Kitchen3N

Recipes and food fun from Apt 3N

Mushroom and Carrot Salad

My best friend Moury and I are total health nuts…NOT!

She has sworn off salad greens and fruit. I am a dessert fiend and thanks to my husband, no stranger to midnight snacks (though not nearly as bad as he is…ahem empty pint of green tea ice cream sitting in recycling bin). But now, as I’m trying to lose the remaining baby weight, I’m trying to take baby steps towards better health (pun!).

Step 1: cut back on dessert!

Step 2: reduce carbs

Step 3: make the move to whole grains (I’m at multigrain bread for now, but still haven’t hopped on the brown rice bandwagon)

SInce, like Moury, am not crazy about salad greens (arugula being an exception) I try to come up with salads that I can really enjoy. And trust me, this is GOOD!

Adapted from Giada’s Fresh Mushroom and Parsley Salad.

Ingredients:

  • 2 carrots
  • 1/2 package mushrooms
  • handfull of chopped parsley
  • juice from 1 lemon
  • 2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
  • salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Peel and thinly slice the carrots (at an angle for aesthetics). Thinly slice mushrooms. Combine with parsley in a bowl. Drizzle over the lemon juice and olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Let stand for 10 minutes to let all the flavors infuse the mushroom and carrots (since they are raw).

Guacamole

For a long time, I hesitated on posting my take on the classic appetizer, guacamole. Mainly because it’s so far removed from a traditional guacamole, I hesitate to even call it that (avocado salsa is more like it).  In fact, a Mexican former colleague of mine completely dismissed the notion that I could even make guac for lack of a Molcajete – a Mexican mortar and pestle made from a highly porous volcanic rock. Apparently, true guac can only be achieved in a Molcajete that has been pre-seasoned with a thin layer of ground poppy seed.

On the other end of the spectrum, you have the Americanized, sour cream filled Applebees version. Not that I don’t enjoy guac in just about all its forms, but given my husband’s affinity for it, I wanted a version that would be a healthy accompaniment to weeknight meals (why adulterate a perfectly good fat with the saturated fat in sour cream? save that room for dessert!). And thanks to Trader Joe’s ridiculously affordable avocados, this has become a staple in our house.

Some final thoughts on my guac/avocado salsa:

  1. Once again, a highly South Asian tinged recipe, as is evident by the green chilis (you can sub jalapenos or serrano peppers – whatever you have on hand).
  2. With the price of avocados at most places, tomatoes are a great way to stretch a buck if you’re making it for a party (just add more salt and lemon/lime juice accordingly). The creaminess of the avocados will still shine through!
  3. I leave mine cubed to minimize browning but feel free to mash it.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Haas avocado
  • 1 Roma tomato (or half a large tomato)
  • 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 green chili, finely choppedd
  • 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon or lime juice (about half of the fruit)
  • 3/4 tsp salt (or to taste)

Directions

Score the avocado and dump the pieces into a bowl (here’s a tutorial if you’re not sure how: http://whatscookingamerica.net/avacado.htm). Cube the tomato and add it to the avocado. Add the rest of the ingredients and combine. Serve with tortilla chips, toasted baguette slices or on top of your favorite tacos.