After baking 50 cupcakes for a summer school event, then following that up with cake, frosting, and fondant this weekend, I was ready for a good, healthy meal.

My favorite weeknight dinners are always the ones that just require a single bowl and fork or spoon. This one is awesome because it’s full of protein, and it gets a nice kick from the salsa verde. I don’t know why I don’t keep tomatillos around the house more often because they make the BEST salsa!

Recipe:

salsa
4 medium tomatillos, papery husks removed, halved
3 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp salt
2 chopped serrano chiles (or less if you’re not into spicy food)
1/4 cup water

salad
2 cups water
1 cup quinoa
juice of one lime
2 cups black beans, rinsed and drained
1 large tomato, diced
1 avocado, diced
chopped cilantro, for garnish

First, make the salsa. Put the garlic and tomatillos under the broiler until softened slightly and browned in places. Transfer to a blender and add the cilantro, salt, chiles, and water. Blend until nearly smooth. Set aside.

Bring the water to a boil in a covered pan. Add the quinoa, stir, and turn the heat down to low. Simmer, covered, until all the liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Let stand for a few minutes, then add the lime juice and fluff with a fork. Let cool.

In a large bowl, toss the cooled quinoa with the black beans, tomato, and avocado. Stir in about half the salsa, taste, and add more if desired. Serve garnished with chopped cilantro, and pass the remaining salsa on the side.

For some reason I’ve been feeling incredibly nostalgic about our Southeast Asia travels lately, so I’ve been cooking a lot of our favorites from there. I first had this salad in Chiang Mai, and wrote about it here.

Although I’ve read that it’s a Lao dish, I don’t remember seeing it in Laos, but it was pretty common in Chiang Mai and I also had it a few times in Bangkok. I don’t know why it took me so long to get around to making it at home, because I adore it, and it’s actually pretty simple. You just mash up some spices, mix them with rice and form patties, fry them, then crumble them up.

Then you add these ingredients, toss with lime juice and fish sauce, and you’re ready to eat!

A well-stocked Asian grocery store should have everything you need. If you can only find dreid galangal, soak it in very hot water until it is soft before proceeding with the recipe.

Recipe:
(adapted from Chez Pim)

crispy rice patties
1 tbsp galangal, finely chopped
1 fresh red chile, seeded and chopped
3 tbsp lemongrass, finely chopped
3 tbsp shallots, finely chopped
2 tbsp garlic, finely chopped
2 cups cooked jasmine rice
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil

salad
3 tbsp finely sliced shallots
3 tbsp cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp julienned fresh ginger
1/3 cup lime juice
4 cup of peanuts
6 dried red chiles (I used chiles de arbol) – use fewer if you don’t like spicy food
2-3 tbsp fish sauce
1 lime, cut into wedges

To make the rice patties:
Combine the galangal, chile, lemongrass, shallots, and garlic, and pound to a smooth paste with a mortar and pestle.
Put the rice in a medium bowl, add the paste, egg, and fish sauce and mix well. Form the rice into 2″ wide, 3/4″ thick patties.
Heat the oil in a wide skillet over medium-high, and test a little bit of rice. As soon as you put the rice in the oil, it should begin to bubble right away. When the oil is ready, put in about half the patties, and fry for about 10 minutes, flipping once, until golden brown on both sides. Transfer to a clean towel while you fry the remaining patties.

To make the salad:
Fry the chiles in the oil you used to cook the rice for about 15 seconds, making sure they don’t burn. Set aside to cool.
Break up the rice patties and place them in a bowl. Add about half the lime juice and the fish sauce. Crumble the fried chiles and add them. Toss in the ginger, shallots, cilantro, and peanuts. Mix well, then taste and add more lime juice and/or fish sauce if needed. Serve in bowls garnished with lime wedges

Normally I can take or leave pasta, but for some reason, I usually make an exception for spaghetti. I wanted to make a more seasonally appropriate stand in for the usual spaghetti with marinara, and this is what I came up with.

With absolutely BEAUTIFUL tomatoes and basil all over the place at the farmers markets right now, I wanted to make a pasta that would feature them prominently, and this simple dish definitely does.  I drew inspiration from caprese salad, but left out the cheese to keep it light (and vegan).  I’m sure, though, if you wanted to put some fresh mozzarella in here, it would be really good.

Mashing up garlic with salt is a technique I learned from a friend who makes the best salads I’ve ever had.  Now it forms the base of pretty much any salad dressing I make.  Here, I just add olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper.  That gets tossed with some cooked, drained whole wheat pasta and fresh tomatoes and basil  making this a light, fresh dinner in under 20 minutes!

Recipe:

8 ounces whole wheat spaghetti (or whatever pasta you choose)
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
black pepper
1/4 cup basil, cut into thin ribbons
3 ripe tomatoes, diced

Boil the pasta as directed.

While the pasta is cooking, make the dressing: smash the salt and garlic into a smooth paste with a mortar and pestle. Combine with oil, balsamic, and a pinch or two of black pepper and whisk to make a dressing.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain and rinse it. Put in a large bowl and toss with the tomatoes, basil, and dressing to taste.

This is a recipe from an AMAZING cookbook called Arabesque. Mike and I have drooled over this cookbook on numerous visits to Barnes and Noble, but for some reason never kicked down the cash to get our own copy. About a week ago, Mike decided to get it from the library, but of course our little county library doesn’t have it so it had to be brought up from Santa Maria. After shelling out 50 cents to get it here, I think we’ve both realized it’s a must-purchase.

The book has three sections covering foods from Morocco, Lebanon, and Turkey (all places I really want to visit. Weird.) This was the first recipe I attempted but definitely won’t be the last. It combines flavors I’ve never thought of as going together, but it works! I let it stand at room temperature about an hour before I ate it, and in that time the flavors came together perfectly. I haven’t had much Moroccan food in my life, but after trying this, I definitely think it’s time for that to change!

Recipe:
(adapted from Arabesque)

2 medium sweet potatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground cumin
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
salt
8 green olives, halved

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into 1″ cubes.

Heat the oil in a dutch oven and add the onion. Cook until soft and golden, about 6 mintues. Add the sweet potato pieces, paprika, cumin, ginger and and enough water to just cover them. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until tender but not falling apart. By this point the liquid should be thickened into a sauce. Transfer the potatoes and onions to a bowl, leaving excess liquid behind.

Add the lemon juice, a few pinches of salt, parsley and olives, and toss well. Taste and adjust seasonings. Let sit for about an hour before serving if possible.

Spinach has pretty much always been a staple in my refrigerator, but ever since I started blending it into my morning smoothie, I’ve been going through about 5 large bunches a week. I am usually so careful about making sure I have some left for breakfast that I kind of stopped cooking dinner with it.

But then on a run I started thinking about spinach, and barley, and red onions, and cilantro (which we now have growing in pots in our kitchen), and I immediately came home and put together this salad. It’s full of good stuff – healthy fats from avocado and walnuts, and a nice summery flavor from the lemon cilantro dressing. This makes a LOT, and the leftovers are great for lunch. I might have to start picking up a few extra bunches of spinach at the farmers market every week, because I think salads like this one are going to be in heavy rotation all summer!

Recipe:
4 cups water
1 1/2 cups pearled barley

1 medium zucchini, diced
4 cups (or more) spinach leaves, torn into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 avocado, cubed
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

2 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
juice of 2 lemons
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
salt and pepper

Bring the water to a boil and add the barley. Simmer until tender, 30-40 minutes, then drain the excess water. Let cool.

Combine the diced zucchini, spinach, walnuts, avocado, red onion, and green onion in a large bowl. Add the barley and mix well.

To make the dressing, mash the garlic and salt with a mortar and pestle to make a smooth paste. Transfer to a blender and add the lemon juice, cilantro, olive oil, and a pinch or two of salt and pepper. Blend until smooth, then add as much as desired to the salad, tossing to mix.

Not being from the South, I don’t think I ate a single black eyed pea until a few months ago. I’m not jumping-up-and-down excited about them, but they’re not bad, and since we have a couple bags of them to use up, I’ve been trying to figure out what I can do with them. My search for recipes let me to Texas caviar, which appears to be just black eyed peas and diced vegetables in a vinegar dressing, served with tortilla chips.

I wanted to make a meal rather than an appetizer, so this is what I came up with. Meat-eaters would probably consider this a side, but I think it can hold its own as the main course of a light summer supper. The flavor improved a lot after a few hours in the fridge, so plan ahead. I’m sure frozen corn would work in a pinch, but now that we’re getting into peak corn season, it just makes sense to use it!

Recipe:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 ears of corn
3 cups cooked (or canned) black eyed peas
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
4 green onions, white and light green parts only, chopped
4 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp sugar
pinch or two cayenne pepper
salt
pepper

Slice the kernels of corn off the ears. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a wide skillet, then add the corn and saute over medium-high until it’s tender. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.

Stir in the black eyed peas, red and green bell pepper, and green onion, and toss well.

To make the dressing, whisk together the 2 tbsp olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste (a pinch or two of each). Pour over the salad, toss well, then let sit in the fridge for a few hours before serving. It’s even better the next day.

Mike and I may not be ready for kids yet, but we just brought 3 precious living things into our home: a Thai chili plant, a basil plant, and a mint plant. These three fabulous additions live in terra cotta pots on a ledge in front of our living room window, and I’m already madly in love with them. When you do cost benefit analysis of buying those little plastic containers of fresh herbs versus keeping pots of your own, there’s a clear winner (and it doesn’t come in plastic).

This fabulous recipe from Kelsey’s blog features both mint and basil, and it really is a perfect, light summer dinner. I loved the rich flavor that comes from cooking the orzo in broth instead of water, and now that we’re coming into tomato season, this is a great way to use those adorable little bite-sized tomatoes. I cut back on the oil in the dressing and only poured about half of it over the orzo, which I thought provided plenty of flavor. I also topped each serving with a dusting of crumbled feta. This recipe is definitely a keeper!

Recipe:
(adapted from Apple A Day)

salad
4 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups orzo
1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups red and yellow teardrop tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper
a few tbsp crumbled feta

dressing
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp honey
1 tsp salt
a few pinches freshly ground black pepper

Bring the broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the orzo and cook until tender, stirring frequently, about 9 minutes. Drain then transfer to a large bowl and cool completely.
Add the onion, beans, tomato, mint, and basil, toss well, and season with a pinch or two of salt and pepper.

Whisk the dressing ingredients and pour about half the dressing over the orzo, tossing well to combine. Serve with a little feta sprinkled over the top, and pass the remaining dressing at the table.

I know spring has really started when my allergies go crazy, and this week, the fun began. I never had any allergy issues until I moved here, but now they show up right around my birthday every year, giving me really attractive red eyes and an awesome nasal-y voice. After about a week, I usually have so much congestion that I can’t really taste my food. And of course, nothing really works (I’ve tried pretty much every allergy drug there is).

So since I know that’s coming, I wanted to make something really flavorful and healthy, with lots of different textures. This is not only beautiful to look at thanks to all the different colors, it’s also loaded with nutrients. I am sure this peanut sauce isn’t totally authentic, because I looked up an Indonesian recipe and the real stuff has tamarind, lime, and coconut. But authentic or not, I love all the raw vegetables and the fragrant turmeric rice. The most crucial part is the crispy shallots on top. I know frying isn’t healthy, but it’s just a little bit, and the flavor and little crunch is absolutely worth it.

I diced up some of Trader Joe’s High Protein Tofu (extra firm) for protein, but if you eat meat, I think shredded or diced chicken would work well. The recipe also suggests diced hard-boiled eggs, which I could see being pretty good too.

Recipe:
(adapted from The New Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen)

serves 4-6

2 cups brown rice
3 1/2 cups water
1 tsp turmeric

6-8 cups washed, roughly chopped spinach
1 cup thinly sliced cabbage
3 carrots, shredded
3 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 block high protein tofu, diced

1/3 cup peanut butter
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp sugar or evaporated cane juice
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 1/2 tsp grated ginger
1/3 cup warm water

2 tbsp oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced and separated into rings

First make the rice, by combining the water, rice and turmeric in a rice cooker or by cooking on the stove.

Once the rice is cooked, fluff with a fork.

To make the peanut dressing, combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Set aside

To make the crispy shallots, heat the oil in your smallest frying pan. When hot, add the shallots and stir occasionally until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

To assemble each salad: Put down a bed of spinach (1-1 1/2 cups). Top with about 1/2 a cup of rice. Top the rice with some cabbage, carrot, tomato, and tofu, then pour some dressing over that and sprinkle with the shallots.

Mike was a little dubious about this salad. He’s not as crazy about black licorice as I am, but he loved this. The lemon, red onion, and orange cover up most of the fennel flavor, so you get just a hint of licorice, but it’s balanced nicely with the citrus. After the soft roasted vegetables we ate all winter, it’s great to have such a crisp and crunchy vegetable. I think it’s best after sitting in the fridge for about 20 minutes, so all the flavors can combine and mellow.

Recipe:

makes 3 small servings

1 medium fennel bulb , thinly sliced (slice the celery-looking stalks too)
1 medium navel orange, cut into sections
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
3 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp chopped walnuts

Toss the fennel, oranges, and red onion in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with a pinch or two of salt and pepper.

Whisk together the orange juice, olive oil, and lemon juice. Pour over the fennel mixture and toss well.

Chill for about 20 minutes, covered, then sprinkle with walnuts to serve.

When I first encountered “healthy-living blogs” I did not see the point. There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of these blogs where the person takes a picture of every single thing they eat, every single day. Not only did this seem like a complete waste of time, it seemed a little unhealthy and obsessive.

But I guess if blogs like that are helping people live healthier lives and make better food choices, there’s no harm in that. And if someone out there wants to take a picture of their oatmeal every single morning for months on end, well, it doesn’t affect me. And among all those oatmeal pictures, there are actually some great ideas, like this kale salad.

I’m not even sure how I ended up on the blog (I think maybe somehow through twitter), but a raw kale salad immediately piqued my interest. You can eat raw kale? I had no idea! And with lemon, avocado, and olive oil, that’s a whole lot healthier than the average lettuce and vinaigrette salad! So I guess those healthy living blogs definitely shouldn’t all be written off. I’m kind of excited to see what other novel (and of course, healthy!) recipes are floating around out there.

Recipe:
(adapted from Healthy Ashley)

1 bunch curly kale
salt and pepper
1 lemon
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 avocado
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 small zucchini, julienned
2 tbsp sunflower seeds

Wash the kale and pat dry with a clean towel or spin in a salad spinner.

Remove the leaves from the tough stems and tear into bite-sized pieces. Place in a large bowl, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, and add the juice from the lemon and the olive oil.

Cut the avocado into small cubes and add those. Toss with your hands, and massage the avocado and dressing into the leaves. Let sit for 20 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, zucchini and sunflower seeds and toss before serving.