Chop Mexican Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing

I've been a bad blogger. I apologize. Here is me trying to get back on the horse. So recently I subscribed to Vegetarian Times magazine. Great mag with lots of healthy, quick meals. For those of you that got the July/August magazine you might remember this recipe. I changed aspects of it to suit my taste, but the credit certainly goes to VT on this meal.

I've been trying to eat more veggies lately. I came to the sad discovery that multivitamins aren't inherently vegetarian. I don't know why I thought they would be, but then I was in the Common Market looking at vitamins and noticed they had a bunch marked vegetarian and vegan. Huh....so I did some research. No more Centrum for me. And hey, here is an idea...why not get my vitamins and minerals from a good diet. Yes!



Mexican Chopped Salad

Salad:
1 small head of romaine, sliced
1/2 bunch spinach, stems removed, chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 avocados, diced
1/2 cucumber, halved lengthwise and then sliced
the corn cut from one fresh cob, raw
1 can black beans
several large pieces of roasted red pepper, sliced
1/4 red onion, minced
1/2 cup broccoli or alfalfa sprouts

Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
juice from one lemon and one lime
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
pinch cayenne pepper


1. Heat the oil, garlic, cumin, coriander, sugar and salt in a saucepan for until the garlic begins to sizzle.
2. Blend the remaining dressing ingredients with the garlic oil. Blend in a blender if you want it to be smooth (I left it chunky)
3. Toss over the chopped salad




I gave this salad to a few friends without the dressing a few days later and the veggies had marinated to the point where they even liked it with no dressing at all. If you want the salad to last a few days keep the avocado on the side and just top each bowl with it rather than putting it in the whole mixture.

Corn Chowder in a Pretty New Bowl

So here I have a chance to show off one of my new purchases from Crafty Bastards the other week. This is some of Tasha Mckelvy's functional pottery. I got it for soups and ice cream and stuff like that, and I love the little dip where I can rest the spoon.



Anywho, Jon and I made this a little while back, but I forgot to post it, but it is a definite keeper, and we will be making this again in the cold winter to come. I got this from Real Simple ages ago. The recipe says is feeds 4 to 6, but if you are like me and have only two to feed, just know that the rest will be leftover, and dont make all the bacon at one time, make it fresh whenever you want to reheat the leftover.

Corn Chowder
8 ounces sliced bacon
1 sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 10 ounce packages frozen corn (I used 2 12 ounces...i likey the corn)
3 cups chicken or veggie broth
1 cup half and half
salt and pepper
a nice fat bunch of fresh cilantro

1. Cook your bacon however you like it then cut it into half inch chunks, set aside
2. Reserve 2 tbsp of the bacon drippings and add to a large saucepan or dutch oven, heat to medium.
3. Cook onion, stir occasionally until soft. Add garlic, paprika, and red pepper, cook stirring for 2 min
4. Stir in broth, corn, and half and half and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer 15 min.
5. Transfer half the broth to a blender and puree until smooth. Return to pot and add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, stir all.
6. Divide soup into bowls, top with bacon and cilantro