Healthy and hearty, fresh and springy, classic and enduring…

The EatingWell Cobb Salad
Makes 4 servings
(My changes are in parentheses)

Dressing:
3 T white-wine vinegar
2 T finely minced shallot
1 T Dijon mustard
1/4 t salt
black pepper to taste
3 T extra virgin olive oil

Salad:
10 cups mixed salad greens (I used romaine and spinach, both coarsely chopped)
1/2 pound shredded cooked chicken breast (I used Trader Joe’s Just Chicken)
2 eggs hard-boiled, peeled and chopped
2 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled (I omitted this)
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 large cucumber, seeded and sliced
1 avocado, diced
1/2 cup blue cheese (I used this cool new mix of cheddar and blue cheese mix from TJ’s)

1. Whisk vinegar, shallot, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl to combine. Whisk in oil until combined. Place salad greens in a large bowl. Add half of the dressing and toss to coat.

2. Divide the salad greens among 4 plates. Arrange equal portions of chicken, egg, bacon, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado and blue cheese on top of the lettuce. Drizzle the salads with the remaining dressing.

Inspired by my new favorite food blog find - 28 Cooks - I am on a total hummus-making kick lately. If you haven’t visited Christiane’s blog yet, I highly recommend stopping by and bookmarking. It’s the rare blog-browsing experience where you instantly want to make every single recipe posted and wish that you could jump right into the photos and take a bite.

My version of the 28 Cooks Green Chile Hummus is very similar to the original with a few key changes (see note below). Even though I’m a true-blue spiciness-phobe, I actually feel that this hummus could benefit from even more chile flavor. It’s a delicious and exceedingly palatable dip that was so good that my husband even turned down a second slice of pizza in order to eat the hummus instead!

Thanks for the culinary inspiration, Christiane! I’ll definitely be making this again and again and again…

Green Chile Hummus
Makes about 2 cups

1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans
Juice of 2 limes
1/4 c olive oil
2 (4.5 oz) cans chopped green chilies, undrained
1-2 T tahini
1 clove garlic
Salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste
1/2 tsp cumin

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Chill for an hour to allow flavors to combine.

[Note: My changes were to add garlic and tahini, use only one can of beans instead of two, and add the chilies undrained.]

Too much good cookin’ going on out there…

Arborio Rice, Parmesan, and Green Pea Pancakes from Culinary in the Desert

Crunchy Coconut French Toast from Leite’s Culinaria.

If Kate from The Accidental Hedonist says this would be her last chosen meal on earth, then I say, “Sign me up for her Baked Penne!”

Just try and read Catherine’s post about Red Lentil & Rice Patties with Cilantro Sauce and not get inspired to try it!

Lemon Spinach Salad from the Cooking Light Message Boards… it just sounds like Spring to me.

And since I’m obsessed with eating (not necessarily cooking) Indian food right now:

Aloo Tamatar Subzi or Curried Potatoes in Tomato Sauce from Sailu’s Food

Everyday Dal Fry from Sugar and Spice

Paneer with Potatoes and Green Peas and Dal with Vegetables from Food, in the Main

I am probably going to be the worst vegetable gardener in the history of gardening. Let me put it this way: I kill houseplants. Regularly.

But I’m giving gardening another a try!

Somehow I got it into my head that I want to grow tomatoes in my backyard this year. So yesterday I headed over to my local Walter Andersen’s Nursery and a nice lady named Carol helped me out and indulged my stupid novice questions and now I’m the proud caretaker of two tomato plants.

Room to grow

I decided to get one plant that grows little cherry tomatoes, so I chose the Yellow Pear variety. And then I wanted one heirloom tomato so I got a Druzba plant. Apparently, I can expect to grow so many tomatoes from these two plants that I will have to give them away. Carol said I won’t be able to use them quickly enough. Yippee!

(Whoa! I just looked at the photo of a mature Druzba and they’re kind of ugly. They better taste better than they look!)

I hated getting my hands dirty because I’m a priss. But hopefully the dirt under my fingernails will be worth it when I’m cooking this summer.

Next up on the mental radar: Blueberries! Any tips for a brand new container gardener would be much appreciated. Help me not kill my plants!

I realize I’ve got this thing about casserole. I’m drawn to them magnetically… the comfort, the simplicity, the melding of flavors. I seek out casseroles and always have the highest hopes for each dish’s potential as a lifelong “keeper” in my recipe box. Often, I’m disappointed by the reality after I try a chosen recipe that sounds so good “on paper” but turns into a soppy, indistinct mess when it emerges from the oven.

I’ve been hearing about the illustrious La Bamba casserole from Cooking Light for years and I finally tried it tonight with many alterations and, ultimately, the results brought sincere satisfaction from the husband and myself. My favorite part was the creamy refried beans and the melding of the Mexican flavors, combined with the heartiness of the ground turkey.

Healthy and substantial and satisfying… just how I like ‘em!

Beth’s La Bamba-ish Casserole
Inspired by a recipe from Cooking Light
Makes 8-10 generous servings

2 (5.25-ounce) cans whole green chilies, undrained
Cooking spray
8 corn tortillas (cut into 1-inch squares)
1 1/4 pound ground turkey breast
1 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (10-ounce) cans diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
2 cans (14.5 ounce) whole-kernel corn
2 (16-ounce) cans fat-free refried beans
1 cup of your favorite prepared salsa
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup chopped green onions
sliced ripe avocado to garnish
sliced or chopped black olives (optional)
sour cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 375°.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add half of the cut-up tortillas, all of the chilies, turkey, onion, chili powder, cumin, salt, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes, stirring to crumble. Add diced tomatoes; cook 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates.

Spoon half of the turkey mixture into a 9×11-inch casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Top with half the corn. Carefully spread half of the beans over corn. Top with the remaining half of the cut-up tortillas. Repeat with the rest of the turkey mixture, then the corn, then the beans, and the one cup of salsa. Sprinkle cheese over the top. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes; top with chopped tomato and green onions, then sour cream and black olives if desired.