My.Lunch.Was.Better.Than.Yours.

I like this time of year. Spring makes me think of basil and goat cheese and cantaloupe and tomatoes. Here's what I had:

[Top]

:: Ashley's Twist on a Caprese Salad::
Slice roma tomatoes

Sprinkle with garlic salt
Scatter sliced, fresh basil
Top with crumbled goat cheese
Drizzle with balsamic vinegar

[Right]

::Scrambled Eggs with Black Bean Salad::
I'm really trying hard to give eggs a chance. I wanted this for breakfast but just didn't have the time to make it and still clock in by 8:29:59 --- so I made it for lunch.

Trick I read --- add a few drops of water to the eggs before scrambling --- makes them fluffier. I concur. Then when they were almost done I added some of my Black.Bean.Salad mixture I'd made a few days ago. So good. Maybe eggs I like --- it's just omeletes I don't?

[Bottom]

::Edemame Confetti::
I just made that name up. But that's totally what it looks like to me. I made this last night for the first time. Was a hybrid of two recipes I found online.

[Dressing:]
3 T oil (canola or olive)
1/4 c vinegar (rice or white wine or tarragon...whatev)
2 T agave nectar or honey (this agave sounds interesting...but all I had was honey...next time)
1/2 t cayenne pepper or chili powder
1/4 t ground chipotle pepper (I used my Chipotle Tabasco)
1/4 t sea salt
1 lime juiced
1 clove of garlic, minced
Small handful of chopped cilantro

Combine all dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk together until blended. Set aside.

[Mixture:]
1 bag frozen, shelled edemame
1 can sweet yellow corn
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 medium red onion, diced (I sauteed mine a bit first b/c I'm not a fan of raw onion*)
2 serrano peppers, finely chopped (or one red jalapeno pepper...or don't use...whatever)
1 large tomato, diced
1 large mango --- I know, exciting!

Combine all above ingredients in a large bowl. Add dressing and toss together. Cover and allow to marinate in the fridge for an hour or so.

[Chef's Notes:]
This made a ton! You could totally half the recipe --- or freeze part of it after. I ate it just as a side today, but could also go on top of salad or with grilled chicken/fish.

I think a good twist which I'm going to try next time is to use lemon and mint instead of lime and cilanto. Maybe even add in feta.

*Melissa, if you actually read these you'll remember Dona taught you that..."Si, Assley le gusta cebolla...pero no cebolla CRUDO...solamente cocinado" (pronounced co-cine-ow)