Avocado + Mango + Peach

Summer is not over, friends.

I know what you're thinking, because it's all I've been hearing lately: It's time for football season. You're tired of the humidity. You've already picked out your dog's Halloween costume. Summer is yesterday's news.

Except, it's totally not.

Summer is right here, friends. It's enticing you with bright green avocados and sweet, ripe mangoes.

And peaches! Oh, the juicy, scrumptious peaches.

So grab those tasty fruits, mix 'em together, season to taste, and slather that Green Summer Spread all over your bean burger (the bean burger you cooked on the grill...because it's still summer).

I'll admit, I was skeptical of this unlikely combination at first: Avocado + mango + peaches? I thought peaches paired with brown sugar and cinnamon. Avocados match with margaritas. And mangos just belong in tropical fruit drinks.

But miraculously, these three wonder fruits are a match made in heaven. Whether you're using it as topping for your bean burger, or serving it as a dip with tortilla chips, this fabulous Green Summer Spread will not last long.

So let's show Autumn who's boss. There's only room for one season in this town, and Summer still takes the cake...at least for the next few weeks.

Green Summer Spread (Avocado-Mango-Peach Spread)

This recipe is crazy-simple. You can throw it together in under 10 minutes for a quick appetizer, sandwich spread, or simply to enjoy with a spoon (hey, we all do it!). As the picture shows, I served my spread on top of a bean burger with a little salsa and cilantro for garnish

Ingredients:

• 2 avocados, peeled ripened to perfection
• 1 mango, also peeled and ripened to perfection (what can I say? I'm a perfectionist)
• 1 large peach
• 2 TBSP finely chopped fresh cilantro
• a dash of lime juice
• Garlic powder to taste
• a sprinkling of salt

Directions:

1) Use a fork to mash the peeled avocado in a bowl. Set aside. Dice the mango and peach. Stir into the mashed avocado. Season with garlic powder and a dash of salt. Serve with bean burgers, tortilla chips, or whatever your heart desires!

Time Travel to Summer

Citrus flavors remind me of summer: picnics, sunshine, and eating on the porch. Pass me some lemonade and sunscreen, and rev up the lawn mower. The sweet senses of summer are just around the corner.

What, you may ask, brings summer (and citrus) to mind in the dead of winter? Why would I write about a summer-time dish...while I'm buried under a blanket on the couch, wearing my snowflake pajama pants?

Try Citrus Quinoa Salad. This big salad rocked my summer-loving world--I found myself mentally time-traveling to July with every bite.

This summer-in-the-winter dinner dish pairs sweet clementines with savory seasonings like cumin, coriander and cilantro. And don't forget the avocado. Oh, the creamy, buttery avocado (did you ever taste a more buttery vegetable?).

With this salad, enjoy the taste of summer in the dead of winter. Time-traveling to July is just what we need when snow covers the ground.

Citrus Quinoa Salad

(recipe adapted from Cooking Light)

The dressing for this salad is truly a show-stopper--it makes the dish, so don't even think about substituting with a store-bought variation. Try adding toasted nuts for an additional punch of protein.

Dressing Ingredients:

• 2 tsp. grated orange rind
• Grated lemon rind from one lemon
• 3 TBSP fresh-squeezed orange juice
• 1 TBSP fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• sprinkling of paprika
• A drizzle of olive oil (about 1 TBSP)

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
• 1 - 3/4 cup water
• 3 - 4 clementines, coursely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 firm avocado, chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped green onion

Directions:

1) Whisk together dressing ingredients until well-combined; set aside.

2) Place quinoa and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until water is absorbed and quinoa is fully cooked (about 10 - 15 minutes).

3) Combine quinoa with vegetables. Pour dressing over quinoa mixture and stir to coat. Close your eyes and imagine it's July...and you're sipping a margarita with your bowl of Citrus Quinoa Salad...on the beach.

Tofu-riffic Dinner

Tofu: You either love it, or you hate it.

Or maybe you've never even tried it.

"Tofu, Kylie? Really? You expect me to eat a spongy white block of protein? Thanks, but no thanks. You keep your hippy-granola-bird food, and I'll keep my stick-to-your-ribs goodness."

Oh, no you don't. You're not going to get away with that kind of talk around here, friends.

I'll admit: Tofu was never my favorite amongst health foods. I always enjoy it in restaurants (thinly sliced, marinated, and baked or fried [!] until crispy). And of course I've always loved it in desserts (Whipped with melted dark chocolate? Tofu pudding here I come.).

Unfortunately, I always flopped when I tried to re-create the tofu-rrific dinners I gobbled up in restaurants. My fatal flaw? Not pressing the liquid out first. How foolish of me.

For tonight's dinner, Adam re-created the tofu sandwich he ordered at the Quiet Storm on Saturday. For the first time in the Hungry Spoon kitchen, we pressed our tofu. The result? Thinly sliced, perfectly marinated, sesame-seasoned tofu. While it still doesn't match up to the fried stuff (and in what alternate universe would it?), it provides a scrumptious, nicely textured, protein-rich addition to to a mile-high sandwich.

The non-optional condiment for this sandwich? Homemade guacamole with lots of garlic. That's right: mashed avocado, minced garlic, and a dash of lime juice. So simple. So necessary.

Friends, give tofu a try. As the queen of massive, messy, fork n' knife vegetarian sandwiches, I promise you won't go wrong with this one.

But then again, you can't go wrong with tofu n' chocolate either :)

Do you like tofu? What's your favorite way to eat it?

Sesame-Soy Tofu-rrific Sandwich

(Adam's recipe)

Marinating the tofu in a sesame-soy marinade transformed it into a flavorful protein-packed sandwich filler. Top with all your favorite sandwich fixins'. Just don't forget the guac!

Ingredients:

Tofu and Marinade:

• One 12 oz. package of tofu, extra firm
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 tsp. sesame oil
• Garlic powder to taste
• sesame seeds

Guacamole:

• 1 avocado
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 TBSP diced onion
• 2 TBSP diced tomato
• splash of lime juice
• sprinkling of cumin

Sandwich Stackers:

• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• a little olive oil
• Sliced tomato
• Bread or buns
• Optional: Swiss cheese

Directions:

1) To prepare the tofu, slice thinly (about 1/4 inch thick). Place tofu on a clean kitchen towel and gently press to eliminate extra liquid. Repeat again with another clean towel (until tofu is dry to the touch). Combine marinade ingredients in a baking dish. Place tofu in a single layer in the baking dish. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour (we left it all day while we were at work).

2) When you're ready to cook, preheat oven to 375 degrees (or higher? We did 375 degrees today, but next time we may go up 25 degrees), and lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place tofu in a single layer on the baking sheet (discard marinade/extra liquid). Bake for 10 minutes. Flip the tofu onto the opposite side, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and continue baking for 10 additional minutes.

3) To prepare guacamole, peel avocado and mash in a bowl, add remaining ingredients and stir until combined.

4) To prepare pepper and onions, heat a little olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add bell pepper, onion, and garlic, and saute until softened and lightly browned ( about 5 -8 minutes).

5) Slice bread. Top each piece with one slice of Swiss cheese (if using) and toast bread in a toaster oven.

6) To assemble sandwiches: Layer your bread with guacamole, sliced tomato, tofu slices, and sauteed pepper and onions.

Dishwashing and Dinner Salads

Tonight I got to be dishwashing royalty.

Okay, maybe I over-glorified my role just a tad.

Regardless, I had an awesome time suds-ing up the dishes at the Taste of Home Cooking School event that premiered in Morgantown tonight.

Where did I get such a sweet gig, you ask? My mom is undoubtedly the #1 Fan of Taste of Home’s Simple and Delicious Magazine. So, when the local food panel I sit on was asked to volunteer backstage at Taste of Home’s event, I jumped at the chance to bring mom along for some behind-the-scenes fun.

And fun we had.

They cooked up a storm at the event, and raffled off every dish they created for audience members to take home (backstage volunteers excluded unfortunately!). This event was not for the faint-of-heart: For instance, "Upside Down Banana Pecan French Toast" was first on the menu, complete with 2 cups of half and half (even my eyes widened at this one!).

Prior to all the dish-washing mania though, I chowed down on a dinner salad that I knew would power me through the next three hours on my feet, elbow-deep in Palmolive.

This baby was loaded with plenty of stick-to-your ribs fixins.' Let’s be honest: there’s really no other way to eat a dinner salad.

This dish-washing chick is exhausted. Fortunately it's dress-down Friday at work tomorrow.... If only dress-down day meant sweatpants and a hoodie :)

Stick-To-Your-Ribs Dinner Salad

(a very simple Hungry Spoon original)

This salad was quick and easy to throw together, and filled me up with all kinds of happiness. I don't have amounts for anything, because I just threw it all into the mix!

Ingredients:

• Fresh spinach, stemmed and chopped
• chopped avocado
• Chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• chopped broccoli
• chopped fresh tomato
• toasted pumpkin seeds
• Gorgonzola cheese
• Roasted garlic hummus
• Black bean salsa
• A little drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette

Directions:

1) Combine all ingredients in a big bowl, mix together, and enjoy your crunchy, satisfying dinner.

2) Enjoy your Friday!