Whenever I look at jarred salsa, the one kind I always search out is a black bean and corn salsa.  I love those!  The beans and corn add such a nice texture to the salsa.  It even allows me to handle a more spicier salsa because somehow the beans and corn seem to tame down the assertive peppers.

Eventually I wondered to myself if one could make salsa with black beans and corn as the main ingredient instead of them being added into a tomato based salsa.

You’re never going to know the answer to your question until you try it, right?  So that’s exactly what I set out to do and now I cannot get enough of this salsa.  I could pretty much consume the entire batch myself without giving it a second thought!   This salsa is super easy to make and takes maybe 10 minutes at most to prepare.

Andrea’s Black Bean and Corn Salsa

• 1 15oz Can of Black Beans (drained and rinsed)
• 2C of Fresh Summer Corn
• 1/4-1/2 Red Onion, finely chopped
• 1 Jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
• The Juice of 1/2-1 Whole Lime
• Sprinkle of Salt and Black Pepper, (about 1/2tsp each)
• 1/2-1tsp Chili Powder
• 1/2tsp Garlic Powder
• Cilantro, to taste, finely chopped

In a large glass mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and allow to sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

This salsa smells good even before you add the seasonings to it!  It is so fresh and crisp tasting that it screams summer and backyard relaxing.  I add a bunch of cilantro because I love it but again, you can add as much or as little as you like.

This salsa also will easily take on additional veggies if you want to toss some in there.  This batch, I actually added in about half a diced red pepper for added color and crunch.

You want to cut the corn off the cob while it’s raw.  I have a handy tip about cutting corn off the cob to help you with that task!  If you don’t really want to eat raw corn, you can sautee the kernels for about two minutes in some olive oil.  Raw corn is so good in this dish though!  It’s sweet and crunchy and almost delicate tasting.

If you don’t have fresh corn because maybe it’s dead of winter, you can sub in 2C of frozen corn easily.  Just thaw them a bit first and drain off some of the excess water.

The reason I have “The Juice of 1/2-1 Whole Lime” is because the lime and your taste preference will determine the amount needed. If you have a super juicy lime, you may only need 1/2 of it or you might think a whole lime is too much of a good thing.  Start with 1/2 and see where that takes you.  I normally use a whole lime though.

Fresh black beans that you made is totally acceptable!  I would guess around 2C of those would be a good starting point.

This salsa has been a huge staple for us this summer!  It’s been so hot and humid this year that eating a hot dinner isn’t always that appealing, so we’ve been eating this in all kinds of different ways.  It’s perfect for just snacking with tortilla chips as well!  I probably already told you this smells fantastic, right?  A typical Scott comment is, “I don’t know what you’re doing, but it smells amazing over there!”

If you love beans and corn, make yourself some of this salsa!  It’s summer in a bowl!

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

Recently a reader contacted me with a question about my Roasted Tomato Salsa.  Then she asked me about a green salsa.  She said that her favorite Mexican restaurant serves this green salsa but that it’s not made with tomatillo.

Curious!

Because when we think of green salsa, we automatically think of tomatillos, right? Those little green things that look like tomatoes but are located with all the peppers.  She mentioned that the server didn’t really know what the salsa was because it was a secret but that they thought it was made from jalapenos.

While this could very well be the case, imagine how many jalapenos you would have to use to get the amount of salsa needed to serve an entire restaurant.  Exactly!  A crazy huge number!  I thought about it for a little bit then said well maybe they used poblano peppers.  They are green and might be able to produce a nice salsa.

The more I thought about it, the more I was very interested in playing around with the poblanos to see if they do make for a good salsa.  Cooking is always a big experiment anyway, right?  So I got to it!

Andrea’s Roasted Green Salsa

• 4 Large Poblano Peppers (seeded, chunked)
• 1 Large Red Tomato (cut into sections)
• 2 Cloves of Garlic
• 1/2 a Medium Onion (chunked)
• 1 Chipotle Pepper + One heaping spoonful of adobo sauce
• Juice of 1/2 a Lime
• Cilantro to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive Oil for cooking

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Coat the peppers and tomato pieces with olive oil, a very small amount, around 3 tsp.  Sprinkle with just a touch of salt and place on a lined baking sheet.  Roast in oven for about 10 minutes or until everything is warmed through and softened.  You’ll be able to smell them and that’s when they are about done and ready to come out.  Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.  In a food processor, combine the peppers and tomato along with all the other ingredients.  Pulse until you get the consistency you like.  I prefer a smoother salsa, so I pulse mine for a few minutes.

Taste and see if more salt and pepper needs to be added.  I used probably around 1/2 tsp of salt in mine.  Serve with chips and veggies!

I was very impressed with this salsa!  It was so yummy and totally unexpected!  It’s not your typical “green” salsa and that is what thrills me the most I think.  It gives you a little twist on the norm.

This salsa isn’t overly spicy hot but instead it has a nice background heat that builds the more you eat.  I wanted to do something different to bring spice to the table which is why I used the chipotle pepper instead of a fresh jalapeno or something along those lines.  The chipotle gives a lovely smoky heat and provides color to the salsa.

I love that with this salsa not only do you have the green but you can see little flecks of red and white throughout letting you know that some other things are going on to bring in flavor.  Scott and I really enjoyed this salsa!

I used a bunch of cilantro in this salsa because I love it so much but you can use however much you want.  And if you want to kick the heat up more, add in more chipotles!  It’s a very easy salsa to play around with.

It does not last long though.  While my Roasted Tomato Salsa, if stored in a glass tupperware container, will easily last you over a week, this green salsa only has about a three to four day shelf life.  For some reason the peppers don’t last nearly as long.  You shouldn’t have trouble with it going bad on you though!

Have fun guys and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

I remember being given the job of shucking the corn as a kid.  I had to sit out in the back yard with a bowl and a paper bag.  The paper bag was for the husks and corn silk while the bowl was for the fresh cleaned corn. When we lived in North Carolina it was common place for people to shuck their corn in the grocery store instead of at home.

I admit that I found this to be the oddest thing.  I still took mine home as I didn’t really want to be standing around in the grocery store for an extra half an hour to shuck corn.

I stock up on summer corn as much as I can and then freeze it so I can enjoy throughout the rest of the year.  But that’s another tip for another day.   Today we’re talking about cooking corn!

Boiled corn was the only way we ever had corn when I was growing up.  It wasn’t until around 2001 when the Food Network was starting to take off that I was exposed to other ways of cooking corn.  There are so many ways that we should have a discussion just on that, yes?

I have not yet mastered some of the other ways of cooking corn but I have mastered boiling corn.  Or at least my approach to boiling corn has worked the best for me so far.  Boiling corn is really easy and doesn’t take as long as people want to make it out to be.  Here’s what I do to get the best tasting boiled corn.

Andrea’s Method for Boiling Corn on the Cob

1. Bring a large pot (like a pasta or soup pot) of water up to a rolling boil
2. Drop in the corn
3. Allow the water to come back up to a boil
4. Boil corn for a minute or so
5. Turn off the heat and put a lid on the pot
6. Allow corn to hang out in the pot until you’re ready to eat

This works for fresh corn or frozen corn on the cob.  The water in the pot stays hot gently cooking the corn and also keeping it warm.  I will get the corn started and let it hang out while I finish cooking the rest of the meal.  This is especially handy if you’re having corn with some grilled food because the corn can hang out while you finish up grilling whatever you’re having with the meal.

Can you over cook the corn this way?  Yes.  But the corn would have to be sitting in the pot for something like 45 minutes or so which is a long time.  That can result in some mushy corn.  Ideally, you don’t want the corn sitting in the water for more than half an hour.

This is a really easy method for boiling corn that results in nice sweet corn with a slight bite to it.  You don’t have to worry about a bunch of boiling water while you’re trying to cook other things and the corn will be ready when you are.  The next time you have corn on the cob and you’re boiling it, give this a try!

Recently I had some baby heirloom tomatoes that needed used up before they turned on me.  I was flip-flopping about what to make with them when I decided that I would try making salsa again.  This time I had a different plan of attack; roasting.

There is fresh salsa that can be made with all raw ingredients and then there is salsa where the tomatoes are cooked.  I prefer cooked tomatoes but will gladly take some raw salsa off your hands if need be.

I threw caution to the wind, crossed my fingers, and hoped that this salsa would turn out delicious.

Andrea’s Roasted Tomato Salsa

• 1 1/2 lbs Baby heirloom tomatoes
• 1/4-1/3 Of a Small onion, chunked
• 1 Jalapeno, seeded
• 2 Cloves of garlic
• Juice of 1/2 a lime
• Handful of cilantro
• Small amount of olive oil (about 2 tsp)
• Sprinkle of salt and ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.  In a storage bag or medium size bowl combine tomatoes, jalapeno, garlic cloves, olive oil, salt, and pepper.  If you have slightly bigger tomatoes, you can cut them in half first.  Place tomatoes on the baking sheet and roast in oven for about 10 minutes.  You want the tomatoes to be warmed through and just starting to break down.  They will look like this:

Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.  Once cooled, dump this mixture into a food processor, add in the lime juice, onion, and cilantro.  Pulse until you get the texture you desire.  I like a slightly smoother salsa.  Taste test to see if you need to add a bit more salt, cilantro, or lime juice.  Remove from food processor and place in a glass or other nonreactive bowl.  Can be served warm or chilled!

Holy cow guys this was the best salsa I ever made!  Scott and I literally could not stop eating it and I started thinking of all different kinds of ways I could use it up!  I’m also planning on making more as soon as I can!

You do not have to use baby heirlooms, I just happened to have those on hand.  You can use cherry or grape tomatoes.  Heck you can even use regular tomatoes if you want, this was more of a technique that I wanted to share with you.

I kept the onion raw because the salsas I ended up liking the most had this comb of cooked tomatoes and raw onion.  I roasted the garlic with the tomatoes in order to cut the sharpness that raw garlic can have.  I like garlic anyway you want to throw it at me but I also realize that not everyone feels the same way.  Roasting the garlic also helps cut down on potential dragon breath.  We’ve all experienced that, right?

I’ve been playing around with salsas a lot lately so you can expect to see more this summer!

If you’re looking to try your hand at making salsa at home, try roasting the tomatoes, you might be surprised by the outcome!

Have fun guys and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

Related recipes:

Watermelon Salsa

Lentil Tacos

This particular smoothie combo is my very favorite. It’s clean tasting and very filling.  I don’t have it too often because I want to keep it special and I also save it for the times when I feel like my bod could use some very straight up clean eats.

You know those times when you’re feeling just a bit rundown.  Or maybe you had too much wine/beer/Boones the night before because it was Aunt Sally’s 80th birthday and how can you turn down an 80 year old on their birthday? Even if that would put the tally up to your 6th glass of Wild Island.

Maybe you just had a really bad dining experience the night before where the salmon was farm raised, the asparagus just showed up from Mexico covered in Shed Spread, and what should have been Himalayan rice was actually Uncle Ben’s quick fix.

Basically you just feel like you need to work some stuff outta your system and replace it with some clean stuff.  You dig? This smoothie is the ticket.  At least for this bod.

Andrea’s Favorite Smoothie

• 1C Carrot Juice
• 1C Unsweetened Cranberry Juice
• 1C Soymilk
• 2 handfuls of spinach
• 1-1.5 Frozen bananas
• Frozen Blueberries (about1/2C)
• Frozen Pineapple (literally like 5-6 pieces)

Blend in a blender until smoothie and creamy.

The liquid measurements are exact but the others are not.  Don’t overload too much on the spinach or you run the risk of the smoothie being gritty.  Kale works here as well.  The pineapple I keep to a minimum because I just want it to brighten the flavor a bit, I don’t want to feel like I’m in the tropics.  The soymilk along with the frozen fruit make this a very thick smoothie, like a shake.

This makes a lot of smoothie!  It’s enough for Scott and I each to have a big glass plus extra for Scott to have some more.  Both of us love it!

Everyday smoothies start off with the same liquid combos, just replace soymilk with water and change up the frozen fruit from time-to-time.  Smoothies never get old to us!

Enjoy guys!

P.S. Stop thinking about Wild Island!

When I originally made this, I did add in some grated parm but left out the nuts.  This turned into an amazing spread and dip.  We instantly fell in love with the smooth spinach and the sweet chewiness of the sundried tomatoes.  The concept is super easy and can be adjusted to fit your tastes!

I never measure when I make this recipe, so this is more of a concept type post than an actual recipe with measurements.

Andrea’s Spinach and Sundried Tomato Dip

• Fresh baby spinach
• Sundried tomatoes (marinated or unmarinated, it’s up to you)
• 1 garlic clove
• Olive oil
• Black Pepper
• Red pepper flakes

You will need a food processor to make this dip.   In the food processor combine about three large handfuls of spinach and roughly 8-9 sundried tomatoes along with the garlic clove (peeled of course).  Pulse a few times to get things moving along and broken down.  Then add in the black pepper, just a touch, and a pinch of the red pepper flakes.  If using marinated tomatoes in oil, drizzle in a bit of that oil.  Otherwise use a bit of your own olive oil, just a touch, about 1 tsp.  Pulse until everything is well combined and almost smooth looking.  You want to be able to see bits of spinach and tomato together.

Scoop in a dish and serve! Either as a dip with crackers, on pizza instead of sauce, or even as a sandwich spread.

The first time I made this I did use it as a sandwich spread for a chicken sandwich and it was probably one of the best chicken sandwiches we ever had!  I now use it as a base for my pizzas on occasion.  I always have sundried tomatoes on hand now, or at least I try to.  Whole Foods actually has some great ones they put out but you have to seriously look for them.  They are in little containers and usually found around the olive and antipasto station.

I have served this as a dip at parties with crackers and chips.  I’ll add in some cheese if no one has an allergy to it.  I’ve mixed this with some cream cheese to make a lovely little spread for crackers and bread as well.  Mixed with the cream cheese it looks pretty and tastes fantastic.  II have also mixed this into some scrambled eggs for a different twist to breakfast.  And I’ve added it to polenta just for kicks.  There’s so much you can do with this mixture!

I don’t add salt because I use marinated tomatoes which have plenty of seasoning.  If using plain, I would add in a pinch of salt and maybe some Italian seasoning.

You can make this ahead of time, up to a day before you need it.  Possibly two, but I wouldn’t go longer than that or the spinach starts to turn on you.

If you like pesto style dips and spreads, give this a try!

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

Scott always talks about those big noodle bowls that you sometimes see at Asian restaurants and how delicious and yummy they look.

“I can make that for you.  What do they taste like?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well what’s in them?”

“I don’t know.”

“Haven’t you had one before?”

“No. I just think they look good.”

“I see.”

Not much info to work with but I decided to try and find out what I could do.  Scott was not feeling well one day and I decided to make him some “Asian soup”.  I put a bunch of stuff in a pot, added noodles and it was fantastic.  We’ve been having Asian Noodle Soup ever since when want some veggies or if Scott’s allergies are bad that day.

It’s evolved over time.  Me finding new ingredients or adding in different veggies but the core has stayed the same and we love it.

Andrea’s Asian Noodle Soup

• 1 10oz Package of Ramen noodles
• 1/2 Large onion, chopped
• 4 Carrots chopped
• 5 Kale leaves, stems removed and chopped
• 3 Baby bok choy, chopped
• 1 Small head of broccoli
• 2 Quarts of Chicken stock
• 2tsp Soy sauce
• 1TBSP Chili Garlic Sauce
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2tsp Garlic Powder
• 1tsp Smoked Paprika
• Drizzle toasted sesame oil (or regular sesame oil)
• Olive oil for sauteeing

In a large soup pot, drizzle some olive oil (about a TBSP) and heat over medium heat.  Add in the onions and carrots and stir, covering them with the oil.  Season with S&P, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.  Allow to sautee for about 5 minutes, then add in the garlic chili sauce and stir.  Add in the soy sauce and stir.  Slowly add in the chicken stock and stir.  Add in the kale and broccoli florets.  Drizzle in the sesame oil and stir.  Bring soup up to a simmer and let simmer for about 20-30 minutes. Add in the bok choy the last few minutes of cooking as it doesn’t take long to become tender.

About 10 minutes before serveing, cook the ramen noodles in a large pot of boiling water.  They only take a few minutes to cook.  Drain and place back in pot.

To serve, in a large soup bowl, spoon in some noodles then pour the soup on top.  Serve and enjoy!

Scott loves a ton of noodles with his soup.  He then adds in some Sriracha and slurps to his hearts content.

I have made this soup with shredded cabbage as well and that works really well.  I have made the soup without broccoli and without the garlic chili sauce.  It’s a pretty basic soup that is really versatile and will take on whatever you decide to toss in there. I’ve even added in shrimp for a little extra fun.

I like my soup just as soup and save all the noodles for Scott.  It works just as well that way and still hits the spot as a great soup.

Have fun guys and remember, always play with your food! Enjoy!

I made sure to tell Scott all about it and since then he has been saying, “Mmm spicy mac ‘n cheese” at random points.

Mac ‘n cheese isn’t something I make all that often but I have been making it since Scott and I first moved in together.  He grew up on that crazy boxed stuff and I personally think that stuff is disgusting (Gee do I want powder cheese? Or cheeze-whiz in a pouch for the “creamy” version. EW!).  We didn’t have it at my house.  We didn’t have mac ‘n cheese period, except when my neighbor would bring over some of the homemade kind which was amazing.

Because I had homemade I knew it could be done and whenever Scott would ask for mac ‘n cheese, I would make it for him.  I learned what a bechamel sauce was and how to make a great one.  Then I learned how to make short-cuts because I like being uber efficient in the kitchen.  Then I learned that I could do it my way and make it even better.

Scott stopped his random mutterings and straight up asked for some spicy mac ‘n cheese.  This was my first time making a spicy version and I’m pretty pleased with the results.

Andrea’s Spicy Mac ‘N Cheese

• 2 1/2C Whole Wheat Elbow pasta
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped fine
• 1/2 Medium onion, chopped
• 1 1/2C Cubed Ham
• 2/3C Salsa (chunky preferably)
• 1C Chicken stock
• 2/3C Soymilk
• 2 1/2TBSP Unbleached all purpose flour (heaping)
• 1 1/2C Shredded pepperjack cheese
• 1/2C Shredded sharp cheddar
• Reserve some cheese for sprinkling on top
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1tsp Chili powder
• 2tsp Garlic powder
• 1/2tsp Smoked paprika
• Olive oil for sautéing

Preheat oven to 400.  Cook pasta according to package directions.  Do not cook all the way but take until just shy of being done.  Set aside.  In a medium-sized skillet (one with high sides) add some olive oil (about 2 TBSP) and heat over medium heat.  Add the onions and jalapeno and sauté until they are soft (about 4 minutes).  Add in the red pepper flakes and the rest of the seasonings, combine.  Add in the flour and stir until everything is coated.  If this mixture looks dry, add in some additional olive oil, just a touch.  Allow to cook for about 2 minutes, then add in the salsa and stir.  Slowly add in the chicken stock and stir until the mixture is combined.  It should start to thicken up on you.  Let it start to simmer and thicken even more.  Add in the soymilk.  Turn the heat down and slowly add in the cheeses, stirring each time you add in some cheese.  Remember to hold some back for sprinkling on top.  The “sauce” should be thick and creamy by this point.  Turn the heat off and add in the pasta and ham cubes.  Combine.

Add mixture to a greased casserole dish.  Place in oven and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes, then stir.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese and place in oven to heat for about another 5-7 minutes.  You want the cheese melted and perhaps starting to brown on you.

Remove from oven and serve immediately!

You’ll notice right away a few things that make my mac ‘n cheese different from the norm:

• Using stock
• Using soymilk
• No butter

Personally to have a great dish I don’t think you need to have a lot of “heavy” things.  Mac ‘n cheese can be creamy and glorious without heavy cream, butter, and tons of cheese.

The chicken stock helps keep things on the lighter end and you can just as easily use veggie broth or No-Chicken chicken broth instead.  Heck you can even use some white wine (which I’ve done before.  Surprised? I didn’t think so.) to give it some depth and umph.

I don’t even keep dairy milk in the house so soymilk is my go-to for most things.  It’s creamy and you cannot even tell that soymilk is used instead of regular milk.

Whole wheat pasta because that’s how we roll over here.

There is a good bit of cheese still in this dish but it’s not over-the-top considering this fills up a huge casserole dish and leaves plenty for leftovers.  My mac ‘n cheese isn’t a super creamy saucy dish just because that’s not our preference.  It has just the right amount of pasta-to-sauce-to-cheese ratio.

Since it’s a spicy version, I went with pepperjack as the main cheese but you can use whatever you like.  Using chunky salsa helps provide heat and also adds color and texture to the dish.  It really makes the dish in my opinion.

Scott loves ham with his mac ‘n cheese and I always make sure he gets it.  You can omit it though if it’s not something you dig on.  It won’t affect the ingredient portions at all.

We loved this dish and it made Scott start back up with the random, “Mmm spicy mac ‘n cheese” outbursts.  We’re outta ham though so he’s going to have to wait!

This dish also freezes well but be careful when reheating that you don’t overcook it and dry the cheese out.

Have fun guys, and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

While I know that tomatoes are not in season right now, I also realize that some farmers run hydroponics in the winter to provide more produce.  This is a practice that I do not have an issue with.

Because these tomatoes were gorgeous, I wanted to use them in a dish that would show them off and not cover them up.  Tomatoes can easily get lost in a dish if there’s a lot going on or if the sauce is really heavy.  I wanted to avoid this as much as possible.

Tomatoes have a ton of juice in them that can easily be used as a “sauce”.  Extremely useful because you won’t lose any tomato flavor and it helps keep dishes light so that they don’t sit heavy in the tum.

I decided to go with a light pasta dish and roasting the tomatoes which makes this dish quick, easy, and only one pot needed!

Andrea’s Orzo with Roasted Heirloom Tomatoes and Onions

• 1 1/2C Dry Orzo pasta
• 1 small onion thinly sliced
• 3C baby heirloom tomatos, halved
• 1TBSP Olive Oil
• 1tsp Italian Seasoning
• 1tsp Garlic powder
• Pinch Red pepper flakes
• Pinch Sea salt
• Grated Parm to taste

Preheat oven to 400F and set a large pot of water on the stove to boil.  Cook the orzo until done and according to package directions.  Orzo doesn’t take too long so keep an eye on it.

In a storage bag (or medium sized mixing bowl) add in the onion, tomatoes, olive oil, and seasonings.  Make sure everything is coated well and place on a lined baking sheet spray with nonstick spray.  Cook in the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the tomatoes break down and the onions soften.  Doesn’t take too long.

Add the tomatoes and onions to the orzo and combine.  Make sure to use all the “sauce” from the baking sheet.  Add in some grated parm to taste.

Serve and enjoy!

This dish was fantastic!  I’m not a huge pasta eater but I could not get enough of this side dish.  It was all I wanted to eat!  The tomatoes were sweet and provided great bursts of flavor mixed with the delicate and smooth pasta.  Roasted onions are one of the best things ever, in my opinion, and are a great addition to just about any dish.  They are sweet and get nice and crispy caramelized ends when they roast.  So good!

If you don’t have any or can’t find some baby heirlooms, grape or cherry tomatoes will work just as well.  Of course, leaving off the cheese will keep this dish vegan friendly.

My only change is that I would use more tomatoes next time!  The amount I used here was tasty but more would be even better.

This would be a great dish to take to a potluck.  It can be eaten hot, room temp, or even cold.  I’m pretty sure it would fit most palates and please just about everyone.

If you need a quick side dish or are looking for something to do with some tomatoes that you need to use up, give this dish a try.

Have fun guys and remember, always play with your food!  Enjoy!

I know it sounds really odd; the first time I was presented with it I thought the same thing.  I was visiting my mom several years ago and she made a salad with mandarin oranges and red onion.  I was nervous to eat it.  Fruit and onions?  I dunno.

After one bite I was hooked!  The citrus really mellows out the bite of the onion and brings out its sweetness instead.  It tastes fresh and new, like a summer morning after a thunderstorm.  Or like a winter morning after a heavy snow storm.

Which currently, central Ohio knows all too much what that’s like.

Because it’s winter and citrus is in season, I used two “orange” flavors.  Clementines and oranges.  Clems for inside the salad, fresh squeezed orange juice for the dressing and marinade.

Andrea’s Winter Citrus Salad with Creamy Dijon Dressing

For the salad:

• Mixed greens
• Crushed pecans and walnuts
• Cranberries
• 2 Clementines
• Sliced red onion
• 1 orange

For the dressing:

• Juice of one orange
• Splash Red wine vinegar
• 1TBSP Olive oil
• 1TBSP Dijon dressing
• Salt and pepper

I didn’t give salad amounts because that’s up to you how much salad you want to create.  I just did some small side salads when I made this for us.

Peel and separate the clementines, place them in a small mixing bowl.  Add in some sliced red onion and the juice of one orange.  Mix and let sit for at least a half an hour.  The longer the better!  Stir occasionally so that everything gets covered and has a chance to soak in the orange juice.

When ready to eat, assemble the salads and scoop out the clementines and red onions adding them to the salad mixture. Leaving the juice behind in the mixing bowl.  To the mixing bowl add in the ingredients for the dressing (the juice of one orange is already in there).  Stir and taste. You will only need a few small splashes of the red wine vinegar just to give it some kick and tartness.  Once the dressing is made, pour evenly over salads and eat!

This salad did exactly what I hoped, it cut through the heaviness of the potatoes and bison while providing a nice fresh background.  The clementines were juicy and sweet while the red onions and dijon dressing gave a kick to let you know it was also savory.

Scott liked the dressing so much that he asked for it again when we had salads the next day for lunch.

In the winter I sometimes think we can forget that we still have access to some great fruit that is in season!  The summer fruits are wonderful but when the cold is creeping in and you need something with a little bit of sunshine, citrus will come through for you every time.

Have fun guys, and remember always play with your food!  Enjoy!