Southwestern Grilled Green Onion Salad

I love grilled green onions.  Oh, how I love grilled green onions.  When we have barbecues we make two bunches- one for the guests, one for myself.  Veggie burgers?  Psh.  I'll pass.  Give me some of these salty, sweet bad boys, some corn, and some garlic bread and I am one happy camper.  But sometimes it's too much trouble to fire up the grill, and this is where my new best friend comes in.

 Photo cropped because I have an ugly stove... and maybe because I'm a messy cook...

Ahhhh... a cast iron grill pan.  I've been dreaming of one of these for ages.  Look at the lovely grill marks- and the charring!  No, that's no mistake.  The charring is the best part!  Those little blackened ends are smoky barbecue-y goodness.  So anyways, I think  we've pretty much established that I love these babies for who they are.  But I wanted others to love them, too, and not just as a steak topping.  So I created this salad, in which they play a starring role- and steal the show, as far as I'm concerned.  

I'm not afraid of salads.  I know of vegan and vegetarian blogs that practically apologize every time they post one.  Yes, there's a stigma that all we eat is salads- but when they're this good, why wouldn't we?


Southwestern Grilled Green Onion Salad
Yield: one big, filling serving

1 bunch green onions
1 cup grape tomatoes
1 cup cooked or canned (drained) corn
1 cup drained black beans
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, crushed
Juice of 1 lime
dash of sriracha
1 tbsp olive oil + more for cooking
 salt and pepper to taste 
1 avocado, chopped

Preheat oven to 400.  Place tomatoes in 9" baking dish and coat with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast for 25 minutes, stir, then start on your green onions (below) and cook tomatoes for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Green onions- Bring your grill pan to medium high heat.  Chop the root ends off of the green onions and massage just enough olive oil onto them to coat and make them shine.  Sprinkle salt and pepper- the same amount as you would for corn on the cob (I like them really well seasoned.)  Cook for about 8-10 minutes, turning halfway through.  Allow to cool enough to handle, then chop into 1 inch pieces.
Place green onions, corn, black beans, and cilantro in bowl.
Prepare dressing- Mix together garlic, lime juice, sriracha, and olive oil.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Pour over veggies, toss, then taste again to see if more salt and pepper are needed.  Very gently fold in avocado, so as not to smash it.  Enjoy!

Caribbean Jerk Jicama Slaw with Roasted Edamame and Avocado

I've been feeling a little "blah" lately.  I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that I've finally quit drinking coffee- or should I say I'm in the process of quitting it.  One day at a time, right?  My reason for quitting didn't have so much to do with coffee as it did the Coffee Mate I can't seem to enjoy it without.  You see, I've always taken good care of my teeth, and I've always had relatively easy Dentist appointments.  But this last one was a doozy.  Scrape, scrape, pick, pick, "You know, you have severe erosion of enamel," scrape.  I didn't ever want to go through that again!  So I took a look at my diet, and the only thing that had changed since my last appointment was the addition of coffee and coffee mate- lots of it.  So white tea it is.  White tea is full of antioxidants, has a mild flavor so there is no need for sweeteners, and causes less staining than green tea.  It helps to have a substitute, but I've been having horrible headaches.  I'm not sure if it's because the tea has less caffeine, or because my body is craving the chemicals in coffee mate, but it's no fun!  So, once again, I turn to mother nature to heal me.  

Much better.  This salad, or slaw, or whatever you want to call it, did just the trick, and was amazing.  I didn't need this much healing, but once I tasted it I just couldn't stop myself.  It's loaded with healthy fats and vitamins, and oh, that dressing.  So, so good.  And so easy!  

Caribbean Jerk Jicama Slaw with Roasted Edamame and Avocado
Roasted Edamame
1/2 cup shelled edamame
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

In a bowl, mix edamame with oil and seasonings.  Spread out on foil-lined baking sheet and roast at 400F for 20-25 minutes, shaking the pan a few times, until nicely browned.

Coconut Caribbean Jerk Dressing:
1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1- 1 1/2 tbsp caribbean jerk seasoning
1/4 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 tbsp sugar
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper

Whisk ingredients together.  


Salad:
1/2 cup shredded cabbage
1/4 cup shredded red cabbage
1/4 cup grated jicama
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup grated carrot
1/4 cup shredded red bell pepper
1/2 avocado, chopped 

Mix together all ingredients except for avocado (you don't want it to get mushy) and toss with dressing.  Top with avocado and roasted edamame. 

Kale Chip Nachos with Chipotle Garlic Sauce and Sriracha

I was enjoying some kale chips with chunky salsa the other day, thinking about how much I loved that combination, precarious as it was to eat, when, as always, my mind drifted to other thoughts about food- particularly that I like chips and salsa, but that I love nachos more. Before I knew it, the two thoughts bouncing around in my head had found each other- I love kale chips.  I love nachos.  Surely, I would love kale nachos?

Boy, did I!  Now, I'm sure it doesn't take any explaining for you to know that if kale chips won't support chunks of onions, they certainly won't support all this madness.  But, hey- that's nothing a fork and knife can't fix.  

Nutritional yeast creates a baked in cheesiness that will keep you coming back for more

Chipotle Garlic Sauce takes these nachos to a whole new smoky level

Note:  I've been seeing a lot of blogs lately that advise to use dinosaur kale when making chips, as it has flat leaves and therefore, cooks more evenly.  This is true- but curly kale is so much tastier.  Every time I've used dinosaur kale I've ended up adding loads of salt to take away the bitterness, and the outcome still didn't hold a candle to curly kale. 

Kale Nachos

For kale chips:

1 bunch curly kale, washed, well-dried, center ribs removed

1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp salt

Massage all of the ingredients into kale and bake in 400F oven for 6-8 minutes.  There is a very thin line between crispy and burnt, so if they aren't crispy after 6 minutes, check back every 30 seconds.  

For the nachos, use whatever ingredients you prefer.  I used black beans, which I heated in the microwave first.  Then I added avocado, chopped tomatoes, chopped onions, olives, green onions, sriracha, and Chipotle Garlic Sauce (below.)  Make sure you have all ingredients chopped and ready to go so the kale chips stay warm.   

Chipotle Garlic Sauce
1/4 cup mayonnaise (vegans use vegannaise)
1/4 cup sour cream (vegans use coconut milk)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp milk (vegans omit)
1 tsp ground chipotle chili powder
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt


Whisk to combine. 

The gift of food

My father in law has an awesome habit of bringing gifts every time he visits.  But not just any gifts- food gifts!  (The best kind!)  On his last visit, he brought just what the doctor ordered.

Avocados are a powerhouse of vegetarian nutrients.  Not only are they chock-full of protein, but they're also high in B-vitamins, potassium, and fiber.  Here in America we're used to avocados being used in savory dishes, but in other parts of the world that's nearly unheard of.  Countries like Brazil, Indonesia, and Vietnam use it solely in desserts, such as milkshakes, ice cream, or even just plain mashed with sugar and lime.  But me?  I'll stay out of this argument and just go for both- sweet and savory.  Dinner and Dessert.

Avocado and... 

 Wasabi

Can you tell I'm loving my ice cream maker?

Avocado and Wasabi Sorbet

27 oz regular coconut milk 
3/4 cup water
2 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 tbsp tapioca flour
3 avocados, pitted and peels removed
2- 3 1/2 tsp wasabi paste (I used 3 1/2 and got the same pleasant burn that wasabi peas give)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan over medium low heat, combine coconut milk, water, sugar, and tapioca flour.  Stir until dissolved.  Let cool, then pour into blender with other ingredients.  Blend well, then transfer into sealed container and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.  Then follow instructions for your ice cream maker.  Mine took 20 minutes for a soft serve consistency.  For a firmer consistency, freeze for at least 2 hours.