Napa Valley Get Away

My boyfriend and I are driving down to Napa Valley for good wine, tasty food and sunshine. We are bringing our bikes along with us to explore all of the hidden gems that Napa has to offer.

See you soon, winos.

Xoxo

Karen

A Summer Fruit Salad

If anyone were to look at this marvelous bowl of colors, I would think that all of their worries would suddenly disappear out the window. I say this because, having made this myself, I was immediately feeling happy. The citrus rush of diced fresh oranges and plump mountain fresh blueberries go well with the tangy strawberries and crisp green grapes. The creamy bananas adds a nice element to a fruit salad that is tossed in a lemon-infused syrup that is lightly sweetened with golden clover honey. This salad is perfect for anyone, really, it's even a gratifying recipe for the waste-averse.

This salad is enough to make me blush. :)

Ingredients

2 bananas (cut into 1/2 inch thickness)

1 orange (peeled and diced into small chunks)

1/2 lemon (for juice)

1 pint fresh blueberries

1 pint fresh strawberries

1 bunch green grapes (cut in half)

1 tablespoon clover honey

Directions

In a large bowl, add all of the fruit. Squeeze the juice from half of a fresh lemon over the fruit and then add honey. Mix well.

Feel free to substitute whatever fruit you want or have on hand. Do not add the bananas until you're ready to serve because they can get mushy and turn brown.

Spicy Tofu with Brown Rice and Beans

I have to admit that, up until recently, I've always felt a bit squeamish towards tofu. I'm not sure what it was that made me so standoffish. Maybe the texture or the lack of flavor, but whatever it was, I am completely cured of my tofu phobia. Because tofu has a very mild, if not, absent flavor, it allows for you to create the flavor, but the caveat is, you MUST create the flavor. There's no way around it, unless you're an eccentric who likes it raw. I'm not so sure if Iwill ever be cured of that phobia.

This dish is delightfully light but hearty - perfect for a summer dinner. Lightly browned tofu smothered in a tomato based sauce that is pricked with the heat of Thai red chilies. Served with a side of simple brown rice and red kidney beans, this meal is deeelish and cheap. What more could you ask for?

Ingredients

1 pound extra firm tofu (extra firm tofu requires no pressing or drying to remove water)

olive oil

green onion

sesame seeds

2 cup brown rice

1 can red kidney beans

Sauce ingredients (enough for 2 pounds of tofu)

1 can tomato paste

1 can tomato sauce

2 teaspoon onion powder

2 teaspoon garlic powder

3 dried Thai red chilies

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

black pepper

salt

Directions

Cook brown rice on the stove top or in a rice maker. While the rice is cooking, heat up about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet. When the pan is hot, add diced tofu cubes tothe skillet. Sear all four sides of the tofu cubes until golden brown. This should take about 10 to 15 minutes. When tofu is browned, place on a plate lined with a paper towel as this will soak up excess oil from the tofu.

For the sauce, pour the tomato paste and sauce into a food processor as well as the whole chilies and other spices. Mix everything together in the processor until completely smooth. Put the sauce in a heated saute pan and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the tofu cubes to the sauce. Add the red kidney beans to the cooked brown rice. When serving, garnish the spicy tofu with chopped green onion and sesame seeds.

Huevos Rancheros with Spicy Chili Corn and Creamy Black Beans

This beautiful dish is as easy as frying up an egg, quite literally! A spicy kick from the chili sweet corn gives a nice balance to the mellow creamy black beans. The best part, a fried sunny-side-up egg topped with your favorite salsa and cooling sour cream, all piled over warm corn tortillas. Oh! And don't forget to slice up a ripe avocado.

If you've ever had to make do with a soggy microwavable burrito from the frozen food section, well, zap-fry your food no more! Here's your answer to a tasty, easy and yet, elegant meal that will satisfy your craving for a fresh mexican meal.

Ingredients

2 corn tortillas

2 cups frozen sweet corn

1 can black beans

2 eggs

sour cream

salsa of your choice

oil, preferably olive or grape seed oil

grated cheddar cheese

1 ripe avocado

salt/pepper

Spice ingredients for corn (Add as much or as little spice to your liking)

chili powder

crushed red pepper

garlic powder

Directions

in a sauce pan, heat up 1/2 tablespoon of oil. Add a dash of red pepper flakes and saute for about 2 minutes. When the oils of the red pepper flakes release, add the corn to the pan. When softened, add a dash of both chili and garlic powder.

While the corn is being sauteed, in another sauce pan, heat up the black beans. I prefer my black beans au naturel, but you can add whatever tickles your fancy!

Lastly, in a skillet, fry up two eggs sunny-side-up-style. When the eggs are done, sprinkle a little cheddar cheese and salt and pepper over the top. Place the eggs aside, and in the same skillet, heat up two corn tortillas.

To assemble, overlap the warm corn tortillas on a plate. add a pile of the spicy chili corn on one side, and on the opposite side of the plate, add a pile of the black beans. Place the sunny-side-up eggs between the corn and beans and top it off with your favorite salsa and sour cream. Slice up an avocado too!