Recipe of the Month: Ensalada Azteca

Ensalada Azteca

I found this recipe in The China Study Cookbook, by LeAnne Campbell, PhD, and it was perfect for my summer salad series gathering on my back porch, where we enjoy a great conversation about health. I substituted peaches for the mangos, and I used maple syrup instead of agave for the dressing. Delicious! 


Ingredients
  • 2 -15 ounce cans of beans, drained & rinsed (I used kidney and black beans)
  • 2 cups cooked quinoa or brown rice
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
  • 1 green, red, or orange pepper, diced
  • 1 large tomato, diced
  • 1 large avocado, diced
  • 2 cups frozen corn thawed, or fresh off the cob
  • 1/2 cup mangoes (I used fresh peaches from the local farm)
  • 1 jalapeno, finely diced (optional)
  • 3/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (I used 1 tablespoon dried cilantro)
DRESSING
  • 1/3 cup rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1/2 cup mangoes, diced (I used the peaches)
  • 1/4 cup agave (I used maple syrup)
  • 1/2 tsp grated ginger (optional)
  • sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
Combine beans, rice or quinoa, onion, pepper, tomato, avocado, corn, mangoes or peaches, jalapeno, and cilantro in a large salad bowl.
In a food processor, place the dressing ingredients: vinegar, lime juice, mangoes or peaches, agave or maple syrup, and ginger. Process until smooth.
Pour dressing over the salad, toss gently. Season with salt and pepper to taste.




Potato & Green Bean Salad

Recipe Name

It's the middle of summer and the vegetables are abundant. I love picking up red potatoes at my local CSA. Green beans are plentiful and the tomatoes are starting to come in. Here is a quick and easy salad. Reprinted from The China Study Cookbook.



Ingredients
  • 1 ½ pounds unpeeled red skin potatoes, cut into ½-inch cubes
  • ¾ pound fresh green beans, trimmed and halved
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced small
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced small
  • ½ cup  All Purpose Vinaigrette
  • Sea salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1 Tbsp dried tarragon or 2 Tbsp minced fresh tarragon, or substitute rosemary or thyme

Instructions
  • 1. In a large pot, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil.
  • 2. Add the potatoes and green beans, and cook over medium heat for 7 minutes or until tender.
  • 3. Drain and rinse the vegetables under cold water. Add the vegetables to a bowl, then add the remaining ingredients.
  • 4. Gently toss to mix well.

All Purpose Vinaigrette Ingredients by Chef Del Sroufe

  • ½ cup balsamic vinegar
  • ½ cup Dijon mustard
  • ¼ cup minced shallot
  • ground black pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week.



Quinoa & Orzo Salad

Quinoa & Orzo Salad

Ingredients
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1 cup orzo
  • 1 can chickpeas (drain and reserve the liquid)
  • 2 medium cucumbers, diced
  • small container of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
  • 2 scallions, sliced thin
  • 2-3 ribs celery, sliced
  • Fresh parsley, chopped
Honey Lime Dressing
  • 1 cup of the chickpea liquid (aka "aqua faba")
  • 1/3 cup white or regular balsamic vinegar
  • juice from 1/2 lime
  • 2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup
Instructions
Cook the orzo and quinoa (separately) and let cool. You might want to drizzle a bit of olive oil on the orzo pasta while it is cooling so that it doesn't stick together. Slice all of the vegetables and add the orzo, quinoa, and chickpeas to a large bowl with the veggies. If you have a stick blender, blend together the dressing ingredients, or whisk until foamy. At this point you can add salt and pepper to taste and herbs of your choice.  I like to add marjoram and thyme. Stir in the dressing and top with the fresh parsley!




Recipe of the Month: Broccoli & Cabbage Slaw

Broccoli & Cabbage Slaw

As part of a healthy diet, cruciferous vegetables are anti-inflammatory and give you a good boost to your immune system.  You can substitute Brussels sprouts for the broccoli, or add bok choy, radishes, cauliflower, or any of your favorite vegetables.  Before adding the asparagus to this dish (try to get the fat stalks), I trimmed and peeled the lower part of the stalk. 


Ingredients
  • 1/2 - 3/4 cup raw walnuts or pecans (optional), chopped
  • 1 small head broccoli, cut in bite size pieces
  • 1/4 head of red cabbage, shredded
  • 3 carrots, peeled and shredded
  • 1 bunch asparagus, sliced thin
  • 1 apple, diced
  • 3/4 cup corn, fresh or frozen
  • 1/2 red onion
MAPLE MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE DRESSING (Courtesy of Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures)
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp water
  • 2 tsp tahini
  • 2 tsp maple syrup
  • 2 tsp ground mustard powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp dried minced onions
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp sea salt (or pink himalayan)
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
In a small bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing and set aside.  Assemble your salad ingredients in a large bowl. For optional tastiness, you can dry roast the nuts over medium heat in a small pan, stirring frequently so they don't burn. Let them cool before chopping. Toss in with the veggies and drizzle as much of the dressing as you like.