Honey Chipotle Mexican Salad
Posted: December 20, 2012 Filed under: Main Dishes, Mexican Dishes, Salads, Sides, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies | Tags: chipotle honey dressing, fried tortilla chips, kale mexican salad, mexican salad, vegan entree salad Leave a comment »
A childhood favorite, Mexican Salad, gets a facelift.
When I was a kid, a staple quick dinner in our house was Mexican Salad. You know, chopped ice berg or romaine lettuce, Ranch Style Beans, tomatoes, shredded cheese, catalina dressing, all topped off with a bag of fritos. Adding fritos to lettuce is a sure fire way to get kids to eat their greens.
This week I got invited to a Craft Night at a friend’s house. Let me just pause to say, wow. This working mom of two young kids hosts craft nights at her house every few months for 20-30 women. She gathers all the supplies, plans games and doorprizes, and even cooks dinner for everyone. People who handle this type of entertaining with ease simply amaze me. When I grow up, I want to be more like my friend Autumn.
Festive decorations, silly games (I drew that picture on my head), and adorable crafty ornaments.
The menu was a taco bar with requests for guests to bring a side or dessert. When I’m not sure there will be much for a vegan to eat, I like to bring a hearty side that will work as a main dish for me, but compliment the host’s meal and be a yummy side for others. That childhood Mexican Salad popped into mind as a perfect compliment to a taco bar. I decided to give it a facelift though. The thought of bottled dressing, packaged fritos, and flavorless iceberg lettuce made me cringe a little. Instead, I made a homemade sweet and spicy catalina dresssing using honey and a chipotle pepper. Because I needed the dish to travel easily, I decided to use kale instead of romaine or ice berg. Kale can be dressed ahead of time without wilting, making it the perfect green for make-ahead salads. Plus it’s a beautiful deep green, adding color to the table and it packs a ton of nutrition, not my first priority for party food, but certainly a bonus. Instead of fritos, I fried tortilla strips and sprinkled them with chipotle powder, salt, and lime juice. Covered in crispy fried chips, kale never looked so good!
I loved loved this. A few guests found it to be a little on the spicy side, so if you don’t like spice, you can seed the chipotle and use paprika instead of chipotle powder on the chips. You’ll still get all the flavor without the heat.
Delicious, filling, entree or side salad.
Honey Chipotle Mexican Salad
Serves 2-3 entree servings, 6-8 side servings
Ingredients
Dressing:
1 chipotle in adobo sauce (freeze remaining chipotles for future recipes) (remove seeds for mild version)
1/3 c. sweet onion chopped
1/3 c. organic ketchup
1/3 c. vinegar
1/3 c. canola oil
1/4 c. honey (or agave)
Salad:
1 large bunch of kale or 2 small bunches, washed and torn off spine
2 cans vegetarian chili beans (I used Bush’s brand), drained and lightly rinsed
2 avocados, peeled, pitted, and diced
2 roma tomatoes, diced
Tortilla Strips:
8 corn tortillas, cut into small strips
canola oil
salt
chipotle chili pepper powder (if you can’t find this, paprika or smoked paprika will work too)
1/2 a lime
Directions
In a blender, combine all the dressing ingredients. Blend until smooth.
Sweet, tangy, spicy. You’ll never want a bottle of boring Catalina dressing again!
Put the kale in a large bowl and make sure the pieces are bite size. Pour in the dressing and use your hands to massage it into the kale. Get in there and really rub it in. You want to break the fibers of the kale down so it’s easier to chew.
The secret to good kale salads is to massage the greens.
Gently stir in beans, tomatoes and avocados. (If you aren’t serving soon, hold off on chopping and adding avocados until you are about to serve.)
In a heavy duty skillet, heat about 1/2 inch of canola oil on medium heat. When oil is ready it will sizzle when you drop a tortilla strip in. Drop in a handful of tortilla strips at a time, fry for 1-2 minutes until they are crispy. Set aside on a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with just a little chipotle powder, salt, and lime juice. Repeat until all are cooked.
Just before serving, add the fried tortilla strips.
Easy to transport. Just bring the tortilla strips on the side and add them when you arrive at your destination.
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Honey Chipotle Mexican Salad
The URL: http://wp.me/p1UwM9-QK
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
Laugh, Cry, Cook Thanksgiving Round-Up (Lots of Vegan & Gluten-Free Options Everyone will Love)
Posted: November 12, 2012 Filed under: Appetizers, Breakfast Foods, Desserts, Fruit Dishes, Gluten Free, Main Dishes, Salads, Sides, Snacks, Soups, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegan Options, Vegetarian, Veggies | Tags: allergy-free holidays, glutten-free Thanksgiving menu, healthy Thanksgiving, modifiable meals for holidays, vegan Thanksgiving menu Leave a comment »The other day while I was, ahem, procrastinating on doing some actual writing, I decided to organize my Pinterest boards. Obviously, that is a priority two weeks shy of a deadline. And while I was at it, I made a Vegan Thanksgiving Pinterest Board with all the recipes I have made or posted that would make lovely vegan dishes at Thanksgiving. Most are mine, some are moms, and a few are from some of my other favorite blogs.
I thought, in the midst of the final edits and recipe testing for the book and what not, instead of creating something new for my post this week, I’d round up some of our favorite recipes from this blog for Thanksgiving. Most are either vegan or can be easily made vegan with a few modifications, some are gluten-free, and a few are neither.
As a vegan myself and friend to many people with dairy, gluten, and even poultry allergies, I hope this list will give others with different eating habits some ideas for Thanksgiving dinner. I also hope it will be helpful to those who are cooking for people like me this Thanksgiving. Serving one or two special dishes for the “weird” eaters in your life is a way to show how much you love and care for them and to let them know you honor and respect their food choices. Believe me, it means more than you can know to arrive at someone’s home and realize they thought of you while planning their menu. It means they think you matter and want you to feel included at the family table. One yummy dish can say all that.
Jared, Jackson, and I will be heading to Colorado to spend Thanksgiving with Mom and Greg and to celebrate turning in our book. Whoohoo! It’s always a fun time when we get together. We laugh. If we’re lucky, we might even laugh until we cry. And of course, we cook!
Enjoy this Thanksgiving Roundup!
Oh, and I’ve updated our recipe page too, if you want to browse all of our recipes for your own holiday inspired pinterest board. 
ENTREES
Topless Veggie Pot Pie
Topless Veggie Potpie
You might want to make up another name for your grandmother 
**Vegan
Rustic Iron Skillet Pot Pie
Rustic Iron Skillet Pot Pie
Would be great with shredded Turkey or Chicken, crumbled tempeh, or Chik’n Strips.
**Vegan variations listed in recipe
Fresh Corn & Roasted Poblano Soup
Fresh Corn & Roasted Poblano Chowder
If you are looking for something a little less traditional, this is one of our favorite fall dishes. It would make a delicious alternative for vegan or vegetarian guests. Adding a little Field Roast Applewood Sausage makes this a filling entree.
**vegan, gluten-free (optional vegan sausage contains gluten)
Roasted Cabbage, Sausage & Honey Balsamic Glaze
Roasted Cabbage & Sausage with Honey Balsamic Glaze
I love my mom’s anecdote with this recipe. It will probably still be fitting for some of our family tables following this intense election. “Every good hostess knows that the best way to break up an awkward family debate is to divert attention by cooking something that smells amazing, and looks so delicious that all conversation stops, as wordless lip-licking and tummy-rubbing take over. This is one of those simple, delicious, comforting meals that could possibly bring about World Peace. At least at your dining table.”
**Vegan variation listed in recipe, gluten-free (vegan variation contains gluten)
Spicy Hominy, Kale and Butter Bean Bowl
Spicy Hominy, Kale, & Butterbean Bowl
Another one of our fall favorites. I make variations of this at least every few weeks in the cooler months. It is filling and nutritious and has lots of bright pretty colors. Sometimes I add diced butternut squash for even more fall flavor. It simmers in one pan in less than 30 minutes and can easily be re-heated, so it makes a great alternate meal for vegans at the table without taking up much extra time or kitchen space.
*vegan, gluten-free
APPETIZERS AND SNACKS
Let kids decorate their own Gobble-Gobble Turkey Toasts
Gobble-Gobble Turkey Toasts with Pumpkin Butter
Hold your little ones over until dinner and entertain them at the same time by letting them decorate their own Gobble-Gobble Turkey Toasts with Pumpkin Butter and a variety of toppings like chocolate chips, shredded coconut, walnuts, and dried cranberries. This is a fun way for vegans to incorporate turkeys into their child’s Thanksgiving experience.
**vegetarian, vegan-friendly, gluten-free friendly with gf bread
Warm Stuffed Dates
Warm Stuffed Dates: Two Minutes, Two Ingredients
These appetizers or snacks are so quick and easy, any one of your kitchen helpers could make them. They are melt-in-your mouth delicious when warm, but still great when they cool to room temperature, making them easy to make ahead and just leave out for the grazers. They also provide quick energy for a busy cook.
**Vegan, gluten-free
Carrot Cake Chutney
“Carrot Cake” Chutney (Topping for Cream Cheese & Crackers)
This stuff is amazing on crackers, but also a fun carrot cake “mix-in” for yogurt or ice cream. An easy and unique treat to serve at your next party or bring to a hostess.
**vegetarian, gluten-free, (chutney is vegan and you can easily sub vegan cream cheese)
Pumpkin Spice Dip for Apples (with Extra Toppings for “Double Dipping”)
Pumpkin Pie Dip with “Autumn Leaf” Apples
This recipe is creamy and tastes exactly like pumpkin pie, but uses real food, and most of it is good for you! The fun thing about this recipe is that you get to “double-dip” your apple slices: once in the pumpkin pie fluff and again in any topping of your choice. A friend of mine has a daughter who can’t have dairy and she told me she’s almost embarrassed to admit how many times they’ve made this recipe. In her words, they “can’t get enough!”
**vegan, gluten-free
SIDE DISHES
Baked Macaroni & Cashew Cheese
Baked Macaroni and Cashew Cheese
Non-vegans love this dish too and are always shocked when they find out there is no cream or cheese. Compared to real mac & cheese, this is more like a creamy pasta casserole. With the addition of some chickpeas, I often serve it as an entree.
**vegan, gluten-free w/ gf pasta
Pecan Mushroom Stuffed Zucchini
Pecan Mushroom Stuffed Zucchini
We probably need to retake these pics. It looks much prettier than the picture shows and it tastes amazing. My mom made this for me and I made her promise me she didn’t sneak meat in it. The walnuts really transform into a meaty texture. We both love this dish.
**vegetarian, vegan variation listed
Roasted Red Pepper Quinoa
This is my go-to quinoa recipe. It’s so easy and with a rice maker, it basically cooks itself while you get the rest of dinner made.
**vegan, gluten-free
Balsamic Roasted Garlic Vegetables
Roasted veggies are delicious on any occasion and even the pickiest veggie eaters often find they like vegetables that have gotten crisp and sweet in the oven.
**vegan, gluten-free
Orange Glazed Carrots
Sweet, buttery orange glazed carrots are the perfect compliment to any Thanksgiving dinner.
**Vegan with sub of Earth Balance, gluten-free
Sweet n’ Sour Green Bean with Bacon
Sweet n’ Sour Green Beans and Bacon
A nice alternative to the traditional Green Bean Casserole at Thanksgiving.
**Vegan variation listed in recipe
SALADS
Creamy Vegan Fruit Salad Dressing
Fruit Salad with Creamy Dressing
Perhaps the best fruit salad dressing we’ve ever tasted. This easy delicious two ingredient recipe will be your new favorite topping for everyday and holiday fruit salads. We promise you we’re not exaggerating.
**vegan, gluten-free
Cranberry Orange Kale Salad
This sweet orange marmalade dressing goes perfectly with massaged kale greens, dried cranberries, and slivered almonds. Kale is a great green for serving at dinner parties or holidays because it holds up well in dressing. In fact, you can dress this the day before and it will only taste better the next day. Just pull it out of the fridge, and sprinkle with toppings.
**vegan, gluten-free
Fruit & Almond Kale Salad with Clementine-Maple Dressing
Fruit & Almond Kale Salad with Clementine Maple Dressing
Another yummy kale salad option. This one is packed with lots of nuts and seeds, making it a nice filling salad for those who may skip out on the turkey or for your health conscious dinner guests.
*vegan, gluten-free if you sub tamari for the soy sauce
DESSERTS
Luscious Pumpkin Mousse Pie
Coconut has become a best friend in the Laugh, Cry, Cook kitchens. Even though my mom eats dairy, she too is hooked on the wonders of the cold cream from a full-fat coconut milk. Whip it into a whipped cream topping, use it for a yummy pumpkin pie dip (see the snacks and apps), and even make this Luscious Pumpkin Mousse Pie with it. Don’t even bother telling the guests it’s vegan…they will NEVER know. We think it may be the best pumpkin pie either of us have ever had.
**vegan
Butternut Squash and Pumpkin Bread Cobbler
Pumpkin Spice Butternut Squash Cobbler
A grown-up autumn twist on an old easy summer favorite that called for a can of peaches and a yellow cake mix. This version uses butternut squash and pumpkin spice bread mix instead.
**vegan
Healthy Apple Crisp
Buttery, not-too-sweet, crunchy and rustic. It has no refined sugars, but is made with natural coconut sugar and tad of pure maple syrup. The topping has no flour: it is all oats and nuts and seeds, giving it a fabulous crunchy texture. It is loaded with fiber and protein, a comforting autumn dessert, and healthy enough to serve the next day for fruit-nut breakfast oatmeal – re-heated and served with a little milk, cream or almond milk.
**vegan, gluten-free w/ gf oats
Warm Chocolate Coconut Almond Cake
A vegan version of a German Chocolate Cake that my mom keeps bragging about. Mom, can I make this my official request for this to be served at our Thanksgiving? Thank you!
**Vegan
Honorable Mention Desserts:
We have so many yummy desserts, but this post is getting super long, so I’ve just linked to a few more worth checking out.
Refreshing Mandarin Orange and Pineapple Cake (vegan friendly)
No Bake Apricot Bars (vegan, gluten-free)
Blueberry Oat Nut Bars (vegan and gluten-free friendly — see Rachel’s variation in the comment section)
Coconut Covered Cherries (vegan, gluten-free)
Powerhouse Chocolate Pudding Pie (vegan, gluten-free option)
Pumpkin Cookie Butter Cookies (vegan)
Superfood Hemp Chocolate Treats (vegan w/ vegan chocolate)
BREAKFASTS
Yes, breakfast is still the most important meal of the day…even on Thanksgiving. No one wants the cook to pass out from low blood sugar levels in the middle of prepping dinner.
Kinda’ Healthy Vegan Apple Fritters
Kinda’ Healthy Vegan Apple Fritters (vegan)
Sweet Pecan Pie Breakfast Oatmeal (vegan, gluten-free friendly)
Healthy Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal (vegan, gluten-free friendly)
Some hints for cooking for vegans
Some of your favorite dishes can be easily modified for a vegan guest if you just know a few tricks.
Eggs: 1 T. of flax meal mixed with 3 T. of warm water will gel up in a few minutes and can be used as an egg substitute in most baked goods. 1/2 a banana also usually works in sweet breads or muffins.
Butter: Earth Balance is a delicious vegan butter substitute. In fact, if you already use margarine, you’ll hardly notice a difference int the taste. It is readily available at Whole Foods and Krogers here. My small town Wal-Mart even started carrying it.
Milk: Unsweetened almond milk is my favorite substitute for most of my cooking. It has a very mild taste so it doesn’t overpower a dish. Soy milk seems to have the best results for baking cakes and cupcakes though I usually use almond milk anyway because it’s what I have on hand.
Buttermilk: Add 1 T. of vinegar or lemon juice to 1 c. soy milk (soy does work best for this trick) and let sit for about 10 minutes. (FYI, this trick happens to work with cow’s milk too, if you don’t have buttermilk on hand and aren’t dairy-free.)
Meat: Don’t assume that the vegans in your life will be thrilled with a fake chicken breast as their main entree. Some will, but many of us, especially the ones who technically try to follow a plant-based diet, don’t actually eat many of those processed fake products. I have found a few that I like: Field Roast Applewood Sausages are my favorite meat substitute. They are GMO and soy-free and taste delicious. I’ve used the Chick’n Strips a few times too and those are pretty good on a pizza or something. Whole Foods has a Chick’n Salad in their deli that is quite good. I like cooking with tofu, but it’s taken me some time to learn how to make it taste good. Really, you don’t need fake meat or even soy to have a filling meal. Lentils, split-peas, chickpeas, and beans are all healthy filling options and can easily replace the meat in a lot of recipes.
Cheese: Vegan cheese substitutes are getting better and better all the time. Daiya is the most common shredded cheese substitute. It’s pretty good. We like it on our pizza. Though I don’t think it will fool anyone into thinking it’s real cheese. There are also cream cheese and sour cream substitutes that are pretty good, especially if used in a recipe or dip. I have a recipe on the blog for Nacho Cheese using cashews and sunflower seeds. The cashew cheese for the macaroni (above) could be used for any other casserole type dish as well. Their are also lots of recipes online for different cheeses, like ricotta cheese or parmesan. One of our readers even left a tip that you can make your own sour cream and cream cheese. If you can think it, some food blogger has probably blogged it.
I hope you find this helpful as you prepare a Thanksgiving meal that includes all the different palates in your family at one table. May the food join your family together in love and respect for one another. May we all honor each other and our differences on this day of gratitude and thanks.
Fruit & Almond Kale Salad with Clementine-Maple Dressing
Posted: October 28, 2012 Filed under: Asian Dishes, Fruit Dishes, Salads, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies | Tags: almonds, cherries, chia seeds, clementines, cranberries, flax seeds, fruit, hemp seeds, kale, kale salad, maple syrup, mustard, olive oil, oranges, sliced almonds, soy sauce, tangerines, vinegar, water chestnuts 1 Comment »
(Becky, the Mama. )
Greg and I just spent two days on a road trip, driving from snow-covered Denver to the blue skies, hot air balloons, rusty-red mountains, green grass, gorgeous flowers and warm sun of Arizona. As soon as we pulled into the parking lot, I grabbed my bathing suit from the suitcase (still in the car) ran into the condo and threw it on, then dashed to the swimming pool. The sun was still in the sky, but sinking, so I arranged my lounge chair just so, where I could get the maximum rays, then sat down and basked and beamed with happiness. For as long as I can remember I’ve been a sun and a water baby. I wore my dark hair in two braids, as a little girl, and by summer’s end I always looked like Pocahontas, my skin as “brown as a berry,” my mother said.
To this day, I wonder if I am part Indian, as I disdain shoes and socks, preferring to be bare foot, even in the winter. I seek out sun like a lizard, anywhere I can find it. I do know that my grandmother Nonny and her family came to Sweetwater, Texas from New Mexico. Her eyes were a twinkling blue, her hair a stunning natural silver, and her skin turned a deep olive every summer. She loved being outside in her garden, always in a flower print dress (I never saw her in slacks), and if we grandkids were lucky, she’d see and catch a baby horned toad, which us we loved to hold and play with more than any store-bought toy.
But I digress. Back to the pool. When I could see the sun dipping in the sky, I jumped out of the lounge chair, hurried back to the condo, grabbing this and that from boxes of food stuffs and ice chest we brought from home – kale, dried cherries, hemp seed, sliced almonds, Clementine oranges – quickly creating the world’s fastest salad. Then photographing it while there was still natural light on the patio overlooking an emerald green golf course. After two days of road trip food burgers and fries, my body was craving something green and healthy. This is truly a Super Salad, loaded with nutrition – and it was soo yummy, I know I’ll be making it again and again. The nice thing about using kale in salads is that the salad still has lots of chew and crunch the next day, and in fact, it seems to get even better as it has time to sit and soften a bit in the dressing.
Super Fruit & Almond Kale Salad with Clementine Maple Dressing
Ingredients for salad:
2 to 3 cups of chopped kale, leaves only – no stems (I was able to find it pre-chopped and mixed with some shredded carrots in the grocery produce aisle)
2 Clementine oranges, peeled and pulled apart in sections
2 T. dried cherries or cranberries
1 T. hemp, flax, or chia seeds
2 T. sliced or slivered almonds
1/4 cup sliced water chestnuts
Ingredients for Dressing:
¼ cup red wine or rice wine vinegar
Juice from 1 Clementine orange
1 T. pure maple syrup
1 t. soy sauce
2 t. good mustard
¼ cup olive oil
dash garlic powder or about 1/4 of a fresh garlic clove, grated
Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions:
Put kale in a large bowl and knead and massage it with clean hands for a minute. This will break down the fibers and make the kale tender enough to eat raw. (Sometimes I run hot water over it in a colander to soften the kale first, knead it, and then rinse again in cold water.) Add all the rest of the ingredients for a salad and serve in a pretty flat platter. Whisk all the ingredients for the dressing together and drizzle over the salad. Serve and enjoy.
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Fruit and Almond Kale Salad with Clementine-Maple Dressing
The URL:http://wp.me/p1UwM9-M9
© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved
Red, White & Blueberry Salad (Watermelon, Blueberry, Feta)
Posted: July 4, 2012 Filed under: Fruit Dishes, Salads, Sides, Uncategorized, Vegetarian | Tags: blueberry, feta, fourth of july salad, July 4th, red white and blueberry salad, watermelon, watermelon blueberry feta salad, watermelon salad Leave a comment »
Red, White & Blueberry Salad
(From Becky, the Butter Lovin’ Mama)
I’m going to post this recipe early– for tonight and in the morning, again, to give everyone time to scoot to the store — if needed — and haul back the ingredients for this simple, amazing, knock-out Red, White and Blueberry Watermelon Salad. Because if you put it together for your 4th of July Celebration, you will be crowned the Queen Cook of Independence Day. And I would not want you to miss that honor.
Last week I had a little minor surgery (although it is only really “minor” when if it is happening to someone else) and to my delight, my friend Lindsey O’Connor brought over a feast so good I’d almost go under the knife again to repeat the meal. It included grilled chicken, humus, homemade tzatziki sauce, pita chips, Naan bread and a gorgeous watermelon-mint-feta salad. I’m sharing my 4th of July version of her watermelon salad today, but she promises me the original recipes for the rest of the meal soon! (Which I will share with you.)
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Red, White & Blueberry Salad
The URL: http://wp.me/p1UwM9-uB
© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved
I love to bring meals to my friends who have been ill or had a new baby. Truly pure joy. As opposed to, say, helping someone move or dog sit for them. When I plan to bring a meal to someone, I usually start cooking in the mid-afternoon and just double whatever Greg and I are having for dinner. I have a cabinet where I save disposable containers for this purpose, and a system where I wrap the hot stuff in a big towel and put it in one box, the cold stuff (with a bag of ice if needed) in another box and off Greg and I go to deliver some love disguised as a good meal.
I am so rarely sick, and my youngest baby is in his mid-twenties; so I had forgotten what a pampered, soothing experience it is to enjoy a great meal that has been lovingly home-made and delivered. Somewhere around midnight I got up, padded to the fridge, and finished every last bite of Lindsey’s cold crisp sweet-salty watermelon salad before going back to bed. With each bite, I thought of Lindsey with gratitude. It is true that food, made with love, somehow tastes better.
So if you don’t make this salad for July 4, save it in your recipe file under “Great Dish to Bring to a Friend in Need.” It’s easy, nutritious, beautiful and delicious.
Becky’s Red, White and Blueberry Salad
Red, White & Blueberry Salad (Watermelon, Feta and Blueberry)
Ingredients
2 cups diced watermelon (about the size of dice)
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
2 T. crumbled feta cheese
1 T. fresh lime juice
Dash sea salt
2 t. chopped fresh mint
2 t. honey or agave nectar
Directions
In a glass bowl, layer the watermelon, blueberries and feta, in that order. Just before serving add the rest of the ingredients and toss very gently again. Serve. Note: If you are using frozen blueberries this dish is best served just a few minutes after the berries start to thaw, so they are still a little bit icy and hold their shape. In fact, I would just toss the frozen blueberries in last, and they should be ready for eating by the time people serve themselves and sit down to eat.
Red, White & Blueberry Salad (Watermelon, Blueberry, Feta)
Posted: July 3, 2012 Filed under: Fruit Dishes, Salads, Sides, Uncategorized, Vegetarian | Tags: blueberry, feta, fourth of july salad, July 4th, red white and blueberry salad, watermelon, watermelon blueberry feta salad, watermelon salad 3 Comments »Red, White & Blueberry Salad
(From Becky, the Butter Lovin’ Mama)
I’m going to post this recipe early– for tonight and in the morning, again, to give everyone time to scoot to the store — if needed — and haul back the ingredients for this simple, amazing, knock-out Red, White and Blueberry Watermelon Salad. Because if you put it together for your 4th of July Celebration, you will be crowned the Queen Cook of Independence Day. And I would not want you to miss that honor.
Last week I had a little minor surgery (although it is only really “minor” when if it is happening to someone else) and to my delight, my friend Lindsey O’Connor brought over a feast so good I’d almost go under the knife again to repeat the meal. It included grilled chicken, humus, homemade tzatziki sauce, pita chips, Naan bread and a gorgeous watermelon-mint-feta salad. I’m sharing my 4th of July version of her watermelon salad today, but she promises me the original recipes for the rest of the meal soon! (Which I will share with you.)
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Red, White & Blueberry Salad
The URL: http://wp.me/p1UwM9-uB
© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved
I love to bring meals to my friends who have been ill or had a new baby. Truly pure joy. As opposed to, say, helping someone move or dog sit for them. When I plan to bring a meal to someone, I usually start cooking in the mid-afternoon and just double whatever Greg and I are having for dinner. I have a cabinet where I save disposable containers for this purpose, and a system where I wrap the hot stuff in a big towel and put it in one box, the cold stuff (with a bag of ice if needed) in another box and off Greg and I go to deliver some love disguised as a good meal.
I am so rarely sick, and my youngest baby is in his mid-twenties; so I had forgotten what a pampered, soothing experience it is to enjoy a great meal that has been lovingly home-made and delivered. Somewhere around midnight I got up, padded to the fridge, and finished every last bite of Lindsey’s cold crisp sweet-salty watermelon salad before going back to bed. With each bite, I thought of Lindsey with gratitude. It is true that food, made with love, somehow tastes better.
So if you don’t make this salad for July 4, save it in your recipe file under “Great Dish to Bring to a Friend in Need.” It’s easy, nutritious, beautiful and delicious.
Becky’s Red, White and Blueberry Salad
Red, White & Blueberry Salad (Watermelon, Feta and Blueberry)
Ingredients
2 cups diced watermelon (about the size of dice)
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
2 T. crumbled feta cheese
1 T. fresh lime juice
Dash sea salt
2 t. chopped fresh mint
2 t. honey or agave nectar
Directions
In a glass bowl, layer the watermelon, blueberries and feta, in that order. Just before serving add the rest of the ingredients and toss very gently again. Serve. Note: If you are using frozen blueberries this dish is best served just a few minutes after the berries start to thaw, so they are still a little bit icy and hold their shape. In fact, I would just toss the frozen blueberries in last, and they should be ready for eating by the time people serve themselves and sit down to eat.
Better-than-Restaurant Chicken Tenders
Posted: June 29, 2012 Filed under: Chicken, Main Dishes, Salads, Uncategorized, Vegan Options | Tags: best ever chicken fingers, Buffalo chicken fingers, Buffalo Chicken Salad, Buffalo chicken tenders, Buffalo Ranch Dressing, celery, chicken fingers, Frank's Red Hot Sauce, homemade chicken fingers, Honey Mustard Dressing, Paula Deen Leave a comment »
In a couple of weeks we’re headed to family beach vacation in Neskowin, Oregon. I’m truly looking forward to it; however, this is one of those vacations where there will be lots of family rooming in close quarters. This is fun for a short run, but usually after the third day of this, people began longing for their own space and some start to get a wee bit cranky. It’s a challenge for humans to stay gracious when they lose their normal personal space. One of my friends, author Charlene Baumbich, confessed after three days of being cooped up with a bunch of women on a retreat: “I’m running out of nice.”
I was visiting on the phone with my daughter Rachel about this subject yesterday. She is heading to a week of family vacation to a Florida beach –with all the joys and challenges of being in close quarters for a week with lots of people. And an active baby.
“Just in case you start feeling closed-in, I’ll share how I handled it our last vacation to Neskowin,” I told her. “ I knew I was about to get cranky. I’d been cooking and cleaning and babysitting nonstop, and was getting exhausted from all this ‘vacationing.’ And I was PMSing. So I went to the tippy top floor, which was three stories high, stepped out on the deck and took a deep breath. I looked out at the ocean and breathed and prayed until I felt calm. Then I turned to go back inside because the air was turning quite chilly. And that is when I realized I’d accidentally locked the door behind me.”
“What did you do?” Rachel asked.
“Well, I hollered and screamed but to no avail. Everyone was in the living room watching a movie, on the first floor. So I gingerly stepped over the banister and jumped to the roof below. Then I reached back and grabbed a plastic lawn chair and tossed it off the roof in front of the picture window in the living room, hoping someone would notice.”
“Did they?”
“Well, it took two deck chairs and one lounge chair, but eventually someone noticed it was raining lawn furniture and came to my rescue.”
“So what you are saying, Mom, is that the moral of this story is that if I should start to feel cranky or closed in, I should simply climb on the roof and start throwing lawn furniture off of it.”
“Yes. Pretty much. Trust me, it helps.”
I’m so glad I can be there to give seasoned wisdom to my daughter based on my many years of hard-earned experience.
In addition to that piece of advice that you are also now free to use at will on your family summer vacation, I will also share a recipe that is Greg’s all-time favorite vacation food: chicken fingers. He thinks mine are better than any restaurant version and I know they are at least slightly healthier. I use one of Paula Deen’s secrets to the best fried chicken in the south: dipping the chicken in a mixture of eggs and Hot Buffalo Sauce. You’d think the tenders would turn out fire engine hot, but they aren’t hot at all, just amazingly flavorful and tender.
I like to serve these crunchy chicken fingers atop a salad to beef up the nutrition and add some fiber. Vegans, like Rachel, can do follow same method using firm tofu, omitting the eggs. Tofu takes on a whole new yummy crunch when battered and pan fried. (Of course, so do rubber bands and shoe leather.)
And if this dish doesn’t turn out well for you, you can always climb on the roof and throw it out on the lawn. It is a marvelous stress reliever. I guarantee it.
Better-Than-Restaurant Chicken Tenders (Over a Salad with Buffalo Ranch Dressing)
Better-than-Restaurant Chicken Tenders
Pre-heat Oven to 300 degrees
Ingredients
1 to 1.25 pounds chicken tenders (or chicken breasts, sliced in “fingers”)
1/4 cup Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Sauce
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1 t. Cajun seasoning (I like Tony Cachere’s brand) or other seasoned salt that has paprika or chili pepper
1 t. grill or steak seasoning (or 1/2 t. salt and 1/2 t. pepper)
Healthy oil of your choice to make 1/4 inch deep in your favorite skillet (I use a combination of olive oil and coconut oil)
Directions:
Heat oil over medium high heat or flame.
In a low shallow bowl mix hot sauce and eggs.
Mix together eggs and Frank’s Red Hot Sauce — Paula Deen’s secret to her famous fried chicken
In another similar bowl, mix flour with seasonings. Using tongs, dip the chicken tenders, a few a time, first in hot sauce/eggs, then roll in seasoned flour.
Dip tenders first in mixture of hot sauce and eggs, then in flour seasoned with Cajun Seasoning and Grill Seasoning
Place tenders in oil and when golden brown on one side, flip to cook the other side. Place first batch on a cookie sheet and keep warm in oven while you finish pan-frying the rest of the tenders. I only put 4 to 5 tenders in the skillet at one time.
Only pan fry 4 or 5 tenders at a time.
Put pan-fried tenders on baking sheet and keep in warm oven until you’ve cooked all the batches.
Taste one as soon as they are cool enough to touch. If it needs more salt, sprinkle them lightly with a bit more Cajun seasoning. (If you love hot hot tenders you can also sprinkle them with more red hot sauce at this point.)
These are awesome just as they are served with your favorite dipping sauce or sauces. I typically serve them atop a salad with one of the following quick dressings:
Buffalo Ranch: 2 parts Ranch dressing with 1 part Buffalo Sauce. (For one big salad, I mix about 1/4 cup light Ranch dressing with 2 T. buffalo sauce)
Honey Mustard Ranch: Two parts Ranch Dressing with 1 part mustard and 1 part honey. (For one big salad I mix 1/4 cup light Ranch dressing with 1 T. mustard and 1 T. honey.)
Variation: If I have leftover chicken tenders, I like to heat them up for lunch the next day, then cut them in small pieces, toss them in a little Buffalo sauce, and serve with a bed of chopped celery, sprinkled with a bit of crumbled blue cheese or feta, and top with Buffalo Ranch Dressing. It’s like eating chicken wings…. with a fork! Really good with a little side of watermelon to cut the heat.
Leftover chicken tenders cut in bite-size pieces, tossed in buffalo sauce, served over a bed of celery with feta cheese crumbles and buffalo ranch dressing. Mmmm, mmmmm spicy, crunchy, yummy lunch!
Veganize It: Substitute slices of firm tofu, and omit the eggs. Proceed with recipe.
Kickin’ Melon Cucumber Salad
Posted: June 28, 2012 Filed under: Fruit Dishes, Salads, Sides, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tags: agave, barbeque side dish, canteloupe, cayenne, cucumbers, easy side dish, fourth of july salad, fourth of july side dish, summer salad, sweet and spicy vinaigrette 1 Comment »
Melon, agave, and a tiny hint of cayenne take this ordinary tomato and cucumber salad to extraordinary with a burst of flavor. It’s sweet, spicy, and refreshing. Surprise your friends with this unique summer salad at the next barbeque.
Whatever it is that makes pregnant women crave weird things, I’m pretty sure I have it all the time. As I’m trying to eat everything in my refrigerator before vacation (this is counteracting my plan to get in shape for the beach, by the way), I keep finding myself pairing the oddest things.
Oreo cookies, cream filling removed and replaced with peanut butter and banana.
A baked sweet potato doused in hot sauce for breakfast.
Crackers dipped in tomato paste and hummus.
Sometimes I question my authority to co-write a food blog. I mean seriously, how can you trust the palate of someone who removes the filling from their Oreos?
However, sometimes my weird cravings create something truly delicious. When I took a bite of this salad with crisp cucumbers, bright tomatoes, sweet cantaloupe, red onion, and an agave and cayenne vinaigrette, I was in love. It’s an odd combination of fruits and veggies, of spicy and sweet, but it works I tell ya, it really works.
It would brighten up and bring a perfect balance of acidity and flavor to grilled tofu or chicken for a healthy summer dinner. It would also be a great side dish for Fourth of July parties, no refrigeration needed for at least a few hours.
Just be prepared to answer the questions, “How did you come up with this combination? Are you pregnant?”
Rachel’s Kickin’ Melon Cucumber Salad
Serves 6-8 side portions
Ingredients
2 c. cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 c. cucumber, chopped
1 . red onion, diced
2 c. canteloupe or other melon (watermelon and honeydew would both work), chopped
Vinaigrette
3 T. rice vinegar
3 T. agave
3 t. salt
3 t. crushed black pepper
1 t. cayenne
Directions
Mix vinaigrette ingredients and toss with chopped fruit and veggies. Serve.
It’s that easy!
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Kickin’ Melon Cucumber Salad
The URL: http://wp.me/p1UwM9-rI
© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved
Avocado Mango Salad “Cocktail” in Jicama Nests
Posted: June 25, 2012 Filed under: Appetizers, Gluten Free, Mexican Dishes, Salads, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies | Tags: avocado, honey, honey lime dressing, jicama, jicama avocado mango salad, jicama salad, lime dressing, mango, summer salad, tomato Leave a comment »
Avocado Mango Jicama “Cocktail” Salad
What would you do if given the gift of one uninterrupted day, a day where your kids, your husband, your friends and your boss gave your their blessing to walk away and create your own perfect 12 hours? A day to refill your soul?
Some seasons of my life are busier than others and the last two months has been filled to overflowing with people, appointments and a list of “to-dos” that seemed endless. Seeing his wife was in a state of overwhelm, Greg hugged me on Friday night and said, ”Honey, tomorrow I want you to take the whole Saturday just do anything you want at any given minute, all day long. Don’t worry about a thing. I’ll even make my own meals.”
It may have been the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard anyone say. (True to his word, Greg made his own lunch: two pieces of leftover corn on the cob, a piece of leftover blueberry pie and some leftover salad. Yes, he missed the protein food group, but it was a great improvement over his usual ”bachelor diet” when I am away: potato chips, chocolate chip cookies and cereal.)
Saturday dawned with the song “Saturday in the Park” playing in my mind, and the line, “I’ve been waiting such a long time, for Sat-ur-day” echoing again and again. The feeling of unencumbered space stretched out for the next 12 hours left me near euphoric.
I spent the day writing on our new book in uninterrupted bliss at Denver’s famous Tattered Cover Bookstore, then lunched and wrote some more at The Corner Bakery, over-looking a gorgeous outline of the Rocky Mountains. When I walked in the house that evening there was a vase of sunny yellow flowers and a loving card from Greg, “Just because.” I wrote in my Facebook status: I feel like a wilted flower that has been put in the fresh water of creative work, healing solitude, and the benevolent blessing of a good man who wants little in this life but for me to be happy. I may yet live!
After I opened the card, Greg and I went to the back porch for our Summertime Happy Hour, a ritual we started in early June to make sure we have a little time to connect before dinner. One of the things that centenarians the world over have in common is ”joyful rituals.” This has become one of our favorites. I made us clementine mojitos using the mint from my herb garden, perfectly refreshing.
The day of rest and writing left me infused with creative energy as I cooked supper a little later. I grabbed a crisp jicama, a vine-ripe tomato, an avocado and a mango out of the crisper. In my mind’s eye I saw this recipe appear: a pretty salad of orange, green and red nestled in a bed of white grated jicama, drizzled with a fresh lime dressing and served in margarita glasses. It would be our “salad course.” Let me tell you, it was every bit as tasty as it is beautiful! So cold and refreshing after a 100 degree summer day.
I am delighted to share this recipe with you, along with encouragement to take time out for “Fill the Well Day” for your body, mind and soul as soon as you can!
Becky’s Avocado Mango Jicima “Cocktail” Salad
Avocado Mango Salad “Cocktail” in Jicama Nests
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 cups peeled, grated fresh jicama
1 avocado
1 fresh tomato
1 fresh mango
1 T. chopped cilantro or parsley or mint
2 T. chopped green onion
Juice of 2 limes
1/2 t. salt
4 t. honey
4 T. crushed corn or tortilla chips
Cajun seasoning or Tajin chili-lime seasoning to sprinkle on top
Lime slices for garnish
Tajin seasoning: a delightful blend of lime, salt, and chili pepper. Wonderful on this dish!
The flavors of jicama, tomato, mango, green onion and lime blend beautifully
Directions:
Place 1/2 cup grated jicama in each of 4 margarita glasses or pretty glass bowls to create a white “nest.” Mix avocado, tomato, mango, herb of your choice and green onion together in a bowl and gently toss. Place this mixture on top of the grated jicama, dividing evenly in to the four glasses. In a small bowl mix the dressing of lime juice, salt and honey. Drizzle evenly over each of the salads. Top each salad with 1 T. crushed chips and a nice sprinkling of Cajun or Tajin seasoning. Serve with long teaspoons if you have them and put a slice of lime on each rim. Have guests stir and toss their salads once they are served to make sure everything gets coated with the lime dressing.
Confetti Rice Pilaf Stuffed Avocados (with Feta, Cranberry, Walnuts)
Posted: June 6, 2012 Filed under: Main Dishes, Salads, Sides, Uncategorized, Vegan Options, Vegetarian, Veggies | Tags: confetti rice pilaf, cranberries, feta, rice pilaf, stuffed avocados, walnuts 5 Comments »
One of my prized possessions is a postcard with a handwritten note from the late marvelous, hilarious, one-and-only Erma Bombeck. I wrote her a fan letter, telling her I was praying for her health. To my shock and surprise she took time out of her day (and dialysis) to send this encouraging note to me right after I got my first book contract.
One of my favorite columns by Erma was called “The Leftover Food Syndrome.” It began, “I have never known a woman who can look at a mound of leftover food….and throw it away –the first time around.” Erma then describes the leftover ritual known (genetically) to all women. After you wrap the left over in a container of your choice (“no leftover is too small to occupy shelf space”), you put it in the fridge and then over the week, each member of the family takes turns opening up the container asking, “What IS this?”
The object of this game is to never throw away the leftover as long as you can still recognize it. “It is not thrown away until it recognizes you,” Erma quipped.
What I love about this recipe below is that it uses up all those little bits of leftovers before they recognize you! The savory, sweet, nutty, colorful rice makes a great side dish, or with the addition of extra nuts and cheese or little bits of ham or chicken — a wonderful light lunch or dinner.
Confetti Rice Pilaf Stuffed Avocados
Confetti Rice Pilaf Stuffed Avocados
Serves Six
Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon Olive
1 Tablespoon Butter (or Earth Balance for vegans)
2 cups cooked rice, any combination you like or have leftover (I had brown, jasmine and wild rice on hand)
1/4 cup dried cranberries (raisins or other chopped dried fruit can work as well)
1/2 cup chopped cooked veggies, any combo, whatever you have leftover (I had carrots and edamame today)
1/4 cup toasted nuts (walnuts were on tap for this recipe)
2 T. crumbled feta or goat cheese (skip this or use a vegan cheese substitute if you are vegan)
3 avocados, cut in half, seed removed
Directions:
In a large skillet, melt butter and oil. Toss in rest of the ingredients until warm and heated through. Salt and pepper if needed. Just before serving toss in cheese and stir. Fill avocado halves with mixture, letting some of the rice fall around the avocado on the plate as well. One avocado makes a nice side dish, two make a meal in itself!
Variation: Use leftover grains instead of rice, such a quinoa or bulgur
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Confetti Rice Pilaf Stuffed Avocados
The URL: http://wp.me/p1UwM9-nA
© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved
Vegan Ranch Dressing
Posted: May 24, 2012 Filed under: Appetizers, Salads, Vegan | Tags: homemade ranch dressing, ranch dip, ranch dressing, salad dressing, vegan ranch dressing 1 Comment »
Vegan Ranch Dressing, great as a dip or on a salad.
(Rachel)
This weekend I cleaned out my refrigerator door and overflowed the trash can with expired bottled salad dressings and corn syrup-filled marinades. It dawned on me that I haven’t eaten bottled dressing in years. Once you start making your own fresh dressing, it’s hard to go back.
Usually I make a simple vinaigrette or something like my mom’s Lemon Drop Dressing, but sometimes Jared and I crave the creamy classic, Ranch Dressing.
When Jackson was just a few weeks old, Jared got a hankering for a salad with ranch dressing, but I was nursing the baby and couldn’t get up to help him. So from the rocking chair in the living room, I walked him through the steps of washing, drying and chopping the parsley, mixing it with vegan mayo, salt, pepper, minced onions, and garlic powder, and thinning it out with a little unsweetened milk.
Unsure if he got the seasoning right, he brought the bowl to me so I could taste it. Just as he stepped onto the carpet, our cat Marvin, jetted in front of him, tripping Jared and sending the bowl into the air. Like a scene out of a Steve Martin comedy, the bowl came down landing right on the cat. In a panic, Marvin took off, shaking frantically throughout the living room sending ranch flying in every direction, coating us, baby included, the furniture, the walls, and the carpet.
The house (and the cat) smelled of onion and parsley for days.
If you can chop parsley and dodge schizo cats, you can make this dressing. It’s a great base for other creative combinations, too, like Avocado Goddess Dressing or Roasted Pepper Ranch. You can use dried parsley in this recipe too, but the fresh parsley really pops.
Easy, fresh, and so much better than bottled ranch dressing.
Rachel’s Vegan Ranch Dressing
Makes 1 cup of dressing
Ingredients
1 c. vegan mayo (We like the Grapeseed Oil Vegenaise)
1/8 c. flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 t. dried minced onion
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. salt
1 t. freshed cracked pepper
2 T. unsweetened non-dairy milk (add a little more for a thinner consistency or less for a thicker dip)
Directions
Combine ingredients and store in an air tight container in the refrigerator. Let sit for a couple of hours before using if possible. It should keep for about three days.
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Vegan Ranch Dressing
The URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com/2012/05/24/vegan-ranch-dressing/
© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved
Becky Johnson
Rachel Randolph
