California Chipotle Chopped Salad

With the summer weather we've had the past two weeks, I've been in the mood for summer veggies. Of course, by the time I bought the stuff to make this California Chipotle Chopped Salad, the weather turned cooler. Still...this salad is amazing! I'm usually not one to gush over salads, but this one is a winner.

The chipotle-seasoned black beans, cilantro, and avocado complement each other perfectly; the dressing is lime-y, tangy, sweet, and refreshing; the romaine, tomatoes, and red onion round are a good base; and super-nutritious quinoa is always a welcome addition. I predict this will be my go-to summer salad that I'll bring to potlucks and serve to guests on lazy summer evenings on my patio.

California Chipotle Chopped Salad
Recipe from April 2012 Fitness Magazine
Servings: 4

• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 head romaine lettuce, cut or torn into bite-sized pieces
• 1 large tomato chopped or cherry tomatoes cut in half
• 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 avocado, pitted and diced
• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

1. To make dressing: Puree 3 tablespoons oil, vinegar, agave nectar, and lime juice in a blender.
2. In a small saucepan, heat remaining oil over medium heat. Saute black beans, garlic, chile powder, and salt for 5 minutes. Let cool.
3. In a large bowl, combine lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, quinoa, black bean mixture, and cilantro. Toss gently with dressing to coat.

Creamy Broccoli Mushroom Bake

Yes, this Creamy Broccoli Mushroom Bake from Vegan Yum Yum is an ugly duckling recipe as promised, but it was good. I liked the technique of this casserole dish though: process broccoli and mushrooms, saute them with onions and olive oil, mix in an alfredo sauce and grains, top with breadcrumbs, and bake. I don't think I've ever processed my veggies like that before for a casserole.

It was very good, but not a winner in my book because

1. The alfredo sauce, while really good, called for two tablespoons of Earth Balance margarine. Two tablespoons! Maybe I'm too much of a Happy Herbivore-ian now, but I just don't think you need so much (or any) margarine for something to taste good. 
2. The alfredo recipe called for an optional two to four cloves of garlic. I love garlic so put in nearly four, and the final dish tasted overwhelmingly of garlic, I didn't mind it because I like garlic, but I'd have liked to taste the broc, shrooms, and sauce too. 
3. It was not filling at all. I eat protein, whole grains, and veggies at every meal to keep me satisfied. I had to pair this with a lentil soup or baked tofu or a chickpea salad to make a complete meal, and by that time the calorie count for this meal was, I'm guessing, way higher than I need.

Still, if you don't mind pairing this dish with a protein, love strong garlic flavor or choose to omit, and don't care about the bad margarine, it was pretty good. I'd be interested in making another version with a Happy Herbivore alfredo sauce and some chickpeas added to the mix.

Creamy Broccoli and Mushroom Bake from Vegan Yum Yum

• Alfredo sauce recipe is here (the recipe uses a slightly tweaked version)
• 1 cup cooked orzo (I used brown rice)
• 2 1/2 cups broccoli processed to a fine mixture
• 1 cup mushrooms processed to a fine mixture
• 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil (I used 1)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup breadcrumbs (I used panko)
• salt & pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and saute until softened and beginning to brown. Add the processed broccoli, shrooms, and salt. Saute until the mixture cooks down slightly and the veggies are soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn off the heat.
2. Add the brown rice and alfredo sauce, and mix everything up.
3. Lightly oil a medium casserole dish, pour the mixture in, top with bread crumbs, and spray with cooking spray then the smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. 
4. Baked covered at 400F for 25 minutes; uncover and bake for 5 minutes more.

Red Beans and Rice

Yesterday I made Red Beans and Rice from 125 Best Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes by Judith Finlayson. I'm not a big OMGer, but OMG--it was out of this world! My omnivore husband loved it too. This would be a great dish to take to a potluck--it will knock the socks off of people. I'm sure I'll go back to this recipe a lot. I served it with Easy Whole Grain Flatbread.

Red Beans and Rice
Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry red beans, such as kidney, pinto, cranberry or romano (I used pinto)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 4 stalks celery, diced
• 6 cloves garlice, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano leaves
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cracked black peppercorns
• 3 cups vegetable stock (I used a flavorful stock I made using roasted veggies)
• 1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped (I used 1 jalapeno and 2 chipotle chilis in adobo sauce, plus a few teaspoons of the sauce to give it a smoky flavor)
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped (I don't like bell peppers so didn't use them)
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, optional (I had no idea what the difference in taste would be with the vinegar; I used about 3/4 tbsp)
• 1 cup long-grain rice, cooked
• Finely chopped green onion, parsley, or cilantro (I didn't use)
• Hot pepper sauce (original was very spicy; I didn't use)

Instructions

1. Soak the beans at least six hours; I soaked them overnight. Drain and rinse and set aside.
2. In a skilled, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and celery and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, salt, and peppercorns and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add beans and stir to coat. Transfer to slow cooker stoneware. Add vegetable stock and stir well.
3. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, until beans are tender. (My beans were tender in just 5 hours, perhaps because of my longer soak.) Add jalapeno peppers, chipotle chili in adobo sauce if using, green pepper and vinegar if using. Cover and cook on High for 20 minutes, until pepper is tender. Stir in rice. Garnish with green onion and serve with hot pepper sauce, if desired.

Weight Watchers PointsPlus (I calculate points using the Recipe Builder tool on WeightWatchers.com): 4