Winter Jeweled Fruit Salad

When I was a kid, waking up on Christmas morning, we would always find a box of "sugar" cereal from Santa Claus. It was such a treat because the rest of the year, we never had that option. We lived on Shredded Wheat, mush, cornflakes or some other healthy item. Because we got sugar cereal as a gift, we always ate more than a few bowls of it for breakfast, meaning that we didn't usually have a special Christmas morning breakfast.

Well, once I got married, my husband nixed the "sugar" cereal gift, because he thought it was silly. No big deal- mostly because that left me the choice of what we would have on Christmas morning for breakfast. I asked everyone what they wanted this year and they chose biscuits and sausage.
I gave them what they wanted, but included this beautiful salad also.

This salad is a beautiful mix of some of the wonderful fruits that appear this time of year in the grocery store. We love pomegranates, clementimes, and mangoes and they were all superb in this mix. We also eat a lot of jicama, which added a nice little crunch to the salad. I was happy that I was able to find ripe kumquats too. My kids really liked those little guys.
The light lime juice-honey dressing that has a little bit of heat from the ground red pepper, really pulls it all together.

This was beautiful and delicious. I love it when something looks so pretty and colorful and also has great tastes and textures.

Recipe for Winter Jeweled Fruit Salad
* I used a red skinned pear to add color to the salad
* I couldn't find any blood oranges, anywhere, so I used a grapefruit and an orange instead

Summer Veggie Salsa

First of all the winner of the TERRA Chip giveaway- comment #21- Gabrielle, who says they eat TERRA Chips with hummus. yummy!

Here are the results-

True Random Number Generator
Min: 1
Max: 29
Result: 21
Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Now on to today's recipe. I saw this recipe for Summer Veggie Salsa on Playing House
and all the veggies just looked so delicious. I added some chopped jicama and green bell pepper just because I was cutting them up anyway and I love the crunch that jicama gives to things.
I made a great big bowl of this salsa and it was really great with baked tortilla chips.

I also topped salad greens with this salsa and loved it that way. This was so fresh and delicious.
I am going to make it again while it is still nice and hot outside.


Recipe for Summer Veggie Salsa
* I added some jicama and green bell pepper
* I used cherry tomatoes

Refried Black Beans w/ Avocado & Fried Egg and Jicama-Cucumber Slaw

I saw a recipe recently for black bean and avocado burritos and decided I would give avocados another try. Lindsey's new blog, Fresh Clean Start, also gave me a push to try them again.

Unfortunately, I got food poisoning a few years ago and avocados were involved, so that sight of them for many years made me feel sick to my stomach. I decided it was time to get over that and I am proud to say that I now like avocados again.

I decided to change this recipe a little bit and make it healthier, by removing the tortilla and cheese, so essentially just using the refried black beans and slaw that were in the recipe. I also added a fried egg because avocado and egg are a good combination, in my book.

I really liked the way my version of this recipe turned out.
I added a little bit of water to the black beans, when reheating the leftovers and it made them a little bit creamier.

I also added radish to the slaw.

Recipe for Black Bean and Avocado Burritos with Jicama-Cucumber Slaw
* I didn't make a burrito because I didn't use tortillas or cheese
* I added sliced radish to the slaw
* I added fried eggs to the top of the black bean/avocado mixture

Jicama and Black Bean Salad

Here is a quick, delicious, fresh recipe from one of my favorite blogs-Cafe Johnsonia. Lindsey makes some pretty amazing creations. Everything I see makes me drool. Don't even get me started on her ice cream making skills. So, if you haven't checked out her blog, go over there and bookmark it.

I love the time of year that just seems to call for salads. Light and delicious meals that are easy to throw together. It has yet to really warm up here, in my mind, but dishes like this make it easier to imagine warm weather and are happily enjoyed by my family anytime.

My kids love jicama-so I knew this salad would be a hit. We had it on the side with a meal one night and then ate the leftovers with tortilla chips and lettuce leaves. Yummy!

Give it a try- the flavors are perfect.

Jicama and Black Bean Salad by Lindsey Johnson

1 small jicama, peeled and cut into 1/4" dice

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed well

1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4" dice

1 cup yellow corn

4-5 green onions, sliced, white and tender green parts only

Juice of 1 lime

1-2 tsp. grapeseed or other flavorless oil (like canola)

coarse salt and black pepper, to taste

pinch of chili powder

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Combine the jicama, black beans, red pepper, corn and green onions in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together lime juice, oil, salt, pepper, and chili powder. Pour over the veggies and stir to coat. Just before serving, add the cilantro. Makes 4-6 servings as a side dish.

Up Next- Muhummara Dip

Mexican Salad with Pomegranate-Lime Dressing

Here is a quick, fresh salad that I wanted to try even though pomegranates aren't in season right now. I still had some of the POM Wonderful juice that I received in the mail and used that in the dressing. Because of that, I omitted the pomegranate arils and made a few other substitutions as well.
This was a fun salad, with lots of different flavors and textures. The fact that you can find POM juice in the grocery store, makes this salad accessible all year round. so give it a try!

Mexican Salad with Pomegranate-Lime Dressing from Cooking Light
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fresh pomegranate juice (I used POM Wonderful juice)
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups arugula leaves (I used spinach)
1 1/2 cups (3-inch) julienne-cut peeled jicama
1/2 cup vertically sliced red onion
1/2 cup diced peeled avocado
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup fresh pomegranate seeds (I omitted these)
4 teaspoons pine nuts, toasted

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Add olive oil, and stir with a whisk. Add arugula and the next 4 ingredients (through cilantro), and toss gently. Place 1 cup salad on each of 4 salad plates. Top each with 1 tablespoon seeds and 1 teaspoon pine nuts. Serve immediately.

Coming Tomorrow- Huevos Rancheros

Jicama and Orange Salad with Ginger-Sesame Vinaigrette

I have been having trouble getting pictures of the dishes I am making lately. It isn't safe to bet I can take a picture of the leftovers, because sometimes there aren't any. I took a picture of this salad after we had tossed it with the dressing, but before we topped it with the toasted sesame seeds. So, just imagine some crunchy, toasted sesame seeds on top and you will complete the picture.
The dressing was scrumptious and the combination of fruits and veggies was perfect. There was just enough sweetness and some crunch with the jicama and bell pepper. My kids love Jicama- they gobble it up. I added some romaine to the salad as well and cut my bell peppers into bite-size pieces, they are so much easier to eat that way.
Colorful and delicious!

Jicama and Orange Salad from Cooking Light
6 cups (3 x 1/4-inch) strips peeled jicama (about 1 pound)
6 cups lightly packed baby spinach (about 3 ounces)
1 cup orange sections (about 2 oranges)
1 cup red bell pepper strips
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
2/3 cup Ginger-Sesame Vinaigrette*
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle with Ginger-Sesame Vinaigrette, and toss well to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.


*Ginger-Sesame Vinaigrette adapted from Cooking Light
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
4 teaspoons canola oil
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil

Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Stir in green onions and the remaining ingredients.

Note: Refrigerate vinaigrette in an airtight container for up to five days; stir well before using.

Coming Tomorrow- Rice Pudding with Pomegranate Syrup

Cinco de Mayo Edible Flag

I saw this idea for Cinco de Mayo and thought it was a great way to get in some healthy snacking. Luckily we had to take something to a cook out anyway, and this was our pick.
Jicama- sweet, crunchy and delicious!
Cinco de Mayo Edible Flag (adapted from Family Fun magazine)
Edamame in the shell
Green pepper strips
Jicama, peeled and cut into strips
Red pepper strips
the bottom of a orange pepper
1 pkg. dry ranch dip seasoning
1- 16 oz carton fat free sour cream
pico de gallo
gaucamole (I used what I had leftover from the other day)

Step 1 Arrange edamame, green pepper strips, jicama sticks, and red pepper strips on a platter as shown, then center a green pepper ring and the bottom of an orange pepper on top.
Step 2 Mix together ranch dip and sour cream.
Step 3 Set out your snack with dips in the same festive colors: green guacamole, white ranch dressing, and red salsa or pico de gallo