Simple Suppers

Today, I don't have anything grand to share with you.  That being said, not all food has to be grand to make a perfect meal.  In fact, my lunch yesterday was similar to a mezze platter which is a Mediterranean/Middle Eastern snack or appetizer.  It usually is a platter with hummus, olives, pepperoncinis, cucumber salad or tzaziki, cheese, and pitas.  At least that is probably what you would get at most American restaurants.  The ingredients, of course, vary from country to country.  But my favorite thing about plates like this is they are light, healthy, and have various tastes and textures.  Plus, you can eat a lot of it with your hands, which I love because it makes eating fun.  In another sense, it is like having a picnic at home, which works perfectly for these cold winter days. 
On my "mezze platter," I made an arugula salad with a little sherry vinegar and olive oil, hummus, rice chips, pepperoncinis, and a mandarin orange.  It is surprising how satiating a plate like this can be, especially for lunch.  It has salty, acidic, sweet, spicy, and bitter...all the tastes that make a balanced flavor profile...and there is crunchy, chewy, and soft textures.  This plate is certainly not boring!  I think this wide variety is necessary when eating food because it makes you aware of what you're eating which is wholly more satisfying.  Plus, with a wide variety of foods, you are sure to get a wide variety of nutrients, so you can pat yourself on the back for being healthy!

For dinner, I made taco salad.  I learned in school that it is important to season all components properly (sauces, meats, veggies, etc), so that when they come together, the whole dish will be perfectly seasoned.  Taco salad is a good example of where this is necessary.  I have made this before and some of the components were bland, so the overall taste of the salad was bland.  This time, I made sure that each component (beans, guacamole, salsa, and salad) tasted great individually.  That way, I would know the whole salad would be delicious together.
Most of these components I have already shared with you, so I won't go into much detail about them, but here are my simple recipes.  Also, I used the cabbage salad from the other day...yay for lots of cabbage salad!  It is good on everything! :)

Spicy Pot Beans

2 cups black beans
2 TB chipotles in adobo
1 cup onion, small dice
Chicken stock or water

Add all ingredients into a pot.  Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for 1-2 hours until beans are very soft and most of the liquid has reduced and thickened.  Season to taste.
OR these would be perfect in a crock pot!

Guacamole:

2 ripe avocados
juice of 1 lime
salt to taste

Dice the avocado into a bowl with lime juice and salt.  Mash together.  Store in an airtight container with plastic wrap touching the top of the guac to prevent browning.

Salsa:

1 cup canned tomatoes
1 cup onion, rough chop
2 jalapenos
1/2 cup cilantro
2-3 cloves garlic
salt to taste

Puree all ingredients together in a food processor.  Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Taco Salad:

corn tortillas, heated until slightly crispy
beans
guacamole
salsa
salad fixins

Layer ingredients and ENJOY!!!  Or you can be like my husband and mash it all together.  Whatever floats your boat!