Cucumber-Habanero Salsa

Truly Mexican recommends this salsa for winter months when you want a fresh salsa but good tomatoes are nowhere to be found.  It serves that purpose perfectly - it's crunchy, spicy, and super flavorful, reminiscent of a super-spicy pico de gallo without the tomatoes. It also keeps very well in the fridge for a few days, so you don't need to eat it all in one sitting - the cukes and onions will stay crunchy and perfect for dipping.  We ate this salsa with chips, which is great for getting the full flavor of it, but I bet it would also be fantastic on tacos, especially fish tacos.

Important note: this salsa is definitely hot - if you're not such a fan of extra spicy food, you could reduce the amount of habanero or replace it with a milder pepper like a jalapeno. 

Cucumber-Habanero Salsa (from Truly Mexican)
Makes about 2 cups

12-ounce cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced (about 2 cups)
2/3 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup diced seeded green bell pepper
1/3 cup finely diced red onion
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2-1/2 T freshly squeezed lime juice (more to taste)
1 T mild olive oil
1-1/2 tsp minced fresh habanero chile, including seeds (or less, to taste)
3/4 tsp fine salt or 1-1/2 tsp kosher salt (more to taste)
1/2 tsp dried Mexican oregano, crumbled

Mix everything together and chill for one hour.  Taste and add more lime juice and salt if necessary.  Drain any excess liquid before serving.

Chewy Lemon Cookies

These lemon cookies are simple yet satisfying.  They've got a bit of crunch on the outside from being rolled in sugar before baking, but the centers are total chewy cookie bliss (I'm a total sucker for chewy cookies!). I'd call these cookies more lemon-scented than anything else - they've got that lovely floral lemon flavor without being at all sour.  I made these for an event at church, and they're perfect for a big gathering as the recipe is easy and makes lots of cookies.

Chewy Lemon Cookies (adapted from My Baking Addiction via Patent and the Pantry, original recipe here)
Makes around 4 dozen cookies

2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup softened butter
1-1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
Zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
Sugar for rolling cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cookie sheets with parchment or foil.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt
3. In a larger bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy.  Beat in the egg, vanilla, zest, and juice.
4. Add the dry ingredients, and beat until just combined.  Roll tablespoon-fuls of the dough into balls and then roll in sugar. Place on cookie sheets, 1-2 inches apart.
5. Bake 8-10 minutes.  Let stand on cookie sheets for a minute or two before moving to wire racks to cool.

Spicy Gingerbread Cupcakes with Lemon Frosting

These gingerbread cupcakes are intensely ginger-y, with a deep molasses flavor and a great kick from half a cup of dark beer.  The cupcakes come from a cookbook that aims to create a more butch cupcake - most of the recipes include beer, bacon, whiskey, rum, coffee, pretzels, chilies, or some sort of other 'manly' ingredient that doesn't typically show up in cupcakes.  I don't know if these cupcakes really appeal more to men (I've found they'll eat pretty girly cupcakes if they taste good!), but they certainly are delicious, and I think the flavors would be enjoyed by anyone. I was really skeptical of adding two whole tablespoons of ground ginger to such a small batch of cupcakes (not even two dozen), but it actually really works and makes for a super-flavorful dessert.  I paired the cupcakes with a simple lemon frosting, just because I think lemon and gingerbread go really well together, but you could also use vanilla, ginger, or chocolate depending on your preference.

Spicy Gingerbread Cupcakes with Lemon Frosting (adapted from The Butch Bakery Cookbook)
Makes about 15 cupcakes

For the cupcakes:
2 cups cake flour (or 1-3/4 cups all purpose flour plus 1/4 cup cornstarch)
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
2 T ground ginger
1 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cloves
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup dark beer, such as a porter or stout (pour and let settle before measuring)

For the frosting:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar, more as needed
Juice and zest of 2 lemons

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place 15 cupcake papers in muffin tins.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, allspice, cloves, and salt.  Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, oil, molasses, eggs, and vanilla until creamy.  Beat in the flour mixture, combining well.
4. In a small saucepan, heat the beer almost until boiling.  Slowly add it to the cupcake batter and whisk in to incorporate.
5. Fill each muffin cup about 3/4 of the way full.  Bake until a tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes.  Let cool.
6. Once the cupcakes are cool, make the frosting.  Beat the butter until creamy.  Beat in the powdered sugar until smooth.  Beat in the lemon juice and zest.  Taste, and beat in more powdered sugar to taste (and/or to get the consistency you like).  Frost the cupcakes immediately.

Southwestern Meatloaf

Have I mentioned lately how much I love the Create Your Own feature from Fine Cooking?  I loving playing around with different flavors to either accommodate what I have in the fridge or to create something unique without straying too far from a formula that works.  I've made two meatloaf recipes based on their meatloaf feature, a fantastic bacon-wrapped fennel-turkey meatloaf and this delicious southwest version that I made with my mom.  It features bell peppers, cilantro, cumin, and an incredible chipotle-ketchup glaze.  I like that it's got enough of that familiar meatloaf flavor to feel like comfort food, but with a spicy twist.  You can add more or less red pepper flakes to dial up or down the spiciness - the amount here makes a fairly spicy meatloaf along with the glaze, which we really liked.  Plus, like most meatloaf, this one is even better the next day, made into a meatloaf sandwich!

Southwestern Meatloaf (adapted from Fine Cooking)
Serves 4

1 T canola oil
1 very small onion or 1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup diced bell pepper
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup plus 2 T dry sherry
2 ounces white Italian or French bread, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 cup whole milk
1 pound ground beef
1 egg
3 T thinly sliced scallions
1 T chopped fresh cilantro
1 T chopped fresh oregano
1-1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
A few grinds of pepper
1 T ketchup
1-1/2 tsp finely diced canned chipotles in adobo

1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-low heat.  Cook the onions, peppers, and garlic, stirring frequently, until softened and just beginning to brown, 6-8 minutes.
2. Add the sherry and simmer briskly until almost dry, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool slightly.
3. In a shallow dish, soak the bread in the milk, flipping once, until soggy but not falling apart, 5-10 minutes.  Lightly squeeze to remove some of the milk, finely chop, and add to the onion mixture.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment.
5. Combine the beef, egg, and onion mixture in a medium bowl.  Gently stir to just combine.  Add the scallions, cilantro, oregano, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, and red pepper flakes to the bowl, and then sprinkle over the salt and pepper.  Gently mix everything together until just combined, being careful not to compact the meat.
6. Form the meat mixture into a loaf on the baking sheet.  Spread the glaze all over the top and sides in a thin layer.
7. Bake until an instant read thermometer registers 160 degrees in the center of the meatloaf, 30-40 minutes.  Let rest 10 minutes out of the oven, tented with foil, and then slice and serve.

Winter Salad with Oranges, Dates, and Pine Nuts

Unfortunately I couldn't get a great photo of this salad, but I had to share it anyway because it was so tasty! It's perfect for winter - citrus contributes sunny, bright flavor; dates, a sweet chew; hardy baby greens make the salad feel more hefty and appropriate for cold months; and walnut oil adds a great nutty flavor.  I'd never used walnut oil before, but I love it - the flavor really comes through without being overly intense or bitter.  If you want to pump up the walnut flavor, you could add toasted walnuts for crunch -- I went with pine nuts because that's what I had on hand, which was also a great choice.

Winter Salad with Oranges, Dates, and Pine Nuts
Serves 2-3

For the dressing:
2 T walnut oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

For the salad:
3 larges dates, coarsely chopped
1 large orange, supremed
1 small palmful of pine nuts
A few handfuls of greens - I used a 50/50 blend of baby spinach and baby arugula

Baked Oatmeal with Fruit and Nuts

 I first discovered baked oatmeal about a year ago at Christmas when my sister made it for breakfast.  This year, we couldn't find her recipe but luckily we came across this one from Super Natural Every Day on a few different blogs.  Baked oatmeal is a great way to make oatmeal for a crowd, and it's also fantastic leftover.  I'm planning to make some to keep in my fridge for quick breakfasts throughout the week - it heats up well in the microwave and is great with a splash of milk on top.  I also like that the recipe is easily changed up to accommodate whatever fruits and nuts you like or have in the house.  For example, I'm a huge banana hater, so we subbed in chopped apple and peach.  Frozen fruit works well here; just make sure it's chopped into bite-sized chunks before going into the pan.

Baked Oatmeal with Fruit and Nuts (adapted from Super Natural Every Day)
Serves 6-9

2 cups rolled or quick oats (not instant)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, divided
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups milk
1 egg
1/3 cup maple syrup
3 T butter, melted and slightly cooled, divided
2 tsp vanilla
Assorted fresh or frozen fruit (2-3 cups)

1. Spray an 8x8 pan with oil and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Stir together the oats, half the nuts, the cinnamon, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.
3. Whisk together the milk, eggs, maple syrup, half of the butter, and the vanilla.
4. Scatter half the fruit in the bottom of the pan (we used chopped apple and chopped peach for the bottom layer).  Top with the oat mixture.  Slowly pour the liquid ingredients over the oats and tap the pan a few times on the counter to make sure it's evenly distributed.  Top with the remaining fruit (we used cherries and blueberries) and the remaining nuts.
5. Bake 35-45 minutes, until the top is browned and the oats are set. Remove from oven and drizzle with the remaining melted butter.  Tent with foil and let rest about 10 minutes before serving.  The baked oatmeal is delicious plain or with additional maple syrup.

Coleslaw with Cumin-Lime Vinaigrette

I didn't used to think I liked coleslaw, I think because I'd only had the limp, gloppy stuff you often see in cafeterias.  Once I discovered vinegar-based coleslaw, I realized that this dish can instead be a bright, crunchy side that showcases fresh veggies.  This particular slaw is dressed with a lime-and-olive oil dressing with a bit of spice from hot sauce and cumin, so it's a little less acidic than a vinegar-based slaw but it still has lots of flavor.  This simple, tart coleslaw is the perfect topping for a pulled pork sandwich, as it provides some needed acid without overpowering the meat.  It would also be great for an outdoor picnic since it doesn't include any mayonnaise. 

Coleslaw with Cumin-Lime Vinaigrette (adapted from Bobby Flay)

For the vinaigrette
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp ground cumin (or 1 tsp cumin seeds)
1/3 cup lime juice
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 T minced fresh ginger
1 T honey
A few dashes of your favorite hot sauce

For the slaw
3 carrots, peeled and grated
1 small head green cabbage, shredded
1 small bell pepper, cut into thin slivers
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Make the vinaigrette:  Warm the oil in a small pan over medium heat.  Add the cumin and heat until fragrant.  Let cool.
2. Combine the cumin oil with the lime juice, garlic, ginger, honey, and hot sauce in a blender, and blend until smooth.
3. Toss together all of the slaw ingredients, and then toss with the dressing.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.