Bell Pepper & Beef Fiesta Skillet Bake

Today concludes Fiesta week in San Antonio-- a city-wide party that culminates in a Fiesta Friday holiday and colorful parades through historic downtown and the famous riverwalk. For the first time in 10 years I am in town to celebrate: hooray! I attended the lively King William Fair, watched the night-time Flambeau Parade, and cajoled my parents into joining me at Night in Old San Antonio, a party in the historic La Villita area with hundreds of food and drink booths set up to represent all the different cultures that have formed Texas. The most beloved food booth is Maria's Tortillas, where seasoned tortilla makers slap together masa flour dough to make thousands of tortillas over charcoal burning stoves. Fresh off the coals and filled with cheese and salsa, they are the quintessential melt-in-your-mouth taste of old San Antonio. Everyone carries around their NIOSA cups filled with margaritas, beer, or raspas, eats freshly-made food, and dances to live music while trying to crack cascarones (dyed eggshells filled with confetti) over friends' heads.

bell peppers, corn, black beans, and ground beef topped with avocado and cheese
make a gluten-free, one-skillet meal

In the spirit of this festive holiday, I made a Tex-Mex inspired cast iron skillet bake filled with bell peppers, corn, black beans, and ground beef, and topped with avocados and cheese. I served the skillet straight out of the oven to the table, with bowls of plain yogurt and salsa so people could help themselves to toppings. This gluten-free meal was hearty and delicious, and could easily be adapted to whatever you have on hand/like to eat. Leave out the beans, corn, and cheese for a paleo-friendly version, skip the meat for a vegetarian version, etc. If you don't have prepared fajita seasoning on hand, there's a great homemade recipe here. And if you don't have a cast-iron skillet, this would work just as well prepared over the stove top in a large skillet, then either top with the avocado and cheese and cover for a few minutes until the cheese melts, or place the beef and pepper mixture in a pie plate or casserole dish to top with the avocado slices and cheese for the final quick pop in the oven.

Enjoy these flavors wherever you are, and think of the cultural traditions that make your hometown come together to celebrate. Viva Fiesta!

Bell Pepper & Beef Fiesta Skillet Bake
Serves 4-5

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow or white onion
1 lb ground beef
two tablespoons tomato paste

3 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 teaspoons fajita seasoning (divided use)

two bell peppers, any color, diced (or thinly sliced with a spiralizer)
1 cup fresh or frozen corn (thaw if frozen)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 avocado, thinly sliced
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

To Serve:
1/2 cup salsa

1/2 cup plain/Greek yogurt or sour cream

Preheat oven to 400F/ 205C.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet (at least 10 inches) over medium heat. When hot, add the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the onion, and saute 5-7 minutes, until translucent and beginning to brown. Add 1 teaspoon of fajita seasoning and the ground beef, breaking it up into small pieces, and stirring to brown it evenly, about 5-6 minutes. Once the meat has cooked through, add the tomato paste, and stir to distribute. Remove the beef mixture from the skillet into medium sized bowl, set aside.

To the hot skillet add the garlic, sauteing for 1 minute, then add the bell peppers, corn, and another teaspoon of fajita seasoning. Saute until the peppers begin to soften, 4-5 minutes. Add the black beans and stir to incorporate. Add the beef mixture back to the skillet, and stir gently to evenly distribute the beef through the vegetables. (Taste the mixture at this point, and add a bit more fajita seasoning or a pinch of salt if you'd like).

Top the skillet mixture with the sliced avocados and shredded cheese. Place in the oven and bake at 400F/ 205C for 5 minutes, until cheese is melted. Serve immediately with salsa and yogurt or sour cream.

Serving Tip: Tex-Mex dishes are often served with a simple salad of shredded lettuce topped with a dollop of guacamole and chopped tomatoes. This would be the perfect side for this hearty skillet bake.

Storage Tip: leftover skillet bake will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Pumpkin Salad with Avocado, Pecans, and Pomegranate Vinaigrette

New Year's resolution-making already for 2015: more blogging! It's been over a month since I've posted, but since then: my job in Sydney finished, my Australian visa ran out, we've packed up and shipped all of our possessions, and I've moved back to Texas temporarily while I wait on the state department to approve the hubs to join me in the USofA. Needless to say, it's been busy.

But we're still cooking, and this is my first post from the Southern homeland I still call home. Have done a swift transfer from summer-weather salads to winter-themed dishes here in Texas, even though the weather is not quite frosty yet. The beautiful, delicious salad recipe shared below is just perfect for the holiday season, weather you're in the northern or the southern hemisphere. I made it in Sydney on Thanksgiving last month with my wonderful in-laws and will be making it again in Texas on Christmas for my family here.

This salad makes a beautiful addition to your holiday spread.

The sweet pumpkin, savory rocket (arugula) and crunchy pomegranate seeds and pecans make a mouthwatering combination, and the flavors are holiday season appropriate without adding another heavy, starchy side to your dinner table. I've used both kent pumpkin and acorn squash in this recipe with success, and butternut or any other slightly sweet squash would also work well. If you can't source avocados where you are (they're plentiful in Australia this time of year, and thankfully in Texas we have access to avos from Mexico and Cali), just leave them out-- the salad will still look and taste divine. This festive dish is also gluten-free, dairy-free, and paleo-friendly. Win.

pumpkin, avocado & acorn squash over greens, topped with toasted pecans,
pomegranate arils, and pomegranate vinaigrette

Hope to be back before the month and year are over, but all best to you for December. And especially warm wishes to my family and friends back in Sydney, where the past week has been a tense and difficult one. May peace abound as we move forward into the New Year.

Pumpkin Salad with Avocado, Pecans, and Pomegranate Vinaigrette
Serves 6-8
Adapted from How Sweet it Is

1 acorn squash, or half of a kent pumpkin or butternut squash (no need to remove the skin!)
4-5 cups rocket (arugula; can substitute shredded romaine or another lettuce)

1 avocado, sliced into long, 1/4 inch-wide slices

1/2 of a medium sized pomegranate (for about 1/2 cup pomegranate arils)
1/2 cup pecans, chopped into large chunks

Pomegranate Vinaigrette
makes 1/2 cup

3 tablespoons pomegranate juice
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced

pinch each of freshly ground salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 395F/ 200C. Slice the squash or pumpkin into 1/4-inch slices (if using acorn squash, cut in half from bottom to top, then slice horizontally from bottom to top so you end up with scalloped slices of squash).

Place squash slices on a lightly greased or baking paper-lined baking tray, and place into a pre-heated oven. Roast at 395F/ 200C for 20-25 minutes, turning the slices over halfway through cooking, until the slices are cooked through and beginning to brown slightly. In the last 5-6 minutes of baking, place the pecans on another baking tray and place them in the oven to toast. Remove squash and pecans from oven and set aside to cool.

While the squash is roasting, remove the arils (seeds) from your pomegranate and set a 1/2 cup aside (refrigerate the remaining arils for another use). Then make the pomegranate vinaigrette by whisking all ingredients together thoroughly.

On your serving platter or bowl, arrange the rocket leaves, and pour half of the vinaigrette evenly over the leaves. Arrange the squash slices over the rocket, then arrange the avocado slices in between the squash slices. Pour the remaining vinaigrette evenly over the salad, and sprinkle the pomegranate arils and pecans on top. Serve immediately.

Salad will keep, covered in the fridge, for 24 hours.

* Prep tip: The squash can be roasted up to a day ahead and placed in the fridge, ready to be used when you are ready to assemble the salad. The vinaigrette can be mixed up and stored in the fridge up to two days before serving.

Eggs in Purgatory, Tex-Mex Style

Yesterday was one of those full and productive weekend days that I've needed recently as we prepare this month to welcome friends visiting Sydney, pack up and move house, then fly overseas for a few weeks for a very full schedule of work and play. Woke up early, got stuff done, and felt ready for the week ahead. We ended that productive day with a fantastic night out with friends in Surry Hills: pub drinks, then banquet menu Lebanese food (YUM, love those meals where you're stuffed at the end mostly due to the veg and chickpeas), and excellent Aussie red wine nightcap(s) at our friends' place... finally got home way late for this no-longer-in-her-twenties gal.

eggs sunny-side up over sautéed peppers, spinach, onion, garlic,
with avocado and crispy tortilla strips

So today is yesterday's polar opposite: pretty unproductive. I slept later than I have in ages. Breakfast needed to be lunch-ish, a healthy but filling, steadying meal. I've seen the Italian-origin dish uova in purgatorio, eggs in purgatory, on various cooking blogs and decided to throw together a Tex-Mex version, sort of huevos rancheros meets uova in purgatorio. We can't use tomatoes in our food due to allergies, so instead of the traditional tomato sauce I broiled, peeled, and chopped a couple of red bell peppers (like this). Sauteed some diced onion, garlic, and jalapeños with the chopped bell peppers and some spinach, then dropped in the eggs when the vegetables were nice and softened. Grated a little cheddar over the eggs just before they were finished, and topped everything with some crispy baked corn tortilla strips, rather than serving over crusty bread like most uova in purgatorio recipes advise.

eggs in purgatory, Tex-Mex style (and gluten-free)

Pairing the eggs with sliced avocado on the plates cut the heat from the jalapeños just enough, and a side of chopped honeydew and papaya made for a perfectly balanced, fuzzy-head-curing breakfast. Whether you seek the perfect meal after a late night out, or just a hearty, vegetable-heavy brunch (or breakfast for dinner!) option, these Tex-Mex style eggs in purgatory are a good go-to. Wishing you a weekend well balanced with productivity, leisure, and quality time with friends and family.

Eggs in Purgatory, Tex-Mex Style
2 hearty servings

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
half a brown onion, diced (about 1/4 cup)

2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled and diced

3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped jalapeños
1/4 cup frozen spinach, defrosted
4 eggs
2-3 tablespoons freshly grated cheddar or monterey jack cheese

to serve:
1 tortilla (gluten-free if cooking g-f), cut into long, thin strips and toasted under the oven broiler till crispy
half an avocado, sliced
hot sauce (Cholula, Tabasco) and additional jalapeño slices (optional)

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan, then add the onion. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until onion begins to turn translucent. Add the diced bell peppers, garlic, jalapeños, and spinach, and sauté for another 5 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat down to medium-low, cover, and continue to cook for another 7-8 minutes, until the bell peppers are soft.

Remove the cover from the vegetables, and crack four eggs over the vegetables, leaving about an inch between each egg and taking care not to break the yolks. Cover again, and continue to cook until the eggs are just about done-- the whites opaque and the yolks still runny. Sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over the eggs, and continue to cook for another minute or so, until the cheese is melted.

Arrange the avocado slices on the side of each plate, then serve two eggs in purgatory onto each plate, topping the eggs with the crispy tortilla strips (make sure the tortilla strips are gluten-free if cooking g-f). Serve immediately with Cholula, Tabasco, and additional jalapeño slices, if desired.

Baked Potatoes with Carne Asada + Recipes for Guacamole and Pico de Gallo

Last weekend I stumbled across a recipe on the Homesick Texan for baked potatoes stuffed with carne asada and topped with melted cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and pico de gallo. The hubs saw it on my computer screen and we both agreed to recreate it asap. The Homesick Texan explained that this was her interpretation of a Mexi-Cali dish where carne asada and all the toppings are served over a pile of french fries. I look forward to sampling that version in California in the hopefully not too distant future. But in the meantime, carne asada over baked potatoes was a genius winter meal for our Sunday dinner.

homemade pico de gallo and guacamole top carne asada stuffed baked potatoes

This marinated meat is incredible-- tastes just like *real* carne asada in a restaurant! We used just over a kilo of skirt steak (about 2.5 lbs). This made plenty for three big dinner servings of carne asada over baked potatoes, with enough meat leftover to go into some hearty kale and roasted bell pepper quesadillas the next night (so 2.5 lbs of steak would probably serve 5 people if you're just making the stuffed baked potatoes). I found half of a baked potato generous enough for me, the hubs used a whole baked potato for his portion.

I made a pico de gallo (sans tomatoes due to allergies, used finely diced red bell peppers instead), and we served our carne asada-stuffed baked potatoes with a little shredded cheddar cheese, greek yogurt, homemade guacamole, pico de gallo, and hot sauce on top. They were delicious, filling, and totally worth throwing the meat marinade together in the morning so that the skirt steaks could soak up the flavor all day.

baked potatoes stuffed with delicious marinated skirt steak (carne asada)

Rather than sear the meat then broil it in the oven as the Homesick Texan suggests, we simply cooked the steaks on a hot griddle on the stovetop. This took a bit longer (5-6 mins per side), but cooking time will depend on the thickness of your steaks and your preference for doneness. As suggested, let the steaks rest for a good 10-15 minutes (we just set ours on a plate and covered them with a large bowl), as this really makes a difference in the tenderness of the meat.

Highly recommend this recipe for baked potatoes with carne asada, which you can find here at the Homesick Texan. Below I include simple recipes for a homemade guacamole and a tomato-free pico de gallo. Perfect toppings for this recipe and many more Tex-Mexi-Cali dishes.

Guacamole
yields about 1 cup

1 large, ripe avocado
1-2 tablespoons finely diced purple onion (to taste)
2 tablespoons finely diced bell pepper (any color, red is pretty)
2-4 teaspoons fresh lime juice (to taste)
pinch of freshly ground sea salt
pinch of freshly ground pepper
1-2 teaspoons mild hot sauce (such as Cholula), optional
1-2 teaspoons water

In a non-reactive bowl, mash the avocado meat with a fork until fairly smooth. Add remaining ingredients, adjusting onion, lime juice, salt* and pepper, and (if desired) hot sauce to taste. Stir to combine. If you prefer a smoother guacamole, add 1-2 teaspoons water and mix well.

Serve immediately, or store in the fridge for up to 24 hours (the lime juice will prevent it from turning brown).

* If you'll be serving the guacamole with salted tortilla chips, taste the guacamole with a chip before adding additional salt so as not to over-salt.

Pico de Gallo (without tomatoes)
yields about 1 1/4 cups

1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper (sub chopped tomatoes if desired
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped purple onion
2 teaspoons finely chopped hot chili pepper (such as jalapeño or birds eye chili pepper)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (or fresh lime juice)
pinch of freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or 2 teaspoons dried parsley)

Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive bowl (glass rather than metal).

Serve immediately, or store in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Chorizo & Shrimp Tortilla Bisque

Happy almost Cindo de Mayo! This date originally marked a battle victory by Mexican soldiers over the French in the 19th century, but Cinco de Mayo has since been taken up by Mexicans and Mexico-lovers across the US to celebrate Mexican pride and culture. Growing up in south Texas, Mexican culture was a big part of our regional identity, and my home town regularly celebrated Mexican and Tex-Mexican holidays in style. The color, cheer, and community enthusiasm of these events made a lasting impression. Every April-May, the time of San Antonio's city-wide Fiesta, shortly followed by Cinco de Mayo, I get a little nostalgic for my Tex-Mex roots. But a Mexican food dinner (fajitas; ceviche tacos?!) with a corona or margarita quickly recalls these vibrant celebrations.

We've got some amigos together to hit the town tonight to mark Cinco de Mayo and try out a new restaurant in Sydney's Surrey Hills: Mexico Food & Liquor. The atmosphere looks great, the food looks fresh and creative, and there are 70+ tequilas on the menu. Fantastico! I might be most excited about the buñuelos with xocolate and pinenut crema. I haven't had Mexican buñuelos in forever. They can best be described as large, fried tortillas, dusted with cinnamon and sugar. My mom used to bring big, crispy stacks of them home from a nearby Mexican bakery, and one of my favorite Tex-Mex restaurants in San Antonio used to serve their huevos rancheros with a side of fresh fruit placed in a little buñuelo bowl. Yum.

Tortilla-style soup: a thick bisque of roasted bell peppers, shrimp, and chorizo,
topped with corn, roasted peppers, avocado, fresh herbs, sour cream, and crispy tortilla strips

We got into the Cinco de Mayo mood last night with a sort-of tortilla soup dinner. I ended up creating more of a thick puree rather than a broth-based soup, and we used shrimp and chorizo rather than the typical shredded chicken. The only tortillas are crisped up and served on top as a garnish, rather than stirred into the broth like a traditional tortilla soup. So this really isn't tortilla soup at all. It's a spicy roasted bell pepper bisque with shrimp, chorizo, and a generous portion of Tex-Mex tortilla soup-themed garnishes. But you'll love it, and it goes down well with either wine or a light Mexican beer.

garnishes ready to serve with chorizo & shrimp bisque

We have allergies to tomatoes in this house, so the roasted bell peppers were a great substitution for the tomatoes in traditional tortilla soup. If you're short on time, just use a drained can of peeled tomatoes instead of the roasted bell peppers, and you could also substitute a 1/2 cup of corn cooked from frozen for the fresh corn on the cob. To make the bisque vegetarian, replace the chorizo and shrimp with a can of drained black beans, stirring them into the soup at the end as you heat it over the stove. The chorizo isn't strictly necessary, but adds great flavor and texture to this bisque. Happy eating, and enjoy your fifth of May whether or not you celebrate Tex-Mex style!

delicious chorizo & shrimp tortilla bisque

Chorizo & Shrimp Tortilla Bisque
serves 3 as a main dish, 6 as a starter or side dish
adapted from Jeanine Donofrio of Love and Lemons at Camille Styles

4 large red and yellow bell peppers (I used 3 red and 1 yellow; divided use)
1 brown onion
3 garlic cloves (whole, unpeeled)
1 jalapeño or chili (I used a bird's eye chili)
1 large ear of corn on the cob, green leaves and silks removed
3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 to 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
dash of cayenne pepper
1/4 cup coursely chopped fresh parsley
1 cup shrimp (peeled and deveined; raw or cooked)
1 small link cooked chorizo sausage, coursely chopped or crumbled (about 1/3 cup)

1 lime
small pinch of freshly-ground sea salt

To Serve: 

1 tortilla (use a gluten-free corn tortilla if cooking g-f)
1/4 cup sour cream or plain greek yogurt (cashew cream if cooking dairy-free?)
1 avocado, coursely diced
1/4 cup of the above red bell peppers after you've roasted and peeled them
Cholula or Tabasco hot sauce (to serve)

Preheat oven to 230C  / 450F.

Chop each bell pepper lengthwise into three large sections, and peel and chop the onion into quarters. Slice jalapeño in half lengthwise and de-seed. Place the chopped peppers, onions, jalapeño, and unpeeled garlic cloves on a large baking tray and place in oven. Roast for 20-30 minutes (removing jalapeño and garlic cloves after 10 minutes so they don't burn), until outer layers of onions begin to brown and the skins of the bell peppers are bubbling and beginning to blacken.  As soon as you remove the the onions and peppers from the oven, place peppers into a pyrex or glass bowl and cover with a lid or plastic wrap for at least 5 minutes.

Slice the tortilla into thin strips. Place strips on a baking tray and bake in the oven at 230C/ 450F for 3-4 minutes, until crispy but not browned. Remove baked tortilla strips and set aside for garnish.

While the onions and peppers are roasting, bring a large pot of water to a boil and place the corn cob into the pot. Cover and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until corn is tender. When the corn is done, drain and discard the water, remove corn cob, and let it cool for a couple of minutes. Reserve pot for cooking the soup. When the corn cob is cool enough to handle, carefully scrape the corn kernels off of the cob with a knife. Set corn kernels aside, and discard cob.

Remove the roasted bell peppers (now cool enough to handle) from the glass bowl, and carefully peel off and discard the skins. Coursely chop the peeled peppers, setting aside about 1/4 cup of chopped peppers for garnish.

Place the remaining chopped peppers into a blender, along with half of the cooked corn kernels (keep the other half of the corn kernels for garnish). Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of the skins and add the garlic to the blender. Coursely chop the roasted onions and jalapeño and add them to the blender. Pour two cups of broth into the blender. Add to the blender 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, dash of cayenne pepper, and half of the chopped parsley (1/4 cup). Blend pepper mixture until you have a smooth puree.

Pour pureed pepper mixture into a large pot (same one you used to cook the corn), and bring to medium heat on the stove. Add to the pureed pepper mixture the shrimp, chopped chorizo, half of the chopped parsley, and the juice from half of the lime. (Set aside the remaining half of the parsley for garnish, and slice the remaining half of the lime into 3 wedges for garnish). Heat the bisque until hot throughout, about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  If you are using raw shrimp, make sure to cook the bisque until the shrimp turn pink and are cooked through. Taste the bisque, and, if desired, add up to an additional 1/2 teaspoon each of ground cumin and smoked paprika, and a small pinch of freshly ground sea salt.

While the bisque is heating, prepare the garnishes. Place each garnish on a large serving tray or into separate small serving bowls: the roasted and chopped bell peppers, chopped parsley, corn kernels, lime wedges, chopped avocado, sour cream (or greek yogurt), and crispy tortilla strips. Place garnishes on serving table with small serving spoons or forks, along with Cholula or Tabasco hot sauce.

Ladle hot bisque into bowls and serve immediately, allowing guests to top their own bisque with the garnishes.

Bisque will keep for two days in the refrigerator.

Green Bean & Avocado Salad with Poppyseed Lime Vinaigrette (and how to roast bell peppers)

There's a take-away restaurant around the corner from us that has the most tantalizing spread of hearty salads, marinated and roasted chickens, and freshly-prepared meals. It's difficult to resist going there on a busy weeknight or lazy weekend to grab a pre-made meal. Our favorite salad they serve-- green beans and avocados with a tangy poppyseed dressing-- comes with tomatoes, which we have to remove due to allergies. There are probably other hidden ingredients (like preservatives) lurking in their dressings that we should be more attentive to, even in what looks like a fresh, homestyle meal. Preservatives in this country crop up in everything, so unless we've made it ourselves it's likely that it will contain something we shouldn't be eating due to allergies.

crisp green beans, creamy avocado and tangy poppyseed lime dressing

On Friday I experimented making a copycat recipe of that favorite salad of ours, and quickly nailed the dressing with a bit of tweaking. This recipe is a game-changer: it's amazing how such simple ingredients can be so perfect together. Instead of tomatoes, I threw in some roasted red bell peppers for a little color. The resulting salad tasted even better than the restaurant version, and it was a delicious side dish with our roasted chicken.

incredible, easy-to-make green bean avocado salad

A good extra virgin olive oil is key to making a flavorful vinaigrette, and feel free to adjust the acidity by adding more or less lime juice or apple cider vinegar.  Toasted, slivered or chopped almonds would be a great addition, as would any fresh herbs you have on hand like basil or parsley. For dinner or lunch, picnic or potluck, this is an incredibly easy, tasty, and different salad to have in your repertoire. Hope you love it as much as we do.

Green Bean & Avocado Salad with Poppyseed Lime Vinaigrette
serves 4

Salad

2 cups green beans, washed, ends removed
1 avocado
1/4 cup coursely chopped roasted red bell peppers (capsicum) (see roasting tip below)
2 green onions, white and green parts thinly sliced

Poppyseed Lime Vinaigrette

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
juice of half a lime
1-2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar (to taste)
1 teaspoon poppyseeds
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
pinch of freshly ground sea salt
pinch of dried chili flakes (optional)

Steam the green beans for just 3-4 minutes so that they are still on the crisp side of crisp-tender. Immediately remove beans from the pot and quickly run under cold water, then place the beans in a bowl of cold water.

Prepare the vinaigrette by whisking all ingredients together in a small bowl. Start with 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, and add up to a teaspoon more to adjust the acidity to your liking. If you prefer a slightly spicy dressing, add the pinch of dried chili flakes.

Drain the cooled green beans and place the beans in a large salad bowl.  Add the chopped roasted red bell peppers and green onions.  Pour half of the vinaigrette over the salad and stir to combine. Slice the avocado into long slices that are about 1/4 inch thick, and add the avocado slices to the salad bowl. Pour the remaining vinaigrette over the salad and combine very gently so as not to break up the avocado slices. Serve immediately, or chill for up to 12 hours.

* Roasting bell peppers:

Wash and de-seed a bell pepper (capsicum).  Slice it in half, and place the two halves on a baking tray or cookie sheet with the skin side up.  Place the baking tray approximately 4 inches from the heat source in an oven set to broil (grill) on high. Broil (grill) the peppers, with the oven door propped open a couple of inches, for 4-6 minutes, until the peppers soften and the skin begins to bubble and blacken.

Immediately remove from the oven and place the peppers in a sealed plastic bag. Allow the peppers to cool for at least 5 minutes.

Remove peppers from the bag and peel off the skin of the peppers using your fingers (this should not be too difficult to do after the peppers have cooled in the plastic bag). Discard the skin, and set aside peppers for desired use.  (In the recipe above, I used one half of a roasted bell pepper, coursely chopped, to make about 1/4 cup).

African Salad (Mango Avocado Salad)

First Christmas in 100F heat: check. Just returned from spending the holidays in the sparking sunshine and endless white sand beaches of Western Australia.  We had a fantastic time catching up with friends and family at bar-b-ques in public parks along beaches, down south in WA’s Margaret River wine region, and in the rolling gum-tree covered hills east of Perth.

curious black swans at our Christmas eve BBQ at Matilda Bay in Perth

In addition to the ubiquitous prawns on the barbie, we ate delicious and filling vegan meals, took advantage of WA’s excellent Asian food at Thai and Chinese restaurants, and enjoyed a beautiful meal overlooking a vista not far removed from Tuscany at Will’s Domain winery near Dunsborough (topped off by a sampling of cocoa nibs and chocolate bars at nearby Gabriel Chocolate). 

Will's Domain Winery, Margaret River, Western Australia

Grilled prawns, smoked salmon, gin-cured trout expertly prepared by my fabulous sister-in-law, and a range of salads made using summer’s best produce were welcome replacements for traditional American/British Christmas lunch fare.  I’ve been meaning to post the recipe for my in-laws’ famous ‘African salad’ for a while now, and as it featured on our Christmas table the timing seems appropriate.  

If mangos and avocados are out of season for you, book this recipe and make it when the weather turns warmer.  It’s the perfect accompaniment to grilled meat or fish.  For an easy main meal we throw in a big handful of sautéed prawns—chopped rotisserie chicken would also do the trick. 

freshly cooked prawns with African salad

I’ve been making this salad for a year now based on the hubs’s memory, and only recently discovered that his mother also adds a little cream to dress the salad.  We think the salad tastes wonderful simply dressed with the juice from the chopped mangos, but if you prefer a creamy dressing, top the salad with a few spoonfuls of cream.

African Salad: mango, avocado, and lettuce seasoned with a little garlic and black pepper

This salad turns to mush and the avocado quickly browns when refrigerated (though it still tastes great!), so try to prepare just enough for the meal by adjusting the amount of lettuce you use.  For a cleaner presentation, scatter the diced mango and avocado over the lettuce without tossing it afterward (as I’ve done for the photo above). 

African Salad

serves 5 as a side dish

1 clove garlic

1 head of lettuce, washed and coarsely chopped (oak leaf lettuce is pretty, but iceberg works fine)

1 ripe mango, diced into large chunks

1 firm-ripe avocado, diced into large chunks

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

3 tablespoons cream (optional)

Peel the clove of garlic and cut it in half.  Rub the halves of garlic around the inside of your salad bowl, then chop the garlic finely and throw it into the salad bowl.  Add the chopped lettuce, and toss it to distribute the garlic. 

Add the diced mango and avocado, and toss very gently until distributed evenly.  (For a cleaner-looking salad, scatter the diced mango and avocado on top of the lettuce without tossing afterward). 

Top with a pinch of freshly ground black pepper, and, if desired, 3 tablespoons cream.  Serve immediately.

Ceviche-Style Tacos

Ceviche!  Fun to say, and even more fun to eat.  Ceviche is a wonderful Peruvian dish of raw fish 'cooked' with citrus juice and mixed with peppers and vegetables.  The fish is not actually cooked, but it does turn firm and opaque when it marinates in the citrus juices.  I had frozen fish on hand, so I poached the fish for 5 minutes first, but if you have ready access to very fresh fish, do use that instead.

Colorful ceviche ready to serve with mini homemade tortillas

Ceviche is often served with tortilla chips, but I've recommended serving this recipe with small homemade tortillas so that guests can make mini tacos.  To complete the meal, peel a sweet potato and slice it into 1/2-inch thick slices, boiling the slices for about 10 minutes until tender.  Arrange the warm sweet potato slices on each plate, and add a salad of chopped mango and kiwi fruit.  The flavors go beautifully with the ceviche, and make for a filling dinner.  


This is perfect for a summer meal, and especially fun for a dinner party.  Serve the ceviche in individual wine or martini glasses garnished with a lime.  Set a glass on each plate alongside a short stack of mini tortillas, boiled sweet potato slices, and mango and kiwi fruit salad.  Enjoy!

Ceviche-Style Tacos

4-5 generous servings

4 white fish fillets (such as tilapia, haddock, or halibut), frozen, or very fresh

1 lemon

1 lime

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

2 pickled onions, finely diced

2 carrots, peeled and very finely chopped

2 bell peppers, any color

2 hot peppers (such as jalepenos or serrano peppers)

1-2 teaspoons hot sauce (Tabasco or Cholula)

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

pinch of salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 avocados

To serve:
4-inch tortillas (make sure they're gluten-free if cooking g-f) 
additional lime slices

If you're using frozen fish, bring a large pot of water to a boil, and poach the fish for 5-6 minutes, until opaque.  Remove fish and coursley chop into 1/2 inch pieces.  Arrange pieces in a shallow glass or ceramic dish with a cover.  Grate the lemon rind and squeeze the juice from half of the lemon over the fish.  Grate the lime rind and squeeze the juice from half of the lime over the fish.  Sprinkle with pepper. Cover the fish and refrigerate for 2-3 hours, or overnight.  

Wash and cut the bell peppers in half.  Broil the pepper halves, skin side up, under a hot oven broiler for about 5 minutes, until beginning to blacken on top.  Turn the halves over and broil, insides up, for about 5 more minutes.  Remove from oven and place in a plastic back so that they steam for a few minutes.  After they've steamed, peel off any blacked skin and discard skin.  Shop coursely and place into a large bowl.  

Add the purple onion, pickled onion, carrots, and peppers to the bell peppers.  Add 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1-2 teaspoons hot sauce, the remaining juice from the lemon and lime, and pinch of salt, tossing to coat.  Refrigerate for 2-3 hours, or overnight.

After the fish and vegetables have chilled, dice the avocado.  Add the avocado and fish to the vegetable mixture, stirring gently to incorporate.  Serve immediately.

Serve with mini tortillas and lime slices so that guests can fill their tortillas with ceviche to construct mini-tacos.  If serving gluten-free guests, make sure the tortillas are gluten-free corn tortillas.