Black Bean Salad

A great side dish for Mexican entrees. We had this on the side with tacos one night. The next day for lunch we had taco salads with the leftover taco meat and put this on top. Jason even commented it would be great on nachos.

Black Bean Salad
2 cans black beans, drained
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup diced red pepper
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup green onions
1/4 cup diced pineapple
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno, minced and seeded
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
juice of 1 lime
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
pinch of ground cumin

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour.


Recipe from Guy Fieri

Turkey Larb

I tried out a new type of cuisine a Thai dish called Turkey Larb. Don't let the name fool you it is good...nothing like lard, which it sounds like and at first I thought that was what is was called, turkey lard. It was tested and proved to be a success so I thought I would share.

Turkey Larb

Dressing
1/3 cup fresh lime juice (4-5) Limes
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (1 large)
2 tablespoons fish sauce*
2 tablespoons honey
Larb
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 red onion diced
3 shallots thinly sliced
1/4 cup minced lemongrass**
1 chopped thai chile stemmed and thinly sliced (serrano is one kind)
kosher salt
11/2 lbs ground turkey
1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
freshly ground pepper
1 head butter lettuce. Leaves separated (like small heads of lettuce if you cannot find it romaine lettuce leaves work too)

Directions
Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, lemon juice, fish sauce and honey. Set aside.
Larb- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, shallots, lemongrass, chile, and salt, to taste. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the turkey and season with salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the meat and vegetables are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add the dressing to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the mint. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

To eat just spoon turkey mixture onto lettuce leaf and eat like a wrap. To make it more filling we put rice first on the lettuce then the meat, or serve with rice on the side. I also didn't want to work with chilies I was afraid it would be too spicy for the little one so just added red bell pepper it tasted great to me.

*Here is a picture of the fish sauce. It is in the ethnic food isle and it is in a bottle like vinegar. I was a little daunted by this ingredient but you could not taste anything fishy at all.

 **When I saw this dish being demonstrated she cut up the lemongrass but once my brother made dinner for us and used lemongrass I remember it being in a tube already done!  I looked for it that way and found it in the herb section of my grocery store by the produce.

This recipe was by Giada De Laurentiis from the food network.

Mustard -Roasted Fish

My guilty pleasure at mom and dad's is watching the food network. On my last trip I saw Ina Garten make this fish. I had to try it so yesterday I made it for the boys. Jason who is not a fish fan loved it and even commented about how good it was the next day. That is some recipe. All the ingredients really make this dish. So great and not to mention easy. To find the recipe on the food network page click here.
I served this with the Dill Fingerling Potatoes and the Watermelon with Feta and Basil. Recipes posted below.

Mustard- Roasted Fish
4 (8-ounce) fish fillets such as red snapper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces creme fraiche
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 teaspoons drained capers

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. (You can also use an ovenproof baking dish.) Place the fish fillets skin side down on the sheet pan. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
Combine the creme fraiche, 2 mustards, shallots, capers, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Spoon the sauce evenly over the fish fillets, making sure the fish is completely covered. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, until it's barely done. (The fish will flake easily at the thickest part when it's done.) Be sure not to overcook it! Serve hot or at room temperature with the sauce from the pan spooned over the top.

Dill Fingerling Potatoes

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/4 pounds fingerling potatoes, rinsed but not peeled

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2  tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot. Add the whole potatoes, salt and pepper and toss well. Cover the pot tightly and cook over low heat for 20-30 min, until the potatoes are just tender when tested with a small knife. From time to time, shake the pot without removing the lid to prevent the potatoes from burning. Turn off heat and allow the potatoes to steam for another 5 minutes. Don't overcook. Toss will the dill and serve hot.

 Recipe credit to Ina Garten. This recipe can be found on Ina's food network page here.

Fruit and Basil

I was introduced to the wonderful combination of fruit and basil by my chef brother Jake. We had this awesome mango sorbet with basil leaves for dessert one time at his restaurant. He told us to make sure we had a taste of basil with every bite. This began my love of the combination of basil and fruit. I recently stumbled upon an article in Real Simple magazine with five new things to do with basil. I tried this Watermelon with feta and basil salad. What a great combination.

Watermelon with Feta and Basil
Watermelon cut into chunks
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Feta cheese, crumbled
Fresh basil leaves, snipped or chopped

Sprinkle watermelon chunks with olive oil until coated. Season with salt and pepper. Top with feta cheese and basil toss and serve.

So fresh and simple!

This could work with any kind of fruit. Strawberries and fresh basil are one of my favorites.

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

For pot luck gatherings I like to make this. It is a twist on a fruit side dish or salad. The Cinnamon chips make it that much better. I am a big fan of cinnamon and sugar things!  I am bringing it to our 4th of July festivities this weekend. The best thing with this recipe is you can use any combination of fruit you want or have on hand.

This needs to be chilled for 6-24 hours before serving so plan ahead.
Fruit Salsa
1 cup finely chopped strawberries
1 Medium orange, peeled and finely chopped
3 kiwifruit, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh pineapple or one 8 ounce an crushed pineapple (juice drained)
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions (about two green onions)
1/4 cup finely chopped yellow or green sweet pepper
1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
Combine in bowl cover and chill for 6-24 hours. (If you plan to chill longer than 6 hours add the strawberries just before serving. they get soggy.) Serve with Cinnamon Chips

Cinnamon Tortilla Chips
Combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tsp ground cinnamon in shallow bowl. Brush 1/4 cup melted butter or margarine over twelve 7 or 8 inch flour tortillas. Cut each tortillas into 8 wedges (I use a pizza cutter) then sprinkle or dip the wedges in the cinnamon sugar mixture, coating both sides. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 10 min or until dry and crisp. Cool and serve. Store in an airtight container.

Black Bean Chicken Wraps

This is a perfect summer recipe. With no cooking involved it is perfect on those hot days for lunch or dinner.


Black Bean Chicken Wraps.
4 8 inch flavored or flour tortillas. or flat bread wraps found by the pita bread in most grocery stores.
1 15 ounce can of black beans, drained
1 med green pepper, finely chopped
2-3 green onions, sliced
1 13 ounce Canned chunk chicken breast
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
1-2 Tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, snipped
leaf lettuce

To prepare tortillas and make them pliable for use. I have found the easiest way is to place the tortillas between two damp paper towels and place in microwave for 30 seconds.If using flat bread no need to heat.
Combine the beans, green peppers,green onions, chicken and mayo into large bowl and stir to combine. Then add lime juice and cilantro and stir. Spread bean mixture evenly over tortillas. Top with lettuce. Roll up tortillas.This is also a great meatless meal as well, just omit the chicken.

I love these wraps paired with the Greek salad (posted below)