Chopped Cucumber, Tomato and Apple Salad

ETA on 6/11/13:  I made this today and added 1/2 of an avocado, diced.  The creamy avocado was so good with the crunchy cucumbers and apple.

Think salads need to have lettuce in them?  Think again.  I love chopped salads and they are just fine and delicious either with or without lettuce.  I'm taking the kiddos to the park for a picnic in a little bit, and here's what I packed for myself.  Refreshing on a hot day.

Chopped Cucumber, Tomato and Apple Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 Persian cucumbers, chopped
• handful of grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 a Fuji apple, chopped
• couple tablespoons of crumbled Feta
• a drizzle of Newman's Own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing

Directions:

• Toss all the ingredients together in a bowl.  Refrigerate for 15 minutes before digging in.

Roasted Bell Peppers Stuffed with Garlicky Shrimp, Arugula and Avocado

Hubby likes the shrimp mixture directly over rice, but I like to stuff it in roasted bell peppers to up the veggie count.  I like my roasted peppers still slightly firm, if you like them softer just roast a little longer.

Roasted Bell Peppers Stuffed with Garlicky Shrimp, Arugula and Avocado


Ingredients:

• olive oil in a mister
• 4 sweet red/orange/yellow bell peppers, tops and seeds removed
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 (7 oz.) bag of arugula
• Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt
• 1 large ripe avocado, diced
• 1 small lime

Directions:

•  Pre-heat oven (I used my toaster oven) to 350 degrees F.  Spray a baking sheet with olive oil.  Place peppers, open tops faced up, on the sheet and roast for about 20 minutes.
• While peppers are roasting, melt coconut oil in a pan over medium-high heat.  Add garlic and stir for about 30 seconds until fragrant.  Add shrimp and cook until just opaque.
• Add the arugula, one handful at a time and stir until wilted.  Add TSSS to taste.
• Remove from heat and toss in the diced avocado.  Spritz with lime juice.
• Remove the peppers from the oven and divide the shrimp mixture among the 4 peppers.  Return the stuffed peppers to the oven for 5 minutes until the avocado is just warmed through.
• Serve immediately.

Mexican Rice and Beans

I made this in a rice cooker.  All Asians own a rice cooker.

A rice cooker measuring "cup" (the ones that come included with the cooker) is actually 3/4 of a regular measuring cup.  So the 3 "cups" of dry rice below is equivalent to 2 1/4 regular cups.  Good to know in case you ever lose your rice cooker cups.

This is delicious served with pork carnitas when you don't have any whole wheat tortillas on hand.

Mexican Rice and Beans
Inspired by this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 3 rice-cooker-cups (2.25 regular cups) dry brown rice, rinsed and drained
• water
• 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
• 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1-ish teaspoon salt
• 1-ish teaspoon cumin powder
• a few shakes of Tastefully Simple Garlic Garlic (or garlic powder)
• a few shakes of Tastefully Simple Onion Onion (or onion powder)
• chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Directions:

• Place brown rice in rice cooker.  Add enough water to reach the 3-cup mark on the side of the rice cooker bowl (use a little less water if you're making this with white rice.  The tomato paste and beans will add more moisture.).  Stir in the rest of the ingredients (except the cilantro), place the lid on the rice cooker and set it to cook.
• Once the rice is done cooking, stir it and serve garnished with chopped cilantro.

If you like it spicy, add some minced jalapeño before cooking.