Boating Bliss

One of Adam's co-workers and her husband took us out on their boat for a day of fun in the sun and water sports. Although I wasn't so great at water surfing, I had a ton of fun. To feed us on the fabulous day, I made a Curried Quinoa Salad with Cucumber-Mint Raita that was perfect for the hot day. The warm flavors of the curry melded wonderfully with the cool mango and cucumber yogurt. Take advantage of this salad on the next (and maybe last) warm day of the year.


Curried Quinoa Salad with Cucumber-Mint Raita (Cooking Light, September 2010)

1 tsp. olive oil
2 tsp. Madras curry powder
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 diced peeled ripe mango
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
3 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
3 Tbs. currants [I used dried cranberries instead.]
1/4 cup finely diced peeled English cucumber
2 tsp. chopped fresh mint
1 (6-oz.) carton plain low-fat yogurt
1 (5-oz.) package fresh baby spinach

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add curry and garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add quinoa and 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 16 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat; stir in salt. Cool completely.
2. Add mango, diced celery, thinly sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, and currants to cooled quinoa; toss gently.
3. Combine 1/4 cup cucumber, 2 tsp. mint, and yogurt in a small bowl, and stir well. Divide spinach evenly among 6 plates, and top each serving with about 3/4 cup quinoa mixture and about 2 Tbs. raita.

More Bean Burgers

I absolutely love bean burgers, which you can probably tell by now from all of the bean burgers I've posted. The cheese inside the burgers makes for a nice gooey-ness and the mango salsa adds freshness and a summery touch. Bake some sweet potato fries for a complete meal.


Black Bean Burgers with Mango Salsa (Cooking Light, April 2010)

2 (15-oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, divided
3/4 cup (3 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 medium jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
2 large egg whites
cooking spray
1 1/4 cups chopped peeled mango (about 1 medium)
3 Tbs. chopped shallots
1 1/2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1 avocado, peeled and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
6 (2-oz.) whole-wheat hamburger buns, lightly toasted
6 green leaf lettuce leaves

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Place black beans in a medium bowl; mash with a fork. Stir in 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro and the next 7 ingredients (through egg whites). Shape bean mixture into 6 (1/2-inch-thick) patties. Arrange patties on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, carefully turning once.
3. Combine remaining 1/4 cup cilantro, mango, and the next 4 ingredients (through minced garlic) in a medium bowl. Place a patty on bottom half of each hamburger bun; top each with 1 lettuce leaf, 1/3 cup salsa, and top half of bun.

Tandoori Twist

I really like to look through the appropriate month sections of the Cooking Light cookbooks to find meals. They typically use more seasonal ingredients, which I always want to take advantage of. While flipping through the July section, I found a recipe for Chipotle Tandoori Shrimp Wraps that intrigued me from the get-go. Adam ate the meal as it appears in the recipe. I simple created a veggie version by substituting tofu slices for the shrimp. The only other aspect of the recipe we changed was that we broiled the shrimp and tofu. We would have grilled them, but we ran out of propane for our grill. Oh well. They were quite delicious regardless!


Chipotle Tandoori Shrimp Wraps (Cooking Light, July 2006)

1 1/2 cups plain low-fat yogurt, divided
2 Tbs. minced peeled fresh ginger
2 Tbs. minced garlic
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. adobo sauce
2 chipotle chiles, canned in adobo sauce, seeded and minced
1 1/2 lbs. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
cooking spray
8 (7-inch) flatbreads (such as Flatout)
1 cup diced peeled mango
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 thinly sliced fresh jalapenos peppers
8 lime wedges

1. Combine 1 cup yogurt, ginger, and next 9 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal bag. Toss well to coat. Marinate in refrigerator 1 hour, turning bag occasionally.
2. Prepare grill.
3. Remove shrimp from bag; discard marinade. Thread shrimp evenly onto 8 (10-inch) skewers. Place skewers on a grill rack coated with cooking spray, and grill 2 minutes on each side or until done. Let shrimp stand 5 minutes. Remove shrimp from skewers. Divide shrimp evenly among 8 flatbreads. Top each serving with 2 Tbs. mango, 1 Tbs. onion, 1 1/2 tsp. cilantro, and 1 Tbs. yogurt. Divide jalapeno evenly among flatbreads; roll up. Serve with lime wedges.

Summer Grillin'

Nothing says summer like burgers, corn, and tomatoes. We found a succulent burger recipe in this month's Food and Wine and decided it was a must-make. This green chile bacon burger with goat cheese was easy to turn vegetarian by simply switching out the beef burger for a pre-made veggie burger. I omitted the bacon all together, but you could certainly use veggie bacon if you wish. The grilled corn with Mango-Habanero butter and simple tomato salad were perfect accomaniments. The tomato salad consisted of sliced tomatoes topped with salt, pepper, and a touch of chili oil. Simply perfect!


Green-Chile Bacon Burgers with Goat Cheese (Food and Wine, July 2009)

8 thick-cut slices of bacon (about 1/2 lbs.)
1/2 cup mango chutney, preferably Major Grey brand
1 poblano chile
vegetable oil, for brushing
4 hamburger buns, split
1 large tomato, cut into 4 thick slices
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef chuck
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 oz. fresh goat cheese, cut into 4 slices
watercress sprigs or lettuce, for serving

1. Preheat oven to 375. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the bacon slices on the paper and brush both sides liberally with the chutney, leaving any chunks in the jar. Bake the bacon for about 30 minutes, turning once, until caramelized. Transfer the glazed bacon to a rack and let cool.
2. Meanwhile, light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Rub the chile with oil and grill until charred all over, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 10 minutes. Peel the poblano and coarsely chop it.
3. Brush the cut sides of the buns with oil and grill until toasted, about 30 seconds. Brush the tomato slices with oil and grill just until lightly charred, about 1 minute. Place the grilled tomato slices on the bottom half of the buns.
4. Form the beef into four 1-inch-thick patties and brush with oil. Season with salt and pepper and grill over high heat, turning once, until nearly medium-rare, about 6 minutes. Top with the goat cheese and chopped poblano, close the grill and cook until the cheese is completely melted and the burgers are medium-rare, about 1 minute. Set the burgers on the buns, top with glazed bacon and watercres spigs and serve right away.


Grilled Corn with Mango-Habanero Butter (Food and Wine, July 2009)

1 mango, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup mango nectar [I just used apple juice]
1 Tbs. honey
1/2 habanero chile, seeded [we decided next time we would use a whole one]
1 1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 Tbs. packed cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
8 ears of corn

1. In a small saucepan, combine the chopped mango with the mango nectar, honey, and habanero chile. Bring to a simmer and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the mango is very soft, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and puree until smooth. Strain the mango puree into a small bowl and let cool, about 30 minutes.
2. Wipe out the food processor. Add the cooled mango puree along with the butter, cilantro leaves and salt and puree utnil smooth. Scrape the mango butter into a small bowl, cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.
3. Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Pull the corn husks down to the base of the stalks, leaving the husks attached [or not]. Discard the corn silk. Using butcher string, tie back the husks. Fill a large bowl with cold, salted water and submerge the corn for 10 minutes.
4. Drain the corn but don't pat dry. Grill the corn over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until tender and browned in spots, about 8 minutes. Transfer the corn to plates, spread with mango-habanero butter and serve.

Family Favorite

One of Adam's favorite meals is his mom's fajitas. Every single time we go home, she makes them for him. She makes the fajitas with flank or skirt steak, marinating the meat for a day or two to make it tender and flavorful. Last night, we made the fajitas with chicken and tofu, which still passed the test of Adam's approval. We rounded out the meal with a homemade mango salsa, guacamole, and home-fried tortilla chips. All-in-all, a perfect fajita experience.


June's Fajitas

You can make the fajita filling with any type of meat: beef, pork, or chicken (or even tofu). You definitely don't need a fancy, expensive cut of meat to make the meal fantastic.

meat/tofu
soy sauce
lime juice
garlic, minced
olive oil
onion, sliced
green pepper, thinly sliced
red pepper, thinly sliced
tortillas
shredded cheddar cheese

1. Place the meat/tofu in a plastic Ziploc bag. Pour in soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, and olive oil. Use your discretion and personal taste as to determine how much of each ingredient you use. Allow to marinate for at least 6 hours but up to 2 days. If you are using tofu, only marinate for about 1 hour.
2. Grill the meat on medium-high heat until thoroughly cooked. Slice into strips.
3. Heat a bit of olive oil on medium heat in a large skillet. Add onions and peppers; saute until tender and slightly browned.
4. Heat tortillas to make supple. Serve tortillas topped with meat, vegetables, and cheese.


Mango Salsa with Tortilla Chips

Corn or flour tortillas work for this recipe. If you use corn tortillas, you will have a more traditional chip, but if you use flour tortillas, you will have a crispy outside with a chewy inside chip that is a nice variation to the usual.

1 mango, diced
2 serrano peppers, minced, or pepper to taste
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 (15-oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup red onion, minced
2 limes, juiced
splash of white wine vinegar
salt to taste

corn or flour tortillas, cut into eighths
vegetable oil
salt

1. Mix all ingredients, mango to first salt, together.
2. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tortilla pieces a few at a time, making sure not to crowd the pan. Allow to brown on one side, then flip and brown on the other. Place on a paper towel to drain the oil and salt to taste. Serve warm.

Asian Inspiration

I was trying to get inspired for this week's meals by looking in various cookbooks and magazines. While searching, I found this recipe for Chilled Noodle Salad with Mango in Vegetarian Times, which looked absolutely amazing and perfectly refreshing for a warm September evening. Plus, we had a fair number of the ingredients, making it a definite meal for the week. We paired it with Grilled Marinated Asian Tofu for me and a big, juicy steak for Adam. He was in absolute heaven (as was I).


Chilled Noodle Salad with Mango (Vegetarian Times, June 2008)

The recipe calls for bean sprouts, but despite looking everywhere, we couldn't seem to find any. I'm sure the salad would be wonderful with them, but I didn't feel like anything was missing without them. Also, the dressing calls for a red jalapeno chile. We used a red serrano chile with some of the seeds to intensify the heat. In addition, we used walnuts instead of roasted peanuts. I think any type of nut would work well with this dish; they add just the perfect crunch. And, don't skimp on the green onions. The recipe only calls for one, but I added 5 for extra tang. One thing--don't leave out the mint, it truly makes the dish.

Dressing
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1 red jalapeno chile, finely chopped

Salad
8 oz. dried rice-stick noodles
1 large carrot, cut into thin strips
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced leaf lettuce
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh mint leaves
1/2 English cucumber, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise
1 cup bean sprouts
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 large ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1/2 cup roasted peanuts, crushed, optional

1. To make Dressing: Warm all ingredients in saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Cool.
2. To make Salad: Soak noodles in hot water 15 minutes. Drain, and set aside.
3. Cook carrot in pot of boiling water 30 seconds. Transfer to colander with slotted spoon, and rinse under cold water. Add noodles to water and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Transfer to colander with carrots, and rinse under cold water. Drain, and chill.
4. Toss noodles mixture with lettuce, basil, mint, and 1/2 cup Dressing. Divide among 4 bowls. Top with cucumber slices, bean sprouts, and green onion. Arrange mango slices on top, and drizzle with remaining Dressing. Sprinkle with cilantro and peanuts, if desired.


Grilled Marinated Asian Tofu

One of the greatest qualities about tofu is that it can take on any flavor. Just by putting in it in a bag with spices and letting it sit for an hour, you can create a fantastic, flavor-packed meal.

2 slices of tofu
2 tsp. crushed garlic
1 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. sesame oil

1. Place all of the ingredients in a plastic storage bag.
2. Mix the liquids and garlic around to ensure the tofu has been thoroughly coated. Be careful not to break the tofu. Let the tofu sit room-temperature for at least an hour.
3. Grill on medium-high heat for 5 minutes each side, or until there are nice grill marks.