Posts from the “Entree” Category

Summertime on a plate, and in a glass.

Posted on August 8, 2012

Oh my goodness. You guys. When I decided to finally start this blog, the blog I’d thought about for so long, I promised myself I would rarely, if ever, start a post with an apology. You know what I’m talking about…the standard “I’m so sorry it’s been so long since I’ve blogged!” apology. I figured that by making this promise to myself, I’d avoid any gaps in blogging. Who wants to hear an apology anyways?! You just want to read a blog!

Alas, I’m sorry. (Sigh.) It seems the summer challenges my ability to get my act together and find time to talk to you guys regularly between traveling on the weekends, cramming in class work between work work, and spending time doing generally summery things (farmers markets, drinking white wine, seeing friends, drinking white wine…).

Speaking of seeing friends and drinking white wine, my friend Aubree came over the other night to cook and catch up. I’d had a long, hard week and jumped at the chance to get to spend an evening cooking leisurely and chatting with a good friend about life. I even suckered Aubree into doing most of the cooking so that I could ~~drink wine instead of chop vegetables~~ take pictures of her. For you, of course! This also means you get more pictures than usual with this recipe.

I’m excited to report that I once again made something for the very first time. Just like with that ferocious kale, I faced my culinary fears as Aubree and I decided to brave the world of scallops. For years I’ve seen recipes for scallops and read about just how easy it is to pat them dry and sear them for a few minutes on each side. And voila! They’re done! Well, I’m thrilled to report that scallops are, in fact, just that easy to make. And they’re even more delicious.

This dish is nothing if not summertime on a plate. Sweet crunchy corn paired with juicy cherry tomatoes and fragrant cilantro. Tangy tomatillos pureed with creamy avocado and feisty jalapeno. And then the crowning jewels…subtly sweet yet equally “of-the-sea” salty scallops that are so fork tender they truly do just about melt in your mouth. Sip a perfectly chilled Sauvignon Blanc and it’s pure heaven.

Seared Scallops with Tomatillo Guacamole and Corn Salsa

Ever so slightly adapted from Phoebe Lapine of Big Girls, Small Kitchen, featured on www.huffingtonpost.com

Makes 3-4 servings

Ingredients

For the scallops:

12 large scallops

Cumin

Salt

Extra virgin olive oil

For the tomatillo guacamole:

1 avocado, halved and pitted

1/2 pound tomatillos, husked and coarsely chopped

1/2 lime, juiced

1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped

1/2 small onion, coarsely chopped

1/2-1 jalapeno, seeded and coarsely chopped (to taste)

1/2 cup cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

1/2 teaspoon cumin

Salt to taste

For the corn salsa:

3 ears fresh corn, shucked and kernels cut off ears

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon cumin

Salt to taste

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients for the guacamole in a food processor or blender and pulse until mixture is combined, but still fairly coarse. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Set aside.

2. Combine all ingredients for the corn salsa in a medium bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Set aside.

3. Rinse the scallops well. Pat them each dry, on both sides, with paper towels. Set scallops on a plate and sprinkle both sides well with cumin and salt.

4. Lightly coat the bottom of a large skillet with olive oil and set over high heat. When the pan is smoking hot (test by sprinkling water into the pan to be sure it sizzles), add the scallops, making sure not to crowd them in the pan.

5. Allow the first side of the scallops to sear without moving them (2-3 minutes). When the bottom half of the scallops have turned from opaque to white, and the bottoms are a dark brown, flip the scallops and sear on the other side.

6. Cook the scallops for another minute or two on this side, until the bottoms are browned and the tops spring back when you push on them with your finger or a spoon. Remove the scallops from the pan and put them individual plates for serving.

7. Serve the scallops with a generous dollop of tomatillo guacamole and a spoonful of corn salsa on top.

Easy peasy breezy. I mean lunch, of course.

Posted on July 14, 2012

I find that a common debate among my classmates and friends is how much is too much? How busy is too busy? If you’re like me, you prefer to be on the busy side, feeling productive and needed. I’m not sure if this is a product of the society in which we live or a fact of life for humans. Either way, we struggle to find a balance of time spent working to make money, working to further our careers and passions, studying for class, building friendships, having fun, and simply relaxing with some solo time. Do you guys struggle with this, too?

A friend of mine recently decided to get in over her head by working full-time and taking classes four nights a week. Don’t worry, she gave me permission to describe her situation this way. Plus, I’m like the ultimate best supportive friend ever so I make up for blogging about her craziness by feeding her. Obviously. We have class together twice a week right now and her lack of time to eat any substantial form of a meal inspired the creation of this salad.

Easy to make and easy to transport, I now rely on this salad as a healthy lunch option and, of course, as a way to feed my friend! The cilantro and green onion add a really wonderful freshness to this salad, and the creaminess of the dressing and avocado pair deliciously with salty, crunchy corn chips. It saves well for 3-4 days without the flavors changing or diminishing, and I’m sure this would be a hit at a summer bbq or party. And, as you can see, this meal is vibrantly chock full of red, green, and yellow whole foods — always a good sign that you’re consuming a meal that will not only please your taste buds, but your body, too.

If you’re a vegetarian, this would be equally delicious without the chicken, but consider adding more beans for substance. The wonderful thing about this recipe is how flexible it is — add or subtract ingredients as you see fit, based on your tastes or what you have available to you. This salad is delicious served with a heaping pile of your favorite corn chips, or for a slightly healthier option you could put it over a bed of lettuce. Either way, enjoy every bite!

Avocado Chicken Salad

Yield: 3-4 meal size servings

Ingredients

Extra virgin olive oil

1 medium chicken breast, baked and shredded

1 large avocado, chopped

1/2 cup whole black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

1/4 cup corn, fresh or frozen

1/4 cup green onions, chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

3 tablespoons white vinegar

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

Fresh cracked pepper and salt to taste

Directions

Heat the oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with tin foil. Pour a small amount of extra virgin olive oil on the tin foil and add a sprinkling of salt and a generous amount of freshly cracked pepper.

Rub both sides of the chicken breast in the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake the chicken for 15 minutes or until cooked through.

When the chicken is cooked, put it on a plate and allow to cool while you prep the rest of the salad.

In a large bowl, combine the avocado, black beans, tomatoes, corn, green onions, and cilantro.

Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred it into small pieces with your hands. Add the chicken to the bowl of other ingredients.

Add the white vinegar and mayonnaise to the bowl. Add a small amount of salt and a generous amount of freshly cracked pepper.

Taste the salad and add additional vinegar, mayonnaise, salt, or pepper as needed.

Black bean burgers with a side of warm ocean breezes.

Posted on May 26, 2012

I confess I write this on the eve of another plane flight that will whisk me away on vacation. I feel so spoiled this month. Two vacations?! For seriousness. I joke about a lot of things. Vacation is not one of them. Tomorrow I fly off to the beautiful island of St. Kitt’s to meet my parents, two sets of aunts and uncles, three cousins, and, best of all, my goddaughter! We have a lot of catching up to do, and I just can’t wait to do this while frolicking in the serene waters of the Caribbean. Oh yes. I will frolic.

Anyhow, I just wanted to take a brief second to mention this vacation because I fear there’s a good chance you won’t hear from me for another week. Cry it out my friends. I will miss you, too! Or perhaps you, too, are on vacation. I hope so!

So, earlier this week I had a friend over for dinner, which is something I hope to do much more often this summer. I just love hosting…it’s always the perfect excuse to try a new recipe. Turn up the music. Open the wine. Get cooking. What’s not to love?

I decided to try to replicate the black bean/brown rice/red pepper “burgers” that another friend had served me just a week earlier. They were so unexpectedly delicious. Our wires got crossed and I wasn’t able to steal her recipe in time for my dinner, so I scrambled and found this one instead. It was…drumroll…delicious! After all, would I share anything with you that wasn’t delicious?! (Oh yeah, avocado most definitely helped. As always.)

I have a sneaking suspicion these may become a summertime staple in my house. They come together quickly and easily, with minimal ingredients and lots and lots of flavor. And the best part? They freeze beautifully! So, when you’re a grad student working by day and taking classes by night and constantly looking for an easy go-to meal that’s equally wholesome and delicious, these certainly qualify. Add a beer and you may even feel like you’re on vacation.

Black Bean Burgers

Recipe adapted from Veggie Belly

Yield: 6 burger patties

Ingredients

1 cup cooked brown rice or rice medley of your choosing (Trader Joe’s precooked frozen rice packets work wonders in recipes like this one)

1 15 oz can whole black beans, drained and rinsed

½ Tablespoon olive oil

1 small yellow onion, diced in small pieces

1 small red bell pepper, diced in small pieces

2 cloves of garlic, minced

½ Tablespoon ground cumin

½ Tablespoon paprika

Fresh ground pepper and salt to taste

Flour and more olive oil for cooking the patties

Directions

Drain and rinse the beans in a colander. Let sit so they begin to dry slightly while you prep the other ingredients.

Dice the onion and red pepper. Set aside. Mince the garlic. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add ½ Tablespoon olive oil and let the oil heat slightly. Test to make sure the oil is ready by putting one piece of onion in the pan. If it begins to sizzle then the oil is heated thoroughly.

Add the onion and red pepper to the pan. Cook, stirring regularly, until the onion is soft, about 8-10 minutes depending on the temperature of your pan.

Once the onion is soft (you’ll know by actually biting into a piece!) add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for about 30 seconds.

Add the beans, cumin, paprika, ground pepper, and salt. Cook for 3-5 minutes until the beans soften. Again, just taste one! The key to cooking is to taste as you go. (Dad, there’s your cooking tip of the day.)

Turn off the heat and grab a potato masher or fork. Mash the bean mixture until most of the beans are pretty smashed. This will help the patties stick together a bit better.

Add the rice to the bean mixture and mix thoroughly. Taste the mixture and add any additional spices as you see fit.

Turn the mixture out on a large plate so it can cool slightly. While it’s cooling you can prep your burger toppings. Avocado! Can I get an Amen?!

Once the bean mixture is cool enough to touch (this shouldn’t take more than 5-10 minutes) separate it into 6 balls. Flatten the balls with the palms of your hand and sprinkle or lightly pat flour onto both sides of each pattie. If you don’t plan to cook all 6 patties at once, set some aside to freeze.

Heat some olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot add patties to the pan – as many as will fit without being crowded. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, paying attention to not letting them burn. Remove from the pan once both sides have a crispy brown crust.

For the patties you set aside and choose not to cook: place them in a freezable container in a single layer or in a Ziploc with parchment paper between each pattie. When you’re ready to enjoy them, simply cook them in a pan with some hot oil – straight from the freezer. Easy peasy.

Posts from the “Entree” Category

Summertime on a plate, and in a glass.

Posted on August 8, 2012

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Easy peasy breezy. I mean lunch, of course.

Posted on July 14, 2012

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Black bean burgers with a side of warm ocean breezes.

Posted on May 26, 2012

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