Tofu and Peppers

We enjoyed this simple dinner of Tofu and Peppers last night — simple in preparation yet rich in flavor.

The tofu is marinated in red Thai curry paste for an hour or so — I did this then went out to putter in the garden. A couple of hours later, I sautéed onions and peppers to yumminess. They served as a bed for the fried tofu, and a blender sauce of poblanos, onions and garlic provided the final flavor boost.

With roasted poblanos in the freezer, the meal was a snap to make.

I've previously made this dish with green Thai curry paste — also delicious. The poblanos I used this time were stashed in the freezer late last fall, when the peppers at the Hollywood Farmers Market were fully ripe red instead of the usual green. If I'd used green poblanos, the sauce would have been green not red. Then I might have used green Thai chili paste for color coordination.

Tofu and Peppers
14oz container firm tofu
1 tbsp red Thai curry paste
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, halved then sliced lengthwise in strips
1 red pepper, 1 green pepper and 1 orange pepper (I used a handful of orange lipstick peppers), cored,
seeded and slivered lengthwise
2 poblanos, roasted and peeled
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 shallot, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
juice of 1/2 lime

Cooking the tofu

Drain tofu and press for 5-10 minutes in a towel with a weight (like a jar of beans) on top. Cut it lengthwise into roughly 1/2 inch slices. Combine the curry paste with 1 tbsp water. Spread it on both sides of the tofu. Let sit at room temperature at least an hour. (2-3 hours is fine.)

Warm 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet. Cook the onion and peppers until soft and delicious.

Meanwhile, warm the other tbsp of oil in a heavy skillet. Add the tofu and let cook until crispy on one side, then flip and cook the other side. You can also cook the edges if you like.

While these are cooking, put the roasted and peeled poblanos in the blender along with the garlic, shallot, 1/2 cup olive oil and lime juice. Purée until smooth.

Put the peppers on a plate. Top with tofu, then pour the sauce liberally on top.

Serves 2 with extra sauce for another day.

Curried Tofu

Tofu is fast-food in our house. Press it a little, spread with a marinade, then fry it up for a great meal.

The other day I served this curried tofu with corn on the cob, wilted greens and coconut rice for a simple meal that hit the spot after a busy day.

The tofu, which was marinated in red Thai curry paste, was spicy with a good texture.

Here's what I did.

Curried Tofu
14 oz firm tofu
2 tbsp red Thai curry paste
1 tbsp tamari
1 tbsp lime juice

Drain the tofu, wrap it in a towel, and press it for 30 minutes (less is fine, but the pressing creates a firmer texture).

Meanwhile, whisk together the curry paste, tamari and lime juice.

Slice the tofu in 1/2 inch slabs. Spread the marinade on one side, turn the tofu and smear more on the other side. Use all the marinade.

Let the tofu rest a little while to absorb some of the flavor. Then heat a shimmer of oil in the bottom of a skillet and fry the tofu a few minutes on both sides until starting to crisp and blacken slightly.

Serves 2-3

Tofu marinating on a plate

Warm Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Lime

It's rare for me to buy fresh tomatoes out of season. Cherry tomatoes seem to travel better so I buy organic cherry tomatoes (grown in Mexico) for Larry's lunch salads all winter. They seem to taste okay, especially when dowsed in honey-balsamic salad dressing.

But the other day my local grocery store had organic vine-ripened tomatoes and I bought a few to stir into this warm salad of quinoa and black beans. The zest of the limes made the dish interesting, and the tomatoes added juiciness and color. I then went outside to encourage my tomato seedlings to grow faster — I'm ready for homegrown tomatoes.

Quinoa is a much-hyped high-protein grain. It's also really bitter, which is why I rinse it three times — the first time with boiling water. There's melted butter in the vinaigrette, which also helps soften the taste.

I came in from the garden and threw some black beans in the pressure cooker. While they were cooking (15 minutes once up to pressure), I cooked asparagus for our side dish, started the quinoa cooking, and whisked together the vinaigrettes for the asparagus and the quinoa salad. It took a little over 30 minutes to put dinner on the table, not too bad for a healthy meal made from scratch.

Warm Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Lime
1/3 cup dry black beans (or 1 can)
1 cup quinoa
2 limes
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 shallot, minced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Pick over the beans to remove any stones or debris. Rinse them, then cook in boiling water until tender (about 2 hours) or pressure cook for 15 minutes. (If they're still a little hard when you reduce the pressure, put the lid back on and let them simmer until they're tender. Don't overcook them — you want them to hold their shape.) Drain the beans and set aside. (Or open the can of beans, rinse well and drain.)

Put the quinoa in a sieve and pour boiling water over it. Drain well, then pour cold water over it twice. This thorough rinsing will wash off the bitter saponins. Cook the quinoa in a pot of lightly salted water for about 10 minutes until tender but not soft — al dente if you will. Drain it, return it to the pot, and leave it covered, off the heat, to rest 5 minutes or so until you're ready to use it. It will absorb any remaining water and become fluffy and dry.

Grate the limes to make 2 tsp of zest. Squeeze 2 tbsp of lime juice into a large bowl. Add the zest, melted butter and vegetable oil. Whisk in 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.

Add the black beans and stir well. If necessary, let the beans rest in the vinaigrette until the remaining ingredients are ready. Then toss in the quinoa, tomatoes, shallot and cilantro. Season with extra salt and pepper if needed.

Serves 4

Spicy Collard Greens

Larry gave me a fun cookbook for Christmas - Leon: Fast Vegetarian by Jane Baxter and Henry Dimbleby.

The focus is on simple but delicious vegetarian cooking. We have varying definitions on fast, but it's definitely approachable food, not fussy cooking.

I delved in and found a recipe for collard greens that I served with the black-eyed peas on New Year's Day.

Collards are one of Larry's favorite greens, and he particularly enjoyed them cooked with chili and turmeric. They were a great addition to a meal of black-eyed peas and cornbread.

Spicy Collard Greens
1 bunch (about 1 lb) collard greens
1 heaping tbsp dried (unsweetened) coconut
1/4 tsp tumeric
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin seed
1/2 tsp mustard seed
1 dried chile, crushed
3/4 inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
1 clove of garlic, crushed
squeeze of lime juice

Wash the collards and cut off the thick stem at the bottom. Roll them tightly like cigars and shred them finely across.

Combine the coconut with 1 tbsp of boiling water, the turmeric and chili powder. Stir well.

Warm the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until translucent. Add the cumin and mustard seeds, chile, ginger and garlic. Cook another 2 minutes.

Add the collards and sprinkle with a little salt. Stir well, then turn up the heat and stir vigorously. Let cook, stirring regularly, about 5 minutes, until the greens are wilted. If they stick to the pan, add a little water.

Stir in the coconut mixture and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.

Serves 4

Any leftovers can be stirred into cooked rice or reheated alone as a side dish.

Green Salad with Peaches and Pistachios

When we barbecue in peach season, as we did Sunday night, I like to serve this simple salad dressed with orange juice and scattered with pistachios. It makes a sweet juicy foil to whatever the grilled entrée is, and I can make it ahead and then just toss the salad with the dressing right before serving it. That's my kind of easy summer eating.

Green Salad with Peaches and Pistachios
2 tbsp pistachios
juice of 1 orange (about 1/2 cup)
juice of 1 lime (about 2 tsp)
1/2 tbsp olive oil
red butter lettuce, torn (about 4 cups)
1 ripe peach

Toast the pistachios in a small heavy skillet until fragrant and very lightly toasted. Set them aside to cool.

Pour the orange juice into the hot skillet and let it bubble down until it reduces to about a tablespoon of juice, about 10 minutes. Pour the juice into a heat-resistant bowl and set aside to cool.

Whisk the lime juice and olive oil into the cool orange juice and season with a little salt and pepper.

Just before eating, line a plate with the lettuce. Half the peach and take out the pit. Cut the flesh into bite-sized pieces. Sprinkle the pistachios on top.

Either toss the dressing with the salad, or serve it on the side so everyone can add their own.

Serves 2

Watercress and Avocado Sandwich

I placed the chicken wire over the pot to
keep the squirrels from digging up the earth.

Our watercress is growing well on the patio. It wilted in the recent ridiculously hot weather, but it bounced back with cooler (70s) weather.

I picked some spicy sprigs the other day and added them to a sandwich with an excellent avocado on Alvarado St. sprouted wheat bread.

There's nothing like fresh-picked greens to make a meal special.

But even if you have to buy your watercress at the market, you can have a delicious sandwich. (Although I recommend sprinkling some seeds on a pot of earth and seeing what you can grow.)

Before the top piece of bread is added.

Watercress and Avocado Sandwich

whole grain bread
avocado
watercress
lime
salt and pepper

Peel and slice the avocado. Put slices on one piece of bread. Squeeze lime juice over it. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Mash a couple of slices on another piece of bread. Place watercress over the mashed avocado.

Put the two pieces on top of each other. Enjoy.

Persimmon and Pomegranate Salad

Most of the food on our Christmas dinner table was brown - turkey, mushroom pie, stuffing, all three gravies - so I served this colorful salad to perk things up a little.

A little watercress and a serrano pepper from our garden added heat to the sweet fuyu persimmon and pomegranate. Walnuts added crunch and a sprinkle of cilantro added extra color. I served the salad on a bed of butter lettuce, but it would also have been pretty in a glass bowl.

Persimmon and Pomegranate Salad

2 lbs fuyu persimmons

juice of 1 lime

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 serrano pepper, minced

1 tbsp walnut oil

scant 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds

2 tbsp toasted walnuts

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Slice persimmon in half, then crosswise in half-moons. Remove any seeds as you go.

Whisk together the lime juice, cumin, serrano and walnut oil. Add a dash of salt. Taste on a piece of persimmon and add more chile if desired. Stir in persimmons and let sit until ready to serve.

Layer plate with lettuce (or put persimmons in glass bowl). Put persimmons on lettuce, then sprinkle with pomegranate seeds, walnuts and cilantro.

Serves 4

Fall Bean Salad

The beautiful peppers at the Hollywood Farmers Market inspired this chickpea salad. Because this is southern California, I was able to buy fresh asparagus at the market to add contrast. I could have used green beans instead.

It had good staying power - I took it for lunch 3 days in a row along with a green salad. I tossed the two together for an excellent lunch, followed by a farmer's market apple. Real food is a great break in a busy day.

Fall Bean Salad
1/2 cup chickpeas
juice of 2 limes
2 tbsp basil, chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
8 oz asparagus
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
12 kalamata olives

Pick over chickpeas and remove any stones or clumps of dirt. Bring a quart of water to the boil and add the chickpeas. Cover and simmer, adding boiling water from the kettle as necessary, until the chickpeas are tender - 2-3 hours.

Whisk together the lime juice, basil and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste

Drain the chickpeas and put in a bowl. Add the dressing and stir to combine.

Steam the asparagus until tender. Cut in 1 inch pieces and add to the chickpeas along with the chopped peppers. Pit and slice the olives and add to the salad.

Serve on lettuce.

Serves 4

Fennel and Orange Salad with Pomegranate Seeds

We ate chili and rice on Sunday night - an easy slow cooker meal - and I decided we needed something crisp and fresh as a complement.

I combined fennel, oranges and pomegranate seeds in this salad that was so yummy and pretty, I might put it on the Thanksgiving menu.

It's also simple, and still tasted good on the 2nd day when we ate it as a side with black quinoa in a pumpkin.

Fennel tastes like licorice but in this recipe the robust flavor is toned down by the oranges and honey, and contrasts well with the slightly spicy olives. (If you don't have spiced olives, add a dash of cayenne to the dressing.)

The key is to slice the fennel thinly, but not too thin. I cut a few slices with my mandolin, but decided they were too slender to give enough crunch. Instead, I just sliced them across with my knife. They softened a little in the dressing, but didn't become soggy.

Fennel and Orange Salad with Pomegranate Seeds
1 lb fennel bulbs
4 small oranges
9 spicy red pepper stuffed green olives
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp honey

Cut the fronds off the fennel bulbs and set aside, and remove the outer segments of the bulb, including any which are brownish. Cut in half lengthwise, and then cut out the core - a triangle at the bottom of each half - and discard it. Slice the remaining pieces of the bulb cross-wise and place in a medium-size bowl. Chop about 1/4 cup of the fennel fronds and discard the rest.

Wash and dry the oranges. Cut off each end (top and bottom) to reveal the orange pulp. Place one end on a chopping board, and cut down between the white membrane and the pulp to remove the peel. Once the orange is peeled, hold it over the bowl and use a small knife to cut between the segments, separating the pulp from the white membranes. Let the juice fall into the bowl with the segments - but not the seeds. Squeeze the remaining juice from the membranes before discarding.

Slice the olives and add to the bowl, along with the parsley and pomegranate seeds.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, red wine vinegar and honey.

Add the dressing to the salad, and stir in the fennel fronds.

Serve at room temperature or chilled. Serves 4-6

Halloween Pumpkin

When I saw black quinoa in the cupboard and a small pumpkin on the counter, I knew I had to combine them for a festive Halloween dish.

I had found Organic Royal Black Quinoa at my local grocery store. It's organic and fair trade from Bolivia, so I thought I'd give it a try.

Larry was dubious - he said this dish looked unattractive but tasted good, which I take as a compliment.

I was surprised to find the texture and look of the black quinoa more appealing than the red or white kinds, and combined with shiitake mushrooms and cashews it had great flavor.

I could have served the quinoa as a side dish instead of in a pumpkin, but I enjoyed the combination. If you don't have a pumpkin, any squash like an acorn or delicata or hubbard will work just as well. Cook it in the same way, checking for doneness more frequently if it's a small squash.

Black quinoa keeps its color

Halloween Pumpkin
1 small pumpkin or other winter squash
1 cup black (or other color) quinoa
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms
1/2 cup sliced scallions, white and green parts
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup roasted, salted cashews
1 lime

Make a few slits around the top of the squash (to make sure it doesn't explode while cooking) and bake it in a 375°F oven for 30-60 minutes until a thin knife slides in easily. Set aside.

Rinse the quinoa thoroughly in a fine mesh sieve, using hot water and then cold, to wash away the bitter saponins that coat the grain. Put it in a pot with 1 1/2 cups water. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce the heat so it simmers, and cook until the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Set aside.

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shiitakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are slightly crisp. Stir in the scallions and cook, stirring frequently, until they wilt. Remove from heat and stir in the soy sauce and vinegar. Stir in the quinoa and cashews, making sure to combine well. Then grate the zest of half the lime over the grain, and squeeze the juice from one half. Taste and add pepper and lime juice to taste.

Slice the top off the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds and stringy insides. Pile the quinoa inside - there will be a lot leftover to serve on the side.

I carved the pumpkin into wedges to serve, and spooned the quinoa filling alongside on the plate. The quinoa did not hold together, but it all looked pretty together. I also could have scooped the flesh from the pumpkin along with some grain. Or just eaten the quinoa alone, which we will be doing as leftovers.

Serves 4-6

Bean Salad with Rooster Sauce

This was a pretty salad for Halloween week - black beans, orange cherry tomatoes, red peppers, and rooster sauce (Sriracha) to give it a kick.

Bean salads are great to eat daily - they are low in calories and high in fiber and antioxidants - and if you make a batch of bean salad you can easily scoop it into containers for the lunch box. (I take mine along with a green salad, then mix the two together to get a very healthy meal that, along with an apple, sustains me through my busy day.)

Bean Salad with Rooster Sauce
1 cup black beans
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp rooster sauce
1/2 cup orange cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
juice of 1 lime

Cook the black beans in plenty of simmering water until tender. Drain. Put in a bowl and stir in the vinegar and rooster sauce. Let cool to room temperature.

Stir in the remaining ingredients.

At this point it can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Before serving, stir in extra lime juice if desired.

Serves 4

Heirloom Tomatoes

It is not often that I buy heirloom tomatoes. They look pretty, but I'm not convinced the taste appeal is worth the hefty price tag. I put cherry tomatoes in our salads; otherwise I tend to cook tomatoes, and the regular red organic ones are fine.

This week, however, I decided to serve heirloom tomatoes as a side salad. I sprinkled them with olive oil, salt and pepper and lime juice. They went beautifully with a simple dinner of tofu and rice.

Spicy Bean Salad

This week I don't want to be inside in the kitchen. I'd rather be outside enjoying the flowers and birds and summer light. So the other day I put a hotplate on the patio table and cooked some Christmas lima beans while I puttered in the garden, close enough to keep an eye on the pot but not tethered to the stove.

When the beans were cooked, I drained them, then used the hot plate to fry up some onion and spices. These went into the beans along with some lime juice, herbs, corn and tomatoes to make a colorful warm bean salad.

We ate this slightly spicy summery dish outside on the patio - it's the best place to be on these long summer evenings.

Christmas limas are large meaty red and white beans. You could use kidney beans or cannellini beans instead, or even chickpeas. If you're using canned, drain 2 14-oz cans of beans and rinse them well. Start the recipe at the second step.

Spicy Bean Salad
2/3 cup dried Christmas lima beans
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp ginger root, finely chopped
1 tbsp curry powder
1 1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup rice vinegar
juice of 2 limes
1 1/2 tsp roasted sesame oil
12 oz packet frozen corn, thawed
1/2 cup slivered red onion
4 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

Cook the beans in plenty of boiling water until tender, 90-120 minutes depending on the age of the beans. When they are tender but not mushy (take one and cut through it - it should be cooked all the way through), drain them and set aside.

Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion, garlic and ginger root until the onion is translucent, stirring occasionally. Add the curry powder and turmeric and cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

Add the beans, thyme, vinegar, lime juice and sesame oil. Stir to combine, then cook until all is heated through.

In a large bowl, combine the thawed corn, red onion, and tomatoes. Stir in the contents of the skillet.

Serves 6

Black Bean and Corn Salad

Beans are one of the healthiest foods we can eat - full of fiber, protein, antioxidants, B vitamins, iron - plus they're inexpensive, and they travel well in the lunch box.

A bean salad and a green salad combine to make an excellent portable meal.

I make one or two bean salads a week for our lunches. The variety is infinite - beans never have to be boring. Here's the colorful salad we're eating this week.

Black beans cook quickly in boiling water - usually in under two hours without soaking. You want them to be tender, but not mushy. If you prefer to use canned beans, 3 to 4 14-oz cans will do.

I still have some of last year's poblanos in the freezer. (You can see how I froze them here.) If you are not so lucky, substitute a red or green pepper, or a jalapeño if you'd like a little heat. Or skip the pepper completely. Make sure you use organic celery - the non-organic kind is one of the most heavily pesticided vegetables. Fortunately, safe celery is becoming easier to find in the organic section of grocery stores. Also, pick up a couple of extra limes - it's nice to squeeze a little more lime juice over the salad before serving or packing in a lunch box.

Black Bean and Corn Salad
1 1/4 cups dried black beans (turtle beans)
10 oz packet frozen corn kernels (about 2 cups)
1 poblano, roasted and peeled, seeded
3 stalks celery
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup slivered red onion
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup olive oil

Pick over the beans, discarding any small stones or clumps of dirt. Wash them well, then cook them in plenty of boiling water, partially covered, until they are tender - 90-140 minutes depending on the beans. Drain and put in a large bowl.

Cook the corn in a small amount of boiling water until tender - 2-3 minutes. Chop the poblano and celery into bite-sized pieces. Add them to the beans along with the corn, grape tomatoes, and red onion.

Whisk the salt, cumin and lime juice together. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Dress the salad and let it sit at room temperature for half an hour for the flavors to meld.

Serve immediately, or refrigerate for a few days. Serves 6-8

Mango and Watercress Salad

Our local supermarket has been selling organic mangoes recently, and I can't resist buying them, eating them, and then planting the pits in hopes of growing a mango tree.

We mainly eat them in our morning fruit, but the other day I made this Asian-inspired salad with watercress picked from a pot on our patio (near the pot of soil containing yet-to-sprout mango pits) and a dressing of soy sauce and roasted sesame oil.

It sounded a little weird when I described it to Larry, but he was game, and we both thoroughly enjoyed it.

I think it would be good even without the mangos, although they do provide a sweet counter-balance to the heat of the watercress and the salt of the soy sauce.

Mango and Watercress Salad
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 tsp roasted sesame oil
2 tbsp lime juice
2 drops tabasco
2 tsp soy sauce (preferably tamari)
salt and white pepper to taste
2 cups sliced romaine lettuce
2/3 cup loosely packed watercress, coarse stems discarded
1/4 cup grated carrot
1 tbsp cilantro, leaves torn
1 tbsp mint, leaves torn
1/2 mango, peeled, pitted and diced

In a small bowl, whisk together oils, lime juice, soy sauce, tabasco, and salt and pepper to taste.

Toss the romaine with a little dressing and spread on a large plate. Arrange the watercress and cilantro in layers on top, then scatter the herbs over top. Finish with the diced mango.

Serve the dressing on the side.

Serves 2

Bean and Rice Salad

I really love leftover rice. I freeze it to use later in rice and greens casserole (I wrote about a version with dandelions here). I toss it with vegetables to make fried rice.

However, this week I had an annoying amount left over, about 1 cup, not enough to serve the two of us. So I added it to my lunchtime salad.

I cooked 1/3 cup of appaloosa beans and tossed them with the rice. I added 2 tangelos and some cilantro. I tossed the salad with lime juice and olive oil.

Beans and rice together create a complete protein, and the citrus is extra good during cold and flu season. The cilantro helps the body release heavy metals.

But I really enjoyed it because it tasted good. If you have leftover rice, I encourage you to toss it with beans, citrus and cilantro to make a fun and colorful salad.

Cashew Coconut Kale

I like to cook greens a few times a week. They are full of minerals to strengthen our bones and nourish our nervous systems. Usually I either steam the greens or sauté them in a little oil with salt and chile flakes.

But the other day I tried this recipe from Moosewood Restaurant Celebrates, and found it to be really good. The picture is of the kale before I added the coconut-cashew mixture. Afterwards it was less photogenic, but really delicious. It's a little more work than just stir-frying the kale, but the flavor of the cashew-coconut sauce is worth it.

Cashew Coconut Kale
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, diced
2 tbsp oil
1/3 cup salted cashews
juice of 1/2 to 1 lime
1/2 cup coconut milk (freeze the rest of the can to use another day)
1 tsp curry powder
1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped

Sauté onion, garlic and jalapeño in oil about 10 minutes until onion is translucent.

Meanwhile, blender the cashews, lime juice and coconut milk until smooth. Start with the smaller amount of lime juice, and add more to taste.

Add the curry powder to the frying onions. Cook 1 minute. Add the kale, along with the water still clinging to its leaves. Add a sprinkle more water if it looks too dry. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally and adding water if needed, 5-8 minutes until tender.

Stir in the cashew-coconut sauce. Stir to coat. Cook until it's warmed through and serve.

Serves 3-4

Black Bean and Orange Salad

I picked a couple of oranges off our tree to combine with black beans in this colorful salad. Grapefruit, corn and cherry tomatoes added to the festivity, and the zingy dressing of lemon and lime juice made it fun to eat.

As usual, I recommend adding some red onion (maybe a quarter cup) to add a little bite. I used an anaheim pepper, because that's what I had, but a red pepper would work too (although then a jalapeño to add some punch would be nice). One morning I added some diced avocado to the container I was taking to work - that was a nice addition.

Bean salads are very flexible. The key is to use lots of good flavors, and enough salt to help the flavors shine through.

Black Bean and Orange Salad
1 cup black beans, cooked (or 2 14-oz cans)
1 cup frozen corn, defrosted
1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
2 oranges
1 grapefruit
1 anaheim pepper
1/4 cup cilantro
1/4 cup lime juice (from 2-3 limes)
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

If using dried beans, cook them in plenty of boiling water until they are tender but not mushy, about 2 hours depending on the age of your beans. Drain them and put in a large bowl. (This can be done ahead).

Add the corn and cherry tomatoes to the beans.

Slice the ends off the oranges and grapefruit and then slice down each side to remove the peel and pith. Then you have 2 choices of how to proceed.

For the very beautiful look, hold the orange over the bowl of beans, and cut from the outside to the center along one of the membranes. Then turn the knife so you're cutting the segment away from the membrane on the other side. Let the juice drip into the beans. Cut the segment in 2 or 3 pieces and add it to the beans too. Once you've segmented the whole orange this way, throw away the pith.

The second option leaves some of the pith on the segments. This is not as pretty, but it is healthier. The pith is where the bioflavanoids are, and we need those to enhance our immune systems. Once you've peeled the grapefruit as above, cut in half from top to bottom, and then cut each half in four wedges (as if you were cutting them into segments, but not worrying about cutting along the membranes). Then cut the pithy core off the wedge, and cut the remaining wedge into pieces and add them to the bowl. (This is way easier to do than to describe.)

Seed and dice the pepper and add it too, along with the cilantro.

Make a dressing by whisking together the lime and lemon juices, olive oil and salt. Add it to the beans and stir gently. Taste and add more salt or lime juice to taste.

Before serving, taste and season again. The beans absorb more flavor as they marinate in the dressing.

Serves 6

Bean Salad with Lime

Limes are plentiful at the Hollywood Farmers Market at the moment. I brought some home and used them in the bean salad we ate this week. Larry says it's hard to stop eating, it's so good.

I made it with the Christmas lima beans I buy at the farmers market. They have a great texture for bean salad - I hesitate to call them meaty, but they do have a munchiness to them. Cannelini or kidney beans would be good too.

If you're using canned beans, use 3 14-oz cans. Drain them and rinse them well to get rid of the tinny flavor.

And if you'll be home for a couple of hours of an evening, try cooking dried beans. Let them simmer on the back burner while you cook dinner, making sure to keep them covered with an inch of water at all times, and taste one occasionally to see if it's cooked - not crunchy, but not mushy either. If you've never liked bean salads because of the texture of the beans, cooking them from scratch will convert you, because you have complete control over what texture the beans will have.

A little red onion would be a nice addition - I don't eat raw onions when I'm working out of consideration for my afternoon clients, but on a weekend it would be good.

Bean Salad with Lime
1 1/4 cup Christmas lima beans or other large bean
1 1/2 limes
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
1 large stalk celery, diced (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup cilantro

Cook the beans in simmering water until tender but not mushy.

Squeeze the limes and put the juice into a large bowl. Add the olive oil and some salt and pepper. Whisk well.

When the beans are cooked, drain them and add them to the bowl with the dressing. Let cool, stirring occasionally. Stir in the celery and cilantro.

Taste before serving and add extra salt, lime juice or cilantro to taste.

Serves 4-6

Arugula and Lime Salad

Arugula is a zesty green. When you can find small leaves of wild arugula at the market, pick them up to toss with lime juice and garlic in this simple salad that gives a lift to any meal.

It also adds a boost of nutrition. Arugula is in the cruciferous family, so it has the anti-cancer benefits of cabbage and broccoli. It's also high in antioxidants, vitamin C, and bone-supporting minerals.

Arugula and Lime Salad
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime (about 2 tbsp)
1 tbsp cilantro
2 tbsp olive oil
1 bunch arugula (4-6 cups)

Mash garlic with a little salt. Whisk together with lime juice, cilantro and olive oil. Season to taste.

Wash and dry arugula. Remove any really thick stems. Put in a bowl. Toss with a little of the dressing, just enough to coat. Serve the extra dressing on the side.

Serves 4