Green Magic

***Green Magic*** 
(Indian-inspired chutney)

Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients:

1/2 bunch cilantro (leaves & stems)

1/2 cup mint leaves

1/8 cup honey 

4-6 cloves garlic

1-2 jalapeños 

1/8 cup lime juice

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger or 1/2 inch square size chunk raw ginger, peeled
1 Tbsp. coconut oil

1/2 teaspoon salt 

Directions:

Combine cilantro, mint, honey, garlic, jalapeño, lime, cumin, ginger, coconut oil, and salt in a small food processor, and puree until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon of water, if necessary.  Taste and adjust salt as desired.

Use on EVERYTHING!

SPICY VEGAN MEXICAN SCRAMBLE

SPICY VEGAN MEXICAN SCRAMBLE

Ingredients:

1 yellow squash, diced
1/4 white onion, diced
Few Tbsp. olive oil
Garlic powder, to taste
1 tsp. coriander
2 Tbsp. dried cilantro
Sprinkle chili powder
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 can corn kernels, drained
1 can black beans, drained
2 tomatoes, diced
Spinach (1/2 bag, or two handfuls)
Tortilla chips
1/2 avocado, sliced
1/2 jalapeno, diced
Fresh cilantro for garnish

Directions:

1.  Sautee squash and onion in olive oil for 3-5 minutes.

2.  Sprinkle with garlic powder, cilantro, coriander, and chili powder.

3.  Douse with lime juice and add stir in corn, beans and tomato and cook for a few more minutes.

4.  Add spinach, turn off heat, stir until spinach is wilted.

5.  Serve over brown rice, topped with crumbled tortilla chips, avocado, cilantro and jalapeno.

Notes:

*Leave out jalapeno if you're feeding kidlets, and consider sprinkling with shredded cheese or vegan cheese. 

PUMPKIN-JALAPENO HUMMUS

Ingredients:

One pie pumpkin from Trader Joe's (or 2 cups canned pumpkin)
1/2 large jalapeno
1/8 onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 Tbsp. crushed garlic
1 Tbsp. coconut milk
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
2 Tbsp. tahini
1 small Meyer lemon, halved and seeded
1 handful fresh basil leaves
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

1.  If using fresh pumpkin, slice in half lengthwise, dispose of stem, seeds and strings.  Place halves face down in small glass dish, covered with foil, with 1/4" water in 375 degree oven for 1 hour.  Allow to cool slightly and scoop pumpkin out of shell.

2.  Add all ingredients except lemon to food processor and blend well until smooth.  During blending, add juice of the lemon and half of the lemon peel.

3.  Serve with hearty chips, such as blue tortilla chips.

Notes:

*Pumpkin is unbelievably good for you!  See, e.g., http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/279610.php

*You may like this even if (like me) you're not a huge hummus fan.

*Careful not to overdo the coconut milk, tahini or olive oil; you'll taste it more than any other flavor.

FUEGO VERDE SALSA

When I make salsa, I try to make only as much as we can eat in a day or two, so I almost always make it in the small food processor attachment that came with my hand blender.  So if you want more than a small batch (enough for two people to dip chips in or pour on tacos for a day or two), then just multiply all the ingredients in proportion to one another and make it in a larger food processor or blender.

Ingredients:
(Makes small batch, about 3/4 cup)

3 jalapenos (less for the tender-tongued)
2 green onions, torn in half
6 or so stalks of cilantro, leaves only
Juice of 1/4 lime
1 tomatillo, cut in half
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. crushed garlic
1 tsp. - 1 Tbsp. Trader Joe's Green Plant Juice (if you're not familiar, it looks like ground up beetles and is made with kale and broccoli but tastes like mango and bananas)

Directions:

1.  Blend all ingredients in a hand blender food processor attachment until well-blended, approximately 1 minute.  Add more Green Plant juice to taste.

SQUASHADILLA



This surprisingly hearty recipe may require a leap of faith on the combination of ingredients for you (like it did for me), but please trust me!  The end result is worth it.

Ingredients:
(Makes 1 lunch entree sized portion)

1/4 butternut squash
1/2 jalapeño, sliced lengthwise and diced
Sprinkle black pepper
Sprinkle chili powder
1 tsp. minced garlic
Sprinkle dried oregano
1/4 white onion, sliced
1 Tbsp. canola oil
Salt
Juice of 1/2 Meyer lemon
1 egg
Milk for scrambling egg
1/2 avocado, sliced
Handful Trader Joe's shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 Trader Joe's Whole Wheat Olive Oil tortilla

Directions:

1.  Cook butternut squash according to the instructions that will no doubt be included on a sticker on the thing.  (Usually slice lengthwise and bake cut-side down in a baking dish with 1/4 inch of water at 350 for 45 minutes.)  Scoop out the flesh and set aside the extra for future recipes.

2.  Scamble the egg with milk in a large-ish pan.  Set aside.

3.  Using the same pan (because seriously, who needs more dishes to do??), heat oil over medium heat.  Add sliced onion, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste.  Cook, stirring frequently, until onions start to brown/blacken.  Set aside.

4.  In a small food processor (y'all know how I love me some Cuisinart handheld blender with food processor attachment), combine squash, jalapeno, black pepper, chili powder, garlic and oregano.  Blend until well mixed but not yet smooth.  Mix in the egg and the onions.

5.  Over medium heat, warm the tortilla in the pan.  Sprinkle one half of the tortilla with half the cheese.  With a spatula, scoop onto the cheese the squash mixture.  Sprinkle with the other half of the cheese and lay in the avocado slices.  Fold over the tortilla and press down with a spatula to squish the ingredients together and get the cheese to melt well.  After a minute or two, flip it and press down on the other side.

6.  Slice and serve with Valentina or Tapatio.

Notes:

*This amount of jalapeno will make it pretty darned spicy.  For less spice, remove the seeds from the jalapeno or use just the tip.

*Leave out the jalapeno and onion to make it kid-friendly.

SWEET HEAT

SWEET HEAT

This is one heckuva spicy salsa!  I love small-batch, extra-potent salsas...you can easily reduce the amount of jalapeno, or increase the amount of other ingredients, to stretch it further or to reduce the incendiariness (yep, just made that up!).

Ingredients:

1/2 (length-wise) jalapeno, cut in a few chunks
Good size chunk (maybe 1/6-1/4) white onion, cut in chunks
1 clove garlic
Handful (maybe 1/8 cup) canned corn kernels, drained
Juice of 1/4 lime
Sprinkle of dried thyme, crumbled by hand
Splash of orange juice
Sprinkle of salt
Sprinkle of black pepper
Handful cilantro leaves, torn by hand

Directions:

1.  Place all ingredients in a small food processor (I like the kind that attaches to a hand blender).
2.  Blend for a while.  Stop and scoop all ingredients from the sides of the container back into the blade so consistency is uniform.  Continue blending a while longer (total of maybe 1 minute).

Notes:

*The corn gives a nice, smooth consistency and adds to the sweetness a bit.

*Definitely go easy on the OJ - too much will overwhelm the other flavors.

RESISTANCE-IS-FUTILE SALSA

RESISTANCE-IS-FUTILE SALSA
(A modified version of my Caliente Salsa proportioned for use with a hand blender.)

Just got my first immersion (hand) blender at Costco and already I love it!  Whipped up this salsa in less than 5 minutes and couldn't stop eating it until the bowl was empty.

Ingredients:

4 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
1/6 large red onion, diced
1 baby carrots, sliced
1 radish, diced
1 Tbsp. minced or crushed garlic
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 dash salt
1 dash black pepper
Small pinch dried thyme

Directions:

1.  Add all ingredients to small mixing bowl (preferably one made for your hand blender).

2.  Mix on high speed until desired consistency (15-30 seconds).  Try not to eat it out of the mixing bowl with your fingers.

Notes:

*Adding a bit of chopped cilantro leaves would make it even more irresistable...I just didn't have any on hand because, despite my best efforts, my attempts to grow cilantro have heretofore been unsuccessful...

FAST 'N FRESH ANGEL HAIR DIABLO

FAST 'N FRESH ANGEL HAIR DIABLO

The best part of this dish (my favorite thing to throw together for lunch) is that you can probably make it with what you've already got in your fridge and cabinets. The second best part is that it's delish! And the third best part is that each serving costs about $0.50...hard to beat!

Ingredients:

(Makes 2 adult-sized entree servings)

2 servings angel hair pasta

2 tomatoes, chopped

Handful of spinach, torn or sliced

2 green onions, sliced or cut with scissors

1/2 jalapeno, finely diced

2 eggs

Dash of thyme

Dash of basil

Black pepper, approximately 1/2 tsp.

Olive oil

Salt

Parmesan cheese, to taste (at least several Tbsp.)

Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Red pepper flakes

[Optional: Few Tbsp. pasta sauce]

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package in salted water.

2. In the meantime, stir eggs over low heat in small omelette pan until well cooked.

3. Add cooked eggs to the bottom of a large bowl. Add red pepper, jalapeno, green onions, Parmesan cheese, black pepper, thyme, and basil.

4. Drain pasta when cooked and add to bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice.

5. Top with tomatoes and spinach.

6. Stir very well and serve topped with extra cheese [and pasta sauce].

Notes:

*Kid-friendly if you leave out the jalapeno, green onion (if your kid is picky like mine) and red pepper.

*To make it even faster, use hot tap water to start with (cuts down on boiling time).

*To make it wheat-free, use Trader Joe's Brown Rice Spaghetti.

SALSA NAVIDAD

SALSA NAVIDAD

Ingredients:
(Makes approximately 4 cups)

6 Peeled baby carrots
4 Large garlic cloves
½ Habanero pepper
½ Serrano pepper
2 Roma (plum) tomatoes
1 Lime
5 Tomatillos
½ White onion
1 Bunch Cilantro
½ Tsp. Salt
1 Tbsp. Vegetable oil
½ Tsp. Dried thyme
[Optional: 4 Radishes]

Directions:

Coarsely chop carrots, garlic and peppers [and radishes, if desired]. Blend all in food processor for 20 seconds, or until vegetables are finely chopped but still solid.

Cut tomatoes, tomatillos and onion in half. Put in blender with the juice and some pulp of the lime. Blend well, until liquid. Add salt, oil, thyme and two handfuls of cilantro (leaves only) (almost a whole bunch). Blend for 10 seconds. Add pepper mix. Blend for 5 seconds.

Refrigerate, and use within 3 days.

Notes:
*This is my all-time favorite recipe!
*Caution: cutting habaneros can seriously be hazardous to your health (inhalation, etc.)...please be careful!
*Caution: this is so darned addictive, you may go through a whole batch and a bag of tortilla chips standing by yourself in a darkened kitchen, telling yourself repeatedly, "Oh, OK, just one more chip won't hurt..."
*Makes great Christmas gifts when packed in ball jars with personalized labels.