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3 Bean Salad…a beach journey

8 Jul

Three Bean Salad

During the summer there are so many great opportunities for picnics and barbeques that I love to have some great fixes to bring along that require little to no oven time and get me out in the sun even sooner.  Three bean salad is such a staple, it is vegetarian yet packed with protein and iron.  It is incredibly refreshing with the bright flavors of lemon and cilantro. And it can take less than 10 minutes to make.  Win. Win.

I started this salad with a can of kidney beans, a can of chickpeas, and a can of black beans. Then I sliced in some delicious jumbo olives–pausing for a moment to eat a few before they all made it into the bowl.  Hey-with a 10 minute salad, I can linger when needed.

Next goes the marinated artichoke hearts, vine tomato, avocado, cilantro, and lemon.  Dress with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Now off to the beach!

If you live in NYC, summer opens up all new possibilities of adventure. We are fortunate enough in the city to have public transportation to take us directly to numerous beaches.  I mean, I can go from work in the morning take a subway to LIRR and I’m off! Or even take a subway right to Coney Island.  It just amazes me how liberating it can be to escape.

We had picked a gorgeous sunny day, packed a picnic, and were truly ecstatic to hit the beach.  No complaints were even made as we made the long progression from the boardwalk to the actual surf.  We winced at the hot sand burning our toes but just pranced on towards the sparkling water and our awaiting picnic.

Now, I was set to get this picnic rolling! I whipped out my tupperware like a mother of seven, sliced my baguette like a true French citizen, and minced my metaphors as I had my salad.  After subways, trains, and buses, I was ready to dig in.

Hard boiled eggs seasoned with smoked paprika, smoked gouda and baguette, some ripe peaches, and of course the three bean salad I whipped together earlier.  It was easy and friggin’ tasty!

I even had an eager audience as I ate, one hoping for any scrap of a leftover. As seen by my fine feathered friend encroaching on our blanket space.

With full bellies we lounged in the sun. Then dove into the water that was-lets just say a tad cooler than one would expect on a bright summer day.  Divine! How can you ever worry at the beach?  It is one of the few experiences that can just erase life’s little hiccups and bring you back to yourself and the joy of being.  It helps having a great friend along as well…

Little did we care as we watched the storm rolling towards us and the water.  We didn’t pack up when the life guards started whistling to GET OUT OF THE WATER!  We didn’t flee when the storm clouds covered half the once tranquil sky and the temperature dropped. Okay, we did have to move when they cleared the beach.  You win some, eh, you lose some. But we waited out the storm.  Each in our own way.  Some dance in the rain, some drink it in.  And hey, I never knew corona came in a can.

Overall, it was just a remarkable day.  We were well fed, sun kissed, and now had the beach to ourselves after everyone had cleared out.  And the sun came back to dry our rain soaked clothes and give us just that final farewell before we had to board the bus again.

As for your three bean salad:

you can eat on on a train, you can eat them in the rain.

they’re awfully good at the beach and pair so nicely with a peach

you could eat them anywhere and hopefully without a care.

And now for the recipe:

Three Bean Salad

1 (15.5 ounce can) chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 (15.5 ounce can) kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15.5 ounce can) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (5.5 ounce can) large pitted black olives, rinsed, drained, and sliced

1/2 cup sliced marinated artichoke hearts (from a can or jar), chopped

1/2 cup fresh cilantro (very thoroughly rinsed) then chopped

1 large vine tomato, medium dice

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 lemon, juiced

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 ripe Hass avocado, medium dice

In a large mixing bowl, combine beans and sliced olives.  Add in marinated artichoke hearts (I like to keep a little of the juice if they are packed in olive oil–it is already seasoned and adds some flavor).  Then add in cilantro and tomato.  Toss and dress with olive oil and freshly squeezed lemon. Mix and season to taste with salt and pepper. Finish by folding in avocado.  Chill and serve.

Summer Greens!

20 Jun

I had the good fortune to be able to spend Father’s Day in Pennsylvania with my Dad.  I left with bags of his amazingly sweet and delicate lettuce greens.  These greens are so flavorful and tender that they can easily be eaten alone without dressing and still bring the truest pleasure.  However, with a few simple ingredients, they make the BEST salads.

For the next week, farmers markets throughout the Tri-State area should be featuring similar baby greens. However, as summer comes on in full these greens start to decline so grab them at their prime.

For today’s salad I used under 10 ingredients:

hard boiled eggs, an assortment of baby greens, small white beans, extra virgin olive oil, vinegar (I have a wonderful pear infused vinegar), lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Simply dressed with oil and vinegar and a touch of lemon juice for brightness, this salad is the easiest thing to fix for a quick snack or healthy lunch.

When your ingredients are this fresh, you don’t want to be heavy handed on your seasoning.  You just want to chose the right ingredients to enhance and deepen the basic flavors.

Chilled Asparagus with Dill Cream

17 May

Chilled Asparagus with Dill Cream

(Serves 4-6)

If you love asparagus, this sauce is fantastic! Instead of a hollandaise- doing a dill cream that uses non-fat sour cream cuts the calories, brightens the flavor, and still is intense on your palate.  Perfect as a summer side dish.


2 bunches of asparagus (look for thin shoots)

1 cup non-fat sour cream

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 lemon, juiced

1/2 cup diced dill

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

salt and freshly ground pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Cut the ends off your asparagus and boil them in batches (about 2-3 minutes per batch) until shoots are just tender.  Immediately shock the asparagus to keep its color in a large bowl of ice water.  Set asparagus to dry on a paper towel.

In a medium bowl mix sour cream, mayonnaise, dijon, lemon, dill, and garlic powder.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and spread over asparagus.  Serve chilled.


Quinoa Salad with Roasted Beets

15 May

Quinoa Salad with Roasted Beets

(serves 10-12)

As the warm weather hits, it is great to have some easy and delicious salads in your roster to serve up at backyard barbeques or for an impromptu dinner with friends. This salad is refreshing, packed with the flavor of oven-roasted beets, and enriched with the addition of chickpeas.  Best of all for the warm weather–it requires little oven time and can be made the night before.  Serve chilled.

6 beets, greens attached

1/4 cup olive oil plus 2 tablespoons, divided

2 cups uncooked quinoa

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 (1 lb and 13 ounce) can chickpeas, drained

1 yellow pepper, small dice

1 cup sliced scallions

1 cup sliced green olives

1 lemon, juiced

Roasting the Beets:

(1 hour, can be done a day ahead)

Preheat your oven to 350 and thoroughly wash your beets and beet greens.  Cut the beets away from the greens and rub with olive oil and add to an aluminum foil lined 8×8″ casserole dish.  Add a 1/4 cup of water and cover with foil.  Bake in the oven for about 1 hour (test the beets by inserting a paring knife in, if the beets are soft, they are done).

As beets are cooking, chop your beet greens and tender stems and add to a medium sized saute pan over medium heat.  Saute with a tablespoon of olive oil until just starting to wilt.  Reserve for later.

Allow beets from oven to cool, then put on some gloves (otherwise the beet juices will certainly stain your hands) then remove and discard the skin.  Chop the beets into a medium dice and season with salt, pepper, and a tablespoon more olive oil.

Cooking Quinoa:

(Takes 45 minutes)

Start by soaking 2 cups of uncooked quinoa in water for 15 minutes.  Strain into a fine metal sieve (quinoa is small so will slip through a typical strainer).  Cook in a medium sized stock pot with 2 1/2 cups of water (or soup stock to add more flavor).  Season with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt.  Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer.  Cook 30 minutes then fluff with a fork.

Assembling the Salad:

In a large bowl add your beet greens, quinoa, chickpeas, yellow pepper, scallions, and green olives.  Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Plate into a large bowl and then top with oven roasted beets.  Chill and serve!




Pear Chutney

28 Apr

Pear Chutney

(makes about 3 cups)

Prep time: about 30 minutes

Chutney is the perfect meld of sweet, savory, and spicy.  It adds a ton of flavor to your favorite proteins, makes a killer jam substitute on your toast, can spice up a cheese platter in a miraculous way, and also can be kept for later use in mason jars.  Not to mention its ability to lighten up a rainy day.


1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, small dice (2 cups)

2 Bosc pears, peeled and cored, small dice (2 cups)

3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (substitute: apple cider vinegar)

1 tablespoon vindaloo paste

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 cup sweet white wine

salt and freshly ground pepper

In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil and onions.  Cook for about 3 minutes then add in peasrs, vinegar and vindaloo paste.  Cook mixture for 8-10 minutes, stirring from time to time, until onions are translucent and pears have begun to soften.  Add raisins, cayenne, honey, cinnamon, and garlic powder and cook another 10 minutes.  Then add in wine and 1/4 cup of water, stirring until excess moisture has evaporated leaving you with a jammy consistency (about 10 minutes).  Season to taste with salt and pepper and you’re done! Enjoy your pear chutney.

Roasted Red Potatoes with Truffle Oil and Cilantro Gremolata

23 Jan

Roasted Red Potatoes with Truffle Oil and Cilantro Gremolata

(Serves 4-6)

From breakfast Bliss to a bright and flavorful side, these are no ordinary potatoes.  They are perfect for a Sunday dinner for two (paired with roast chicken or steak) and the leftovers will make your Monday morning get off to a great start despite the fact that you’re heading away from the weekend and back to the grind.  Why not wake up with something to look forward to.

5 cups roughly chopped red potatoes

1 large shallot, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons olive oil

salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons truffle oil

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon minced garlic

Line a large roasting pan with aluminum foil and preheat oven to 350.  Add your red potatoes and shallots to the roasting pan and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Roast in the oven for about 40 minutes, turning potatoes halfway during cooking.  Test potatoes with the tines of a fork–potato should be soft but not to the point where it crumbles.

Once potatoes are fully roasted, remove from oven and toss with truffle oil and additional salt and pepper.  In a small bowl, mix lemon, cilantro, parmesan, and garlic for gremolata and then sprinkle over potatoes.  Give potatoes a final toss and serve warm. Enjoy!

Blackeye Pea & Swiss Chard Salad

16 Jan

Blackeye Pea & Swiss Chard Salad

(serves 6-8)

For a quick bite packed with iron and protein to a simple side to brighten up an entree, this salad is simply delicious.  I first tasted it at my local natural food store, was instantly wowed by its flavor and vowed to recreate it at home.


4 tablespoons olive oil

1 large shallot, finely diced

3 cups chopped Swiss chard, stalk removed

2 (15.5 ounce) cans blackeye peas

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

2 lemons, juiced

In a large saute pan over medium high heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and shallots.  Cook for 2-3 minutes and then add Swiss chard to the pan.  Continue cooking for 3-4 minutes and meanwhile rinse and strain blackeye peas.  Add blackeye peas to the saute pan and cook an additional 2-3 minutes, stirring as you go.  Season with red wine vinegar, salt, and both freshly ground black pepper and white pepper.  Finish with remaining olive oil and lemon juice, toss, and transfer to a large serving bowl.  Refrigerate till fully chilled, about 15-20 minutes.  Serve chilled.

 

 

Dungeness Crab Deviled Eggs

3 Jan

Dungeness Crab Deviled Eggs

(serves 6-8)

When you are in the Pacific Northwest, Dungeness is without question a mandatory order.  It is the most succulent, flavorful, and delicious of crabs (I’m not playing favorites at all).  Combine it with a deviled egg and you are talking a protein packed appetizer that really really rocks.  Enjoy!

6 hard-boiled eggs

1 container (8 ounces) cooked Dungeness crab meat, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup Hellmann’s mayonnaise

2 tablespoons horseradish

1 tablespoon Tabasco

1 lemon, freshly squeezed

salt and freshly ground pepper

hot smoked paprika

2 scallions, diced on a diagonal

Cut your hard-boiled eggs in half and remove yolks.  Save for egg salad or discard.

In a medium sized bowl, mix crab with mayonnaise, horseradish, Tabasco, and lemon.  Season to taste with salt and pepper (most crab meat that has been canned has salt in it–so really taste as you go).  Spoon mixture into eggs and top with scallions and hot smoked paprika.  Chill and serve cold.  Enjoy!




RAGE! popcorn seasoning

28 Dec

RAGE! popcorn seasoning
(1 spice container)

(published in Heat Magazine)

(Popcorn will never be the same. This is one of those seasonings you’ll find yourself sneaking into the movie theater and even hiding in your coat pocket as you go over for movie night.  It’s blazingly delicious and definitely heightens your favorite snack.

1 dried chile negro
2 dried ancho peppers
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon gumbo file
2 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons cayenne
2 teaspoons chile powder
1 teaspoon hot smoked paprika

In a spice grinder, finely grind dried peppers then add in remaining spices and grind to a fine powder.  Fill an empty spice container with contents of the grinder and label with warning: RAGE popcorn seasoning, not for the faint of palate.

To add to popcorn:

Pop kernels in a large pot on the stove with 2 T canola oil

In a small saucepan, melt 4 T butter and season with 1 teaspoons Tabasco.  Once popcorn is freshly drizzled with butter top with RAGE seasoning. Enjoy!

Potato Latkes

4 Dec

Potato Latkes

(yield: 4 large pancakes)

Perfect for Hanukkah and perfect for all of you fried food lovers out there. A festival dedicated to fried food…I’m in! Now, these latkes take the cake: decorated with both homemade apple sauce and sour cream–de-li-cious!

3 medium sized potatoes

1 small onion

1 egg

1/4 cup minced chives

1/2 cup matzo meal

1 teaspoon lemon juice

salt and freshly ground pepper

oil for frying

Into a large bowl, grate potatoes and onion.  Squeeze mixture firmly until dry.  This will take several times.  Add egg, minced chive, matzo meal, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.  Form mixture into 4 large pancakes.  In a large frying pan filled 1/2 inch full with  frying oil (canola works well), fry latkes in batches.   Latkes will take about 3-4 minutes per side to fry.  Finish by baking in the oven at 350 for 10 minutes. Serve with homemade apple sauce and sour cream. Enjoy!

 



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