Mango Salad with Spicy Cashews

I was invited to a friend's house for lunch yesterday. She was preparing an Oriental Shrimp Salad and my job was to come up with a side dish that would complement the main dish. My first thought was something with pineapple or mango - I love those fruits paired with Asian-flavored dishes. Because I wanted a side dish rather than a dessert, I knew some sort of greenery was necessary. The sweet-spicy cashews add a special touch and also tie in nicely with the Asian meal.

As a bonus, not only is this salad colorful and bursting with all sorts of interesting flavors (sweet! juicy! spicy! peppery!) - it takes all of 4 1/2 minutes to prepare. It's so good (and easy to make) that I just made a second batch to enjoy here at home today. Please feel free to mess with the proportions (more mango/less arugula) or make up another dressing (my Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette would be superb with this).

Mango Salad with Spicy Cashews
Serves 2 - 3 as a side dish

1/2 cup unsalted cashews
1 tsp. olive oil (or less)
sprinkling of kosher salt
sprinkling of chipotle powder (or cayenne)
drizzle of honey

Several large handfuls of arugula
1 lime
a little more olive oil
1 ripe mango, peeled and diced

This is very easy! I swear to you!

Step 1: Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the smallest little drizzle of olive oil (I didn't measure but I'm guessing it's 1 teaspoon or less). When the oil's warm, pour in the cashews. Stir to coat. Sprinkle the nuts with the salt and chipotle powder or cayenne pepper. Stir to coat. Drizzle with honey. Stir to coat and remove from heat. The nuts can be used warm on the salad, or prepared hours ahead and used cold.

Step 2: When you're ready to eat, place the arugula in a serving bowl. Drizzle lightly with a little more olive oil and a squeeze or two of lime juice (or any dressing you like). Top the greens with the chopped mango and the spiced cashews and a little sprinkle of salt and serve.

A Very Berry Crisp

The picture doesn't do this baby justice. It was bursting with berries, sweet and tangy, with an incomparable crispy brown sugar-oat topping. It was so scrumptious, that sadly, it was gone before I realized the picture stinks.

I guess the blame for the stinky picture is half my fault, as the photographer, and half my husband's fault, as the server of the crisp.

But really, who would serve such a carefully constructed dessert with no regard for the top or bottom of the thing? Especially after his wife carefully prepared this special dessert in such a manner that the berries were on the bottom of the dish and the topping was resting nicely on top (duh). But after the server spooned it out, there was topping all over the place, a slightly grumpy photographer/chef and a less-than-ideal photo.

Fortunately, the taste wasn't affected by the presentation. And this has taught me that I need to stop taking pictures with my cellphone at 8 pm with no natural light. And I will. As soon as I can find the camera.

A Very Berry Crisp
Serves 4 - 6

Topping:

Mix together:
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
a pinch of salt
1/4 cup cold butter, cut into small bits

Filling:

Toss together in a large bowl:
5 cups assorted berries such as blueberries, raspberries and/or blackberries, rinsed, dried and stems removed
1/4 to 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1 to 2 Tablespoons flour

Lightly grease a 9-inch glass pie pan or 9x9 glass baking dish (this just helps at cleanup time). Place berry mixture in pan. Spread topping over all. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes, or until topping is light golden brown and berries are bubbling out around the edges. Serve warm, cold or any which way. Vanilla ice cream on top is good, too.

The Yin Yang of Tex-Mex

My kids have been at camp for three weeks, and my husband and I have been out and about like nobody's business. I had been pushing for one more dinner out before they return home (TOMORROW!), but we both agreed we'd be better off eating at home tonight. Of course he agreed - I'm doing the cooking. But my most recent dining out experience involved a turkey burger which was not my buddy for the next 48 hours - enough said. Dinner at home actually seemed like a pretty good idea.

Given his druthers, my husband would happily eat at Chipotle at least once a week. Tonight, I decided to make a Chipotle-style dinner at home, featuring Refried Bean Burritos with Green Rice and a Chopped Salad with Cilantro-Lime Dressing.

The yin yang of this meal is twofold. First off, there's the contrast between the creamy, rich and spicy burritos and the crispy salad with a slightly sweet dressing. Then there's the fact that it's the perfect meal for us: Mr. Simply Delicious loves refried beans, and I never want to see meat again. Yin yang Tex-Mex.

Refried Bean Burritos
Makes 4 burritos

The rice:
1 small can Old El Paso chopped green chiles
1 handful fresh cilantro
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup white rice

The rest of it:
1 can Amy's Organic Refried Beans
- as much shredded cheese as you like
- whatever salsa you like
4 nice tortillas (I discovered Chi Chi's Cafe-Style Tortillas, made with Corn Flour, which were excellent)

In a small blender or the cup of an immersion blender, combine the chiles, cilantro and 1/2 cup of broth. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a medium size saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until it starts to soften, about 2 - 4 minutes. Add the garlic and the rice and stir until the rice is coated with the oil and onions. Then add the pureed pepper mixture along with the rest of the broth (this should total 2 cups of liquid; if it doesn't, add more broth or water). Stir well and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot and simmer over very low heat for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn off the heat and leave the rice in the pan for 10 - 15 minutes longer (don't lift the lid at all during all of this). When you do lift the lid, the rice should be cooked and all the liquid absorbed.

Meanwhile, lay the tortillas on a clean work surface. Divide the refried beans evenly over the 4 tortillas. Sprinkle with some cheese. Spread some of the cooked rice over the cheese (you won't use all the rice). Top with a bit of salsa and some more cheese. Roll up and place in a greased baking dish. Cover with foil and heat at 350 degrees for 20 - 30 minutes, or until heated through. Serve with additional salsa and sour cream, if desired. Serve the rest of the rice on the side if you're angry that the recipe made more than you needed (my friend Mary Beth's pet peeve about recipes).

Chopped Salad with Cilantro-Lime Dressing
Serves 4

Dressing:
1 lime, juiced
2 T. canola oil
2 T. olive oil
2 T. honey
2 T. fresh cilantro leaves
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
salt and pepper

Salad:
- any kind of lettuce you like - chopped
- any vegetables you like, chopped - I used carrots, leftover corn on the cob, celery, cucumber, red bell pepper and tomato. Black beans are great in this salad, but I didn't want to overload us on beans tonight
- mild white cheese - optional - mild feta, goat cheese or cotija would add a creamy element to the salad

Blend all the dressing ingredients until combined. This will be a thin dressing. Toss with the chopped salad ingredients and top with cheese if desired.

Slow-Cooked Sweet and Sour Chicken Lettuce Wraps

File this under "Brilliant Summer Meals."

Lettuce wraps are always a cool, crisp, light meal, perfect for a hot summer day. But how about preparing them in the slow cooker, to further ensure the cook doesn't break a sweat?

And if you can't be home to turn on the crock pot 3 - 4 hours before dinner, you can prepare everything ahead of time, refrigerate it, and ask one of your vacationing kids to put it in the heating unit and turn it on at the designated time. Ah, summer!

Slow-Cooked Sweet and Sour Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Serves 4

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast and/or thigh pieces
salt and pepper
1 jar (about 10 ounces) apricot jam
1/4 cup orange juice
3 T. soy sauce
1 T. sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce (more or less to taste)
1 (1-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1/2 red onion, chopped or sliced thin
1 T. peanut butter (optional)
1 head Boston lettuce, leaves separated and washed and dried
1 cucumber, half-peeled, seeded and chopped
1 ripe mango, peeled and sliced thin
fresh chopped cilantro
Hoisin sauce

Spray your slow cooker with nonstick spray. Season chicken with salt and pepper and place in slow cooker. Combine jam, orange juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili-garlic sauce, ginger and onion and whisk until combined. Pour over the chicken. (You can cover and refrigerate the mixture for several hours at this point, if necessary.)

(After you finish prepping the chicken and putting it in the crock pot, wash the lettuce, chop the cucumber and slice the mango, so you have less to do at dinner time.)

When ready to cook, place the covered crock pot into the heating unit and cook on Low heat until done - this could take anywhere from 2 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours or longer. The time depends on the heat of your slow cooker, how cold your chicken mixture is and whether you use dark or light meat.(I used boneless breasts, cut in half, and they were done in 2 1/2 hours. Dark meat usually takes a bit longer.)


Once the chicken is done, stir in the peanut butter, if desired, to flavor and thicken the sauce. Shred the chicken with your (clean) fingers and pile it on the lettuce leaves. Top with fresh chopped cilantro, chopped cucumber and sliced mango. Drizzle with Hoisin sauce if desired and serve.

Recipe adapted from Stephanie O'Dea, Make it Fast, Cook it Slow

Peas, Love and Understanding

Dear Woman I Met at the Farm Stand,

Hi! Remember me? We met when we were looking over the English Peas at Idylwilde Farm on Sunday. We were both trying to figure out how the peas from Lexington, MA, were different from the peas from Acton, MA. I popped open a few pods and declared the peas from Lexington looked much better to me.

We each ended up filling a bag with the peas from Lexington. Then I said, "You know, I'm going to take a few of these other peas and see how they compare." I'm pretty sure by then you had had enough of me, so you didn't respond.

I cooked the Lexington peas on Monday and they didn't blow my socks off.

Tonight, I cooked the Acton peas. The ones grown at Idylwilde Farm, that looked big and weird on Sunday, rattling around in their oversize pods. Turns out the Acton peas are delicious and sweet and just really perfect. From what I've read, it turns out that the longer the peas sit around after picking, the greater the likelihood that the sugars will turn to starches... possibly explaining why the peas picked right there at the farm tasted better: they were fresher.

I'd like to remain friends, or at least comrades-in-arms, as we work our way through this summer's produce. Hope to see you again soon at the farm stand.

Sincerely,

Martha

P.S. In case you haven't cooked your peas yet, here's what I did. Shuck the peas. Put the shucked peas into a pot of boiling salted water. Cook for about 1 minute. Then begin to taste the peas. When they taste good to you, pour into a colander to drain. (The Lexington peas tasted raw until about 6 - 7 minutes in. The Acton peas were sweet and ready in about 1 1/2 minutes.) Place the cooked peas in a serving bowl and add butter and coarse salt.

Should I blog or should I go?

Does anyone still read blogs? I ask because I was thinking, I have a years' worth of stories, recipes and crazy antics that someone might enjoy reading. But my daughter, who started me blogging almost exactly three years ago (see my first post ever!) said, "Mom, blogs are like fashion. And right now, they are out of style. Besides, all of your friends already know all of your stories."

That's what I get for asking her, and for having my office in the middle of our family room.

I visited my personal trainer today and asked her if she'd read my blog. She didn't know what a blog was, but since she's heard a lot of my stories, and she pretends to find them hilarious, she said her fiance might like to read my blog. Then she started me on a series of moves so strenuous I couldn't speak for the remainder of the session. I didn't take it personally. That's what I pay her to do.

Last, I asked my husband if he still reads blogs. He said yes, he reads about eight blogs every day. All political. What he meant was, "I don't have time for frou-frou blogs about other people's lives, except for people who agree with my political POV." I know this because we've been married for over 20 years, and I can now read his mind. I also don't always agree with his political POV, so I'm guessing he won't read my blog, either.

So, the future of "It's a Simply Delicious Life" hangs in the balance. What are your thoughts?

Taking a break

Hello out there -

I've decided to take a break from blogging for a while; life has been busy, and blogging has fallen to the bottom of my priority list.

I still enjoy reading your blogs and will continue to do so, but for now, I'm on a "blog-cation."

Martha