Big Fat Taco Salad

This one is from "Appetite for reduction" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. It is a big taco...as a salad. It is kind of fiddly, in that there are three components to it  - the salad, the tomato salsa dressing, and the Guacamame. If you are a bit of a lazy cook, at least try making the Guacamame - it is fantastic!

What you will need for the salad:
4 cups shredded cos lettuce
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 batch of Fresh Tomato Salsa Dressing (recipe follows)
Approx. 100g tortilla chips
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander
1 cup of Guacamame (recipe follows)

Method:
Arrange the salad in 2 big bowls. (Original recipe states that this for 4 people but I think if you want to make a meal of it, it is good for 2. Otherwise double the ingredient amounts for 4 servings.)
Place the lettuce in the bowls, then layer on the beans and salsa. Crumble on the tortilla chips and top with cilantro. Serve with Guacamame on the side or a dollop on the top.

What you will need for the Tomato Salsa Dressing:
3 tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
salt to taste

Method:
Chop up the tomatoes fairly small and then add all the other ingredients. Use your hands to mush everything up really well and leave to sit for 10 minutes or so. You can make this in advance and place it on a tightly sealed container in the fridge, for up to 5 days.

What you will need for the Guacamame:
1 large avocado, sliced
1 cup frozen edamame, thawed (Woolworths sells cooked and frozen edamame but you can also find it in Asian food stores. For thawing, you can leave out for a few hours or you can microwave or run under hot water. It must be thawed well.)
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
Juice of 1 lime
1 tomato, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
Pinch of cayenne

Method:
Place avocado and edamame in a blender or food processor and pulse until everything is well chopped. Add water, salt and lime juice. Puree until mostly smooth. Add tomato, cilantro and cayenne and pulse a few times.  Taste test for seasoning and then you are done.

Mexicali Roasted Vegetables

This easy to make recipe is adapted from the recipe found in the book “Skinny Bitch: Ultimate everyday cookbook” by  Kim Barnouin. The herbs and spices give the vegetables a nice kick to them, without being overpowering.  I was a bit skeptical about the inclusion of cinnamon but it really does work.

What you will need:

2 yellow button squash or one yellow zucchini – cut into 1 cm thick strips

1 green zucchini – cut into 1cm thick strips

2 cups sliced mushrooms

2 cups cauliflower florets

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

Pinch chili powder

Pinch ground cinnamon

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

In a large bowl, toss together all the ingredients, making sure all get coated well with oil, herbs and spices.

Spread vegetables out on a large baking tray and bake for approx. 40 minutes, checking in a fork for tenderness.

Tuck in!