It’s that time of year.  We’re all feeling it.  If we see one more dirty snowpile, one more pair of salt encrusted snow boots or one more sidewalk to shovel, we’ll go insane and smash the snow shovel into little pieces.  Don’t do it.  I have a tasty alternative.  Close your blinds, turn up the thermostat for one hour and put on some shorts…or not if you look into the mirror to find that your pasty white trunks are whiter than the snowdrifts in your driveway and the lack of sunshine is causing you to look like Gollum from Lord of the Rings and then you might snap and they’d find you in the kitchen cupboards mumbling about blizzards and the sunlight burning your eyes…not that I speak from experience. Anyhoo, go into the kitchen to make this summery tasting salad.  You’ll feel better, I promise.

Seafood Avocado Salad

• 1 lb. seafood (I used surimi here but shrimp, crab, or any firm fish will work well)
• 2 avocados, peeled and cubed
• 2 tomatoes, cubed
• 4-6 green onions, minced
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon canola or avocado oil (A neutral tasting oil is best here)
• A handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
• A pinch of salt and fresh pepper

Do you really need instructions?  Mix them together.  Eat.

Ok, if you really need more direction, make sure that you coat all the ingredients thoroughly with the lime juice as the avocado will turn brown without the lime juice.  Cover with Saran Wrap right on top of the salad to help prevent oxygen from getting to your lovely little avocado bits.  This stuff is really good on a bed of lettuce or rolled in a tortilla.

Close your eyes and count the days until summer.

        

I’m recovering from a condition…tofuphobia.  Tasteless, shapeless, almost colorless, to me tofu has always had the appeal of a Film Festival featuring the works of Paris Hilton. But as I creep into middle age, I’m starting to look at the foods I once snubbed my nose at like a picky two year old.  And you know what? Some of them really don’t deserve the bad rep.  Of course, I have to convince my family to try them too.  What to do, what to do. I do what all loving mothers and wives do… I trick them. Oh, c’mon, I see you shaking your head saying, “My mom never did that!” Ah, so young…so innocent. (My fellow moms chuckle with me.)

I wanted to sneak a little healthy soy protein into my kids lunchbox so my next experiment was Daughter Oldest’s favorite egg salad.  I like to take a slow but steady approach…lovingly and slowly sneaking incorporating healthy alternatives.  So I add a couple eggs to the mix.  Then you can honestly say, “Yes, it’s made with eggs!”  And they won’t know the difference in the taste either.  Trust me.  Don’t even try to out trick us moms.

Here’s how you do it.

Once you’ve done that, just follow this recipe.

Tofu and Egg Salad

• 1 block well drained firm tofu (If you want baby steps, you can use half this block to increase the egg-tofu ratio)
• 2-3 hard boiled eggs
• 3/4 cup light mayonnaise
• 1 Tablespoon mustard
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 tsp. dried dill (or 1 tsp. fresh)*
• Pinch of salt
  *NOTE:  I won’t call the egg salad police if you’d rather use your own favorite egg salad seasonings.

Peel and chop the eggs.  Drain the tofu well and cut into cubes (if you’re trying to fool your kids, don’t cut them into exact cubes…chop them into irregular shapes.)  Mix all the remaining ingredients together and toss gently with the chopped eggs and tofu.  Chill for at least 1 hour..this is a must to allow the flavor to penetrate the tofu.  Oh, and don’t tell them until after they come back for seconds.  Another healthy trick for your sneaky mom arsenal.  That’s it.

He said, and I quote, “Great egg salad, hon.”  Ha!

        

“Oh, Francie,” you say, “all these recipes for chocolate-peanut butter this and sugar cookie that!  “My belt is too tight!”  Fear not, chickens.  After all, do you think Francie eats like this all the time?  Well, ok, a lot of the time, but I do like something healthy and delicious every now and then like normal folks.

Ergo, I present my recipe for a creamy, delicious, spicy, bright soup that will warm you head to toe, fill you with lots of energy (chickpeas are a great source of protein, dontcha know!) and best of all, all this fabulousness will cost only a couple bucks to boot!

Want to see that magic?  Here ya go.

Creamy Chickpea and Rosemary Soup

1 tablespoon of olive oil
5 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaf minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 (15-19 ounce) cans chickpeas rinsed & drained
4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
sea salt to taste
fresh group pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat and add garlic, rosemary and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic starts to brown, about 1 minute. Add chickpeas and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes; let cool slightly. Transfer soup to a blender, cover loosely (hold that lid down with a kitchen towel…safety first, chickens!) and puree until just smooth. Or use an immersion blender if you have one of those magical toys.  Return to the saucepan and stir in lemon juice and sea salt and pepper to taste. Serve, garnished with a fresh rosemary sprig, or an additional drizzling of olive oil. If you’re wowing somebody, you can add a drizzle of Crème fraîche or heavy cream and do a little drizzle swirly art thing.

See?  I told you it was easy.  Have I ever lied to you?

And here’s a bonus:  this soup is also fantastic with cannellini beans. There ya go!  Two-for-one!

        

For years I begged my husband to get a dog.  After all, I reasoned, he’d have someone to point the blame on when the room was less than fresh.  He had always pointed the finger at our small cat, but I called him out because based on the sounds I heard, if our cat had been the culprit, she would have hit the wall at a force of Mach 5. So he broke down and got the dog.  But here’s the funny thing.  The dog is worse than my husband…much, MUCH worse.  We happened to adopt the one dog from the shelter whose gastric emissions put my world-champion husband’s to shame.  Still, the dog does come in handy for hubby who happens to get gas when he eats most any vegetable of which beans are his digestive mortal enemy.  If my husband were James Bond, beans would be Dr. No. And yet, he loves this soup.  I love it too because it’s cheap, healthy and made in 15 minutes with pantry ingredients.

BEAN SOUP WITH SALSA VERDE

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 poblano pepper, seeded and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz.) can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz.) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz.) can fat-free refried beans
1 (8 oz.) jar salsa verde or 2 c. of your own green chili salsa
1 c. chicken stock
1 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. chili powder
Juice of 1 lime
Fresh cilantro
Sour cream
Your favorite shredded cheese

You probably already know how this goes.  In a large pot or Dutch oven, saute the onion and poblano in the oil until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic, beans, salsa and chicken stock stirring gently to blend in the refried beans.  (The refried beans really thicken the soup.  You can leave them out if you prefer a broth type soup.)  Add seasonings including salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in the juice of 1 lime.  Simmer about 10 minutes until warmed through.  Serve with fresh cilantro, sour cream and shredded cheese.  Warn the kids and ask hubby to sleep in the spare room tonight.

        

My neighbor, Shala, is passionate about the food from her native Syria.   Several times a month, she shares another delicious dish that is exotic to us but home cooking to her.  Our family favorite is her delicious version of tabbouleh which she tells me is favorite picnic food in Syria.  And when she offered to show me she makes her it, I jumped at the chance. And this is your lucky day, chickens, because you get to see too.

It’s a bit hard to see. This is bulghur mixed with tomato paste in a red bowl.

Now, we’ll start putting it all together.

        

I know what you were thinking as you read that last recipe…TWO STICKS of BUTTER!?  C’mon, you don’t think I eat like that all the time, do ya?  Oh, you do.  Well, let me prove you wrong.  This is my entry in the Beat the Heat roundup at A Southern Grace.

I went up to the Middle Eastern food market and bought some bulgur, feta, lemons and pitas, then stopped at the Asian food market for some fresh shrimp.  TODAY’S MATH PROBLEM: There are 3 Asian, 2 Italian, 1 Indian, 1 Greek, 1 Slovenian, and 6 Middle Eastern groceries within 5 miles of Francie but 0 Mexican mercados within 50 miles.  What’s up with THAT!?  ANSWER: Because Mexican is Francie’s favorite food so therefore it figures.

Anyhoo, bulgur (cracked wheat) can be cooked sans heat so it’s perfect for dog days like these.  Here’s how.

BULGUR SALAD WITH FETA AND SHRIMP
2 c. bulgur
Just enough water to cover
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. cayenne
Juice of 1 lemon
1/3-1/2 c. olive oil
1 Tablespoon honey
1 large bunch fresh parsley
1 c. walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 cucumber, cubed
1 c. crumbled fresh feta
1/2 lb. peeled, deveined and cooked shrimp

Pour bulgur into a bowl and cover with water until about 2″ over.  Salt the water and stir.  Let sit for about 1 hour or until the bulgur is soft.

Mix cumin, cayenne, lemon, olive oil and honey.  Pour over bulgur.  Chop and add the parsley, walnuts and cucumber. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.  When ready to serve, top with feta and shrimp.  Pat yourself on the back for eating so healthfully.

        

I stuffed them with chopped roasted red pepper, the chopped stems of the mushrooms (you saved those, right?), parmesan and mozzarella, garlic and oregano.  I grilled them for about 10 minutes on medium and then browned them a bit under the broiler to give it that nice, golden brown toasty look (totally optional.)

This is one of of those, “what do I have in the fridge” recipes?  Here are a few ideas to get you pumped:

Strictly Vegetarian

• Roasted red peppers, Gruyere and basil
• Chopped onion, celery and garlic (saute in a little oil first)
• Roasted garlic, white wine and breadcrumbs
• Sun dried tomatoes and ricotta
• Sauteed spinach or chard with goat cheese
• Hummus and feta
• Cucumbers, tomato and ricotta
• Pico de Gallo and Queso Fresco
• Apples, walnuts and blue cheese
• Mesculin (add AFTER grilling) and lemon vinaigrette

Carnivores

• Crab, onion and cream cheese
• Sausage, tomato and basil
• Shrimp, parmesan and Alfredo sauce
• Bacon, potato and Cheddar
• Chicken, oregano and Kalamata olives

On the side, a cheap, fresh, cheap, tasty, did I mention CHEAP salad?  Remember that fresh market I visited?

They said it couldn’t be done.  I fed a family of four a healthy meal for under $10.  (OK, THAT’s been done.) But I fed mine and they actually ATE it!  Ha!  Take THAT!  (Shadow boxes around room.)  Who’s your mama now?!

(Please support your mama now by Digging this post!)

        

Growing up, salad was a couple chunks of iceburg lettuce drowned in bacon grease.  With all men in the house except me, somedays the family just considered the tomato on our cheeseburger the “salad.”  Needless to say, we didn’t actually eat a lot of salads in a house where Sunday dinner was a can of Spam. (I’m not joking.) So my salad dressing collection is a bit thin.

So I’ve compiled a few.  Some are family faves and some are new but sound delicious.  Now I can whip up the perfect salad to go with that bacon grease sandwich.

VINAIGRETTE

• Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette @ Modern Day Ozzie & Harriet
• Kalamata Olive Vinaigrette @ Kalyn’s Kitchen
• Lemon-Basil Dressing @ Enlightened Kitchen
• Balsamic Dijon Vinaigrette @ Liz’s Cooking Blog
• Blood Orange and Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette @ Claudina’s Kitchen
• Honey-Roasted Almond Vinaigrette @ The District Domestic
• Lemon Oil Vinaigrette
• Maple-Soy Dressing @ Take Back the Kitchen
• Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette
• Maple-Balsamic @ Yumsugar

CREAMY

• Avocado Green Goddess Dressing
• Honey Mustard @ Noshtopia
• Creamy Dill Dressing
• Apricot-Curry Dressing
• Caramelized Garlic Dressing (yours truly)
• Supermodel Ginger Dressing @ Worst Cook Ever
• Healthy Homemade Salad Dressing @ Autumn’s Attic
• Mango Onion Dressing
• Kiwi Dressing
• Grady Spear’s Buttermilk Dressing @ Feed Me/Drink Me
• Coconut Cream Dressing @ Scotland Cooks
• Garlic Caesar Salad @ The Sisters’ Cafe
• Blue Cheese Salad Dressing
• Roquefort Dressing
• You-Have-It-All-On-Hand Salad Dressing
• Pistachio-Mint Dressing

LIGHT/LOW-FAT

• Low-Fat Ranch Dressing @ Charlene Johnson
• Fresh Fruit Vinaigrette
• Ginger Carrot Dressing @ What’s Cookin’
• Light Blue Cheese Dressing
• Poppy Seed Dressing
• Chive-Yogurt Dressing
• Dill and Cucumber Dressing
• Guiltless Caesar Salad Dressing @ A Year In the Kitchen
• Cantaloupe Dressing
• Sesame-Tofu Dressing @ Fennel and Flax
• Mango-Herb Mojo Dressing
• Greek Yogurt Salad Dressing @ Life Chef’s Food for Life

TRAVELING THE WORLD

• Creamy Cotija Cilantro Chile Dressing @ The Feast Within
• Chile/Cheddar’s Honey Lime Dressing @ and so she blogs
• SMOKY CHIPOTLE-BALSAMIC DRESSING @ The Perfect Pantry
• German Salad Dressing @ A Veggie Adventure
• Spicy Thai Peanut Dressing
• Moroccan Salad Dressing
• Outback Ranch (Aussie) Dressing @ Meemo’s Kitchen
• Curry Vinaigrette @ QC Tester
• Thai Dressing @ Randy’s Grub
• Panera Bread Greek Salad Dressing
• Aussie Station (Not Ranch!) Dressing
• Miso Dressing @ Tess’s Japanese Kitchen

        

So I’m walking through the store and these tomatoes catch my eye. Ugly Ripe Tomatoes are touted as having “just-picked” flavour out of season. Nothing compares to the taste of a just-picked tomato so I had to try it. I shelled out $3.40 for two tomatoes (!) to make a salad. It has Ugly on the label so as not to confuse it with the Supermodel Tomato (which, sadly, has anger issues.)

You’ve got to feel sorry for these tomatoes. They got teased by the Cheerleader Tomatoes, passed over by the Jock Tomatoes, laughed at by the Stoner Tomatoes and were consigned to lonely weekends at home eating Haagen-Dazs. (Not that I’m the tomatoes are bitter.)

Truth time. Do they taste like vine ripened, still warm from the sun tomatoes? Not really. But they’re definitely better than the artificially-red rocks that usually pass as tomatoes in the produce section this time of year. So they really livened up this easy salad.

CHOPPED UGLY SALAD

2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 English cucumber, chopped
1 roasted red pepper, chopped (or about 1/2 cup of chopped roasted red peppers from a jar)
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 c. pitted Kalamata olives
1/2 c. crumbled feta
1/2 c. light extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbl. chopped oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

(I’m pretty sure you don’t need the instructions, but here they are.) Mix the veggies and olives. Whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, oregano, garlic and salt and pepper. Pour over. Best if chilled for a couple hours but you can eat it right away if you’re starving.

Take that, Cheerleader Tomatoes.

(Like would you totally, like, StumbleUpon! this post? Thanks! You’re, like, the best! )

        

I crave coconut.  Anything coconut.  Well, except maybe this thing (Commence coconut crab nightmares…NOW!)  My youngest says coconut makes her gag which makes me wonder if she was switched in the hospital.

On our honeymoon, hubby and I ran into a guy who was splitting coconuts and offered one for us to drink.  He said it was “good for the digestion.”  What he meant was, bring a roll of toilet paper with you. Do you think they ever tire of playing that joke on tourists?   Fortunately, I didn’t drink much of it.  You see, like an idiot, I expected natural coconut to be sweet like SWEETENED coconut that you buy.  (Because, you know…I’m a rube.)

So naturally, I use coconut in everything and this Baked Coconut Tilapia with Fruit Salsa is like dinner and dessert at the same time.  And YET it’s good for you!  (OK, health police, please don’t hunt me down again. I know it’s not tofu, but it is baked and it is fish and it has fruit.  There’s gotta be healthy in there somewhere.)  Plus it’s easy!  Follow along with me.

I usually do about 2 cups Panko (those hippy little Japanese bread crumbs…Love ‘em!  But you can use regular breadcrumbs if you want) and 1 cup of coconut.  Sometimes I throw in a little cayenne.

Another little trick which I didn’t do in this recipe: Mix your Panko or breadcrumbs with about 1 tsp of canola oil and toss well.  Put your panko or breadcrumbs in the oven and toast them for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  It really helps give baked foods that “crispy-fried” crunchiness when you bread with pretoasted breadcrumbs.

Now for the salsa.

See that fruit cup?  I was going to buy a pineapple, a mango and a papaya but realized that the this was a much more frugal alternative.  Packed in juice, no less.

You know the rest.  Put it on the fish all pretty like and accept the kudos.