Food on Fridays: Mexican Fiesta Salad

April 28, 2011 by 10 Comments

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Here at the Food on Fridays carnival, any post remotely related to food is welcome—though we love to try new dishes, your post doesn’t have to be a recipe.If you want, you could simply confess how many Cadbury Creme Eggs you’ve stashed in your pantry. I used to love those things. Are they as rich as I remember?My point is that we’re pretty relaxed over here, and posts like that are as welcome as menus and recipes.When your Food on Fridays contribution is ready, just grab the broccoli button (the big one above or smaller option at the bottom) to paste at the top of your post. It ties us together visually.Then fill in the boxes of Simply Linked to join the fun!

Food on Fridays with Ann

Some friends had us over for a pitch-in meal. Mexican night.We brought a salad: Mexican Fiesta Salad with Zesty Lime-Agave Dressing.The color is off on this photo of mine…the salad looks a little yellow and unappetizing. In real life this salad looks so fresh and colorful, it’s a feast for the eyes. If you visit the link I provided above (or below in the recipe), the photos are gorgeous.I stumbled upon it when searching for Mexican recipes and read through the ingredients unsure if it would all blend. Spinach instead of lettuce? Avocado and oranges topped with a pile of black beans, shallots and corn?Turns out, they’re perfect together. I could eat the entire bowl myself.Mexican Fiesta Saladvia Healthy Happy life (visit site for step-by-step tutorial with photos)vegan, serves 2 as an entree, 3+ as a side salad

  • 1 onion, diced (note: I substituted shallots and used far less)
  • 1 vine-ripened tomato, diced
  • 4 corn tortillas, toasted in oven (Note: I was lazy and just used chips from a bag)
  • 1/4 cup sliced olives (I forgot the olives, but it was still delicious)
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • 1 orange, diced
  • 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
  • 4 cups baby spinach
  • 1 cup fresh or canned corn, unsalted
  • 1 cup black beans
  • fresh black pepper grinder
  • garnish: fresh cilantro
  • Optional:1 tsp chipotle spice, 1 jalapeno, diced and de-seeded (Note: I didn’t use any of these optionals)

Zesty Lime-Agave Dressing1 juicy lime (or 2 less-juicy limes)1 Tbsp agave syrup, dark grade1 Tbsp EVOO3 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegarblack pepperDirections:

  1. Gather your ingredients and a large serving bowl.
  2. Whisk together your Lime-Agave Dressing, set aside.
  3. Dice your onion and tomato, put both in a small bowl. Finely chop the cilantro and fold into the tomato and onion mixture. Grind fresh black pepper on top. Set aside. Note: If you would like a spicier salad, mix 1 diced jalapeno and 1 tsp chipotle spice into this mixture.
  4. Peel your orange and dice. Place in another small bowl. Dice your avocado and put into same bowl as oranges. Toss a bit so orange juice coats avocado. This prevents browning. Black pepper on top, set aside.
  5. Open your can of black beans and corn. (You can also use fresh corn) Place one cup of beans in a small bowl. Heat in microwave (or stovetop in pan) until warm. About 90 seconds in microwave. Take 1 cup of corn and mix it with the warm-hot black beans. Set bowl aside.
  6. Turn on oven – warm for toasting. Opt’l: brush each tortilla with EVOO and sea salt.
  7. Toast your corn tortillas in the oven or a toaster – until crisp. Set aside.
  8. Slice the olives, set aside.
  9. Now we can start to craft the layered salad! First, place the baby spinach in your large serving bowl. Mix the greens with 3/4 of your dressing. Set aside the remaining dressing for later.
  10. Over top the spinach. add the tomato/onion/cilantro mixture.
  11. Next add the orange/avocado mixture to the edges of the salad bowl – create a border along the sides of avocado and citrus.
  12. Tear your tortillas into triangles and squish along the border of the bowl to create a wall of crisp tortillas.
  13. Add the beans/corn mixture to the center of the dish in a large pile.
  14. Add the olive slices.
  15. Lastly, add the remaining drizzle of dressing over top.
  16. Serve!


Photos by Ann Kroeker
Filed Under: Food on Fridays Tagged With: ,

Curiosity Journal: April 27, 2011

April 27, 2011 by 6 Comments

Curiosity Journal: a weekly recap of what I’ve been reading, playing and learning; what I’m reacting to and writing. Inspired by Monica of Paper Bridges, I’m occasionally recording a Curiosity Journal…or am I recording an occasional Curiosity Journal? Tag words are: reading, playing, learning, reacting…and writing.Reading: One of my sisters-in-law has a Ph.D. in philosophy, so I’ve been known to pepper her with questions about the meaning of life. While she’s considering how to answer the first question, I blurt out another that comes to mind, and next thing you know I’ve asked five of the biggest questions of the ages hoping my sister-in-law will be able to answer them simply and succinctly.Trouble is, we live on different continents. She can’t provide me with an overview of philosophy during the one or two hours we’re together every few years, so I asked if she knew of a “philosophy for dummies” kind of book that I could read. She recommended Sophie’s World, a Norwegian novel (translated into English, of course) about a 15-year-old girl who is presented with the history of philosophy. As a novel, it’s not that great; however, as a way to learn about philosophy without getting too confused or overwhelmed, it’s pretty good. I’m up to the chapter where Sophie learns about Aristotle.Playing: The Easter egg hunt on Sunday was a treat. The Easter bunny had fun finding nooks and crevices, and the kids had fun racing through the yard looking up and down for treasures.Meanwhile, the bracket holding our closet rod pulled out of the wall. Blame it on the six-compartment sweater organizer that weighed things down. Too much thick and heavy yarn. To make room for our handyman neighbor to fix the shelves and rods, we had to extract every piece of hanging clothing and every item on the shelves. But this mess gave us the opportunity to sort and bag things we don’t wear or use: three big bags await donation.Thankfully our neighbor is beginning the repair work tomorrow morning, so he might get the shelves and rod installed by tomorrow afternoon.The reason for all this closet-talk? We won’t be able to play until we get things put back together.Learning: I’m learning about the history of philosophy and the strength (or lack thereof) of certain bracket designs used in closet installations. My life is filled with the surprise of unrelated tasks and topics, one after another, always something new.Reacting: When the closet fell apart, I had to act, or react, and deal with the mess. We’re also continuing to react to the bad storms that keep rolling through the Midwest.Writing: We hosted out-of-town guests this weekend and then my family came over for Easter lunch and the egg hunt that a certain beloved Easter bunny spent hours assembling in plastic eggs for distribution upon arrival. Then the closet rod broke. I wish I could report that I’ve been productive and prolific, but I’m afraid I must simply confess that I haven’t had much time for writing.There you have it. A Curiosity Journal that reveals what I’m reading, playing, learning, reacting to and writing.

Image Credits: All photos by Ann Kroeker.
Filed Under: creativity, lifelong learning, reading, self-discovery Tagged With: , ,

Cause for Celebration

April 24, 2011 by 7 Comments

My Slow-Down Fast didn’t wrap up quite how I expected.

I imagined creating quiet moments of contemplation leading up to Easter, and in a way I did enjoy more moments of interaction with the Lord, but not necessarily in long stretches of quiet solitude. I haven’t had a lot of down time, but I have been able to focus when I am silently interacting with the Lord, communing privately in brief snatches throughout the days. It’s everyday conversation. This dialogue is possible, I think, because, as I am more settled than I was back in March—more rested and less agitated—leaving me more open to listening to the voice of God.

But from a scheduling perspective, my slow-down fast was slow but more full than I anticipated it would be when I launched this concept at the beginning of Lent. This weekend we are enjoying out-of-town guests, and Holy Saturday fell on the birthday of one of my daughters.

Instead of a quiet, reflective, contemplative day leading up to Easter, we went bowling and played indoor Putt-Putt.

Instead of an austere day of fasting, I baked cupcakes and dished out ice cream.

At lunch, however, we paused and pulled out our collection of Resurrection Eggs that highlight moments in the last days of our Lord Jesus Christ’s time on earth, and after a review of each item, we opened the egg that contained the stone that sealed shut the tomb.

We took a minute to remember that at that time, everyone—the disciples, the women who traveled with Him, the soldiers who watched Him die, the chief priests and Pharisees—all surely assumed that “it is finished” just meant “the end.” He was dead, after all. It surely looked like it was over and all was lost.

But all was not lost.

All was won.

Easter morning is the day we open an empty Easter egg—empty because our Lord is not dead.He has risen, just as He said. This is cause for celebration.

Joy to the world, He is risen, Alleluia!

Filed Under: family, Slow-Down Fast Tagged With:

Food on Fridays: Maundy Thursday Matzo

April 22, 2011 by 11 Comments

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Here at the Food on Fridays carnival, any post remotely related to food is welcome—though we love to try new dishes, your post doesn’t have to be a recipe.If you want, you could simply count up the number of eggs you’ve colored for Easter and report on what hue works best.My point is that we’re pretty relaxed over here, and posts like that are as welcome as menus and recipes.When your Food on Fridays contribution is ready, just grab the broccoli button (the big one above or smaller option at the bottom) to paste at the top of your post. It ties us together visually.Then fill in the boxes of Simply Linked to join the fun!

Food on Fridays with Ann

When I saw my friend Bill’s reflections on the Last Supper, I lingered on his stunning photograph, marveling at symbol within symbol.Seder, too, seems like an evening of symbol within symbol.The Maundy Thursday gathering we attended this year was somewhat simplified—for example the plate, as you can see in this photo, was missing the egg. We ate the parsley dipped in saltwater and the matzo dipped in horseradish, but we weren’t served the “charoset” symbolizing the mortar the Jewish people used while slaves in Egypt. I was a little disappointed, as I actually like that simple salad comprised of apples, nuts, wine and spices. But we got to pile a big blob of horseradish onto our matzo, which distracted me from the missing charoset.Our leader focused on the tradition that calls for placing three matzos into a bag that has three compartments inside—three-in-one? Sounds decidedly Trinitarian.The matzo, as our leader pointed out, is pricked with many holes; in fact, one might say it was pierced. When it bakes, parts of the matzo touch the baking sheet and are browned; one might say it has stripes.At one point in the Passover ceremony, the middle matzo is pulled out and broken in two. The larger of the two pieces is wrapped up in a white cloth and hidden away to be found later, by children sent out in search of it. After a child finds it, he or she brings it to the leader, who takes the matzo and in exchange, hands the child a small sum of money; redeeming it, one might say.This is my body, broken for you.Symbols within symbols.But that was Maundy Thursday.Today is Friday. Good Friday.Revisiting the original Passover story takes us back to the Passover lamb whose blood covered the doorposts of a Jewish home as protection from the final plague of Egypt: Death, which passed over those households covered by the blood of the lamb.On Good Friday we ponder the perfect sacrifice—Jesus’ body, broken for me; His blood shed for me, covering me, that death might pass me by.It is hard, but it is very good.May your Good Friday be rich with meaning.

Photos by Ann Kroeker
Filed Under: Food on Fridays Tagged With: ,

The Empty Egg

April 20, 2011 by 3 Comments

On Easter morning one year, we arranged for our son to open the last plastic egg, but he refused.Several years ago, we bought a pack of twelve plastic “Resurrection Eggs” filled with various symbols representing key moments in the Easter story. We worried the eggs could be a little cheesy, but our kids delighted in taking turns plucking one from the carton and shaking it like a birthday present to guess what was inside.

Each item makes a different sound as it rolls or thumps against the plastic: for example the whip—nothing more than a strip of leather—can be hard to guess as it softly brushes against the insides like a whisper, whereas we can easily identify the metallic chinka-chink of the noisy coins…

….continued at TheHighCalling.org.

TheHighCalling.org Christian Blog Network


Credits: Image by Jeff Carlson. Used with permission via Flickr. 
Filed Under: family, TheHighCalling.org Tagged With: ,

Palm Sunday

April 18, 2011 by 3 Comments

This Sunday my nine-year-old son joined the procession of children who waved palms and wove through the sanctuary as the rest of us sang “All Glory, Laud and Honor.”Holy Week has begun, beginning with sweet hosannas of Palm Sunday and concluding  with joyful alleluias of Easter morning.Now, however, we are going to walk through the sobering in-between days.Our Lord walked it first, for real.Now I simply follow along, remembering.

You are the king of IsraelAnd David’s royal Son,Now in the Lord’s name coming,Our King and Blessed One.All glory, laud, and honorTo you, Redeemer, KingTo whom the lips of childrenMade sweet hosannas ring.

Filed Under: life, Not So Fast

Slow-Down Fast: The Rooster

April 17, 2011 by 3 Comments

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These final days leading up to Easter, we’ve continued to open the Easter Story Eggs and read the related passages from the Gospels.

This week in our reading, we came across another critical moment in the story that’s not represented in the egg collection. So, to enrich the journey, we added a symbol in another egg and inserted it directly after the praying hands. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Not So Fast, Slow-Down Fast Tagged With: ,

Food on Fridays: Europe Comes to America

April 14, 2011 by 19 Comments

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Here at the Food on Fridays carnival, any post remotely related to food is welcome—though we love to try new dishes, your post doesn’t have to be a recipe.If you want, you could simply tell us how many M&Ms you would eat if left alone with nobody watching. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Food on Fridays, Nutella Tagged With: , , , ,

Crossing Cultures

April 13, 2011 by 9 Comments

A couple of weeks ago I wrote an article at TheHighCalling.org about discovering I was a foreigner.This week, we decided to launch a community writing project inviting others to tell their own stories of crossing cultures.  I wrote the introductory post, which begins:

My parents tell me I was about four years old, dancing down the sidewalk, on the lookout for a hippie.Apparently my older brother announced that he had seen a hippie, so I raised a fuss about wanting to see one, as well. It was the early 1970s, so you’d think hippies would be commonplace, but we lived in a conservative Midwestern town where cultural trends developed slowly.Fortunately, we were visiting the college campus where my parents met—a location that held much more hippie-spotting potential than our hometown—and they told me what a male hippie might look like: long hair, a beard, maybe sandals or bare feet…….continued at TheHighCalling.org.

TheHighCalling.org Christian Blog Network

Credit: Image by ArtMarijke, available via Flickr under a Creative Commons license.
Filed Under: TheHighCalling.org, writing

Vacate

April 11, 2011 by 13 Comments

From Prayer, by Philip Yancey:

“Be still and know that I am God”: the Latin imperative for “be still” is vacate. As Simon Tugwell explains, “God invites us to take a holiday [vacation], to stop being God for a while, and let him be God…God is inviting us to take a break, to play truant. We can stop doing all those important things we have to do in our capacity as God, and leave it to him to be God.”

Work Cited:Yancey, Philip. Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006. E-book.
Image credit: S. Kroeker
Filed Under: Not So Fast, simplicity, Slow Movement Tagged With: ,