Black Bean, Corn, and Quinoa Salad

I'm always looking for more satisfying and healthy vegetarian dishes to try. I too often eat chicken, ground beef, and pork because they are cheap and easy to prepare sources of protein, but it would be better for my health and the earth if I cut down on meat consumption. I don't eat as most meat as most people, but I would still like to eat less. I adapted this recipe from a recipe in the May 2010 issue of Food and Wine magazine, adding some more vegetables and using ground cumin instead of cumin seeds, since that's what I had on hand.

Although quinoa isn't a grain most people have in the pantry, it has been growing in popularity in recent years. Quinoa comes from South America and was once held sacred by the Incas. It is high in protein, fiber, and iron and contains a balanced set of amino acids unlike wheat or rice. Next time you're thinking of having rice or couscous, try quinoa instead.

Black Bean, Corn, and Quinoa Salad
adapted from Santa Fe Quinoa Salad from Food and Wine, May 2010

makes 4 servings

3/4 c. quinoa
1.5 c. water
Kosher salt
1/2 t. ground cumin
2 T. fresh lime juice
6 T. canola oil
Freshly ground pepper
Salt
One 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained (with jalapenos, if you can find them)
One 15-ounce can corn, rinsed and drained
1 small red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 c. finely chopped cilantro
One 3-ounce jar cocktail onions, drained and finely chopped (raw white/yellow onions would also work)

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the quinoa, water, and a pinch of salt; bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat until the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Spread the quinoa on a baking sheet; refrigerate for about 20 minutes.

2. Whisk together cumin, lime juice, and oil until combined. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Pour the dressing into a bowl and add the black beans, corn, bell pepper, cilantro, and cocktail onions. Scrape the quinoa into the bowl, season with salt and pepper and serve.

Memphis Sweet Potato Fries

I still had sweet potatoes left over after last week's attempt at sweet potato fries, so I thought I'd give a new recipe a try. Last week I went about as basic as you can get, so I decided to try one that is a little more complex, though by no means complicated. I'm always looking for more healthful substitutions to make in my diet, and sweet potato instead of regular potato fries is one I can easily get behind. These fries are salty and sweet and an excellent companion to burgers, brats, and myriad other things. I added a final dusting of freshly ground sea salt once the came out of the oven, but it is by no means necessary. Try them-you won't be disappointed!

Memphis Sweet Potato Fries
from Patrick and Gina Neely, via Food Network

4 T. olive oil
1 t. paprika
1 t. ground cinnamon
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch wide strips
1/2 t. salt
2 T. brown sugar

1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, mix together olive oil, paprika and cinnamon. Toss the potato strips into mixture, to coat well, and spread onto baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and brown sugar.

3. Bake for 30 minutes, turning every 10 minutes.

Classic Hummus

Hummus is my dip of choice for veggies. Ranch dressing and sour cream-based dips are good, don't get me wrong, but hummus is so much healthier and has a much more interesting flavor. It's so simple that I thought it was about time to try making it myself. I also got a new KitchenAid food processor last week and this is a great recipe to test it out. Roasted red pepper hummus is my favorite, but I always like to start with the basics. This recipe couldn't be easier, so there's really no excuse to buy it from the store anymore.

This hummus is a little thinner than I like; next time I'll probably use 3/8 cup of olive oil instead of the full 1/2 cup. This is a recipe where the flavor of the olive oil really comes through, so don't skimp on quality. Tahini (sesame seed paste) should be available in the ethnic food section of most grocery stores. It is somewhat expensive, but it doesn't take very much to add that wonderful sesame flavor. In the future I plan on adding other ingredients like roasted red peppers or olives to make the hummus a little more interesting.

Classic Hummus
from Food and Wine

1 c. cooked chickpeas, drained
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 T. tahini
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper


1. In a food processor, puree the chickpeas, garlic, tahini and lemon juice. Gradually add the olive oil until incorporated. Season the hummus with salt and pepper and scrape it into a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve or use.

Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Salad

I sure seem to have a knack for planning more labor-intensive dishes on days I end up having to work late. But even if I could really have used a sous chef today, all the effort was worth it when I had a flavorful and healthy meal.

Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Salad
from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The Original Classics

serves 6
 
2 T. peanut butter
3 T. rice-wine vinegar
1 T. low-sodium soy sauce
1 T. honey
2 T. fresh lime juice, plus 6 lime wedges for garnish
1 t. minced garlic
1 t. freshly grated ginger
1 T. peanut oil
2 T. finely chopped fresh mint leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
1 quart homemade chicken stock or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock, skimmed of fat
1.5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 lb. rice vermicelli or capellini pasta
1 cucumber, seeded, cut into 3-inch-long matchsticks
2 carrots, cut into 3-inch-long matchsticks
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

1. Place peanut butter, 1 T. rice-wine vinegar, soy sauce, honey, 1 T. lime juice, garlic, and ginger in the bowl of a food processor or in a blender. Process until smooth and creamy. Set the peanut sauce aside until ready to use.

2. Whisk together the remaining 2 T. rice-wine vinegar, the remaining 1 T. lime juice, the peanut oil, and mint in a small bowl and set the vinaigrette aside.

3. Place the chicken stock in a large saucepan; cover and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and simmer about 15 minutes, until chicken is completely cooked. Remove chicken from pan, and set aside to cool, reserving stock. Shred chicken into bite-size pieces, and toss with reserved peanut sauce.

4. Add 3 cups water to the stock, cover, and return to a boil. Add the vermicelli, and cook, uncovered, until al dente, about 4 minutes. Drain, and toss with the reserved vinaigrette.

5. Divide noodles, cucumber, red pepper, carrots, red onion, and chicken among six bowls, and garnish with the mint sprigs and lime wedges. Serve.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Burgers and fries are a natural pair, but I was looking for something a little healthier and more imaginative to go with Blue Cheese Turkey Burgers, so I opted for sweet potato fries. This recipe couldn't be simpler, but it is important to cut the fries into matchsticks with square ends or you'll end with with blackened ends that are very unappealing. These fries will get black spots all over the outside, but they don't taste burnt (with the exception of crispy ends that weren't cut square).

Sweet Potato "Fries"
from Ellie Krieger

1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled (2 medium potatoes)
1 T. canola oil
1/2 t. salt, plus more, to taste
Cooking spray

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

2. Cut the potatoes lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick matchsticks, and toss with the oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake until the "fries" are tender and crisp, about 30 minutes.

3. Season with additional salt, to taste. Serve immediately.

Blue Cheese Turkey Burgers

I put this recipe together because I had thawed some ground turkey and was looking for something more imaginative than spaghetti with ground turkey in the sauce. It is inspired by Basil Pan Burgers, a recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, which I've made a lot in the past. I served them with Baked Sweet Potato Fries.

Blue Cheese Turkey Burgers

makes 4 burgers

1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. crumbled blue cheese
2 T. fine dry bread crumbs
2 T. ketchup
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. ground turkey

1. In a medium bowl combine egg, onion, blue cheese, bread crumbs, ketchup, salt, pepper, and garlic. Add turkey; mix well. Shape turkey mixture into four 3/4-inch-thick patties.

 

2. Lightly coat a heavy skillet with cooking spray (or use a heavy nonstick skillet). Preheat skillet over medium-high until hot. Add burgers. Reduce heat to medium and cook, uncovered, until temperature measures 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, flipping burgers once halfway through cooking. If burgers brown too quickly, reduce heat to medium low. Serve on buns with desired toppings

Laine's Chicken Salad

I threw this together last night because I had thawed a chicken breast without exact plans for it and didn't want anything warm for dinner, as we have been enjoying some beautiful, summer-like weather. The measurements may not be perfect as I wasn't measuring anything as I was putting it together, but it turned out pretty well anyway. Sometimes it's good to just follow your instincts! I may work on developing this further in the future.

Laine's Chicken Salad
makes 2 sandwiches

1 chicken breast, cooked, cooled, and diced
1/2 celery stalk, diced
2 T. diced onion
1 T. fresh parsley, chopped, or 1 t. dried
1/2 c. Miracle Whip or mayo
1-2 T. coarse mustard, such as Dijon or Polish 
Juice from 1/2 a lemon (freshly squeezed is preferable)
Salt
Freshly ground pepper

1. Combine the cooked chicken, celery, diced onion, and parsley in a bowl. Toss to combine.

2. Combine the mayo, mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and stir well to combine. (Alternatively, you can just add all the sauce ingredients directly to the first bowl and stir well to combine, but combining them in a separate bowl first makes sure they are evenly distributed). Add to bowl with chicken and stir well to combine all ingredients. Serve on wheat or multi-grain bread.