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.
Worms & Apples with Mud Sauce (Fun Healthy Snack for Kids)
Posted: June 15, 2012 Filed under: Appetizers, Fruit Dishes, Uncategorized, Vegetarian | Tags: apples, caramel, carmamel apples, fruit and cheese, fruit snacks, fun food for kids, healthy snacks for children, healthy snacks for kids, kid snacks, string cheese, worms, worms and apples Leave a comment
Grandson Georgie chowing down on Worms & Apples with Mud Sauce
(Becky, the Butter Lovin’ Mama)
Twenty-something years ago now, my youngest son Gabe was around three and a half years old. One hot day I walked into the kitchen and downed a perfectly delicious glass of iced tea. Then I saw something wiggling among the ice cubes and almost gagged. Gabe was watching me, smiling sweetly. “I gave you a present!” he said, grinning proudly. “Aren’t they cute?”
My eyes still wide with surprise, Gabe walked to my side and pointed at his wiggly friends. “See how much they love each other?” he asked. “They are all just hugging and hugging!”
My son Gabe as little tyke. He LOVED any critters (worms, turtles, lizards) more than toys.
This story was told and retold in our family, until it eventually evolved into the title of a book of humor for moms called Worms in My Tea, and a spin-off children’s book called The Worm Surprise. I would eventually write a series of four books in the “Gabe & Critters” series.
Today that worm-loving boy is a handsome young man with a college degree, a good job, a home, and lovely girlfriend of six years. (And he still loves nature and all God’s critters.)
Gabe, all grown up, with the love of his life, Aleks
However, Gabe no longer digs up worms in the backyard (though he has a very nice vegetable garden), nor does he drop them into the glasses belonging to unsuspecting relatives.
What I love, though, is that he has a whole room dedicated to boy toys: a foosball table, a place for playing video games, his home computer, and various other game tables. My son has never lost his child-heart for play! A vintage pinball machine sits in one corner, and to my delight, on display above it were two of the books I wrote based Gabe in the “Gabe and Critter” Series so many years ago.
I took my grandson George over to play at his Uncle Gabe’s house yesterday.
Georgie getting his game face on to play a video game with his Uncle Gabe
Possibly inspired by the Gabe & Critters books, when Georgie asked me for a snack later that afternoon, I had worms on the brain.
“Would you like Nonny to make you some worms and apples?” I asked.
George giggled and said, “You are teasing me, Nonny.”
“No really,” I said. “You will love them. Pull up a bar stool to the kitchen counter and we’ll make them together.”
Georgie reaching for Worms & Apples with Mud Sauce
Worms & Apples (With Mud Sauce)
I took string cheese and tore it into four strips, microwaving them for about 20 seconds just until they were wiggly, wormy, and melty.
Georgie testing the melty string cheese “worms” to see if they are squishy enough for wrapping around fruit yet. They are!
Then once they cooled to the touch, we wrapped the “cheese worms” around apple slices.
Wrapping cheese “worms” around apples
Just for fun, we squiggled some caramel sauce “mud” (caramel ice cream sauce) over the top. (You could also let the kids dip them in small bowls of caramel.)
Obviously, this creation was a great success. Georgie woke up asking for Apples and Worms for breakfast.
With kids home for the summer, begging for snacks, this is a treat you can feel good about giving them and it only takes a minute to make! (Feel free to omit the caramel for a healthier version.)
Variations: For vegans try using strips of vegan-cheese. Wrap cheese around peaches, strawberries, plums, or slices of cantaloupe! Use other kinds of cheese, cutting in strips and melting until just pliable. I must admit, that even as a grown up, I love these snacks for quick pick-me-up in the middle of the day.
Simple ingredients for Worms & Apples with Mud Sauce
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The Title: Worms & Apples with Mud Sauce
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© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved
Thai Lettuce Wraps with a Sweet Ginger Sauce
Posted: June 14, 2012 Filed under: Appetizers, Asian Dishes, Main Dishes, Sauces and Dressings, Vegan, Vegan Options, Vegetarian, Veggies | Tags: garlic, lettuce cups, PF Changs Lettuce Wraps, sweet ginger sauce, tofu, vegan lettuce cups, vegetarian lettuce wraps Leave a comment
Tofu Thai Lettuce Wraps with a sweet garlic and ginger sauce.
(Rachel – The Vegan-Eatin’ Daughter)
I love P.F. Changs. It’s my go-to special occasion restaurant when I get to do the picking (I’m still working on Jared and Asian food–baby steps). In fact, that’s where I asked to go for Mother’s Day. We took Jackson along and sat outside on the patio on a beautiful Spring day. As usual, the service and food were both great. Their chefs understand and respect vegan diets, which makes eating there so easy. However, the view was of a busy mall parking lot and there was an out of control gnat problem. I longed for my own patio with our country pasture view and my own personal fly swatter.
I’ve started to notice more often than not, I regret dining out. Whether for comfort, ease with Jackson, or control over what goes into our food, I just really prefer eating at home these days. So this week, I made my own version of P.F. Chang’s famous lettuce wraps. Fine dinin’ in my t-shirt and yoga pants on my own back porch. Aahhh.
Just like theirs, these can be made with tofu or chicken. The sweet ginger sauce is good enough to drink. And since you made it at home, their really will be no one around to judge you if you choose to do so. Just make sure you save some for the lettuce wraps.
Arrange the lettuce cups in a pretty flower-like arrangement and serve the cashews, cilantro, and green onions right on the cutting board for a fun and easy presentation.
Thai Lettuce Wraps with a Sweet Ginger Sauce
Serves 4 entree sizes or 8 appetizer portions
Ingredients
Stir Fry
1 block of firm tofu, crumbled or chopped into small cubes (could also use shredded or chopped chicken)
canola oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 chili pepper, sliced thinly
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 14.5 oz can baby corn, drained and chopped
1/2 c. diced canned pineapple (reserve juice for sauce)
1 8 oz can water chestnuts, drained and roughly chopped
1 8 oz can bamboo shoots, drained
2 green onions, chopped
several lettuce leaves (iceberg or romaine work nicely)
(Other veggies like shredded carrots and cabbage would work well in this too)
Marinade & Dipping Sauce
1 T. canola oil
2 T. fresh ginger, minced or finely diced
1 T. garlic, minced
1/2 c. Braggs Amino Acids (or Soy Sauce)
3 T. sweet chili sauce (in the Asian aisle of most grocery stores)
2 T. brown sugar
1 c. pineapple juice (buy a 15 oz can of diced pineapples and use juice here and pineapples in stir-fry)
1/2 c. veggie broth or water
Toppings
1/2 cup toasted cashews, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro chopped
1 green onion, chopped
Directions
Marinade & Dipping Sauce
In a sauce pan, heat canola oil on medium heat. Add ginger and garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and stir. Set aside 1 cup. When you get the stir-fry going, bring remaining sauce to a boil, then simmer on med-low to reduce for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir-Fry
Use half of the reserved sauce to marinate the tofu or protein for 30 minutes or longer. (This can be done the night before to save time the next day.)
In a large skillet or wok, heat about a tablespoon or so of canola oil on medium high. I like to chop as I cook, so chop the onions while the oil is heating, then chop the garlic and add it, then the chili, then the mushrooms, baby corn, pineapple, water chestnuts, and bamboo shoots.
In a separate nonstick skillet, heat about two tablespoons of canola oil and the tofu on medium high heat. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes. Add the remaining reserved sauce and cook for a few more minutes. Then, combine the tofu with the veggies. Add the green onions at the last minute. (Follow similar steps for chicken, but adjust cooking time as needed.)
Serve in lettuce cups, with chopped cashews, cilantro, and more green onions for toppings on the side and individual sides of the dipping sauce.
Notes: I changed the recipe slightly from what is pictured. I cooked the tofu with the veggies and it tasted good, but didn’t pick up as much color as it gets when cooked on it’s own, so I adjusted it so yours should have more color than mine did. Also, the lettuce I used was Living Lettuce. It looked really pretty, but got mushy too fast. It needs something sturdier like romaine or ice berg.
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The Title: Thai Lettuce Wraps with a Sweet Ginger Sauce
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© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved
Crispy Southern Fried Tofu
Posted: June 8, 2012 Filed under: Appetizers, Asian Dishes, Uncategorized, Vegan, Vegan Options, Vegetarian | Tags: crunchy tofu, fried tofu, tofu Leave a comment
Crispy Southern Fried Tofu
(Becky, the Butter Lovin’ Mama)
When Rachel and I pitched our new book we described it as Alicia Silverstone meets Paula Deen. This fried tofu recipe is the perfect mingling of a young vegan chef with an older southern cookin’ mama.
Say the word “tofu” to non-vegans and vegetarians and wait to see how quickly they respond with some form of the words “yuck,” “spongy,” or “blah.”
What I’ve discovered about tofu is that it is indeed “yucky, spongy and blah” until you cook it correctly. I now love and often prefer it to meat, as long as it is sautéed or baked in a coating until caramelized, or…. fried. Let’s be honest: frying is not the healthiest method of cooking anything. However, as a treat, it is one of the tastiest ways to cook anything.
My 5 year old grandson Georgie is staying with us this week, and had never experienced Kentucky Fried Chicken. He laughed and laughed when I told him we were going to get “chicken in a bucket” for dinner. (At the end of a week with a five year old, this Nonny was losing touch with her normal cooking groove. Lack of sleep and uninterrupted thoughts will do this to a person, as adorable as he may be!) But one taste of KFC chicken leg and he started humming happy “mmm…mmmm…MMM’s” and saying things like, “I can’t stop eating this!” and “This is the best chicken I ever had.” He had three pieces before he finally paused to lick every finger on his hands.
Georgie chowing down on his first piece of southern fried chicken, Colonel Sanders style
Granted, a roast chicken is much healthier, but now and again, there’s just nothing like a good ol’ southern friend chicken. Or tofu.
Rachel and I were together in Phoenix this past fall, when we both ordered the crispy tofu and noodles dish at an Asian restaurant. When we took a bite of the tofu and it actually went “crunch,” it was a revelation. Tofu can crunch? Not only that, but the inside of the crunchy coating was a pillow of silken perfection. I had to duplicate it. This recipe below turned out at least as good as that lovely crunchy tofu in Phoenix. It’s a wonderful “gateway recipe” to get people who are afraid of tofu to give it a try.
Becky’s Southern Fried Tofu
Serves 2 to 3
Ingredients
1/2 block tofu, diced in squares about the size of a dice (little more than 1/2 inch squares)
1/4 c. teriyaki sauce
1 t. sesame oil
1 T. thai chili sauce
canola or coconut oil for frying
1/2 c. cornstarch
1/2 t. sea salt
/3 c. toasted sesame seeds
More teriyaki and chili sauce for coating and dipping, if desired (to personal taste)
2 slices fresh lime
1/4 c. chopped green onion
Directions:
Fill a medium sized sauce pot with oil until it is one and one half to two inches deep. Heat oil at medium high. (Or use a fryer.)
Use medium saucepan filled 1 1/2 to 2 inches with oil
Mix teriyaki sauce, sesame oil and chili sauce in a shallow bowl. Use a spoon to toss and coat the pieces of tofu lightly.
Next, toss the tofu in a shallow bowl of cornstarch mixed with 1/2 t. salt.
Tofu marinated, tossed in cornstarch. After frying you will roll in the bowl of sesame seeds.
Carefully place tofu in small batches in sauce pan or fryer. Using a heat proof slotted spoon, turn the tofu until it is golden brown on all sides and remove with the same spoon (tapping to drain off oil) to a shallow bowl with sesame seeds. Gently toss the tofu in sesame seeds. Taste and if needed sprinkle with a very light dusting of sea salt.
Can use as an appetizer just like this, or coated in a bit more teriyaki sauce with a side of edamame.
Variation: Delicious also served with a variety of Asian sauces (such as teriyaki, black bean, hoisin, low sodium soy, Thai Sweet Chili sauce, plum sauce, hot chili sauce , lime, sesame oil, grated ginger), chopped green onions, and served with a slice of lime over a bowl of rice and steamed veggies. A sprinkle of chopped peanuts and chopped cilantro is wonderful with this dish as well.
Southern Fried Tofu
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
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The Title: Crispy Southern Fried Tofu
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© 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: https://welaughwecrywecook.com/2012/05/24/vegan-ranch-dressing/
© Copyright 2012 – All Rights Reserved
White Bean Guacamole Dip
Posted: May 8, 2012 Filed under: Appetizers, Mexican Dishes, Sides, Vegan | Tags: avocados, guacamole, healthy appetizers, high protein guacamole, low fat guacamole, rice crackers, vegan appetizer, white bean guacamole, white beans 8 Comments
Lower fat, higher protein, and less expensive guacamole that tastes just as good (if not better) than the original.
On Thursday, Jackson and I flew out to Denver to spend the weekend at my mom and Greg’s house. A typical trip to mom’s is never short on activity and this weekend was no exception. In our quick four day visit, we drove to the mountains for a barbeque at my brother and his wife’s new place, went to a nephew’s t-ball game, and hosted a girls night/baby shower for a sweet friend (due any day)! I love packing in as much as I can into a trip. It’s the packing and traveling part that I don’t love so much, especially with this little guy in my suitcase…literally.
Packing is exhausting!
As my mom mentioned in her post yesterday, Jackson is the busiest little baby you ever did see, into everything and always on the go. So sitting with him on my lap for the 3 1/2 hour plane ride home just about wore me out. Trying to keep him off the floor and out of my seatmates’ laps was like trying to hang onto a block of jello wiggling through my fingertips and bouncing out of my hands.
Getting there and back is no easy task, but we make it all worth while by fitting in as much as we can while we are there. That’s how I feel about cooking sometimes too. If I’m going to go to the trouble of messing up my kitchen, I want to get as much out of it as possible. I double a recipe and freeze half or splurge on the best ingredients for maximum taste, or sneak in some extra nutrition when I can.
Guacamole is a pretty healthy snack, it’s full of good fats and fiber, but it doesn’t have any protein and those good fats are still fats, so moderation is key. You have to be like super human to only eat a moderate amount of guacamole though, right? So I like to add a secret ingredient to my guac…white beans. You don’t even know they are in there, but per bite, they increase the protein and lower the fat and calories. Seriously, you have to try this. If you are going to make guacamole, you might as well get as much of a nutritional punch out of it as you can. Also, try replacing the chips with rice crackers to health it up even more.
White Bean Guacamole Dip
Serves up to 8 small servings
Ingredients
1 15oz can of white beans (Great Northern, Cannellini, or Navy), drained with 1 T. liquid reserved
2 ripe avocados, halved and pitted
1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 T. lime juice
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 t. garlic powder
1 c. cilantro (if you like it)
Directions
In a food processor, blend beans and 1 T. reserved liquid until beans are pureed. Scoop the avocado flesh and chopped peppers into the food processor and pulse a few times. Add the lime juice, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cilantro. Pulse until the desired consistency (I like a little bit of texture and a few chunks of avocado in mine.)
Serve with crackers or chips. I really like these Brown Rice & Flax crackers from Wal-Mart even better than chips with this dip. They’re not only much lower in fat, but they hold up better to the thick dip and I just think they taste delicious.
Just 2.5 grams of fat in 16 crackers, compared to 6.5 grams in tortilla chips.
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: White Bean Guacamole
The URL: https://welaughwecrywecook.com/2012/05/08/white-bean-guacamole-dip
Melty Parm Cheese, Walnut & Clementine Appetizer
Posted: April 23, 2012 Filed under: Appetizers, Uncategorized, Vegetarian | Tags: appetizers, clementines, Parmasan cheese, walnuts 4 Comments
Simple 3 Ingredient Delightful Bite: Parm Cheese (heated until pliable), walnuts and juicy clementines.
View from the condo porch. It is 75 degrees, which is why I need to be outside more than I want to be in the kitchen this week.
Though I generally love to cook, even when on vacation, I do not love to make complicated recipes that take time away from the pool and a book, and general self-imposed laziness. This week we are tucked into a timeshare in Orlando, Florida for seven days on business/vacation. (Greg is mostly taking care of the left side of the “business/vacation” slash, since he actually has to work. I’m taking care of the right side of the slash, since I –joy of joys! –mostly get to do whatever I please this week.)
A funny aside: Last night we were in bed and I heard what I thought was either the romantic roll of thunder or possibly the fireworks from Disney in the distance. I asked Greg if he heard the same sounds. He kindly responded, “Sweetie, that’s the toilet flushing in the condo above us.”
Needless to say, I’m totally in my Vacation Mind. So far today I’ve “cooked” a couple of bowls of cereal, a PBJ sandwich and peeled some string cheese and clementines. Not fancy fare worthy of food posting, really. But then, at Happy Hour time, I got inspired. I saw some Parmesan cheese and walnuts (I’d packed them in my carry-on from home), and a bowl of fresh Florida clementines (bought in haste from the local grocery last night.) Let me tell you, these Floridians really get premium citrus. These clementines are so juicy they nearly burst in your hands as you peel them. Naturally sweet and tangy. Oh my. When fruit is this good, you don’t want to do much to it. Just let Nature shine. So, on the fly I invented these Parm Cheese-Walnut and Clementine Appetizers. Salty, nutty, warm meets fresh, tangy, sweet and cold. So yummy.
Our cocktails in hand (see my recipe for Clementine Mojitos), I sliced a few “Parm shards,” sprinkled a few walnuts on top. Microwaved for 15 seconds. The Parmesan became just “melty” enough to be pliable. I rolled a piece of the warm Parm around a walnut and a slice or two of fresh clementine. It was Happy Hour in our mouths in less than a minute.
That’s it. That’s the whole 3 ingredient, 15 second recipe. The pictures below will show exactly how to throw this instant party food together.
Variations: Try with other cheeses, nuts and fresh fruits in season. For a larger crowd, use a baking sheet and put in a 250 degree oven for about 5 minutes or until cheese is just warm and pliable.
Parm "Shards," simply slice random thin pieces of Parmasan cheese and lay on a microwavable plate
Parm shards with broken pieces of walnuts, after being nuked for 15 seconds in the microwave
As parm cools, you can lift up little pieces and wrap around fresh clementine pieces, pop in your mouth and be very happy. Sometimes the best things in life really are the simplest!
This was printed from: We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook
The site URL: http://welaughwecrywecook.com
The Title: Melty Parm Cheese, Walnuts & Clementines Appetizer
The URL: https://welaughwecrywecook.com/2012/04/24/melty-parm-cheese-walnuts-clementines
Mexican Comfort Casserole & Cashew Queso
Posted: April 3, 2012 Filed under: Appetizers, Main Dishes, Mexican Dishes, Uncategorized, Vegan | Tags: baseball, beans, cashew cheese, cashew queso, chipotles, chipotles in adobo sauce, coach's wife, mexican casserole, nutritional yeast, recipes, vegan, vegan mexican casserole, vegan queso, veggies 13 CommentsSaturday was a big game for my husband’s high school baseball team. I told him as I kissed him goodbye “We”ll be there, look for us in the stands.” Of course, Jackson’s afternoon nap fell at exactly the start of the game. I’ve been trying to keep him on a good sleep schedule during the day as it seems to translate to better sleep at night, so I waited until he woke up. Finally, after sleeping an hour and a half, I quickly loaded him in the car to try and make it to the game before it ended. I tuned into the local radio station airing the game and crossed my fingers that the innings would slow down (the ONLY time I’ve ever wished for baseball to slow down!) We rushed into the stadium as the seventh inning began, our team down three runs.
I sat in the stands next to another coaches’ wife. We both cheered loud when our husbands’ team tied up the game, sending us into extra innings. It was a nail biter of a game!
Sadly, the other team scored the winning run knocking our boys out of their first place spot in district.
“I don’t think I’m going to wait around for them to finish talking to the boys.” I told the other coach’s wife. “I think I’ll head to the store for a few things instead. There’s nothing like Mexican food to cheer Jared up.”
“Yep, I have a pint of Blue Bell in the freezer for occasions just like this,” she nodded.
So I whipped up a mexican casserole, cashew cheese dip, rice, salsa, and gaucamole. Then popped open a couple of Coronas with a twist of lime. Boy was my kitchen a mess, but my husband was feeling like a winner again!
My mom got that little avocado green dip dish for me. It’s an antique from 1960. I think it’s so cute!
Due to that whole baby sleep schedule mentioned above, it was dark by the time we actually sat down to eat, so pics of the Mexican Fiesta were quite meh. Yeah, meh is a word. So I made a plate of leftovers on Sunday for lunch to get better pictures. Leftovers = equally delicious.
Rachel’s
Mexican Comfort Casserole with Cashew Queso
Serves 8
Ingredients
2 1/2 c. chopped onions
2 c. chopped peppers (any color or kind — I used green bell and poblano)
3 cloves garlic, minced or thinly sliced
1 yellow squash, sliced
2 zucchini, sliced
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
4 c. (or 2 16 oz cans) of refried or mashed pinto beans
~12 corn tortillas
Cashew Queso (see below)
Optional garnish: lettuce, tomato, avocado
Directions
Preheat oven to 350.
Saute onions on medium to med-high heat with a little oil and salt for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the peppers and continue sauteing for 10 more minutes. In the last couple of minutes add the garlic.
In a separate pan, saute zucchini and squash on med-high heat with a little oil and salt & pepper until they just start to brown but are still firm.
Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender combine the fire roasted tomatoes and chipotle peppers in adobe sauce. Pour mixture into a bowl large enough to dip a corn tortilla in.
Now begin layering in a casserole dish (I used two round ones, but you could use one 8 x10 or whatever you have on hand). This recipe is super flexible. If you end up with extra ingredients, just add another layer.
Layer 1: 1/2 of the onion, pepper, and garlic mixture
Layer 2: tortillas dipped in chipotle tomato sauce and topped with a thin layer of more sauce (tear tortillas in half to border edges if needed)
Layer 3: 2 cups of beans
Layer 4: tortillas dipped in chipotle tomato sauce and topped with a thin layer of more sauce
Layer 5: zucchini and squash
Layer 6: tortillas dipped in chipotle tomato sauce and topped with a thin layer of more sauce
Layer 7: 2 cups of beans
Layer 8: 1/2 of the onion, pepper, and garlic mixture
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Top with cashew queso, lettuce tomato, and avocado.
Cashew Queso
Note: this is not my recipe. I got it from a friend and I’m unsure of the source.
Ingredients
1 c. raw cashews
1/4 c. sunflower seeds
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tbsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 orange roasted bell pepper* (red or yellow will work too, but orange gives the most cheese-like color)
2 c. water
1 tsp lemon juice
Directions
In a food processor, blend cashews, sunflower seeds, nutritional yeast, salt,and onion powder into a fine dust. Add about 1/2 a cup of the water and the roasted bell pepper and blend again. Add the rest of the water and lemon juice. Transfer mixture to a pot and heat on medium heat, stirring pretty often until it has thickened to the consistency you like. If it gets too thick, just add a little more water.
*Making your own roasted peppers is easy. Just placing them directly on on a gas burner flame rotating it a few times (like this) or on a pan under the broiler until charred. Then put it in a bowl tightly covered with plastic wrap for a about five minutes. Rub off most of the skin with a damp paper towel. Voila, roasted peppers!
Killer Chipotle & Roasted Pepper Salsa (with a Side of Relational Advice)
Posted: March 28, 2012 Filed under: Appetizers, Uncategorized | Tags: chipolte, dips, hatch peppers, Mexican Food, picante sauce, roasted peppers, salsa, tortilla chips, vegan, vegetarian 2 Comments
Sometimes life is funny, and sometimes, not so much. “Mama said there’d be days like this,” and for days like this you need three things: a good friend, some good clear-the-air advice, and some comfort food. Then, before too long, life can be funny again.
A single girlfriend and I were talking this morning about toxic relationships. Particularly we were pondering the differences between normal friends who are in a temporary season of pain who deserve and need our empathy, patience and compassion; versus toxic friends whose problems are unending and sap all the energy and joy out of every minute we spend with them, like an Emotional Hoover.
We came up with the 3 B’s that signal it might be time to Back Away from a Relationship. Red flags, we decided, are:
1. Belittling — when a person makes you feel small, talks down to you, uses superior tones
2. Blaming — when the person’s default mode is always to blame someone else and never takes any responsibility for their part in bad situations. If someone is constantly blaming others or the universe or God for their problems, it won’t be long before they are blaming and attacking you.
3. Black-Hole — normal people have seasons of neediness and self-focus following tragedy or during illness or stress; but toxic people are walking black holes of ever-growing, never-ceasing, and always-changing need
Having discussed relationship sticky-wickets to our mutual satisfaction, we turned the conversation to comfort food. In fact, we discussed the perfect food for washin’ a crazy-making friend or a bad day right out of our mind. In her book, Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert quoted someone’s grandmother as saying, “There’s no trouble in this world so serious that it can’t be cured with a hot bath, a glass of whiskey, and the Book of Common Prayer.” I agree with the hot bath and Book of Common Prayer, but my preferred comfort beverage would be a frosty margarita alongside a big bowl of spicy, chunky, smoky, colorful homemade salsa and chips.
And it just so happens that I make the best chunky smoky salsa in the universe. (Ditto on the margs… but that is for another post, another time.) When my daughter Rachel had her baby this past summer, I made salsa day after day because her husband Jared loves salsa and chips like only a Texas boy can. This gave me a chance to perfect my recipe, and this is the best of the best!
So come to Mama for the recipe, then whip up a quart of this brain-cleansing salsa, grab some chips and your fave margarita, find a spot in the sun, chill out and let the stress fall away.
Life is hard enough, your salsa should be easy. This version is oh so forgiving, allowing lots of variations to the basic recipe.
Everyone I serve this to asks for the recipe, so be prepared to share! (Also usually makes enough to send some home with your grateful guests.)
Becky’s Killer Chipotle & Roasted Pepper Salsa
Ingredients:
Makes about a Quart of Salsa
Into a food processor or blender put:
*I put three small peppers on my gas flame (set to high) and roast them while I’m tossing the rest of the ingredients into the blender, turning as they blacken. Simply scrape off most of the blackened skin (I use a damp paper towel for this job), seed them and pop in the blender. You can also halve them and broil them if you don’t have a gas burner.
Roasting small tri-colored peppers on a gas burner
** Here’s what a can of chipotle peppers in adobe sauce looks like. These babies are strong, and I often only use one or two, so I pop the rest (along with the sauce) in a small freezer bag and store them in the freezer. When I need one I just cut off what I need.
Pistachio and Caramelized Onion Pizza
Posted: March 26, 2012 Filed under: Appetizers, Breads, Main Dishes, Uncategorized | Tags: almond cheese, caramelized onions, flat bread, Naan bread, pistachios, pizza, vegan, vegetarian Leave a comment
I have been working out fairly consistently since last August, thanks to the encouragement of my good friend Ingrid. I get up by 7:00 am (a great feat for this non-morning person) and meet Ingrid at a local gym at 8:00 where we exercise while solving the world’s problems and…often talk about great food. (Perhaps this is why the pounds aren’t just dropping off of us?)
Here’s our conversation from last week, both of us huffing and puffing on ellipticals, side by side.
“Becky!” says Ingrid. “I was visiting my friend in California who is a vegan, like your daughter. And I came up with the best recipe for a pizza.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“Well, you start with a pizza crust and then sprinkle it with almond cheese.”
“Does almond cheese tastes good? Because I think soy cheese tastes like shredded rubber bands, and I’ve been looking for a good vegan cheese to use when I cook for Rachel.”
“It does! And it melts. Then you cook some garlic and onions in a pan with a little olive oil until they just start to brown and caramelize. Put these on top of the almond cheese, top with a few unsalted pistachios and — hey, Becky, why did you stop walking on your machine?”
I looked down and sure enough, I was so caught up in Ingrid’s description, that I’d completely frozen, thinking of nothing but how those flavors might taste together, my head in a pistachio-caramelized onion pizza cloud.
“Sorry,” I said, resuming my exercise. “What can I say? I brake for food. Even descriptions of it.”
After our gym session, I didn’t even change out of my gym clothes before heading to Whole Foods and gathering the ingredients. I chose garlic Naan bread instead of pizza dough because I was in a hurry to try this feast.
Let me just say, this new pizza recipe may cost me a few extra miles of exercise.
And it will be totally worth it. You have to try this!
Ingrid’s Pistachio and Caramelized Onion Pizza
Ingredients:
Serves Two
2 pieces Naan Bread (I love Whole Food’s Garlic Naan Bread. But it is not vegan, so if you want to be pure vegan here, you may want to use Whole Food’s pizza dough.)
1-2 T. olive oil, divided
1. c grated almond cheese (or Mozzerella cheese, but if you are a vegan and haven’t tried almond cheese, it is the best tasting vegan cheese I’ve tried thus far)
1 red onion, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. roasted, unsalted pistachio nuts
Directions:
Using a grill pan and a little olive oil, grill the Naan bread on both sides until it is crispy and has light golden grill marks. Set aside on a heavy duty cookie sheet or clay pizza pan.
In a skillet, saute the onions and garlic in a tablespoon or so of olive oil until onions have started to caramelize but still have a little bite/crunch to them.
Put 1/3 cup grated cheese on each piece of Naan. Top each with half of the onion-garlic mixture. Sprinkle each pizza with 2 T. roasted, unsalted pistachios.
Bake at 375 until cheese melts. (The almond cheese takes a longer to melt than does “real cheese,” and I actually ended up nuking the pizza in the microwave a few seconds to get it to “melty” consistency. It is much better than soy cheese, very good –but not as yummy as the Real Mozerella McCoy.) Cut in wedges and serve alongside fresh fruits for a light supper or beautiful appetizer to go with your next wine party!
*Besides being handy behind a stove top, Ingrid is also a social media whiz, and serves as a social media consultant for my husband’s literary agency. (Click on her name to read her most recent article on blogging tips.)
Becky Johnson
Rachel Randolph
We Laugh, We Cry, We Cook 