How to Make Healthy and Delicious Summer Rolls *VIDEO*

I love summer rolls — crunchy, fresh, and flavorful all wrapped in a delicate rice paper wrapper.  Summer rolls are one of those things I never thought I could make at home.  The wrappers, the rolling, the sauce!  Not only are they way easier than I imagined, but they can be quite the nutritious dish to boot.  Filled with loads of raw veggies and herbs, a summer roll is like a salad all wrapped up in a neat little package.  In the video above, I go a pretty traditional route with avocado, cabbage, carrots and herbs, but also I use less traditional roasted sweet potato sticks and shredded Brussels sprouts.  Rice paper is so neutral.  Who says you couldn’t put a cobb salad in there or poached chicken, corn, cabbage and barbecue sauce?  I say the sky’s the limit and can we talk about perfect these would be for school lunches?!  Per-fect!

If you want to make these in advance, cover them with a damp paper towel and refrigerate for ideally up to one day, but I’ve even kept them 2 or 3 days.

healthy and delicious summer rolls | pamela salzman

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Healthy and Delicious Summer Rolls
Author: 
Serves: 8 rolls
 
Ingredients
  • For the sauce:
  • 2 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter, preferably organic (or cashew or almond butter)
  • 1 Tablespoon unrefined, cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
  • ½ Tablespoon raw honey (choose a mild flavor)
  • ½ Tablespoon water
  • ½ Tablespoon shoyu or gluten-free tamari
  • pinch sea salt
  • pinch cayenne pepper
  • For the summer rolls:
  • 8 (8-inch) rice paper rounds, plus additional in case some tear
  • 1 large sweet potato, (peeled if desired) and cut into ¼” matchsticks
  • unrefined coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
  • sea salt and black pepper to taste
  • 4 medium brussels sprouts, thinly sliced or shredded
  • ¼ head of small red cabbage, thinly sliced or shredded
  • 2 medium carrots, shredded, grated, or julienned
  • 1 large avocado, cut into thin slices
  • handful each of fresh mint leaves, basil leaves and cilantro leaves
  • Other possibilities: cooked shrimp, chicken, tempeh or tofu, cooked rice noodles
Instructions
  1. To make the sauce: whisk together all of the ingredients in a bowl or a glass jar and set aside. *
  2. To make the summer rolls: Drizzle the sweet potatoes with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 18-20 minutes until tender.
  3. Fill a shallow baking dish or a skillet with warm water. Soak 1 rice paper round (make sure there are no holes) in warm water until pliable, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from the water and transfer to a plate or cutting board.
  4. Spread 2 teaspoons of peanut sauce on the rice paper (or omit and use as a dip once rolls are assembled) and top with 2-3 large mint leaves, 1-2 large basil leaves, a pinch of cilantro leaves, a
  5. pinch each of the Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and carrot, a few sticks of sweet potato, and a couple of avocado slices, taking care not to overstuff. Roll up rice paper tightly around filling, folding in sides and continue rolling.
  6. Transfer summer roll to a plate and cover with dampened paper towels.
  7. Make the remaining rolls in the same manner. Serve rolls halved on the diagonal.
  8. Store in the fridge covered with a damp paper towel 2-3 days.
Notes
* Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature and re-emulsify before using.

You are going to have so much fun making these summer rolls!

By the way, I have a YouTube channel!  I would love it if you subscribed over here.  Thank you!

Deconstructed Guacamole Salad Recipe

deconstructed guacamole salad | pamela salzman

I just dropped off my oldest at college this past weekend.  Up until this point, nothing has made me feel as old as saying to someone, “I have a child in college.”  And it doesn’t help when people respond with, “Wow!”  Rub it in.  Thank heavens for Mr. Picky who is in elementary school and still asks me to cuddle him at night.

ingredients

My daughter goes to school in Dallas.  So when I visit, I make sure to b-line for some good Tex-Mex food.  You all know my weakness is guacamole and chips.  Guacamole = healthy food.  Chips, not so much.  In LA you can find places to give you jicama with your guacamole.  In Texas, not so much.  So I try not to overdo it when I’m there, but I’m not always successful.

deconstructed guacamole salad | pamela salzman

Although I grew up in New York, California cooking has stolen my heart.  Lightness, freshness, color.  It’s addictive.  And the best avocados!  Come visit me and we’ll have fun just prancing around the farmers markets.  We can make this salad, which is like fancy-pants guacamole.

deconstructed guacamole salad | pamela salzman

I taught this salad last year or the year before and it is one of my favorites.  First of all, it takes minutes to pull together.  Second, it includes two of my favorite foods, tomatoes and avocados, which I will remind you are both insanely delicious right now.  Use whatever tomatoes look great and have fun mixing colors and shapes and sizes.  Lastly, it’s basically guacamole that I can eat with a fork or on top of a piece of fish or grilled chicken and I don’t feel the need to have 25 tortilla chips along with it.

deconstructed guacamole salad | pamela salzman

It also happens to look very pretty on a buffet.  But tomatoes are leaving us soon, friends.  Enjoy it ALL while you can, because you’re going to blink your eyes and they’ll be gone.

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Deconstructed Guacamole Salad Recipe
Author: 
Serves: 4-6
 
Ingredients
  • 4 medium tomatoes, cored and cut into wedges or 1 ½ pints of cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ½ small red onion, sliced very thinly (soaked in ice water for 15 minutes to tone down the onion flavor, if desired)
  • ½ jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
  • 3 medium or large ripe avocados, pitted, skin removed and sliced crosswise into ½-inch slices
  • a handful of whole cilantro leaves
  • 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
  • ¾ teaspoon of sea salt
  • a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper
  • a few drops of hot sauce
  • 3 Tablespoons unrefined, cold pressed extra-virgin olive oil
  • optional: serve with broken corn tortilla chips on top or around the side of the salad
Instructions
  1. Place the tomatoes, red onion and jalapeño on a platter. Arrange the avocado slices on top. Scatter the cilantro leaves all over.
  2. Whisk together the lime juice, salt, hot sauce and oil together and drizzle all over salad. It’s best not to toss this salad, otherwise the avocados will get messy. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt if necessary. A sprinkle of flaky sea salt is nice.
  3. Serve with tortilla chips on the perimeter of the platter or crushed on top, if desired.
Notes
The amounts for the ingredients are merely guidelines. Feel free to adjust quantities to suit your taste.

 

 

 

California Nicoise Salad Recipe

california nicoise salad | pamela salzman

I just arrived in New York for my annual summer vacay with my parents, my sisters and their families.  We’ve descended upon my parents’ house in Long Island for a week of old fashioned backyard fun with a few trips to the beach and the ice cream parlor.  It also involves some serious menu planning for 12-16 people at any given meal.  If such persons were all adults, this task would be less challenging than if half of them were children ages 1-19.  But I love a challenge!

blanching green beans | pamela salzman

Sometimes for lunch we’ll make a giant composed salad where each component has its own space and I serve the dressing in a small pitcher on the side.  I notice the kids (and picky adults, in general) eat much more of a composed salad than a tossed one.  My son, Mr. Picky, can always find something to choose from a composed salad versus one that is tossed, especially if there’s one ingredient that’s offensive and touching everything else.  Touching ingredients is a deal breaker!! This version of a classic Nicoise salad is always a winner, plus it’s one of my favorite salads of all time.

how to cut an avocado | pamela salzman

The classic typically contains oil-packed tuna, hard boiled eggs, tomatoes, green beans (usually the small haricot verts), Nicoise olives, and boiled potatoes.  It’s a perfect salad for summer because it can all be prepped ahead and served cold or at room temp.  And it’s a meal unto itself.

nicoise prep | pamela salzman

But I have made so many versions of this salad subbing chicken or slow-roasted salmon for the tuna or even white beans for the tuna for a vegetarian version.  Regular string beans for the haricot verts.  Even cucumbers have worked nicely.  But in this version, which I call a “California Nicoise,” I sub in the very Cali avocado for the potato, because everyone seems to be watching his or her carbs lately!  Because of the versatility of this salad, it was a hugely popular in my classes last summer with everyone — Paleo-types, vegetarians, vegans, gluten-free peeps and so on.

california nicoise salad | pamela salzman

Visually, I think this salad is so beautiful and quite healthful, too.  It is well balanced with high quality protein, fat and lots of veggies.  I love using the very best tuna for this salad.  I featured this Tonnino oil packed wild tuna in a recent Five Friday Favorites and it is perfect here.  If you want to use standard canned tuna, just drizzle a little olive oil on top for added flavor.

california nicoise salad | pamela salzman

Green beans can be blanched, radishes sliced and eggs boiled the day before and refrigerated.  But again, feel free to sub other ingredients if that would make you happy.  And if you notice more takers than usual for this salad, perhaps employ the composed method for other salads too!

5.0 from 1 reviews
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California Nicoise Salad
Author: 
 
Ingredients
  • For the dressing:
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • ½ Tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 Tablespoons champagne or white wine vinegar
  • ⅓ cup unrefined, cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
  • 8 ounces haricot verts (thin French green beans) or string beans, trimmed
  • 2 Tablespoons kosher salt
  • 4-6 hard-boiled large eggs,**peeled and halved lengthwise
  • 1-2 cans high-quality tuna, preferably packed in olive oil, drained and broken into pieces
  • 1 large avocado, cubed***
  • ½ cup olives, preferably Niçoise
  • ¾ pound cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 4 radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
  • Bibb lettuce leaves to line platter, if desired, or shredded as a bed for the lettuce
Instructions
  1. Whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a medium bowl or shake in a screw-top jar.
  2. Prepare a bowl of ice water for the green beans. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add kosher salt. Add the beans and set a timer for 3 minutes. After beans have cooked for 3 minutes, test for tenderness. They should be crisp-tender, but not taste raw. Drain and immediately submerge in the ice water bath. Drain after 5 minutes or so and pat dry. Can be done the day before and refrigerated.
  3. Assemble the salad by arranging ingredients in separate groups. I like to line the platter with lettuce either just under the tuna or the entire platter. Drizzle everything with dressing or leave on the side for each person to dress his/her own salad.
Notes
*Ingredient amounts can vary based on preferences.
**Place uncooked eggs in a saucepan and cover with water. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Cover, turn off heat and time for 10 minutes. Rinse with cold water or transfer to a bowl of cold water. Can be done a day ahead and peeled before serving.
***the avocado is in place of the traditional boiled, small new potatoes. But use 1 pound of potatoes if you prefer.

 

Fiesta salad with salsa vinaigrette recipe

Whenever I plan the amount of food I make in my classes, I always make sure I have tons of whatever salad I am teaching.  96% of my students are women and women loooooove salad.  And so do I.  I could eat salad for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  First course, side dish or main course.  I love lots of color, texture and juiciness.  And I love playing around with what’s in season.

toasted pepitas | pamela salzman

One of my pet peeves is a salad of lettuce, tomato and cucumber all year round.  People, this is so boring and completely out of synch with the seasons, unless it is summer.  Get some red cabbage in there or some microgreens, herbs or radishes.  Or something creamy like avocado, feta or peaches.  Crunchy like nuts, seeds or jicama.  There are infinite possibilities for salads and every meal is more complete and more delicious with a salad in it.

cutting an avocado | pamela salzman

If you are planning a Mexican or Tex-Mex meal for Cinco de Mayo or otherwise, this salad is perfecto.  It is super simple as it is written, but I will offer you a dozen ways you can make it more interesting and I’m sure you can come up with a dozen more.  The best part of this salad is the dressing, which uses salsa or pico de gallo as the base.   Chances are, if you are having a Mexican-inspired meal, you very likely have salsa on hand.  And this is a great recipe to make the day after your Mexican meal when you likely have leftover salsa on hand.  Speaking of dressing, I love this salsa vinaigrette not only only a salad, but on top of grilled fish, chicken or steak, too.  Or on a big platter of grilled veggies.

salsa vinaigrette | pamela salzman

In these photos, I used fire-roasted corn, but if you can’t find it or corn isn’t in season yet, use pinto beans.  Shredded chicken or steak is amazing in here, as are cucumbers, grilled red onions or zucchini, cubes of Monterey Jack cheese or tortilla strips.  If you want to add all these, go ahead and make lots more dressing.  The dressing stays fresh in the refrigerator as long as the salsa is fresh.  The pico de gallo in the pictures is made fresh at my Whole Foods, but it only stays good for about 4 or 5 days.

One of the best things about a salad as part of your meal is that you can usually prep the whole thing in advance and just assemble at the last minute.  This salad is no exception.  Greens can be washed and dried two days ahead.  Vinaigrette can be made 2 days ahead. Radishes can be sliced the day before.  This really is the perfect salad for your fiesta!

 

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Fiesta Salad with Salsa Vinaigrette
Serves: 6 as a side dish (double to serve as a main dish)
 
Ingredients
  • Vinaigrette:
  • ½ cup fresh pico de gallo (pulse it in the food processor if it’s too chunky)
  • 3 Tablespoons unrefined, cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ - ¾ teaspoon sea salt or to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 2-3 teaspoons raw honey
  • a couple pinches of chili powder
  • 2 ears of corn, shucked or 1 ½ cups thawed frozen fire-roasted corn or cooked pinto beans
  • 8 cups chopped lettuce like Romaine or Butter lettuce
  • 1 cup thinly sliced radishes
  • 1-2 ripe avocados, sliced or cubed
  • ⅓ cup pepitas, toasted and drizzled with ¼ teaspoon olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt OR sub a handful of tortilla strips instead of the pepitas
Instructions
  1. To make the vinaigrette, whisk all the dressing ingredients in a bowl until combined. Set aside.
  2. Preheat a grill to medium. Grill corn directly on the grill, turning occasionally until lightly charred on all sides. Remove from the grill and place on a cutting board. Cut the kernels off the cob.
  3. Place the lettuce, corn kernels, radishes, avocados and pepitas in a salad bowl. Dip a piece of lettuce into the dressing and taste for seasoning. Drizzle salad with enough dressing to coat lightly and combine gently.
Notes
You can substitute finely shredded cabbage for some of the lettuce, add shredded Jack cheese or crumbled Cotija cheese, shredded chicken, steak or chunks of grilled salmon or shrimp.  Also, different salsas have different acidity levels, so taste the dressing before adding to the salad and season accordingly.

Charred Corn Salad with Tomatoes and Avocado Recipe

Charred Corn Salad with Tomato and Avocado

I am at the end of my summer visit with my family on Long Island and I am starting to pout.  “I don’t wanna go home!”  Believe me, home, which is Manhattan Beach, California, is not so shabby.  But it’s not getting out of bed at 7:30 am (instead of 5:30.)  It’s not wine at lunch AND dinner.  It’s not lingering at the table outside without a sweater for hours.  It’s not falling asleep to crickets at night.

 

 

 

Invert a small bowl inside your serving bowl to cut corn

cut corn right into the bowl

I love summer and I love it more on the East Coast.  It’s the way I think we should all be living regularly – present, in the moment, grateful for what we have.  I associate summer produce with this emotion, too.  Strange, but true.  When I think of tomatoes and corn, I always think summer.  And therefore I think of freedom and happiness and relaxation and good times.  That’s what comes to mind when I see real, seasonal, local tomatoes and corn.  They make me HAPPY!  When summer rolls around, I am jumping for joy every week when I come back from the farmers market.  “Guess whaaaaat, kids?!  Corn is baaaack!”  They are a little over it.

cube the avocado right in the shell

What I know for sure is that this corn salad is a winner.  It’s simple and nutritious and darn delicious and it screams “Hey there, summer!”  You can do most of it ahead of time which is the way I like to operate.  I personally love corn with a little char on it.  It’s a bit smoky and goes really well with the touch of smoked paprika or ground chipotle in the recipe.  But, if you are lucky enough to get just picked (as in, a few minutes ago) corn, go ahead and cut it raw.  Such a treat!  I know corn is controversial because most of it is genetically modified, but if you can find certified non-GMO or organic, I say go for it!  Add a little protein, like a veggie burger or some grilled shrimp and you have the perfect summer meal.  Hope you have a safe and fun July 4th!

charred corn salad with tomatoes and avocado

5.0 from 1 reviews
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Charred Corn Salad with Tomatoes and Avocado
Author: 
Serves: 4-6
 
Ingredients
  • 4 ears of corn, husked
  • 2 green onions, sliced (thinly sliced red onion can be substituted)
  • 1 large tomato, chopped
  • 1 avocado, cubed
  • 2 ½ Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 2 Tablespoons unrefined, cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder or a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. Heat your grill to medium-high. Grill the corn directly on the grill, turning frequently, until the corn has nice char marks on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from grill. When cool enough to handle, cut kernels from cobs and transfer to a large serving bowl.
  2. Add remaining ingredients to corn. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if necessary and more lime juice, if desired.
Notes
The corn can be made 3 hours ahead of time and kept at room temperature.
The salad can be assembled 1 hour ahead of time and kept at room temperature.

Avocado Toast

perfect avocado toast | pamela salzman

A perfect avocado completes me.  I have a mild obsession with them.  If you gave me a choice between mashed avocado on a piece of toast or an ice cream sandwich, I honestly wouldn’t even think twice about it!  I am more addicted to avocados than I ever was to sugar.  Hmmm, ok maybe not completely true.  But I have a healthier relationship with avocados.  Right now is my favorite time of year, because I’ve got all my besties — tomatoes, peaches, figs, corn, basil and Reed avocados.  What’s a Reed avocado?  If you don’t know the answer, I already feel sorry for you that you haven’t experienced the mother of all avocados.  In my humble opinion, Reeds are TOPS, at least in this country.  My mother-in-law often reminisces about avocados from her native Puerto Rico and I have a student from Mexico who thinks that hers are the best.  I think they’re both just feeling nostalgic, because I don’t know how you can beat a Reed.

amazing Reed avocados

Just look at them!  They’re as big as softballs with a generous ratio of meat to pit and soooooooo creamy and rich.  Sinful!  But they’re not, because avocados are amazingly good for you.  Perfect, untouched, non-oxidized, healthful fats, plus fiber and loads of Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant.  Avocados are an incredible food for little ones whose brains are developing.  And I think they’re an awesome beauty food — so great for your skin.  Also, this happens to be a drying time of year, especially for the lungs and wouldn’t you know avocados are lubricating to the lungs, as well as to the intestines.  Love it.

How to Cut an Avocado

 

How to scoop an avocado from its shell

I have so many recipes on my site which use avocados, from salads to dressings to soups to smoothies.  But my favorite way to eat an avocado is on toast.  The contrast between soft and buttery avocado and crunchy toast makes me swoon.  Ditch your Saturday morning bagel and cream cheese and go this route on a good whole grain bread.  Delicious and so much better for you!  There are lots of ways I prepare avocado toast and I posted a few images here.  Most of the time, I eat this for breakfast either on spelt or millet toast.  But it’s also the perfect afternoon snack for you or your kids.  The fat in avocados really keeps you satisfied for so much longer than a popsicle or a bags of chips.  Not that you eat that, but if you did, avocado toast is a way better snack.  Right now, I’m buying Reeds at the farmers market 3 for $5 and I have also seen them in Whole Foods for $2.50 each.  I’ve been suckered by some markets with their $.69 avocados, and 90% of the time, they’re horrible.  That feeling of slicing into an avocado that looks like it should be good and then isn’t is THE WORST!

Avocado with Wild Smoked Salmon

My advice to you is buy your avocados underripe and allow them to ripen on the countertop.  If you try to buy them already ripe at the store, they’ve been squeezed a thousand times and that’s why they’ll have mushy brown spots when you open them.  Avocados are ripe when they give slightly to gentle pressure.  I have also found that when you remove the small dark stem from the top, if the color underneath is pale yellow, it’s ready!  Green means it’s underripe and brown or black means it’s going in the compost heap.  Once they are ripe, you can refrigerate them until you’re ready to eat them.  Keep in mind that the skin of Reed avocados stay perfectly green even when ripe, as opposed to Haas which turn dark brown/black.  And now the bad news.  Reed avocados are only in season from August through October so enjoy them while you can!

Avocado Toast with Tomato

Are you an avocado toast fan?  What’s your favorite combo?

avocado toast

There really isn’t a “recipe” for this, just a few of my favorite combinations.  I like a lot of avocado on my toast, but you may choose to have less.  Just go with whatever seems right to you.

Mashed or sliced avocado  on toasted or grilled bread with:

~a squeeze of lime, a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of red chili flakes and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.

~thinly sliced smoked wild salmon or lox and a squeeze of fresh lemon.

~sliced ripe tomato with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt.  A drizzle of olive oil is good, too.

~a drop of shoyu or good quality soy sauce, a drizzle of toasted sesame oil and a sprinkle of sesame seeds or gomasio.

~a fried egg and a pinch of salt.  A sprinkle of chopped chives is nice, too.

Tex-Mex Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins Recipe

Tex-Mex Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins by Pamela Salzman

I know time flies when you’re having fun, but these days I think it flies because everything moves at warp speed, whether you’re having fun or not.  And sometimes I think it’s not very fun when life happens so quickly, especially when you’re eating good food!  Eating is one of my greatest pleasures in life.  Thankfully I get to do it several times a day, every day.  But very few things annoy me more than having to rush through a very delicious meal.

Tex-Mex Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins by Pamela Salzman

That’s what I was thinking the other day when I made these stuffed sweet potato skins.  I enjoyed them so much that I didn’t want them to end.  Need help with your math homework?  No problem!  Come back in 20 minutes.  Ooops.  Forgot to call my mom back.  She can wait.  I have a sweet potato party on my plate and I’m not ready to leave.

Tex-Mex Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins by Pamela Salzman

Tex-Mex Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins by Pamela Salzman

Cinco de Mayo, one of my favorite food holidays, is just around the corner.  I know.  It’s MAY in like 5 days!  I had no plans to include this recipe on the blog but I made it on a whim last week and I knew I had to share it with you.  Although I can say with 99% confidence that you will never find this recipe on the menu of any Mexican restaurant, so maybe it’s not Cinco de Mayo fiesta fare if you are having people over.  BUT, the flavors here are totally South of the border and it’s such a healthful and satisfying meatless meal, you should make it no matter what day it is.

Sauteed onions, jalapeño, spices and cilantro

If you are not a sweet potato fan (stop it!  really?), then maybe substitute a baked potato.  But sweet potatoes are sooooooo nutritious and I never feel like I need dessert afterwards.  They’re the perfect natural antidote to my sweet tooth.  The best part of this recipe is the contrast between the creamy sweet potato and the smoky corn and a hint of spice.  I made these about as spicy as my family would like them, but you can go as hot as you want.  Serve with a green salad or some grilled asparagus and you’re all set.  My girls and I loved them, and Mr. Picky ate half of one and said they were “okay.”  I think if I had let him eat it with corn tortilla chips, he would have finished the whole thing.

sweetpotato

Tex-Mex Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins by Pamela Salzman

For those of you like me, who very much like to either prep some or all of your meals in advance, it’s your lucky day.  You can make this entire thing ahead and bake it just before dinner until it’s nice and hot.  Or assemble different parts of this ahead, like baking the sweet potatoes or sauteing the onions.  The cheese on top is very optional.  I had mine without, as did Mr. Picky, and still loved it.  My daughters added extra on top of theirs and asked me to tell you that they don’t think the cheese is optional and that if they were writing the recipe, they would double the cheese.  Okay, girls.  Have it however way you want.  Just don’t rush me.

Tex-Mex Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins by Pamela Salzman

5.0 from 1 reviews
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Tex-Mex Stuffed Sweet Potato Skins
Author: 
Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
  • 3 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed clean
  • 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen corn kernels, defrosted
  • 1 ½ cups cooked black beans or 1 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed
  • 1 Tablespoon unrefined olive oil, coconut oil or unsalted butter
  • ½ of an onion, chopped
  • 1 jalapeno, seeds removed and diced
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder (more if you like it spicy)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
  • ½ cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped
  • ½ ripe avocado, flesh scooped out
  • 6 Tablespoons shredded cheese, such as Cheddar or Monterey Jack or dairy-free Daiya (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, bake sweet potatoes until tender, about 45-60 minutes.
  2. While sweet potatoes are baking, place corn in a medium heavy cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Do not add anything else to the pan and do not stir so that the corn gets a little charred. Then toss a little and cook corn until browned and toasted on the outside. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add the black beans to the corn.
  3. You can use the same skillet to sauté the onion and jalapeno. Warm the oil in the skillet and sauté the onion and jalapeno until tender and translucent. Stir in the spices and salt and cook for 1 minute more. Add the cilantro to the pan and turn off the heat. Toss to combine the mixture and transfer to the bowl with the corn and beans.
  4. Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven. Allow to cool slightly so you can cut them easily or use rubber gloves if you’re in a rush and you don’t want to burn your fingers. Slice the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop most of the flesh out and leave the skins intact. I like to leave a thin layer of sweet potato to help these stay together better. Transfer the scooped out sweet potato to a large bowl and leave the skins on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
  5. Add avocado to the sweet potato in the bowl and coarsely mash together, but don’t make a puree. Add the corn, bean and onion mixture to the mashed sweet potatoes and stir gently to combine.
  6. Preheat the broiler in your oven and arrange the oven rack to the second level from the top. Scoop the filling into the skins. It might seem like you have too much, but you should use it all and make them nice and full. Sprinkle each with cheese if desired and broil for a couple minutes or until cheese is melted.
Notes
*If making this in advance, remove prepared sweet potato skins from the refrigerator and bake in a 350 degree oven until heated through, about 15-20 minutes.

Healthful Vegan Mint Chip Smoothie Recipe

I quietly went dairy-free recently which made me a little bummed out because I love yogurt and feta and Pecorino Romano cheese.  My acupuncturist was begging me for years to break up with dairy once and for all so that I might be able to stop complaining about this and that.  Sure enough, without getting too personal, going dairy-free (even sheep and goat) has been a positive move for me and I am pretty motivated to keep it that way.

I still give Mr. Picky raw milk and the girls eat their yogurt and cheese all the same.  But when I make something for all of us to share, I’ve been using lots and lots of almond milk, like in porridges and smoothies.  I haven’t gotten around to making almond milk yogurt yet, but I’d love to try.  In the meantime, I just made this crazy delicious mint chip smoothie that will keep my dairy cravings at bay forever!  Mint chip was always my favorite ice cream flavor and I love fresh mint in salads so how could I go wrong in a smoothie?  I took my Leprauchan Smoothie from last year with a few tweaks and a couple drops of peppermint extract, presto!  It’s so darn good, it tastes like a dessert even though it’s totally healthful enough to eat for breakfast.  Except for the chocolate chips.  Who cares!  It has 4 cups of spinach which you can’t even taste and a couple of dates for sweetness.  Not bad at all.  In fact, so stinkin’ good!

My kids were even freaking out.  This is one of those things you’ll make for St. Patrick’s Day because it’s green and you won’t stop making it.  The only thing I don’t love about it is that it’s cold.  And cold first thing in the morning when the weather is still a bit chilly is a bummer for your digestive system which has to work extra hard to bring up the temperature of your stomach to where it likes to be.  I try not to give the kids cold smoothies first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, and definitely not in the winter.  Serving this with warm oatmeal or porridge is a better idea, or after a workout, or when the weather warms up a bit.

But I’d rather see you drink a cold smoothie in the middle of winter than anything with gross green food coloring.  I just cringe when I see cupcakes with artificially-dyed frosting or green bagels.  If you need some convincing, please read this article from Healthy Child Healthy World about why you need to go dye-free.  In the meantime, go get yourself a giant bag of naturally green, chlorophyll-rich, nutrient dense SPINACH and enjoy some delicious St. Patty’s Day pancakes with a mint chip smoothie to wash it all down!  🙂

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Healthful Vegan Mint Chip Smoothie
Author: 
Serves: makes 2 medium sized drinks
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk or milk of choice*
  • 4 pitted dates or sweetener of choice to taste
  • 4 cups spinach leaves
  • ½ ripe avocado, pitted and peeled (optional, but good if you are trying to eat more high quality fats)
  • 1 frozen ripe banana, cut into chunks (this should be peeled before it’s frozen--click here for tips on freezing fruit)
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 2 cups ice
  • 2 Tablespoons chocolate chips or raw cacao nibs
  • To garnish (optional): 2 mint sprigs and some shaved chocolate (I used a vegetable peeled on a dark chocolate bar.)
Instructions
  1. If you have a high-powered blender, such as a Vita-Mix, place all the ingredients EXCEPT the chocolate chips into the blender and process until smooth.
  2. If you do not have a high-powered blender, the dates may not get blended completely and may leave tiny little bits of date in the smoothie. If that bothers you, blend the almond milk and dates together and then strain the mixture. Add the remaining ingredients to the blender (EXCEPT the chocolate chips) with the strained almond milk and blend until smooth. Or just use honey or maple syrup to sweeten instead of dates.
  3. Add the chocolate chips and pulse just a couple of times to break them up a bit. Divide between 2 glasses and garnish with a mint sprig and chocolate shavings, if desired.
Notes
*If you want to use a sweetened vanilla almond milk or other sweetened vanilla milk, you can omit the dates and vanilla extract and sweeten to taste.