Lazy Mexican-Inspired Salad

Simple September continues with this Lazy Mexican-Inspired Salad. I was going to tell you this was my go to dinner, but then I entered its information into Self's Nutrition Data website and discovered it is probably a bit light for dinner. :/ So I suggest that you think of it as a side salad. I know I will from here on out.

That said my finding it satisfying as dinner or lunch for several years now is proof of how filling and nutrient dense it is. Self quantified that fact too. Its only downfall, according to the nutrition facts, is high sodium. This isn't a big surprise since it involves prepared foods. If you want to reduce the sodium, you can make your own dressing, perhaps a cumin-lime vinaigrette like the one I used here, and/or prepare black beans from dried beans instead of using canned. Personally sodium is not a concern when I'm eating this. My concern is eating something good and satisfying, then getting the heck out of the kitchen.

If I had more time I would have a cooking adventure instead of this salad to post, but organic chemistry and some other things are ruling my life. Given how much I've been eating this thank goodness I like it! To mix things up a bit I add tomatoes, corn and/or cilantro, but the basics are below.

Lazy Mexican-Inspired Salad

1 cup Black Beans (I used rinsed and drained a 14 ounce can, which will make roughly three portions.)
2 Tablespoons of Shredded Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese
2 Cups Mixed Baby Greens
1 Green Bell Pepper, diced
1 Tablespoon Reduced Fat Ranch Dressing.

1. Open, rinse and drain one 14 ounce can of black beans.
2. Remove stem and seeds from green pepper, then chop it roughly or neatly your call.
3. Measure two cups of salad into a bowl, then measure out 1/2 cup of black beans and place them on top.
4. Add 2 tablespoons of the reduced fat cheese to the bowl and the chopped pepper.
5. Top with 1 tablespoon of ranch dressing.

P.S. My friend Katie thought I should let y'all know this isn't a racial slur. I am lazy...not Mexicans... I didn't even realize there was a racial slur. In fact I probably would say Mexicans were hard workers based on other stereotypes of their life - being illegal immigrants in the US.

Spaetzle, Zucchini and Peppers with an improvised Green Curry Sauce

Steph from Stephfood was our Daring Cooks' July hostess. Steph challenged us to make homemade noodles without the help of a motorized pasta machine. She provided us with recipes for Spätzle and Fresh Egg Pasta as well as a few delicious sauces to pair our noodles with! I appreciated her willingness to let everyone experiment with their own variations on the theme based on their personal preferences, dietary requirements and/or financial restraints.

Since the spätzle was her Dad's recipe, and it was estimated to take 30-minutes, I chose to tackle it instead of fresh egg pasta. My previous attempt at spaetzle involved squeezing it through a potato ricer and resulted in brain like squiggly masses; the tablespoon method Steph and her Dad endorse treated me better. The resulting spaetzle reminded me of dumplings, though not as soft to the bite and sans butter.

As in our house no meal is complete without a vegetable or two, I decided to drop chopped squash and yellow bell pepper into the boiling water during the last minute or so. This made it simple, summery and minimized the number of additional dishes used. The green curry sauce gave it some added zest, thank goodness as the lemon zest I had thrown in did nothing to add flavor thus it is missing from the spätzle recipe below. I would happily revisit this again, though perhaps with a revised or different sauce, and suggest that you consider trying it as long as you like dumplings and/or gnocchi.

Thanks for the reminder to not give up on spätzle, Steph! 

German Spätzle
Yields approximately 15 spätzle pieces

2 Large Eggs
1/2 cup Milk (Any type works - I used Coconut.)
1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour (I needed 1/4 cup extra.)
1 tablespoon chopped Basil (up to 1 tablespoon of any herbs and spices can be used.)
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 tablespoon chopped Basil (for decoration)
1 medium Zucchini, chopped
1 Yellow Bell Pepper, chopped

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and any herbs and spices.
3. Sift in 1/3 of the flour into the liquid mixture and stir until incorporated. Continue adding the flour until the dough is elastic, smooth and very hard to stir.
4. Dip a tablespoon into the boiling water, pour the water out. Scoop up enough dough to fill the moistened tablespoon halfway and drop the dough into the boiling water. Continue until all dough is in the water.
5. Boil for 15 to 20 minutes. If desired, add the zucchini and squash for the last minute to minute and half to blanch it. While the spätzle boils make your sauce.
6. Drain the spätzle and veggies thoroughly.
7. Place the them in a dish and pour a little sauce over each spätzle (you want just enough to dress them lightly). Top with the the chopped basil. 

Improvised Green Curry Sauce
1/2 cup Coconut Milk
2 teaspoons Green Curry Paste
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Cornstarch
1 tablespoon Shredded, Unsweetened Coconut

1. Whisk together coconut milk, curry paste and cornstarch in a bowl. Heat in the microwave for a minute. Whisk again. Continue until it has reduced/thickened to the desired consistency.
2. Stir in shredded coconut.