - the first rain we've seen all month. There's no denying Climate Change around here.
This is also Blanche's first storm. She's handling it pretty well, but she's not exactly thrilled. No distress or acting crazy, but she'd rather it be sunshine and quiet. So would I - except we need the rain.
So... Since it's hotter than hot outside, I thought salads were the way to go for dinner... I grilled a flank steak - added a dry rub of our various Kansas City spices - and threw it on the grill. Meanwhile, I cut up a cucumber and a zucchini, sliced up some mini tomatoes, added a couple of hard cooked eggs, olives, and blackberries. I love berries on my salads!
Victor made a really good dressing with our stash of Sicilian olive oil and thick, syrupy really-aged balsamic vinegar.
Outstanding, in fact.
The storm seems to be losing steam and the rain has slowed to a mild shower. The heat and humidity are still ridiculous, however... Oh well.
At least dinner was good.
Salads and Stuff
Once upon a time, we ate dinner-sized salads all the time. Lots of fresh greens and veggies, a bit of something grilled, and a simple dressing. Basic, colorful, fun, and filling. And reasonably nutritious.
When we moved Nonna in with us, our eating habits changed quite a bit. Because of her medications and such, we became much more meal-time-regimented and started catering more to her limited likes. The once over-the-top-whatever-is-in-the-fridge meals became more structured to meet her growing list of foods she no longer cares for.
As opinionated and pigheaded as I am, I can also take the path of least resistance - and that's pretty much what I've done with cooking. Nonna doesn't really care for salads all that much anymore and it's easier to cook one meal for three than to make us something and something different for her. The downside is that I just got back from my annual physical and - surprise, surprise - my weight is no longer just creeping up - it's on an upward spiral.
I maintained a pretty constant and healthy weight for many years - and then quit smoking. I gained a lot of weight, lost half of what I gained, started smoking, again, quit, gained a lot of weight, again, and lost about half, again. I never made it back to that pre-1989 weight, but I felt okay and bought some larger clothes.
But the last couple of years have seen even more pounds go on. The good news is all of my blood work is okay, but a couple of things could be a tad better. So... I need to lose some weight.
It's easy to blame the change in diet and weight gain to Nonna moving in, but... that's not really being fair to her. Yes, our eating habits have changed, but we're still eating well. I'm just eating too much.
Losing weight when one loves to cook and eat, when one can walk into the kitchen and bake a pie or cake without opening a cook book or looking at a recipe, is no easy task. And it really doesn't even matter how healthy the food is if the portion-size could fed the neighborhood. A person can eat 3000 calories of lettuce and if they only burn 2000 calories, that extra 1000 calories of lettuce will turn to fat.
So...
It's time to start rethinking mealtimes and nourishment. I need to start paying attention to what I eat. Two things I need to address right away is the amount of picking I do at work, and the bowl of M&M Peanuts on the coffee table. And I need to start weighing myself regularly and track what I'm doing.
Bringing my meals to work will be a good start because I really do think regulating that 8-hour period is going to be crucial. And just getting rid of the M&M's will be a positive step, as well.
We're starting off at 228. Onward and downward, we go!
Next weigh-in will be Monday, September 8th.
Dinner with Old Friends
It is so much fun seeing old friends. Susan and I first met in 1989 when we worked together at San Francisco General Hospital. She was a registered dietitian and I was a food service supervisor. What a wild place it was. From the AIDS wards to the prison wards, crack babies to naked people coming into the Emergency Department on any number of drugs, gun shots and trauma, there was never a dull moment. It was actually fascinating. looking back. However, while I was there, I think my main goal was just to stay out of the Director's way. To say that the place was disorganized and morale was always low would be painting a rosy picture. It was a difficult job, but we always made the best of it - and did a great job in spite of the many obstacles.
You know how jobs are often about who you know?!? Well... that's how I was originally hired. Bob, the manager who interviewed me, was best friends with Wayne, who I had recently worked with at the Westin in Indianapolis. Bob called Wayne, Wayne said hire him, and Bob hired me.
I ended up going to UCSF a year later - I was a provisional employee with the city with no prospects of getting on permanent - and needed to get into a retirement system.
In the meantime, Susan met a cute Dr named Rob who has become a renowned robotic cardiac surgeon. Two kids and a half-dozen cities later, they may be moving east and becoming our neighbors - or, at least, neighbors withing an hour's drive! And we're all still friends.
It's amazing how things work out.
Susan sent me an email saying they were going to be back here doing some interviewing and we needed to get together for dinner. She said they'd take us out. I said we'd cook. It's easier to sit around and talk for hours when there's not a waiter hovering, ya know?!?
Besides. We like to cook. And they brought along their friend Patty who is also an SFGH alumni. She is a Respiratory Therapist. We didn't know each other at General, but we all became fast friends tonight.
We chose a rather eclectic menu - a couple of goodies from our Sicily trip, and a couple of favorites. And an awesome dessert.
We started off with the Focaccia Ragusa - two varieties, peppers and eggplant. It has become one of my most favorite things to eat.
Focaccia Ragusata
(makes two)
- 9 oz all-purpose flour (Italian “00″ if you have it!)
- 5/8 cup warm water
- 1/2 tsp yeast
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- pinch salt
Proof yeast in warm water. Add flour, salt, and oil, and mix well. Knead about 5-6 minutes or until a smooth, elastic dough forms. Roll into a ball, cover, and let rest 30 minutes.
Divide dough in half and roll into a large, very thin circle. Spread with a very thin layer of tomato sauce and then top with a thin layer of ricotta. Add slices of fried eggplant.
Fold sides to almost meet in the center. Brush new tops with a bit of sauce and cheese. Fold in half, again, and press lightly to seal. Paint a bit of sauce on top.
Put into a preheated 475° oven and bake for 20-30 minutes or until dark brown. Take out of the oven and cover with a towel to trap steam and soften the top.
I tell ya - it is one easy dish to make. And it's really, really good.
The second thing to come back from Sicily was the Bresaola and Arugula pictured above. This is i=one of those pure genius recipes. All it is is bresaola wrapped around arugula and drizzled with olive oil and a bit of parmesan cheese. I placed them on thick slabs of beefsteak tomato. Really, really good.
Then the eclectic started...
Phoebe's Baked Beans. My go-to baked beans for years, now. They are perfectly spicy and always a crowd-pleaser.
Phoebe's Baked Beans
- 1/2 cup minced shallots
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/2 cup tomato puree (I use tomato paste – I never have puree in the house!)
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 chipotle chiles, canned in adobo sauce, seeded and chopped
- 2 (28-ounce) cans baked beans
Preheat oven to 300°.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add shallots; sauté 4 minutes or until golden. Add cumin and garlic; sauté for 1 minute. Add tomato puree and oil, and cook for 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Add remaining ingredients (except beans.). Reduce heat; simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Combine beans and shallot mixture in a 2-quart baking dish. Bake at 300° for 1 hour or until thick and bubbly.
And a couple of coffee-rubbed tri-tips. The first one was a bit over done. That's what happens when you're talking instead of paying attention to cooking. Oh well. It was still really good - and the second one came out better.
And what's a summer gathering without corn on the cob?!? I made a sun-dried tomato butter to spread over it. Pretty good stuff - and the kids loved it!
I used a small food processor to chop the ingredients and then just smooshed them into a cube of butter.
Sun-Dried Tomato Butter
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 2 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- 2 tbsp fresh basil
- 2 tbsp Italian parsley
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Finely mince all ingredients and fold into softened butter.
You can add anything to a cube of butter. Anything.
And then when we were all nice and full, we had dessert. Grilled peaches with homemade lemon ricotta and raspberry caramel.
This rocked the casbah.
Victor made his fabulous fresh ricotta and added just enough lemon and sugar to make it even more awesome than it normally is. I mean, awesome.
Fresh Ricotta
1 cup heavy cream
3 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp finely grated lemon zestAdd all ingredients to a heavy pot and simmer 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 30 minutes.
Scoop curds into a cheesecloth-lined sieve and drain about 30 minutes. Squeeze to remove as much whey as possible.
Cover and chill.
Omit the sugar and lemon for a traditional ricotta.
And then the raspberry caramel...
Raspberry Caramel
- 2 cups raspberries
- 3/4 cup sugar + 2 tbsp
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp Chambord
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of raspberries with 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 tablespoon of water. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the berries start to burst.
Smash them as they cook until they are nearly smooth. Whisk in the cream, raspberry liqueur, vanilla and salt. Strain out the seeds.In a medium saucepan, combine 3/4 cup of sugar with 1/4 cup of water. Cook over moderate heat, swirling the pan and brushing down the side with a wet pastry brush, until the sugar dissolves.
Cook undisturbed until an amber caramel forms, about 7 minutes. Add the raspberry cream and simmer, whisking, until the caramel is smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.
Let cool slightly, then stir in the remaining 1 cup of raspberries; let cool to room temperature.
This works over grilled peaches, over pie or cake, and as a fantastic ice cream topping. You can switch out the berries to just about any fruit you can imagine.
So we ate, talked, laughed, and ate some more. Great fun and a great time.
Can't wait to do it, again. Of course, we need to get Bob back here, as well...