Spicy Beans with Coconut Milk

I clipped this recipe out of Southern Living years ago. It was submitted by Judy Johnson of Birmingham, Alabama. The coconut milk, lime, and curry paste give it a tangy delicious flavor. You can print the recipe here.

Spicy Beans with Coconut Milk

1 sweet onion, chopped
Vegetable cooking spray (I just use Canola Oil.)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 to 2 tablespoons red curry paste (depending on how spicy you like it)
2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (13.5-ounce) can lite coconut milk (I always use regular coconut milk.)
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 cups hot cooked basmati or long grain rice

Toppings: 2 green onions, chopped; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Saute chopped onion over medium-high heat 5 minutes; add garlic, and saute 1 minute. Add red curry paste; saute 1 minute. Stir in kidney beans, diced tomatoes, coconut milk, and next 4 ingredients.

Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Serve over basmati rice, and sprinkle with topppings, if desired.

Julie's Note: I use Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste.

Tomato-Chicken Salad

This salad is perfect for late summer when all the vegetables and herbs are fresh from the garden. It was a big hit with my family--definitely a keeper. I found the recipe in Southern Living last year. You can print it here.

Tomato-Chicken Salad

Preheat grill to 400˚ to 450˚ (high) heat. Rub 6 (1-inch-thick) ciabatta or French bead baguette slices with a garlic clove; brush with extra virgin olive oil. Grill bread 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until toasted.

1 lemon
2 lb. assorted tomatoes, halved or chopped
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 large English cucumber, sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup sliced green onion
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Grate zest from lemon to equal 2 tsp.; squeeze juice from lemon to equal 2 Tbsp. Combine lemon zest, juice, tomatoes, and next 8 ingredients in a large bowl. Let stand 10 minutes. Toss with crumbled feta just before serving.

Julie's Note: I toasted the ciabatta in the oven for a few minutes rather than on the grill.



  

Beef and Lime Rice Salad

This is a delicious summer main dish salad. The recipe was printed in Southern Living magazine years ago and was submitted by Tamy White of Hartwell, Georgia. I use a rice cooker for my rice so the procedure is modified slightly. You can print the original recipe here.

Beef and Lime Rice Salad

1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 1/2 cups long grain rice (I cook this in my rice cooker.)
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Toppings: salsa, shredded Cheddar cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream, chopped tomatoes, chopped green onions, avocado slices

Cook rice in rice cooker until done.

Cook beef in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until it is no longer pink. Stir in salt, cumin, lime rind, lime juice and cooked rice.

Eat right away or chill and serve cold. Serve with desired toppings.

Tahoe Salad

Kellie had this salad when she spent a few days in Lake Tahoe last month. It doesn't really have an official name, so we dubbed it "Tahoe Salad." It is simple and FABULOUS.

Tahoe Salad

tomatoes
corn
black beans
avocados
green onions
fresh lime juice
salt and pepper to taste

Julie's Notes: Instead of diced tomatoes, Kellie used grape tomatoes and cut them in half lengthwise. We also used fresh corn, but frozen would be fine.

Cucumbers in Sour Cream

Cucumbers in Sour Cream Sauce

3 medium cucumbers
1/2 pint dairy sour cream (1 cup)
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white vinegar
3/4 teaspoon sugar
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Fresh Dill

Peel cucumbers. Slice into thin rounds. Place slices in a strainer and let drain 1 hour or longer. In a medium bowl, mix remaining ingredients. Add cucumbers and toss lightly. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving or up to 8 hours. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Chicken Cashew Pasta Salad

This is a great summer main dish salad I found in my local paper.

Chicken Cashew Pasta Salad

8 ounces tri-color fusilli pasta, cooked, drained

Dressing:

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup light soy sauce

1/3 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sesame chili oil

3 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons fresh ginger root, grated

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1/3 cup green onions, sliced

1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced

3 cups cooked, cubed chicken

1/2 cup salted cashews

1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

6 cups fresh spinach, torn into small pieces (or baby spinach)

Prepare pasta, rinse in cold water; place in large bowl.

Whisk together the oils, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, ginger root and pepper for dressing and pour over pasta. Add onions and bell peppers and marinate overnight or a couple days, depending on when you need it. Just before serving add chicken, cashews, sesame seeds and spinach.

Julie's Notes: I used a 13.25 ounce box of whole wheat rotini pasta instead of the tri-color fussili. I also added a whole red pepper and substituted sweet onion for the green onion since I had that in the house.

Thai-Style Peanut-Cabbage Salad

This is a fantastic summer salad. I love that it has a slight Thai-flavored "kick", and I'm always a fan of peanuts and fresh basil. The recipe comes from Relish Magazine, and you can print it here.

Thai-Style Peanut-Cabbage Salad

Dressing:
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 T water
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 T soy sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
2 T peanut oil
1 tsp. finely grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp. salt

Salad:
1/4 lb. blanched green beans
4 cups baby spinach
2 cups slivered green cabbage
3 green onions, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, slivered (I diced mine.)
2/3 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts
1/4 cup chopped basil or mint (optional)
1 1-ounce package roasted vegetable chips or sweet potato chips, lightly crushed

To make the dressing, combine brown sugar, water, garlic, and pepper flakes in a jar with a lid. Add remaining dressing ingredients. Shake well.

To make the salad, toss together all salad ingredients except peanuts, basil or mint and vegetable chips. Immediately before serving, drizzle about 2/3 of the dressing over the salad. Toss well. Sprinkle with roasted peanuts, herbs and vegetable chips. Pass remaining dressing at the table. Serves 4-6.

Marinated Noodles and Cabbage

Memories of my Grandma Carlson always accompany this salad for she was the one who first made it for me.

Marinated Noodles and Cabbage

1 (3-oz) package ramen noodles with chicken flavor
1/4 cup cooking oil
3 tablespoons rice vinegar or wine vinegar (I use red wine vinegar.)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups finely shredded cabbage
1 (6 3/4 -oz) can chunk-style chicken, drained (I used a 12.5 oz can--Kirkland brand from Costco.)
1/4 cup sliced green onion
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
3 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted (I used slivered because I had them on hand.)
green pepper rings

Break up noodles in noodle mix. In mixing bowl combine oil, vinegar, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, dash pepper, and seasoning packet from noodle mix; stir to dissolve seasonings. Stir in broken noodles, cabbage, chicken, onion, and sesame seeds. Cover. Chill several hours. Before serving, stir in almonds. Garnish with green pepper. Serves 6 to 8.

Julie's Notes: I added pimiento for a bit of color. Red pepper would work well too.