Salsa Friday!

Happy Friday friends! Today we dance. And we make salsa.

The variations of salsa are endless and the uses are infinite.

Brighten up fajitas.
Pile on top of burgers.
Stir into pasta salads.
Scoop up with a chip.
Spice up your eggs.
Somebody stop me! No, Don't.

Corn and Black Bean Salsa

(makes about 6-8 cups)

7 Roma tomatoes
4 ears of corn, cut off of cob
2 green bellpeppers
1/4 red onion
1/4 white onion
2 jalapeno's
1 14 oz can black beans
1/4 cup cilantro
juice of 2 limes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic



Dice veggies*, add beans, cilantro, lime juice, salt, cumin and garlic. Add more salt, cumin and garlic to taste if necessary. Refrigerate for about an hour and let flavors fuse before serving.

*I cheated and used this nifty little dicer thingy at the bottom of the picture. I got it from Williams-Sonoma and rarely use it except for salsa. It saves alot of time and the uniform dice is beautiful as you can see in the top picture. I apologize I do not have a picture of the salsa and my excuse is that we ate it too fast. Believe it.

Chill Out With Chicken Pasta Salad

When it starts warming up, I start to crave cool, light and refreshing plates. Seems natural, right?
I think so; however, some of my family members don't think like this. I have been at the beach sweating it out in the sun with my family when a conversation ensued about someone craving some type of stew (gumbo, chili). And most everyone else there agreed and chimed in with "yum". So I suppose I was the odd man out because that sounded like the last thing I wanted to eat. But that is okay. I love them and they love me and we are different. That is a fact.

Lately I have been making a chicken pasta salad served chilled. It works well for big groups and leftovers are even better the next day. Below is the recipe for the ingredients I found in my fridge/pantry.  This one seems to be Italian but you could do a Southwest version with corn, black beans, and cumin or an Asian version with snow peas, carrots, almonds and sesame oil. You can go around the world with this. Create!

And report back.
What do you put in your pasta salad?

Chilled Chicken Pasta Salad
Serves 4-5 as a meal
1 lb tri color rotini, cooked
1 lb chicken breast, poached
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
14 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp oregano
14 oz can of kidney beans
1 cup diced mushrooms
1/2 green bell pepper, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
14 oz can black olives, sliced

Let pasta and chicken come to room temperature or cool in fridge. Cut chicken into bite size pieces or shred. Combine pasta, chicken, and veggies. Drizzle olive oil and vinegar on top, add salt, garlic powder, oregano and parsley and toss. Top with shredded cheese if desired. Serve room temperature or out of the fridge.

Free Your Mind

Sometimes when I feel stressed or weighed down I have to take a minute to declutter. Sometimes the clutter is physical objects hanging around my home. Sometimes the clutter is negative noise from internet social sites, relationships and media. And sometimes that clutter is the internal thoughts flowing through my mind. Whether your clutter happens to be tangible or intangible, it is worth taking a minute to sift through, process, file, and discard making way for a more peaceful daily life.

After all that decluttering, you might find yourself hungry so here's a simple yet filling sandwich to recharge. It's like a Philly Cheesesteak but with chicken and made in Alabama so I could call it the Bama Cheesechicken. Enjoy.

Sourdough Bread (or bread of choice)
Red and green peppers sliced thin
Onion sliced thin
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
poached, baked,or grilled chicken sliced thinly

Marinate veggies in olive oil and vinegar and then saute for a couple minutes in a skillet. Warm thinly sliced chicken in same skillet. Build your sandwich with condiments of your choice, cheese of choice and top with lots of veggies and chicken.

Regional Differences and Spring Salads

It has been a blur of a year since we packed up our bags and moved from San Francisco, California to Mobile, Alabama. I am not surprising anyone including myself when I say these two places are different. I have thought about this post for awhile and I could write a book on the differences but I have decided on a short list for now.

1. Rain (or more specifically thunderstorms)

In Mobile we find ourselves under a tornado or thunderstorm watch on an average of twice a month. In 4+ years we witnessed thunder and lightening one time while living in San Francisco. And then there was the occasional misty drizzle that would result in delays at SFO.

 

2. Formality

In Mobile, when scheduling a service such as gutter installation, furniture delivery, etc., you will speak with a friendly voice on the phone who gives you their "word". If you scheduled the same service in San Francisco you likely would receive an email confirmation immediately, a text confirmation the day before and probably a phone call on the day of service.

3. Weekend Activities

In California we spent our weekends like those "visit California" commericals. Hiking, biking, running, skiing, etc. In Alabama we own a spacious home with a yard and grass. So we spend our weekends mowing, planting, cleaning, grilling, building things, and tooling around at our local Lowe Depot (a combination of Home Depot and Lowe's because to me there is no difference).

 

4. Space

Our previous home in California was a very cozy 599 square feet. Every single item we owned had a place where it belonged. There have been times in our new home in Mobile that I have lost my coffee and my husband and it has taken me over five minutes to find either of them. I am not joking.

5. Pace

I get it. It's hot in the South. It slows people down. Alot. Restaurants, grocery store check out lines, walkers at the park, email responses, phone call responses all come in at a much slower pace than "the city". When I was in San Francisco I didn't particularly notice that it was a faster way of life. I suppose I just fell into it and adapted. If you sent me an email it would have been returned within the hour; now you are lucky if I respond in  24 hours. Hey, it is hot here. And I am probably hanging out at a hardware store.

 

Spring Salads

I know I have not posted for awhile and that is partly due to home projects (see above) and partly due to technical difficulties. Below are a couple ideas for salads as I know everyone is welcoming spring which means turning off the oven, stepping outside and most importantly wearing less clothes.

 

Italian Salad

Iceberg lettuce mix

Green peppers

Black Olives

Tomatoes

Artichoke hearts

Parmesan Cheese

Dried Parsley, Dried Oregano, salt and pepper

Olive oil and Red Wine Vinegar

Combine all vegetables, add cheese, salt, pepper, parsley and oregano. Drizzle with olive oil and red wine vinegar and toss.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MG Salad w/ Chicken & Wedges

Mixed Greens

Almond slices

Crispy Potato Wedges

Poached chicken

Dijon Mustard 1 tbsp

Red Wine Vinegar 1 tbsp

Olive Oil 2 tbsp

Whisk mustard, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Combine mixed greens, almonds, and dressing. Top with potatoes and chicken.