Tropical Salsa

Tropical Salsa
From Bingjie's Kitchen

2 bell peppers (any color)
2-3 avocados
2 mangos
1 small red onion
2 cans black beans
2 pints cherry tomatoes
1 bunch of cilantro
4-5 cloves garlic
Salt & pepper, to taste
Red pepper flakes, to taste
lime and lemon juice, to taste

Dice all ingredients (finely for the garlic). Add salt and pepper and red pepper flakes as desired. Add equal amounts of lime and lemon juice, to taste. Serve with chips.

My Notes:
This is a recipe that I got from one of my friends. It's amazing, at least when she makes it. When I make it, my mangoes aren't ripe enough and I leave out things like avocado. But it's still good.

Seven Spice Mix

Seven Spice Mix
Originally found at All Recipes

1/2 cup ground black pepper
1/2 cup ground cumin
1/2 cup paprika
1/4 cup ground coriander
1/4 cup ground cloves
4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cardamom

Mix together all ingredients. Store in an airtight container.

My Notes:
This. Is. Spicy. There's a whole lot of black pepper in there, so I'm just giving you a heads up. It smells great, though. I've used it a few times on chicken, and it's always turned out marvelously. I tried to mix it together in a rice dish with the chicken, and it was way too spicy for me to finish. So you definitely need something to balance out the heat.

The easiest thing to make with this, other than just chicken and rice, is wraps. Throw a little hummus and lettuce along with the seasoned chicken (cooked however you want; I generally pan fry) into a whole wheat tortilla. Roll up and enjoy.

Spicy Corn and Chicken Chili

Yes, the picture sucks. Forgive me. I need to get some new bowls.

Spicy Corn and Chicken Chili
Originally found at Whole Foods

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
Cayenne powder to taste
1 tsp chipotle chili en adobo
1 pound chicken breast, diced
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup water

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently until onions are translucent. Stir in chili powder, oregano, cumin, coriander and cayenne and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Add chicken. Cook Stir to break up and brown for 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, corn, beans, and water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring often, until flavors have melded and chili is thick.

My Notes:

This actually tastes a fair amount like my black bean chili. Same sort of deep flavor, with the corn and black beans, I guess. I didn't add any cayenne personally, because I was weary with the chipotle, but it certainly could've used it. Maybe a teaspoon or so.

I think I need to play with some flavors a bit more. But this was definitely good. The website says it feeds 4... I can get about 3 servings out of it. So I guess if you have two kids, it'll be fine, but adults will probably want more.

And one of these days I'll get a really good dairy-free cornbread recipe to go with these.

Granola, Take 2

Picture coming.

Granola
Originally found at Food Network

3 cups rolled oats
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup sunflower seeds
3/4 cup shredded sweet coconut
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts, coconut, and brown sugar. In a separate bowl, combine honey and oil. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 sheet pans. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even color. Remove from oven and transfer into a large bowl. Add fruit and mix until evenly distributed.

My Notes:
Yes, I know I've done Granola before, but I was less than impressed with the final result, and decided to try a different recipe. I love Alton Brown, and found this recipe, and decided to give it a try.

The result? I love it. It's so much crunchier, and actually clumps together. Plus, it's pareve.

Sweet Potato Muffins

Sweet Potato Muffins
Originally found at Once a Month Mom

1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed sweet potato
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup applesauce
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tin with paper liners (or spray).

In a large bowl, cream together sugar and eggs. Add potato, honey and applesauce, and whisk until well combined. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, then slowly work into wet ingredients.

Fill muffin cups about 3/4 of the way, and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

My Notes:
Yes, I'm having a slight obsession with sweet potatoes. They're yummy. I'm not sure why I haven't been exposed to them before. This recipe is nice and yummy, and pumpkin can easily be substituted if you prefer. Best of all... they're pareve.

If you plan on feeding these to an infant, please substitute brown sugar for honey.