texas caviar

Best-Ever Texas Caviar

Rating: 4.73 stars

This is a yummy Texas caviar made with black beans and pinto beans instead of black-eyed peas. Serve with scoop-style tortilla chips as a great party appetizer.

By Cassie Cooper

prep:

35 mins

total:

35 mins

Servings:

10

Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black eyed peas, rinsed and drained
• 2 (15 ounce) cans white corn, rinsed and drained
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles, undrained
• 1 jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped (optional)
• 1 red bell pepper - cored, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1 bunch cilantro leaves, finely chopped
• ½ cup rice vinegar
• ½ cup olive oil
• ⅓ cup white sugar
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

flatbread pesto

425 degrees

naan
pesto
mozzarella slices/shredded
spinach & arugula
crushed red pepper
cherry tomato halved

10-13 minutes

Stir fry

Spring Veggie Stir-Fry

• Author: Cookie and Kate
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 4 side servings
• Category: Side dish
• Cuisine: Chinese

Ingredients

• ¼ cup Fusia Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce (regular soy sauce is too salty!)
• 2 tablespoons SimplyNature Organic Wildflower Honey or maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons arrowroot starch or corn starch
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 large clove garlic, pressed or minced
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper (scale back or omit completely if you’re sensitive to spice)
• 1 tablespoon SimplyNature Organic Coconut Oil or your cooking oil of choice
• 1 small red onion, root and tip ends removed and cut into ¼-inch thick wedges
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into very thin rounds
• Pinch of salt
• ½ bunch (½ pound) thin asparagus, tough ends removed and cut into 2-inch long pieces

Instructions

1. In a liquid measuring cup, combine the soy sauce, honey, cornstarch, ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes. Whisk until blended and set aside.
2. Warm the oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and carrots and a pinch of salt. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring every 30 seconds or so, until the onions have softened, about 4 to 5 minutes. (If at any point you catch a whiff of something burning while making this stir-fry, dial back the heat a bit.)
3. Add the asparagus and cook, stirring every 30 seconds, until the carrots are starting to caramelize on the edges and are easily pierced by a fork, about 3 minutes.
4. Pour in the prepared sauce and cook, while stirring constantly, until the sauce has thickened to your liking, about 30 to 60 seconds. Remove from heat and serve as a side dish as-is, or turn it into a main dish by serving it with rice, fried eggs or tofu.

Notes

Make it gluten free: Use gluten-free reduced-sodium tamari instead of regular soy sauce.
Make it vegan: Use maple syrup instead of honey

Pan seared snapper

Ingredients

• 1/2 medium bok choy (about 1/4 pound)
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
• 1 carrot, scored lengthwise and sliced thin crosswise
• a 1 1/2-inch piece peeled fresh gingerroot, cut into fine julienne strips (about 1/4 cup)
• 2 tablespoons Scotch
• 2 cups low-salt chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 scallions, cut into 2-inch julienne strips
• 2 small (4 to 5 ounces each) red snapper or other white fish fillets with skin
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder

• Garnish: fresh coriander sprigs

Preparation

Cut leaves from bok choy stalks, keeping leaves and stalks separate. Slice leaves thin and cut stalks diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
In a large heavy saucepan heat 1 teaspoon of each oil together over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and stir-fry bok choy stalks, carrot, and gingerroot 1 minute.
Add Scotch, broth, and sugar and simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Add bok choy leaves and scallions and simmer, covered, 3 to 5 minutes, or until tender. Season broth with salt and pepper and keep warm, uncovered.
Pat fish dry and rub cornstarch and curry powder into skin of each fish fillet. Halve each fish fillet on the diagonal.
In a 9-inch non-stick skillet heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil together over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté fish, skin sides down and pressing flat occasionally with a metal spatula, until golden, about 2 minutes. Turn fish and sauté until just cooked through, about 2 minutes more.
Divide broth between 2 bowls and top with fish, skin sides up. Garnish each serving with coriander sprigs.

NOTES:

I usually sub onion for scallion and put it in with the ginger
Can sub sake for scotch
Usually use whatever seasoning in lieu of currry
Any leafy greens for bok choi.  Spinach

baked flounder

1. 4 flounder fillets (2 pounds total)
2. Salt and freshly ground pepper
3. 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4. 1/2 cup coarse fresh bread crumbs
5. 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
6. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. In a large baking dish, season the fish fillets with salt and pepper. Mix the Parmesan with the bread crumbs, melted butter and olive oil and sprinkle over the fillets. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the fish is cooked and the topping is golden. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving

can use panko instead of breadcrumbs 

pan seared red snapper in ginger broth

• 1/2 medium bok choy (about 1/4 pound)
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
• 1 carrot, scored lengthwise and sliced thin crosswise
• a 1 1/2-inch piece peeled fresh gingerroot, cut into fine julienne strips (about 1/4 cup)
• 2 tablespoons Scotch
• 2 cups low-salt chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 scallions, cut into 2-inch julienne strips
• 2 small (4 to 5 ounces each) red snapper or other white fish fillets with skin
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder

• Garnish: fresh coriander sprigs
•  
• Cut leaves from bok choy stalks, keeping leaves and stalks separate. Slice leaves thin and cut stalks diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
  In a large heavy saucepan heat 1 teaspoon of each oil together over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and stir-fry bok choy stalks, carrot, and gingerroot 1 minute.
  Add Scotch, broth, and sugar and simmer, covered, 5 minutes. Add bok choy leaves and scallions and simmer, covered, 3 to 5 minutes, or until tender. Season broth with salt and pepper and keep warm, uncovered.
  Pat fish dry and rub cornstarch and curry powder into skin of each fish fillet. Halve each fish fillet on the diagonal.
  In a 9-inch non-stick skillet heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil together over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté fish, skin sides down and pressing flat occasionally with a metal spatula, until golden, about 2 minutes. Turn fish and sauté until just cooked through, about 2 minutes more.
  Divide broth between 2 bowls and top with fish, skin sides up. Garnish each serving with coriander sprigs.
   
•  subbed green beans & spinach for bok choi

Roasted Pork Tenderloin

• 2 large cloves garlic
• 1½ teaspoons coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 trimmed pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each), at room temperature

Top this
Make a simple sauce by adding a little water to the roasting pan and scraping the brown bits from the bottom.

Directions:

1. Position a rack near the bottom of the oven and preheat to 500°. Mince together the garlic, salt, sage and pepper. In a small bowl, combine with the oil. Rub all over the meat and place the tenderloins side by side but not touching in the smallest roasting pan that will hold them. Roast for 10 minutes, flip over and roast again until the internal temperature registers 155° on an instant-read thermometer, about 8 minutes more. Let rest for about 10 minutes (the internal temperature should reach 160°). Slice into ½-inch-thick slices.