Celery Salad With Roasted Mushrooms, White Beans and Feta

I can honestly say I've never made anything like this before. But every main individual ingredient sounded delicious to me, and when combined, it is truly a satisfying salad. I doubled the entire recipe because 1) feta comes in a 6 oz container and 2) if I'm going to the effort of roasting mushrooms, I might as well roast twice as many, right?

Celery Salad With Roasted Mushrooms, White Beans and Feta

Adapted from The Washington Post. From cookbook author Joy Manning. Tested by Ali Sharman. 

Servings: 4 to 6

Ingredients

For the marinated celery

• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder (original was 2 tablespoons minced shallot, which I skipped as I didn't have any)
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (original was champagne or other white wine vinegar)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar (original was 3/4 teaspoon)
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (original was 1/4 teaspoon - but I LOVE black pepper)
• 8 ribs celery (leafy stalks from the heart preferred), sliced very thin on the diagonal
• 1 1/2 cup cooked white beans (original was 1 cup)

For the roasted mushrooms

• 12 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

For assembly

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 3 ounces crumbled feta cheese

Method

1. Make the mushrooms: While the celery is marinating, position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Arrange the mushrooms in a single layer on a large, rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with the oil, season with salt and toss to coat. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the mushrooms have browned and are tender. 

2. Make the marinated celery: In a large bowl, whisk together the onion powder, vinegar, oil, sugar, salt and black pepper until the sugar has dissolved. Add the celery and beans and toss to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

3. Add mushrooms, parsley, mint and dill to the marinated celery and beans and mix until combined. 

4. Top with crumbled feta and serve.

Arroz Rojo (Mexican Red Rice)

Adapted from Anna Luis Rodriguez's recipe in The Washington Post

This caught my eye since I usually have these ingredients on hand. Unsurprisingly I wanted to add a lot more vegetables, so proportions below show what I did (if you want the more traditional version please go to the original).

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
• 2 medium Roma tomatoes (8 to 10 ounces total), halved lengthwise
• 1/4 large white onion (3 ounces total), roughly chopped
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon vegetable or chicken bouillon paste, such as Better than Bouillon or Knorr
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 cups water, or more as needed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cup frozen mixed vegetables (no need to defrost) - I used some fresh veggies since I had them (carrots, celery) and added frozen corn and peas
• 1 habanero pepper, halved lengthwise and seeded (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish

Method

1. In a large bowl, cover the rice with water and let soak for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a blender, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, bouillon, tomato paste and habanero and puree until smooth. You should have about 1 cup of thick sauce. Add the water so you get 3 cups of sauce total and blend again until well combined.
3. Drain the rice, then rinse 2 to 3 times or until the water runs mostly clear. Drain the rice again.
4. In a large pot over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently until it turns bright milky white and some grains start to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add the vegetables (inc the cilantro) and stir to combine with the rice. Pour in the tomato sauce, stir to combine and increase the heat to high. When it starts to boil, cover, reduce the heat to low and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice looks fluffy, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the rice stand, covered, to ensure the grains are evenly cooked, for another 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Remove the cover to release the steam. Fluff with a fork and serve, with more cilantro on top if desired.

Opie's Tater Tot Casserole

After visiting friends out in Llano, we stopped by Opie's BBQ in Spicewood on the way back to Austin. While the brisket was great, the thing that blew us all away was the tater tot casserole. I immediately went on a hunt for a recipe, and found some online guidance from folks who also did their best to recreate this gorgeous, stupidly good dish.

Opie's Tater Tot Casserole

Adapted from Sobiedaddies on Food.com

Ingredients

• 1 (2 lb) bag frozen tater tots (I use Hill Country Fare brand from HEB)
• 2 (10 3/4 ounce) cans reduced-fat cream of chicken soup (can also use cream of mushroom if you want to make this vegetarian)
• 1 (8 ounce) low-fat sour cream
• 1 (16 ounce) package sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (original recipe called for low-fat cheddar but I can't find low-fat sharp cheddar, only mild, and I'd rather have the sharpness so I throw caution to the wind)
• 1 (8 ounce) package colby & jack cheese, shredded
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (6 ounce) container French-fried onions

Method

1. Mix everything but the Colby cheese and French-fried onions in a large bowl (make sure tots are still frozen so they don't break apart).
2. Scoop mixture into one 9x13 pan.
3. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for one hour.
4. Top with Colby cheese and then French's onions and bake for another 5-10 minutes until onions are golden brown.

 

4 Ingredient Spicy Tofu

 

This has been a repeat favorite at home, probably because it's so easy, so tasty, and pretty healthy on top of it all. It's surprisingly vegan too.

4 Ingredient Spicy Tofu

Ingredients

• 1 bag ground meat substitute, around 12-16 oz (this has been very good with the Gardein frozen ground be'f or the Impossible ground beef)
• 1 container tofu, 14-16 oz (any firmness works - I usually can find firm at my local grocery store, but I also love softer tofu in this dish when I make it to an Asian grocery store), cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 12 oz bag of frozen shelled edamame
• Half of a 9.88 oz jar of Laoganma chili oil with fermented soybeans

Method

1. Heat a non-stick pot over medium heat. Add ground meat substitute and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned.
2. Add tofu, edamame and chili oil. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until all ingredients are mixed and warmed through.
3. Eat on its own, or serve over rice.