Simple, Nourishing Salads

Elotes-inspired corn; Beans with ginger, sesame and cilantro; Two cabbage and apple salads; Potato, avocado and tuna

Elotes-Inspired Lime and Paprika Corn

I am back in my own kitchen after a month of visiting my family in Australia. Returning to my regular cooking routine is always both a relief and a challenge. This was a week of cooking very simple dishes that could be re-purposed into something new, mostly to avoid going to the grocery store for a long as possible, as I eased my way out of a jet lag hangover and back into the real world.

Soba noodles with tinned tuna, a lick of sesame oil, splash of soy and a few snips of chives that have re-surfaced in the garden after a week of warm weather, was more than satisfying and an extremely quick first meal- pulled together completely from the pantry. A bag of frozen corn became an elotes-inspired salad that worked its way into tacos the next day. A pot of pinto beans found themselves on tacos, snuggling into brown rice and dressed as a salad with ginger, sesame and cilantro. A cabbage was shredded to top tacos and make two very different cabbage and apple salads.

Lime and Paprika Corn

This is a really good, fast and very flexible way to cook corn. You can, of course, use fresh corn if you have some in season, just cut it off the cob before proceeding. This dish is good eaten warm or at room temperature, and holds up well in the fridge for a few days.

Olive oil

1 smallish onion

1 10oz bag frozen corn (off the cob)- about 300g or 2 1/2 cups

Zest and juice 1 lime

1 tsp cumin seeds

1.5 tsp paprika - or 1tsp plain and 1/2 tsp smoked sweet paprika

Good pinch Aleppo pepper (optional)

3T sour cream

A few good sprigs of cilantro (coriander)

Optional additions: a little crumbled feta or grated parmesan, sliced jalapeño or a tsp of miso paste mixed with the lime juice before stirring through, a few finely sliced scallions (spring onions), fresh cherry tomatoes, more lime! more spice!

• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat enough oil to coat the bottom (about 2 T), then add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened and beginning to brown slightly. Add the lime zest, cumin, paprika and Aleppo pepper and then add the corn and a good sprinkle of salt. Stir to coat in the spices and onion and then leave a few minutes to allow the corn to soften and begin to caramelize, then repeat the stir and rest a couple more times, being sure not to allow the mixture to burn. Turn the heat down to low and stir through the sour cream and lime juice. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Serve with cilantro on top.

Beans w Ginger, Sesame and Cilantro

This is one of my favorite ways to enjoy beans, I love it simply with a bowl of Japanese rice or as a side dish for something like roasted kabocha squash, grilled fish or chicken (especially if marinated in a little soy-citrus(esp. Yuzu)-honey glaze). It is also an excellent addition to a rice or salad bowl alongside such salads as the cabbage and apple (below) and a beetroot and carrot slaw, maybe a little tahini sauce and quinoa in there too.

You can use canned beans if you prefer, or you can cook them from dry. To prepare from dry, soak beans the night before in enough water to cover them by 2-3 inches. I don’t use measurements when I cook beans, but a cup of dry will generally yield about 2-3 cups cooked, I always cook at least 2 cups. Before cooking them, drain off the water and add to a saucepan with fresh water, again enough to cover by about 3 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until soft, you do not want any hint of crunch- this will take anywhere from 1 to 2 hours depending on the age and type of bean- adding more water if it gets too low and skimming off any scum that rises to the top during cooking. Salt the beans well 5 minutes before you take them off the heat and allow them to cool as well as store them in their cooking liquid. Don’t throw the liquid away, it holds so much flavour and is great as a base for bean soups instead of stock. If you like, you can add herbs such as fresh oregano thyme, sage, rosemary, bay or parsley stalks, whole cloves of garlic (I keep the skin on), a halved onion- keep the core intact for easy removal later- and dried peppers to the cooking liquid while the beans cook away- my go-to is rosemary and garlic, though this week I threw in 2 ancho chilies and some oregano because I initially made them for tacos and rice and beans. Depending on their final destination, and how I am feeling at the time, I also like to add a lug of olive oil at the end for extra silkiness, though I tend to skip that step for this particular dish. If you are taking the time to cook a pot of beans, make enough to use later in the week or to store in your freezer.

I recommend pinto, cranberry or black or yellow eye beans here as I like the way these varieties hold up in a salad, they keep their structure well if they aren’t overcooked, rather than becoming creamy, and have a really lovely earthiness to their flavour. Of course, this is just my opnion, feel free to substitute whatever bean you prefer or have on hand.

One last note in this very long preface to a very short recipe, is that if you are lucky enough to find fresh season (less than 1 year old) beans, they don’t require the overnight soak- in fact they may likely fall apart of you do soak them. Simply wash and cook as above, omitting the soak. Good beans are worth seeking out, if only for a special treat as they are more expensive, in the US Rancho Gordo are the go-to for beautiful heirloom beans, but there are other more localized growers out there, such as Sheridan Acres in Michigan, that are definitely worth supporting.

2 cups of cooked beans such as pinto, cranberry or yellow eye

2 tsp finely chopped ginger

4 tsp soy sauce

4 tsp sesame Oil

2 tsp mirin or white balsamic

2 scallions (spring onion), finely sliced

a handful of cilantro (corriander)- mostly leaves but a little stem is nice too

Flakey Salt, such as Maldon, to serve

• Mix everything together in a bowl, reserving half of the cilantro. To serve, top with the remaining cilantro and a sprinkle of flakey salt. This is good served warm, room temp or cold, and keeps well for a few days in the fridge.

  

  Beans! And beans with some friends as part of a salad plate.

Cabbage and Apple Salad Two Ways

Thinly sliced raw cabbage and apple are so good together- sweet, earthy and crunchy-and really versatile. You could have a base of these two ingredients and take them a million different ways.

This week I did 2 out of a million.

Cabbage Salad Number 1

1/2 head of a green cabbage, finely sliced

1/2 a sweet apple such as honey crisp or fuji

2/3 cup of whole skin-on almonds, roasted in the oven (or toaster oven) for about 8 minutes at 350/180 until they are fragrant and dark-golden brown, roughly chopped [toasted hazelnuts, skins removed by rubbing them in a tea towel while still hot from the oven, are wonderful in place of almonds]

A small fistful of chives, finely chopped (or sub parsley)

Shaved parmesan or other hard cheese such as pecorino or aged gouda, about 20 very thin slices

Your best extra virgin olive oil

Good quality vinegar or fresh lemon juice- I used red wine vinegar

Salt

Black pepper

Toss everything but the cheese together in a bowl, drizzle over enough olive oil to lightly coat followed by a sprinkle of vinegar and a good pinch of salt and some fresh black pepper. Toss and taste, adjust the dressing as needed, then gently toss through the cheese or layer it in if you are transferring to another serving plate.

Cabbage Salad Number 2

1/2 small green cabbage, finely sliced

1/4 red cabbage, finely sliced

1/2 sweet apple such as fuji or honey crisp

2 radishes, finely sliced

1/2 red onion, finely sliced,

1/4 c finely chopped dill

salt

Coleslaw dressing

2T white wine vinegar

2T natural yogurt

1/4 c olive oil

1 small clove garlic, grated on a microplaned or finely crushed

1/2 tsp mustard

1 tsp honey

Black pepper

Salt

• Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together in a bowl, giving it a good pinch of salt to season. Taste and adjust to your preference (more honey/acid/oil/salt).

• Combine all of the salad ingredients together, pour over dressing and sprinkle over a pinch of salt. Toss to combine, check for seasoning, adjust and serve.

Good Simple Potato and Tuna Salad

2 large Sebago/ 4 fingerling potatoes, boiled in salted water until tender enough to be easily pierced through the middle with a knife, cut into large bite-size pieces

1/2 small can tuna

1 or 2 tsp capers, depending on how much you like them

A small handful of rocket, finely chopped

A handful of mint leaves, roughly torn

1/2 an avocado

Really good squeeze of lemon juice or to taste

Healthy drizzle of olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

• Gently toss everything together in a bowl and adjust seasoning to taste. Serves 1 for a good lunch with a glass of cold wine (or sparkling water of course).

  I HOPE YOU ENJOY! X