Gingery Asparagus, Corn, and Tofu Stir-Fry

I've never really considered myself an Asian stir-fry kind of person. I don't know why; they just usually don't get me all that excited. But this one I like so much that I've made it twice now (and recipes don't often get repeated in my house). It's got a great combination of veggies, chewy browned tofu cubes, and a really easy yet super aromatic sauce. And it's the perfect weeknight meal because it takes less than a half-hour to prepare.

Gingery Asparagus, Corn, and Tofu Stir-Fry
From Cooking Light

• 4 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 10 oz extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 2/3 cup fresh corn kernels
• 1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1 julienne-cut red bell pepper
• 6 oz asparagus, steamed and cut into 1-inch pieces (you can skip the steaming if you have super-thin asparagus)
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 cups hot cooked short-grain rice
• 2 scallions, sliced, for garnish

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; swirl to coat. Add tofu and saute for 10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Remove tofu from pan with a slotted spoon; wipe pan dry with a paper towl. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in pan; swirl to coat. Add corn and next 4 ingredients (through bell pepper) and stir-fry 5 minutes. Add reserved tofu, asparagus, and next 4 ingredients (through crushed red pepper). Stir-fry 1 minute or until asparagus and tofu are heated. Divide the rice evenly among 4 plates. Spoon about 1 cup stir-fry mixture over rice, and top evenly with scallions.

Fresh Corn & Potato Salad

While there's a lot to love about summer produce, there may be no greater joy than freshly harvested sweet corn, so tender that the kernels can be eaten raw. No need for blanching here! This salad showcases this wonderful crop in a citrusy lime-based dressing. It's perfect picnic material, though eating it left-over for lunch in your office kitchen is good too.

Fresh Corn & Potato Salad

From Southern Living

• 1 pound baby red potatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
• 3 cups fresh corn kernels (about 6 ears)
• Large red bell pepper, diced
• Avocado, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions

Bring potatoes and salted cold water to cover to a boil in a large Dutch oven; boil 10 minutes or just until tender. Drain and let cool 15 minutes.

Whisk together cilantro and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Add warm potatoes, corn, and remaining 3 ingredients; toss to coat. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Orzo Salad with Spicy Buttermilk Dressing

Pasta salad is one of those things that you can make in a million different ways. I may be exaggerating, but it's entirely possible that there are literally a million different pasta salad recipes floating around. I remember when I was in high school I used to make a pasta salad with walnuts and lime juice and maybe feta? It was super popular at parties (no, seriously). Well, this pasta salad is totally different but so very good. It's distinctly southwestern, with corn, black beans, and avocado, and it's got this great spicy buttermilk dressing that covers every bite with flavor. It's a great recipe to add to your pasta salad repertoire.

Orzo Salad with Spicy Buttermilk Dressing
From Cooking Light

• 1 cup uncooked orzo
• 1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed and drained
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
• 3 scallions, sliced
• 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons light sour cream
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 peeled avocado, cut into wedges

Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain. Place orzo, corn, and next 3 ingredients (through beans) in a large bowl; toss.


Combine buttermilk, 2 tablespoons cilantro, and next 8 ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle over orzo mixture and toss. Top with avocado; garnish with remaining cilantro.

Caribbean Succotash

Sorry for the lack of posts recently. I got sick last week, Joe was out of town for work, and since I had no one to take care of me (*sad trombone*) I ended up just eating a lot of frozen meals and feeling generally depressed about my state of affairs. This week I am much improved and in the mood for fresh food that will bring me fully back to health. Check out this Caribbean succotash I made for dinner last night -- so colorful! My mom always used to say that the more colors there are on your plate, the better your meal is for you. So this succotash must be positively bursting with nutrients out the wazoo. And so tasty! The recipe said to serve as a side dish with fish or chicken, but I made it a meal in itself served over brown rice.

Caribbean Succotash
From Bon Appetit

• 2 cups fresh or frozen double-peeled fava beans, butter beans, or baby lima beans (about 9 ounces), thawed
• 3/4 cup diced peeled carrots
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium zucchini, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
• 2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 1 cup diced unpeeled Persian cucumber or English hothouse cucumber
• 3/4 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
• Large pinch of cayenne pepper
• Large pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Cook beans in large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer beans to a medium bowl. Add diced carrots to same saucepan of boiling water; cook until carrots are tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and transfer carrots to small bowl.

Heat oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, diced zucchini, diced bell pepper, pressed garlic cloves, and minced fresh thyme. Saute until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add corn, diced cucumber, and reserved carrots; stir 1 minute. Add beans, coconut milk, cayenne pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg. Stir until heated through, about 1 minute. Season succotash to taste with salt and pepper.

Black Bean Tostadas

So, this recipe isn't the most seasonally appropriate thing I've ever made, but I had a Mexican craving yesterday that had to be satisfied, and this was how I did it. Tostadas are such a quick and easy no-cook meal -- just throw the topping ingredients together in a bowl, toast some tortillas in a dry skillet or over the open flame of a gas stove, pile the former on top of the latter, and voila.

I estimated quantities in the ingredient list (enough to make topping for about 4 small tostadas, or a 2-person serving), but this is a completely adaptable recipe. Do whatever you like. If you want to go heavy on the avocado, knock yourself out. If you hate cilantro, omit it. This isn't the kind of recipe where precision is really needed. It will be good no matter what you do with it.

Black Bean Tostadas

• 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 Tbsp red onion, minced
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 medium jicama, peeled and diced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/4 cup frozen corn kernels, rinsed under hot water to defrost
• 1/4 cup avocado, diced (about 1/2 small avocado)
• 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved (about 12 tomatoes)
• 4 Tbsp canned green chili peppers
• 3 Tbsp fresh lime juice, from about 1 large lime
• 2 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, chopped
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• Salt to taste
• 4 small corn tortillas

Combine all ingredients, except tortillas, in a large bowl; mix to combine. Toast tortillas and top each with about 3/4 cup of bean mixture.

Cooked Grains Salad with Tomato Vinaigrette

Hey, look! Another grain and vegetable summertime salad! Well, when summer produce is abundant and delicious, far be it from me to refrain from eating it whenever possible.

This recipe is borrowed with gratitude from the New York Times' Recipes for Health series. I love their fresh, light, seasonal recipes -- they always seem to know exactly what I would like. This one's simple yet really, really great. The tomato vinaigrette in particular is outrageously good. I could have just eaten that with a spoon. Of course, the quality of the vinaigrette will depend in large part on the quality of your tomatoes, so choose wisely.

If I were to change anything the next time around, I'd probably add a few more veggies. I think lightly steamed summer squash or chopped-up green beans would be really nice in this.

Cooked Grains Salad with Tomato Vinaigrette

• Half-a-pound ripe farmer's market tomatoes (I used a yellow heirloom variety)
• 1 clove garlic, minced finely
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (or sherry vinegar if you have it)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cups cooked grains (I used pearl barley and brown rice; you could also use farro, quinoa, or bulgur)
• Kernels from one ear of corn, steamed (you can steam the whole cob before slicing it up, or zap the kernels in the microwave for about 30 seconds)
• 1 medium cucumber, diced
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh herbs (I used dill, but tarragon or parsley would have been great too)

Cut the tomatoes in half across the equator and grate on the large holes of a box grater into a wide bowl. Stir in the garlic, salt and pepper, vinegar, and oil. Add the remaining ingredients, toss together, and serve.