Appetizers, Favorites, Gluten Free, Mains, Salads, Quick, Sides, Vegetables, VegetarianRebecca Shetler Fastlime, parmesan, garlic, black pepper, dijon mustard

Black Pepper & Lime Caesar Salad

Appetizers, Favorites, Gluten Free, Mains, Salads, Quick, Sides, Vegetables, VegetarianRebecca Shetler Fastlime, parmesan, garlic, black pepper, dijon mustard
Black Pepper & Lime Caesar Salad

My mother and sister flew to Haiti last week, the final visit in an amazing month of family guests. First Madeline's uncle arrived on a spur of the moment 48-hour trip to cuddle his new niece. Next to arrive was her grandpa and grandma, traveling to Haiti from Indiana, narrowly avoiding a political protest near the airport on the day of their arrival. Madeline's omi and opi from Canada made it in time to see her first smiles, and last week she met her aunt from Pittsburgh for the first time. It has been an incredible expression of love and support from both of our families as they trekked to Haiti, schlepping our many bags along with them. Each time, as I passed our little daughter over to her newly arrived family member, it was a moving experience. Perhaps it's the postpartum hormones... but there was just something about the contrast of having moved to a new place without family, and then watching the faces of our parents and siblings as they held our daughter for the first time that put a lump in my throat. So how does this all relate to this most excellent black pepper lime caesar salad recipe you might ask? My family is nuts for caesar salad. So as I paced the house waiting for my mother and sisters' delayed flight last week, I made my new favorite variation with black pepper and lime. I perfected this version over the last few months while pregnant and unable to eat the classic caesar dressing with raw eggs. I discovered mayonnaise to be a creamy and delicious substitute and swapped out the traditional lemon in favor of local key limes. This is an addictive dressing, so I recommend just going ahead and doubling it the first time.

Yield: approximately 1 1/2 cups dressing

Ingredients:

  • romaine lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces
  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2-3 tablespoons lime juice (we use key lime)
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Optional toppings: homemade croutons, avocado, grilled chicken, grated parmesan cheese

Steps:

  1. Blend all dressing ingredients (mayonnaise, parmesan, olive oil, lime juice, garlic, anchovy, dijon, worcestershire, black pepper, and salt) together in a food processor or blender until smooth. Not that this will make a very thick dressing. Add additional water if you'd like a thiner consistency. Taste, and ramp up the lime and garlic to your taste preference. Keeps for 2 days refrigerated.
  2. To serve, toss the dressing with romaine lettuce and add with additional toppings if desired. 

Salads, Summer, Vegetarian, Gluten Free, QuickRebecca Shetler Fastcabbage, cilantro, lime, cumin, carrot8 Comments

Creamy Cumin Lime Coleslaw

Creamy cumin lime coleslaw is a dynamic coleslaw: intensely flavored by garlic, mellowed by a base of mayonnaise and buttermilk, perked up with a strong jolt of lime, with aromatics of cumin and cilantro perfuming each bite. This coleslaw came into my life when I was 16, my Mom made it for dinner one night and our whole family quickly became obsessed with it.  At one barbecue, I even went so far as to earnestly tell every single guest, what an outstanding coleslaw this was, noting, with the only the gravity a 16 year old can muster, that it was the best coleslaw they would ever eat. I recall one guest stopped me as he was leaving to thank me for my pointed food recommendation noting that I had indeed been correct and that it was the best coleslaw he had ever eaten.  This, slightly tweaked version of my mothers’ coleslaw, is certainly on our favorites list and may just be the best coleslaw you will ever eat!

Salads, Summer, Vegetarian, Gluten Free, QuickRebecca Shetler Fastcabbage, cilantro, lime, cumin, carrot8 Comments
Creamy Cumin Lime Coleslaw
Fall, Salads, Vegetarian, Winter, Gluten Free, Favorites, Quick, SidesRebecca Shetler Fastpersimmon, pomegranate, lettuce, cilantro, avocado, clementine, limeComment

Persimmon Citrus Salad

“What kind of weird orange tomato is that...” the check-out clerk wondered aloud, as persimmons made their way up the conveyor belt at the grocery store last week. Ten minutes later, there were two mangers involved, a low buzz of grumpy conversation in the line, and toes tapping impatiently. Finally, with the arrival of a third manager, and no persimmon on the produce list, I was told to name my price and take my strange fruit home. Victory! Persimmon Citrus Salad is worth the trouble to track down persimmons in your area, it is a festive and zippy salad, featuring winter's most vibrant colors and textures, bathed in a lime mint vinaigrette.

Persimmons are a fall fruit in season between September and December and there are a number of varieties of this fruit. We prefer the pumpkin orange, tomato shaped Fuyu persimmons, as they can be eaten at all stages of the ripening process, unlike other varieties which are astringent and incredibly bitter until they fully ripen.  

Fall, Salads, Vegetarian, Winter, Gluten Free, Favorites, Quick, SidesRebecca Shetler Fastpersimmon, pomegranate, lettuce, cilantro, avocado, clementine, limeComment
Persimmon Citrus Salad
Favorites, Fruit, Gluten Free, Quick, Salads, Summer, Vegetables, Vegetarian, SidesRebecca Shetler Fastcorn, tomato, cucumber, peach, green onions, cilantro, cumin, garlic, lime, bell pepperComment

Southwest Black Bean Salad

In high school while browsing for recipes for a Mother’s Day brunch, I was struck by a colorful sounding 'Stoplight Salad' in my Mom’s copy of Simply in Season. My sister and I added it to our Mother’s Day menu that year, and it became a family staple. Through the years, I have created my own version with a bit more of a Southwest flair, swapping in a potent lime-cumin vinaigrette and handfuls of herbs and fruit for contrast. In college, when I needed a dish for a potluck with some Amish friends, I didn’t think twice before whipping up my Southwest Black Bean Salad…what had seemed like a good idea in my dorm room started making me nervous when I saw my garishly bright salad sitting amidst a table of creamy noodle casseroles. Before I could withdraw my food offering, the head cook stuck her spoon in my salad, and I was given a nod of approval, I quietly let out my breath and tried to act nonchalant. Southwest Black Bean Salad is a pungent, bright, and refreshing salad with corn, tomatoes, herbs, and a customizable base of seasonal vegetables and fruit. It has been my most requested recipe over the years, and is an infinity adaptable salad that will be devoured every time. I’d love to hear your favorite combinations! To read more about Simply in Season and our other favorite cookbooks, check out our Bookshelf.

Favorites, Fruit, Gluten Free, Quick, Salads, Summer, Vegetables, Vegetarian, SidesRebecca Shetler Fastcorn, tomato, cucumber, peach, green onions, cilantro, cumin, garlic, lime, bell pepperComment
Southwest Black Bean Salad
Appetizers, Quick, Salads, Spring, Vegetables, VegetarianRebecca Shetler Fastspinach, strawberry, goat cheese, pecanComment

Spinach, Strawberry, Avocado Salad with Goat Cheese & Pecans

Thanks for following along with our new adventures! We recently moved from Pittsburgh to Haiti where we are starting a 5 year volunteer assignment with a non-profit relief and development organization. We will be in transition for the next few months as we complete our in-country orientation, language study, spend time living with host families in both the countryside and capital... and lest we forget, have our first baby somewhere in there as well! Please bear with us as we will not have ready access to internet or a kitchen throughout this time. We will continue to share new recipes that we've prepared in advance, and updates on our new life in Haiti as often as we are able.

Even before I became pregnant, I was no stranger to food cravings, but looking back, pregnancy has taken me down some odd paths. There was the stage at the beginning, when in between bouts of vomiting, I madly craved salty, tangy and pickled foods. For a while I ate lentil salad with tangy vinaigrette and feta for breakfast every morning. Luckily, the intensity of my craving passed before I fully pickled our baby. In the second trimester, my cravings swung towards tex-mex, and sour-cream became the condiment of choice on everything. Mid pregnancy was notable for my lack of interest in dessert, with an occasional craving for canned peaches. Thankfully for my health, this third trimester has brought a renewed love of fresh fruits and veggies. So while I recognize that this Spinach, Strawberry & Avocado Salad is in no way seasonal, I have happily scarfed it for lunch and sometimes dinner for the month leading up to our departure to Haiti. I like the contrast of crisp spinach, sweet strawberries, creamy avocado nestled beside tangy goat cheese, toasted pecans, and topped with a balsamic vinaigrette.

Appetizers, Quick, Salads, Spring, Vegetables, VegetarianRebecca Shetler Fastspinach, strawberry, goat cheese, pecanComment
Spinach, Strawberry, Avocado Salad with Goat Cheese & Pecans
DIY, Gluten Free, Quick, Salads, Sides, Vegetables, Vegetarian, World CookingRebecca Shetler Fastcabbage, bell pepper, onion, radish, clove, thyme, lime, vinegar, garlicComment

Haitian Pikliz

It is a big week for us. Friday marked our first official day as country representatives, and tomorrow we are moving into our new house. The thought of unpacking after 6 months makes me giddy! This week's transition seems more final than the previous ones, it feels like we have finally arrived at our destination, Haiti is home. As we have explored Haitian culture through food, pikliz was our first culinary attempt. Pikliz is a beloved Haitian condiment; a pickled cabbage dish with spices and citrus notes, that often accompanies rich or fried foods. Our usual make-taste-adjust routine was somewhat stymied, when after our 9th batch, we just couldn't seem to get a consensus from our Haitian friends and co-workers, of the flavor profile for the perfect pikliz. More heat, more sweet, less sour, more citrus, less salt, more salt, add color, more crunch. Finally we figured it out, there is no perfect master recipe. This is our favorite version of our many, many batches. Enjoy tinkering with the recipe to make pikliz your own. This tangy condiment is fantastic with all manner of meat, hot dogs, burgers, and stewed dishes.

DIY, Gluten Free, Quick, Salads, Sides, Vegetables, Vegetarian, World CookingRebecca Shetler Fastcabbage, bell pepper, onion, radish, clove, thyme, lime, vinegar, garlicComment
Haitian Pikliz