Spaghetti Squash with Pecorino and Herbs Recipe

Spaghetti Squash with Pecorino and Herbs | Pamela Salzman

Spaghetti Squash with Pecorino and Herbs | Pamela Salzman

Oh, there’s a lot going on over here. I’m sure you’re crazy busy too, but I have my son’s bar mitzvah next weekend and let’s just say we were a little more organized with the other two.  Because I had to turn in my book last month, let’s just say I had to allow my husband to make a lot of decisions and let’s just say I’m starting to wonder what was I thinking??!!  I’m sort of joking because my husband actually is cooler than I am and perfectly capable of organizing a major service and a huge party.  I’m just a control freak and I am officially freaking out!

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Baked Black Bean or Chicken Taquitos Recipe

I think I have probably admitted more than once that making school lunch is not my favorite thing to do.  Breakfast, no problem.  After-school snacks, easy.  Weeknight dinners, fun times!  But my inspiration for school lunches is usually reheated leftovers from dinner.  I know, yawn.

Baked Black Bean or Chicken Taquitos Recipe

Pamela
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Ingredients
  

  • Unrefined cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil for brushing tortillas
  • 12 5- inch corn tortillas thinner ones work better than thicker
  • 1 ½ cups refried black or pinto beans or 1 15-ounce can (Trader Joe’s and Amy’s brands have no BPA in can liner) OR
  • 2 cups cooked shredded taco chicken meat*
  • 2/3 cup shredded cheese optional
  • Suggested accompaniments: guacamole and salsa

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and brush lightly with olive oil.
  • Warm tortillas on a griddle or in a skillet until warm and pliable (about 30 seconds on each side.) This will prevent them from cracking when you roll them.*
  • Place the tortilla on a plate or cutting board and spoon 1 ½ Tablespoons of beans across the diameter of the tortilla. Sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon of cheese, if desired.
  • Roll tortilla up into a cigar and place seam down on the baking sheet. If they do not stay rolled up, you can keep them closed with a toothpick.
  • Continue filling and rolling remaining taquitos and assemble them evenly spaced on the baking sheet.
  • Brush the tops of the taquitos with olive oil.
  • Bake for approximately 15 minutes until brown and crispy.
  • Serve plain or with guacamole and salsa.

Notes

*If your tortillas are a few days old, you can brush them with a little water before heating them. You can also heat all the tortillas before filling and keep them warm in a thin, clean, barely damp dish towel.
Notes: you can also make “flautas” with flour tortillas instead of corn!
*See this recipe for one way to do this.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Baked Black Bean or Chicken Taquitos | Pamela Salzman

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Strawberry Jam Spelt Flaxseed Muffins

Strawberry Jam Spelt Flaxseed Muffins with Hemp Seeds | Pamela Salzman

Strawberry Jam Flaxseed Muffins | Pamela Salzman

March, April, May, June, Blink, September.  Am I right???  It’s ridiculous!  And just like that, everyone is frantic getting organized for back to school.  Backpacks, haircuts, sneakers, lunch boxes, school supplies and of course, proper meals.  My son’s school has not started yet, so we have a little more time.  But in anticipation of school starting anew, I starting nesting like I am about to have a baby.  There’s stock to be made, cookie dough to be rolled into logs, granola to be baked and muffins to stash in the freezer.  It’s like the Amazing Race, back-to-school episode!

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Barley and Corn Tabbouleh Recipe

Barley and Corn Tabbouleh | Pamela Salzman

I am taking a little break from life this week at the Golden Door, just for a couple of days.  I am not normally the type of person that indulges in me-time, but I am realizing it’s a very healthy thing to do and I will try to incorporate more down-time in my life.  I’ve been so delighted by my visit here that I will probably write a blogpost about it and incorporate a recipe inspired by the amazing food and organic gardens at the Golden Door. More on that coming.

Barley and Corn Tabbouleh | Pamela Salzman

In the meantime, I am finding a few minutes to write a quick blogpost about a divine summer salad which I know you will love.  It’s a twist on tabbouleh, which is a Middle Eastern parsley salad with bulgur wheat, tomatoes, mint and a few other wonderful ingredients.  I posted a quinoa tabbouleh a few years ago and it is a staple recipe for me.  But this one is barley-based and it is just as delicious but maybe a little sweeter due to the addition of fresh, sweet corn.  It is truly the perfect summer salad or side dish.

Many people think of barley as a grain in soups, but it is a wonderful base for grain bowls, salads and even as a warm breakfast porridge.  Barley has loads of fiber and protein, which allows it to boast a very low glycemic index.  It is a terrific grain for diabetics in moderation.

Barley and Corn Tabbouleh | Pamela Salzman

I love the chewy texture of barley and it pairs so well with all the ingredients here.  I encourage you to try this salad and then try substituting barley in your favorite pasta or orzo salad for a more nutrient-rich dish.  If you can find very fresh sweet corn, don’t bother cooking it.  Raw corn is fabulous, juicy and crunchy.  This salad is terrific as a vegetarian meal (you can even add feta to it or toasted pine nuts) or as a side with a simple piece of fish, shellfish or grilled chicken.  Leftovers stay beautifully for a few days in the fridge.

Obviously you’ll need to make this ASAP since tomatoes and corn are really on their way out.  You likely have another 4-6 weeks before they’re gone for good.  Trust me, this is a great recipe.  If you are going to a potluck on Labor Weekend, offer to bring this!

Barley and Corn Tabbouleh | Pamela Salzman

Barley and Corn Tabbouleh Recipe

Pamela
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Servings 4 -6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup semi-pearled barley rinsed (like Arrowhead Mills or Bob's Red Mill)
  • Sea salt
  • 2 cups fresh* or cooked corn kernels about 3 ears of corn
  • 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes or diced regular tomatoes
  • 4 scallions thinly sliced
  • 1/3 cup unrefined cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
  • ¾ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley**
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh mint
  • ½ teaspoon minced garlic
  • freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Combine barley and a pinch of salt in a pot and add water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the barley in a colander. Rinse well under cold running water until cool. Drain well.
  • Combine cooled barley and remaining ingredients plus 1 ½ teaspoons salt in a large serving bowl. Toss to mix well. Taste for seasoning.
  • Cover and let sit at room temperature for a few hours before serving or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Notes

*You can use raw corn if it is really fresh, otherwise use cooked corn – steamed, boiled or grilled is just as tasty.
**The more parsley, the better for you. You can double it if you have the patience to chop it!
Additions: toasted pine nuts, chopped black olives, feta
Subsitutions: cucumber for the corn
Arrowhead Mills and Bob's Red Mill barley will be labeled "pearled" but it's really only semi-pearled.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

Solterito (Peruvian Chopped Salad) Recipe

Solterito | Pamela Salzman

Solterito | Pamela Salzman

You all know how I love a good salad, especially the chopped variety.  Having all the flavors in each bite is salad heaven.  And as my mother-in-law says, chopped salads “don’t require me to do too much work when I’m eating.”  Well put.  I came across Solterito, a Peruvian chopped salad, many years ago and thought it was a refreshing change from my typical lettuce-based salads.  Traditionally, Solterito contains fava or lima beans, fresh cheese, chili pepper, tomatoes and large kernel corn native to the Andes.  Clearly I have taken MANY liberties with this salad based on what I have readily available to me.Continue reading

Italian Potato Salad Recipe

Italian Potato Salad | pamela salzman

Just before I leave my parents’ house for the airport, my father always does the same thing.  He takes some plastic bags and heads out to his gardens to pick vegetables for me to take home.  In my suitcase.  If this doesn’t sound crazy to you, then we should be friends.  I instantly repack our suitcases to fit as many eggplants, peppers and tomatoes (packed in plastic containers) that I can.  Yes, I can buy excellent vegetables in LA.  But, nothing beats homegrown and I’ll take whatever won’t make my clothes smell (ahem, basil.) It’s one of the things I miss most about the East Coast given my patio of a backyard, so I take full advantage of my father’s green thumb.

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Roasted Beet and Burrata Salad

Roasted Beet and Burrata Salad | Pamela Salzman

My vacation is coming to an end today, like all good things do. But there’s always next time. We were incredibly lucky with the weather this week.  It never rained and the humidity was almost nonexistent.  This is important because there were lots of children present and we wanted them all outside and not on their devices.

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Corn and Vegetable Chowder Recipe

Photos by Sarah Elliott
Photos by Sarah Elliott

I am headed to Long Island this week and my first stop (after I say hello to my parents) is the nearest farm stand.  My father’s vegetable garden is wonderful and bursting with all sorts of goodies, but there’s no corn to be found.  And I can’t be on Long Island in the summer without corn.  I think my father doesn’t plant it because A) corn takes up too much space and B) when he was growing up on a farm in Italy, corn was fed to the pigs, not to human beings.  He just doesn’t get it.

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