RECIPE: Escarole and Radish Salad with Vinaigrette

Difficulty Level: EASY

Ingredients:

3 anchovies

1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
5 tablespoons olive oil
Small bunch radishes
1/2 large head escarole

1. To make the vinaigrette, chop the anchovies finely and put them in a medium bowl. Add the vinegar, a good pinch of salt and several grinds of pepper and whisk to combine. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking constantly to emulsify the dressing. Set aside.

2. Scrub the radishes under running water and trim off the tops and tails. Slice them into thin matchsticks (you should have about 1 cup julienned radish). Put in a large salad bowl.

3. Clean and dry the escarole and slice it into 1/2-inch ribbons (you should have about 5 cups). Add to the salad bowl.

4. Toss about two-thirds of the dressing with the salad, taste and add more if you like. Serve immediately.

RECIPE: Zucchini and Avocado Soup

Difficulty Level: Intermediate

Makes 4 (1 cup) servings

Per serving: 108 calories, 7.5 g total fat (1 g saturated fat),

10 g carbohydrate, 3 g protein, 5 g dietary fiber, 285 mg sodium.

Ingredients:

1 cup vegetable broth
3 cups chopped zucchini (about 2-3 medium zucchini)
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion, divided
1 medium Hass avocado
1/8 tsp. ground cumin, optional
3/4 cup unsweetened plain almond milk

Cucumber Salsa (as topping for soup):

1 cup peeled, seeded, diced cucumber (about 1 medium cucumber)
1½ Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice, divided
Salt to taste

Directions:

In large saucepan over high heat, combine broth, zucchini and 1/4 cup onion. Cover and bring to a boil. Uncover, reduce heat and let simmer 6 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for 20 minutes.

To make salsa: In small bowl combine cucumber, remaining onion, cilantro and 1 tablespoon lime juice. Season with salt to taste. Toss well, cover and refrigerate.

In blender, combine zucchini mix, avocado, cumin, if using, remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice and almond milk. Cover and purée until smooth. Leaving soup in blender container, refrigerate it for 2 hours.

When ready to serve, re-blend soup. Add additional almond milk for thinner consistency, if desired.

Pour into serving bowls. Top with salsa and serve.

RECIPE: Shamir Yogurt Soup

Difficulty Level: EASY

Note: For those of you who like tzatziki and other cucumber soups, this soup was invented by my Israeli cousins, The Shamirs. It so happens that shamir means dill in Hebrew, so this is a great pun since it uses dill as a main ingredient. Don't forget the walnuts - they are a great addition! -Aliya Cheskis-Cotel

Ingredients:

-Equal proportions yogurt to water (get a big container of yogurt, empty it into a bowl, fill container with ice water and empty the water into the bowl)

-Peeled cucumbers sliced very thinly
-1 tbsp. Oil
-1 tbsp. Vinegar (not Balsamic)
-crushed garlic
-walnuts (whole)
-a big bunch of dill (aka shamir), chopped (or cut up with scissors)
-salt
-pepper

Combine all ingredients, and enjoy!

TIPS: Cucumbers

Cucumbers belong to the same plant family as squash, pumpkin, and watermelon (the Cucurbitaceae family). Like watermelon, cucumbers are made up of mostly (95 percent) water, which means eating them on a hot summer day can help you stay hydrated.

However, there's reason to eat cucumbers all year long. With vitamin K, B vitamins, copper, potassium, vitamin C, and manganese, cucumbers can help you to avoid nutrient deficiencies that are widespread among those eating a typical American diet.  Plus, cucumbers contain unique polyphenols and other compounds that may help reduce your risk of chronic diseases and much, much more.

Cucumbers should be stored in the refrigerator - this will extend their life by a few days as opposed to storing them on the counter.  However, they typically won’t stay fresh for more than 5 days.  One recommended method for storage is to wrap each cucumber individually in a paper towel, then put all cucumbers wrapped in paper towels inside the plastic bag.  Put the plastic bag with the cucumbers in a refrigerator and keep the bag on a  shelf toward the front of the refrigerator, which tends to be warmer.

Best uses: Peel waxed cucumbers; unwaxed ones need only a light scrubbing. Cucumbers are tastiest served raw, as in a side salad.

RECIPE: Sweet and Tangy Pineapple-Cucumber Salad

Serves 4 to 6
Difficulty Level: EASY

 

Serve as a side dish or condiment. It is also delicious rolled into lettuce wraps.

Ingredients:
• 3 cups chopped fresh pineapple

• 2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and sliced

• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

• 1/4 cup roughly chopped mint

• 1/4 cup lime juice

In a large bowl, gently toss all ingredients together and serve.

RECIPE: Creamy Poblano Pepper Strips (Rajas)

Total Time: 45 min
Prep: 10 min
Inactive: 10 min
Cook: 25 min
Yield: 4 to 6 servings (or 2 cups)

Difficulty Level: Easy

 
Ingredients:

6 fresh poblano chiles

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium white onion, thinly sliced

2 ears corn, kernels removed

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup Mexican crema or creme fraiche

1/2 cup, shredded Monterrey jack cheese

Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

Char the poblano chiles directly over the gas flame on the stove or under the broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in a plastic bag and let steam for about 10 minutes. 

Add the oil to a heavy large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the corn and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Set aside. 

Peel and seed the chiles. Cut the chiles into 1/4 to 1/2-inch strips (rajas) and add the strips to the onion and corn mixture and saute until the corn is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the heavy cream and Mexican crema and cook until bubbling, about for 8 minutes. Add the cheese and stir until melted and smooth. Season the rajas with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a serving dish and serve.

TIPS: Poblano Peppers

1)  Short Term Poblano Pepper Storage:

Place the fresh peppers into a brown paper bag and store in the crisper section of the refrigerator. Poblano peppers will hold their flavor and quality for 1 week.

2)  Long Term Poblano Pepper Storage 

Poblano peppers freeze quite well. Poblano peppers will keep their best quality for 6 to 8 months if stored in an airtight container or heavy-duty freezer bag and frozen at 0 degrees F.  There are various ways to do this:

 

- Spread out the individual raw peppers on a baking sheet, freeze them solid, then transfer the individually frozen peppers to a freezer container, OR

- Slice or chop the raw peppers; blanch, cut in half, de-seed, then freeze, OR

 

- Roast the Poblano peppers, leaving the skin on, then freeze, OR

-  Peel the Poblano peppers to improve the texture by removing the waxy skin, then roast, then freeze.