Vegetarian recipes with avocado - Cookie and Kate

7-Layer Dip

Kathryne Taylor — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 21:34:37 +0000

Meet the best 7-layer dip I’ve ever had. I’ve sampled my fair share of them, and wow, this recipe is the winner! Every layer is delicious on its own and builds on the last. The end result is creamy and cheese, of course, but it’s also perfectly balanced. Fresh avocado, jalapeño, cilantro, green onion and salsa offer fresh and bright flavors that cut through the cheddar cheese, sour cream and refried beans.

Store-bought ingredients yield great results, so you don’t have to turn on the stove to make this one. Each layer contains a fun little surprise, like a splash of salsa in the refried beans to loosen the texture and a burst of freshness from jalapeño in the sour cream. All seven layers come together quickly, too, so you can enjoy your appetizer after about twenty minutes of assembly.

Bring this 7-layer dip to your next watch party. Football season is in full swing (go Chiefs!), and I’ll make this recipe again this weekend. I’ve enjoyed the leftovers for lunch, so you don’t need a big occasion to make this recipe. I hope you love it as much as I do.

How to Make 7-Layer Dip

Here are the seven layers that comprise this dip recipe. Once they all come together, you’ll see why this is the best seven-layer dip recipe!

1) Refried beans

Mix refried beans (canned or homemade) with a splash of salsa to loosen up the texture and some cumin to boost the flavor. Adding salsa ensures that your tortilla chips can easily scoop the bean layer. (Broken chips in dip are the worst!) If you’re choosing store-bought refried beans, I like Amy’s brand.

2) Guacamole

We’re making simplified guacamole rather than going all out with my best guacamole recipe. Mash two avocados with lime juice, half of a chopped fresh jalapeño, and salt. Easy enough.

3) Sour cream

To take your sour cream’s flavor up a notch, stir in the rest of the chopped jalapeño and season it to taste with salt. Yum. I borrowed this idea from Ali Slagle of The New York Times, and it takes the flavor up a notch.

4) Salsa

Whether you’re using my quick and easy red salsa recipe or store-bought, drain off some excess liquid in a mesh colander over the sink. This step takes just a few seconds and ensures that the salsa layer doesn’t water down your dip.

5) Cheddar cheese

Freshly-grated cheese only, please! Pre-grated cheese is coated with powder to prevent clumping, which dulls the flavor and texture.

6) Pickled jalapeños or black olives

I love the spicy pop that pickled jalapeños add to this recipe. Black olives are standard on seven-layer dip, but why? Pickled jalapeños are more complementary. If you’re sensitive to spice, choose black olives for a similar briny flavor.

7) Green onions & cilantro

Thinly sliced green onions and fresh cilantro finish this layered dip with welcome fresh flavor. They bring this dish to life! If you dislike cilantro, you can skip it, but I love it.

Watch How to Make 7-Layer Dip

Serving Suggestions

Serve this seven-layer dip with tortilla chips on game days and bring it to casual gatherings—your friends will be thrilled! If you make my homemade red salsa for this recipe, which is ready in under 10 minutes, you’ll have some extra to serve alongside the layered dip.

Given this recipe’s Tex-Mex flavors, this dip will be a beautiful accompaniment to other Tex-Mex and Mexican dishes. Here are a few main dishes to serve with it:

For cocktails, try my Skinny Margarita, Ranch Water Cocktail or Paloma Cocktail. For a non-alcoholic option, make Refreshing Hibiscus Mocktails. Cheers!

More Delicious Dips to Make

Here’s a small sampling of the dip recipes available on Cookie and Kate. For a larger spread, choose one of these!

Please let me know how your layered dip turns out in the comments. I love hearing from you and hope you enjoy this one as much as I did.

7-Layer Dip

Author: Cookie and Kate
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 12 servings
Diet: Vegetarian

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 3 reviews

Make the ultimate 7-layer dip! This notoriously creamy, cheesy dip tastes fresh and irresistible when you follow these simple steps. Store-bought ingredients yield great results. The recipe yields about 12 servings (about 6 to 7 cups of dip total).

Ingredients

1 can refried beans (15 to 16 ounces) or 2 cups homemade refried beans*
1 ¼ cups mild red salsa, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 medium ripe avocados
2 tablespoons lime juice (from about 1 lime)
1 medium jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed and finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
Fine salt, to taste
1 cup sour cream
6 ounces freshly grated Cheddar cheese (about 1 ½ cups)
⅓ cup drained pickled jalapeño peppers, roughly chopped, or 1 small can (2.25 ounces dry weight) drained sliced black olives
⅓ cup thinly sliced green onions (about 2 to 3)
⅓ cup fresh cilantro leaves
Tortilla chips, for serving

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Instructions

In a bowl, stir together the refried beans, ¼ cup salsa, and cumin. Spread the mixture across the base of an 8-inch square baking dish.
In another bowl, use a large fork to mash the avocado. Add the lime juice, half of the chopped jalapeño, and ¼ teaspoon salt, then stir until combined. Spread the mixture evenly on top of the beans.
In another bowl, stir together the sour cream and the remaining jalapeño. Season it with a pinch or two of salt, to taste. Spread the sour cream over the beans.
Pour the remaining salsa into a mesh colander over the sink to release the excess moisture. Spread the salsa over the mixture.
Sprinkle the cheese all over, followed by the drained jalapeños, green onions, and cilantro. Serve with tortilla chips.

Notes

*Homemade refried beans: After making the homemade version, you’ll have about ½ cup extra refried beans. Use it all for an extra-beany dip! You can also save it as a protein booster for an upcoming meal or enjoy it on the side with chips.

Make it dairy free/vegan: Substitute vegan sour cream and omit the cheddar cheese.

Nutrition

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.

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Seaweed Salad

Kathryne Taylor — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 18:57:43 +0000

This seaweed salad is colorful, delicious, and boldly flavored with sesame dressing. If you enjoy seaweed salads at Japanese restaurants, try this fun twist on the concept. Many prepared seaweed salads are colored with food dyes, but this one obtains its lively color from veggies.

If you’re relatively new to seaweed, like I am, this salad offers a great introduction. It calls for arame, which has a more mild and sweet flavor compared to other seaweed varieties. The crisp textures of cabbage and bell pepper, combined with soy sauce and ginger, contrast beautifully with the seaweed.

This salad is the perfect way to incorporate nutritious seaweed into your diet. Seaweed’s nutritional benefits vary depending on the specific variety, but they are often a good source of fiber, iodine, potassium and magnesium, among others. I try to consume a wide variety of whole foods, so seaweed is a welcome addition.

Seaweed Salad Ingredients

Arame

Arame seaweed, or sea vegetable, is a brown algae. It grows off the shores of the Ise-Shima National Park in Japan, and has been part of Japenese cuisine for centuries. I ordered EDEN brand arame online through Amazon, which seems to be sold out at the moment. Look for it in well-stocked grocery stores or Asian supermarkets.

Cabbage

Crisp strands of cabbage offer lots of colorful texture. I used green and purple varieties to make this recipe as bright as possible for photos, but either option will work well at home.

Bell Pepper

Sweet bell pepper is the perfect addition to this seaweed salad. Choose red, orange or yellow for this salad.

Cilantro and Green Onion

These herbs offer more fresh flavor. If you don’t like cilantro, you can skip it.

Avocado

Creamy avocado is the perfect counterpoint to the crisp textures. Wait to add avocado until you’re ready to serve each bowl.

Sesame Dressing

This homemade sesame dressing brings it all together! It’s made with tamari (soy sauce), toasted sesame oil, and fresh lime juice.

How to Make Seaweed Salad

Seaweed salad is surprisingly easy to make, and you’ll find the full recipe below. Arame requires a 5-to-10-minute soak in cool water. During that time, you can whisk together the dressing and chop the vegetables.

Drain the arame, then squeeze out any excess water. Return it to the bowl, add the prepared vegetables, pour in the full batch of dressing, and stir it all together. How’s that for easy?

Reserve the avocado until just before serving since it browns over time. The recipe keeps well in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Watch How to Make Seaweed Salad

How to Serve Seaweed Salad

This seaweed salad is a fun and nutritious side salad. Serve it with Japanese cuisine and beyond at any time of year.

You can turn this salad into a complete meal by topping it with Crispy Baked Tofu or prepared fish or shrimp, perhaps on a bed of brown rice. You could even skip the sesame dressing and serve it in place of the kale in my Build-Your-Own Buddha Bowls.

Here are a few more complementary serving options:

Leftover cabbage?

This recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of cabbage, less than one full head. Leftover cabbage will keep well in the refrigerator, wrapped, for up to one week.

Here are a few ways to use the remaining cabbage:

Please let me know how your recipe turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you and hope you enjoy this salad.

Seaweed Salad

Author: Cookie and Kate
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Diet: Gluten Free

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4 from 1 review

This seaweed salad recipe is colorful, delicious and boldly flavored with sesame dressing. The arame needs to soak for 5 to 10 minutes before using, so you can prepare the vegetables and dressing during that time. Recipe yields 4 servings (1 ½ cups per serving for 6 cups total).

Ingredients

1 ounce arame sea vegetables (about 1 ½ cups dried)
1 ½ cups thinly sliced purple or green cabbage, roughly chopped into pieces no longer than 3 inches
1 red or orange bell pepper, chopped
½ cup thinly sliced green onion, sliced on the diagonal
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
1 batch Sesame Dressing
1 ripe avocado, diced

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Instructions

Rinse the arame well in a fine sieve, then place it in a generously sized bowl. Fill the bowl with cool water and let it soak for 5 to 10 minutes, until nicely pliable. Drain the arame in the sieve, and gently squeeze out any excess water. Transfer the arame back to your empty bowl, which we will use as a mixing bowl.
Add the cabbage, bell pepper, green onion and cilantro. Whisk the dressing once more, and pour it all over the salad. Gently toss until the salad is evenly coated in the dressing.
When it’s time to serve, divide the seaweed into bowls and top with diced avocado. The salad will keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days (add the avocado just before serving).

Nutrition

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Fajita Veggie & Halloumi Bowls

Kathryne Taylor — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 22:32:03 +0000

These hearty bowls feature roasted fajita veggies and halloumi cheese over beans and cilantro-lime rice. This recipe makes an amazing vegetarian dinner! I’m so excited to share this recipe with you and hope the photos speak for themselves. This vibrant meal is almost too delicious for words to capture.

The bowls are a very abstract take on Mexican fajitas, which typically feature strips of bell pepper and onion cooked with steak, served with tortillas and toppings on the side. These roasted fajita veggies offer similar flavor and texture.

Halloumi cheese hails from Cyprus, an island country in the Mediterranean—far, far away from Mexico! I love halloumi because it offers a salty, creamy, chewy and almost meat-like texture once roasted. I’ve used it in place of bacon to make vegetarian BLTs. Conveniently, the veggies and cheese roast in the oven simultaneously on separate pans.

While you can absolutely serve these components with tortillas, I felt that the flavors shined more over black beans and cilantro-lime rice. The recipe for that component comes from my cookbook, Love Real Food. Try the Grilled Veggie Skewers with Avocado Chimichurri Sauce on page 160 once it’s grilling weather outside!

How to Make Fajita Veggie and Halloumi Bowls

This recipe requires several components, all simple to make. It’s an orchestrated dinner with time in between to work on the next component, and it’s 100 percent worth the effort. You’ll find the full recipe below, but here’s how it comes together.

Preheat the oven and bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat for the rice.
Slice the peppers and onion into strips, keeping the chunks of onion intact as best you can. Drizzle them with with olive oil and sprinkle with spices, then bake them on the middle rack for 15 minutes.
Once the pot of water is boiling, pour in the rice. Let it boil for 30 minutes. Then, drain the rice and return it to the pot, covered, to steam while we prepare the rest. (This method yields perfectly cooked brown rice, every time).
Meanwhile, on another baking sheet, drizzle the halloumi with olive oil and sprinkle it with optional chipotle powder (for smoky flavor and some heat).
Once the timer goes off for the peppers, remove them from the oven, stir and redistribute. When you do that, place the pan of halloumi on the top rack.
After 10 minutes, stir and flip the cheese, moving any browning pieces more toward the middle for even cooking. Continue baking the cheese and peppers until they’re golden on the edges, about 5 more minutes.
While the peppers are hot out of the oven, drizzle lime juice on top. To finish the rice, fluff it with a fork, then stir in chopped cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Gently stir in the black beans.
Assemble the bowls and enjoy.

Watch How to Make These Veggie Bowls

Serving Suggestions

This recipe is a well-balanced meal on its own. Depending on your preferred composition, you might end up with some extra beans and rice leftover like I did. The leftovers are great with crispy fried eggs, hot sauce and avocado.

For an appetizer, try tortilla chips with this Creamy Avocado Dip or my quick red salsa (or this chipotle salsa variation for smoky flavor).

For cocktails, you can’t go wrong with my favorite margaritas. Or if you love mezcal, try the Fresh Mezcalitas. For bubbly refreshment, make Ranch Waters or Classic Mojitos.

If you’d like to serve this dish with a green salad, try my Mexican Green Salad with Jalapeño-Cilantro Dressing, or make a simplified version of it.

More Recipes to Enjoy

If you love this recipe, I highly recommend these Mexican-inspired meals as well:

Please let me know how your bowls turn out in the comments! I love hearing from you.

Fajita Veggie and Halloumi Bowls

Author: Cookie and Kate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 4 bowls
Diet: Vegetarian

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 25 reviews

These hearty bowls feature roasted fajita veggies and halloumi cheese over beans and rice. This recipe is an amazing vegetarian dinner! Recipe yields 4 hearty bowls or 6 medium bowls.

Ingredients

Bell peppers and onion

3 bell peppers (red, orange or yellow)
1 medium red onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon fine salt
10 twists of freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons lime juice

Halloumi

½ pound or more* halloumi cheese
½ tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon chipotle powder or smoked paprika (optional, for heat)

Rice, beans, and toppings

1 cup long-grain brown rice or brown basmati rice, rinsed well
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice
½ teaspoon fine salt
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked black beans
Topping suggestions: Fresh cilantro, sliced avocado or dollops of guacamole, halved cherry tomatoes, sour cream

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat for the rice.
Slice the peppers and onion into ½-inch wide long strips, keeping the chunks of onion intact as best you can.
Place the peppers and onion on one prepared baking sheet. Drizzle them with the olive oil, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper (save the lime juice for later). Toss until all of the ingredients are lightly coated, then arrange them in an even layer across the pan. Rearrange any single onion pieces from the outer edges to the interior of the pan, as they tend to burn otherwise. Bake the peppers and onions on the middle rack for 15 minutes.
Once the pot of water is boiling, pour in the rice. Give the mixture a brief stir and let it boil for 30 minutes, reducing the heat if necessary to prevent overflow. Drain the rice, return it to the pot, cover, and let it rest for 10 minutes off the heat.
Meanwhile, lightly pat the halloumi dry. Slice the halloumi lengthwise into pieces ¼ to ½ inch thick, then cut or tear the slabs into small, bite-sized pieces about 1-inch long. On the remaining baking sheet, drizzle the halloumi with ½ tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle all over with the optional chipotle powder. Toss until lightly coated, and arrange them in an even layer.
Once the timer goes off for the peppers, remove them from the oven, stir and redistribute. Again move any single onion pieces to the middle, then return the baking sheet to the oven. When you do that, place the pan of halloumi on the top rack.
After 10 minutes, stir and flip the cheese, moving any browning pieces more toward the middle. Return it to the oven for up to 5 more minutes, keeping a close eye on it as the cheese tends to brown quickly toward the end. Continue baking the pepper mixture until the peppers and onions are tender and deeply caramelized. They are typically done around the time that the halloumi is finished.
While the peppers are hot out of the oven, drizzle the lime juice on top and stir to combine. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
To finish the rice, fluff it with a fork, then stir in the cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Add the black beans and gently stir to combine. Cover until you’re ready to serve.
To assemble, divide the rice between four bowls, followed by the pepper mixture and cheese. Finish with any desired toppings, and enjoy warm. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days.

Notes

*Halloumi quantity: The halloumi I buy is typically sold in sealed packages that are roughly ½ pound in weight. If possible, find one that’s on the upper end closer to 0.6 pounds (10-ish ounces) so you have plenty of cheese.

Make it dairy free/vegan: You could omit the halloumi and double the beans for more protein. Or, while it’s definitely not the same thing, you would likely enjoy my baked tofu in place of the halloumi. Add chipotle powder or smoked paprika (see recipe for quantities) for some spice. For a different dairy-free option, replace the cheese with crispy fried eggs.

Nutrition

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Southwestern Kale Power Salad

Kathryne Taylor — Fri, 12 Jan 2024 21:00:53 +0000

This hearty salad features a few of my all-time favorite ingredients. Here we have massaged kale, quinoa, spiced sweet potatoes, and black beans served with a dollop of creamy avocado sauce. I added crumbled feta and toasted pepitas for good measure.

I’d cook with only these ingredients if it weren’t for diversity’s sake. This texture-rich vegetarian salad packs great for lunch. If you like to meal prep for the week, this is an excellent candidate. Given the number of components, this is not the quickest recipe around, but it’s absolutely work the effort.

This recipe has been a reader favorite since it was originally published in 2015 (really, nine years ago?). I developed it during a month-long stay in Austin, Texas with my friend Ali. You could probably say that the Southwestern vibes influenced the recipe.

Today, this salad is getting fresh photos and some slight revisions. Enjoy!

How to Make This Power Salad

You’ll find the full recipe below, but here’s a brief rundown with notes and video.

Cook the quinoa. The recipe uses my foolproof method of cooking quinoa, which will differ from the instructions on your bag. You can make the quinoa a day in advance, if you’d like.
Cook the sweet potatoes in a skillet. I love roasted sweet potatoes, but these sweet potatoes are cut quite small, so the skillet method is ideal. We’ll add a little bit of water, cover and let them steam until tender, then uncover and cook them until they’re caramelized on the edges.
Massage and dress the kale. Massaging the kale (literally just scrunching it in your hands until it’s darker and softer) removes all the poky edges and improves the flavor. Then we’ll whisk together a simple olive oil and lime dressing, and toss to coat.
Make the avocado sauce. Combine the ingredients in a food processor and blend. Add more lime juice, if you’d like. The sauce should be nicely tart, but not overwhelmingly so.
Toast the pepitas in a skillet. Freshly-toasted pepitas taste amazing and are totally worth the extra few minutes. Keep an eye on the skillet, as it’s easy to turn on the heat and forget until they’re too toasty.
Assemble! Divide the components between bowls as shown, and enjoy.

Watch How to Make Southwestern Kale Power Salad

More Sweet Potato and Kale Recipes

Please let me know how this recipe turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.

Southwestern Kale Power Salad with Sweet Potato, Quinoa & Avocado Sauce

Author: Cookie and Kate
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 35 mins
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 4 large salads
Diet: Vegetarian

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 144 reviews

Healthy kale and quinoa power salad with spicy sweet potato, black beans and creamy avocado sauce. If your lime are particularly big, scale back. This gluten-free, vegetarian (easily vegan) salad packs well for lunch, too! Recipe yields 4 generous salads or 6 medium.

Ingredients

Quinoa and kale

1 cup quinoa
1 bunch kale, ribs removed and chopped into very small, bite-sized pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium lime, juiced
½ teaspoon fine salt

Sweet potatoes

2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 ½ pounds), sliced into small, ¼-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon fine salt

Avocado sauce

2 ripe avocados, sliced into long strips
¼ cup lime juice (about 2 limes)
1 medium jalapeño, deseeded, membranes removed and roughly chopped
1 handful cilantro leaves
½ teaspoon ground coriander, optional
¼ teaspoon fine salt, to taste

Everything else

1 can (14 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked black beans
⅓ cup crumbled feta
¼ cup pepitas (green pumpkin seeds)

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Instructions

To cook the quinoa: First, rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh colander under running water for a minute or two. In a medium-sized pot, combine the rinsed quinoa and 2 cups water. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then cover the pot, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the quinoa from heat and let it rest, still covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover the pot, drain off any excess water and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Set it aside to cool.
To cook the sweet potatoes: In a large skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped sweet potatoes and toss to coat, then add the cumin, smoked paprika and salt. Stir to combine. Once the pan is sizzling, add a scant ¼ cup water, then cover the pan and reduce heat to low to avoid burning the contents. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potato is easily pierced through with a fork, about 7 to 10 minutes.
Uncover the pan, raise the heat back to medium and cook until the excess moisture has evaporated and the sweet potatoes are caramelizing on the edges, about 3 to 7 minutes (add another little splash of olive oil if the potatoes start sticking to the pan). Set aside to cool.
To prepare the kale: Transfer the kale to a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the chopped kale with salt and use your hands to “massage” it, which improves the flavor. Just grab handfuls of kale in your hands and scrunch it up in your palms. Repeat until the kale is darker green in color and more fragrant. Whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil, the juice of 1 lime and ½ teaspoon salt. Drizzle over the kale and toss to coat.
To make the avocado sauce: Combine the ingredients as listed in a food processor or blender. Blend well, add more lime juice if desired, and season with salt, to taste.
To toast the pepitas: In a small skillet over medium-low heat, toast the pepitas, stirring frequently, until they are turning lightly golden on the edges and starting to make little popping noises, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Once the quinoa has cooled down a bit, pour it into the bowl of kale and toss to combine. Divide the kale and quinoa mixture into four large salad bowls. Top with sweet potatoes, black beans, a big dollop of avocado sauce, and a sprinkle of feta and pepitas.

Notes

Make it dairy free/vegan: Omit the feta.

Storage suggestions: This salad keeps well, covered and refrigerated, for a few days. To keep the avocado sauce fresh, store it separately in a small bowl, with plastic wrap pressed against the top surface to prevent oxidation.

Change it up: Butternut squash or carrots would be good substitutions for the sweet potatoes.

Edits January 11, 2024: Adjusted avocado sauce by omitting 2 tablespoons olive oil (unnecessary), decreasing the salt for the sweet potatoes from 1 ½ teaspoons to ½ teaspoon, and specifying the amounts of lime juice and salt.

Nutrition

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Veggie Sushi Bowls

Kathryne Taylor — Tue, 18 Apr 2023 21:25:22 +0000

Somewhere, in the deep recesses of my kitchen drawers, lies a sushi rolling mat. I have used it once, perhaps five years ago, during my first and last attempt at rolling sushi at home. I made some lumpy rolls that day. Sushi is an art form, and it’s not a picture I can paint.

Homemade sushi bowls are the answer to my sushi-at-home conundrum. There’s no rolling involved, which means they’re much easier to make. You can get quite creative with your ingredients, too, since we’re simply piling them on top rather than rolling them up. Best of all, these fresh but hearty bowls keep me fueled for hours.

These sushi bowls start off with rice, of course, mixed with toasted, crumbled nori (the green seaweed casing for sushi rolls) and some vinegar, soy sauce and sweetener. I opted for brown rice rather than white, which offers more fiber and some lightly nutty flavor. Then, I topped the rice with edamame for protein, creamy avocado slices, short cucumber matchsticks and carrot ribbons, made with my vegetable peeler.

The real kicker is the spicy mayo sauce drizzled on top, made simply with sriracha stirred into mayonnaise. It transforms the bowl from “tasty health bowl” to, “I want to eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner and I don’t see why not?” territory.

If you appreciate sushi at restaurants and would like to try a loose variation at home, give this one a a try. I love it and hope you do, too!

Watch How to Make Veggie Sushi Bowls

More Fresh Bowls to Make

If you enjoy these sushi bowls, try these recipes on Cookie and Kate:

Please let me know how your sushi bowls turn out in the comments. I love hearing from you.

Veggie Sushi Bowls

Author: Cookie and Kate
Prep Time: 25 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Diet: Vegetarian

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 57 reviews

This recipe tastes like vegetarian sushi rolls, but in simplified bowl form! The spicy mayo sauce really takes it to another level. Feel free to play with the toppings to make this bowl taste like your favorite roll. There are a few steps involved, but each one is super simple. Recipe yields 4 sushi bowls, which keep well for leftovers (for best results, slice the avocado just before serving).

Ingredients

Rice and seasonings

2 cups short-grain brown rice, rinsed well
1 sheet dried nori (about 8″ square)
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar or agave nectar
½ teaspoon salt

Spicy mayo sauce

⅓ cup mayonnaise
1 to 2 tablespoons sriracha or chili-garlic sauce, to taste

Everything else

2 cups frozen edamame
2 large carrots, sliced into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
1 avocado, sliced into long strips
1 small cucumber
Recommended garnishes: sesame seeds (preferably black) and pickled ginger

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Instructions

To cook the rice: Bring a large pot of water to boil. Once the water is boiling, pour in the rinsed rice and give it a stir. Boil the rice for 30 minutes, then turn off the heat and drain the rice. Return the rice to the pot and cover the pot. Let the rice steam for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.
To prepare the rice seasoning: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the rice vinegar, tamari, sugar and salt. Warm the mixture, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and toss with rice once it’s done steaming.
To toast the nori: In a large skillet over medium-low heat, warm the sheet of nori until it’s become crisp enough to crumble easily, flipping halfway, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and tear it into quarters. Crumble each piece into very small pieces in your hands over the rice and drop it into the pot. Stir the nori into the rice and set the rice aside to cool.
To cook the edamame: Bring a pot of water to boil, then add the frozen edamame and simmer just until the beans are warmed through, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
To prepare the spicy mayo sauce, whisk together the mayonnaise and sriracha in a small bowl until well blended. Add more sriracha if you’d like a spicier sauce.
To prepare the cucumber, slice it in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and discard them. Then slice the halves into 2-inch long pieces and slice them into matchsticks.
Divide the rice between four bowls. Top with edamame, carrots, avocado and cucumber. Drizzle chili-mayo sauce on top, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with pickled ginger on the side.

Notes

Make it gluten free: Be sure to use gluten-free soy sauce (tamari is typically gluten free, but check the label to be sure).

Nutrition

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Cowboy Caviar

Kathryne Taylor — Fri, 30 Dec 2022 23:15:50 +0000

Y’all know I’m from Oklahoma, right? I grew up eating cowboy caviar, also called Texas caviar. It’s a classic bean salad recipe popular in the South. You can serve it as a side salad or as salsa. Either way, people go crazy for cowboy caviar at potlucks.

Cowboy caviar is made with black-eyed peas and black beans, chopped tomatoes, corn, bell pepper, onion and cilantro tossed in tangy Italian dressing. I typically think of cowboy caviar as a warm weather salad, but it’s made with ingredients that are readily available year-round.

Cowboy caviar is actually perfect for New Year’s if you’re craving something fresh yet hearty, and trying to hit your black-eyed pea quota!

I have one issue with most cowboy caviar recipes—they’re often swimming in store-bought Italian salad dressing. As such, they can be way too oily and contain some unnecessary preservatives. Instead, I whisked together a simple, homemade Italian dressing from scratch. It’s easy to do and tastes fantastic.

This recipe yields a big bowl of dip, but I don’t think you’ll have any trouble polishing it off. I hope you enjoy this cheekily titled delight!

Cowboy Caviar Ingredients

You’ll find the full recipe below. The Italian dressing is made with pantry ingredients. Here’s what you need to know about the fresh ingredients:

Black-Eyed Peas and Black Beans

Beans form the backbone of this healthy salad. Canned beans are fine to use, or you can cook your own if you’d like. One can is equivalent to one and a half cups cooked beans.

Tip: Drain your beans and corn very well before adding them to the bowl. If they’re watery, they’ll dilute the flavor of the vinaigrette.

Corn

Depending on the season and availability, you might prefer to shuck fresh corn, or use frozen corn (simply soak it in cool water until fully defrosted), or open a can of corn.

Tomatoes

Ripe red tomatoes are ideal. When tomatoes aren’t in season, I reach for Roma tomatoes (three to four of them) or cherry tomatoes (one pint would be perfect for this recipe). You could use canned tomatoes, but it will change the flavor and the vibe a bit. Fresh is best.

Bell Pepper and Jalapeño

Red, orange or yellow bell pepper will do. If you can tolerate a little heat, you’ll love the jalapeños. If you’re nervous about the jalapeño, you can reduce the spiciness by using just one of them, and being sure to remove the seeds and membranes before chopping.

Red Onion and Cilantro

I know these ingredients can be polarizing and I promise there’s not too much of either in them in this recipe. Don’t skip them!

Tip: Take care to chop your ingredients small to keep with the “caviar” textural theme.

Optional Avocado

While untraditional, ripe avocado is a welcome addition to this bean salad. Wait to add avocado just before serving so it doesn’t brown, or serve individual portions with a few strips of avocado on top.

Watch How to Make Cowboy Caviar

How to Serve Texas Caviar

Serve your cowboy caviar as a bean salad or as a dip with sturdy tortilla chips. This recipe happens to be vegan and gluten free, so it will please everyone at a party. It’s also a great healthy snack to keep in the fridge and keeps well for several days.

Cowboy caviar is lovely for lunch with a sandwich or quesadilla, or even for breakfast with scrambled or fried eggs and a warm tortilla.

You can also turn this dip into a green salad by serving it on lettuce. Add a squeeze of lime, some crumbled feta and a sprinkle of crushed corn chips or toasted pepitas (green pumpkin seeds).

More Fresh Bean Salads to Make

Love this cowboy caviar? You’ll also enjoy these vibrant bean salads.

Please let me know how your cowboy caviar turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.

Healthy Cowboy Caviar

Author: Cookie and Kate
Prep Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 8 cups
Diet: Vegan

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 72 reviews

This cowboy caviar recipe (also known as Texas caviar) is made from scratch with all-natural ingredients! Serve it as a dip, salsa or salad—it’ll be a hit at your next party. Recipe yields a lot of “caviar,” about 8 cups.

Ingredients

Cowboy caviar

2 cans (14 ounces each) black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained, or 3 cups cooked black-eyed peas
1 can (14 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked black beans
1 ½ cups fresh or defrosted frozen corn kernels (about 2 ears of corn), or 1 can (14 ounces) corn, drained
1 ½ cups chopped ripe tomatoes (about ¾ pound)
1 medium red, orange or yellow bell pepper, chopped
¾ cup chopped red onion (about ½ small red onion)
½ cup chopped cilantro, leaves and stems
1 to 2 jalapeños, ribs removed, seeded and finely chopped
1 avocado (optional)

Italian dressing

⅓ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar or lime juice
2 medium cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 to 1 ½ teaspoons salt, to taste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

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Instructions

In a large serving bowl, combine the drained black-eyed peas, black beans, corn, chopped tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, cilantro and jalapeño. If you’ll be including avocado, wait to dice it until you’re ready to serve the dip, so it doesn’t turn brown in the meantime.
In a cup, whisk together the dressing ingredients until well blended. Drizzle the dressing over the serving bowl and toss until well mixed. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. If you’d like the salad to have more of a pickled flavor, add another tablespoon of vinegar, or for more richness, add another tablespoon or two of olive oil.
For best flavor, let the mixture marinate for at least 20 minutes before serving. If you’re adding avocado, mix it in just before serving.

Notes

Serving suggestions: Don’t forget the chips! I also like to turn this dip into a green salad by serving it on lettuce with a squeeze of lime, some crumbled feta and a sprinkle of crushed corn chips or toasted pepitas.
Storage suggestions: This dip keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

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Tortilla Soup

Kathryne Taylor — Wed, 03 Mar 2021 20:00:10 +0000

Do you enjoy tortilla soup? It’s one of my all-time favorites! Tortilla soup is fresh and flavorful, earthy and a little spicy. Topped with a big handful of crispy tortilla strips, it’s a light but satisfying meal for lunch or dinner. As a bonus, it tastes even better the next day.

Tex-Mex tortilla soups most often include shredded chicken, but it’s not unusual to find vegetarian tortilla soups in Mexico. I can’t call this recipe fully authentic, though. It’s a delicious variation on classic tortilla soup (Sopa Azteca) that you can make at home any time you get the craving.

In Mexico, you’ll find tons of regional variations and personal preferences for tortilla soup. For this recipe, I added black beans for some heft, as well as a red bell pepper because I love the flavor and texture it provides. I tried to keep the remaining ingredients in line with what you might find in Mexico, but to be honest, I have more personal experience with the Tex-Mex variations I’ve sampled over the years.

This recipe is a fully reworked version of an old tortilla soup recipe on the blog. Perhaps you’ve made that one and enjoyed it, but I tried it again recently and just knew I could build in more flavor along the way. If you want a copy of the original, I’ve saved a PDF of the recipe right here.

This soup is closer to the spin on tortilla soup in my cookbook, Love Real Food, which features an irresistible sweet-and-spicy interplay between sweet potatoes and jalapeño. Give that one a try, too!

Watch How to Make Tortilla Soup

Chili Pepper Options

You have several options when making this soup, which vary a bit in terms of authenticity, ease and ingredient availability. I’ve written options one and three into the recipe below, so you’ll be able to follow the recipe either way. Here they are:

Option 1) Chili peppers + blender (most authentic)

First, we’ll toast the peppers in a dry skillet to bring out their flavor, then we’ll roughly chop them and remove the stem and seeds. Then, we’ll blend the toasted peppers into the canned tomatoes and proceed. This option is great because it’s the most authentic and lends a gorgeous, fiery red color and extra body to the soup.

Option 2) Chili peppers + no blender (my least favorite)

Another option is to toast the peppers, then throw them into the pot with the liquid ingredients to simmer. This is method used for my old recipe, but I don’t like it as much as the other options. The chili pepper imparts some flavor to the soup, but not as much flavor as either of the other options. If you choose this route, simply discard the chili peppers before serving.

Option 3) Chili powder + no blender (easiest option)

This is the simplest option and honestly, it yields delicious flavor. You’ll just need to use fresh chili powder with good flavor. I’ve successfully used Frontier Co-op’s chili powder. This would also be a great time to use a fun specialty chili powder, like chipotle or ancho chili powder. If desired, you can moderate the spice level by using less chili powder in the beginning and adding more, to taste.

More Mexican Recipes to Try

These fresh recipes feature Mexican and Tex-Mex influences. View all Mexican recipes here.

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

Author: Cookie and Kate
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 4 servings
Diet: Vegetarian

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 143 reviews

Warm up with a bowl of vegetarian tortilla soup, made with black beans instead of chicken. This soup recipe is so fresh and satisfying! Recipe yields 4 servings.

Ingredients

2 mild dried chili peppers* or 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder, to taste
1 can (15 ounces) diced or crushed tomatoes, fire-roasted if possible
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow or red onion, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
¼ teaspoon fine salt, more to taste
4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained, or 3 cups cooked black beans
4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth
4 corn tortillas, cut into 2-inch long, ¼-inch-wide strips
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
1 to 2 tablespoons lime juice, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Garnish options: Thinly sliced and roughly chopped radish, diced ripe avocado, crumbled feta cheese or drizzle of sour cream

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Instructions

If using dried chili peppers, toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat or directly over a gas flame with tongs, turning as needed. Toast until fragrant and turning darker all over—this can happen quickly, in just a minute or two. Set aside until the peppers are cool enough to handle, then roughly chop them, discarding the seeds and stem. Combine the canned tomatoes (along with their juices) and chopped peppers in the blender, and blend until smooth. Set aside.
In a medium Dutch oven or soup pot, warm 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender and turning translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Add the garlic and cumin (and chili powder, if using) and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the tomato-chili pepper blend (or just plain tomatoes, if going the chili powder route) and cook for a minute, while stirring, to bring out its best flavor.
Add the beans and broth, and stir to combine. Raise the mixture to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit to make the crispy tortilla strips. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup. On the baking sheet, toss the tortilla strips with the remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil and a sprinkle of salt until lightly and evenly coated. Bake until the strips are crisp and starting to turn golden, about 8 to 12 minutes, tossing halfway. Set aside.
Stir most of the cilantro into the soup, reserving a bit for garnish. Stir in 1 tablespoon lime juice. Carefully taste the soup, and add more salt if the flavors don’t quite sing (I often add up to ¼ teaspoon salt). Add more lime juice if you’d like a little more zing.
Divide the soup into bowls. Top with crispy tortilla strips, the reserved cilantro and any additional garnishes of your choice. Leftovers will keep well for up to 5 days; rewarm individual servings and top with garnishes when serving. Or freeze individual portions for several months and add toppings after reheating.

Notes

Recipe adapted from the Black Bean Tortilla Soup with Sweet Potatoes from my cookbook, Love Real Food.

Make it gluten free: Use certified gluten-free corn tortillas or tortilla chips.

Make it dairy free/vegan: Don’t top with cheese or sour cream.

Dried chili pepper options: Any mild chili pepper will do. Choose from pasilla peppers, ancho peppers, Anaheim (California) peppers, or New Mexico peppers (Chiles del Norte). I have tried this soup with Anaheim and New Mexican chilis and both were quite mild.

Nutrition

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Buffalo Brussels Sprouts

Kathryne Taylor — Thu, 04 Feb 2021 20:58:37 +0000

Buffalo sauce on Brussels sprouts? Yes. Yes indeed, a very good idea. I only thought to try this combination after, oh, eight failed attempts at buffalo cauliflower. (I think I’ve just figured out the trick to that one, but trust me, you’ll definitely want to give these sprouts a try this weekend.)

These buffalo Brussels sprouts are a fantastic Super Bowl appetizer. They’re fresh and irresistibly spicy at the same time. You can have your fill of these and feel good about it later.

This recipe starts off with a base of golden, roasted Brussels sprouts drizzled with a simple, three-ingredient homemade buffalo sauce. Top them off with ripe avocado or blue cheese (your choice, both optional) and fresh herbs.

These sprouts will offer some balance to a full-blown snack spread. I hope you love them as much as I do!

Buffalo Brussels Sprouts Notes & Tips

This dish is simple and straightforward. Some of the garnishes and seasonings are optional, so I’ll walk you through it below.

Buffalo sauce is inherently salty. So, we’re not salting our Brussels sprouts before they go into the oven, and only adding salt to the finished dish if it needs it.
Buffalo sauce is easy to make with Frank’s hot sauce and butter. It might seem like the two won’t mix together at first. Just keep whisking! If you’re following a dairy-free or vegan diet, check the recipe notes for butter alternatives.
If the buffalo sauce tastes too spicy for you or someone in your crew, whisk in some honey. Honey will temper the heat and offers an irresistible sweet-and-spicy component.
Avocado and blue cheese are optional, but so nice. They both offer some creaminess that helps balance the tang and spice of the buffalo sauce. Blue cheese can be polarizing, so you could offer it on the side to be safe.
This dish isn’t complete without fresh herbs. Sprinkle it liberally with chives or green onions and cilantro or parsley.

More Game Day Appetizers

View all of my Super Bowl recipes here! Please let me know how your buffalo sprouts turn out in the comments. I love hearing from you.

Buffalo Brussels Sprouts

Author: Cookie and Kate
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Diet: Vegetarian

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 18 reviews

Craving that spicy buffalo sauce flavor? Make this irresistible buffalo Brussels sprouts recipe. It’s the perfect healthy game day appetizer! Recipe yields 4 to 6 side servings.

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds Brussels sprouts
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red hot sauce, such as Frank’s
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Up to 1 tablespoon honey, to taste (optional)
1 small avocado, diced, or ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese (both optional)
1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives or green onion
1 tablespoon torn fresh cilantro or parsley
Fine salt, to taste

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
To prepare your Brussels sprouts, slice off the nubby ends and remove any discolored or damaged leaves. Cut each sprout in half from the flat base through the top.
On your baking sheet, combine the halved sprouts and olive oil. Toss until the sprouts are lightly and evenly coated. Arrange the sprouts in an even layer with their flat sides facing down.
Roast the sprouts until they are tender and deeply golden on the edges, about 18 to 24 minutes. Remove the sprouts from the oven and transfer them to a large serving platter or shallow serving bowl.
In the meantime, prepare the buffalo sauce by whisking together the hot sauce and melted butter in a small bowl. Season to taste with black pepper. If the mixture tastes too spicy, whisk in some honey to temper the heat a bit. Set aside.
Once the roasted Brussels sprouts are on the serving platter, drizzle the sauce all over them. If desired, sprinkle avocado or blue cheese over the sprouts. Finish the dish with a sprinkle of chives and fresh cilantro. Taste, and sprinkle lightly with salt if needed. Serve.
These Brussels sprouts are best consumed fresh, especially if avocado is involved. Leftovers without avocado will keep for several days in the refrigerator, covered.

Notes

Make it dairy free/vegan: You might enjoy the sauce without butter, especially if using avocado to help balance the flavors. Another option would be to drizzle Frank’s and some of my vegan sour cream on top. Or, you could try using a vegan butter like Miyoko’s Creamery.

Nutrition

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Erin’s Peach & Avocado Green Salad

Kathryne Taylor — Wed, 26 Aug 2020 18:40:28 +0000

Have you had your fair share of peaches this summer? I certainly have not. I’m remedying that with my friend Erin Clarke’s vibrant peach, avocado and arugula salad. Erin rounds out the flavors with salty gorgonzola cheese, crisp toasted almonds, and a zippy lemon dressing.

This simple summer salad is more than the sum of its parts. It’s a combination I wouldn’t have come up with on my own, and it’s so lovely. I couldn’t stop going back for more.

Perhaps you know Erin from her blog, Well Plated. Erin has been working hard on her first cookbook for several years now, and I’m so excited to share that it’s finally here! The Well Plated Cookbook (affiliate link) offers over 130 fast, healthy recipes you’ll want to eat.

I found this colorful salad on page 116, titled, “Book Club Salad (A Great, Green Party Salad).” Erin’s headnotes are witty, warm and encouraging, just like she is in real life. Here’s what she had to say about this recipe:

“My friend Erika once brought this salad to our monthly book club, and now, five years later, we still won’t let her bring anything else. We refer to it as ‘The Salad,’ and its presence at the table is more mandatory than actually reading the book. This stellar green salad is sized for a crowd, tastes better than any salad I’ve eaten in a restaurant, and is beautiful and adaptable for the seasons…”

She inspired me not only to make ‘The Salad,’ but to join a book club when we’re able to get together again. In the meantime, this salad recipe is easily halved and perfectly suited for any summer dinner.

The Well Plated Cookbook is filled to the brim with wholesome, satisfying recipes that have been thoughtfully crafted and meticulously tested. Erin ensures you’re never left with a random half-cup of leftover beans and guides you to adjust the recipes to suit your season or pantry.

Erin offers chapters from breakfast through dessert, with an emphasis on main dishes. While the book isn’t designed to be vegetarian, I found a number of enticing options. Midwesterners will appreciate her healthy spins on classic dishes, and everyone will find something new to enjoy.

Check it out, and let us know how your salad turns out in the comments!

Watch How to Make Erin’s Peach & Avocado Green Salad

Craving more fresh summer salads? Here are a few of my favorites:

Erin’s Peach & Avocado Green Salad

Author: Cookie and Kate
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 8 side salads
Diet: Vegetarian

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 50 reviews

This summer salad recipe from The Well Plated Cookbook features ripe peaches and avocado over fresh arugula. It’s healthy and delicious! Recipe yields a very large salad (enough for 8 side salads or 3 to 4 main salads); cut the recipe in half for a smaller crowd.

Ingredients

Green Salad

½ small red onion, very thinly sliced (about ½ cup)
10 to 12 ounces baby arugula (12 to 15 lightly packed cups)
2 medium ripe peaches or nectarines, pitted and thinly sliced, peels on or off (about 2 cups)
2 medium ripe avocados, diced (about 2 cups)
⅔ cup unsalted sliced almonds
⅔ cup crumbled mild blue cheese*, such as gorgonzola (about 3 ½ ounces)

Lemon Dressing

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons)
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
¾ teaspoon kosher salt or a heaping ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

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Instructions

Make the salad: Place the red onion in a small bowl and cover with water. Let it rest while you prepare the rest of the salad. (This will keep the flavor of the onion but remove some of the harsh after-bite.) Place the arugula in a large serving bowl.
To toast the almonds, place them in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring frequently (careful, they can burn), until the almonds are fragrant and starting to turn golden on the edges, about 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside.
Make the dressing: In a small bowl or large liquid measuring cup, whisk together the dressing ingredients (the oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper).
Drizzle half of the dressing over the greens, then toss to coat. Drain the red onion, then scatter it over the arugula. Top with the peaches, avocados, almonds and cheese. Just before serving, drizzle on a bit more dressing and give it a final, gentle toss to combine. Enjoy, with additional dressing as desired.

Notes

This recipe comes from The Well Plated Cookbook by Erin Clarke, with permission.

*Blue cheese alternative: If you don’t enjoy blue cheese, I think your next best bet would be goat cheese. Feta might be nice, too.

Change it up: Erin says, “This salad is a delightful base for seasonal swaps. In the fall and winter, replace the peaches and almonds with thinly sliced apples and walnuts. In the spring and early summer, try a mix of sliced strawberries and pecans.”

Storage suggestions: This salad tastes best the day it is made. Erin says that if you don’t mind slightly wilted arugula, it can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 additional days. Wake up the leftovers with an extra squeeze of lemon juice.

Nutrition

The post Erin’s Peach & Avocado Green Salad appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

Fresh Black Bean Burrito Bowl

Kathryne Taylor — Sun, 26 Jul 2020 19:15:59 +0000

Let me introduce you to one of the best meals I’ve had all season! These fresh black bean burrito bowls are made from scratch with simple, wholesome ingredients. While the components initially take some time to prepare, they make great leftovers to enjoy all week long. These bowls pack well for lunch, too.

In fact, these burrito bowls represent how I eat at home. I like to make a few components that play nicely together, and mix and match them all week. That way, I don’t get bored, and I don’t have to start from zero with every meal.

“Tell me more, Kate,” you say. Ok, so maybe you first enjoy these burrito bowls exactly as shown here. You could change up your next bowl by adding some avocado and a fried egg.

Or, you could make a simple quesadilla, top it with pickled onion and cilantro pesto, and serve it with a side of black beans and rice. Another option? Turn these components into black bean tacos (or a burrito). Maybe you have some extra rice, so you warm it up and toss it into your green salad for lunch.

Black Bean Burrito Bowl Components

As you make your grocery list, you’ll notice that the ingredients for each component are simple, and many overlap (you’ll never several bunches of cilantro and two red onions, for example).

Black Beans

Cook your black beans from scratch for perfectly tender, well-seasoned beans. They’re the most delicious black beans I’ve ever had!

Yield: If you make a half batch, you’ll end up with 3 cups cooked beans. You might as well make the full batch, though, because the beans have many uses (see the post for a full rundown of suggestions). You could also freeze the leftovers for later.

Cilantro Lime Brown Rice

My cilantro-lime rice tastes just like Chipotle’s, and it’s so easy to make. The recipe is designed for brown rice—if you’d like to use white rice instead, cook it according to package directions before stirring in the suggested seasonings.

Yield: 4 1/2 cups

Quick-Pickled Onions

These tangy and crisp pickled onions are ready in 30 minutes. If you’re generally overwhelmed by raw onions, don’t worry, these are tamed. However, if you’re interested in an alternative, try my chunky avocado salsa or leave them off altogether.

Yield: 2 cups (you’ll have extra—try adding pickled onions to your tacos and burritos, sandwiches and burgers, salads and more)

Cilantro Hemp Pesto

This refreshing herbed sauce barely qualifies as pesto, since it’s made with cilantro (not basil) and hemp hearts (not pine nuts). Nonetheless, it’s super tasty and offers a fresh burst of flavor to this burrito bowl. Even my cilantro-detesting husband loves this sauce (check the recipe notes for less cilantro-focused options, if you’re interested).

Yield: 2/3 cup (enough for this recipe, but you it’s so good you might as well double it for leftovers)

Extras

Top your bowls with toasted pepitas (green pumpkin seeds) for some savory crunch. Creamy sliced avocado would be nice. Crumbled Cotija or feta cheese offers some tangy, creamy contrast.

Looking for more options? You could always add a handful of sliced cherry tomatoes, or a few dashes of hot sauce. For additional protein, add a fried egg, or for a boost of extra nutrients, add these quick collard greens.

More Recipes to Love

Craving more fresh Mexican-inspired recipes? If you love this recipe, you’ll also enjoy:

Please let me know how your burrito bowls turn out in the comments! I’m excited to hear how you like this one.

Fresh Black Bean Burrito Bowl

Author: Cookie and Kate
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 90 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Yield: 4 servings
Diet: Vegetarian

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 39 reviews

This homemade black bean burrito bowl recipe features cilantro-lime rice, tender black beans, pickled onions and fresh cilantro pesto! This healthy bowl makes great leftovers, too. It’s vegetarian (easily vegan) and gluten free. Recipe yields 4 hearty burrito bowls.

Ingredients

½ batch Black Beans* (or make the full batch for leftovers)
1 batch Cilantro Lime Brown Rice
1 batch Quick-Pickled Onions
1 batch Cilantro Hemp Pesto (double if you love sauce)
Optional additions: Fried eggs or scrambled eggs, toasted pepitas (green pumpkin seeds), crumbled Cotija or feta cheese, sliced avocado, handful of halved cherry tomatoes, hot sauce or quick collard greens

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Instructions

Prepare each component according to directions (the beans will take the longest, approximately 1 to 2+ hours on the stove, but all of the components will keep well if made in advance).
When you’re ready to serve, divide the rice into bowls. Top with a generous portion of black beans, followed by some pickled onions and a dollop or two of pesto. Finish it off with any additions of your choosing.
Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For maximum freshness, store each component separately. When you’re ready to serve, gently reheat your desired portions of rice and beans before topping with onions, pesto, and additions.

Notes

Make it dairy free/vegan: Simply don’t top with cheese. If you’d like something extra creamy, try a dollop of my vegan sour cream.

*Make it quick: If you don’t want to cook your beans from scratch (they are worth the effort!) you could try the black bean component from this recipe, which is made with canned beans.

Change it up: Try replacing the pesto with your favorite Mexican/Latin American sauce, such as this avocado sauce or guacamole, or red salsa or green salsa with some sliced avocado. (If you don’t like cilantro, I’d suggest any of those options over the pesto, and you can also omit the cilantro from the rice.)

Nutrition

The post Fresh Black Bean Burrito Bowl appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

Vegetarian recipes with avocado - Cookie and Kate

7-Layer Dip

How to Make 7-Layer Dip

1) Refried beans

2) Guacamole

3) Sour cream

4) Salsa

5) Cheddar cheese

6) Pickled jalapeños or black olives

7) Green onions & cilantro

Watch How to Make 7-Layer Dip

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Seaweed Salad

Seaweed Salad Ingredients

Arame

Cabbage

Bell Pepper

Cilantro and Green Onion

Avocado

Sesame Dressing

How to Make Seaweed Salad

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Leftover cabbage?

Seaweed Salad

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Fajita Veggie & Halloumi Bowls

How to Make Fajita Veggie and Halloumi Bowls

Watch How to Make These Veggie Bowls

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Southwestern Kale Power Salad

How to Make This Power Salad

Watch How to Make Southwestern Kale Power Salad

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Southwestern Kale Power Salad with Sweet Potato, Quinoa & Avocado Sauce

Ingredients

Quinoa and kale

Sweet potatoes

Avocado sauce

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Veggie Sushi Bowls

Watch How to Make Veggie Sushi Bowls

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Veggie Sushi Bowls

Ingredients

Rice and seasonings

Spicy mayo sauce

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Cowboy Caviar

Cowboy Caviar Ingredients

Black-Eyed Peas and Black Beans

Corn

Tomatoes

Bell Pepper and Jalapeño

Red Onion and Cilantro

Optional Avocado

Watch How to Make Cowboy Caviar

How to Serve Texas Caviar

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Healthy Cowboy Caviar

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