Southwest Corn Salad

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

6 ears of fresh corn

1 European seedless cucumber

1 orange pepper - diced

1 container of grape tomatoes

1 can of black beans

1 avocado

2 limes

2 TBSP of Olive oil

1.5 TBSP of chopped cilantro

1 TBSP of chopped chives

1.5 tsp of cumin

1. Shuck corn and clean all of the threads from the ears. Heat 4 quarts of water in a stock pot. Once the water holds at a steady boil, submerge the corn and cover. Cook the corn for at least 12 minutes.

2. Once the corn is cooked, remove and allow the ears to cool - about 20 minutes. Using your knife, cut the end of the corn so that it creates a flat end of the ear. Put the flat end on a plate and while holding the corn steady, run your knife down the side of the ear removing the kernels. You will get some broken kernels as a result of your knife not making a clean cut, this is the sweet starch from the corn that makes the salad sweet.

3. While the corn is cooking, halve the cucumber. Using a spoon remove the seedless pulp at the center of the cucumber. Next, cut the cucumber into strips and dice. Cut the pepper in half, remove the seeds and stem and chop as well.

4. Remove grape tomatoes from package, wash the tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes in half longitudinally. Season tomatoes with salt and set aside. You can use cherry tomatoes if you prefer.

5. Cut the avocado in half. Using a chef's knife, drop the center of the blade on the avocado pit. Holding the avocado half in one hand, twist the knife with the other hand and pull the pit out of the avocado. Next, peel the avocado keeping the two halves intact. Once peeled, slice each half and chop. Since the flesh of the avocado is delicate and will "mush" easily in stirring, set aside in a bowl to be the last ingredient added.

6. Open the black beans and dump them in to a colander. Rinse the beans to remove the liquid.

7. Cut two limes in half and juice limes. You can choose to keep pulp or remove it. I choose to remove the pulp. Add 2 TBSP of olive oil and mix.

Assembly:

In a mixing bowl add your corn, pepper, cucumber, tomatoes and black beans. Add the lime juice, olive oil, chives, cilantro and cumin as well as salt and pepper. Mix the ingredients. Once mixed add the avocado and gently stir the salad from top to bottom being careful to not use a lot of pressure to avoid mashing the avocado.

Allow salad to refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.

Summer Cucumber Salad

This is just slightly different from the classic cucumber salad that many make with sour cream. It is a perfect side salad for a BBQ

5 mini cucumbers sliced

2 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 tsp salt

2 tsp chopped fresh dill

2 tsp chopped chives

Whisk together the mayonnaise and rice wine vinegar and set aside. Chop herbs. Toss all ingredients together and refrigerate.

Roasted Beets and Goat Cheese Salad with Orange Ginger Dressing

Roasted Beets and Goat Cheese Salad

with orange ginger dressing

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 bunch of beets (red or golden - if possible mix for more color)

4 cups of mixed greens

1 package of chevre (goat cheese)

DRESSING

2 tbsp of fresh orange juice

1 tbsp of canola oil

1 tsp of fresh minced ginger

1 tbsp of rice wine vinegar

1 tsp of soy sauce

2 tsp of honey

Directions:

1. Roast beets.

Roasting Beets - there are two ways you can roast beets - either whole or peeled and quartered. First you want to remove the greens and save them (cooked beet greens are delicious). I prefer to peel and quarter the beets because it cuts down on the cooking time significantly and allows the sugars in the beet to caramelize on the surface. After peeling the beets (you can peel red beets under running water to avoid staining your hands), toss in some olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in the oven on 350 for 45 minutes. The other option is to use a fork to poke holes in the beet and wrap them in aluminum foil and roast for 75 minutes in the oven. Remove from the oven, slip the skins off the beets and slice.

2. Divide salad greens onto four plates. Arrange approximately 6 slices of beets on each salad. Crumble the goat cheese and add to the salad.

3. To make the dressing combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. Drizzle the dressing on top of the salad. Use a zester to zest some orange peel on the top of each salad. Salad is ready to serve.

Pineapple Curry Pork with Rice

Tonight's recipe is two steps and the first one takes some time. I can't take credit for this dish because it's origin is a curry paste made by one of my best friends using the Ming Tsai recipe (found in his book Blue Ginger). The first step is making the curry paste. The second step is using the curry paste in this dish.

serves 4

Ingredients

1 tbsp peanut oil

2 boneless center cut pork chops - slice the pork into pieces

2 tbsp of Ming Tsai curry paste

2 tbsp sambal

1 12 oz can of coconut milk

1 carrot sliced

1/2 medium white onion sliced

5 mushrooms sliced

1 stalk of salary sliced on an angle

1/2 red pepper cut into strips

1/2 square of tofu sliced

1 8 oz. can of crushed pineapple

1. In a saute pan, heat the peanut oil on medium heat for a minute. Add the pork and saute the pork for approximately 3 minutes, allowing pork to brown.

2. Once the pork has browned, add the curry paste and sambal to the pan. Saute the pork in the curry paste for 3 to 5 minutes. Keep the pan on medium heat, allowing the paste to stick to the pan a bit.

3. Add the can of coconut milk to the pan, releasing the bits of pork and browned curry paste from the pan. This is called deglazing the pan. Bring the sauce and pork to a simmer.

4. Add all of the vegetables to the saute pan. Bring to a simmer again. Allow the vegetables to cook for 5 minutes.

5. Add the crushed pineapple and tofu to the pan. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low or simmer. Cook for 10 minutes covered. Uncover the pan and cook for an additional 5 minutes allowing the dish to reduce a bit and thicken. The carrots should be cooked but still a bit al dente.

6. Serve pineapple curry pork over steamed white or brown rice.

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

Servings: 2 as a main dish, 4 as a side dish

Ingredients

2 green peppers

1 tbsp of olive oil

1 clove of garlic - minced

1/4 of a large onion - chopped

1/2 sweet potato - diced

1 carrot - diced

1 parsnip - diced

1 stalk of celery - chopped

5 baby bellas - sliced

1 1/4 cup of vegetable stock

3/4 cup of lentils (orange lentils add to the color)

1/4 square of tofu - cubed

4 slices of chevre (any cheese will work)

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. When the oil is hot turn the heat to medium and add the onion and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes until fragrant and translucent. Do not brown.

2. Once the garlic and onions are cooked, add all of the vegetables. Saute the vegetables for four to five minutes. Turn the heat up to medium high and add the stock. Allow the stock to come to a simmer. Add the lentils.

3. Turn the heat to low and cover the saute pan, stirring occasionally for 10 to 15 minutes until the lentils are tender. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

4. Remove from heat and stir in cubed tofu.

5. Cut peppers in half length-wise. Remove the seeds but be sure to keep the stem - you want the pepper to be closest to a bowl shape. Rub the pepper skin with olive oil.

6. Add the peppers to a casserole pan, making sure that they have a snug fit together. You don't want them to tip over during baking.

7. Spoon the vegetable mixture into the pepper halves. Be sure you mound the mixture into the peppers. You want to be sure they are full.

8. Place the peppers in the oven, uncovered, and cook for 35 minutes until the peppers are cooked but still firm.

9. Remove the peppers from the oven, turn off your oven and turn your broiler on high. Add one slice of chevre to each pepper and place peppers under the broiler.

10. Broil the peppers for about 3 minutes. You want the cheese to bubble, become lightly brown, but not burn.

Serve Immediately.