My Radish Salad

I want to start by saying that I love radishes. You don't find many dishes with them, but I love to put them in salads or having pickled radishes as a side. If you love then as much as I do, this is a perfect recipe for you. If you're on the fence, the parmesan cheese will bring you over to the "loving" side.

Course: Side

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 2 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bunch radishes, sliced to 1/8″

• 1 lemon

• 1 tablespoon olive oil 

• 1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping

• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, torn

• salt & pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

• Using a mandoline (or very sharp knife) slice radishes to 1/8"

• Add sliced radishes to a medium bowl and squeeze juice from half a lemon over the top plus a big pinch of kosher salt. Massage with your hands for 1-2 minutes until slightly softened. 

• Add olive oil, cheese and dill tossing well to coat. 

• Scatter the radishes on a small plate and top with zest from the other half of the lemon, additional cheese, dill, salt and fresh ground black pepper. 

ENJOY!

Cranberry Margarita

I'm not much of an alcohol drinker, but there are some drinks that I do like. On a warm summer evening, a margarita will always sound great. Being that we live in Southern California and Christmas is usually a warm "summerish" day, why not put a holiday spin on your evening margarita? They will go great with Christmas tamales too.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 min

Servings: About 3 cups

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups cranberry juice (I recommend using a brand that is 100% juice without added sugar)

• 3/4 cup fresh lime juice

• 3/4 cup tequila

• 1/2 cup orange-flavored liqueur, such as Cointreau or Triple Sec

• ice cubes

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Get your ice. Fill your glasses with ice.

2. Add the alcohol to a shaker. Fill a shaker with ice, and add the tequila and triple sec. Shake until the shaker is frosted on the outside, which should take 10-20 seconds.

3. Pour. Strain the alcohol into the glasses.

4. Finish. Pour the cranberry juice on top of the margarita, and squeeze a lime wedge into the drink. Garnish with another lime wedge, and drink up!

   
   

   OPTIONS

   Low carb. Replace the Triple sec with fresh squeezed oranges.

   Blend it. Add the tequila, triple sec, cranberry juice, and juice from the lime wedges into a blender with some ice. Blend until the mixture is smooth, then serve with a straw. 

   Flavor the rim. The traditional way to drink a margarita is by salting the rim. To do this, pour some kosher salt or coarse salt on a plate, then run a lime wedge around the rim of your empty glass. Dip the rim of the glass in the salt, then continue making the drink. I like to use Tajin in place of salt for a spicy kick. If you’re not a fan of salty or savory cocktails, you can use a sugar rim instead. 

   Holiday sparkle. Add a bit of sparkling water to your mix.

ENJOY!

My Vegetarian Chili

One of the things I missed most when I became a vegetarian (18 years ago) was a delicious bowl of chili. At the time there were very few readymade options and I wasn't interested in risking it on a potential recipe failure. I eventually came across a few different recipes that I combined and put my own spin on, and ended up with a great family crockpot favorite.

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours

Total Time: 6 hr 15 min

Servings: 4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS

Vegetarian Chili

• 1 (28-ounce) can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies

• 4 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth

• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

• 1 (15-ounce) can white (cannellini) beans, rinsed and drained

• 1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

• 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

• 1 cup chopped onion

• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tablespoons chili powder

• 2 tablespoons dried Mexican oregano or regular oregano

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon ground coriander

• 1 to 2 teaspoons Cholula hot sauce

• 1/3 cup couscous
  

Toppings

• 1/2 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese or Cheddar

• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

• 1/2 - 1 ripe avocado

• Sour Cream

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  

INSTRUCTIONS

• In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients but the couscous, shredded cheese, cilantro and salt and pepper. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.

• Five to 10 minutes before serving (depending on temperature of slow cooker) add couscous, cover and cook, until couscous is tender. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper.

• Just before serving, top each serving with shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro and a few slices of avocado.

• TIP: serve with or over cornbread.
  

ENJOY!