Sesame Prosecco Salad

I've been wondering what I should do with our new wine vinegars. Their zesty flavors are perfect for salads, but pictures of my plain green salads and vinegar don't make blog posts(even if I do eat them often).

A sale on shrimp moved this salad to the fore! All the measurements are for 2 side salads so scale up however you need. The dressing makes a little over 1/2 cup, so it should last you a bit longer!

Sesame Prosecco Salad

8-12 medium shrimp, cooked
4 cups favorite greens
1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 lime, sliced into wedges *optional*
1 tbsp Sesame Oil with Garlic and Ginger
1 tsp light soy sauce
sesame seeds for garnish

In a saute pan, warm the sesame oil over medium heat. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. After 1-2 minutes, they should be almost warmed through. Raise the temperature to high and sprinkle with the soy sauce. Let caramelize for 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and toss with sesame seeds.

Assemble the salad with a good toss and drizzle with dressing.

Prosecco Lime Dressing

1/4 cup Prosecco Vinegar
1/4 cup Persian Lime Olive Oil
3 tbsp Honey

Place all ingredients in a sealed jar and shake.

Turkey Tacos

I hope everyone is recovering from the cold. Yes, I know it's still cold...but it's just spring-ier. No, I don't know how to explain that. It just is.

I wanted to make something themed for the Oscars, but all I could think of was Golden Beets for the golden Oscar and something with chicken for Birdman. This year's movies weren't exactly lending themselves to recipes.

So I went with this instead. It's not themed or season-appropriate. Except that every season is the season for tacos and all themes could be taco if you like.

And I do. This recipe has more steps than most of the ones I post. And as I look over the steps, well, huh, that's not a lot. You guys have been getting off easy with one or two step meals. We may have to change that! So be prepared to dirty more than one pan for this one!

Turkey Tacos

2 lbs ground turkey
2 tbsp Taco Blend Seasoning
2 tsp Garlic Pate
1 tbsp Chipotle Olive Oil
1 tbsp Traditional Balsamic
1 tsp Cumin Olive Oil
1 can black beans
1 can diced tomatoes with chilies
2 tbsp Persian Lime Olive Oil
Pepper Citrus Sea Salt
Avocados
Sour Cream
Tortillas

Put the tomatoes and chilies into a bowl, draining, but saving about half the liquid out. Set aside.

Heat a large saute pan to medium heat with the Chipotle and Cumin olive oils and the liquid reserved from the tomatoes and chilies. Add the ground turkey and cook, stirring often to break up into small crumbles. Cook through and stir in the Taco Seasoning. Set aside.

In a smaller pan, heat the Lime Olive Oil and Garlic Pate. Cook, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes. Rinse and drain the black beans and add them gently. Let simmer for about 5 minutes. Top with the Pepper and Citrus Salt and Traditional Balsamic and remove from the heat. Mash lightly with a spoon, muddler or fork.

Fill your taco how you like, but don't forget the creamy avocados!

If you want it spicier, please feel free to sub in the Citrus Habanero Olive Oil. I also chose a pretty medium can of tomatoes. When tomatoes are back in season, I'll give you my recipe for diced tomatoes and chilies that will knock this out of the park! 

Or, I'll work on a roasted tomato one....

Okay. Now I have ideas.

Thai Coconut Soup

The kitchen is done. Okay, I still need to put on some knobs and put things away...and someday I'll decide on a backsplash... But yeah! Kitchen done.

Lets cook baby.

My favorite soup is Amy's Thai Coconut, Tom Kha Phak. But it's a bit expensive and it's the one they run out of first. Every. Single. Time. And there is no sharing. It's a small can.

So...my grocery store had a sale on mushrooms and this just happened. Omg, I may never have to buy Amy's again. But I probably will.

Thai Coconut Soup

1 lb cubed butternut squash
      or sweet potatoes
3 pints assorted sliced mushrooms, I used white, and baby bella.
1 cup sliced carrots
8 oz spinach
1 large onion
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 can coconut milk
3 tbsp tahini
3 tbsp Persian Lime Olive Oil
1 tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil with Garlic Ginger
black pepper
red pepper flake

Slice the onion into thin pieces. In a large pan with high sides toss the Persian Lime Olive Oil with the onions on medium heat.

If using frozen squash/potatoes and carrots, add them now. If you are using fresh, Add them to a pan with an inch or two of water and a pinch of salt. Put a lid on it and let boil for about 6-10 minutes, or until fork tender.

Over medium heat, sweat the onions and the garlic for a few minutes. Add the mushrooms and break them up with a spoon. Saute for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally until they are reduced to about half their volume. Add the spinach, Sesame Oil and tahini; stir to coat. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add the rest of the veggies if you haven't already and the can of coconut milk. Add the black pepper and red pepper flake. I put in almost a teaspoon of black pepper and just a few shakes of red pepper flake.

Let simmer for up to 10 minutes. And serve.

And a peek at the kitchen!

Citrus Chicken Salad

I had some leftover grilled chicken from dinner a few nights ago. You know how I love to use up leftovers, so here is the chicken salad I threw together for lunch yesterday!

Citrus Chicken Salad

3 cups cooked chicken, cubes
3 tbsp Persian Lime Olive Oil
Pepper Citrus Sea Salt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 white onion, diced
2-4 stalks celery, diced

Whip the mayonnaise and Olive Oil together until smooth. Toss the chicken, onions and celery together with the dressing and add the pepper and citrus sea salt to taste.

Yesterday I had this on a sandwich. Tonight for dinner, I'm topping it with melted cheese on a tortilla. I love leftovers!!

Red Beans and Rice

While red beans and rice is a very traditionally creole/New Orleans type of food, beans and rice are found all over the world in combination. I needed a side to go along with some tacos, so I added a little tex-mex flavor to a basically creole recipe. I think it worked out beautifully. And I'm having the leftovers for lunch today. Yay!

Day old rice is important here. Nice fresh fluffy rice soaks up more oil and sauce, making the final product stickier and tending towards the soggy side. If you don't have day old rice, make some fresh, spread it out on a large platter and stick it in the fridge to cool and dry out a bit.

Red Beans and Rice

1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 16oz can diced tomatoes
2 cups day old white or brown rice
2 tbsp Garlic Olive Oil
2 tbsp Persian Lime Olive Oil
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp sea salt
a pinch of cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
     or 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1/2 medium onion, finely diced

Heat the Garlic Olive Oil to medium in a large saute pan. Add the onion and cook, stirring often until the onion is translucent. Four to five minutes. Add in the rice, salt, spices and the tomatoes.

Stir well. Cook, stirring often for another 3-5 minutes. If the rice starts to stick, add in the Persian Lime Oil. Add in the kidney beans and the rest of the oil. Stir to combine and cover. Let cook 1-2 minutes more, or until everything is heated through.

Cookie Swap 2013!

Welcome to this year's Blogger Cookie Swap! I ended up with the vegan card again this year. But I always love a challenge!

Cranberry Lime Cookies with Caramel Chips

1 1/4 cup spelt flour
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup Persian Lime Olive Oil
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegan caramel chips*
1/2 cup cranberries
Zest of one lime, minced
juice of 1/2 a lime
1/2 cup milk of choice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 400degrees.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in the olive oil and the lime juice. Stir until combined. Add in the chips, lime peel and cranberries. Stir well.

Reduce the temperature to 350degrees.

On a greased cookie sheet, drop the cookies by the tablespoonful about half an inch apart. They do not spread much. Bake 9-11 minutes or until golden. Wait for the cookies to cool well before attempting to remove them from the cookie sheets. They are a bit fragile until they cool.

*I used these: Vegan Caramel Chips

Turkey Cutlets with Cranberry Cream Sauce and Chocolate Pasta

I wanted to do something savory with the chocolate pasta. And, of course, it's cranberry time. And turkey...The rest just put itself together. I think it's a pretty good job!

This recipe is going out with the Newsletter. Go get this month's coupon!

Turkey Cutlets with Cranberry Cream Sauce
      and Chocolate Pasta

2 turkey cutlets
1/2 tsp nutmeg
4 tbsp Persian Lime Olive Oil, divided
2 tsp Toasted Onion Sea Salt, divided
2 tbsp Cranberry Balsamic
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tbsp cream cheese (optional)
3/4 cup heavy cream or milk
1 cup (6-10) shaved brussels sprouts
1/2 cup sundried cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp minced garlic
4 slices thick cut bacon
Chocolate Pasta

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Spread 1 tbsp of the oil over each cutlet and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with the nutmeg and the Toasted Onion Salt. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour. If you are measuring with a thermometer, the internal temperature should be 165.

Take them out of the oven and let them cool. Slice thinly on a diagonal and set aside.

Prepare the pasta according to the directions, enough for 4 servings. Rinse well. Cook the bacon until is it nice and crispy and crumble it. Set those aside.

Heat the other 2 tbsp of olive oil in a sauce pan and add the garlic and the cherry tomatoes. Saute for 1-3 minutes. Add the cream or milk and the Cranberry Balsamic and bring to a light simmer. Put in the sour cream and stir to combine. Then add the cream cheese if you are using it. Simmer for another minute or two, the sauce should be nice and thick.

Sprinkle in the salt and the brussels sprouts, saving a little bit for garnish. Stir in some of the bacon, saving some of that for garnish too. Remove from the heat.

Arrange some pasta and turkey slices on each plate. Top with the sauce, a bit of brussles sprouts and bacon and a couple whole cherry tomatoes.

Enjoy!

Harvest Cake

You can't ever really have too many apples in the house right? It's not that I have too many, it's that they are so pretty, and smell so good that they jump in my shopping cart. I can stop buying them any time I want! I just have a bit more than I can eat right now. That's why there is cake. You can give someone a cake. Or just share one.

Baked apples are awesome. Raw apples are awesome. But apples in cake is sticky sweet SUPER-awesome! Get some ice cream to serve with this and the whole thing will be gone in ten minutes!

Harvest Cake

3 med apples, finely diced
1/4 cup diced dates
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup flaked coconut
2 tbsp Persian Lime Olive Oil
2 cups hot water

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to just under boiling and simmer for 10-15 minutes stirring often. Apples should be very soft and the water should be almost gone.

1 box Spice Cake Mix
2 tbsp Persian Lime Olive Oil
1/4 cup apple cider or milk

Bake at 350 degrees. 25-30 minutes.

This is a very sticky cake. If you wanted to make it more fluffy, you could add the eggs that the box mix calls for. But I like this to be dense. The only thing I forgot was the ice cream.

Warm this up to serve with vanilla ice cream and you will never look back!

Lucky Lentil Salad and a Coupon

Since tomorrow is Friday the 13th, I am giving you a reason to eat lucky.

Lentils are lucky. Thought to bring prosperity, they are typically eaten during New Years celebrations. But why not now! We can all use a little luck, and everyone could use a bit of prosperity. Besides, this is tasty as all get out. Happy Friday the 13th!

And don't forget, after the recipe is our new coupon!

Lucky Lentil Salad

1 lb green lentils

1 cup sweet onion

2-3 tbsp fresh tarragon

1 green bell pepper

1 tbsp five spice powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tbsp bacon bits (optional)

1/3 cup Persian Lime Olive Oil

4 tbsp Honey Date Balsamic

In a large sauce pan, cover the lentils with 2-3 inches of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and let cook. Check after 15 minutes for doneness, they should be tender, but not mushy. Rinse and set aside.

While the lentils are cooking, finely dice the bell pepper and the onion. Combine the olive oil with the spices and whisk to combine.

Toss the lentils and veggies together in a large bowl, adding the olive oil mixture slowly until well distributed. Drizzle on the balsamic 1 tbsp at a time. This is a taste and see method. A little over 3 tbsp seems to be perfect, but my husband liked the full 4 tbsp.

Eat lucky!

Eggplant Fries with Lime Aioli

Aioli is like mayonnaise. But made with olive oil instead of vegetable oil. Of course, we now have olive oil mayonnaise available in grocery stores. And that is the easiest way to make this!

I made my eggplant slices really thin. (So I burned a few of them, whoops!) Feel free to make yours a bit thicker.

Eggplant Fries

1 eggplant
Olive Oil for cooking, up to a 1/2 cup

Slice your eggplant into manageable slices. Maybe a 1/4 inch thick and an inch or two wide. Heat your pan to a medium high heat and brush olive oil on the side of the slice that you are going to fry first. I used Chipotle Oil, but you can use any oil that you like.

Pan fry the slices until they are browned on one side. Brush the other side with oil and flip them over. Brown that side too and remove to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain.

Sprinkle with a little bit of salt. I used our Himalayan Pink. Serve with the Lime Aioli. (see below)

Lime Aioli

4 tbsp Persian Lime Olive Oil
1/2 - 1 cup Olive Oil based Mayonnaise

Start with 1/2 cup of the mayo. Whisk in the olive oil and start adding more mayo until you like the texture. That is all!

Cilantro Lime Chicken

I'm so glad it's sunny today! After the recent chill, I'm in the mood for spring foods. And lime and cilantro speaks spring to me. To get really full of spring, I'd use lamb chops for this. But my husband doesn't care for lamb, so chicken it is! And the side portion of this is really good stirred into rice. (I'm out of rice right now, but I recommend it!)

Cilantro Lime Chicken

4 chicken breasts
6 tbsp, divided, Persian Lime Oil
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small nub ginger, finely shredded
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 can pigeon peas
1 large zucchini, chopped
1 lime, for garnish
1 tsp Salt Free Spice Blend

In a large pan heat 4 tbsp of the oil to medium high. Add the chicken breasts and sprinkle with the Basik's seasoning blend. Cook, about 7 minutes each side. Before you flip, add about half of the cilantro. Reduce the heat if they are getting too browned.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tbsp of the Lime oil in a medium pan to medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger and the onions and cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low and add the zucchini and pigeon peas. Add in the other half of the cilantro and stir to combine. Simmer the zucchini and peas until the zucchini is tender.

Serve with a squeeze of lime juice.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Butternut Squash

I have some carrots too. I bought them to use with the salad, but I think I have too many. I'll put them in as optional and see what happens.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Butternut Squash

1 medium to large butternut squash
2-3 medium sweet potatoes
3-4 carrots (optional)
1/4 cup Persian Lime Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 cup vegetable broth (optional)
1 tbsp vegan 'butter'
Zest of one whole lime, divided

Heat the oven to 375degrees. Scrub, peel and dice the sweet potatoes and the carrots. Slice the squash in half, longways and scoop out the seeds. (I save all seeds!) Dice that too, and peel.

Toss the veggies with the oil and sprinkle with the ginger and salt and pepper. Roast in a single layer for about 30 minutes. Remove and let cool a little.

Once everything is cool enough to work with. Put everything in a large bowl or pan and mash. Add in the vegan butter and half of the lime zest, saving the rest for garnish. If you need it, add up to 1/4 cup of the vegetable broth. If you think it needs it, add a little more black pepper.

Garnish with the rest of the lime zest and serve.

Okay, this is the last post of the night folks. I'm cooking tomorrow and will post you some pictures on Christmas. The cranberry tart and the bundt cake recipes are going up on the 26th.

 Happy Holidays all!

White Honey Ginger Chicken

 A friend is growing yellow and green bell peppers and his wife is sick of eating them. So I got a nice big bag. I paired them with chicken and onions and called it dinner!

White Honey Ginger Chicken

1 pkg chicken breasts, diced
2 large yellow bell peppers, rough chopped
1 large green bell pepper, rough chopped
1 vidalia onion, chopped
4 tbsp - 1/4 cup White Honey Ginger Balsamic
4-5 Sun-Dried Tomatoes, sliced
Pepper, to taste
Thai Ginger Sea Salt
2 tbsp olive oil (I used Persian Lime)

Add the olive oil to a pan and heat to medium. Add your onion and saute 3-5 minutes or until it is nice and translucent. Add your chicken, sun-dried tomatoes and a sprinkle of black pepper.

Cook for four or five minutes a side. There should be some color, but not too much.

Add your peppers and the White Honey Ginger Balsamic. Start with a few tablespoons and work your way up to more. This depends on how much sauce you want at the end. Cover and cook for an additional five minutes.

Serve with Thai Ginger Sea Salt.

Coconut Pineapple Shrimp with Mango Sticky Rice

This shrimp dish was inspired by a trip to the ethnic grocery store. I went on a shopping trip with my friend Vanda. She wanted to stop at a local Indian cash and carry for snacks. I LOVE that place! They have so many spices I just about died and went to cooking heaven.

I picked up the most fragrant mangoes I've ever smelled, and bags and bags of spices and nuts. For nuts, I'll never go anywhere else. Poor Vanda thought I was crazy. I felt like it was the first time I'd ever walked into a Wegman's. I walked out with heavy bags and a light wallet.

So I picked up this bag of coconut powder. It's really just unsweetened coconut flakes all ground up. I like the texture of this and will use it in some baking soon, but it works really nicely included in breading mixtures.

So I grabbed some frozen, precooked shrimp and thawed some. Then I dipped them one by one into our White Pineapple Balsamic, then into the coconut powder (this would work with flakes too). The mixture is a bit prone to falling off. You really need an egg in there to keep it stable. Next time!

Then I popped them in the oven for a bit. It only took 6 or 7 minutes at 350degrees.

Then I made some white rice. I mixed up 1 can of coconut milk and a tablespoon of Persian Lime Olive Oil with 3tbsp raw sugar. I used that to replace the water in my instant rice recipe. It thickened up just beautifully.

I cut up one mango and stirred the chunks into the rice. I served extra on the side too.  I had some leftover coconut milk/sugar/olive oil so I drizzled it over the shrimp to serve.

I had so much fun!

Chili-Lime Noodles

I have a deep love of Asian cuisine. When I am sick, the only foods I want to eat are lo-mein and wonton soup. I could eat sushi and things every day of the week. 

This habit can get a little expensive. So I am trying to get better at making these kinds of foods.

These are my Chili-Lime Noodles. I got this recipe from Vegetarian Times magazine. But I have adapted it in a few ways. It could also easily work with chicken in place of the tofu. (Even thin cut flank steak would be great with this!)

Chili-Lime Noodles
serves 4

4oz glass noodles- also called cellophane noodles or bean threads

• 3 Tbs. hoisin sauce

• 2 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce

• 3 Tbs. lime juice

• 2Tbs. Persian Lime Olive Oil

• 1 tsp. chile-garlic sauce

• 2Tbs. toasted sesame oil

• Chipotle Olive Oil, to taste

• 18 oz. pkg. plain tofu, diced (or other meats)

• 1 12 oz. pkg. mushrooms, sliced

• 1/2lb. baby bok choy, thinly sliced

• 2 carrots, cut into ribbons

• 2 1/2Tbs. minced fresh ginger

• 
  

1. Soak noodles in large bowl of hot water 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside.

2. Whisk together hoisin sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, and chile-
garlic sauce and Lime olive oil.

3. Heat 1 Tbs of sesame oil in skillet over high heat. Add tofu, and stir-fry 4 minutes, or until golden 
on all sides. Add 1/4 cup water, and cook 2 minutes, transfer 
to bowl.

4. Add remaining 1 Tbs. sesame oil to skillet. Add mushrooms and bok choy; stir-fry 2 minutes. Stir in noodles and carrots, and cook 2 minutes. Stir in hoisin mixture, green onions, ginger, and tofu; stir-fry 1 minute. Taste. If desired, add some Chipotle Olive oil to kick up the heat. 

I sprinkled some Thai Ginger sea salt on before I served it. Have fun with it!