Weekly Dish

The menu for this week is relatively short; as you can see, we’re headed to Mississippi to spend some time with family and friends before school starts. Most of what I’m planning revolves around what I have an excess of: tomatoes, basil, and Vidalia onions.
The farmer that I buy my tomatoes from starts about this time in the season boxing up very ripe tomatoes and selling them for cheap. Yesterday, I bought 15 pounds for $10! So, the only thing to do with that many tomatoes is make tomato sauce to freeze (and to use to make a lasagna for friends who are moving). And, of course, reserve some fresh ones for this pizza.

Not so much a recipe as a suggestion, for this pizza, you simply prepare whatever kind of crust you like, spread it with pesto, top with sliced tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, and drizzle the whole thing with olive oil and Kosher salt. Bake until the cheese melts.

Here are the other links for this week:

• Oven-Roasted Tomato Sauce
• Basil Pesto
• Lasagna

Happy end of July, everyone!

Let me just warn you before you keep reading. This recipe is strange. I’ve made it twice now, and everyone I’ve served it to thinks it’s strange too.

Hannah, my sister-in-law, first sent me the recipe, and hers got the same reaction.

But, here’s the interesting part: even though they think it’s strange, people can’t quit eating it. Because, apparently, strange can be good.

I’m always up for an adventurous recipe, but I was especially attracted to this ice cream because I wanted to make a frozen dessert for this month’s Sugar High Friday event, and I don’t have an ice cream maker.

Here’s the basic premise: take some ice cream, mix it with mashed-up avocado, a jalapeno pepper, coconut, and lime juice. Freeze it. Serve it to people just to see what their reactions are. It’s fun. You should try it.

The original recipe calls for vanilla ice cream, avocado, lime juice and zest, and jalapeno.
For the first version I tried, I used vanilla nonfat frozen yogurt and added coconut to the flavor mix. Andy and Jessica both really liked it, but we agreed that the nonfat yogurt texture was all wrong. And I didn’t really like the vanilla flavor–it overwhelmed everything else. Jessica recommended more lime. Andy said his favorite thing about it was that the spicy kick that comes at the very end of a bite because it’s hot and makes you want something cold. So, you just take another bite. Genius!

For the next batch, I tried Blue Bell Key Lime Pie ice cream and more lime juice. Billy said it tasted like frozen curry (that was not a favorable response). Garland didn’t like the coconut texture. I liked the added lime flavor of the ice cream, but the chunks of graham cracker crust didn’t fit in.

If I were to make it again, I think I might use lime (or coconut!) sherbet and process the coconut with the jalapeno-avocado mixture so that there aren’t discernible flakes. The creaminess of the avocado dresses up the ice cream’s texture to make it super silky, so frozen bits of anything are not welcome. The lime-coconut flavor dominates when you first put it into your mouth, but, then — wait for it — a spicy kick of jalapeno! This dessert certainly is a fascinating eating experience.

If nothing else, it makes for super-fun after-dinner conversation.

Head over to the Delcious Life to see what other fun frozen sweets people are making. Oh, and if the name Vanilla Ice rings vaguely of your adolescence, please read Sarah’s introductory rap. It’s hilarious.

Chili-Lime-Avocado Ice Cream

1 quart ice cream, softened (lime or coconut are my flavor recommendations. But I’d love to know if you try something else!)
2 avocadoes, pitted and peeled
Zest and juice of 2 limes
2 t. sugar
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup sweetened flake coconut
1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded or not (depending on how much of a kick you’re going for)

While the ice cream is softening up, mince the peppers in the food processor with the lime juice and zest. Process well until the mixture is paste-like. Add the sugar, coconut, and avocadoes, and continue processing until the mixture is well-combined. Spoon the ice cream into a freezable container, and stir in the coconut milk (this will help to soften it up even more). Work in the avocado mixture, stirring until the ice cream turns a lovely shade of avocado green and seems evenly mixed. Freeze for a few hours or up to a week. Serve it to your friends (and for extra fun, don’t tell them what it is!).

This recipe was adapted from the Sweet Avocado-Green Chilli Ice Cream at The Splendid Table.

I have written often about my culinary heritage, particularly the influence of the composers of the Aunts’ Recipe Book, my dad’s four younger sisters. The youngest, Emily, is the only one who’s made a career out of food; for years, she ran her own catering business and is now the director of the cooking school at the Everyday Gourmet in Jackson, MS. Interestingly, my memories of her contributions to my love of food include really sugary cereals, Butterfingers, and bowls of melted cheese: when I stayed at her house as a kid, she let me eat WHATEVER I wanted.

These days she often sends me interesting specialty food items from work, for which I am constantly on the lookout for creative preparations. The most recent packages have included these gorgeous white and black beans, labeled Calypso Beans on the bag, and a bright, fruity Meyer lemon olive oil, which I have been rationing.

I had visions of a lemony salad including both gifts from Aunt Em, and a few weeks ago, I planned to make such a concoction, adding leftover grilled chicken for a substantial weeknight supper.

One of the things I love about reading other people’s food blogs is that I am constantly inspired to create new dishes. The only problem is that I find myself with vague memories of recipes I saw one place or the other, but no idea exactly where.

For instance, I knew I had somewhere read of just such a salad–with beans and a lemony dressing. But, for the life of me, I could not recall where I saw it. I did some searching and nothing looked familiar. I emailed the resident veggie expert, Alanna, to see if it was perhaps a recipe of hers. No, she replied, but she’d keep her eyes open.

And, she found it!

Of course, by the time we’d figured it out, the salad had long been made and eaten, with no guidance from a recipe, so my version looks very different from Gabriella’s.

So, why am I telling you all of this? Well, just in case you find yourself in such a predicament–a vague recollection of a recipe and no help from Google–I thought I’d share a few tips I’ve learned along the way to help me solve this organizational problem (and then the recipe for the salad).

First, Google’s Blogsearch. Alanna alerted me to this handy tool, and if you want to search for a recipe, but you only want results from bloggers, this search page will help you do just that.

Second, del.icio.us. If you’re looking for a super-easy, user-friendly way to store bookmarks to recipes online, this site might be for you. Elise at Simply Recipes posted a helpful tutorial on how to use it, and I finally got around to following her suggestions. You can see my list of recipe links here, and if you start yours, you can add me to your network and we can share. Isn’t that fun?

And now, for the bean salad! Once the beans are cooked, this is a snap to throw together. It keeps well and would be perfect for a picnic. (Not that anyone can stand to be outside around here!)

The inspiration for this recipe, it turns out, comes from Gabriella at My Life as a Reluctant Housewife, and I’m pretty sure I spied it at an ARF/5-a-day round-up at Sweetnicks. Since my version turned out much differently (since I didn’t find the recipe until after the fact), I’ll contribute this variation to this week’s Tuesday event.

Thanks to Alanna for helping me locate the recipe, to Gabriella for inspiring this creation, to Elise for the lesson about del.icio.us, to Cate for hosting ARF/5-a-day Tuesday’s every week, and to Aunt Em for the ingredients.

And who says cooking isn’t collaborative?

Calypso Bean Salad

3 cups dry calypso beans (white beans would probably work just as well)
2 cups water
1 clove garlic, quartered
2 lemons
1 t. lemon pepper
1/4 cup lemon-flavored olive oil (of course, I’m sure regular would work too)
1/2 t. Kosher salt
1 T. fresh oregano, minced
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped (it strikes me now that the first time I made this salad–and photographed it–I used fresh tomatoes; either will work)
1/2 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
1/4 cup Greek olives, minced
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
2 chicken breasts, sliced (optional)

Cover the beans with water and soak overnight. They should absorb most of the liquid. In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups of water to boil. Add the quartered garlic clove, the trimmings from the two lemons, a sprinkle of salt and lemon pepper, and the beans. Simmer the beans for 2-3 hours, or until they reach the consistency you like. (I’m really funny about bean texture; I don’t like them mushy, especially in a salad, so I tend to undercook them. 2 hours was a perfect texture for me.) Drain and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the juice from the 2 lemons, lemon pepper, salt, and fresh oregano. Add the oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly. Mix in the olives, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and chicken if using. Toss this mixture with the beans and top with the feta. Serves 4; refrigerates well.

Links:

Boiled Shrimp
Cobb Salad
Rorie’s Tomato Paninis (Note: I used homemade foccacia bread; with a green salad, these make the easiest, yummiest summer supper!)

Another easy, quick recipe, inspired by Karina at Gluten Free Goddess, were these vegetarian tacos. We had a few leftover, and they were even better the next day.

Spicy Black Bean Tacos

1 t. olive oil
Half a sweet onion, sliced into half-moons
1 clove of garlic, chopped
2 sweet peppers, cut into matchsticks
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced
1 14 1/2-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup salsa
1 t. cumin
1 t. chile poweder
1/2 t. seasoned salt
Corn tortillas or taco shells

To serve:
Monterey Jack cheese with peppers
Sliced avocados
Lime wedges

Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium. Add the garlic, onion, and peppers, and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the beans, salsa, and spices; stir and let the mixture simmer while you prepare the tortillas.

To make taco shells: heat a half-inch of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add one tortilla to the skillet and quickly coat both sides with the hot oil. Then, let one side fry until it’s nearing the crisping stage; turn quickly and fold over with tongs, holding the top slightly open. Flip again, and remove from the oil when both sides are crispy and golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

To serve: fill each taco shell with the black bean mixture; top with cheese, avocado slices, and a squeeze of lime. Yum!

Inspiring recipe: Karina’s Black Bean Enchiladas

Here in the Northern hemisphere, I think it’s safe to say that it’s hot everywhere. Southern Louisiana is certainly no exception. Salads are great and all, but I find myself in need of better ideas to help me (and anyone I happen to invite over for dinner or deck-sitting) keep cool, particularly ideas that come in the liquid and alcoholic variety.

So, I’m asking for your help. I’d like to compile a running list of favorite summer drinks as a reference, and I’ll keep it posted here in case anyone else is interested. If you’ve recently posted about a cool, refreshing beverage and you’d like me to include your link, you can leave a comment or send an email to weeklydish AT gmail DOT com. Tell me who and where you are, where you blog, what your drink is called, and at what permalink we can find it, and I’ll add your favorite beverage to the list.

So far, I’ve tried:

Kate’s Thai Mojitos: These will knock your sweaty little socks off! I had to omit the ginger because the piece I found hiding in my crisper was moldy and sadly had to leave us. Even without it, these are refreshingly herby and not-too-sweet. (Pie in the Sky, New York City).

Sweetnick’s Frozen Lemonade Cocktail: If you have any frozen strawberries left from strawberry season (or if you’re lucky enough to still get fresh ones), I highly recommend this yummy frozen drink for the poolside. (Sweetnicks, New Jersey).

UPDATES:

Another cocktail in a pretty color comes courtesy of Erin: she mixes the juice of blood oranges, mint, and vodka to make a gorgeous (and quite potent-sounding) Minty Citrus. I love all of the herbs that keep appearing in these recipes, especially since my little herb garden out back is overflowing! (Erin’s Kitchen, Los Angeles)

Please take note of Alotta Errata’s comment about her chocolate-banana smoothie! What a perfect cool and delicious lunch without much fuss. I think I’m having one tomorrow. (Melissa writes Alotta Errata from–and I quote–”West of the middle of suburbia, Connecticut.”)

Jenn, a writer in Solana Beach, California, recommends a Brazillian cocktail called a caipirinha. I’ve never had cachaca, the spirit the recipe calls for, so I’m intrigued! Check out Jenn’s comment below for further instructions on making this a perfect drink. (Jenn blogs at aka JeSais, and the recipe comes from Maria’s Cookbook at Maria-Brazil.)

I love the idea of strawberry and basil as a flavor combination, and Vanessa has created a drink that features both. Her Strawberry Basil Baumers not only sound like a delicious addition to any party, but they’re such a pretty pink that I can only imagine how well they would compliment a little black dress. For a simpler pink cocktail, Vanessa also recommends pink lemonade and rum. (Vanesscipes, Williamsburg, Brooklyn)

Alanna, at A Veggie Venture, offers us a lovely virgin beverage in a delicious shade of green. I am completely intrigued by her Cucumber Lemonade and must make some immediately. Who doesn’t have an abundance of cucumbers this time of year? What a perfect way to use them up! (A Veggie Venture, St. Louis, MO)

Sangria!: Mooncrazy over at Peanut Butter Etouffee makes a mean pitcher of sangria with an extra kick of brandy and fresh fruit. Several people have been on a quest for a perfect sangria; I can’t wait to try this version. (The three women of PBEtouffee write coast to coast, from southern California to Florida).

Megan in Paris has posted a classic French take on cool and refreshing: Kir and Kir Royale, an easy and classy way to dress up an ordinary glass of wine or champagne. Plus, it makes for such a pretty color! Also, check out Megan’s instructions for how her husband makes a perfect gin and tonic. (Chez Megane, Paris, France)

If you come by my house around dinner time and expect to find me slaving over a hot stove these 100-degree, humidity-laden days, you will likely be disappointed. Around here, our evenings tend to look like this: a quick, easy meal, tossed together over white wine and NPR’s Fresh Air, and then, Scrabble.

As a wordy, nerdy, (culinary) bookworm, my love of Scrabble is probably not a mystery. But I really learned to love the game from my great-grandmother, Nanny, who taught me to play. She had one of those fancy, lazy-Susan-esque boards, coated in shiny plastic with neat little cubbies for each letter, upon which she regularly dazzled me with her crossword puzzle-enhanced vocabulary.

Between turns, Nanny was always whipping up something fabulous in her tiny kitchen, so perhaps the combination of delicious food and interesting words is the legacy I’ve always been meant to inherit.

Although Nanny is sadly no longer with us, I can’t help but think she’d be pleased as punch to know that her eldest great granddaughter is carrying on the tradition of loving people through food and, at the same time, soundly defeating them at the game of words. Sorry, David, it sounds like I come by it honestly.

But look at it this way: at least I feed you well in the process.

For a Scrabble dinner date one night a few weeks ago, I put these farmer’s market sweet peppers to work in a salad with some crawfish tails, bacon, goat cheese, and a salty-sweet maple vinaigrette. The quantities are approximate, as with any salad, and the possibilities are endless. Shrimp or grilled chicken could certainly replace the crawfish, and the quantity and variety of veggies is completely up to your personal taste. However you decide to fix your salad, I highly recommend it with Scrabble on the side.

Spinach Salad with Crawfish, Goat Cheese, and Bacon-Maple Dressing

4-6 slices bacon (I like the maple-flavored kind in this salad)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 T. maple syrup plus a drizzle for the nuts
1 T. honey dijon mustard
1 T. balsalmic vinegar
2 T. olive oil
1 T. reserved bacon drippings
Spinach leaves
Sweet peppers (I used two), cut into matchstick-sized pieces
Goat cheese (about 2 ounces)
1 cup cooked crawfish tails (optional)

Cook the bacon in a heavy skillet until it reaches your desired doneness. Remove the slices and set aside. Drain off about a tablespoon of the drippings to reserve, and discard all but a very tiny film on the bottom. Return the skillet to medium heat and add the pecans. Stir, toasting the nuts until they are brown and fragrant. Drizzle with a tiny bit of syrup and stir to coat. Turn off the heat.

In a small bowl, whisk together the reserved bacon drippings, mustard, maple syrup, and vinegar until well-blended. Drizzle in the oil in a very slow stream, whisking constantly until the mixture emulsifies.

Cover two plates with spinach leaves. Top with the peppers, dollops of goat cheese, the toasted nuts, crumbled bacon, and the crawfish tails. Drizzle with the dressing.

The antioxidant-rich peppers and vitamin-laden spinach make this recipe a good candidate for ARF/5-a-day Tuesdays over at Sweetnicks. Head over there to see how other people are eating healthy and staying cool.

Recipe links:

Mushroom-Arugula Risotto (I subsituted spinach for the arugula and served the risotto inside roasted portabello mushroom caps, which was pretty, and also added more mushroom-y goodness to the risotto.)
Sweet-Hot Grilled Chicken
Angel Hair with Goat Cheese and Caramelized Vegetables
Blue Cheese and Mango Quesadillas

Here’s an idea for pizza inspired by the restaurant where I worked in college. The chef there invented this pizza as a way to make the peanut sauce and grilled chicken–both of which he prepared in great abundance each week–serve double duty. Whenever I have leftover peanut sauce and a chicken breast that needs to be used, this simple preparation often finds its way into my oven.

Authentic Thai cuisine it is not, but I love the combination of the cooked and raw ingredients atop a fluffy crust. I keep meaning to experiment with different recipes for pizza crust, but so far, I tend to stick with the basic crust/foccacia recipe both because I have it memorized and because it takes so little time to throw together. But any crust will do if you have a recipe you prefer.

Thai Chicken Pizza

One half recipe pizza dough
One grilled chicken breast, sliced
1/2 cup Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce plus more for serving
A handful of shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Stretch the dough to fit a round pizza pan or a rectangular cookie sheet, and prick the dough all over with a fork. Bake for 10 minutes. Spread the pre-baked crust with the peanut sauce, sliced chicken, and cheese. Bake for another 5 or 6 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the crust is light brown.

To serve, top with any combination of the following:
Cilantro leaves
Basil leaves (I used lemon basil)
Chopped peanuts
Shredded carrots
Sliced green onions
Bean sprouts
Snow peas or sugar snaps

Drizzle with remaining peanut sauce.

Well, if you have a log or two of goat cheese, herbs, olive oil, and some crackers, you can throw this together and look like you planned it all along.

My cousin had a party not too long ago, and her sister-in-law served something similar to this (and that, my non-southern friends is how recipes travel down here: my sister said she had such and such at a party and got the recipe from so and so, who got it from her aunt and so on…).

It was so pretty, I resolved to assemble it (it seems unfair to call this cooking) the next time we had people over. And so I did.

Besides how easy it is to do, the other great thing about this appetizer is that it can be assembled beforehand (and I think it tastes better after the herby flavor has had time to soak in). Just pull it out of the fridge up to an hour before you expect guests so it can soften, and you’re set. It’s the perfect thing to have with wine while you’re finishing up dinner.

What you need:
A long, thin, dish with a lip at the edges
Goat cheese (I used 2 4-ounce logs)
Good olive oil
Kosher or sea salt
Cracked black pepper
An assortment of herbs (I used lemon basil, rosemary, and Cuban oregano)
Crackers (We love the rosemary-olive oil Triscuits)

Up to a day before you want to serve it: Form the goat cheese into a long, thin log shape, and puncture the top with a fork several times. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, black pepper, and minced herbs. Cover and refrigerate.

An hour before serving: Uncover and lay sprigs of fresh herbs all around the cheese. Drizzle the whole plate with more olive oil, salt, pepper, and finish by sprinkling with more minced herbs.

We are not wine connoisseurs, but if you’re looking for an inexpensive and mellow red wine, Foxy compliments the herbed goat cheese quite nicely.

Barbara, over at Tigers and Strawberries, has invited food bloggers to participate in an event centered on the uses of a variety of spices. For the first three rounds, I was a passive onlooker, reading the entries and gleaning inspiration from those who contributed. But when she announced the most recent edition, The Spice Is Right IV: It’s Too Darned Hot!, using chiles in any form, I knew I’d have to get off the sidelines and get in the game. We love spicy food around here, especially in the summer. (Mostly because it gives us the excuse to pair our food with very cold, fun beverages.)

But immediately, I was stumped about what to make. You see, my favorite spicy cuisine is Thai, and my favorite way to use chiles is in my attempts to make Thai food at home. But that seemed a rather silly entry for this event because Barbara knows way, way more about Thai cuisine than I do, and if you really want to learn how to make it properly, you should go dig through her archives.

So then I thought perhaps I’d try to find some sort of exotic and unique chile and concoct a new inventive creation all my own.

But, well, the thing about the heat (and, wow, is it ever hot in south Louisiana) is that it makes me crave simplicity. It’s almost as if my palate is lazy too–my tastebuds don’t want anything that’s going to make them work too hard, much like my body doesn’t want me to cook anything that requires my being in the kitchen too long.

So I return to the most common of chiles, the dark green one that grows abundantly in the garden, the one that appears most frequently in my cooking, the ubiquitous jalapeno.

Some people like their food to be either savory or sweet, but nowhere in between, no blurring of the lines. I, on the other hand, fall in the contrast camp. When I snack, I find that I need two–a sweet and a salty–and I like to alternate them (a handful of popcorn followed by some M&M’s, and so on). Perhaps that makes me odd.

But it also makes me a huge fan of recipes like this one, where the flavor (and texture) is all about the contrasts. Spicy, sweet, sharp, tangy, salty, herby, soft, crunchy–this quesadilla has it all. Pair it with a frozen margarita (rimmed with salt, of course), and a handful of lime-flavored tortillas to serve with the extra salsa, and I am one happy girl. Even in this heat.

And, I haven’t even had to work hard–with minimal effort, all the contrasts I need are packed snugly into one, crispy tortilla. What more could my taste buds ask for?

Blue Cheese and Mango Quesadillas with Mango Salsa
–inspired by a recipe in The Cheese Lover’s Cookbook and Guide by Paula Lambert

2 ripe mangoes, pitted and peeled
2 T. red onion, finely chopped
4 T. bell or banana pepper, finely chopped (I used one purple bell and half of a yellow banana)
1 jalapeno chile, minced (and seeded if you prefer less kick)
2 T. cilantro leaves, chopped plus a few extra leaves
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 t. Kosher salt
1/8 t. cracked black pepper
4 small flour tortillas
4 ounces blue cheese
Olive oil

In a small bowl, toss together the red onion, peppers, chile, cilantro, and lime juice. Dice one of the mangoes and gently mix it in. Finish with salt and pepper and set aside.

Slice the remaining mango into wedges, and have them, the extra cilantro leaves, and the blue cheese handy.

Heat a drizzle of olive oil (just enough to coat the surface) in a heavy skillet over medium heat. When hot, add a tortilla. Cook until the bottom is crisp and brown, and flip it over. Crumble 1/4 of the blue cheese on the surface. Lay 5 slices of mango on top of the blue cheese, and place a cilantro leaf between each of the mango spikes.

Continue to cook until the cheese is melted. Remove to a plate, top with a spoonful of salsa, and repeat the process for the remaining 3 tortillas. To eat, fold the tortillas in half and dig in! Oh, and don’t forget the margaritas. Serves 2 as a light meal.

Notes: You may have to add oil between quesadillas; a dry skillet will burn your tortillas in a hurry. And, you can, of course, go ahead and fold the quesadillas over while they’re in the skillet as you normally would. But, I think they look so pretty served open faced, and if you add the salsa before you fold them, then you don’t have to worry about making sure you get everything on your fork before you take a bite. Less work even in the eating!

This month’s Paper Chef competition, hosted by fellow southerner Kevin at Seriously Good, happened to fall on July 4th weekend. In honor of that timing, Kevin decided that, in addition to the three randomly chosen ingredients,–corn, pine nuts, and ground coriander–the fourth ingredient should in some way represent Independence Day; regardless of our locale, participants should “create a recipe that celebrates your nation’s emancipation from its previous rulers or form of government or whatever other thing celebrated to honor nationhood.” (Somewhat of a paradoxical idea here in America, but I’ll spare you my treatise on that subject.)

Politics and history aside, the idea of freedom is something I can certainly celebrate. The cliche of course is “free as a bird,” and while flying might represent freedom for some, I have always been a water girl. I can’t remember the time before I couldn’t swim, and there are few instances I can think of when I feel more liberated than when my body is gliding through cold water. Especially in this July heat.

In light of that quirk, I chose fish as my fourth ingredient; yellowfin tuna, to be exact, and I prepared him (or her) for David’s and my celebration of this year’s July 4th.

Fresh tuna is such a great summery food–we like it seared and rare, so it takes almost no time to cook, and the flavor is rich enough to stand alone, but mild enough to combine well with other things. Like, you know, corn, coriander, and pine nuts.

The avocado and corn salsa was alternately tart from the lime juice, spicy from the jalapeno, and buttery-sweet from it’s two main ingredients. To spice it up a little, I flavored pine nuts with one of my favorite seasoning combinations: cumin, chile, and coriander, and topped the salsa with the toasted nuts, which provided a nice crunchy texture.

Tuna and avocado is, to me, a perfect match, and the other flavors enhanced the combination even more. Blue corn tortillas added a patriotic touch–see the star in the picture?–and scooped up what was left of the salsa when the tuna had vanished. All in all, this was a delicious meal that I would definitely make again (and, truth be told, some of my farfetched Paper Chef concoctions do not earn that commendation!)

This month’s competition is being judged by Kevin and last month’s winner, Gabriella, of My Life as a Reluctant Housewife. Check Kevin’s site for a round-up and the winners later in the week.

Stars and Stripes Tuna with Avocado-Corn Salsa
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/4 t. ground coriander
1/4 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. chile powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Kosher salt (just a sprinkle)
1/4 t. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 t. ground coriander
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 small tomato, diced
1/2 cup corn kernels, cooked and stripped from the cob, plus extra for serving
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 avocado, diced
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 t. Kosher salt
2 very fresh yellowfin tuna fillets, about 1/2 pound each
1/2 t. olive oil
Blue corn tortilla chips

For the nuts: Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the nuts and spices (coriander, cumin, chile, and cayenne). Toast in the dry skillet for a couple of minutes, until the nuts and spices are fragrant. Add 1/4 t. olive oil (a tiny, tiny dribble, just to allow the spices to stick to the nuts), and stir to coat the nuts. Cook, stirring for another 3-4 minutes and sprinkle with salt. The nuts should be golden brown. Remove them from the skillet and set aside.

For the salsa: Stir together the garlic, 1/4 t. ground coriander, cilantro, tomato, corn, and jalapeno pepper. Add the avocado and lime juice and toss gently. Sprinkle with salt and set aside.

For the tuna: Heat 1/2 t. of olive oil in the skillet (the same one you cooked the nuts in) over high until smoking. Add the fillets, and sear on both sides, cooking until your desired doneness (we like ours very rare, so no more than a minute per side for us, but you can cook it longer if you like yours more done).

To plate: Slice the tuna into strips. Arrange the tortilla chips in whatever shape you like (a star for Independence Day, perhaps?), and fan the tuna strips out from the chip bed. Top with avocado salsa and spiced pine nuts. Garnish with extra corn, chips, and cilantro. Our traditional mode of holiday festivities around here usually includes the traditional fancy celebration dinner, and a brunch, for which we forgo both breakfast and lunch,. Especially July 4th, when we can almost always be found watching Wimbledon, brunch suits a lazy holiday quite nicely.