DDD# 166 – Vegan Mexican Beans, Rice and Green Avocado Salsa – Part 2

All photographs copyright Christine Elise McCarthy 2021

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In part one – Edi made RICE & BEANS.

In part two – Edi makes his AWESOME salsa! Click the image below to watch our drunk asses.

Spicy Green Avocado Salsa

INGEDIENTS

5-15 serrano peppers (to suit your tolerance of heat – stems cut off

3 bunches of scallions – roots cut off

1 bunch cilantro – leafless stems cut off

6 large tomatillos – 4 to use – 2 as a safety net in case you make it too salty

3 large avocados

1 tsp (or to taste) garlic salt

1 tsp vegan bouillon (or more – to taste)

S& P to taste

DIRECTIONS

Put everything in a food processor & blend until creamy. Adjust seasonings. Serve!

DDD# 165 – Vegan Mexican Beans, Rice and Green Salsa – Part 1

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2021

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My good friend, Edi Verdugo, joins me for this two-parter to make his family’s recipes. The green salsa will be in part 2. Consider making vegan nachos using the rice, beans & salsa.

Click the link below to watch.

Vegan Mexican Pinto Beans (for the Instant Pot)

INGREDIENTS

3 cups dry pinto beans

9 cups water

1 large onion – ends cut off & peeled but still whole

1-2 TBS garlic salt (to taste)

S & P to taste

DIRECTIONS

Put everything in the instant pot & cook on manual for 45 minutes.

The beans will look watery but they are supposed to be. Season to taste.

Vegan Mexican Rice

INGREDIENTS

1-2 TBS olive oil

1 1/2 cups long grain rice

1 (7 3/4) ounce can hot tomato sauce

1 TBS bouillon

DIRECTIONS

Toast the rice in the olive oil until it becomes fragrant & looks a bit golden. Do not overcook it.

Add the rest of the ingredients & cook rice according to package directions.

Spicy Tomatillo & Mango Salsa

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2015

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Not much to say about this stuff except that it is easy & delicious.  It is the result of my local produce delivery sending me tomatillos & an impulse purchase of a random mango.  I brought this to a BBQ & it went over pretty well.  It would also be good on fish or meat – like a chimichurri.  It would be great anywhere you use salsa – on tacos or burritos, etc.

If you own a blender or food processor – you are good to go, otherwise, there will be lots & lots of chopping.

Spicy Tomatillo & Mango Salsa

Makes 2-3 cups

INGREDIENTS

12 tomatillos – quartered

1 mango – peeled & cubed (see ways to make that easy HERE)

1 small red onion – peeled & quartered

1 large handful of cilantro

1-4 jalapenos – seeded & chopped

juice of one lime

2 garlic cloves

S&P to taste

DIRECTIONS

Pulse all ingredients (except the chopped mango) in a blender or food processor until it is to your desired consistency.  Season with S&P – adding more lime or cilantro if you want.  Add the mango and maybe pulse once or twice but let the bulk of the mango stay in small chunks.

Serve!

Fresh & Easy Cantaloupe and Mango Salsa

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2015

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I recently stepped up to a cooking challenge that called for a dish using the following ingredients:

Any Beyond Meat product

Kim chee

Cantaloupe

Radishes

Lettuce

Tomato

So – I made kim chee & chicken wraps with this cantaloupe-mango salsa.   This salsa is fresh & clean & light.  I used jarred mango because it was on sale but fresh mango would be nicer.  Either way – this stuff is a crowd pleaser.

Fresh & Easy Cantaloupe and Mango Salsa

This makes a as much as you want it to make based on how much you use of each ingredient.  You can use more or less of all or some ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

1 cantaloupe – diced (about 2 cups)

6 radishes – diced

1 red bell pepper – diced

1-2 cups chopped mango

1-4 jalapenos (I used 4 & left the seeds in 2 for extra heat) – diced

Cilantro – optional

Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

Mix it up.

Eat.

Vegan Ground Beef Taco Bowl with Cilantro Scallion Lime Cauliflower Rice and Easy Fresh Salsa

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2014

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More summer ease here!    I used this awesome Beyond Meat beefy crumble.  You could use any brand you prefer or even real, greasy & disgusting ground cow.  🙂

I served this in a bowl with my Easy Cilantro Scallion Lime Cauliflower Rice and Super Ultra Easy Any Season Spicy Salsa.   Each item is very easy individually & made for a hearty bowl of spicy, vegan healthiness!!  You can add or lose any ingredients – according to your own tastes.   Add cold beer & you are good to go!

Vegan Ground Beef Taco Bowl

Serves two very well – with rice

INGREDIENTS

11 oz vegan ground beef

Olive oil

1/2 red bell pepper – chopped

1 jalapeno – diced (seeds in for more heat)

1/4 onion – diced

1 cup ORGANIC corn (as regular corn is very likely a GMO)

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp crushed red pepper (less if you are heat intolerant)

1 tsp chili powder or cayenne (less if you are heat intolerant)

(***OR – you can replace the dry spices with 1/2 packet or so of taco seasoning but that might not be vegan & will have loads of salt***)

GARNISH SUGGESTIONS

Sliced black olives

Avocado

Purple cabbage – chopped

Grated carrots

Sliced radishes

Black Beans

Cilantro

Lime Wedges

Vegan Cheese and/or sour cream

Chopped lettuce

Diced tomatoes

Pico de gallo

Chopped fresh or jarred jalapeno

DIRECTIONS

Heat about 1 TBS olive oil in a large saute pan.  Add all the other ingredients (but not your various garnish selections) and saute until the onion & red pepper are softened & the beef is heated through.

Serve over my Easy Cilantro Scallion Lime Cauliflower Rice and Super Ultra Easy Any Season Spicy Salsa.   Garnish as you like & devour!!!

 

The top video there is trailer for my novel.  The second is me reading from it a while back – at Vroman’s.

Super Ultra Easy Any Season Spicy Salsa

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2014

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Listen, people.  Not everything has to be labored over or locally sourced or a pain in the ass to be totally legit & delicious.  This salsa is spicy & yummy & you make it in your fucking blender.    Winter in the northeast?  No worries.  This salsa is spicy & kick ass & you won’t, I promise, you WON’T miss chopping sloppy, ripe tomatoes & other shit to make some pico de gallo.  Pico de gallo that NOBODY will presume cost you hours of chopping & three Bandaid wrapped finger cuts from chopping with a dull knife.  Don’t be a bitter, wounded – literally & otherwise – douche that has to tell everyone “I made that myself!” – because, frankly, they all really should kiss your ass for making them homemade pico de gallo when you know they probably open a jar of Pace Picante sauce when home alone.

But I digress.

Just buy these ingredients & stick’m in a blender or food processor & be done with it.

 

Super Ultra Easy Any Season Spicy Salsa

This make a LOT – like PARTY quantity

INGREDIENTS

1 15 oz can FIRE-ROASTED tomatoes

3 tomatoes (ripest you can find but don’t sweat it if they ain’t really ripe)

1 4 oz can fire-roasted green chiles

1/2 sweet or red onion

1/2 red bell pepper

4 garlic cloves

juice of 1 lime

1 jalapeno (I didn’t seed mine for extra heat)

1/2 cup cilantro

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp cayenne or chili pepper

Puree that shit.   Season a bit more with lime or salt or whateverthefuck you like.  Done.

See?

Maybe serve this over my Vegan Ground Beef Taco Bowl with Cilantro Scallion Lime Cauliflower Rice?

 

The top video there is trailer for my novel.  The second is me reading from it a while back – at Vroman’s.

 

Vegan Spicy Thai Mint & Basil Beef Tacos (for the Crock-Pot) with Cantaloupe Salsa

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2014

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OK – so – sometimes you need to clean out the cabinets & the fridge & even the freezer.  Inspired by a recent food drive run by the post office, I filled a bag they provided with my non-perishables.  Largely – these were the canned meat items I had around for a certain badass – like a few cans of Spaghettios – and dry pasta & some other items I am unlikely to need – like all THREE of the huge ketchup bottles I got bundled together at Costco.   That done – I remembered I had three huge chicken breasts in the freezer – also purchased for visits from the badass.  I decided to cook these bad boys up all fancy-like, post them on my blog & then feed them to the dogs (as I am a vegetarian).

Here is what it was supposed to look like when done.  I used this recipe from THE COMFORT OF COOKING.  That is their image below.

 

Here is how far I got – with a good 12 hours marinating in the fridge.

Then, because my oven is fucked & the dials are stripped & the heat is uneven – I proceeded to burn the skin of this chicken BLACK.  I pulled the burned skin off & the chicken below was still moist & juicy & my dogs made very happy & very short work of it – as I made short work of a bottle of champagne, an entire bag of reduced fat chips & a boatload of chemical-burn-inducing onion dip.

All-in-all, it was a pretty depressing mother’s day at the McCarthy house.  Unless you were a chicken breast stuffed canine.

 

Earlier today – I posted a recipe for Spicy Cantaloupe Melon Salsa – seen above.   Made of chopped cantaloupe, jalapeno, onion, cilantro & lime juice – it is easy & refreshing & a great topper for these tacos.  It would also be good with chips or on fish or chicken or on my Vegan Crock-Pot BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwich.

I made this Thai Mint & Basil Beef in a crock-pot but it could easily be done stove-top.  If you made it in a saute pan – it would not require as much (if any) water.

I found this just a tad on the salty side so really make an effort to use low sodium soy sauce.  I used Red Boat fish sauce (as I am not yet vegan) – but that can be subbed out with the low sodium soy sauce.  I also used Thai basil but any basil will do.  But definitely do not skip the basil – as that is the signature flavor here.

I get my shallots at Bangluck Market and they tend to be huge – like – apple-sized.  Here is the size of the one I used.  If shallots are not handy – a small onion is fine.

Vegan Spicy Thai Mint & Basil Beef Tacos (for the Crock-Pot)

Feeds 4 easily

INGREDIENTS

8-12 tortillas

1 lb vegan beef

4 garlic cloves – minced

3 Thai chilies (or serrano) OR TO TASTE – split lengthwise – seeded to reduce heat

1 large shallot or small onion – diced

1 TBS rice vinegar

1/4 LOW SODIUM soy sauce (or fish sauce – if you are not vegan)

2 TBS dark soy sauce

1 TBS sugar

1 TBS sambal oelek (chili paste)

1 1/2 cups chopped Thai (or other) basil

1 cup mint – chopped

1-2 cups water

Lime wedges for garnish

IF STOVE-TOP – cornstarch (or flour) and olive oil

 

 

 

 

DIRECTIONS

Three chilies make this dish VERY hot – so beware!  When using the Thai chilies – I cut the top off one but then realized, I could leave the top on, split them lengthwise & all the flavor would get out but they would be far easier to remove from the finished dish.  So I gave the other two that treatment.

Then – I just threw everything into my crock-pot & went on a two-hour hike.

If you want to try this stove-top, I would cover the faux beef in a light dusting of cornstarch (or flour) and fry over med-high heat until it begins to brown a bit.  Remove the beef from the heat & add the shallots to the pan.  After a minute or two, add everything else, including the beef (but no water) & saute until the herbs wilt.  If you feel it needs water – add a bit.  Remove the Thai chilies before serving.

Then just go ahead & build your tacos & be sure to add LOADS of spicy cantaloupe salsa as it will help sweeten the salt of the dish.  Squeeze a bunch of fresh lime juice on there, too!

 

 

 

Spicy Cantaloupe Melon Salsa

 

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2014

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This is as easy as chopping the 5 ingredients & mixing them in a bowl.  It is sweet from the melon & spicy from the jalapenos & goes well on lots of things – chicken, seafood, on a salad or on tacos.  I will present a taco recipe using this very soon.  It would also go well on my vegan BBQ pulled chicken!

Spicy Cantaloupe Melon Salsa

INGREDIENTS

About 1/2 a small cantaloupe – peeled, seeded & cubed

1 shallot or 1/2 small sweet onion – diced

1-2 jalapenos – red and/or green – seeded & diced

Juice of one large lime

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

S&P to taste

DIRECTIONS

Mix it all up & season with S&P & maybe more lime juice.

Crispy Grilled & Baked Cactus (Nopalitos) Tacos with Corn & Black Bean Salsa & Avocado Cream

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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OK – so – I bought these cactus paddle things because I see them everywhere & I decided I needed to get to the bottom of it.  If you do not live in a part of the country with a large Hispanic population and you cannot find fresh cactus, you can used jarred cactus – or nopales/nopalitos. The ones I bought were already prepared – meaning – the thorns had been trimmed as had the rim.  If you find fresh ones & need to prepare them – there are lots of tutorials HERE.  It is not difficult so do not be intimidated.

I wasn’t sure what the heck to do with these guys so I both grilled AND breaded & baked them.  You might want to use them having only been grilled or only breaded and baked.  Your call.  There is so much going on in these tacos – I don’t think it matters much. I used crushed corn flakes & taco seasoning to bread them simply because that was what I had around.  Panko or other bread crumbs would work, too, and if you don’t have a packet of taco seasoning (I have NO IDEA where the one in my pantry came from) – spice up your crumb mix with a little onion & garlic powders & maybe some chipotle or other chili powder. I made a little avocado cream sauce for these, primarily because my avocados were not as ripe as is ideal.  You can just cut up fresh avocado on yours or make a traditional guacamole.

Crispy Grilled & Baked Cactus (Nopalitos) Tacos with Corn & Black Bean Salsa & Avocado Cream

This makes a lotta tacos.  🙂

The Spicy Grilled Corn & Black Bean Salsa is HERE.

For the Avocado Cream

1 avocado

4 TBS Mexican crema (or sour cream)

1 TBS mayonnaise

juice of 1/2 lime

1 tsp fresh dill (optional) – or cilantro

1/4 tsp each: onion & garlic powders

S&P to taste

For the Crispy Grilled & Baked Cactus (Nopalitos) Tacos

Several cactus paddles or some jarred cactus strips

2 (or more) eggs

1/8 – 1/4 cup hot sauce

2 TBS taco seasoning (or a blend of onion powder, garlic powder & chili powder)

1 cup (or more) bread crumbs or panko (I used crushed corn flakes)

Cooking spray

Queso fresco

Corn tortillas

Extra cilantro & limes for garnish

DIRECTIONS

For the avocado cream

Puree all the ingredients in a food processor.

Crispy Grilled & Baked Cactus (Nopalitos) Tacos

Prepare the cactus paddles if they are not already cleaned.  There are lots of tutorials HERE.

Spray them with cooking spray & grill on both sides until they begin to char a bit & soften up.  Cut into strips.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the eggs & hot sauce together in a bowl.  Blend the taco seasoning & the bread crumbs you are using in another bowl.

Drag the cactus through the eggs & then the breadcrumb mix & place on a cooking sheet treated with cooking spray. Cook at 375 for about ten minutes, flip them & bake another ten minutes.  It might take a little more or a little less time for you to get them crispy – depending on the size of the strips & how densely they are breaded.  Watch them carefully.

Now you just assemble your tacos.  Warm your tortillas (I do this directly on the stove burners – being careful not to burn them).  Top them with cactus, salsa, avocado cream, queso & cilantro.  Squeeze a little lime on there & shove’m down your gullet washed down with a cold cerveza.

Spicy Grilled Corn & Black Bean Salsa

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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I made this salsa to accompany by grilled & crispy baked cactus tacos – a recipe I will post shortly.  The hardest part about this salsa is the chopping.  The ingredients list is long but you can leave things out if you do not like them or don’t have them.  I grilled the corn but you do not have to.  Canned corn or corn just cut directly from the cob will work fine, too.  This makes a LOT of salsa – like – 4 cups of it so be prepared to be using it for a while.

Spicy Grilled Corn & Black Bean Salsa

INGREDIENTS

1 15 oz can of black beans – drained & rinsed

2 ears of corn – grilled (or not)

1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes – chopped

6 mini sweet peppers (or 1 large bell pepper) – seeded & chopped

1-2 jalapenos – seeded and diced

1/2 red onion – diced

1/2 cucumber – diced

juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp pepper

salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

Mix it all up in a big bowl.

Call this guy & set up a cozy fire on your laptop & crack open that box of sangria & enjoy this salsa with chips or on seafood or tacos or chili or whateverthefuck you want.

Tortilla Pizza with Whipped Feta, Cilantro Pesto & Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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Today is the first anniversary of my blog!!!!!!  AND – the 4th birthday of my gorgeous daughter, Moxie!!!  Here is how she woke up this morning.  As you can see – my dogs have it pretty rough.

 

At any rate – a year!  Today!  I can hardly believe it.  And I wonder if I can come up with another year’s worth of entries.  It is already a challenge for me to come up with new things – so you might want to brace yourself for some kooky ideas!

Thanks for reading.  Please – tell your friends.  And if you are not already receiving emails about my posts – just click the “follow this blog” link under my photo there on the right.  Cheers!

So!

Pizza on flour tortillas!  Easy & fast.  And maybe a little lighter in the carbohydrate area, too.  The salsa recipe here is quite spicy but really tasty.  You might opt to cut the amount of jalapeno or lose the chipotle pepper – if spices bother you.  The feta & cilantro & salsa really do create a wonderful combination of flavors, though, so the salsa is worth the effort.

I went rather light with the toppings so that they did not get the tortilla too soggy so keep that in mind when you assemble yours.  The layer of whipped feta seemed to create a decent barrier between the tortilla & the wetter ingredients.

Tortilla Pizza with Whipped Feta, Cilantro Pesto & Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

INGREDIENTS

Flour tortillas

Cherry (or other) tomatoes – diced

Fresh mozzarella – sliced

Whipped feta (It is made by simply blending 8 oz of feta with 3 oz cream cheese & just enough water to get them to blend in your food processor (or other tool you use to whip things).

Chopped cilantro for garnish

For the cilantro pesto

1 bunch cilantro – stems & all

1/4 cup walnuts

2 TBS Parmesan – grated

2 garlic cloves

juice of 1/2 lime

1/4 cup (or so) olive oil

S&P

For the roasted tomatillo salsa

10 tomatillos

1 Roma (or other) tomato – quartered

2 jalapeno peppers

6 cloves garlic still in their peels

1/2 onion

1/3 cup cilantro

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce

1 TBS lime juice

olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS

For the cilantro pesto

Toast the walnuts in a dry pan for about 3 minutes or until fragrant – being careful not to burn them.  Put them in your food processor with the remaining ingredients & pulse into a pesto.  You might need more or less olive oil so you can reach your desired consistency.  A little water can be added to thin it, too.

For the roasted tomatillo salsa

Heat the oven to 375.  Peel the papery skins off of the tomatillos & wash them.  Take half of them & put onto a baking sheet with the UNPEELED garlic (ignore that mine pictured here are peeled) and the jalapenos & toss in a little olive oil.

Roast for about 30 minutes or until they begin to char.  Place in a sealed container for about 15 minutes to sweat them.  Squeeze the garlic out of the skins into your clean food processor.  Then – under cool water, peel & seed the jalapenos & the tomatillos.  The tomatillos are likely to have roasted away to almost nothing.  Place the peeled (don’t worry if you cannot get all the skin off) tomatillos & jalapenos into the food processor.

Cut the stemmed tops off the remaining, uncooked tomatillos.  Quarter them & put them in the food processor with all the remaining ingredients.  Pulse into a puree.

Lower the oven temperature to 350.

Assemble your tortilla pizza with some whipped feta, a layer of cilantro pesto & the fresh tomatoes & mozzarella.  Bake on a cooking sheet for maybe ten minutes or until the cheese melts.  Check it while it cooks to be sure you do not burn it.

Top with a dollop of roasted tomatillo salsa & some chopped cilantro.  Mmmmmm!

Jamaican Jerk Shrimp Pizza with Candied Jalapenos & Spicy Peach, Pineapple & Mango Salsa

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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Oh no!  Guess what!  Another recipe born of leftovers & other remnants in my fridge.  This one commits the crime of combining seafood with cheese but, sometimes, you just gotta cook like an outlaw.

This recipe used my Spicy Peach, Pineapple & Mango Salsa

and my Candied Jalapenos

and my recent Marinara Sauce recipe

I also used this Jamaican Spice Paste (which is VERY tasty & has quite a kick!)

If you cannot find that kind, do not worry!  I guess Lowry’s makes a Jerk sauce & I am sure there are many other pre-made options out there.

I also used this BBQ sauce.  You can use your own favorite.

I made this pizza with some pre-cooked frozen shrimp (of which I am not a fan – but someone else bought them & left them here).  Grilling shrimp that has already been cooked & then baking it, too?  I think you can guess that my shrimp were quite dried out by the end & I think that is evident in the photos.  In fact – I found myself picking them off the pizza as I ate it.  But that was only because they’d had the bejeesus cooked out of them & they were poor quality shrimp to start with.  If you start with better quality raw shrimp – you will not have this problem.

Jamaican Jerk Shrimp Pizza

INGREDIENTS

Candied jalapenos

Spicy Peach, Pineapple & Mango Salsa

Pizza dough – mine is HERE or use you own favorite

1/4 cup marinara – mine is HERE or use your own favorite

1 tsp BBQ sauce

1/2 cup plus 1 TBS jerk sauce of your choice

12 or so good quality shrimp

Grated pizza cheese (quantity to suit your taste)

Cilantro

DIRECTIONS

Heat your oven to 450-500

Marinate your shrimp in 1/2 cup jerk sauce for at least an hour – or more.

Grill your shrimp – or pan fry them in a little olive oil.

Blend the marinara, bbq sauce & 1 TBS jerk sauce in a bowl.

Roll out your dough & place it on a cooking sheet sprayed with cooking spray or wiped with olive oil.

Spread the marinara blend over the crust & then top with the cheese & the shrimp.

Be SURE your oven has reached at least 450 before putting the pizza in.  A hot oven is critical for a crispy crust.  Bake the pizza for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted & crust is browning.  Top with the jalapenos & salsa & chopped cilantro.  Listen to Bob Marley & eat the whole fucking thing yourself.  I did!

Road Kill Roasted Cauliflower & Hominy Tacos with Homemade Corn Tortillas & Spicy Peach, Pineapple & Mango Salsa

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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Roadkill?  Caught your attention, didn’t it?  Silly!  I don’t eat meat.  But I did buy some Dean Jacobs Road Kill Grill Rub because of the promise that it “Makes all critters taste great.”

I bought it in Gilroy (the garlic capital of the world) for my boyfriend, Miles, who lives almost as exclusively on meat as zombies do on brains.  Whenever I think of zombies, and these days – what with their resurgent popularity – I think of them quite often – I think of my favorite zombie chant.  (I stole the image below from Google.)

The monomaniacal nature of zombies can sometimes be quite endearing.

At any rate – I bought the Road Kill rub in Gilroy on a road trip that led to my vagina-centric post about Elsy’s Antojitos & my Shrimp & Cheesy Grits post which got into my pug, Memphis, and his tooth removal & the drunken, loopy slob he returned home as – still wobbly from getting put under.  Look how drunk he looks in the pose he struck!  🙂

That was last September (when I bought the Road Kill Grill) & Miles has never used it so I decided to bust that shit out.  It has a very smokey salty flavor & it worked AWESOMELY for this dish but, if you cannot find it, any taco seasoning or other grill rub would likely work.  Even a homemade blend of spices would work – and you can Google a zillion options for that.

The recipe for the corn tortillas is HERE.

The recipe for the Spicy Peach & Pineapple & Mango Salsa is HERE.

You can use pre-made corn tortillas and any kind of salsa you like.  The real magic here is the roasted cauliflower & hominy filling.  I have been long obsessed with each of those ingredients & the threesome we had last night was – well – worth repeating.  Much like my Vegan Pozole, and any taco recipe, the toppings are up to you.  Here are a few ideas:

IDEAS for the toppings –

Grilled or fresh corn cut from the cob

Chopped tomatoes

Chopped cilantro

Sliced avocado

Sliced radishes

Lime wedges

Chopped cabbage (red or green)

Red onion – diced

Lettuce – chopped

Feta or Cotija (or other) cheese

Sour cream or yogurt or Mexican Crema

The only thing you need from me here is the recipe for the roasted cauliflower & hominy – so let’s get to it!  I found myself devouring it right off the roasting pan.  Try to use a high quality spice mix – and not something that has been in your pantry for 6 years & requires a fork to break it up.  OK?  I can’t take responsibility for your old, ashy spices!  🙂

Roadkill Roasted Cauliflower & Hominy

1 head cauliflower – broken into the tiniest florets

2 cups hominy

3 tsp Road Kill Grill rub (or rub/spices of your choice)

olive oil

S&P

DIRECTIONS

Heat your oven to 425.

Place your tiny cauliflower florets on a greased cooking sheet.  Drizzle with a little olive oil & toss TWO (reserving one) of the tsps of spice rub in.  I tossed this with my hands to get a good even mix.

Roast for 15 minutes.  In the meantime – toss the other tsp of spice with the hominy with a teensy bit of olive oil (not more than a teaspoon).

When the cauliflower is done, add the hominy to the pan & roast all of it another 15 minutes.

Take out of the oven.  Try not to just stand there & eat that shit.

Now – you simply have to assemble your tacos!

Spicy Peach, Pineapple & Mango Salsa with Jalapeno

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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All my posts now have a VERY customizable PRINT & PDF option.  Create a PDF & save the recipe to your computer or print it out.  It offers a “remove images” option & you can delete any part of the post you do not need before printing.  The button is below by the Twitter & Facebook links.

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I WROTE A BOOK!!!!!  Check it out!

 

This hardly counts as a recipe.  All you really do is chop everything up & toss it together.  You can lose any one (even two) of the fruits or the jalapeno (if you dislike heat) & there would be no significant change in the quality here.  This makes a lot – like – enough to put out for a party.  I like to eat a little every day on a fancified veggie dog.

It’s pretty delicious on pretty much anything – fish, shrimp, tacos, quesadillas, chicken – whatever – so don’t be shy with it.  I am going to post a new cauliflower concoction soon that I used this on.  So – look out for that!

Peach, Pineapple & Mango Salsa with Jalapeno

INGREDIENTS

1 cup fresh pineapple (or canned)

1 mango – peeled

1 peach – pitted

1 red bell pepper

1/2 red onion

3 jalapenos – seeded

1 cup cilantro

Juice of 1 lime

juice of 1 lemon

S&P to taste

DIRECTIONS

Chop up everything but the lemon & lime.  Toss everything with the juice of the lemon & the lime.  Add S&P to taste.  Rejoice!

250 Calorie Fancified Hot Dog with Mango Salsa & Horseradish Mustard

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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This is less of a recipe than it is an idea.  A really good & satisfying idea.  After hiking to the Hollywood sign & back yesterday

I came home starving.  Like many people, I walk this 6+ mile walk several times a week not because it provides the spectacular reward that is that view from the top (and yesterday wasn’t nearly as pretty as it can be) nor because it gives me a two hour opportunity to reflect & naval gaze nor because it is a great opportunity to experience nature right smack dab in the center of a huge city but because I am a fat fuck & a cranky wench & that hike helps burn away both foils.

So – after huffing & puffing my way through the heat & dust – I returned home – as I typically do – feeling entitled & ready to shove something in my face.  In colder weather – I usually (and by usually I mean like 5 times a week) eat a huge bowl of my Zero Calorie Zero Carb Vegetarian Pho.

It is getting warmer now, though (it was 100 here two days ago), and soup doesn’t sound so good.  But a nice summery hot dog does!  And, if you eat veggie dogs, a huge one is only about 100 calories & the bun is likely to be about 120.  That is a pretty good deal, calorie-wise, assuming you like veggie dogs.  I posted this beauty last July

served with Cilantro Jalapeno mustard.

I could eat that mustard with a spoon!

But this time – I had mango salsa laying around leftover from my glorious Ahi Tuna Tower.

Mango Salsa

INGREDIENTS

1 ripe mango – chopped

1/2 red onion – minced

2 scallions – minced

1/2 red bell pepper – minced

1 jalapeno (or 2 serranos if you love heat) – minced

S&P to taste

Juice of half a lime

Juice of half a lemon

DIRECTIONS

Mix together.

I saw the bowl of this beautiful stuff in my fridge & asked myself why I shouldn’t use some to top a hot dog.  I am not a meat eater and even when I was – I loathed the concept of Hawaiian pizza (with ham & pineapple) and some of you may argue that this concoction is in that same ballpark – but I disagree.  The hot dog with my new favorite mustard – horseradish mustard – and this salsa is a most incredible, low calorie lunch delight!  I recommend very highly that you try it!  The salsa would also go very nicely on chicken or seafood so don’t be afraid to make a lot of it!

Ahi Sushi Tower with Mango Salsa & Avocado, Spicy Mayo and Baked Wonton Crackers

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2013

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Isn’t that pretty?  Tasted even better!  Like most of my recipes, there is nothing difficult about this beyond the fact that it requires a few ingredients some might find a bit exotic & it takes several steps to accomplish.  Still, once you have made the rice & the salsa & the sashimi & the guacamole – you have the stuff to make many of these in minutes.  As to the ingredients, I think nearly everything I used can be found in most major supermarkets.  If there is something I use that you cannot find – Google that ingredient followed by the word “substitute.”   Usually – someone out there will have posted a simple solution to your dilemma.

There are two sauces on the plate here with this dish.  One would do so if making both overwhelms you – make the one that sounds tastier to you.

I bought two pieces of ahi at Costco yesterday at $14 pound.  They are each about 3/4 of a pound & look like this:

This same fish is $27 a pound at Gelson’s.  If you buy ahi at a supermarket with a full service seafood department – I recommend having them dice the fish for you.  Tuna has fat running through it that resists cutting & gets all gross & sinewy if you try to cut across the grain or with the grain – whatever way is the wrong way.  I managed to salvage most of this slab but some was beyond repair & was eaten eagerly by my three dogs.  Giving already spoiled dogs sushi grade tuna is outrageous – but cutting the fish incorrectly will leave you in the same situation.  In fact – before I venture into my second slab tonight – I am going to watch one of these tutorials HERE.  Maybe you should, too.

I am going to give the ingredients & directions to each of the levels of this tower individually.  This tower is topped with a pinch of micro arugula which is CRAZY spicy for such a delicate looking little herb but it costs $5 for a small container.  I splurged on it yesterday – rationalizing that I’d save so much on the tuna that I could afford it.  Nobody can afford it.  It is obscene to spend $5 for just a garnish but sometimes you just gotta say “fuck it.”

OK – so – the tower is comprised of a layer of sushi rice, a layer of mango salsa, a layer or avocado & then the ahi sashimi.  The wonton cracker atop was DELICIOUS & so easy to make so I really recommend you make a bunch of these to use as scoops to devour your creation.  I decided to try making them because I couldn’t bring myself to buy a lesser version in the chip aisle at Gelson’s, pay $5 for them & get a bag that, despite weighing 3 ounces, somehow packed 1600 calories.    MAKE THESE.  You won’t regret it!

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Baked Wonton Crackers

INGREDIENTS

Wonton skins

Sesame seeds (black or white)

Egg whites – whisked

DIRECTIONS

Heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Swipe some egg white wash on each wonton & sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Bake about 5 minutes on each side or until they are golden & crisp.

Spicy Mayo

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup mayo of your choice

2 TBS sriracha

1 tsp sesame oil

DIRECTIONS

Blend together.  If you have a squeezy bottle to put it in do – because then you can make pretty designs on the plate with the mayo.

Soy-Mirin Sauce

INGREDIENTS

3 TBS soy sauce

2 TBS mirin

1 TBS rice wine vinegar

1 TBS lemon juice

1 tsp sesame oil

A few drops hot chili oil (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Blend together.

Avocado Layer

INGREDIENTS

1 large ripe avocado – diced

1 TBS lemon juice

1 TBS lime juice

S&P to taste

DIRECTIONS

Mix together.

Mango Salsa

INGREDIENTS

1 ripe mango – chopped

1/2 red onion – minced

2 scallions – minced

1/2 red bell pepper – minced

1 jalapeno (or 2 serranos if you love heat) – minced

S&P to taste

Juice of half a lime

Juice of half a lemon

DIRECTIONS

Mix together.

Sushi Rice

INGREDIENTS

3 cups Japanese sushi rice

3 1/4 cups water

1/3 cup rice vinegar

3 TBS sugar

1 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS

Rinse the rice until the water runs clear.  I used a rice cooker here & made the rice with just the water.  Stove top – I imagine you boil the water, add the rice, lower heat, cover & cook as long as the package suggests.

While that cooks, heat the rice vinegar in a small pan.  Add the sugar & salt & dissolve them.  Remove from heat & allow to cool.

Once cooked – cool the rice completely.  Fold in the vinegar without mushing up the rice & set it aside until you are ready to use it.

Ahi Sashimi

INGREDIENTS

3/4 pound of high grade ahi tuna

2 scallions – chopped

1 tsp sesame oil

1 TBS olive oil

2 tsp black sesame seeds

2 tsp white sesame seeds

1 TBS white truffle oil (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Watch a Google tutorial on cutting raw tuna for sushi – the cube the ahi up.  Mix with the other ingredients.

To assemble the tower:

I used a food ring mold.  I love my ring mold & I recommend you get one!  If you do not have one – you can assemble this free form (rice then salsa then avocado then ahi) or in a backward sequence in a bowl (sprayed with cooking spray), ending with the rice, then just flip in onto a plate.  Drizzle with either the spicy mayo or the soy-mirin sauce – or both!  Top with micro arugula, if you are a spendthrift or with more diced scallions and/or avocado or more mango salsa.  Serve with the baked wonton crackers.  Impress yourself as well as your friends!

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