Morsels of Life: citrus

Showing posts with label citrus. Show all posts

Tom Yum

Tom Yum Noodle Soup - a Thai style hot and sour soup with shrimp, tomatoes, and shiitake mushrooms.

Cheesy Guacamole

Combine guacamole with cheese for a synergistically flavorful cheesy guacamole.

Feta Avocado Dip

Try this feta avocado dip - creamy and spicy with just the slightest tang.

Asian Cole Slaw

An Asian inspired cole slaw with peanuts, ginger, lime, and soy sauce flavorings.

Apricot Chicken

Juicy chicken, cooked to a spicy and fruity perfection.

Taquitos

These flavorful and cheesy taquitos make an amazing on the go snack or meal. Almost like a taco burrito!

Sour Cream Lime Dressing

We had some lettuce left over since we planned on making sandwiches and ended up eating something else. Since I hadn't planned on making salad, we just used random odds and ends we had around.

I like to make my own dressings, and we were feeling a bit of a Mexican craving (although clearly, not an authentic Mexican craving :P). I'm also a fan of quick and easy, so 4 ingredients! We used a sour cream base, and I think Greek yogurt would also work well. Then throw in some taco seasoning, lime, and onion. That's all you need. Just mix it all together and you've got your own sour cream lime dressing!

What's your favorite Mexican-inspired flavor?

Sour Cream Lime Dressing

by CJ Huang

Throw together a simple Mexican-inspired sour cream lime dressing with a mere 4 ingredients! Simple, fresh, and easy.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: none
Total time: 5 minutes
Yield: 3/4 cup

Materials:

Volume	Number	Material	Notes
2 teaspoons		taco seasoning
1/2 cup		sour cream
	1/2	lime, juice	I threw in some of the pulp too.
	1/2	red onion, cut into small pieces

Methods:

	1. Gather all materials.
	2. Combine all materials and mix well.

Jicama Persimmon Miso Salad

We'd recently bought a jicama since they were on sale, and I thought back to Jicama Slaw, thinking I might make it again. Then I saw the ripening persimmons my parents gave us. I also remembered we had some lettuce since we originally planned on packing sandwiches when we hiked Raven Rock. Except we decided to make Fan Tuan instead, so I thought about combining our odds and ends into some sort of salad.

At first, I wasn't so sure of the flavor combo - jicama and persimmons? One slightly sweet and crunchy, and the other sweet and firm? Maybe a savory and tangy dressing could tie it all together. So I went with miso and lime. Another odd couple, but along with the avocado, it really worked to pull everything together. Next time, I'm thinking I'll also add a bit of red onion. :)

What's an odd sounding flavor combo you like?

Jicama Persimmon Miso Salad

by CJ Huang

Toss some jicama and persimmons into your lettuce salad. Top it off with a citrusy miso dressing for one flavorful and texturally diverse Jicama Persimmon Miso Salad!

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: none
Total time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
454 grams	1 pound		3	persimmons, cut into eighths or sixteenths
210 grams	7.875 ounces		1/3	jicama, cut into 1/4 x 1/4 x 1 inch pieces
172 grams	6.125 ounces		1	avocado, cubed	Find out how to cut an avocado here.
		1 tablespoon		lime juice
		1.5 tablespoons		white miso
		1/2 cup		olive oil
			1 head	romaine lettuce, cut

Methods:

	1. Gather all materials.
	2. Beat together lime juice, miso, and olive oil. Add in water to thin if desired.
	3. Toss together remaining materials, and add dressing just before serving.

Tahini Dip

We've been on a bit of a Mediterranean kick lately, so I thought I could make a tahini dip. Plus, cut veggies and dip = super easy snack! And like most dips or dressings, it's also super easy to make - just throw everything into a food processor or blender and process/blend until desired consistency reached. You can also adjust the thickness using water or olive oil depending on if you're going for a dip or dressing. Don't you just love versatile recipes like this one? :)

How will you enjoy your tahini dip?

Tahini Dip

by CJ Huang

Try this quick, easy, and versatile tahini dip. Full of flavor and works wonderfully as a dressing, spread, or sauce too!

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: none
Total time: 10 minutes
Yield: 2 cups

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material
105 grams	3.75 ounces		1	onion, diced
122 grams	4.25 ounces		2 stalks	celery
		2 tablespoons		soy sauce
		2 tablespoons		lemon juice
83 grams	2.875 ounces	1/2 cup		tahini
		4 tablespoons		olive oil
9 grams	1/4 ounce	1 tablespoon		flax seeds

Methods:

	1. Gather all materials.
	2. Pulse all materials together, thinning with water or olive oil to desired consistency.

Chipotle Mayo

Ever wanted a simple way to add some smoky chipotle flavor without a lot of hassle? This flavorful chipotle mayonnaise is sure to satisfy! For the super easy version, simply mix chipotle with mayo. Done.

However, I wanted a few extra layers of flavor, so I also used some garlic, lime, and cilantro. If you're going to use only one extra, I'd recommend the garlic. The lime juice adds a nice tang, and the cilantro just rounds it all out. This condiment's totally versatile too! It's perfect with potato wedges and fries, especially sweet potato fries. The sweet and spicy's just splendid. You could also use it to jazz up a sandwich or add it to some Mexican corn salad. Yummy yum yum!

What's your favorite way to enjoy this Chipotle Mayo?

Chipotle Mayo

by CJ Huang

Super simple and flavorful Chipotle Mayonnaise. Great on fries (especially sweet tater), sandwiches, or in a Mexican corn salad.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: none
Total time: 5 minutes
Yield: 5 ounces

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Material	Notes
116 grams	4 ounces		mayonnaise
		1 teaspoon	garlic, minced
		1 tablespoon	chipotle chilies in adobo sauce	I just used some of the sauce. If you use the chilies, you'll want to mash it pretty well or use a food processor.
		1 teaspoon	cilantro
		1/2 tablespoon	lime juice

Methods:

	1. Gather all materials.
	2. Combine all materials and mix. Done.

Tomatillo Salsa Verde

Green salsa, or salsa verde, has always had a certain appeal to me. I'm not sure if it was originally the whole green thing and being different than your more typical red salsas. Then I got hooked on the taste. Since you're using tomatillos instead of the usual red tomatoes, you get a bit of the tart/tangy flavor as well. One other thing I noticed about tomatillo salsa verde - it's got fewer ingredients than most red salsas and it's usually served in a more "sauce-like" consistency. Now, as far as actually making the green salsa, you can cook the tomatillos just about any way you'd like. I opted for pan roasting because roasting brings all the flavors to the yard, and pan roasting instead of oven/broiler roasting since it's summer (or it was when I made this salsa!), and I didn't feel like roasting in my own juices. Grilling is another option for some nice additional flavor. Of course, boiling/steaming are also viable options. We ate most of this salsa verde with scrambled eggs or chips. You could also use it as more of a sauce on tacos, burritos, quesadillas, taquitos, or make some green eggs and ham!

What's your favorite way to eat salsa verde?

Tomatillo Salsa Verde

by CJ Huang

Bright and fresh, try this zesty tomatillo salsa verde on some enchiladas, burritos, or even simply tortilla chips!

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

Materials:

Mass	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
372 grams		5	tomatillos, halved
		1	serrano pepper	I used a dried one.
	1 tablespoon	3 cloves	garlic, minced
	2 tablespoons		lime juice
111 grams		1	onion, quartered
	1/4 cup		cilantro

Methods:

	1. Gather all materials.
	2. Pan roast tomatillos and onion by coating bottom of a skillet with a bit of oil. Sear one side of tomatillos, and then flip to brown other side.
	3. Place all materials into blender, and puree until desired consistency reached.

Shared with: Wonderful Wednesday, The Wednesday Showcase, Waste Less Wednesday, What's Cookin' Wednesday, Creative Ways, Foodie Friends, Throwback Thursday, Foodie FriDIY, Pinworthy Projects, Happiness is Homemade, What's For Dinner?, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, Sustainable Sunday, Turn It Up Tuesday

Creamy Hummus

It's SRC time again! Each month, as part of SRC, we're assigned another blogger, and we get to pick a recipe from their blog to make. This month, I got Smells Like Brownies, where Melissa shares a plethora of delicious eats, both sweet and savory. I saw some winter squash recipes perfect for this time of year - garlic chili lime acorn squash and some butternut squash, goat cheese flatbread pizza. Yum! (Especially since one of my favorite flavors is chili lime.) I also checked out her dad's poached eggs. I'm always looking for other ways to make things! However, the food I've really been craving (and meaning to make since, oh forever) is hummus. As luck would have it, she's got a yummy recipe for creamy hummus! I only made a few minor modifications to her recipe. I used dried chickpeas, which I then cooked instead of a can since we prefer dried. I also used a whole lot less cumin since I'm not a huge fan of the flavor. Next time. I'm likely to use a bit less tahini as well since I thought the tahini flavor overpowered the hummus a bit too much. Even with the half cup of tahini, we enjoyed this creamy hummus.

What are some of your favorite hummus flavors?

Creamy Hummus

by CJ Huang

A simple and creamy hummus with chickpeas, garlic, tahini, olive oil, and a bit of lemon and paprika.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: none
Total time: 10 minutes
Yield: 12 servings

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
409 grams	14.375 ounces			chickpeas, cooked	I started with 1 cup of dried chickpeas.
83 grams	2.875 ounces	1/2 cup		tahini
58 grams	2 ounces	1/4 cup		olive oil
		2 teaspoons	2 cloves	garlic, minced
		1/2 teaspoon		cumin
		2 tablespoons		lemon juice
		1/2 tablespoon		paprika

Methods:

	1. Gather all materials.
	2. Combine all materials in food processor. Process, adding liquid from chickpeas or water, until desired consistency reached.

Baba Ghanoush

It's that time again - SRC time! Each month, we're given another blog to select a recipe from. This month, I got Corina's blog, Searching for Spice. So many recipes I wanted to try, and she has lots of international options - bulgogi and Moroccan Chickpea Soup, for example. I also wanted to try the Cardamom Coffee, but once I saw Baba Ghanoush, I knew it'd be the recipe I made. Baba Ghanoush is an eggplant dip similar to hummus. It's usually served as an appetizer or as a selection of small dishes accompanying alcoholic drinks as a course. With baby here now, I definitely appreciate a quick and easy recipe without sacrificing taste, and this Baba Ghanoush recipe certainly qualifies! Fortunately for me, James already picked up an eggplant since he saw them on sale, and I was trying to think of ways to use it. I know we've referred to eggplant as the food that "just refuses to be delicious". Well, I'm happy to report this eggplant dish definitely tastes good! (Maybe since it doesn't look like eggplant. All I know is it got rave reviews from everyone who tried it.)

To save on time, I went ahead and cut the eggplant into chunks before baking, and I left the skin on. Otherwise, I followed Corina's recipe with just a few minor quantity modifications.

What's your favorite appetizer dip?

Baba Ghanoush

by CJ Huang

A simple and tasty eggplant dip, this Baba Ghanoush requires a mere six ingredients and less than 30 minutes.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
789 grams	27.75 ounces		1	eggplant, cubed
14 grams	1/2 ounce	1 tablespoon		tahini
11 grams		2 teaspoons	2 cloves	garlic	I used minced, although whole cloves would also work since everything goes into a food processor at the end.
42 grams		2 tablespoons		lemon juice	I used lime juice.
		1/2 teaspoon		paprika
		1/4 teaspoon		cumin

Methods:

	1. Gather all materials.
	2. Spray a bit of olive oil over eggplant chunks, and bake at 350F for 15 minutes.
	3. Combine all materials, and process to desired consistency.

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