Category: Sides

Recipes, Sides, Vegetables

Corn and Black Bean Salad

Sarah

Like many other parts of the country, this summer has been hot. From Facebook status updates to blog posts, I’ve been reminded almost daily how people simply don’t like to cook when it’s hot. It makes sense since an oven can heat up a house pretty quickly, especially if a/c isn’t your thing, and because some people lose their appetite in the heat. Well, neither of those things are really me.

I definitely like to eat at all times [and so does Ben], and I’m just not a “windows open” kinda girl [Ben is… a “windows open” kinda guy–not girl]. Maybe that will change one day when we move from an apartment to a house [started typing “hotel” there… uhh, that’s not in the plans, though my family did once live in a hotel for two weeks in between selling our old house and buying the new one… I was 8 and had fun]… since apartments have apartment size electricity bills and houses have house sized bills. But for now, I will luxuriate in our air conditioned apartment and use the oven whenever I please.

That does NOT mean though that I can’t enjoy cold dishes like this Corn and Black Bean Salad for a light meal or hearty side dish. No siree. I know that there are many version of such dishes, and this is one that my mom recently introduced me to that I have fallen in love with. The simple dressing of oil and vinegar spiked with lime and paprika really makes the dish, since the tang is the perfect pairing for the sweetness of the corn, black beans, and peppers, as well as the spiciness of the [optional] jalapeno.

I could literally eat this salad all day long… and Ben could too since there’s no onions for him to pick out! Perfection in a bowl, I say. 🙂

Corn and Black Bean Salad [from Coastal Living, July 2005]
click to print

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 2 15 ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 cups frozen whole corn, thawed
  • 1 large red or orange bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 small jalapeno peppers, minced and deseeded [optional]
  • 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Directions:

Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, and paprika in a large bowl. Add beans, corn, and peppers; toss well to coat. Finally, add cilantro and pepper and gently mix to incorporate.

Time: 10 minutes.

Yield: 6 cups.

Chicken, Main Dishes, Recipes, Rice, Sides

Jamaican Jerk Chicken & Pineapple Black Bean Rice

Sarah

Let me start off with a huge disclaimer: this jerk chicken is not authentic. Just wanted to get that out in the open. I mean, it’s cooked in a crock pot and not smoked in a pit… so that’s a pretty big difference. And furthermore, traditional jerk seasoning has a lot of heat to compliment the sweet, smoky flavor of the myraid of spices [primarily allspice, cinnamon, and nutmeg] that make up the jerk seasoning blend. Or at least, that’s what my cookbook said. 🙂 My jerk seasoning blend has more sweetness than heat, but that departure from the norm isn’t bad… it just means you can enjoy what’s there instead of burning your mouth to bits.

jamaican jerk chicken and pineapple black bean rice on a plateNow that we have established that my version has been adapted, shall we say… let’s get on with it. Instead of focusing on what we don’t have, let’s focus on what we do: this Jamaican Jerk Chicken and Rice is amazing. It’s sweet and smoky with a little bit of jalapeno-induced kick. Plus, this crock pot cooking method does not require traditional overnight marinating that most jerk chicken recipes do… meaning you can whip this up on a whim, no planning required! Though if you are thinking ahead, I bet marinating the meat would take an already fantastic dish absolutely over-the-top!

If I do say so myself though, the marinating to take things over-the-top-bit might not even be necessary. I got you covered on that over-the-topness. Instead of serving this pulled meat [almost type “slow cooked” meat… you remember how I feel about that!] on boring rice or a sandwich bun, I decided to fancify my regular white rice with some Caribbean-inspired ingredients like more allspice, crushed pineapple, black beans, and cilantro. The rice was undoubtedly my favorite part of this dinner [and the chicken Ben’s, but he’s a meatloving man so that’s not surprising].

I mean, how fantastic does this look? Sweet, smoky, fresh, substantial rice paired with sweet-hot pulled chicken. What else would you want? If you figure it out, please do let me know because I don’t have a clue. 🙂 Enjoy!

Jamaican Jerk Chicken & Pineapple Black Bean Rice [chicken adapted from Slow Cooker Classics from Around the World by Victoria Shearer, rice is a TPC original!]
click to print

Ingredients:

for chicken

  • 1 cup chopped sweet onion
  • 4 green onions, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • sprinkle salt
  • 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 jalapenos, sliced [deseed if you wish–I did]
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
  • 4 pounds cut up chicken pieces, bones and skins removed

for rice

  • 1 1/2 cups white rice
  • 3 cups liquid [drained pineapple juice + water or chicken broth]
  • 1 1/2 cups black beans, rinsed and drained [1 15 ounce can]
  • 1 20 ounce can crushed pineapple [fruit + juice]
  • ~3/4 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice
  • pinch cayenne pepper

Directions:

Place all ingredients for chicken in large crockpot. Cook on low for 4-5 hours, or until chicken is cooked through and shreds easily.

About thirty minutes before eating, prepare rice. Drain pineapple, catching liquid in a large measuring cup or bowl. Add extra water or chicken broth to make 3 cups liquid, then add liquid and rice to a large pot set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes or until rice has absorbed liquid. Stir in black beans, reserved pineapple, allspice, and cayenne pepper. Just before serving stir in cilantro.

Serve shredded chicken over rice, or on sandwich buns.

Time: 5 hours.

Yield: alot of food!

Notes: This recipe can be halved and cooked for 3 1/2-4 hours in the crock pot. I did make the full amount of rice so if you’re cooking for a crowd, the rice may need to be doubled or tripled.

Recipes, Sides, Vegetables

SRC: Minty Asian Slaw

Sarah

It’s a Secret Recipe Club kinda Monday! The best kind, in my opinion. 🙂 If you’ve missed past SRC posts, the premise is this: you’re assigned a different member’s blog every month. You visit their blog, choose any recipe you want, then make it and share it on your blog. Everyone else posts about their secret blog the same day. It’s fabulously fun to try out new blogs. If you have a blog, definitely check it out and consider joining! I highly recommend it.

This month my assigned blog was Sustainable Cooking for One, which is the product of Stephanie’s passion for local, sustainable eating. Stephanie has a ton of original and adapted recipes on her site, and has even published a cookbook! How cool.

I was looking for a side dish to make for our 4th of July BBQ, so when I saw Stephanie’s twist on cole slaw, I was so excited. This isn’t just your average cole slaw… it’s Minty Asian Slaw!

This isn't just your average cole slaw... it's Minty Asian Slaw!Minty Asian Slaw is a refreshing twist on a classic summertime dish. Unlike most cole slaw recipes, Stephanie’s encourages the use of lots of fresh veggies and fruit [not just cabbage!], vinegar, and oil… instead of globby mayo and limp cabbage. What a great idea, me thinks! For the most part, I stuck with the recipe but I did make a few changes. The original recipe called for cabbage, carrots, and cucumber along with the minty vinegar and oil dressing. Since Ben isn’t a huge cucumber fan, I decided to take a cue from Stephanie’s other slaw recipe and use an apple for crunch instead! I also added more mint than the recipe called for… what a great decision! Both of them. 🙂 And let me just say for the record that a bite of minty apple, no matter how weird it may sound, is pretty amazing.

This isn't just your average cole slaw... it's Minty Asian Slaw!This crisp Minty Asian Slaw is fresh, exotic, and perfect for summer, and that abundance of mint growing in your garden [or is that just me?], so I hope you enjoy as much as we did!

Minty Asian Slaw

  • Servings: 10-12
  • Print

Minty Asian Slaw | thepajamachef #secretrecipeclubadapted from Susatainable Cooking for One mostly here and but also here

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium cabbage, sliced thin
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 carrot, grated
  • 1 apple, cut into matchsticks [I used Granny Smith]
  • 2 stalks celery, finely diced
  • ~2-3 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped [I didn’t measure]
  • lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • up to 1/2 tablespoon sugar, if desired

Directions:

Place cabbage in a large collandar and pour salt over. Use your hands to massage salt into cabbage, then let sit for about 45 minutes [Mark Bittman suggests 1-2 hours but I didn’t have that kind of time, so I helped the process by massaging it]. Then rinse and drain cabbage thoroughly–about six times–to remove the salt. Dry cabbage with kitchen towels or a salad spinner.

Meanwhile, combine carrot, apple, celery, and mint in a large bowl. Toss with lemon juice–about 1 tablespoon. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar and oil. Add cabbage and dressing mixture alternately so everything combines well. Taste and add sugar as desired.

Serve immediately.

Be sure to check out other great SRC recipes posted today!



Pasta, Recipes, Sides

BBQ Ranch Pasta Salad

Sarah

So… high school lunch. While most people I know have horror stories of inedible cafeteria food or exciting tales of sneaking off school property to go out for lunch during their high school years, I was fortunate enough to have an open campus… and an entire hour for lunch. It was pretty sweet, I do admit. My lunch hour as a high school student typically were spent one of three ways: 1) going out to lunch with friends, 2) eating a packed lunch at school to attend one of my many extracurricular activity meetings, or 3) going home. Even though I had great friends and thoroughly enjoyed being an involved high school student, as soon as I got my driver’s license and a car, I absolutely adored going home for lunch. It was bit of relaxing bliss during a busy school day. By graduation day [9 years ago…yikes!] I had my routine perfected down to the minute how I would rush through the hallways to get to the parking lot and beat the underclassmen [walking] crowd to my car, quickly making the sometimes tricksy left turn in order to have smooth sailing home… and subsequently, maximum time to heat up leftovers or make a tasty hot lunch at home.

There were many quick meals I made during those high school days–scrambled eggs, grilled cheese, Ramen noodles… you know, the good stuff. These meals had to be quick so I could get back to school on time, but also so I could watch as much of my Mad About You reruns as possible. Oh, and if it was a rerun I’d seen a zillion times, I’d turn on TLC [A Wedding Story=LOVE]. Or some dating game that I now forget the name of. Quality TV at lunch makes for a great day, folks.

But you know what makes for an even better day? A quality lunch, made while watching said reruns on the small kitchen TV, instead of on the comfy family room couch. And as a 17 year old, my idea of the most high quality at-home lunch was…. BBQ Ranch Pasta Salad! And not the version you’re seeing here. That version is almost embarrassing to admit to, because it was pasta + alot of ranch dressing + a little BBQ sauce + some zesty Southwest Mrs. Dash-esque spice blend. That’s it. No veggies, no cheese, no meat, no nothing. It was darn tasty though! In a moment of high school reminiscing last week, I set out to recreate that lunch… in adult style, of course.

This version of BBQ Ranch Pasta Salad brings the old school up to date. Rotini noodles, cooked to al dente perfection are still bathed in a luscious ranch/BBQ sauce blend… but the noodles are whole wheat, and the sauce isn’t quite as thick or overwhelming. A thinner sauce means more room for veggies… and this pasta salad is hearty enough for plenty of raw tomatoes, peppers, corn, and onions. Adding some black beans makes the salad truly hearty enough for a meal, unlike the old pasta salad of days gone by. And my good friend Mrs. Dash? Sorry to say but she has been replaced with not one, not two, not three, but NINE herbs and spices, including three types of pepper. It definitely has a kick to it, but the ranch and lime juice cool it down considerably, so don’t worry about the spice factor.

Absolutely glorious, no?

This isn’t a lunch I would have made during my high school days, but it’s so quick to throw together that I sure could have. And you can too… it’s great hot when first made, but it’s also fabulous chilled. I’ve been enjoying it for lunch over the past week, but I’m sure it’d be the perfect addition to your 4th of July BBQ, so I hope you enjoy!

What were your high school lunches like?

BBQ Ranch Pasta Salad [a TPC original]
click to print

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces whole wheat rotini
  • 3/4 cup black beans
  • 1 ear corn, kernels sliced off
  • 1 roma tomato, diced
  • 1 stalk celery, diced
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1/3 cup ranch
  • 1/4 cup barbecue sauce [I ❤ Sweet Baby Ray’s]
  • 1/2 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped [or 1 teaspoon dried]
  • 1 tablespoon fresh pineapple sage, chopped [can use regular sage; 1 teaspoon dried]
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • pinch cayenne pepper
  • pinch crushed red pepper

Directions:

Prepare pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, combine corn, tomato, celery, and red bell pepper in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together ranch, barbecue sauce, lime juice, basil, sage, garlic, oregano chili powder, parsley, and peppers. After pasta is ready, add to bowl with vegetables, pour on dressing, and toss to combine.

Enjoy warm, or cover and refrigerate for two hours before serving. Refrigerate for up to one week.

Time: 20 minutes.

Yield: 8 servings.

Linked up on Life as Mom’s Ultimate Recipe Swap: Summer Salads.
Quinoa, Recipes, Sides

Sweet-Tart Quinoa Salad

Sarah

So, sometimes when I don’t take my beloved black bean wraps in my lunch, I like to make big salads on the weekend, filled with veggies and protein and oodles of flavor, that I can dish out throughout the week. At home I love leafy green salads, but for portability and ease, grain-based salads are my BFF. They don’t get soggy or mushy, they have tons of different flavors and textures, and the dressing is already mixed in–no need to juggle a bajillion containers! These same salads are also great for a meatless dinner or a healthy barbecue side dish for practically all the same reasons, but I just tend to eat them more for lunch!

This salad is no different from my normal grain-based salad loves, though technically quinoa isn’t a grain. But in my little world, like most of the rest of the culinary empire, it’s lumped right in. Don’t go lumping this Sweet-Tart Quinoa Salad in with other quinoa salads, though!

This salad pairs the basic Mexi-grain salad components with something new, something fresh. Something sweet–some sweet potato and bell peppers, perhaps?–meets something tart. Not just the Mexi-staple tartness of lime. But the unexpected, refreshing burst of…. Grapefruit. Whaaaaat? What initially started as a scaredy-cat substitution because I realized I was out of limes and needed more liquid to mix into this salad turned into a “oh darn, I should have used more grapefruit juice” during the test tasting stage. Crazy!

See, here’s the deal. You toss together some quinoa, bell peppers, onion, black beans, and sweet potato. They’re great. Pantry staples, healthy, filling, relatively affordable. They’re filling and flavorful on their own, yet adaptable to a pretty wide range of seasonings. Then you add the Mexi-spices and flavors, including cumin, cilantro, red pepper, the typical lime juice, etc. Leave the salad alone here and it would be pretty good. But add some grapefruit juice and take it to the next level. Beyond the tang of lime there’s a familiar yet unexpected tartness. An explosion of yummy flavors that makes each bite enchanting and divine. Sweet-Tart Quinoa Salad is the perfect familiar yet unexpected addition to your next lunch conundrum, meatless meal, or barbecue side dish.

And yes, if you’re wondering… “Sweet-Tart” in the dish’s name was a nod to my all-time favorite childhood candy, SweeTarts, which I would happily munch on all day, everyday if that was a nutritionally sound choice. 🙂

What’s your all-time favorite childhood candy?

Sweet-Tart Quinoa Salad
click to print

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 large onion, diced
  • 1 medium sweet potato, diced
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried cumin
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup quinoa, dry
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped + more for garnish
  • 3/4 cup bell peppers, diced [I used green, yellow, and red]
  • 3/4 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons grapefruit juice
  • freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place onion and sweet potato in a large baking dish, then sprinkle with garlic, red pepper, and cumin. Drizzle with olive oil, then use your [clean!] hands to mix everything together. Bake for 20-22 minutes.

While the sweet potato and onion mixture is a-cooking, prepare the quinoa. Boil 1 cup water, then stir in the quinoa. Bring back to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cover, cooking for 12 minutes.

Remove quinoa from heat, then stir in cilantro, bell peppers, black beans, lime juice, and grapefruit juice. After everything is combined, cover and set aside.

After sweet potato and onion mixture is ready, add to quinoa, and season with lots of freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy!

Time: 25 minutes [10 minutes active].

Yield: 2-3 servings.

Notes: If raw peppers aren’t your thing, you can roast then with the sweet potatoes and onions. Also, feel free to use any combination of citrus juice–orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, etc. in place of the lime-grapefruit mixture.