During our trip to San Luis Obispo over Spring Break, I ordered a veggie sandwich from the Old Custom House Restaurant in Avila Beach. You're probably thinking...veggie sandwich? Why not just order a salad? In a way, I guess I could argue that this is a salad between to rather large croutons. :) But, not just my love of veggies was at work when it came to ordering this sandwich. The decision was made when I saw that it had sunflower sprouts on it. I was so excited because I love sunflower sprouts! They are my favorite sprout. They taste like green sunflower seeds. They are so delicious but hard to find in groceries stores, let alone something you find in restaurants. I ordered it and I was glad I did, not only was the sandwich utterly delicious but it inspired me to try a version of it here at home.
Sunflower sprouts are hard to find, so I just grow my own. (Sprouts Market used to sell them but the last time I went there they didn't have any,,,bummer) The good news is that sprouts are super easy to grow. Plant sunflower seeds in a shallow pot, keep the soil moist and in two weeks you'll have beautiful sunflower sprouts. You don't even need a garden, they will grow nicely on your kitchen counter all year round. Once they sprout, cut, wash and use them in salads and sandwiches or eat them all by themselves. They taste like sunflower seeds but only in vegetable form. Unused sprouts can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week or so. I used them here along with some clover sprouts in my version of the Old Custom House Veggie Sandwich.
The restaurant's version had red bell pepper hummus and huge slices of red onion, where I opted for my spicy black bean hummus and pickled onions. I love the sweet tang of the pickled onions, they really make the sandwich stand out along with the Latin spiced hummus. And of course the fresh green nutty flavor of the sprouts...just delicious! Enjoy!
Veggie Sandwiches with Black Bean Hummus & Sunflower Sprouts
Black Bean Hummus
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Pickled Onions
Avocados
Sunflower and Clover Sprouts
Spinach
Whole grain wheat bread, toasted
Layer ingredients on toasted wheat bread and dig in!
You've probably noticed on the blog that I've been on an appetizer kick lately. It all started a few weeks ago with a sweet and salty, White Corn and Cotija Cheese Dip and then a delicious and lite, Zucchini Bruschetta and today when I get into the kitchen, I'm making some Tofu Spring Rolls. But yesterday, I made these amazing Sriracha Deviled Eggs. (a recipe from the blog, a farmgirl's dabbles.) I love her blog!
These were so yummy, words just aren't enough to describe them. So I took lots of pictures of these beautiful morsels to let the photos speak for me. Aren't they gorgeous?
I don't think I'll ever
go back to eating plain old deviled eggs again. The spicy sriracha and the crunchy,
garlicky panko breadcrumbs really elevated these eggs to another level
entirely. They were incredible! My husband and I ate every last one...an appetizer course that turned into a meal. :) In fact, I'm thinking this recipe would make a great version for Egg Salad Sandwiches. Just think...Sriracha Egg Salad Sandwiches with some sprouts and pickled onions? Doesn't that sound yummy? I just may have to give that idea a test drive this weekend. Anyway, without any more introduction, here's this delicious recipe. Enjoy!
Sriracha Deviled Eggs with Garlic Toast Crumb Topping (recipe from a farmgirl's dabbles)
Makes 24
1 dozen eggs, hard boiled
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sriracha
1 T butter
1/4 cup Panko Flakes (Japanese Bread Crumbs)
1/2 t garlic powder
1/8 t salt
pepper (to taste)
finely minced cilantro leaves
For perfectly cooked hard boiled eggs every time: (via Mom's Macaroni Salad blog) Place eggs in a single
layer in a pot and cover with enough cold water so that the water is
about an inch above the eggs. Heat pot and bring to a boil. You must
watch these eggs to know when the boiling begins. Once water begins to
boil, boil the eggs for no longer than 2 minutes. (set a timer) Turn off
heat and let eggs sit in the hot water for 15 minutes. (Again, set a
timer, because you will forget)
Pour off hot water and
replace with cold water, letting it overflow in the sink to cool down
the pot and the eggs. Let sit in the cool water for a few minutes, then
drain water and refrigerate the eggs until completely cold. Tap to crack
shell and peel.
Assembly
Cut eggs in half and place cooked yolks in a small bowl. Add mayonnaise and sriracha to the yolks and mix well. If you plan to use a pastry bag with a star tip, you may want to put this mixture in a blender so that it gets really smooth.
In a small skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter and add Panko bread crumbs, garlic, and salt. Saute until crumbs are fragrant and lightly browned. Remove from heat and cool on a plate.
While the crumbs are cooling, spoon or pipe filling into eggs whites. Sprinkle eggs with bread crumbs, pepper and minced cilantro and serve immediately. These eggs can be made in advance but don't sprinkle with the bread crumbs until just before serving to avoid the bread crumbs from getting soggy.
My old dog, Bo-a Black Lab mix, loved to play fetch. That dog could play for hours and hours, and often times he did. Bo would play fetch with just about anything you could throw, not just balls...Empty cans, balled up socks, empty milk cartons, cardboard boxes, anything. He would chase it down and return it, ready for another go.
We adopted him as a hyper-active six month old puppy. He was lanky and uncoordinated but essentially full size. At the time, we lived in a rural area in San Luis Obispo on four acres of land. Bo was a country dog for sure. No fence could contain him, trust me! The dog was like Houdini, he got out of every enclosure. He dug under fences, muscled through gates and even scaled over a fence and walked along the top, like a cat, just to get out. He even snapped one of those steel screw-in dog tethers. The ones you screw into the yard and then you attach a long leash so he still has movement. Yep, we came home from work and that baby was snapped clean off. The screw portion still firmly screwed into the ground. Eventually, we gave up containment and just left him to guard the property each morning as we went to work. He stayed nearby...most of the time...and waited for us to get home. He'd hear us drive up the single lane road that lead to our quarter mile long drive way. He would run at top speed from wherever he was, tail wagging, tongue hanging outside of his big grinning mouth. He was so happy to see us and he let us know every day. He was such a great dog. :)
So one Halloween, we bought this really large pumpkin for our porch. It was about 100 pounds, it was huge. We left it there for many months after Halloween because it was too big and too beautiful to throw away. Eventually though, we had to get rid of it. It had started to get soft in some areas. A forest of Coastal Live Oaks surrounded
our house which was perched over a steep, scrub-brush laden ravine.The ravine was the perfect
spot to compost this lovely gourd so we decided to roll it down the hill.
We rolled it over to the lip of the ravine and let er rip. It started to pick up speed as it lumbered down the steep hillside. Almost instantly, as if we'd thrown a tennis ball...Bo took off in a flash to chase it down. We yelled, "No! No Bo! Stop!" But he was not deterred in the slightest. He was going to fetch that pumpkin!
We laughed so hard as we watched Bo chase down that pumpkin. Of course? we thought, Why wouldn't he chase it? It was round and moving fast, just like a ball. So we waited to see what he would do when faced with this monstrous pumpkin at the bottom of the hill. The pumpkin hit hard and cracked in half. And wouldn't you know it...two minutes later, Bo had dragged one half of this huge pumpkin back up the hill! The half was literally his size. He had his teeth sunk in the flesh of the pumpkin and then he released it in front of us, panting. He looked up at us, wagging his tail, waiting, in ready position, for us to throw it back down the hill again! We laughed and laughed until our sides hurt. All the while, Bo looked at us, anxious to chase it down again. :)
I'm not sure why I woke up thinking about Bo this morning, and why I chose to write about him rather than zucchini, but I had to share this funny story about my Bo. He's been gone for many years now but I'm thankful for the wonderful memory that greeted me this morning and reminded me of all the wonderful years I had with him. Love you Bobo.
About the recipe:
These enchiladas are so delicious and have no meat in them. You know the recipe is a good one when you can fool a meat-loving husband. I gave my husband one to try for dinner but I didn't tell him what was in them. When he asked for seconds, I told him, "You realize that there is no meat in those?" He looked at me like I was crazy, "Yes there is." He replied, looking very confused. I broke the news to him and he was utterly amazed. So amazed in fact, he had three of these babies in one sitting. Enjoy!
Zucchini Enchiladas with Soy Chorizo and Black Beans (slightly adapted recipe from Cuisine at Home, July/Aug 2014, p.39)
Makes 8
10 oz. soy chorizo
1 T olive oil
1 cup yellow onions, diced
1 T garlic, minced
1 t dried oregano
1 t ground cumin
1 t ground coriander
1-15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1-4 oz can diced green chiles
salt and pepper to taste
1-15 oz can of red enchilada sauce
4 zucchini, halved lengthwise
8 oz. shredded pepper jack cheese
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
For the filling, cook the chorizo in a large saute pan over medium high heat until browned, transfer into medium bowl and set aside. Soy chorizo doesn't render much fat to drain away so you will need to add 1 T of olive oil into the pan to saute your vegetables. (If you prefer to use beef or pork chorizo, drain chorizo in a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl to remove the fat. Return 1 T of drippings back to pan.)
Over medium high heat saute onions, garlic, cumin and coriander in olive oil (or drippings) until onions are softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in beans and chiles. Return browned chorizo to pan and season with salt and pepper. Spread 1/4 cup enchilada sauce in bottom of an 11 x 15 inch baking dish.
Prepare zucchini, scoop out and discard seeds, leaving 1/4 inch flesh and place in dish.
Spoon three heaping tablespoons of filling into each boat. Spoon remaining sauce over zucchini and sprinkle with cheese evenly over tops.
Cover dish with foil and roast for 15 minutes. Remove foil and roast enchiladas until zucchini are fork tender and cheese melts,15-20 minutes. Let enchiladas rest for 5 minutes. Top with cilantro and sour cream and serve.
Other Zucchini recipes to try:
Zucchini Bruschetta
Zucchini Ribbon Summer Salad
Heirloom Tomato Salad with Maui Onions and Zucchini
Today, I don't have anything thought provoking to blog about. I'm not wrestling with a worry or concern, which is a first really. It seems like I always have something to worry about or at least something to say about it. I guess if I really tried, I could come up with a few worries. But really? Worries are unproductive. What's the saying, Worrying is like praying for the worst. Nope, not going to do that today. Instead, I'll tell you about this surprising little appetizer that I made the other day.
This summer, I'm on a kick to use zucchini as a main ingredient in various recipes. You might have already seen the Zucchini Ribbon Summer Salad I posted a few days ago. Well, this appetizer was my second attempt at using zucchini in a dish. And to be honest, I didn't expect them to be successful the first run through. Surprise! These were so good! I couldn't believe such a small piece of toast could pack that much flavor in a deliciously subtle way. I tasted each ingredient, from the lime, honey, salt, down to the creamy goat cheese mixture and the olive oil. Absolutely delicious and lite. My husband and I ate every last one of them for lunch that day. So give this easy appetizer a try next time you have company or make it on your favorite bread as a satisfying veggie sandwich. Enjoy!
Zucchini Bruschetta with Goat Cheese, Honey and Lime
3-4 small zucchini,
4-6 small radishes, thinly sliced
4 T honey
zest and juice from one lime
kosher salt
cilantro leaves
4 oz goat cheese
4 oz cream cheese
Sliced baguettes
Olive oil
Using a vegetable peeler, shave off ribbons of zucchini and place in a medium sized bowl. Then add the thinly slice radishes. Set aside.
In a separate small bowl combine honey, lime zest, lime juice and salt and mix well so that honey is well combined with the lime juice. I used about 2 pinches of kosher salt. You want it to be mostly sweet with a little saltiness. It's best to err on the side of not enough salt than too much. You can always add more later. Add a few cilantro leaves and then pour the honey mixture over the zucchini and radishes. Mix well and let sit for a few minutes until the zucchini soften. Stir, taste and add more salt if needed.
In another bowl, combine goat cheese and cream cheese, mix well and set aside.
Baste both sides of the sliced baguettes with a light coat of olive oil and grill both sides of bread until lightly toasted. Set aside.
Top each baguette with the goat cheese mixture, zucchini ribbons and a few radishes and more cilantro leaves. Drizzle with additional honey lime sauce and Enjoy!
With our California weather perpetually warm this last year, it's strange that I'm excited about summer. I should be sick of the heat, but I'm not. Especially since, as most people know, I'm a fall girl normally. I love fall. I live and breathe for autumn. In fact, I'm already planning my fall dishes and Halloween ideas. Yay! But for some reason I'm looking forward to the warm, long days of summer. Lazy, fun days spent with my kiddos. A much needed reprieve from a busy school year. Maybe my excitement is because I finally have some free time to cook again. And who wouldn't want to cook with the abundance of fresh veggies available in summer, right? Ahh yes. That must be the cause of my excitement...the veggies! :)
One veggie you see everywhere in the summertime is zucchini. It's cheap and abundant. My inspiration to cut the zucchini into ribbons came from this recipe from the Proud Italian Cook. Cutting the zucchini with a vegetable peeler into long ribbons is a clever, fun way to prepare the vegetable and it creates this delicious and beautiful salad. It's filling because of the corn, peas and edamame but it's still light and flavorful with a simple Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette. Plus, it's stunningly beautiful with all the colors of summer. Enjoy!
Zucchini Ribbon Summer Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
2 small zucchini, cut into ribbons
1 yellow squash, cut into ribbons
1/2 c carrots, shredded
1 red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks
1 cucumber, sliced into rounds
1 ear of white corn
1/4 cup edamame
1/4 cup peas
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
2 T green onions, chopped
feta cheese, crumbled
Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
1/4 cup olive oil
Juice of 1 Meyer Lemon
1 pinch of dried oregano, crushed
2 pinches of Kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
1/2 t. garlic powder
For the squash, use a vegetable peeler to shave off thin ribbons of the zucchini and yellow squash. Place ribbons in a large bowl. Prepare all vegetables and add to the bowl.
Prepare Vinaigrette. Note: If you don't have Meyer Lemons, you can use regular lemons but you may have to add a few tablespoons of honey to your dressing to cut some of the acidity. Meyer lemons are less acidic and thereby sweeter. Their sweetness is due to the fact that Meyer Lemons are a cross between a lemon and an orange.
Toss salad with vinaigrette and sprinkle with feta cheese. Enjoy!
Other Summer Salads to try:
Summer Fruit Salad with Ginger and Lime
Caprese Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette
Heirloom Tomato Salad with Grilled Maui Onion and Zucchini
Starting the summer off right is like eating an appetizer to a really big meal. It has to be fulfilling, but not too filling because we still have the whole meal to eat. Likewise, if I pack too much summer fun up front, my boys will be bored by week two.
So with this summer philosophy in mind, on our first day of summer vacation we slept in late and did nothing all day. I allowed my kiddos to watch TV and play video games in their underwear, until they were cross-eyed and had leg cramps from being couch potatoes all day. *gasp* It's true and yes, I'm a bad mother. :) I figured it was the perfect way to ease into 3 months of lounging around...by lounging around. Plus, I really didn't feel like doing anything. I needed the break too. But like all good things, moderation is the key.
Father's day uprooted our backsides from the welcoming couch and led us to the beach for a day of fun in the sun. I packed a picnic, umbrellas, chairs, sand toys, towels, sunscreen, the whole works. Everything to make our day at the beach memorable and fun, and it was. The boys played in the ocean and dug in the sand for hours having a great time. My husband and I got to talk and laugh while watching our boys have fun. But just like the party-goer who shows up and makes a meal of the appetizers like they've skipped lunch, sometimes too much, too soon is a bad thing.
My eight year old son, who wants to be a marine biologist when he grows up and who loves to be in the ocean, got stung by a stingray on his foot. Apparently he, along with 3 others that day, had stepped on one. Uh-oh! Party's over.
He was in a lot of pain and treated by lifeguards but ultimately he was all right, just scared. While being treated, he was asked if he still wanted to be a marine biologist when he grew up and he said, "Yes. At least it wasn't a shark." It was a relief that he had such a great attitude about the stingray sting. I was worried he wouldn't want to come back to the beach this summer because of it. My son's actions reminded me that this day at the beach, with it's ups and downs, was just a small taste:an appetizer of sorts, that should leave us satisfied but anxious for the next course. Each building or harmonizing with one another so that the whole meal is not revealed until summers end.
So, as I savor the flavors of each day, I look forward to the next course...let the summer fun begin!
White Corn and Cotija Dip (adapted recipe from the Minimalist Baker)
3 cups White Corn (3-4 ears)
1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 shallot, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup crema centroamericana (or regular sour cream)
1/4 cup mayonnaise (or 4 oz cream cheese)
1 cup Cotija Cheese, crumbled (plus extra for the top)
Sprinkle of cayenne (optional)
Green onions, sliced as garnish
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a small fry pan, add oil and garlic and shallots and saute briefly, approximately 3 minutes. Turn off heat.
In a medium bowl, add corn, red bell peppers, the sauteed garlic and shallots and mix together. Add sour cream, mayonnaise and cotija cheese and mix well. Spray small casserole dish with cooking spray and add dip to prepared dish. Sprinkle top with cayenne pepper and bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes.
Serve with sliced baguettes or tortilla chips. Enjoy!
It is officially summer in my household. School's out and I'm so relieved. This school year was a tough one, no doubt and now I get to focus all my attention on the most important thing to me, my family. I get to plan our warm summer days with trips to the beach, play dates at the park, daily swimming and bike riding, baseball and tennis, picnics, more swimming, movies on the beach and just lounging around with nothing to do. I'm so excited and in addition to hanging out with my two favorite boys, I also get back into the kitchen to prepare some amazing food for my friends and family. Summer is awesome food-wise with tons of fresh summer fruit and veggies and lots and lots of grilling. To kick off the summer right, here are some easy grilled halibut tacos that you can throw together without heating up your kitchen. A super easy summer meal that's highlighted with fresh ingredients like the mini radishes right from my garden and this amazing homemade salsa courtesy of my dear friend Paul. Fire up the grill and give these delicious tacos a try. Enjoy!
Grilled Halibut Tacos
Serves 4
2 halibut fillets, marinated and grilled
cabbage, shredded
radishes, sliced
Homemade salsa, (Nana's Salsa)
cilantro
lime wedges
spicy sour cream (1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 tsp cayenne, 1T taco mix)
8 corn tortillas
Prepare Nana's Salsa and all fruit and vegetables.
Marinate your halibut fillets in your favorite marinade for 30 minutes. I admit...I cheated and didn't make my own marinade for these tacos. I did say these were easy, so easy equals ready-made marinade. :) I used McCormick Grill Mate's Baja Citrus Marinade. It's super delicious and perfect for these tacos but feel free to use your favorite marinade instead.
Most fish tacos come with a cream sauce but I like my tacos a little spicy. So instead, I spiced up some sour cream with cayenne and a small amount of taco mix. (easy, right?) Adjust to taste.
Grill or pan fry your marinated halibut. Heat up your corn tortillas and assemble these delicious tacos. If you'd like more heat, try adding some Pickled Jalapenos and Radishes as well. Enjoy!
Other dishes to try:
Vegetable Ceviche
Rice Veracruz
This is one of my mom's tried and true recipes. She's a big fan of the show "The Chew" and got this recipe from Clinton Kelly. I was in a pinch and asked her if she had a fruit salad that I could make for a PTA planning meeting I had scheduled for the next day. Usually, I don't try new recipes for an audience. The golden rule of entertaining, don't try something new for company. Always make it first. However, exceptions are made when it's mom approved. And the risk was worth the return.
It is the bomb of a fruit salad! You may look at the pictures and
say, so what? Looks like just another fruit salad...boring. Right?
Wrong.
The
simple ginger syrup and fresh lime zest and juice puts this fruit salad
into the realm of dessert. It is so amazingly sweet and refreshing.
Everyone who has tried it has had the same response.
They take a bite
expecting plain old fruit...their eyes widen and flash in recognition that this is not just plain old fruit...they pause and
chew and taste....then they ask...."What did you put on this fruit?"
It is so
delicious! I've made this salad at least three times since then and each time I've added a little different fruit, this time being raspberries, but you can add strawberries or blueberries if you prefer. (The original recipe does not contain any berries, only the melons, pineapple and kiwi) The simple syrup can be made ahead of time and since you only use about a 1/4 cup for the salad, keep the remaining syrup in a mason jar and store in the fridge for later use on all your sliced fruit. It's amazing on sliced apples. Enjoy!
Summer Fruit Salad with Ginger and Lime (recipe from Clinton Kelly)
serves 8
Ginger Simple Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 large piece of ginger, peeled and sliced into thin rounds (~2 T)
Fruit Salad
2 cups pineapple
4 kiwis, sliced and quartered
2 cups cantaloupe
2 cups honeydew melon
1 pint raspberries
zest and juice of 2 limes
3 T mint leaves,
1/4 cup ginger simple syrup
Make the ginger syrup ahead of time, so that you can refrigerate an hour or more to cool. (I made mine the day before) Add water, sugar and ginger pieces to a small saucepan and heat until boiling. Reduce heat to medium and continue to heat at a low boil for about 8 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to cool a little. Use a fork to fish out the ginger pieces and discard them. Allow Syrup to cool further until it's cool enough to safely pour into an airtight container. I used a clean mason jar. Refrigerate overnight or until thoroughly chilled. (~2 hours)
Prepare all fruit and cut into bite-sized pieces. Place all cut fruit into a large serving bowl, and gently mix until all fruit is evenly combined. Wait to add raspberries until the end. They will get damaged when you stir the melon so I hold off adding them so that they stay looking like raspberries. Zest 2 limes, reserving the lime zest in a small bowl. Juice the two limes and add juice to the lime zest and stir. Pour the lime zest and juice over the fruit and then add 1/4 cup of the ginger syrup and gently fold fruit until well coated with the lime juice and ginger syrup. Add raspberries. Tear or julienne mint leaves and add to fruit. Give the fruit salad another gentle stir to combine raspberries and mint and serve. Enjoy!
