Taco Salad

I haven’t tried this yet, but it came in an email from America’s Test Kitchen and looks WONDERFUL!

RECIPE: Taco Salad
Fast-food restaurant versions of this salad often use poor-quality ingredients. We wanted a healthier recipe that we could prepare quickly at home. To start, we used very lean (90 percent) ground beef to cut down on grease and omitted the tortilla “bowl” by simply adding tortilla chips instead. For a spicier taco salad, add a pinch of cayenne to the meat mixture. If you like, top this salad with diced avocados, shredded pepper Jack or cheddar cheese, minced red onion, or sour cream.

Serves 4 to 6

• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Table salt and ground black pepper
• 1 pound 90 percent lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 hearts romaine lettuce, shredded
• 2 tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped
• 4 cups corn tortilla chips, broken into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro

1. Combine lime juice, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/3 cup olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste in small bowl.
2. Heat remaining teaspoon oil in large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add beef and cook, breaking up clumps with wooden spoon, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add remaining garlic, remaining teaspoon cumin, and chili powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste and water and simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, and cover to keep warm.
3. Toss lettuce, tomatoes, and chips with lime juice dressing in large bowl. Divide salad among individual plates and top each portion with some meat mixture. Sprinkle with cilantro and any additional toppings (see suggestions above). Serve.

Black Bean Salad

I LOOOOVE black beans!  And this salad is awesome as a summery salad.  It’s also good to add to tacos or to serve with tortilla chips.

2 cans black beans, drained & rinsed

2 cans mexicorn, drained

1 small can greet chiles, drained

½ red onion, diced

5 roma tomatoes, diced

1 can pineapple tidbits, drained

2 avocadoes, diced

¼ c. cilantro chopped

½-3/4 c. lime vinaigrette

¼ tsp. cumin

2 Tbsp. honey

Salt & Pepper

Toss beans, corn, chiles, onion, tomatoes, pineapple, avocadoes and cilantro in large bowl.  In separate bowl, blend the lime vinaigrette, cumin & honey.  Pour ½ of the dressing over salad, adding the rest as needed.  Add salt and pepper to taste

Fusilli alla Caprese

Not only is my little brother in love with Giada, he’s also addicted to anything caprese.  Here’s her AWESOME caprese pasta salad.

1 pound fusilli pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered (about 1 1/2 pints)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, torn
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)

 

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta into a large bowl and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

In a medium skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper. As the tomatoes cook and soften, smash them with a fork. Continue to cook until the tomatoes make a chunky style sauce, about 4 minutes. Transfer the tomato sauce to the bowl with the pasta. Toss to combine. Add the basil leaves and mozzarella. Stir to combine. Add the reserved pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, until the pasta is moist. Serve.