Spicy Black Bean & Avocado Leaf Tostadas. ~. Vegetarian

Spicy Black Bean & Avocado Leaf Tostadas  Vegetarian 

Dried avocado leaves are a popular herb in the Oaxaca region of Mexico, where they’re often used to flavor black beans. The flavor is somewhat reminiscent of anise, but still distinctly unique. Look for avocado leaves online or in Latin American grocers, where you can also find Cotija. Serves 4    Servings for 2 are in parentheses.

Ingredients:
6 dried avocado leaves, about 5 g  (3 leaves)
3 tbsp (45 mL) olive oil.  (1 1/2 tbsp)
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) finely chopped white onion, divide (3/4c)
4 garlic cloves, minced. (2 garlic cloves)
1 cup (250 mL) low-sodium chicken broth or water  (1/2 cup)
1 can (540 mL) black beans, drained, rinsed  (1/2 can)
1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo  (1/2 adobo pepper)
1/2 tsp (2 mL) fine sea salt      (1/4 tsp)
8 tostada shells                (4 tostada shells)
4 cups (1 L) finely shredded iceberg lettuce  (2 cups)
2 ripe avocados, cut into slices    (1 ripe avocado)
3/4 cup (175 mL) crumbled Cotija cheese or feta    (3/8cup)
1/2 cup (125 mL) roughly chopped cilantro   (1/4 cup)
Lime wedges for serving
Directions:
Heat a medium-size frying pan over medium heat. Add avocado leaves and toast until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer to a small bowl. 

When cool enough to handle, crumble into fine pieces with your hands, discarding any tough stems. You should have about 3 tbsp (45 mL).  (1 1/2 tablespoon). Set aside.

Return pan to medium heat. Add oil then 1 cup (250 mL) (1/2 cup) onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. 

Add garlic and crumbled avocado leaves. Cook until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in broth or water,  beans, chipotle and salt. 

Simmer, on medium, until liquid has reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat then crush beans and chipotle using a potato masher, until creamy, but not smooth. 

Return pan to heat and cook, stirring constantly, until beans are very thick and bottom of pan looks dry, 2 to 3 minutes. (Mixture will continue to thicken as it cools.)

To serve, spread about 1/3 cup (80 mL) beans over each tostada. Top with lettuce, avocado slices, reserved 1/2 cup    (125 mL)  (1/4 cup)  onions, Cotija or feta, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges. Serves 4 or Serves 2 in parentheses 

Seafood Spring Rolls

Seafood Spring Roll

Any assortment of leftover shellfish and seafood­­—squid, mussels, clams, shrimp, oysters, scallops, lobster or crab—can be used to make these healthy, fresh, light and crisp spring rolls. Serve with store-bought plum sauce, Thai sweet and sour dip or peanut sauce. For this recipe, we started with two leftover grilled squid tubes and 8 grilled wild shrimp. We wrapped the filling in rice papers, but you could skip the rice wrappers altogether and serve about ½ cup (125 mL) of the filling in approximately 10 iceberg lettuce “cups”. Leftover grilled tofu makes a delicious vegetarian option for this dish.  Makes 12 to 15 rolls

Ingredients

3 cups (750 mL) softened glass noodles, rice stick or rice vermicelli (1 225 g pkg)

About 2 cups (500 mL) chopped, leftover cooked shellfish and/or seafood

1 red pepper, finely julienned

6 scallions, trimmed, white and tender green parts finely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and shredded, about 1½ cups (375 mL)

2 tbsp (30 mL) finely minced fresh ginger

1 to 2 tiny, hot, red or green Thai chili peppers, finely minced

½ cup (125 mL) chopped fresh coriander leaves, optional

¼ cup (60 mL) coarsely chopped salted, roasted peanuts

2 tbsp (30 mL) toasted white sesame seeds

½ head iceberg lettuce, shredded, about 2 cups (500 mL)

1 tbsp (15 mL) rice wine vinegar or freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tsp (5 mL) sesame oil

12 to 15 rice wrappers
Directions:
Prepare rice noodles according to package directions; drain and
rinse with cold water. Place colander over bowl and set aside in the
fridge to cool and drain.

Peel and pick all leftover shellfish from their shells, coarsely chop
and toss together in a large bowl. To the bowl with the chopped
seafood, add the prepared and cooled noodles, red pepper, scallions,
carrots, ginger, chili peppers, coriander, peanuts, sesame seeds, lettuce, vinegar and sesame oil; toss well to combine.

To make the rolls, set up a work space with a pan of hot water, a clean surface for filling and rolling, the bowl of filling, a clean kitchen towel and a platter for the finished spring rolls.

Working 1 at a time, soak a rice wrapper in the hot water for about 15 to 20 seconds (refer to package directions). When limp, transfer to the towel to blot off some of the water.

Transfer soft wrapper to work surface, place about 1/3 cup (80 mL)
of filling just slightly lower than center; bring up the bottom flap,
then tuck in only one end, leaving the other end open to show off the
colorful ingredients. Continue to roll upward, as tightly as you can
manage. Set aside one by one onto the serving platter, seam-side down.

Serve immediately or cover with a damp clean kitchen towel and
refrigerate for up to 2 hours. Makes 12 to 15 rolls

Chow Mein Chicken Salad

                                    

Chow Mein Chicken Salad

Packed with every texture imaginable, this hearty main-course salad, full of moist chicken, crunchy veggies, crispy noodles and sweet oranges, offers distinct and delicious Asian flavours with every colorful forkful.   

Ingredients:
3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts,
about 1½ lbs (750 g), cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) chunks
2 tbsp (30 mL) honey
2 tbsp (30 mL) soy
1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh minced ginger
½ small head red cabbage, shredded, about 8 cups (2 L)
1 small head iceberg lettuce, shredded
¼ cup (60 mL) red onion, thinly sliced
½ English cucumber, sliced into half moons
3 Cara Cara or blood oranges, segmented
1 cup (250 mL) crispy chow mein noodles
1 cup (250 mL) salted cashews
Dressing
3 tbsp (45 mL) sesame oil
¼ cup (60 mL) seasoned rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp (30 mL) brown sugar
1 tsp (5 mL) soy
Pinch chili flakes
2 tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).

Toss chicken with honey, soy and fresh minced ginger. Spread on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until cooked through.

In a very large bowl or on a grand platter, gently combine chicken, cabbage, lettuce, onion, cucumber, orange segments, crispy noodles and cashews.

Stir together sesame oil, vinegar, sugar, soy and chili flakes. Whisk in vegetable oil until combined. Toss with salad and serve immediately.
Serves 6 to 8