Confetti Corn Salad

Maybe I'm imagining things, but it seems to me that every week, around Thursday, the same things happens:

1. we have two more days until we re-stock at the grocery store;
2. the pantry and refrigerator are practically bare;
3. it is meal time; and
4. Bo and I are starving.

Much of the time I end up eating rice cake sandwiches, cereal for lunch/dinner, or steamed rice with some sort of canned something-or-other on these occasions.  

Well, not today!  

When I looked at the rice cakes, cereal, and dried grains, my stomach answered with an unhappy grumble.  Nope.  None of those foods were going to work this go 'round.  I was going to have to do better, MUCH BETTER in fact.  So, I started looking for foods with color.  As most of you know: 

COLOR = NUTRITION

Come on, haven't you ever heard your nutritionist or doctor tell you to "eat the rainbow" at every meal, or to "have at least three colors represented on your plate"?  I know I'm not making this up.  Surely you have hard about this?!  No?!  Well then, today's the day that that changes, because today, in this recipe, you are going to "eat the rainbow" whether you like it or not!  So there.

Easily thrown together in less than ten minutes, Confetti Corn Salad would be the perfect accompaniment to a summer barbecue or potluck (Can you say "Hello!" to Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day?!).  Perfect for those days when the thermometer tops 90 degrees, this salad is light, refreshing, and full of crunch!

Confetti Corn Salad
Serves 4

1 can corn, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes, rinsed and drained
1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 1/2 tsp limejuice
2 T ranch dressings of choice
salt and pepper

Directions:

• Using either a clean kitchen towel or several paper towels, pat dry the corn, tomatoes, and kidney beans.
• Pour the vegetables into a large salad bowl; and add the onion, carrots, and celery.
• Whisk together the limejuice and ranch dressings.
• Pour over the vegetables.
• Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• Toss to incorporate.
• Chill for a minimum of 30 minutes.
• Serve chilled.

Up next - Yesterday I told you that I had a can of Lucky Leaf's Sugar-Free Apple Pie Filling in my pantry, and I warned you that another variation of "pie oats" might be coming your way.

Well, tomorrow's the day! 

Make sure to stop by for this healthy and delicious dessert-for-breakfast recipe!  If you like apple pie AT. ALL., you won't want to miss tomorrow's post. :)

P.S.  Check out more of the ABC blog's salad recipes here!

Question of the Day:


Do you like corn?  If so, how do you prefer it (i.e. Straight off the cob? Creamed? In corn cakes? In salads? etc.)?

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Savory Corn Cakes & Wilted Fruit and Nut Spinach

Oooooo...I am quite excited to share today's recipes with you!  Bo and I had these two dishes for dinner a couple of nights ago, and we are both still talking about it.  I have a feeling that these delicious recipes will be in our regular rotation for a long time to come.  And what's even better is the fact that they can both be endlessly altered to create new and exciting versions of the same recipes.  What's not to love?!

So what, exactly, is IN these two recipes?!  Well, I gave you a hint at the end of yesterday's post:

1. spinach;
2. raisins;
3. corn; and
4. cakes!

What does that equal?!

What's that?!

You give up?!

Already?!

Ok...

...do you really want the recipes?!

First, I'll give you a little formula:

Recipe #1: corn + basic pancake ingredients (minus the sugar) + cast-iron skillet = ??? (see below)

Recipe #2: spinach + fruit + nuts + seasonings = ??? (see double below)

The answer to Recipe #1 is Savory Corn Cakes!  

While rummaging through my pantry, I found a can of corn, and for no particular reason, decided to read the side of the can.  Whaddya know, but there was a corn cake recipe on the side.  It got my wheels turning, and a few modifications and substitutions later, an even more delicious (and vegan) version of the recipe was born!  I topped the cakes with salsa because it is what we had on hand.  But you could easily change up this recipe by topping it with sour cream/guacamole/hummus/pesto, and/or adding peas or peppers (bell peppers or hot peppers would work) into the batter! 

Savory Corn Cakes
Serves 2-3

1 can of corn, drained and rinsed
1 C all-purpose flour
1/4 C cornmeal
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 T flax + 6 T water (i.e. This is a flax egg.  If you eat eggs, you can add one egg in its place).
1 C unsweetened, plain almond milk (or milk of choice)
2 T canola oil

Directions:

• In a small bowl, mix the flax and water.  Set aside.
• Preheat a medium/large skillet over medium heat.
• In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.  Mix thoroughly.
• Make a well in the center of the dry mix.  Add in the flax egg, milk, and canola oil.
• Stir to incorporate.
• Pour in the drained and rinsed corn.  Mix thoroughly.
• Pour 1/4 C dollops of cake mixture onto the preheated skillet.
• Cook until bubbles appear, and pop, on the top of the pancake.
• Flip, cook 1-2 additional minutes, until cooked throughout.
• Serve immediately with sour cream, salsa, guacamole, or any other topping of choice.

The answer to Recipe #2 is Wilted Fruit and Nut Spinach!

Before going vegan, I loved creamed spinach (honestly, who doesn't?).  After making my Savory Corn Cakes, I decided that a fresh and lightened up variation of wilted spinach would be the perfect accompaniment.  Aided by the sweetness of the fruit, the crunchiness of the nuts, the brightness of the lemon juice, and the accompaniment of nutmeg, this Wilted Fruit and Nut Spinach is salivatingly good!

Wilted Fruit and Nut Spinach
Serves 2

1/2 16 oz. package of organic spinach
1/4 heaping C raisins
1/4 heaping C sliced almonds
1 T lemon juice
1 T + 1 tsp EVOO
1/2 scant tsp salt
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg (Don't skip this ingredient!)


Directions:

• Heat 1 T oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.
• Add the spinach, and toss to coat.
• Cover for 1-2 minutes until the spinach begins to wilt.
• Reduce heat to low.
• Add the raisins, almonds, lemon juice, 1 tsp EVOO, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
• Toss to incorporate.
• Cook for 3-5 minutes, on low, until flavors meld together.
• Serve!

For variations of this side-dish, feel free to swap out dried cranberries or goji berries for the raisins, and pecan pieces, pine nuts, or chopped pistachios for the almonds.  The variations are practically endless!

Question of the Day:

Have you ever been inspired to get creative and make (or re-make) a recipe from a can or a box?  If so, how did it turn out for you?!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Creamy Cool Mexican Salad

Bo and I eat Mexican food a lot.  Blame it on our mutual love of New Mexico, but we can't get enough of the stuff!  We have some variation of Mexican food at least once a week...and sometimes we go on "kicks" and eat Southwestern food almost every day.  It varies, but in general, we LOVE spicy, creamy, beany (is that even a word?), peppery Mexican food!

With that said, I always have a plethora of pantry/refrigerator items that could turn into a Southwestern feast at any time.  Imagine this:

• it's 6:00PM on Saturday evening;
• your husband has just reminded you that you will be feeding an extra, hungry, male mouth this evening;
• you have been attending a physically demanding yoga workshop for the past two days, and are therefore exhausted; and
• you are already starving.

What would you do?  

Well...I can't exactly answer that.  

HOWEVER, I can tell you that that is exactly the scenario that I found myself in this past Saturday, and here is what I did:

Cool, crisp, crunchy, and delicious, this Mexican salad is both hearty and light - making it perfect for the warmer months.  Open a few cans, chop a few vegetables, and dash in a few spices and WHA-LAA(!), a salad is born!  If you love Southwestern food and/or salad, this recipe is for you!

Creamy Cool Mexican Salad
Serves 4-8 (4 as an entree, 8 as a sidedish)


3 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 jalapenos, minced
2 avocados, diced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained and rinsed
2 T lime juice
2 heaping T veganaise (or mayonnaise)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 - 1/2 tsp cayenne (we used 1/2 because we like it HOT!)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:

• Add the diced/minced tomatoes, bell pepper, and jalapenos to a large salad bowl.
• Pour in the drained and rinsed beans and corn.
• In a small mixing bowl or a medium jar, mix/shake together the lime juice, veganaise, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper.
• Pour the dressing over the salad mixture.
• Add the diced avocados on top.
• Toss to fully incorporate all ingredients.
• Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or up to an hour (any more than an hour and the avocado will start to turn).
• Serve atop salad greens with rice, tortillas, or chips alongside!

With the help of a good friend, we devoured all but about 1/2 cup of this salad in a single sitting!  The dressing was the perfect complement to the fresh and crunchy vegetables.  Even before I was vegan, I wasn't much of a mayonnaise fan.  However, this salad really needs the creaminess that it lends.  Don't skip the mayo!  As for the jalapenos, we like it HOT!  If you don't want so much heat, just cut it down to one jalapeno (as opposed to two), and reduce the cayenne to 1/4 tsp.  That should do it!

Next up on the ABC blog- all about my yogatastic weekend!  I learned so much, and I can't wait to share it with you here on the blog, and with my students in the studio.  I am a little sore (ok, I'll be honest, I'm a LOT sore), but every sore muscle is worth it.  I had an A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. time, and I feel more excited than ever about my yoga practice and my ability to share it with others!

Question of the Day:

Mild vs. Medium vs. Hot: how do you like your Mexican food?!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

3-Layer Mexican Casserole

Last night continued my efforts to use up what was in our refrigerator, freezer, and pantry before we leave on our trip.  I almost always have beans and rice on hand, but I wanted to whip up a little more exciting than the boring old staple.  After a brief scavenging around the kitchen, I discovered:

• salsa;
• green chile;
• frozen corn;
• a red bell pepper; and
• Daiya cheese.

Visions of the party-favorite 7-layer dip immediately came to mind.  By my count, I had no where near enough ingredients for seven layers...but an idea had been born, so I rolled with it!  

This is a Mexican-style casserole with a little kick!  If you like heat, go ahead and use "hot" salsa and "hot" green chile.  The final result is creamy, hearty, and as Bo says, "fills you up right!"

3-Layer Mexican Casserole
Serves 4-6

For the Rice Layer:
1 C brown rice
1 3/4 C water
1/2 C salsa (preferably HOT!)

For the Vegetable Layer:
1 C corn
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

For the Bean Layer:
1 can refried beans
1 4 oz. can of hot green chile
1/2-3/4 C Daiya cheese (or other cheese)


Directions:

1. Place the rice and water in a medium saucepan.
2. Boil, reduce to simmer, and allow to cook for 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, mix the refried beans and green chile in a small saucepan over low heat.
4. In a separate pan, saute the corn, bell pepper, salt, pepper, and cumin over medium heat.  Continue cooking until the corn and bell pepper begin to soften and brown slightly.
5. Once the rice is cooked, mix in the salsa.
6. Now you are ready to layer your casserole in a medium/large oiled dish:
1. Place all of the salsa rice in the bottom of the dish.
2. Cover with the vegetable mixture.
3. Spread the bean mixture on top.
4. Sprinkle with cheese.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 7-12 minutes until the cheese is melted.

Recently, I've been trying to learn more about my camera.  I have been taking it off of "automatic" mode in an effort to take more professional pictures for the blog.  However, a lot of the recipes I end up putting on the blog are cooked in the evening.  Therefore, by the time I need to take pictures, the sun has gone down and I am left without any natural light (which, I have read, is best for quality photography).  Last night I took several with the flash, and several without...but I can't decide which one looks better.  What do you think? (just leave a comment in the "Comments" section below).

With the flash...

Without the flash...

Bo ate his casserole with roasted chicken.  Believe it or not, every bit of this plate was devoured, and later on in the evening he went back for seconds of the casserole.  Today, he asked me if there was any left for lunch...if you ask me, I think he kinda likes this one! :)

FYI - This picture is without the flash.

Next time - I promise you that oatmeal recipe that will keep you full for hours!  And this time, I mean it!

Question of the Day:

What's your favorite throw-together meal?  Or, like most people, do you just get take-out on nights when the refrigerator/pantry are low?!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo