Dill Potato and Pea Salad

As I mentioned at the end of my last post, Bo and I spent our Saturday afternoon (and early evening) at an a pool party!  The host asked me to bring something that I could eat, since hamburgers, hot dogs, and their respective fixings were to be the main course.  Consequently, I decided to bring something filling (so that I wouldn't be stuck eating watermelon and chips the whole afternoon), but also crowd-pleasing.

Enter: potato salad.

Before I go on, I feel like I need to acknowledge that - YES - I am aware that I have already posted two potato salad recipes on this blog; and - NO - I am not addicted to this summer picnic favorite (OK, maybe just a little bit, but it's nothing to worry about!).  It just so happens that:

• potatoes are delicious;
• almost everybody loves them; and
• there are practically endless ways to dress it up in a salad! 

If you're like me, and you love the taste of dill, then this is the potato salad for you!  Baby new potatoes really make this salad something special; but if you don't have them on hand, Russet or Idaho would work in a pinch.  The peas give it a sweet crunch, and the dill brightens everything up!  Kid-tested and mother-approved Meat-eater tested and vegan approved, this salad will leave everyone satisfied!

Dill Potato and Pea Salad
Serves 6-8

8 medium (red) New Potatoes, cubed, boiled, and drained
can of green peas, drained and rinsed (or frozen)
4 scallions, diced
1/4C veganaise (or mayonnaise)
1/2T apple cider vinegar
1/2T lemonjuice
1T water
1 tsp dried dill weed
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:

• While the cubed potatoes are boiling, place the peas and scallions into a large salad bowl.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the veganaise, apple cider vinegar, lemonjuice, water, dried dill week, salt, and pepper until it reaches a smooth consistency.
• Once the potatoes are fork-tender, drain them.
• Toss the potatoes into the salad bowl with the peas and scallions.
• Pour over the dressing,
• Toss to coat.
• Refrigerate until cool.
• Serve alongside your favorite summer "fixins"!

If you still haven't had enough potato salad, feel free to check out my other two recipes:

1. Green Chile Potato Salad; and
2. Honey Dijon Potato Salad.

Next time - musings on "things that make me - and YOU - feel pretty"!

Question of the Day:


What is your favorite variation of potato salad?  Feel free to share it with me in the "Comment" section below!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Not Your Average Green Salad

Kermit the frog understood both the difficulty and the importance of being green.  In fact, he was famous for singing a song all about it(!):

It's not that easy being green,

having to spend each day the color of the leaves.

When I think it could be nicer being red, or yellow, or gold,

or something much more colorful like that.

It's not easy being green.

It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things;

and people tend to pass you over

'cause you're not standing out

like flashy sparkles in the water,

or stars in the sky.

But green's the color of spring;

and green can be cool and friendly-like.

And green can be big like a mountain,

or important like a river,

or tall like a tree.

When green is all there is to be,

it could make you wonder why.

But why wonder, why wonder?

I am green, and it'll do fine.

It's beautiful, and I think it's what I want to be.

Ok, seriously?!  

How cute are these pictures of Kermit practicing yoga?!  

I simply couldn't resist incorporating them into the post too!

Well, I, too, think green is G.R.E.A.T. - in fact it is my favorite color - and green foods are even better!

Don't believe me?!  

Just check out these two posts (here and here) for more of my green recipe extravaganza!

Last night, in honor of my favorite color, I decided to create a delicious salad using only green ingredients (except for a few of the dressing components, that is).  It turned out really well, better than expected in fact, so I knew that I had to pop in this morning to share it with you all!

Not Your Average Green Salad
Serves 2

3 large handfuls of spinach, torn
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, diced and sauteed
1 avocado, diced
1 heaping T veganaise
1 scant T Dijon mustard
1 T lime-juice
1 1/2 T water
1/2 scant tsp dried dill weed
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper

Directions:

• In a large salad bowl, mix together the spinach, scallions, and sauteed green bell pepper.
• In a small bottle or mixing bowl, shake/whisk together the veganaise, Dijon mustard, lime-juice, water, dill, salt, and pepper.
• Pour half of the dressing over the salad and mix to incorporate.
• Add the diced avocado and gently stir.
• Add more dressing, if necessary, until desired consistency is reached.
• Enjoy immediately!

Next time - all about my day at The Player's Championship golf tournament and Outfit #4!

(Yes, even though I know practically NOTHING about golf, I am going to one of the major PGA tournaments.  I was given a chance to go with my business partner for free...do you blame me?!)

Question of the Day:

What is your favorite green food (and don't say green eggs and ham...they don't exist!)?

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Tofu Salad with Curry Veganaise Dressing & Coconut-Infused Israeli Couscous

Last Friday Bo and I went grocery shopping at Whole Foods.  I can't tell you how excited I was to learn that Jacksonville has a Whole Foods approximately 15 minutes from our home.  Like many people, and especially like many vegetarians/vegans, I LOVE Whole Foods.  Even if you don't buy anything, it is so much fun to walk around looking at their stock.  We found ourselves salivating over:

• a million different kinds of cheese (ok, only Bo salivated over that one!);
• wines from around the world;
• two dozen (or more!) kinds of nut butter;
• produce arranged in a beautiful spectrum of color; 
• freshly baked bread; and
• of course - one can't forget - the prepared foods bar!

I wasn't much in the mood for cooking anyway, so I asked Bo if I could make my own "carry out" box of prepared foods for dinner.  After agonizing over my choices, I ended up with a random hodge-podge of different salads jammed into a cardboard box.  Everything was delicious, but one salad in particular really stood out on my taste buds.  This salad was a spin on the classic chicken salad, with a twist!  Instead of chicken, this salad had browned tofu in it, and was tossed in a creamy, yet spicy, dressing that made the whole dish mouthwateringly good.  

After two bites my decision was made.

I had to figure out how to recreate this recipe at home.

Three days later, I did just that, and it turned out wonderfully!

Comfort food with a twist, this salad takes some traditional ingredients and makes them extraordinary.  Don't be scared of the curry veganaise dressing...it makes the dish!  If you don't have raisins or almonds, feel free to substitute with craisins and/or pecans/walnuts.  Make this dish suite your own tastebuds, and at your next backyard barbeque, consider adding this salad into the mix!

Tofu Salad with Curry Veganaise
Serves 2

1 block of tofu, drained/diced/browned
1/3 C raisins
1/3 C sliced almonds
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 apple, diced
3 heaping T veganaise
1 T honey
1 T lemonjuice
1/2 tsp curry
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3-4 dashes tumeric

Directions:

• Add the raisins, almonds, celery, and apple into a large salad bowl.
• In a separate bowl, mix the veganaise, honey, lemonjuice, curry, cinnamon, and tumeric.
• Pour the dressing into the salad bowl and mix well.
• Add the tofu and toss to incorporate.
• Serve chilled, atop a bed of lettuce, and alongside Coconut-Infused Israeli Couscous.

To go with the tofu salad, I decided to whip up something other than rice, millet, or quinoa (my standard go-to's).  Israeli couscous to the rescue!  In case you don't know, Israeli couscous is larger than regular couscous, and is great at absorbing flavors.  I opted to play up the Indian twist from the curry dressing by adding coconut oil, shredded coconut, and coconut extract to the couscous.  It turned out great!  I can't wait to serve this dish alongside a short-cut Indian dinner soon!

Coconut-Infused Israeli Couscous
Serves 2

1/2 C Israeli couscous
1 C water
1 1/2 T coconut oil
3-4 T unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 tsp coconut extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

• Place the couscous, water, and oil in a medium saucepan.
• Boil the water, and then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Stir in the shredded coconut, coconut extract, and cinnamon.
• Serve immediately.

Next up - 30 X 30 is officially on!  If you missed my BIG post about 3 Steps to a Better Style, feel free to catch up here.  Today was Day 1 of 30.  So stay tuned over the course of the next month for updates on this fashion experiment!  I can't wait to show you what I chose for my month of mixing and re-mixing!

Question of the Day:

Have you ever been inspired to recreate a recipe from a restaurant in your home?  If so, how did it turn out?!

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

Butternut Squash and Avocado Cream Pasta

In today's post I am getting back to the ABC blog's roots!  Between moving from Corpus Christi, TX to Jacksonville, FL, settling into a new home and community, starting several new jobs, and making it on my own while Bo was away for a few weeks, I haven't had much energy or much time to dedicate to creating new recipes.  Well, today's post changes all of that.  I have a WONDERFUL new recipe to share with all of you!

Footnote: Thanks for sticking with me these past few weeks!

So let's get right to it!  Last night I was craving pasta...which was weird...at least for me.  As some of you might know, I am not the world's largest pasta fan.  Usually, I will choose rice/millet/barley/quinoa/bread over pasta any day of the week!

Well, not last night.  

Pasta was on the brain, and nothing else would suffice!  Thankfully I had roughly two servings left over from a box that I had opened for my mom a couple of weeks ago.  After adding some colorful vegetables and a homemade sauce, there was plenty for a hungry Bo and I for dinner.

A creamy sauce, hearty vegetables, and complex flavors define this extra-ordinary pasta dish.  Take the time to caramelize the onions and roast the butternut squash, and you won't be disappointed with the result.  The Avocado Cream is the perfect accompaniment to the rich root vegetables and hearty pasta!

Butternut Squash and Avocado Cream Pasta
Serves 2-4

2 servings of pasta
1 small butternut squash, cubed
1 large onion, diced
3 stems of kale, torn into bite-size pieces
2 T oil, divided
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp salt

For the Avocado Cream:
1 avocado
1 rounded T veganaise (or mayonnaise)
1/2 C vegetable broth
1 T lime juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Toss the cubed butternut squash with salt, cumin, and cayenne, drizzle with 1 T oil, and roast for 30 minutes (tossing half way through).
• Heat 1T oil over medium heat in a saucepan.
• Add onions, and cook for 20-30 minutes until caramelized (low and slow is the name of the game here!).  They should end up looking something like this!

• Cook the pasta according to the package directions.  Drain, drizzle with oil, and set aside.
• In a blender, add the avocado, veganaise, broth, lime juice, salt, cumin, and cayenne.
• Blend until smooth.
• Once the squash is roasted and the onions are caramelized, toss the pasta, squash, onions, and kale together.
• Sprinkle with an additional dash of salt and cayenne.
• Finally, pour the Avocado Cream over the pasta mixture, and toss to combine.
• Serve immediately to prevent the cream from browning.

Last night, Bo ended up having one plate-full of this pasta around 6:00PM (with a breaded and baked pork chop), and another plate-full around 9:00PM with TWO pork chops!  With that said, although this dish should easily serve 3-4, there was only a small serving leftover for lunch today...

All I can say is, if you can't take my word for how good this pasta is, take Bo's! :)

Question of the Day:

Pasta vs. Rice vs. Bread: which one do you prefer?

Blessings,
Ally and Bo