Oh, hello Cilantro!

Hands down, one of my favorite ingredients to use is cilantro, which is actually the Mexican word for the coriander plant.

This is the actual plant

I absolutely love the fresh, citrus taste it adds to any dish.  If I see it on the ingredient list on a menu item, I am more inclined to try it, because for me, cilantro makes everything better.

This is what we're all familiar with, commonly confused with parsley.
Just take a whiff and you'll be able to tell them apart!

I've also discovered that eating it can do some pretty awesome things for your body as well.  My dad, however, absolutely hates cilantro.  He says it tastes like soap.  I used to think he was just exaggerating, but in doing my research, it turns out that some people don't have the genetics to taste the herby, citrusy goodness and instead, taste soap.  I'm sure glad I didn't inherit that gene!

I also discovered an entire website devoted to boycotting cilantro. Members can post personal anecdotes about their "first time," submit Haiku's detesting the herb, and browse research (use your crap detectors people).

So, if you're taste buds are on the side of love for this lemony herb, give this recipe of mine a try.  It's a nice pasta salad that I think tastes great hot or cold. I figured it would be a good offering for the warm summer months that seem to be fast approaching.

Ingredients

Penne pasta, cooked according to box, and drained
1 can of red beans, rinsed and drained
Crumbled feta cheese
Red onion, sliced into thin ribbons

Dressing:
Extra-virgin olive oil
Lime juice
Cilantro
Salt & pepper

I pretty much eye ball the ingredients because you really can't mess it up!

Mix your dressing first and refrigerate it so that the flavors have time to blend.  I recommend squeezing the lime juice in your container first and then whisking the olive oil in with a fork as you pour so they incorporate nicely.  Then add your salt and pepper to taste.  Go easy on the olive oil and taste as you go so that you don't dilute the lime juice too much.

After you've prepped the remainder of your ingredients you can mix them together with your dressing*.  Voila!  You have a nice fresh, summer salad.

*If you want to eat this hot, don't refrigerate your dressing.  If you want to eat it cold, then rinse your pasta in cold water after it's cooked so it doesn't melt the cheese and warm your dressing.

So, I'm curious....Do you LOVE cilantro? Or, do you taste soap?

Do you have any fast and easy recipes you love to make in the summertime?

Peace, Love, & Yummy Stuff

Oh, hello Bell Pepper!

Lately I have been craving more veggies and so today I decided to share with you one of my favorite salads.  It combines a variety of my most favorite foods: beans, cheese, and bell peppers!  I started to do some research and was surprised to learn that bell peppers come in more colors than just green, red, orange, and yellow.  They can be black, brown, or purple too!  Which kind of makes sense since they're a part of the "nightshade family" that includes potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplant.

Red bell peppers are my personal favorite because they're sweet and taste good raw and cooked. Below is my recipe for what I call a Fiesta Salad, it's colorful, spicy, and tasty!  I didn't include many pictures because it's not very complicated.

Red Bell Peppers

Fiesta Salad
Ingredients
Your choice of greens
Black beans, drained
Red bell pepper, diced
Shredded cheese (I prefer the "Mexican" blend)
Tortilla strips
Brianna's Chipotle Cheddar dressing (this is important!) 

Directions
Add as much of each ingredient as your heart desires and dig in!! But of course, be mindful of how much dressing you add...that's where the healthy can easily slip into unhealthy if you're not careful!

These are the tortilla strips I use - found at your neighborhood Savemart

This is the most awesomest dressing and is what gives the salad a little kick! I had trouble finding it at Savemart even though they carry the brand, but WinCo seems to always have it on hand.

This is before the strips and dressing. I'm sharing this pick because I knew once I put it in my lunch bag it wasn't going to look as pretty.  I wait to add those two final ingredients if I'm not going to eat it until later.  Who wants a soggy salad?

Sometimes our best stuff comes out of desperation.  This was born out of stuff I had on hand.  I would love to hear some of your salad creations!

Do Share!

Peace, Love, & Yummy Stuff 

P.S.  I know the cheese in the picture is not the "Mexican" blend I love, but I was out, so I shredded some pepper jack.  I can never have enough spice :)  But after I did so, I wish I had used feta.  I think the tangy flavor of feta would have complimented the dressing nicely.