Spring Recipes

Achiote Black Bean Tacos with Grilled Avocado and Goat Cheese

July 13, 2012 by The Partial Ingredients

Who knew you could grill avocados? I had no idea until I read the recipe for these tacos. I loved the idea of tangy goat cheese coupled with the avocado slices and honey lime dressing. It sounded like the perfect quick summer meal so I knew I had to give it a try! I thought a good spice blend of black beans seasoned with achiote seed, cumin, coriander and smoked paprika would be a great addition to these tacos. The avocados had a slightly different flavor after grilling that was unique and hard to describe. I guess the flavor became a little more smokey with a stronger avocado smell. The tacos were really good! I especially liked the simple honey lime dressing to give the filling some brightness.

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Rhubarb Crisp

May 13, 2012 by The Partial Ingredients

For Mother’s Day I wanted to post my mom’s rhubarb crisp recipe I enjoyed every summer as a kid. In the backyard there was a big rhubarb plant and once the stalks were ripe she would cut some off and make rhubarb crisp! Her recipe is easy and not including the rhubarb you probably already have the ingredients at home. Oats, butter, brown sugar and cinnamon cover a layer of chopped rhubarb. Then it’s baked in the oven and the result is soft and melty on the bottom with crispy oats on the top. I topped the crisp with fresh whipped cream. Mom’s recipe is a winner!

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Korean Grilled Chicken Burrito with Pickled Onion & Cucumber Relish

May 2, 2012 by The Partial Ingredients

For Cinco de Mayo I have been trying some tex-mex dishes with an injection of Korean flavors. So far I have been enjoying these recipes a lot. This recipe is all about the combination of spicy and sour flavors. The grilled chicken and salsa bring the spiciness while the cucumber relish brings the sour and sweet. The creamy avocado and queso fresco mellow everything out and the result is a really tasty burrito. It wasn’t hard to assemble but prepping the fillings beforehand does take time. To make it easier, I made the red salsa days earlier which shortened the prep time by an hour or so. I would recommend marinating the chicken for a few hours before grilling so the flavors can come together. Garnishing the burrito with a little lime juice at the end helps prevent the avocado slices from browning.

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Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad with Balsamic Grilled Chicken

April 6, 2012 by The Partial Ingredients

It feels like Spring in Central California and I wanted to have a meal that fits with the seasonal transition. This salad was the solution as it perfectly balances wintery beets and goat cheese with fresh greens and grilled chicken. For some added flavor and color I threw in some sliced red cabbage and red onion as well. The greens can be red leaf lettuce, spinach or mixed greens but I went with the red leaf lettuce. The result was a delicious salad and all the flavors worked so well together! The tangy grilled chicken and creamy goat cheese made a great pair. This salad was a great way to bring winter and summer flavors together. I drizzled the salad with balsamic vinegar for a little more tanginess, but this salad would work fine without salad dressing.

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Israeli Couscous Greek Salad

March 23, 2012 by The Partial Ingredients

I had the idea of using couscous in a warm Greek salad for a while now. I decided on Israeli couscous just because the pasta is larger and works better as a salad. The recipe reminded me a lot of the Lebanese Tabbouleh, though the flavors are definitely grounded in Greek cuisine. The recipe resembles a classic Greek salad as it contains olives, lemon juice, feta cheese, tomatoes and red onions. What gives the recipe a twist is that the salad is warm and the onions and tomatoes are lightly sauteed. The result was a delicious side dish that was great with the Chicken Kalamaki.

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Chicken Kalamaki (Yogurt Lemon Chicken)

March 19, 2012 by The Partial Ingredients

Kalamaki (or Souvlaki) is a Greek food that can be made with chicken, beef or vegetables. The meat is marinated and grilled on a skewer. I marinated the chicken in lemon, yogurt and oregano for a few hours before grilling. It was a simple marinade of fresh ingredients that went really well with the flavors of the grilled chicken. Putting the chicken on a skewer is optional but it does end up being more fun to eat.
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Olive & Dill Deviled Eggs

February 29, 2012 by The Partial Ingredients

I am a big fan of deviled eggs and there are so many good recipes to choose from. For lunch, I made a batch of black olive and dill deviled eggs which turned out to be really good. The key to making good deviled eggs is a properly cooked hard-boiled egg (which is harder than it seems). The yolk should be moist on the inside, have a smooth uniform color, and not be too flaky. Use older eggs, not fresh eggs for hard-boiling. I had success cooking the eggs on a low boil for 5 minutes, turning off the heat, and running them under cold water/refrigerating them for 15 minutes to cool off. Cooling the eggs in the refrigerator allows for easier peeling and it helps prevent the eggs from cooking after they are removed from the water. After the hard part is over, the fun part can begin–choosing the ingredients to use in the deviled eggs. The standard is mayonnaise and dijon mustard with a dusting of paprika. You can add bacon, pickles, chives, etc. Basically the possibilities are endless with deviled eggs.

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Pulled Moroccan Chicken Sandwich with Roasted Red Peppers and Yogurt Dill Dressing

February 27, 2012 by The Partial Ingredients

Whenever I have leftovers I try to think of creative ways to use them. I had two chicken thighs from the Moroccan Chicken I made the other day and I decided to make a pulled chicken sandwich out of the leftovers. I recently made some Moroccan yogurt and dill dip and it seemed like it would go really well on a sandwich too. To give the sandwich some extra flavor I added some roasted red peppers which provided a nice pop of color as well. Overall the sandwich was a tasty way to use leftovers. The savory flavors of the chicken paired nicely with the roasted peppers and fresh yogurt dressing.

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Farfalle with Preserved Lemon and Sun-dried Tomatoes

February 17, 2012 by The Partial Ingredients

I have a lot of preserved lemons now that they are ready to use. I thought that a nice pasta dish would taste great with those lemons and this is what I came up with. It came out pretty well and all the flavors tasted good together. The sun-dried tomatoes, lemons, olives, and capers were delicious. I was originally going to use diced tomatoes but when John suggested sun-dried tomatoes I had to try it. I didn’t add any cheese but I think this recipe would be great with a little feta or parmesan on top.

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Pesto Pasta with Paprika Grilled chicken

October 15, 2011 by The Partial Ingredients

As soon as I made my first batch of spinach pesto I threw it on penne along with some spicy grilled chicken. The paprika rubbed chicken added a nice counterpoint to the creamy pesto sauce. Even though it was a simple spice rub (paprika and olive oil) it tasted great. Before grilling, I tenderized the chicken by pounding it thin. The pasta was flavorful and the warm colors of the chicken and green pasta were very pleasing to the eye as well! I topped the pasta with a little crumbled feta and walnuts.

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