Mango Salsa

    A favorite salsa in my house, mango adds a lovely sweetness against the spiciness of the chili peppers.  This salsa is good on anything, but it’s especially good on lighter entrees, such as fish, grain pilaf, salads, tofu, eggs or chicken. Experiment with the ingredients and create your perfect mix of crunch, spice, texture, and taste.  It was a happy accident the day chopped radishes showed up in this salsa, adding another peppery dimension and more crunch. 

Ingredients:

1 large mango, diced

½ small onion, diced

2 large radishes, diced

1/3 c. cucumber, diced

3 medium roasted green chilies, chopped *

¼ c. orange (or other color) bell pepper

Add 1-2 teaspoons lime juice and toss with all ingredients.

Season to taste with S&P

This salsa loves to just sit for an hour or two before it’s eaten as the flavors combine nicely.  Taste and adjust seasoning before serving.

* Note: I used roasted Anaheim chilies for this because I had them.  Add your favorite chili, roasted or raw, diced. 

Salsa Cruda

As the name suggests, salsa cruda is a coarsely chopped mix of tomatoes, vegetables and chili peppers.  Salsa in any form is a staple in the Southwest and it’s not at all unusual to see it on breakfast, lunch, and dinner tables.






Ingredients:

2 c. chopped/seeded tomatoes

½ c. chopped onion

½ c. chopped cucumber

½ c. chopped jicama

½ c. bell pepper – any color or combination

1 tsp. garlic, minced

3 roasted green chilies, chopped *

Chopped cilantro (optional)

1 tsp. fresh squeezed lime juice

Combine all ingredients and season to taste with S&P.

* Note: I used roasted Anaheim chilies for this batch because that’s what I had.  Add your favorite chili, roasted or raw, diced. 

Soupe Au Pistou (French Vegetable Soup with Basil)

 
It’s summer and the basil is going crazy, which means it’s the perfect time for Soupe au Pistou.  A traditional dish of Provence, it’s the minestrone of pesto.  A great summer soup: it’s easy, loaded with vegetables, some beans, a little pasta, a lot of basil, and, did I mention, yummy?

Adapted from Everyday Cooking w/Dr. Dean Ornish

Serves 4

½-cup diced onion

½-cup diced carrots

½-cup diced celery

½-cup diced turnips

½-cup diced peeled russet potato

½-cup diced leeks, white part only

½-cup diced peeled tomato, fresh or canned

Red chili flakes to taste (1/4-1/2 tsp)

4 cups vegetable broth

½-cup 1-inch length dried whole wheat spaghetti (angel hair works great, too)

1 (15-ounce) can Navy Beans (if you can find them); or use Great Northern or Cannellini beans with their liquid

1 cup tightly packed basil leaves

3 cloves garlic, minced

S&P to taste

In a large pot, combine onion, carrots, celery, turnips, potato, leeks, tomato, chili flakes and vegetable broth.  Bring to a simmer over moderate heat.  Cover and adjust heat to maintain a simmer; cook 30 minutes.  Add spaghetti and 1 cup beans (drained, but reserving liquid).  Cover and simmer until spaghetti is tender, 10-12 minutes.

To make pistou, combine remaining beans with the reserved liquid, basil, and garlic in food processor or blender and puree until smooth. (See note) Add the puree to the soup and stir until blended; season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Note: If you need more liquid to get the puree going, add a little water or white wine – just enough to puree the entire contents of the blender or food processor to a nice, smooth, consistency. 

Although this recipe has no added fat, feel free to sauté any or all the vegetables before adding the broth; or try finishing the soup by stirring in a little olive oil.

Nutritional information: calories 271; fat 0.88 g (with no added oil); cholesterol 0 mg; carbohydrate 53.7 g; protein 14.6 g; sodium 58.0 mg (with no additional salt added)

Guacamole Salad

I love this take on traditional guacamole that adds beans and corn along with fresh onion and peppers. For a potluck, it works well with tortilla chips, pita bread, crackers, or, to lower the fat, try slices of jicama to scoop up this salad.  For a nutrient-packed and well-balanced meal, top greens with the salad and add a little rice or other grain…delicious and easy.  Try it, you’ll like it!

Adapted from Ina Garten

Ingredients
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved (or not, depending on their size)
1 bell pepper, seeded and diced into 1/2″ pieces (any color or combination of color)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2/3 cup corn – steamed and cut off the cob (one ear should suffice) or frozen (thaw before adding)
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
2 Tbsp. minced jalapeño peppers (Note: I used roasted Anaheim chilies, because that’s what I had; roasted poblano would add good flavor and heat; or use your own favorite chili)
1/2 tsp. lime zest
1/4 cup lime juice (2-3 limes)
1/4 cup olive oil – (Note: for a lower fat version, cut the amount of oil by half or more)
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (or to taste)
2-3 ripe Haas avocados, diced

Place the tomatoes, bell pepper, black beans, corn, red onion, jalapeño (or other chilies), and lime zest in a large bowl.

Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, garlic and cayenne. Pour over the vegetables and toss well.

Just before you’re ready to serve the salad, dice and gently fold in the avocados. Re-season if necessary…and enjoy.

Watermelon Salad

The longest day of the year and, here in the Sonoran Desert, already well into the heat of the season.  One of my favorite cooling recipes is this watermelon salad.  It’s quick, easy, and a great source of lycopene, good protection against many cancers, including breast and prostate.  This salad goes well with spicy Mexican food and, at only 50 calories per one cup serving, it’s the perfect dish for the dog days of summer.

From: Everyday Cooking with Dr. Dean Ornish

Ingredients

 4 cups seeded watermelon, cut in ½-inch cubes

½ cup diced red onion

4 Tbsp. rice vinegar, unseasoned
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint

½ tsp. pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and serve immediately.

Whatever is dreamed on this night, will come to pass. ~ William Shakespeare

Pomodoro Sauce

This recipe has been adapted from a 1987 book titled “The Top One Hundred Pasta Sauces,” by Diane Seed.  It’s one of those cookbooks that end up with a broken spine and food stains all over it.  I loved it so much I gave a copy to a bunch of friends, but what I really loved was one particular recipe.  There are good recipes throughout this book, but my all-time favorite is Tagliatelle o Spaghetti al Pomodoro.

Pomodoro sauce is thicker than a marinara because it’s simmered longer.  It’s a basic onion/garlic/tomato sauce that gets passed through a food mill after cooking.  If you’ve never used a food mill and you like to make soups and sauces, you might want to consider getting one.  Although not as authentic, you can use a blender or food processor, or, start with crushed tomatoes and you don’t have to do anything.

The basic ingredients are below, but I like to sauté some oregano, basil, or rosemary, either dried or fresh, with the onion and garlic.   A few crushed red pepper flakes adds some spice.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 – cloves garlic, minced (or to taste, I use 4-5)

1 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes

1 lump sugar (1/2-tsp)

S&P to taste

Heat the oil and gently fry the chopped onion and garlic until softened.  Covering the pan will help prevent browning.  Add the tomatoes with their juice, sugar, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste and cook on high flame, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  When the sauce is reduced and thick, check the seasoning, pass the sauce through a food mill, or, alternatively, a blender or food processor.

This sauce can then be used however you like; add sautéed mushrooms, meat, cooked veggies; it’s thick enough to use as a pizza sauce.

For a lighter sauce, dilute it with a white wine and water mixture to desired consistency.  It freezes well and makes about 2-1/2 cups.

Note: Last night’s dinner: Portobello mushroom ravioli (from Roma Imports, for those in Tucson), topped with pomodoro sauce, minced fresh basil, and a bit of finely grated parmigiano reggiano; that, a salad, and some chewy Italian bread made for a delicious feast. Oh, and tiramisu for dessert (also from Roma); fabulous.

Spinach Salad with Jicama and Oranges

This colorful, crunchy salad has wonderful flavor and is loaded with iron, vitamins A and C, potassium, magnesium, and calcium! Play around with the ingredients; add cucumber, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, watercress for the spinach, the possibilities are whatever sounds good to you. Jicama is a sweet, crunchy root vegetable with a light brown skin.  Once peeled, the flesh is crunchy as an apple and creamy white.  Radishes may be substituted if you can’t find jicama.  The dressing can be used on other vegetables or even melon and can be made with different chopped herbs, like mint or tarragon.  This is a refreshing summer salad that goes with everything. 

Adapted from “Everyday Cooking with Dean Ornish”

Orange-Basil Dressing

4 Tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice

2 tsp. seasoned rice vinegar

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 tsp. chopped fresh basil

Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together OJ, vinegar, and mustard.  Stir in basil and season to taste with S&P.  The dressing can be used at once or stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

Salad:

4 cups shredded fresh spinach leaves (rough chop is good, too)

2 navel oranges

½ pound peeled jicama, cut in ½-inch dice

Rough chop or julienne the spinach and add to bowl.  Peel the oranges, slice in rounds, then break the segments up a little and add to bowl.  Peel and dice the jicama and add to the oranges and spinach.  Pour salad dressing over and toss.