Edamame Succotash

My last few posts have focused mainly on desserts, so I decided to take a step back and do as my mother says and "eat more vegetables."

I have never actually liked succotash. Lima Beans have just never really been my thing (no offense to all of the Lima Bean connoisseurs of the world), so when I saw this recipe for edamame succotash, I was intrigued because edamame is definitely my thing. In fact, my college roommate and I went through a phase in college where, instead of eating popcorn, we would steam a bunch of edamame and eat it while watching TV. I think this healthy phase lasted for about a week. In the end, the pull of Thomas Sweet was a little too strong.

I was also drawn to this salad because more than anything, I thought it looked pretty---obviously an important factor in my recipe decision-making. I love the colors in my salad,  in particular, because of the color of the corn I used. If you look closely at the picture, you can see little red corn kernels. When my husband first looked at it, he asked if they were pomegranate seeds. I'm not sure sure whether or not we should be embarrassed, but neither of us had ever eaten red corn before. When I got home and started to peel the corn and saw that it was red, my first instinct was to assume that the corn had gone bad. A few google searches later, and I came to learn that red corn actually has a nuttier and richer flavor than yellow corn.  I have to agree.

This would be a great salad to bring to a summer BBQ potluck because it is pretty versatile in terms of what it can be served with. We ate it with fish the first night and chicken the second, and it went well with both. This can also be served cold, room temperature, or even a little warm (I heated it up in the microwave the second night).

Enjoy!

 

The Recipe

Step 1: Prepare the vegetables. Chop the red pepper, tomatoes, sweet onion, basil, and corn.

Check out my beautiful red corn!

 Step 2: Like all great recipes, this one starts with bacon. Cook bacon in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings in pan; coarsely chop bacon.

(I placed the bacon between paper towels to absorb the grease.)

Step 3: Increase the heat to medium-high. Melt butter in drippings in pan.

Step 4: Add onion; sauté 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 5: Add corn kernels; sauté for 3 minutes or until lightly charred.

Step 6: Add edamame, and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 7:  Add red wine vinegar, salt, freshly ground pepper, sugar, tomatoes, and red bell pepper. Cook 30 seconds, stirring occasionally.

Step 8: Sprinkle with bacon and basil and enjoy! You can serve cold or warm. I think I actually preferred it slightly warm, but it was still good the next day straight out of the refrigerator

Recipe Courtesy: Cooking Light Magazine

Ingredients

1 slice center-cut bacon
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups chopped sweet onion ( preferably Vidalia)
2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 3 ears)
1 (16-ounce) bag frozen, shelled edamame, thawed
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons torn basil

Preparation

1. Cook bacon in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings in pan; coarsely chop bacon.
2. Increase the heat to medium-high. Melt butter in drippings in pan. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add corn kernels; sauté for 3 minutes or until lightly charred. Add edamame, and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in vinegar and next 5 ingredients (through bell pepper); cook 30 seconds, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with bacon and basil.

Balsamic Glazed Eggplant and Tomato Appetizer

There are moments when this Southern girl feels a bit exhausted by living in the city--particularly in the hot summer months when I leave the metro completed drenched in sweat. But then, there are the little things that make it all worth it. Every spring, for example, the farmer's market down the street from my house reopens, and every Thursday afternoon, on my walk home from work, I have my pick of the freshest fruits and vegetables. It is a foodies paradise.

Today's Purchases 

 (This might be the most fragrant basil I have ever purchased)

Tonight, I decided to get a little fancy with my salad, since I was just heating up some boring chicken leftovers from the night before. This salad was inspired by an appetizer I recently ordered at an Italian restaurant and seemed pretty easy to recreate. While all of the ingredients I used were incredibly fresh, the key ingredient is the tomato, so be sure take advantage of them while they are still in season!

Here is what you will need:

Step 1: Heat the grill on medium high with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Cut the eggplant into 1/2 inch slices.

 

 Step 2: Sprinkle with kosher salt and place on hot grill.

 Step 3: While the eggplant begins to cook, mix 1 tablespoon of olive oil with 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar.

Step 4. When the eggplant appears a bit translucent, spoon balsamic mixture over the eggplant.

Step 5. The eggplant will begin to sizzle, so watch out! Flip the eggplant over and spoon any excess vinegar in the pan over the pieces. (I moved the eggplant all over the grill to make sure most of the vinegar was absorbed.)

Step 6: Turn the heat down and let the eggplant continue to sizzle. Use this opportunity to cut the tomatoes and mozzarella.

 

Step 7: Begin to stack the salad. One piece of tomato, one piece of mozzarella, a couple of leaves of basil, and one slice of eggplant (do this twice).

Step 8: This is where I decided to get fancy. I pulled out my balsamic glaze from Harris Teeter and sprinkled it all over.

Step 9: Drizzle some olive oil over the plate as well and enjoy!!

Note: For each salad, you will need:

3 slices of tomato

2 slices of eggplant

2 slices of mozzarella

4 small basil leaves

List of Ingredients for 4 servings:

3 tablespoons of olive oil for grill

1 tablespoon of olive oil for glaze

2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

kosher salt

8 slices of eggplant (1 medium eggplant)

12 slices of tomato (approximately 3 tomatoes)

8 slices of mozzarella (1 large ball of mozzarella)

16 small basil leaves

Balsamic Glaze

Olive Oil to drizzle

Mediterranean Tuna Salad

In keeping with my theme of easy summer salads and sandwiches, this is my favorite tuna salad. Unlike the typical mayonnaise/egg version, this is a healthy version packed with flavor using green onions, sun dried tomatoes, olives, and red bell peppers and then seasoned with olive oil, red wine vinegar, and Mrs. Dash garlic and herb seasoning. This sandwich works really well with a side of gazpacho (another recipe for another day...).

This would be the perfect sandwich to enjoy at my favorite DC tradition Jazz in the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. The concert series starts back up again next Friday, May 28!


Here is what you will need:



Step 1: Chop the red bell pepper.



Step 2: Chop the green onions.



Step 3: Chop the sun dried tomatoes (or buy the pre-sliced tomatoes)



Step 4: Drain the olives.



Step 5. Mix together in a bowl.




Step 6: Add 2 tsp. Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb Seasoning.



Step 7: Add 3-4 tablespoons olive oil (sometimes I add more if it seems too dry)



Step 8: Add several dashes of red wine vinegar.



Step 9: Stir until well-combined. I tested it and decided to add a little more olive oil and sun dried tomatoes.




Full list of ingredients:
2 tsp. Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb Seasoning
12 oz. tuna
1/2 bell pepper chopped
4 green onions chopped
1 small can of diced black olives
several chopped red wine vinegar
3-4 tablespoons of olive oil
several dashes of red wine vinegar

Crunchy Curry Chicken Salad

Despite the fact that I wore a coat to work yesterday, it is May, and summer is almost here--even if mother nature seems to be slightly indecisive about it. Warm weather means picnic season is upon us, so I am going to start sharing some of my favorite summer salad recipes (pasta, tuna, potato, etc.).

I am starting off with my favorite chicken salad recipe. I love the combination of curry and mango chutney, and the celery and sliced almonds give it a delightfully crunchy texture. I have seen similar recipes that call for apples and/or raisins in place of grapes, so you can play around with this a bit. Also, the measurements for the celery and grapes don't have to be exact. It is all a matter of preference.

Enjoy! I hear *knock on wood* the weather in DC is supposed to be beautiful this weekend!




Here is what you will need:



Step 1: Cook the chicken. Place the chicken in a pot and cover with water.



Bring the water to a full boil. It usually takes the chicken at least 20-25 minutes to cook.



Step 2: While the chicken is cooking, go ahead and make the curry dressing. Start with 1 cup of mayonnaise (I use fat-free). Add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce.



Then 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.



Then 1 1/2 teaspoons of curry powder.



And 1 tablespoon of mango chutney.



Stir together!



Step 3: Slice 1 and 1/2 cups of grapes.



Step 4: Chop 1 cup of celery.



Step 5: When the chicken has cooled, chop the chicken into bite-size pieces.



Step 6: Mix the grapes, celery, and chicken together.



Stir well.



Step 7: Add 1 package of sliced almonds.






Step 8: Add the dressing.



Enjoy!!



Full List of Ingredients:

1 package of chicken (3-4 chicken breasts)
1 cup of chopped celery
1 1/2 cup of seedless red grapes
1/2 cup of sliced almonds
1 cup of fat-free mayonnaise
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons of curry powder
1 tablespoon of mango chutney