Blueberry Salsa with Cilantro and Jalapeno

We've got just a few days left here in Florida, and I'm still trying to empty out my fridge/freezer and resist buying anything new from the store.  And there was a bag of frozen blueberries that I bought for smoothies, but I'm a creature of habit and always go for the frozen banana instead.  I already knew I was making fish for dinner, and figured a blueberry salsa would go nicely.  Whipped this up real quick with a few other pantry staples.

As mentioned, I used frozen blueberries, and I think these would be preferable to fresh because they get all juicy when they thaw.  However, fresh would still work, you just might want to do a little extra muddling and maybe cut in half if you have larger berries.  You could also try cooking fresh berries for 10 minutes or so on the stove to break them down a little more.

I also really wanted to use lime or lemon juice in this, but didn't have any.  So I made do with a little rice vinegar, and I think it turned out great. If you have lime or lemon juice, though, you might want to give that a try!

I served this on top of broiled flounder fillets seasoned with salt, pepper, and cumin.  Thought about adding cumin to the salsa as well, but went with it just on the fish.  If I were serving this with something like plain chips, I'd probably add the cumin to the salsa to boost the flavor.

What you need:

1 1/2-2 cups frozen blueberries, thawed (I recommend Trader Joe's wild Boreal blueberries... they are so much better than any other frozen blueberries I've ever bought!)

1/2 cup packed chopped cilantro, thickest stem end removed

2 jalapenos, diced, seeds and pith removed

2-3 tablespoons diced onion

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

salt and pepper to taste (I probably added somewhere around 1/2 teaspoon of each)


Simply mix all ingredients together, mashing lightly to help the blueberries break down a little.  Let sit for at least 30 minutes, and preferably for a couple hours, before serving to allow flavors to meld.

Enjoy!

Summer Squash with Onions, Garlic, Jalapeno, and Bacon

My first experience cooking summer squash was when I was 14 years old and obsessed with calories.  My mom told me how my grandmother used to make it-cooked way down with onions and a lot of butter- and that it was one of the simplest yet most delicious vegetable dishes.  I wasn't a fan of using butter, but used a little cooking spray and topped it afterwards with "buttery spray", which is as artificial as it sounds.  Delicious as promised, even made my low-cal way.

Fast forward 10+ years, and a variation on this is still my favorite way to cook summer squash.  I still want to keep it on the light side, but now know that leaving a tad bit of bacon grease in my pan will add a ton of flavor without compromising the healthiness of my dish (and no more buttery spray involved!).  And you can definitely skip the bacon and use a little bit of some other fat (olive oil, butter, or coconut oil).  Sometimes I add a tiny drizzle of truffle oil at the end.

The key to this dish is letting it cook for a bit.  The method is sort of a combination of sauteing and stewing.  There is plenty of moisture as the squash breaks down, but the heat is higher than a traditional stewing process and there is more browning.  The heat is low enough, though, that some moisture does build up and you don't have to stir as often as during traditional sautes.

The end result should have some nice golden color and also reduce down to almost create a mush (I was actually a little impatient this time around... my squash wasn't quite mush enough! :-/). This is what really lets the natural sweetness shine and eliminates the need for additional seasoning.  The bacon adds a little salt, so you won't need to add extra unless you don't use bacon.

4-5 strips bacon
1 medium onion (I used a sweet onion), sliced or diced
3 small summer squash, sliced thinly
1 head garlic, peeled and cloves cut into slices
1 jalapeno
4 green onions


Start by frying the bacon in a large frying pan over medium/medium-high heat.  Once the bacon is fully cooked (the crispier you make it, the more you render the fat out), remove the strips from the pan and drain over paper towel.  Discard all but 1-2 teaspoons of the bacon grease.  There should be a very thin coating on the bottom of the pan.

Add the onion, squash, garlic, and jalapeno to the pan.  Saute/stew, stirring only every couple minutes, until the squash breaks down and all vegetables have a lovely golden color.  If things are sticking too much, reduce heat a little.  This should take at least 20-25 minutes and you can keep cooking it beyond that to deepen the flavor.  You can baby it if you want and stir more often, but I find that stirring less often works perfectly well and that way you can wash some dishes or prep other parts of dinner at the same time.  Once you've achieved a suitably mushy state, add the green onions and crumble in the reserved bacon strips.

And enjoy!  This would be a perfect accompaniment to some salmon or barbecued chicken.

Roasted Beets and Butternut Squash with Rosemary and Sage

This is a great fall or winter side dish.  Perfect for Thanksgiving next week too!  It is comforting and warm, hearty yet healthy, and just so delicious.  You can add in other hardy vegetables too- parsnips, sweet potatoes, carrots, rutabaga all work well.  And you can certainly omit the rosemary and sage if you want, but I had some already and thought that they'd be a nice change of pace from my usual more basic roasted vegetables.  They add a subtle earthy "herbiness" and fall flavor.  I also added a couple jalapenos for some kick, and, boy, did they add a kick.  We like spicy around here, but you'll probably want to leave those out if you don't. :-)

I served this with seared tuna steaks.  The leftovers would make a great topping for a salad with goat cheese, nuts, and a light vinaigrette.

What you need:

I medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks

1 1/2 pounds beets (I think I used 7 medium/small ones), ends cut off and cut into 1 inch chunks

2 jalapenos, stems removed, cut into 3-4 pieces
Olive Oil

1-2 teaspoons cumin

A few sprigs of fresh rosemary and a few sage leaves

Salt and Pepper

Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Place your cut up beets, squash, and jalapenos in a large bowl.  Your squash pieces should definitely be larger than the beet pieces!  They cook faster.  Drizzle with olive oil (I try to keep it light, using about 2 tablespoons).  Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and cumin.  Add the rosemary and sage.  Toss everything around to make sure the oil and salt are evenly dispersed.  Spread this on a 13 by 9 inch sheet pan.  Roast for about an hour, mixing halfway through.  If you want a little extra crisp on them, leave them a little longer and turn the heat up to 425.

Remove rosemary stems. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!!

Simple Roasted Cauliflower

This is a super simple recipe and my favorite way to make cauliflower.  Even people who think they don't like cauliflower will most likely like it.  Like most things, you just need to know how to make it right.

I made it to accompany some stewed eggplant curry and beef that was stewed with ginger and garam marsala, which is why I did a "curry" version.  I often make it with just salt and pepper.  You can add whatever spices you like- garlic powder, cumin, and paprika are in my rotation.

What you need:

1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
Olive oil or oil oil spray
Salt and pepper
Curry Powder (or sub whatever spices you want)

Heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spray or lightly grease a 13" x 9" pan with olive oil. Spread cauliflower florets across the pan.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and curry powder.  Lightly drizzle or spray with olive oil.  Toss everything around and make sure that it is evenly spread across the pan.  Roast in the oven for about 12-15 minutes, stirring halfway through.  If you leave it a little longer, it gets awesomely crispy (I couldn't do that this time because my apartment's smoke alarm is stupid sensitive, which is a bummer).  You should get at least a little brown on it- much tastier that way!

Enjoy!

Stewed Green Tomatoes

I've actually never used green tomatoes before until today!  I've had fried ones, which are delicious, but I wanted to make something a little healthier.  So I decided to just cook them up and see what happened...

The result: delicious!  This recipe is pretty basic, but it could definitely be jazzed up depending on your flavor mood.

I served them with chicken tenderloins and stewed eggplant. I probably should have gone for more variety in texture, but I guess I had a craving for stewed food.  Maybe it's the crisp Fall air.

What you need:

2 teaspoons oil or butter 

1 small onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, peeled and diced

~2 pounds green tomatoes, cut into 1/2-3/4 inch chunks

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

1-2 teaspoons cumin

pinch of brown sugar (I used Truvia brown sugar blend because I didn't have regular)

1/2 can green chiles

Heat the oil/butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat.  Add the onion and garlic and saute for 2 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt.  Let cook, stirring frequently, for 20-30 minutes.  Add the green chiles and let cook for another 5-10 minutes.  The tomatoes chunks should mostly fall apart and be cooked through.  Season with cumin, salt, and pepper.  Enjoy!

Garlicky Mashed Cauliflower

Clearly, my cauliflower was purple.  But you can use a normal one, of course. The only cauliflower they had this week were purple ones and I figured the color would be fun.  This makes a much lighter substitute to the mashed potatoes one might normally serve with a steak.  And, personally, I think it tastes better too!   I made this a little too garlicky (not really sure that is possible, but I guess Rob thought so), but I you can just add as many or few garlic cloves as you like.  Or, for a milder garlic flavor, you could roast a head first and just add that.

What you need:

1 medium/small head of cauliflower, cut into large florets

Salt

Garlic- for an intense garlic flavor, use raw cloves (I used 5-6, and that was garlicky to the point of spicy, yum! But probably too intense for anyone but the serious garlic fan).  You can also sub in jarred minced garlic, garlic powder, or roasted garlic

2-3 tablespoons fat-free cream cheese (or regular/light, or sour cream)

Salt and Pepper

Bring an inch of water to boil in a large pot.  Add a pinch of salt and the cauliflower florets.  Cover and boil until cauliflower is very tender.  Drain, squeezing out any extra liquid.  Add garlic and cream cheese.  Puree using an immersion blender, regular blender, or food processor.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Done!

I'll definitely be making this again- maybe try out a Parmesan cheese and herb version.  Yum!

"Fake" Mashed Sweet Potatoes

....or I guess you could just call it Cauliflower, Carrot, Sweet Potato, and Cottage Cheese Puree..  But that sounds too scary.

I was making steak for dinner and wanted to make an appropriate side dish... Potatoes!  But I don't like potatoes.  Really, I think they're nasty (unless in fried form, which isn't necessarily suited to dinner).  

So I thought... sweet potatoes!  But then I'm thinking, too many carbs.  Sooooo.... I'll mix in some veggies!  And that's what I did.  But, it wasn't quite what I was hoping for.  It just needed something... delicious and fatty.

Cheese or butter or something.  I compromised taste and healthiness and went with a blend of parmesan cheese and 1 % cottage cheese.  Perfect.  This may not taste quite like your usual mashed potatoes, but I promise, it's a delicious and hearty side to any meal.

What you need:

1 head of cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces
Olive oil spray
Salt and pepper
1/2 of a large sweet potato (or maybe 1 small), cut into chunks (for me, 4 largish chunks)
1/2 of a large (and I mean LARGE) carrot, cut into large chunks
1 cup Silk coconut milk (or normal milk, maybe 1 %)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup 1 % cottage cheese
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Pepper, garlic powder, and Season-All

Heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Boil potato and carrot in a SALTED pot of water until fork-tender (I really don't know how long this took... I was doing other things at the time and just let it happen).  Spread cauliflower over a lightly sprayed baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.  Bake until lightly browned and cooked through... about 30 minutes.

Place cooked potatoes, carrots, and cauliflower in a bowl.  Add milk, broth, cottage cheese, and parmesan cheese.  Puree with an immersion blender until (somewhat) smooth.  Add seasonings to taste.  Enjoy!

Carrot-Sweet Potato Puree

A nice side dish for fall. I served it last night with my Pork Chop Slop.  

I'm thinking about making leftovers into hummus for a little variation (blending it up with chickpeas, tahini, and more garlic).  I also think it would be good as an oven bake with a bread crumb/ nut topping, or thinned down with chicken broth into a soup.  But it's pretty darn tasty in it's own right as well, so don't feel like you need to change a thing.

What you need:

1 large sweet potato

2 medium/large carrots

1 medium onion

Olive oil spray

Salt and pepper

1/2-1 cup water

2 cups Silk Coconut Milk (not the regular canned stuff.  If you want to use that, I'd recommend just using 1/2-1 cup of it and adding water to make up the difference.  Or just regular milk, maybe 1%)

1-2 teaspoons garlic powder

2-3 teaspoons curry powder

2-3 teaspoons Ketjap Manis or soy sauce

Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Cut sweet potato and carrots into 1-1 1/2 inch cubes.  Spray a baking sheet with olive oil.  Spread sweet potato and carrot chunks across it.  Peel onion and cut in half.  Place both halves on the baking sheet.  Spray with olive oil again and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast for 40-50 minutes, flipping once, until cooked and slightly browned.  Dump the vegetables into a large pot and pour 1/2 cup of water over them.  Turn heat on stove to medium-high and bring the water to boil.  Boil for a few minutes and then add the coconut milk, garlic powder, curry powder, and Ketjap Manis.  Bring to a boil again and reduce heat a little.  Cover and simmer until the sweet potatoes and carrots are quite tender.  Use an immersion blender to puree (at this point, add a little more water if needed to help with the blending). Add any extra seasoning if needed (I needed to add a bit more salt to mine).  Enjoy!

Roasted Romaine Hearts

My newest obsession:

It's healthy, delicious, super quick and easy.  Way better than eating regular lettuce- trust me.  For now (like the last four times I've made it, all in the past week), I like to spread my favorite low-fat dip (which I just posted) on it.  I will soon be trying some new variations- maybe sprinkling a little parmesan before broiling, or a little goat cheese after.  And maybe doing a bleu cheese and low-fat homemade ranch dressing, or a homemade caesar.  I think it could be used to amp up any regular salad, so try experimenting topping it with your usual favorite salad toppings.  Or eat it plain.  That's tasty too.


What you need (for one large or two smaller servings):

1 Romaine lettuce heart
Olive oil spray
Salt and pepper

Heat oven to broil on high.  Lightly spray a baking sheet with olive oil.  Slice Romaine heart down the center lengthwise.  Open it up and place on the baking sheet.  Spray with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.  Broil for 5-8 minutes, depending on how hot your broiler gets.  The lettuce should be browned in spots but not burnt.  Dress as you wish and enjoy!

Kimchi

Kimchi is traditionally a fermented Korean vegetable condiment.  My version is a "fresh" kimchi (meaning it hasn't fermented underground for a long time) using napa cabbage.  You can make this as spicy or not as you want.  It is supposed to be quite spicy, but sometimes I make it less so because I like to eat it more as a side dish rather than a spicy condiment.  If you can, plan ahead and make this a day or two before you want to use it. It definitely gets better.

What you need:

12 cups of Napa cabbage, chopped 

3 tablespoons of salt

1-2 tablespoons chili-garlic sauce (or more if you want it really spicy)

Sriracha sauce (optional, if you want it really spicy)

1 teaspoon chili oil

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1-2 teaspoons fish sauce 

3 tablespoons minced garlic (or a tablespoon or so of garlic powder)

1/4 + cup seasoned rice vinegar

1-2 tablespoon soy sauce

1-2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1/2 cup thinly sliced onion

1/2-1 cup thinly sliced cucumber 

Instructions:

Place the Napa cabbage in a large bowl and toss with the salt.  Place another large bowl on top of this and something heavy in this bowl to weigh it down.  Let sit for 4-5 hours, stirring once or twice.  The cabbage should really wilt down.  Dump the cabbage into a colander and thoroughly rinse to get rid of extra salt.  Put it back into a bowl and add the remaining ingredients.  Toss and let sit for at least an hour before serving, but preferably for a day or two in the fridge.  

Enjoy!

Baby Bok Choy Slaw

I got the idea for this from this recipe: http://thecozyapron.com/cozy-cameo-pass-the-bok-choy-greens-and-my-skinny-jeans-please/.

It looked really tasty, but a little too much oil for my taste.  Besides, I can't help deviating from a recipe even when it sounds delicious to start.  So here is my version.  It was a lovely side for this Asian-flavored pork tenderloin and eggplant dish I made.

What you need:

2-3 heads baby bok choy, rinsed and thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
small handful of mild peppers, thinly sliced
1 inch cube fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
zest of one orange, plus the juice from half of it
pinch of salt
2-3 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon black pepper
2-3 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce
1-2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (you can buy the seeds already toasted, but I really recommend doing it yourself to really bring out the flavor

Mix everything but the sesame seeds together and refrigerate for at least an hour, but longer is better.  Add the sesame seeds just before serving.  Enjoy!

Oven-Roasted Asparagus

This is quick, simple, delicious, and so healthy!  Great for a snack or a side, or even chopped up into your salad, omelet, or whatever else you're eating.

What you need:

One bunch of asparagus- I think about a pound (I've done this with both white and green, thicker and thinner stalks)

Olive oil spray 

Kosher salt

Black Pepper

Garlic Powder

Red Pepper Flakes (optional, if you like a little heat)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spray a baking sheet or 13 x 9 pan with olive oil.  Arrange asparagus evenly across it.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes.  Spray again with olive oil.  Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned and tender.  Enjoy!

Sweet Potato "Hash"

This is something I completely made up and I've done a lot of little variations on it by changing spices and what vegetables I add.  Here's the latest variety.  It may not be the prettiest dish, but it is tasty.

What you need:

1 large or 2 small cooked sweet potatoes (you can boil, bake, or roast in chunks- roasting will impart the most flavor, but the other methods are simpler)

2 eggs

2/3 cup bread crumbs, or 2 pieces of toast, crumbled

2 teaspoons black pepper

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1 tablespoon garlic powder

Olive oil or vegetable oil

1/2 onion, chopped

2 small hot peppers, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

Soy sauce (1-3 tablespoons)

Cilantro and green onions, chopped

Start by slightly mashing the sweet potato- it doesn't need to be at all smooth, you just want to get rid of really big chunks.  I keep the skin on, but you can take it off if you don't like the texture.  Add the eggs, bread crumbs, pepper, cumin, chili powder, coriander, and garlic powder.  Stir together.

In a large frying pan, saute the onion, hot peppers, and celery in a lightly greased pan with a sprinkle of salt.  When they have softened and browned slightly, add the sweet potato mixture and stir to mix.  Continue to saute, adding splashes of oil to help the mix fry up a bit.  Also add soy sauce to taste.  There is no need to stir it around constantly- letting it sit for a minute or two lets more browning occur, which creates a nice texture and flavor.  Cook until the entire mixture has taken a slightly darker color from browning.  Top with the cilantro and green onions.  Enjoy!

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

Simple oven-roasted red potatoes with fresh rosemary.

What you need:
5-6 red potatoes, cut into pieces (1/2 to 3/4 inch)
Olive Oil
1+ teaspoons Kosher Salt
1-2 teaspoons Black Pepper (freshly ground is best, but the regular will do fine)
2 teaspoons Garlic Powder
Couple sprigs of Rosemary, stems removed

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  In a large bowl, mix all ingredients to distribute seasoning and oil evenly.  Spread on a baking sheet.  Roast for 30-40 minutes, stirring halfway through.  Add more salt if needed.  Enjoy!