Mango Quinoa Salad

Even though it’s June in Los Angeles, it doesn’t quite feel like summer yet. The days have been gloomy and chilly still. But just because the weather doesn’t cooperate, it doesn’t mean you can’t get yourself in the mood with some light summery food! I love fruit and any salads that incorporate it in some way. I’ve been making this Mango Quinoa Salad for the last decade but have never taken the time to write down the recipe. It’s light and refreshing. If you want, you can add protein to it. It’s best eaten fresh. If you have leftovers, it can dry out a little bit overnight and might require you to add a splash more lemon juice, EVOO, and sesame oil the next day to liven it up.

MANGO QUINOA SALAD (serves 3-4 as a side)

·       2 cups cooked quinoa

·       1 cup of cubed mango

·       ¼ cup diced red onion

·       ¼ cup diced Campari tomatoes

·       ½ cup diced cucumber

·       ¼ cup chopped cilantro

·       Extra Virgin Olive oil

·       ½ tsp salt

·       2-3 tsp sesame oil

·       1 lemon juiced

INSTRUCTIONS:

Mix and serve!

Asparagus & Mushroom Stir-fry

Stir-fry is a great way to use leftover vegetables. You can throw in whatever protein or veggies you have in your fridge and then there ya go—instant meal. I don’t make stir-fry very often because I feel like I can never get the flavor just right. But this time, I really liked it! There’s a lot of flexibility w stir-fry recipes, but here is what I did below:

ASPARAGUS & MUSHROOM STIR-FRY (serves about 2-3 w rice)

Ingredients:

• a bundle of asparagus, trimmed and cut into diagonal 2 inch segments 

• 10 oz mushrooms, sliced

• 1 can of sliced bamboo

• 3-4 cloves of garlic, diced

• EVOO

• 1 tbsp vinegar

• 1 tbsp oyster sauce 

• 1-2 tbsp water

• 1 tsp sugar

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 tsp soy sauce

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

• 1/3 cup of scallions, chopped

Directions:

Heat a frying pan with olive oil. Sauté garlic until it is lightly toasted. Add asparagus and let It cook for a couple minutes. Add 1 tbsp water. Toss in mushrooms and bamboo shoots. Stir thoroughly. Sprinkle w salt and pepper. Sauté for a couple minutes. Pour in vinegar, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sugar. Continue to cook. Add 1 tbsp water and mix. Sprinkle w chopped scallions and cook for one last minute. Serve w rice. 

Spiced Cauliflower Steak with Avocado Chutney

Any cauliflower lovers out there? While I do eat meat, I still enjoy creating hearty vegetarian recipes every now and then. A couple years ago, I used to be a vegetarian. There is a part of me that still misses that lifestyle and how healthy my body felt. But once you start eating meat again, it’s hard to go back! It’s more fun to share food with friends and there are definitely more options when you eat out at restaurants. I try to limit my meat intake to when I eat out, but working on this Cambodian cookbook has got me eating lots of meat again! Today, I’m taking a break from meat and Cambodian food to make cauliflower steaks. It’s nice to mixed things up every once in awhile! Here is a simple and easy recipe for Spiced Cauliflower Steak with Avocado Chutney.

Spiced Cauliflower Steaks with Avocado Chutney (serves 2-3)

Ingredients:

Cauliflower

·      1 cauliflower head

·      3 tbsp olive oil

·      1 tsp salt

·      2 tsp cumin

·      2 tsp curry powder

·      1 tsp paprika

·      1 tbsp lemon juice

Avocado Chutney

·      1 avocado

·      2 garlic cloves

·      ½ cup mint

·      1 cup cilantro

·      ½ cup cucumber

·      1 tbsp olive oil

·       ½ tsp salt

·      ½ tsp honey

·      1 tbsp lemon juice

Toppings

·      ½ cups of tomatoes, finely diced

·      ¼ cup cilantro, chopped

·      3-5 lemon wedges

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees for 15 minutes.  Cut cauliflower head into ¾ inch segments.  Smaller pieces of the cauliflower may break off.  This is okay. Lay steaks and any broken pieces flat on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and massage evenly into the cauliflower.  Sprinkle with salt, cumin, curry powder, and paprika on both sides.  Pour lemon juice over the steaks.   Let the cauliflower bake for 30 minutes, flipping mid way through.

Meanwhile, mix the ingredients for the avocado chutney in a food processor until it is creamy and smooth.  Set aside.

Once cauliflower has finished baking, allow to cool for 15 minutes.   Plate cauliflower steaks, drizzle with avocado chutney, and top with diced tomatoes and cilantro.  Serve with lemon wedges.