scaling back

We have a permanent love affair with Mexican food in my household.  Rarely a meal goes by without some salsa hitting the plate.  Tacos are the perfect foil for any kind of filling you can dream up, black beans, grilled chicken, tofu, carnitas, mushrooms and chard, I am always looking for a new combination to grace our plates.  The one thing that I don’t usually experiment with are fish tacos since I am the only one in the house that will eat any kind of seafood.  Since the Food Matters Project recipe this week called for fish with fruit salsa I knew that tacos were the way to go.  You can have these on the table in 30 minutes or less and are a great healthy alternative to the usual greasy fare.  Be sure to check out the original recipe and other versions at The Food Matters Project!

Fish Tacos with mango avocado salsa

Ingredients:

For the fish tacos

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound firm white fish such as halibut or tilapia
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 8 corn tortillas

For the salsa:

• 1/2 chopped peeled ripe mango
• 1 avocado sliced and peeled 
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/2 jalapeño pepper finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

Method:

Combine the paprika, cumin, salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Rub the spice mixture over the fillets.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the oil to the pan and cook the fish 2 minutes on each side or until done being careful not to overcook.  Remove from heat and keep warm.

Combine the salt, avocado, mango, onion, jalapeño, cilantro and lime juice.  Season with salt and pepper.

Heat tortillas over an open flame until slightly charred and softened.  Break the fish into pieces and divide evenly among tortillas.  Top each tortilla with 2 tablespoons salsa and serve. 

Love creamy pasta sauces but not all the saturated fat and calories that come with most recipes?  If you love avocados and pasta then this is the dish for you.  

And while this dish is not exactly low in calories, it’s full of monounsaturated fat which in studies have found to lower cholesterol and it is thought to prevent inflammation.  Avocados are also loaded with 20 vitamins and minerals including vitamin E, vitamin C, folate, fiber, iron and potassium, plus they taste amazing.

This is a perfect weeknight dinner for when you want something on the table fast.   Avocado, paired with lime, garlic, basil makes for the richest, creamiest most delicious pasta ever.  Click the link below for the full post and recipe.

Creamy Avocado Pasta

Here we are, day 6 in our 7 days of smoothies.  This is a slightly decadent but still low calorie and delicious smoothie. This is a great combination for boosting your immunity levels.  Both pineapple and coconut milk are anti-bacterial, and  are rich in vitamins, minerals, electrolytes and antioxidants.   Stay tuned tomorrow, I’m saving my personal favorite for last!

Avocado smoothie

makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

• 1/4 avocado peel removed
• 1/4 cup light coconut milk
• 1 cup frozen pineapple
• 1/4 cup fresh basil
• 1/2 cup coconut water
• 1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar
• ice if desired

Method:

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.

Eating with the seasons makes you appreciate certain ingredients all the more since they are at their peak for such a short time.  Corn is one of those things that really speaks summer to me. I love the taste of summer corn, when it’s fresh and in season it doesn’t need much to highlight it’s sweet clean taste. 

 In my experience most corn soups have too many ingredients, the corn gets lost behind layers of bacon and heavy cream. I wanted to create a soup that allowed the flavor of the corn to really shine through.  Don’t be discouraged by all the separate components, you do need to start the cashew cream the night before but only takes a few minutes to prepare and really adds a nice creaminess to the soup and the whole thing comes together quickly.  The roasted corn guacamole is nice and bright and the perfect topping for this refreshing summer soup.  You can use leftover basil oil in an infinite number of ways.  It’s delicious drizzled over eggs, makes a great base for salad dressing and can add a nice punch to vegetables.

This dish is completely vegan but if you don’t want to make the cashew cream and don’t care if it contains dairy you could substitute a 1/4 cup of heavy cream for the cashew cream.  

Ingredients:

For the cashew cream:

2 cups raw cashews

water to cover by one inch

For the basil oil:

1 cup basil leaves

¼ cup good quality olive oil 

For the soup:

6 ears of sweet corn

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion diced

3 cloves of garlic

3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon salt

For the roasted corn guacamole:

1 medium avocado pitted and diced into cubes

1 jalapeno finely diced

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

3 cups reserved corn kernels from the soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

pepper to taste

Method:

To make the cashew cream:

Soak the cashews overnight with enough water to cover by an inch.  Let sit 8 hours or overnight.  Pour the mixture into a blender and blend for 3 minutes until you get a smooth creamy mixture.

For the basil oil: 

 Blanch the basil leaves in boiling salted water for 10 seconds and then immediately put them into an ice bath.  Squeeze the excess water from the basil and then blot on paper towels.  Put the basil in a blender with the oil and puree until the basil is finely chopped.  Strain the mixture through a fine sieve and set aside to let the flavors develop while you finish the soup.  Extra oil can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

For the soup: 

 In a dutch oven or large pot heat the olive oil over medium heat, add the onions and cook for 4-5 minutes until they are translucent but don’t let them brown, add the garlic and paprika and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until the mixture is fragrant.  Cut the kernels off the cob into a bowl and using the back of your knife scrape the cobs to release any additional corn “milk” Add the cobs and 3 cups of the corn and 2 quarts of water to the pan.  Cook the mixture for 15 minutes uncovered. Remove the cobs from the mixture and in two batches puree the mixture in a blender until smooth.  Strain the soup through a fine sieve, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible.  Whisk in the cashew cream, taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary.  

For the roasted corn guacamole:

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment or aluminum foil.  Put the corn kernels on the baking sheet with the tablespoon of olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and black pepper to taste.  Roast the corn for 20 minutes until the corn is golden brown and caramelized.  To finish combine the corn with the jalapeno, lime juice and avocado and toss gently.

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, top with the guacamole and drizzle with the basil oil.

Trying to eat healthy has its benefits.  Like when you try something that you never would have if you didn’t think it’s good for you and it turns out to be delicious.  This is a salad that I go to whenever I want to feel virtuous and eat a salad but the thought of eating greens dressed with oil and vinegar seems so boring.  Don’t think about using just one or two teaspoons of this dressing, you want to dress your salad liberally, don’t be shy, pour it on!  The recipe makes more dressing that you will probably need but that’s okay, you can use the extra as a dip with some crudites or toss it with some soba noodles and red cabbage for a light lunch.  

Avocado salad with carrot ginger dressing

adapted from Martha Stewart

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 medium peeled and grated carrots
• 1 small chopped shallot
• one 2-inch piece peeled and chopped shallot
• 2 tablespoons white miso
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 head of bibb lettuce
• 1 avocado
• 1 bunch radishes
• 1 cup edamame

Method:

• Process carrots, shallot, ginger, miso, vinegar, sesame oil and water in a food processor or blender until smooth.
• With the machine running, slowly add vegetable oil.  Season with salt and pepper.
• To assemble the salad.  Break up the lettuce and divide among four plates.  Quarter the radishes and add them with the edamame to the salad.  Dice the avocado and scatter over the top.  Drizzle dressing over the top of the salad or serve on the side in a small bowl.