Arugula Nectarine Salad

I've been feeling summery. Walking up and down Sacramento St. in sandals and skirt during today's sidewalk sale, enjoying live jazz music, a roving magician, and friendly purveyors of goods - all I could think about was a salad, but a special salad. I'd procured a beautiful, local finishing olive oil from March Pantry during today's festivities, and then picked up a bottle of chilled Grgich Fumé Blanc from Wine Impressions. I let these purchases inform my choices at the market. Some baby arugula - I knew just the dressing to make! - and a nectarine; even if they're not quite perfect, yet, my mood insisted. And I built from there.

Now I know plenty of anti-arugula naysayers, who claim the leaf is too bitter for a salad. To them I say two things: 1. BABY arugula, and 2. Dress it right. I used what I remembered from a Cook's Illustrated recipe for an arugula salad with oranges and radishes. It's a simple dressing with a lime juice base. The light tartness compliments the arugula to mask any bitterness. Pair that with the sweetness of nectarine and chevre, toasty pine nuts, and grassy olive oil - well, that's summer right there.

Arugula Nectarine Salad

Serves 2 as an entrée, 4 as a side salad. Multiplies well for a larger group.

4 cups baby arugula
Juice of 2 limes
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 Tbs pine nuts
Salt and fresh ground pepper
1 small dollop dijon mustard
3T high quality extra virgin olive oil, separated
1 nectarine, sliced thin
2oz. chevre or other mild goat cheese
Cilantro (optional)

Toast coriander in a small, dry pan over medium high heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute. Add to lime juice. Wipe out pan and return to heat. Toast pine nuts in pan for a couple minutes until golden brown, stirring often. Set aside. Into the lime juice and coriander, whisk dijon, salt, and fresh ground pepper to taste. Slowly add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, whisking constantly.* Toss arugula with the dressing and divide evenly between individual plates. Top each mound of greens with a portion of nectarine slices, toasted pine nuts, and dots of chevre. Sprinkle with coarsely ground sea salt and pepper. Finish with a drizzle of the remaining olive oil and a few ripped up cilantro leaves.

*For me, the beauty of this combination is the tartness of the lime juice. If someone is overly sensitive to sour flavors (like the husband man), try whisking in a bit of honey to taste before adding the olive oil.

Chile Cilantro Snapper Tacos with Broccoli Lime Slaw

Tomorrow is the last day of the 500 Taco Summer, otherwise known as the Taconox. Can I make it to 150? That would be 50% more than my original goal. Seventeen tacos in less than a day and a half is a real stretch for me, but I think I'm going to go for it.

Anyway, the three at lunch that brought my count to 133 look impressive, but were ridiculously easy - my favorite kind of recipe. Plus they are quite healthy. I recommend these for a quick weeknight meal or a night with friends. The recipe is easy to double and they only took me about 10-15 minutes start to finish.

By the way, the George Foreman grill is a miracle machine, I tell you, and their suggested recipes can get you going in the right direction. I tweaked the Cajun Rubbed Red Snapper recipe to make these delights.

Chile Cilantro Snapper Tacos with Broccoli Lime Slaw

For the Chile Cilantro Snapper:
2 large Pacific snapper filets, about 3/4-1lb, or similar (your butcher can help you choose the right fresh fish and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch guide can help you pick the most sustainable option - there's an app for that!)
1 tsp chile powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp ground sea salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro

Preheat George Foreman grill to 300, no need to spray. Mix chile powder, paprika, garlic, onion, salt, and pepper. Coat filets evenly, pressing the rub into the fish. Sprinkle evenly with cilantro and press in. Grill for 3-5 minutes, start checking at 3 minutes to see if the fish is done.

For the Easy Broccoli Lime Slaw:
1 bag broccoli slaw
1-2 Tbsp cole slaw dressing (try Marzetti or Kraft)
Juice of 1/2 a lime

Toss ingredients until well combined. Also great with cabbage cole slaw mix, but the broccoli is so healthy and gives it a nice crunch and more elegant appearance.

For the tacos:
Chile Cilantro Snapper
Lime wedges
6 taco shells (I'm addicted to Whole Grain Ortega Taco Shells - 55 calories and 3 grams of fiber each with plenty of crunch)
Pico de gallo OR mango salsa (I used pico, but I think mango would have been even better)
Easy Broccoli Lime Slaw

Flake the fish into large chunks and squeeze lime juice over the top. Layer shells with fish, salsa, and slaw. Yes, it's that easy.

Mushroom Tacos

Only three weeks left in the 500 Taco Summer. Here's another delicious way to up your numbers.*

Mushroom Tacos

1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 Tbsp oil
1 8oz package sliced mushrooms
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp salsa, drained of excess liquid
2 cloves garlic, pressed
6 corn tortillas
Cotija cheese and salsa to top

Heat 1 Tbsp oil. Add carrot and celery and saute a few minutes on medium high until tender. Set aside. Heat second Tbsp of oil and add mushrooms. Saute a few minutes until just moist and tender, using a wooden spoon to break up large pieces into smaller pieces. Add soy sauce and 1 Tbsp salsa (I used Casa Chica's medium roasted salsa). Saute/simmer for a few more minutes. Add carrots and celery to mushrooms and continue to saute until combined. Add pressed garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. For a drier filling, drain excess liquid (I happen to like all that flavorful drippiness). Warm  tortillas in a dry pan and top with mushroom mixture, salsa, and crumbled cotija. You can also use crispy taco shells, if you prefer.  Makes 6 tacos.

*By the way, I'm at 111!

Tunatastic!

I've loved tuna since I was kid brown bagging tuna sammies for lunch at school. But as an adult worrying about mercury (females of childbearing years beware!) and sustainable fishing practices (endangering giant fish and dolphins alike), the tuna aisle makes my head swim. This kind of tuna is low in mercury but only if fished from these waters, but it's endangered in one of the oceans, and who knows if it's been line or troll caught or what. Not to mention "light" means skipjack and "white" means albacore and... and.. and... AAAUUUGGGHHH!!!

Then I discovered Wild Planet.

All of their canned fish is sustainably caught. According to their website:

In order to adhere to the highest standards of sustainability possible, each product in our line is carefully researched according to the reports generated by leading environmental organizations.

Plus they are all high in omega 3s (brain power and healthy skin, thank you) and low in mercury. Phew! They even clearly label each variety so you can find the ones with the lowest mercury or highest omega 3s, depending on your priorities. And they call things by their name - no more light vs white. Best of all, it tastes good - like fresh fish, not fishy mush. And it only costs a dollar or two more a can than the other stuff - way worth it for my health and the planet's. The only ones not loving this find are my cats - you don't drain these cans, so they miss out on their bowls of tuna juice. Oh well, they have other treats.

I'm betting, like me, none of you eat your tuna straight from the can. Regular tuna salad can be ho-hum mayo-soaked gunk. But with a little creativity, it can be full of flavor as well as nutrition. Here are some of my favorite tuna salad recipes.

Apple Classic Tuna Salad

This is the tuna salad I grew up on and it is still my favorite to this day. The combination of apple and tuna is wonderful. I recommend using Smart Balance mayo, but your favorite brand will work as well. Also experiment with the type of relish: sweet, dill, green tomato, or (my personal favorite) Wickles. Whatever you like, it will work great in this recipe.

1 5oz. can tuna
1 Tbsp mayo
1 tsp mild yellow mustard
1 Tbsp relish
1/2 crisp apple, chopped

Mix together all ingredients. Eat on crackers or in a cold or hot sandwich or wrap. I love this on traditional crackers, like Saltines, Ritz, or Wheat Thins. Pairs well with cheddar or American cheese.

Savory Celery Tuna Salad

This salad has a much deeper, more complex flavor palate. I recommend using Smart Balance mayo, but your favorite brand will work as well.

1 5oz. can tuna
1 Tbsp mayo
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp celery seeds
1/4 tsp celery salt
1/3 cup chopped celery stalk

Mix together all ingredients. Eat on crackers or in a cold or hot sandwich or wrap. I like this version in a grilled melt on rye with swiss or provolone.

Pesto Tuna Salad

1 5oz. can tuna
1 Tbsp basil pesto, drain off much of the oil

Mix tuna and pesto. Eat on crackers or in a cold or hot sandwich or wrap. I like brushing a crusty french bread with pesto olive oil or spreading a sandwich thin with pesto mixed with mayo to make an aioli. Top with fresh mozzarella and fancy greens or heirloom tomatoes for a very adult sandwich.

Salmon Salad with Lime Crema

I used some of my leftover Lime Crema from yesterday's sweet potato tacos to make this fresh tasting salad. For a change, I used a can of Wild Planet salmon - a great substitution in any of these recipes.


For the Lime Crema:

1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 Tbspn fresh lime juice
2 tsp fresh lime zest
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp salt

Blend all crema ingredients together in a medium bowl. Makes a full cup of crema. Refrigerate leftovers.

For the salmon salad:

1 5oz. can salmon

1 Tbsp lime crema

Mix salmon and crema. Eat on crackers or in a cold or hot sandwich or wrap. Today I sprayed a skillet with olive oil PAM and, on medium-high, crisped a tortilla topped with salmon salad. To finish, I sprinkled it with crumbled cotija for an easy fish taco, perfect for this season of the 500 Taco Summer.

Roasted Sweet Potato Tacos with Lime Crema

I'm just pleased as punch with myself right now. It's kind of disgusting how proud of myself I am over this recipe. These are just about the best darn tacos I've ever made, and I would put them up against just about any restaurant's.

As you may know, I'm participating in a 500 Taco Summer (though I'm expecting my number to be just upwards of 100). Tacos can be surprisingly cheap, easy, and healthy to make at home, so I've prepared most of the 30 I've eaten so far myself. I wanted to experiment with more vegetable varieties and remembered some yam tacos I loved at a Seattle Mexican joint, Agua Verde. They may have been the only decent thing on the menu, but they were very good. I figured I could make my own version. And boy did I ever!

I started with some tips from Cook's Country on successfully roasting sweet potatoes and tweaked it for my needs. They suggest double roasting sweet potato wedges - first on a rack at a lower temperature, then on a preheated cookie sheet at a high temperature. I adjusted the time for smaller pieces better to fill tacos and created my own seasoning mix. Then I threw together a lime crema that is so slurpilicious you'll want to eat it out of the bowl with a spoon.

As for the cheese, I tried mine with both queso fresco and cotija. Both were excellent, but I liked the salty squeak of the cotija a little better with the sweetness of the potatoes. If you can't find cotija at your local grocer, try substituting queso fresco, feta, ricotta salata, or cheese curd crumbles. This recipe makes four tacos, enough for two people. It doubles easily.

Roasted Sweet Potato Tacos with Lime Crema

Roasted Cumin Sweet Potato filling:
2 small sweet potatoes (about a pound), any color, peeled
1  1/2 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
 3/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chile powder, mild


Preheat oven to 325 with rack set to middle position. Chop sweet potatoes into chunks just larger than bite-sized (they will shrink upon roasting). Arrange chunks on wire rack set inside rimmed baking sheet.

I used one yellow sweet potato and one orange. Purple would work great, too.

Bake until just tender, about 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, combine sugar, seasoned salt, black pepper, cumin, garlic powder, and chile powder in a small bowl. Remove potatoes from oven and increase heat to 425. Wipe off baking sheet and return, empty, to oven to preheat. Cool potatoes on wire rack for a few minutes.


In a large bowl, gently toss potatoes with oil and seasoning mix until evenly coated. Remove heated baking sheet from the oven and arrange potatoes in a single layer. Roast, flipping once, until browned, about 12 minutes.

Lime Crema:

1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 Tbspn fresh lime juice
2 tsp fresh lime zest
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp salt

Blend all crema ingredients together in a medium bowl. Makes a full cup of crema. Refrigerate leftovers.

For the tacos:

4 corn tortillas

Roasted Cumin Sweet Potato filling

2 ounces cotija cheese

4 Tblsp Lime Crema

Front taco topped with crumbled cotija. Back taco topped with chopped queso fresco.

Heat tortillas on both sides in a dry skillet over medium heat. Divide sweet potato filling evenly between tortillas. Top with crumbled cotija cheese and lime crema.

Ocean Beach Sunset

Tonight we watched the sun set over the Pacific from Ocean Beach. Until tonight, I'd managed to miss out on this San Francisco experience, but not for lack of trying. On previous attempts, the fog always seemed to roll in while I bused across the city, meaning I heard fog horns through the dense mist and smelled the smoke from bon fires, but saw nothing other than gray and white. On this clear night (clear enough to see the Barbers!), the husband man humored me after dinner in a nearby neighborhood, even though having grown up here (his childhood home is blocks away and he even got drunk for the first time on this very beach), this wasn't as special for him. Or maybe this time was more special than ever because he shared it with me. #cheeseball Bear with me while I chronicle the memory.

The dashing husband man.

The vhamster herself, very excited to enjoy her peach colored meringue from the Russian Bakery.

Beach dog in front of the Cliff House. He liked to dig trenches.

Feetsies in the sand.

Seal Rock

Put a bird on it! 

Ships criss-crossed the horizon. 

Ghostly barge.

Pizza Taco: A Surprising Success

The spicy-marinariness of the Papalote salsa gave me an idea. On my first taste, I casually mentioned that it would be good on a pizza, if diluted a little so it wasn't so spicy. With 2/3 of a jar left in my fridge and more than half of a very large grilled chicken breast marinated in the stuff and shredded, I thought I might as well give that off-hand idea a go.

You know what? It worked! And the salsa added a warm heat, rather than being too spicy as I'd expected. Classic taco ingredients, just layered with the salsa underneath instead of on the top. It's truly a taco borrowing from the world of pizza, not merely a pizza with taco flavors - which lets me count it in my 500 Taco Summer total. I'm excited to explore the possibilities contained within this new method. Maybe this disappointing salsa has some potential after all. This meal was seriously tasty.

Pizza Taco

Corn tortilla
Papalote salsa, or other salsa
Shredded mozzarella
Desired toppings: I used the chicken from my Disappointment Tacos and sliced black olives.
Olive oil PAM spray

Reheat chicken. Spoon a small dollop of salsa on top of the tortilla and spread around.

Top with cheese and other toppings. Generously spray skillet with PAM. Preheat on high. Reduce heat to medium high and griddle pizza taco until cheese has thoroughly melted and bottom of tortilla has browned and crisped.

Eat sliced like a pizza or folded like a taco.

From Disappointment to Tacos

Papalote has made us sad. Very sad, indeed. In more ways than one. Once a beloved California-style taqueria - unique in its fresh, healthy ingredients and mélange of vegetable and vegetarian options - is it time to accept that Papalote has soured? Sold out even?

The disappointment began with a switch in tortilla chips. An innocuous change, it may seem, but when an establishment that was once the home of your favorite chips and salsa - creamy, spicy tomatoey goodness alongside bubbly, yellow chips - instead serves you cheap hard, flat chips like out of a Costco bag that would come up to my waist, you know the ones, the ones often found in junior high cafeteria nachos, well, it's a disappointment. I can buy better tortilla chips at Walgreens. And I'm not the only one who's noticed.

But there was hope. After some sort of Food Network victory over Bobby Flay, Papalote began selling jars of their rightfully famous salsa. So we figured we'd keep a jar on hand at home to eat with the chips of our choice. Sigh. If only.

Concerns that this plan would fail began in the car after picking up a jar. A quick peek at the ingredients list and I knew something was wrong. Papalote salsa gets its creamy consistency and unique flavor from a traditional ingredient - pureed pumpkin seeds. The ingredients on the jar listed no such thing, but instead listed canola oil. Uh oh. The first taste at home validated our concerns. The salsa tasted like a spicy marinara (a very spicy marinara), completely devoid of the flavor we knew and loved. Crap. I should have tasted the product before I ordered and shipped jars as gifts. My enthusiasm had overwhelmed any caution.

So the chips are crap. The jars of salsa are crap. And did I mention last time we got food there a couple weeks ago I developed a case of food poisoning that lasted a week? I don't know when I'll be able to eat veggie fajitas or soyrizo again.

But I did find a use for that jar of spicy marinara. I am in the midst of a 500 Taco Summer. A friend began a group of people planning to eat 500 tacos between summer solstice and autumn equinox. I'll never make it to 500 - I enjoy too many other foods to devote so much of my intake to tacos. But I will eat as many as I can; I'm already to 20. So I put a portion of that jar to good use at lunch today and turned a bitter disappointment into delicious tacos.

Disappointment Tacos

Papalote salsa
Chicken breast
PAM olive oil spray
Corn tortillas
Jack cheese (slices or shredded)
Desired toppings: your favorite salsa, guacamole, cilantro, lime, sour cream, etc.

Marinate chicken breasts in the disappointing Papalote salsa for half an hour.

Grill marinated chicken on your George Foreman at 350 for 9-10 minutes, or on an outdoor grill.

Shred chicken.

Spray skillet generously with PAM and preheat to high. Reduce to medium high and griddle tortillas topped with cheese until cheese has melted thoroughly and tortillas have browned and crisped on bottom side.

Top cheesy tortillas with chicken and any additional toppings you desire. Congratulations! You have now turned a disappointing jar of spicy marinara bleh into easy, tasty tacos.

Pictured with Casa Chicas medium roasted salsa and mild guacamole. Yes, CASA CHICAS salsa on my Papalote marinated chicken tacos. Sad, but way tastier.

Ultimate Summer Quinoa Salad

Sorry for the lack of recipes of late. I fell victim to the whooping cough epidemic sweeping the Bay area and, as always, being sick affected my appetite rather strangely. Of course, all I wanted was the stuff you're supposed to avoid when you have a cough, and I didn't think my readers would much enjoy pictures of boring wild rice, bread, gravy, refried beans, popcorn, and cheese. Yes, all the starches and dairy I was definitely not supposed to eat. So sue me. Anywho, my normal appetite has finally begun to return. This morning I got it in my head that I just had to make this salad from items crying out to me from my cupboard and fridge. I am so glad I did, because this just might be the best quinoa salad I've ever had, if I do say so myself. Certainly the best I've ever made. I present you with yet another whole grain summer salad. I'm back, baby!

Salad:
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 cup snap peas, chopped
1 cob corn, grilled*/cooked, kernels removed
1 small (8.75oz.) can garbanzo beans, drained

Dressing:
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 packet (a little less than 1/2 teaspoon) stevia sweetener
1-2 tsp. fresh ground sea salt, more or less to taste
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper, more or less to taste
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 Tbspn. garlic infused olive oil**

1. Toast quinoa in a small dry saucepan over medium heat, stirring often for about 5 minutes until crackly and aromatic - the scent reminds me of stove-popped popcorn. Rinse thoroughly in a mesh collander. Return quinoa to pot and add water. Bring to a simmer; reduce heat and cover. Cook until quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Drain excess water, if any. Cool in fridge while you prepare the rest of the salad.


2. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine all dressing ingredients except oil. Mix until salt has dissolved. Add oil and mix well.


3. Combine vegetables and quinoa in a large bowl. Pour dressing over salad and toss until well mixed. Will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge.

Nutrition info: 
As an entree, serves 2.
Calories: 482. Total fat: 17.8g, sat. fat. 2.2g. Carb: 70.4g, fiber: 9.3, sugars: 11.5g. Protein: 12.8g.
As a side, serves 4.
Calories: 241. Total fat: 8.9g, sat. fat. 1.1g. Carb: 35.2g, fiber: 4.7g, sugars: 5.8g. Protein: 6.4g.


*To grill corn on your George Foreman, first remove leaves and silk from the cob. If you want the cob cut in half, do it now. Cutting it in half gives you a flat edge to work with if cutting off the kernels after cooking. Brine corn in water mixed with salt and sugar for 10-30 minutes. Preheat grill to 375. Close cobs in grill perpendicular to grooves. Cook for 30 minutes, turning partway around every ten so they blacken evenly.

**To infuse olive oil with garlic, heat 1/2 cup of olive oil in a small pan until just bubbling. Add 4-5 medium cloves of sliced garlic. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool and transfer to container. Keeps in fridge up to one week.

Summer Shake

There may be fog out my window, but I have sunshine in my glass. I've stumbled upon the perfect summer smoothie.

8 ounces fresh orange juice
1 fresh or frozen banana, chunks
2-4 tablespoons light coconut milk
1/2 cup fresh or frozen pineapple chunks
small handful ice, optional - only needed if none of the fruit is frozen

Blend in the magic blending machine and voila! Summer in a glass!