Cucumber Sandwiches

There is something about Raleigh and going straight from winter to summer. I hope you have enjoyed the 70 degree weather the past week as I anticipate my spring and summer menu.

I am not sure where this came from, but I have fallen in love with cucumbers. It may have been when I was collecting so many from my CSA, but I am now an avid fan.

Which leads me to my new favorite snack: cucumber sandwiches. I used to think this was just a standard tradition for bridal and baby showers, but they are actually tasty! I have tried a few variations and want to share my favorite.

Savory Cucumber Sandwiches

"white" bread

one large cucumber (not English)

4 oz cream cheese

2 tbsp. mayonnaise

splash of Worcestershire sauce

onion power

garlic pepper

Trader Joes has an imitation white bread that works great for this recipe. I have never bought into white bread but for cucumber sandwiches, it is a must. I keep the crust on because there is no real need to waste, but if you are preparing this dish for company, it looks better clean cut.

Mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, sauce and seasonings. You should only need enough mayonnaise to make the cream cheese spread easily. Do not add too much Worcestershire sauce or onion powder or your sandwich will be too savory. What makes this sandwich great is the lite taste. There is enough salt in the sauce, mayo and cream cheese, so there is no need to add additional salt.

Spread mix on two slices of bread. Thinly slice cucumber and heavily layer on one side - I use about 9-10 slices. Cut sandwich into quarters. I love this sandwich for a snack or with cherry tomatoes for a lite lunch. This will be ideal in the summertime when it's too hot for a heavy meal.

Other alternatives I have found use cream cheese and dried mint leaf for a "fresh" taste. I am also dabbling into a creamy goat cheese variety. I will let you know how it turns out ;)

Romantic Ravioli

It is very easy for us to make reservations and go out to eat during the holidays - especially the romantic ones. However, a homemade dish can be more sentimental and calorie-reducing that it's commercial competitor.

A romantic dinner can be an ally of passion. One woman in four believes that a man can be seduced by a romantic dinner.

"Food has two important senses of sexuality - sense of smell and taste. It gives a sense of satisfaction. But the only true aphrodisiac - the imagination," - says the University of Italian literature professor Falko Portinari. Thus an aphrodisiac may be anything that is capable of stimulating the human imagination.

What makes a romantic meal in my mind is anything that has a thick aroma and is savory and entices one to linger in the meal - this is heavily brought on by inclusions of herbs and spices. Basil, garlic and other savory herbs are mythically considered aphrodisiacs. Thus I have planned a rich, savory pasta dish for our Valentine's dinner.

Romantic Ravioli

ravioli, or other stuffed pasta

homemade Alfredo or low-fat store bought version

minced garlic

2-3 ripe tomatoes, chopped

1 pint baby bellow mushrooms, sliced

baby spinach

fresh bail, for serving

shredded Parmesan, for serving

Trader Joes has excellent ravioli, including a lobster version. Prepare any preferred pasta. I like stuffed pasta because it is more filling for a vegetarian dish. Boil according to package instructions.

Prepare Alfredo according to my Resolution Alfredo recipe. This tasty reduced-fat version will allow you to enjoy your evening with less guilt and less cash.

Saute minced garlic with 1 tsp olive oil. Add mushrooms and saute until tender and juicy. Add chopped tomatoes and spinach and stir until warm and slightly wilted.

To prepare your plate, spoon about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of Alredo sauce onto a large dinner plate. Top with ravioli and vegetable topping. Top with more parm and basil, if desired.

I also plan a side salad with this meal for added nutrition. Choose from my Side Salad options or create something you prefer. Just be sure to prepare your meal when you are feeling good and charitable - don't ever cook as if it is a chore - your dinner guest will taste the difference.

Happy Valentine's Day and have a wonderful, romantic evening.

In season: Pineapple

I have had a hard time finding a salsa recipe that works for me. I love black bean and corn salsa because of the smoky flavors, but I also enjoy a sweet and spicy version as well.

This is where pineapple comes in. To my surprise most tropical fruits - pineapple, kiwi, mango etc - are considered some of the most nutritious fruit you can eat. Pineapple's high vitamin C, magnesium and anti-oxidant power contribute to better eye sight, digestion and works as an anti-inflammatory.

Pineapple is prime in late winter/early spring so find yourself some FRESH pineapple at the grocery store. You can buy a pineapple corer/slicer for less than $10 at Target or other kitchen-aid stores and it's worth the freshness. Canned fruit can often come with added sugar and unnatural preservatives. Once you have your pineapple tower, cut into quarters and use for a breakfast fruit salad or this wonderful salsa recipe.

This recipe is rather simple and you can easily adjust the ingredients to impact the flavors you prefer in a salsa recipe.

Fresh Pineapple Salsa

1 ripe pineapple

1 green apple, finely chopped

1 shallot, mined

1 ripe lime

fresh cilantro

pickled jalapeño

cumin

chili powder

salt

1 tbsp olive oil

Chop pineapple slices - mine was a fine consistency. Mix with apple and let drain in a strainer while you prepare other ingredients. I liked using green apple because it's crisp and firm - you can use other cooking apples as well, such as Fuji.

Mince shallot and jalapeño. Add as much or as little jalapeño as you care for - the pineapple has an overwhelming sweetness so I prefer more pepper. I use pickled peppers because the raw pepper is not appealing to me in salsa. Clean cilantro and chop.

Add onion, pepper and cilantro in a bowl. Mix in 1/2 tsp cumin and chili powder each. Also add 1 tsp coarse ground salt. Add pineapple and apple to mixing bowl. Stir in olive oil and juice from one lime. Taste to determine if more spice or salt is needed.

This salsa is great for just chips but also pairs well with meats such as pork and chicken. For a vegetarian option, make fish tacos on corn tortillas and add pineapple salsa. This is also a great pot luck item for a tropical party theme.

Martha Stewart has a version in her March Everyday Food magazine that includes black beans.

Vegetable Enchiladas

This is sort of a cheater's recipe, but I learned a new trick: red sauce. Remember when I was complaining that my tortilla pie was good but it didn't serve a lot of people? I figured out that I can use the same ingredients to make vegetable enchiladas, which go further with guests and leftovers.

I do make chicken enchiladas with a green sauce, but I knew that would not go well with this new dish. So I finally tried my hand at Mexican red enchilada sauce. This recipe was completely improvised but was a surprising success! To be fair, I do not use any chilies in my enchilada sauce to tame the heat, so it's not exactly authentic. I do not recommend store-bought sauce because it contains a lot of needless salt and preservatives. However, enchilada sauce can be made with a lot of kitchen staples.

Red Enchilada Sauce

2 tbsp butter

1/2 minced onion

2 tbsp flour

2 cups vegetable or beef broth

1 can tomato paste (6 oz)

2 tbsp chili powder

cumin

oregano

garlic powder

salt

1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Saute minced onion in butter in a large frying pan. You can use any kind of onion for this recipe. I buy yellow onions because they are so versatile but red onion is also very Mexican and will go well. Once butter is melted, add flour. Slowly pour broth and whisk well. Flour should dissolve and the mixture will become thick. Season with cumin, oregano, garlic and salt - 1/2 to 1 tsp each. You can also include fresh garlic in this recipe - add with onions. Mix tomato paste with water or more broth - about half a cup - and stir into sauce. If you like a thinner enchilada sauce, substitute plain tomato sauce for paste. Be sure to note if the tomato sauce is seasoned with Italian spices - that will not make for a tasty sauce.

Mix cocoa with 1/4 cup water and whisk into sauce. Some people shy away from cocoa in red sauce but it honestly didn't taste like enchilada sauce without this key ingredient. Cocoa does not equate to chocolate. Have you ever tasted unsweetened cocoa? It's not sweet or chocolaty. The cocoa also improves the color. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools so add broth or water to get preferred consistency.

Vegetable Enchiladas

As I mentioned before, this recipe is a copy cat to my tortilla pie recipe:

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
small can corn, rinsed and drained
bag baby spinach, slightly chopped
1 cup salsa
1/2 medium onion, red or white
1 jalapeño, chopped (optional)
fresh cilantro (optional)
1.5 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

10-12 corn tortillas

8 oz pepper jack or Mexican blend cheeses, shredded

Preheat oven 400 degrees. Saute onion and pepper in minced garlic, cumin, salt and red pepper. Once pepper and onion are soft, add beans. Add 1/4 cup water to beans and cook until beans start to break. Slightly mash beans to speed up the process. The mixture should be "refried" with some whole beans still in tact.

Stir in corn and spinach leaves. Stir until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat. Stir in salsa. Trader Joes has a fantastic Double Roasted salsa that goes with about any dish I prepare. I highly recommend this salsa for cooking because it is flavorful and chunky. If you are using salsa with a lot of cilantro, than adding fresh cilantro is unnecessary. Otherwise, add cilantro now.

Heat your tortillas in a damp, clean dish rag for about one minute. Spread about 1/2 cup of sauce into a 13x9 baking dish. Fill each tortilla with 2-3 tbsp filling - depending on the number of guests you plan to feed (I like mine FULL). Top filling with 1 tbsp cheese and lay seem-side down in pan. Make sure tortillas are warm, otherwise the corn tortillas tend to fall apart. Top prepared enchiladas with red sauce and more cheese.

Bake enchiladas 20 minutes. If cheese is not brown, turn on broiler for 1-2 minutes. Serve enchiladas with salad - it goes together surprisingly well. I mix chopped spinach with a lite dressing and top with Mexican cheese and pepitas.