Lentil and Sweet Potato Stew

I mentioned a couple of days ago that sweet potatoes are not my favorite thing to eat. Well, this stew almost changed that for me. This stew was spectacular. It really is a simple recipe, but the lentils and veggies just really taste so good together. My 4 year old was really excited to eat this and gave 2 thumbs up for this one. It fits this time of year and tastes great re-warmed the next day.

Here is the recipe for Lentil and Sweet Potato Stew

Hearty Vegetable Stew

It has cooled down a little bit around here the past week or so, and that means it is okay for me to make soup and/or stew more often. My husband doesn't really enjoy either of these, but he really doesn't like them in the heat of summer. Now that it is September, it is officially soup/stew season. Even though it will probably warm back up soon. (Fine with me!) The calendar says September and Fall, so soup and stews are on the menu.

As soon as I saw this stew in Everyday Food Magazine, I knew I would make it. It is easy. It is quick. And it is full of veggies. I loved this even though it was so simple. It had great flavor and my family really liked it too.

Hearty Vegetable Stew
Everyday Food Magazine September 2011

2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 carrots, thinly sliced
3 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, diced medium
salt and pepper
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
2 14 oz cans diced tomatoes
1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves chopped
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 sprigs thyme

In a large, heavy pot, heat oil over medium. Add carrots, celery and onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots soften, about 5 minutes.

Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, kale, beans, thyme and 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce to a rapid simmer and cook until slightly reduced, 15 minutes.

BLT (Bacon, Lemon & Tomato) Quinoa Salad and Lemon-Cornmeal Cookies

This recipe popped up on facebook the other day and I figured it would be a good meal for dinner on a Monday night. I happened to have everything on hand that I needed for the recipe and that made it a lot less stressful to get dinner on the table.

My dad loves a good BLT sandwich and he grows tomatoes in his garden, so BLT's were always a lunch staple of his in the summer. I personally didn't really like bacon or mayo (I still don't) back then, so I always just watched my dad put these sandwiches together and remember hearing about how good they were.

This salad is really good and the interesting thing is that it really tastes like a BLT. Somehow, the combination of the ingredients, makes you feel like you are eating a sandwich. I know that is crazy, but it's true. In this salad, the lettuce has been switched out to lemon, which adds a brightness to the salad, in color and flavor. I added black beans for fun and roasted some broccoli in the oven to round out our dinner.

That same night we still had lots of lemons and the kids wanted me to make a quick cookie. I found this one on myrecipes and decided it would be easy to throw them together at the last minute. My kids really liked these. They reminded us of these Cornmeal Lime Cookies in taste and texture.

Here is the recipe for BLT Quinoa Salad
* I cooked my quinoa in chicken broth to add more flavor
* I added drained, rinsed black beans
* I tossed my salad with a little bit of olive oil, along with the lemon juice and vinegar

Here is the recipe for Lemon-Cornmeal Cookies
* I added the juice of 1 lemon to the cookie dough, after mixing in the flour mixture

Cooking School- 7 Layer Dip

This is the perfect thing to make with children in the kitchen. It is fun for the kids to help open cans, chop things, spread the layers and sprinkle everything on top.

My girls and I decided to make this dip for a family dinner with a Mexican theme. Mostly because I can remember making it as a child with my family when we would get together with my cousins. I remember everyone taking part in preparing the different layers and then putting it together.

I haven't made this dip since I've been married, although I have tried other versions, like this Meditteranean one and a lighter one for a cooking group I was in. My advice is to taste test the different layers as you go along to make sure they have the right flavor and let someone help you put it together. We had a lot of fun.

If you are lucky enough to have any leftovers, try them with scrambled eggs, in some sort of burrito or as part of a salad.
There are so many version of 7 Layer Dip out there, but this our adapted version of the one I remember making with my family as a child

7 Layer Dip
1 can bean dip or refried beans (seasoned with garlic powder to taste)
8 oz container sour cream (I used greek yogurt since I had it on hand)
1 pkg taco seasoning
3 ripe avocados
1 lemon
shredded lettuce
shredded cheese (We used a monterey jack/cheddar blend & the girls shredded it)
chopped tomato
sliced black olives (I accidentally bought chopped black olives this time)

1. On a large platter or in a deep dish, spread the bean dip/refried beans in a even layer.
2. Combine the taco seasoning and sour cream in a bowl; spread on top of bean layer.
3. Mash the avocados with a few Tbls of freshly squeezed lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Spread the avocados over the taco sour cream mixture.
4. Sprinkle shredded lettuce on top of avocado, followed by the shredded cheese, chopped tomatoes, and sliced black olives.
5. Chill until ready to serve.
6. Serve with tortilla chips.

Fresh Corn Tomato Salad

I made this because I had 10 ears of fresh corn on the cob in the fridge and I also had cups and cups of grape tomatoes from the garden. I had seen a corn and tomato salad somewhere, but couldn't find it again, so I just searched until I found one that sounded as good.

The best thing about this salad is that you don't have to cook anything. The corn is just cut off the cob and combined with the other ingredients.
My husband loved this salad. He had three servings. Of course, he didn't have any tomatoes in his servings, but he really loved the rest of the salad. It was fresh and delicious.


Here is the recipe for Fresh Corn Tomato Salad
* I didn't add as much salt as called for, only 1 teaspoon
* I used red wine vinegar
* I tossed in some arugula
* I didn't have enough basil to use as much as called for, I used about 1/2 of the amount

Pasta with Zucchini, Tomatoes, and Creamy Lemon-Yogurt Sauce

I have to apologize for the fact that my blog has been taken over by zucchini and summer squash, but when you pick at least 5-6 a day out of your garden, you kind of have to eat them fast and in everything. I have been using a small zucchini in my breakfast everyday, sauteed/ on the side of my eggs, but I still have to incorporate them into our dinners.

When I saw this recipe over at Ezra Pound Cake, I knew it would be a great one for a summer night. Light and quick. Lots of veggies. bright flavors. This dish has it all. I wasn't sure if my kids would enjoy the yogurt/lemon sauce since it was tart and well, quite lemon-y, but they gobbled this one down. And, I used grapes tomatoes from the garden. Nothing tastes as good as a home grown tomato. Nothing at all.

Here is the recipe for Pasta with Zucchini, Tomatoes, and Creamy Lemon-Yogurt Sauce
* I didn't cook my tomatoes, I just tossed them in when everything was mixed together

Tuna Melts with Avocado

We used grape tomatoes from our garden on these delicious tuna melts!! And that was very exciting. I didn't follow the instructions exactly, but these were a really great dinner after a long day of swimming. Filling and delicious. I really like the combination of tuna and avocado and so did my family.

Here is the recipe for Tuna Melts with Avocado from Cooking Light
* I used a whole wheat baguette instead of french bread
* I didn't read the instructions all the way through, so I put the tuna mixture on the bread, then sprinkled the cheese and then broiled them

Collard Green & Black-eyed Pea Soup

Finally, the weekend is in sight and there might be a moment of relaxation. I can't wait.

At New Years', I cooked up a huge amount of fresh Black-eyed Peas and used some in both these Southern Egg Rolls and this Good Luck Dip. I still had quite a bit of them left, so I froze them in a Ziploc bag and decided to give myself some time to find another way to use them.

Somehow, I came across this soup and it looked really inviting. My kids like collard greens and have told me that they are easier to chew than kale. Collard greens are something that I have learned to like too and so I decided to give this soup a try.

I didn't use the bacon because I didn't have any and don't really like cooking it. The soup did not lack flavor at all. It was delicious. It was one of those nights when my kids just gobbled it down and I couldn't believe my eyes. I was so happy. No bribery had to happen to get them to eat this dinner.

The leftovers have made for a couple of really great lunches for me this week. I love it when that happens.

Recipe for Collard Green & Black-eyed Pea Soup
* I just topped the soup with a little shredded cheese
* I omitted the bacon

Turkey-Hummus Sliders

I saw this recipe in Food Network Magazine and thought it was such a fun idea. It was an out-of the ordinary way to use hummus (hummus is mixed into the ground turkey mixture) and perfect for little hands.

I can usually always find mini whole wheat pitas at my local grocery store, but as soon as I put these sliders on the menu, the mini pitas were nowhere to be found. At first I thought I would just turn this into a pita creation, putting all the ingredients into a pita half and eating it that way, but that kinda takes away the fun and cute part of this slider.

So, I just got full size whole wheat pitas and cut out small circles with a biscuit cutter, making sure that I kept the closed edge at the bottom, so the two sides would still stay together. It may not be as cute as the original idea, but it worked!

My husband really raved about this one, which kinda surprised me. (I left the tomato slice off of his). He loved the combination of the pita, hummus, little burger and the cucumber-feta mixture. He said it tasted great and reminded him of something that would be served in a restaurant. My kids really liked it too.

I think it is essential that all the parts of this slider be served together. I don't think that it would taste as good with just the sliders. The cucumber-feta mixture, whole wheat pita, and hummus spread on the bottom of the pita are must-dos. All of the components work together to make this a really tasty, bite-size winner of a meal/snack.

Recipe for Turkey-Hummus Sliders From Food Network Magazine
* I used 94% lean ground turkey
* I used roasted red pepper hummus
* I used dried oregano in the feta-cucumber mixture because I didn't have dried mint
* I used less oil to cook my sliders

Marrakesh Stew

I know I am a complete wierdo, but I totally crave things that are chock full of vegetables. This stew practically jumped out at me from the pages of EveryDay Food a few weeks ago. It was a cold day, so the thought of a hearty vegetable stew really made me happy. Carrots, eggplant, butternut squash, potatoes, tomatoes and chickpeas- what a healthy, delicious combination.

I am always a little bit skeptical when cinnamon is called for in a savory recipe, but with the cumin, coriander and cayenne, the cinnamon really played a nice part in the flavor here. It worked well with everything else that was going on in this dish.


Now, this stew is not beautiful to look at, but it is wonderfully spiced and delicious. I warned my family not to make any comments about how this looked, but to give it a chance and try it first, and they were all pleasantly surprised at how tasty it was.

This makes a lot of stew, so I have a large ziploc bag of it in the freezer, along with the leftover Israeli couscous mix, just waiting for a busy night a couple weeks from now, when I can just put the frozen stew on the stove and have an instant dinner. I love it when there is enough of something leftover that it can be dinner again in a couple of weeks!

Marrakesh Stew from Everyday Food Magazine

Serves 8 * Active time: 10 min. * Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients:
1 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
1 large red onion, diced large
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon allspice
4 large carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
3 3/4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 small eggplants, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 can (15.5 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained


In an 8-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add spices, and cook until fragrant, 2 minutes.
Add carrots, potatoes, and squash and season with salt and pepper.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes and broth- vegetables should be completely covered by liquid; add water to cover if necessary.
Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Add eggplant, stir to combine, and simmer until eggplant is tender, 20 minutes.
Stir in chickpeas, season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook until chickpeas are warmed through.


*I served this over the Harvest Grains Blend from Trader Joe's- a combination of Israeli couscous, orzo, and red quinoa.

Breakfast Crostini

Here we are on our 3rd snow day. I think this will probably be the last one though, because the sun is actually shining and that might just be enough to melt some of the snow and ice that has been causing such trouble for everyone around here.

This also happens to be the 3rd recipe that I tried from Rachael Ray's Look and Cook, although I should add that this recipe for Breakfast Crostini, and the recipe I shared yesterday- Fennel and Pepper Salad, were both in the "extra" recipe section of the book that didn't have any pictures at all. So, no looking-and-cooking for me on this one. But that wasn't a problem, because this recipe was really easy. This recipe can also be found on multiple places on the web.

All you do for this one is combine fresh mozzarella, prosciutto (I used Canadian bacon), scallions, basil, Italian parsley, tomatoes, and a little bit of olive oil. Then you toast some bread- I used Italian 5-grain (my daughter calls it seed bread) and top the toasted bread with the delicious salad.

Super easy. Super delicious and really the type of breakfast I would love to have any day. It is basically like having a yummy salad on top of toast.


Recipe for Breakfast Crostini
* I used about 1/2 the olive oil called for
* I used Canadian bacon instead of prosciutto
* I used 5-grain Italian bread instead of peasant bread

Eggs Poached in Curried Tomato Sauce or in my case, Curried Tomato Sauce with a Fried Egg

Has anyone else been enjoying the articles and recipes by Mark Bittman in Cooking Light Magazine?
I sure have. I like his food philosophy. I can't say that I am a expert on him or what he thinks, but he has been popping up in different magazines lately and I like what he has to say.
He is trying to help people realize that you can enjoy lots of vegetables/plants and less meat/animal products and still have delicious food. That isn't his only point, but it is one that stuck out to me and I agree with him.

This is one of his recipes that was featured in recently in Cooking Light.

I decided to make this on a weekday morning just as a special treat for me. I don't usually do that with new recipes that I want to try- I usually make them for the entire family. But, my husband hates tomatoes and refuses to eat them, so this was a special treat for me after my morning workout. I was also excited about having leftovers for later in the week.

I am not a fan of runny yolks, so I decided to fry my eggs in a little bit of olive oil, instead of poaching them, although I am sure that the original way of preparing this dish is really delicious.
I love curry powder and the flavor that it gives to a dish. It really added something to this tomato sauce.
I loved how spicy this was. It was great. Such a yummy way to start the day, but it would be good for lunch or dinner too.

Recipe for Eggs Poached in Curried Tomato Sauce
* I didn't poach my eggs, I fried my eggs in a little bit of olive oil and then served it over a whole wheat english muffin
* I used olive oil instead of peanut oil and only used 1 Tablespoon


Have a great weekend everyone!

Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club- New Year, New Food

For this month's Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club, I was given the opportunity to pick the theme. I love trying new foods, so I thought that a great theme for the beginning of a new year would be- New Year, New Food.

Each member of our Supper Club chose a CL recipe that included an ingredient/food that they had never tried before. I was thinking about what food I wanted to try and noticed that there were fresh chestnuts available at my grocery store. I have absolutely no idea what chestnuts are used for and I had never tried them. My only reference for this food was the line "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire", from The Christmas Song.

I wasn't sure if they were really an actual nut, or just happened to have "nut" at the end of their name. (turns out they are an actual nut)
Then I was browsing around the Trader Joe's that just opened recently in my area and saw a package of chestnuts that were already peeled and cooked. The recipe I picked- Farro Minestrone with Brussels Sprouts, Butternut Squash and Chestnuts called for bottled chestnuts and I figured this find at TJ's was as close as I was going to get to the product I needed.
I also have never tried Farro, but I couldn't find it anywhere, so I used barley instead.

This minestrone was absolutely amazing. The chestnuts were a great addition to this soup. They have a really interesting flavor and texture that blended in with the other flavors magically.
I know the ingredients sounds kind of strange, but I was blown away by how well all the different ingredients went together. I think the pancetta really added a great deal of flavor to the base of the soup. (Thank you Trader Joe's for carrying chopped pancetta, that is ready to use!).

I didn't want the tomatoes to be cooked, so I just stirred them into our individual bowls, leaving them out of certain family member's, who think that tomatoes are deadly.

I was really impressed with this soup. It was so flavorful, so healthy and so delicious.

Here are the new foods that the other members of our Supper Club tried for the first time this month. Jamie tried a recipe using fontina cheese, Sandi picked a roesti casserole (I've had my eye on that dish for awhile now), Val chose quinoa, and Helene wanted to make a flan for the first time- she was unable to participate this month, but we am still including the link to the recipe she was going to try.

Here is how the menu turned out-

Mary Ann -Farro Minestrone with Brussels Sprouts, Butternut Squash, and Chestnuts

Jamie - Onion and Fontina Beer Batter Bread

Sandi - Roesti Casserole with Baked Eggs

Val - Quinoa with Roasted Garlic, Tomatoes, and Spinach

Helene - Vanilla Caramel Flan

I hope this has inspired you to try some new ingredients or foods this year. I certainly will be!

Recipe for Farro Minestrone with Brussels Sprouts, Butternut Squash and Chestnuts
* I used quick cooking barley instead of farro
* I subbed chicken broth for the wine
* I stirred the cherry tomatoes in at the end, after the minestrone was off the heat

Southwestern Pumpkin Patties

One of my favorite things about fall is canned pumpkin. I opened a large can of pumpkin a couple weeks ago and starting making some great pumpkin recipes.
I wanted to make something savory and I found this recipe for Southwestern Pumpkin Burgers over at Eating Well. I changed the name to patties because it didn't seem right to call them burgers.

I happened to have one cob of fresh corn left in the fridge, so I used that. I kinda eyeballed the amounts of onion, corn, red bell pepper, etc. and I ended up having to use more pumpkin puree than the recipe originally called for to make the patties hold together.
I found these fun looking Flatout FOLDits and so we used them to hold our patties and toppings.

These were pretty good. The flavor was very similar to a savory sweet potato recipe, if you are looking for some sort of comparison.

This was a fun way to use pumpkin.

Recipe for Southwestern Pumpkin Patties
* I used panko instead of bread crumbs
* I used Flatout FOLDit Artisan Flatbread because it looked fun and different

Greek Panzanella

A couple of weeks ago we were having company over for dinner. I always analyze and then over analyze what I should make when people come to dinner. I never know if our way of eating will satisfy someone else's taste, so I get a little crazy about it.
I think about food all the time anyway, so I really just spend too much time thinking, planning, undoing my plans, and re-planning.

It's a process.

I finally narrowed it down to a menu that would savor the last of summer fall-ish type dinner. Since we were still enjoying 90+ degree days and all my favorite summer foods were still readily found at the farmers market, we went with the summer menu.

I wanted to try this Greek twist on The Barefoot Contessa's Panzanella, because the original version is a crowd pleaser that we love.
It turned out to be the perfect choice. Everyone was really happy with this dinner. Phew!

* note--I always toast my bread cubes in the oven, drizzling them with a little bit of olive oil, to get them nice and crisp and also to reduce some of the fat in this meal. I also reduce the amount of oil in the dressing.

Recipe for Greek Panzanella
* I used black olives instead of kalamata olives
* I toasted my bread cubes in the oven instead of sauteing them in oil- it uses less oil and gets them evenly crisped
*I reduced the amount of oil in the dressing by about half
* I left out the red onion

Greek Night- 2 dips, soup, salad, appetizer, main dish, drink and dessert

A couple of weeks ago my son studied Ancient Greece at school. He had multiple options for his final project and we decided to have a "Greek Cafe" as part of the experience.

When I was a kid, I used to love to do restaurants to surprise my dad when he would come home from work, so I knew this would be really fun for all of us.
The kids dressed up and placed all the appropriate signs annoucing our cafe. The cutest part was how they thought that someone driving down our street might just be hungry and stop in to join us.
My son made the signs and came up with the name for our cafe. I asked for his input on the menu and spent the afternoon getting all the dishes ready for our Greek Night.

We started with a drink called "The Greek Lantern". I have absolutely no idea if it is really a Greek drink, but it sounded really interesting, combining a large amount of fresh parsley leaves, lime juice, lime zest, club soda, water and ice. It actually was quite refreshing and surprisingly yummy.
Next we had a Roasted Red Pepper with Feta dip and Lemony-Garlic Hummus with homemade pita chips. Both of these were really good, although the red pepper one was deemed "spicy" by my youngest child.

Then we had mini spanakopita, which were really delicious and not as time consuming as I thought they would be.
The soup was everybody's favorite. I have had it at Greek restaurants before and it was very simple to recreate at home. It is called Avgolemono Soup- which just means Egg, Lemon and Rice soup. You have to temper eggs to make it, but boy was it delicious. My kids loved it.
I made a light version of Baklava that I found from Cooking Light. It was also much easier than I thought it was going to be to make. It turned out good, but was quite sweet, so could only be enjoyed in small portions. I actually had some leftover baklava mixed into this lemon ice cream a few days later and that was an amazing dessert.

What Greek menu would be complete without some sort of Greek salad? I actually made 2 versions of this salad since we have two people in our house who don't like tomatoes. The second version I made with chopped red pepper to replace the tomato. These leftovers were delicious on a green salad and also in a pita sandwich.
We had Chicken Souvlaki skewers, which my son loved. The Tzatziki sauce that went along with this was my youngest child's favorite thing. She was eating it plain and dipping all sorts of veggies in it.

Here's a closer look at the Baklava. We had lots of fun on Greek Night!

The Greek Lantern

Ingredients

• 1 cup (packed) Parsley Sprigs
• ½ tsp Lime Zest, grated
• 1 cup Cold Water
• ½ cup Fresh Lime Juice
• ½ cup Sugar
• 1 (10 ounce) bottle Club Soda

Instructions

• Blend all the ingredients, except club soda, in a blender, for about one minute.
• Take a large glass measure and strain the preparation through a fine-mesh sieve.
• Put ice into tall glasses and pour the prepared drink.
• Top with club soda and serve

Lemony-Garlic Hummus

Recipe from Aggie’s Kitchen

2 16 oz cans of chickpeas (Bush’s is my canned bean of choice!)
1/2 cup liquid from can of chickpeas
juice and zest from 3 lemons
3 TB tahini
4 cloves garlic, crushed
big pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper
5 TB olive oil

Combine first 6 ingredients into bowl of food processor. Blend for 2-3 minutes until smooth. Slowly stream in olive oil until combined and smooth. Taste for salt and add more if needed. Serve with fresh cut veggies, crackers, chips, pita chips or crostini for a nice appetizer platter.

Note: this recipe makes a large batch. Store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to a week.

Recipe for Roasted Red Pepper with Feta Dip


Recipe for Greek Salad
* I drastically reduced the amount of olive oil and feta cheese that this recipe called for. I just drizzled the mixture with a little olive oil and then used more lemon juice. I only added a couple of oz of feta cheese.


Recipe for Mini-Spanakopitas
* the egg white/olive oil mixture they said to brush the phyllo dough with, didn't work for me.
I used cooking spray instead.

Recipe for Avgolemono Soupo (Egg, Lemon, and Rice Soup)

Recipe for Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki Sauce
* I used greek yogurt

Recipe for Baklava with Wildflower Honey
* I used orange blossom honey

Roasted Eggplant Salad

My sister was here visiting this past week and we were able to share some dinners together.
We both love eggplant, so I saved these recipes that I had spotted a couple of weeks earlier, for her visit.

Preparing dinner for starving children doesn't provide the best opportunity for taking photos, so excuse the bad picture of this one. Don't let it stop you from trying this recipe.

This particular night, we had this delicious eggplant salad over quinoa and steamed broccoli and cauliflower on the side.
We had 6 hungry kids between the 2 of us and everyone enjoyed this yummy salad.

Eggplant is one of my favorite things to roast in the oven. It takes on whatever flavor you want it too and it becomes brown, crunchy on the edges and melt-in-your-mouth smooth, all at the same time.

There were three salad variations that went along with the basic roasted eggplant and this time we went with the chickpea & feta version. I threw in some halved cherry tomatoes because tomatoes go well with the other ingredients and then I snipped some fresh herbs from outside my front door and added them to the mix.

Yum. Yum. Yum.

Recipe for Basic Roasted Eggplant
* I used less oil

Recipe for Eggplant Salad with Chickpeas and Feta
* I used less oil and less feta than the recipe called for
* I added halved cherry tomatoes
* I added equal amounts of Italian parsley, mint and basil

Mexicali Chop Salad with Crunchy Tortilla Strips

I don't usually get posts up this quick, but somehow I did with this one.
We had this salad for dinner a couple of days ago and it was really good.

The salad caught my eye in a recent issue of Vegetarian Times. It looked too delicious to pass up and seemed like the perfect summer meal.

First you crisp up some lightly seasoned corn tortilla strips in the oven. While that is happening you mix up a quick, light dressing. The dressing starts with warming some olive oil, garlic and spices, which is then combined in the food processor with lime juice, scallions, and cilantro.
The dressing was really good!

Then all sorts of veggies are chopped and added to a bunch of romaine. You've got celery, tomatoes, avocado, cucumber, fresh corn kernels, roasted red peppers and really, whatever else you want to add. I decided to add sliced mushrooms since my family likes them. Oh, and don't forget the pinto beans, for some protein.

My son doesn't like dressing on his salad, but this time I decided to go ahead and dress the entire salad before serving it to my family. I gave everyone a large bowl of salad and we all dug in.
The kids really liked this salad, even my son- with the dressing.
I loved it too. It was really fresh and delicious.
The tortilla strips gave just the right amount of crunch and the dressing was the perfect compliment for all the veggies. I had the leftovers for lunch today. Wish there was more for tomorrow!


Recipe for Mexicali Chop Salad with Crunchy Tortilla Strips
* I seasoned half of my tortilla strips with chili powder and half with paprika (for the kids)
* I used grape tomatoes, halved, in the salad
* I added sliced mushrooms to our salad
* I omitted the red onion