Avocadango Walnut Salad

As you know, avocados and mangoes are not native to New England, so this post kind of flies in the face of my whole local theme, but oh well. It’s winter in New England. Fruit must come from somewhere and mangoes and avocados are among my favorites.

I devised this salad a few years ago when I was on a bit of a pine nut kick. I’ve since decided to cool it on the pine nuts until more information comes out about “pine nut-associated cacogeusia” – a disorder that came to light last winter that causes some people to experience a metallic taste in their mouth for up to two weeks after eating some pine nuts. It’s yet undetermined which pine nuts cause the disorder. That’s scary stuff and I’d rather not take any risks. I now make this salad with walnuts and the soft texture works just as well.

Refreshing, sweet mango and creamy avocado offset the greens’ coy bitterness and the walnuts bring texture. In addition being absolutely ambrosial, this salad is so absurdly nutritious, it’s radicchio. Walnuts are rich in omega-3, avocados contain plenty of potassium and vitamins B6 and K, mango is heavy on vitamins A and C, and greens offer a good source of folate.

And yes, I’m taking poetic license with the name.

Avocadango Walnut Salad – serves 2

1 mango
1 avocado
1 T lemon juice
1/3 C walnuts
5 ounces mixed baby salad greens (arugula, spinach, radicchio, etc)
2 T olive oil
2 T balsamic vinegar

Peel the mango and cut into 1 inch cubes.

Halve the avocado, remove pit and scoop either side from its shell. Cut into 1 inch cubes and toss with lemon juice.

Using tongs, in a large serving bowl (or whatever, it’s your kitchen) toss the salad greens with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add the avocado, mango and walnuts, being careful to not squish the avocado or allow the walnuts to gather at the bottom.

Ingredient origins: Organic mango – Chile; Organic avocado – Mexico; Organic lemon – Florida; Walnuts – California; Organic salad greens – Maine; Olive oil – Italy; Balsamic vinegar – Italy. I know. The whole local thing was completely thrown out the window for this recipe, but all of my readers in sunny California would be able to pull it off in good locavore fashion!

Blueberry Muffins

I really miss the farmers markets. During the summer months we keep the kitchen stocked with fresh local vegetables and fruits – especially berries. This time of year though, the only fresh berries around are very tart, bathed in pesticides and have traveled thousands of miles.

Rather than going that route, I like to either freeze a few pints in the summer when they are at their peak, or buy locally grown and packaged frozen berries. It sounds counter-intuitive, but frozen berries are not a terribly tragic option in the winter because they are packaged and frozen at their peak, and therefore retain their nutrients and flavor nicely.

I will say though, once thawed, frozen blueberries do lose some of their plumpness, so I like to bake them into muffins.

This recipe for blueberry muffins also calls for an optional half cup of walnuts to add texture and protein. Walnuts also offer vitamin E, omega 3 fatty acid and antioxidants. Combine that with blueberries and, dare I say, you may have a superfood muffin on your hands.

Blueberry Muffins – makes 12 medium sized muffins

2 C flour
1/2 t baking soda
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 egg
1/2 C sugar + some for sprinklage
1/3 C sour cream
1 C milk
1/3 canola oil
1 1/2 C frozen blueberries
1/2 C chopped walnuts (optional)
Non-stick spray or desired grease for the pan

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl – if you wanted to get really fancy, I suppose you could sift the ingredients together.

Using an electric beater, mix the egg, sugar, sour cream, milk and canola oil in a separate bowl.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with the beater until just combined, getting rid of any lumps.

Stir in the nuts, if using and then carefully stir in the blueberries. Try not to disturb them too much so that the batter will stay batter colored, rather than turning purple. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. It’s just that the contrast looks nice and the berries stay juicy.

Pour into greased muffin tin. There should be enough batter for each cup to be filled to the rim – this along with the reaction of the soda and powder should result in a nice muffin top.

Sprinkle the top of each with sugar – I like to use turbinado for this application because of the larger granules and nice golden color.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Ingredient origins: Flour – Vermont; Baking soda – unknown; Baking powder – Massachusetts; Salt – Maine; Egg – New Hampshire; Sugar – Florida; Sour cream – Vermont; Milk – Vermont; Canola oil – unknown; Frozen blueberries – Maine; Walnuts – California

Chocolate Chip Raisin Walnut Cookies

These are somewhat lower in fat (sour cream replaces some of the butter), higher in protein (walnuts) and higher in fiber (raisins) than your average chocolate chip cookie.

The recipe also calls for slightly less sugar than most, but the addition of raisins makes up for the sweetness. Corn syrup and sour cream lend a delicate fluff to the texture which, in combination with the walnut’s crunch make for an addictive cookie.

Chocolate Chip Raisin Walnut Cookies – makes 3 dozen

1 egg
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 C brown sugar
2 T corn syrup
1/2 C butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/4 C sour cream
1/2 t salt
1 t baking soda
2 C flour
3/4 C walnuts
3/4 C raisins
1 C chocolate chips

Mix wet ingredients and brown sugar in a small bowl. In a medium bowl mix flour, salt and baking soda. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips, walnuts and raisins.

Refrigerate dough for about15 minutes to chill. This will make it easier to scoop and also make it less likely for the cookies to spread out on the cookie sheet as they bake. While the dough chills, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Scoop by tablespoon onto a slightly greased cookie sheet – these have less fat than most cookies, so they’re not as self-greasing. (Frugal tip: I like to save the wrappers from sticks of butter for the purpose of lightly greasing pans.) Place dough mounds about an inch and a half apart on the cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Remove cookies from cookie sheet and allow them to cool on a cooling rack.

Serve with an ice cold glass of milk on a “pretty, pretty dish”, as my mother says. Recognize the plate Mom?

Ingredient origins: Egg – New Hampshire, Vanilla – Madagascar, Brown Sugar – Florida, Corn Syrup – UK, Butter – Maine, Sour Cream – Texas, Baking soda – Who knows?, Walnuts – California, Raisins – California, Chocolate chips – California.

Honey Raisin Granola

I started making this last Spring. We had quite a lot of oatmeal in the house and with the weather getting warmer, we were eating hot oatmeal less frequently. So, I decided to make it into a cold cereal that could be enjoyed in warmer weather. We really liked it, so I made another batch, bagged it up and gave it our friends, who also enjoyed it. I actually got a few requests for more. Packed in pretty jars, this granola makes a great homemade holiday gift.

The key is the coconut oil, which hardens at room temperature, so the granola keeps its clusters. Honey and brown sugar lend a comforting, familiar sweetness and the nuts add lovely satisfying protein. Almonds, pecans and walnuts work well. In this case I used a combo of walnuts and pecans.

Honey Raisin Granola – makes 12 cups

6 C rolled oats
2 C chopped walnuts, pecans or slivered almonds or a combination
1/2 C brown sugar
3/4 C honey
3/4 C coconut oil, melted
1 1/2 t sea salt
2 C raisins

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Combine oats, nuts and brown sugar in a large bowl. If your largest bowl isn’t quite large enough to get a good stir, try covering the bowl with plastic wrap or even a towel and hold it in place at the rim while you stir, to keep the granola from spilling.

In a separate bowl, combine honey, oil and salt (You may not need to melt the coconut oil if it’s warm in your kitchen. It turns to liquid at about 70 degrees)

Pour liquid over the oat mixture and mix thoroughly so that the oats are coated and begin to make clusters.

Pour the granola onto a large cookie sheet. Lining the cookie sheet with foil makes removing the granola easier after it has cooled. Cover with plastic wrap and press the granola so that it’s flat. Place in the freezer for about 15 minutes. This solidifies the oil and helps to keep the granola clustered as it cooks.

Bake for 1 hour, 15 minutes, checking occasionally to see that it’s not browning. Using a spatula flip the granola, breaking it into manageable but large pieces. Return to the oven and bake for another 30 minutes.

Remove from oven. Allow to cool at least 1 hour. In a large bowl break up the granola, leaving some large chunks. Combine with raisins.

Distribute the granola into mason jars and give to lucky friends and neighbors. Keep some for yourself and serve with milk or sprinkled over yogurt.

Ingredient origins: Rolled Oats – Unknown (the company, whose name rhymes with “shaker totes”, is based in Chicago. I’m going to take a stab that the actual oats were raised on multiple farms around the midwest, brought to the nearest grain elevator and added to the tributary and then the river of grain that runs to the factory.); Walnuts – California; Pecans – Arizona; Brown sugar – Florida; Honey – Massachusetts; Coconut oil – Colombia; Sea salt – Mediterranean; Raisins – California.

Pasta with Maine Smoked Salmon, Arugula and Pine Nuts

This is a hearty, nutritious pasta dish that can be made in under a half hour. Pine nuts contain vitamins A, E and K, niacin and folic acid. Arugula also offers vitamins A, K and folic acid along with calcium, iron, zinc and potassium and salmon offers omega-3. The sweetness of the pine nuts compliments the smoked salmon’s briny tang, and the Mornay sauce mellows the arugula’s pungency. I didn’t take pictures of the process because I thought it was too simple to post here – it’s not like the pasta is homemade. But it turned out to be really good and so I decided to share it.

Like anything else, I prefer to use all natural smoked salmon made without coloring. I’ve had pretty good luck with Ducktrap River from Maine – good flavor, not too oily and never stringy or tough – but I’m sure there’s an equally good smoked salmon purveyor near you. Enjoy.

Important: If you make this, be sure the check the country of origin on your pine nuts.  “Pine nut-associated cacogeusia” is a disorder came to light last winter that causes some people to experience a metallic taste in their mouth for up to two weeks after eating some pine nuts. The problem appears to be associated with pine nuts sourced from China. From what I understand, pine nuts from Italy have not caused the disorder. Just be warned. If you’re not into risking it, a good substitute in this recipe would be chopped walnuts.

Pasta with Maine Smoked Salmon, Arugula and Pine Nuts – serves 4-6

1/2 lb dry short pasta
3 C arugula, chopped
1 t olive oil
6 ounces smoked salmon, cut into small squares
1/4 C raw pine nuts
1 1/2 C Mornay Sauce (recipe follows)

Start by cooking the pasta for 1 – 2 minutes less than directed (it will continue to cook as it steams the arugula). Drain, rinse, and pour into a large casserole dish with a lid. Drizzle with a little olive oil, add the arugula and gently toss. Cover to allow the arugula to lightly steam with the hot pasta.

Meanwhile, make the Mornay sauce (recipe below).

Toss the salmon and pine nuts with the pasta, add the sauce and toss to coat.

Mornay Sauce – about 1 1/2 cups

1 T butter
1 T flour
1 C milk
1-2 T grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
salt to taste

In a small saucepan, melt butter. When it begins to foam, stir in the flour. Allow to cook, stirring with a wire whisk for about 2 minutes. Stir in milk and allow to thicken, then stir in the cheese. Season with salt.

Ingredient Origins: Pasta – Iowa, Organic arugula – Maine,Olive oil – Italy, Smoked Salmon – Maine, Butter – Maine, Flour – Vermont, Organic milk – Vermont, Pecorino Romano cheese – Italy, Pine nuts – Italy