Meow Recipes: May 2023

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Avocado Mojo Bowls with Sweet Potato and Chicken

In This Post

Lindsay’s Notes
Avocado Mojo Bowls Recipe
Frequently Asked Questions
Reviews

Lindsay’s Notes

Want to watch your family melt into a puddle of happiness? Make a pan of these sweet potato wedges.

Yes, the sauce, too. I am never not licking every last drop out of the jar.

But the fries, man. They are my husband, kids’, and office neighbors’ greatest joy right now. I swear I am never more loved than when I am pulling a pan of these out of the oven.

And they’re not wrong about the fries – they are strangely simple and just divine. But for me it’s also about the layering here. Can we all agree that we should definitely be eating more meals where dipping things into a punchy green sauce is just BUILT RIGHT IN? This method of sauce-on-the-bottom will be my guiding light for bowl-building this summer.

You grab your cilantro, some vinegar, some garlic. You make a mojo-inspired sauce (with avocado! yum!) and you pour it on the plate. Yes. Sauce on plate. It’s fun.

Then: everything you love in the world gets piled right on top. You get the crispy bits from the roasted sweet potato, you get the golden brown caramelized spots on those yummy little meatballs that (if you’re me) you picked up at Costco thank you very much, and you swipe each bite generously through that electric sauce.

It’s a meal for flavor lovers, easy lovers, and sauce lovers. And luckily I am all three.

Avocado Mojo Bowls with Sweet Potato

Author: Lindsay
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

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Ingredients

Units

Avocado Mojo Sauce

1/3 cup avocado oil
half an avocado
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup packed cilantro, leaves and stems
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/4 cup mayo (optional – this will make it creamier)

The Stuff for the Bowls:

2 sweet potatoes
1 red onion
2 tablespoons avocado oil
2 tablespoons taco seasoning + a pinch of smoked paprika if you want
protein of choice – I like the Amylu chicken meatballs or a hot, roasty rotisserie chicken

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Instructions

Sweet Potatoes: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Peel and cut the sweet potatoes – I like to cut them into wedges because they feel like thick, happy fries and my family loves them, but any shape will work. Place on a large baking sheet and toss with the oil and taco seasoning until coated.
Onions: Peel the onion and cut it into thin wedges. Tuck them onto the baking sheet in and around the sweet potatoes.
Roast: Transfer the whole pan to the oven and bake for a total of 35 minutes. I usually take them out at 20 minutes to flip the pieces and add my meatballs. *If using store bought pre-cooked meatballs, you can just scoot everything over and add your meatballs so they get those last 15 minutes of bake time.
Sauce: While the sweet potatoes are roasting, blend up the sauce ingredients – I use my Ninja mini chopper. Taste, adjust, and set aside. (Or at least try. It’s so good.)
Serve: Pour some sauce on a plate or bowl. Pile it up with meatballs, sweet potatoes, and onions. Total comfort food with saucy dipping built right in!

Notes

If you like more of a creamy sauce, you can add the mayo to it! Sauce will last for two days in the fridge.

As written, the sauce is not spicy but it would be really good with a jalapeño thrown in there.

If your taco seasoning does not have corn starch or corn flour listed in the ingredients, I would suggest adding just a light sprinkle (1 teaspoon) with the taco seasoning – this just helps the sweet potato fries develop that more crispy golden exterior.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

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What Is Mojo?

Mojo refers to a sauce that is found in many cultures around the world – Puerto Rico, Canary Islands, Cuba, and the Caribbean. I first had it in Puerto Rico as a dipping sauce for fried plantains, but my understanding is that it’s often served with meat like pork to add a citrusy, vinegary flavor (and sometimes heat). You can read more about the roots and variation of mojo here.

Is It Spicy?

No, as written this one is not spicy. But if you WANT it to be spicy, it would be amazing with a jalapeno in there! I just keep it mild for my kids.

What Protein Is Best?

The two things I’ve been using are chicken meatballs or rotisserie chicken. I also served this with shredded pork once and really enjoyed it (but that makes it non-SOS because it takes a bit more time to make).

Meatballs: I’ve been kind of on a run with the Amylu chicken meatballs lately, and both the teriyaki pineapple and the mango jalapeno ones are delicious here. We also love the POY baked chicken meatballs, obviously!

Rotisserie Chicken: Needs no explanation. My family loves a juicy, roasty, piping hot rotisserie chicken and SO DO I.

What Do You Use To Blend Up The Sauce?

I LOVE my Ninja mini chopper. It’s not meant for sauces necessarily but I use it for all kinds of quick sauce blends it’s so great. I’ve always been a die hard food processor fan, and still am, but I would say 75% of the time I am reaching for this little guy when I just need to make a quick sauce!

How Can You Make This Dairy Free and Gluten Free?

It should be dairy-free and gluten-free as is!

Things to double check: your taco seasoning and your meatballs or rotisserie chicken for any added dairy or gluten.

How Can You Make This Vegetarian?

Throw more veggies on the pan with those sweet potatoes and go for an all-veg lineup! Cauliflower, zucchini, mushrooms, bell peppers… so good!

For a veg protein, we really enjoy the ALDI meatless meatballs!

How Can You Add More Veggies To This?

I am never not going to try to influence you to make this simple green salad. It is my favorite add-a-veggie-to-a-meal solution.

The post Avocado Mojo Bowls with Sweet Potato and Chicken appeared first on Pinch of Yum.

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Monday, May 22, 2023

Pickled Strawberries

In This Post:

Notes from Lindsay
Pickled Strawberries Recipe
Frequently Asked Questions
Reviews

Notes From Lindsay

Okay, hear me out.

Pickled strawberries are my love of the moment. It’s the end of May, the weather feels like summer, school and activity programs are wrapping up, and my interest in making a proper dinner is at an all-time low.

Enter: these delightful little pops of sweet vinegar-soaked strawberries, smushed gently onto grilled sourdough smeared with goat cheese, and finished with thyme and honey, eaten on the deck at 4:30pm and keeping us full and happy long enough to lounge around outside and enjoy the summer evening for a couple more hours. THESE ARE SO GOOD.

I debated including this recipe in the SOS Series – we usually do dinner recipes in this series, and this one initially looks and feels more like an appetizer or a snack.

But over the last year and a half as I’ve made these, I find that they often start as a pre-dinner snack… and just eventually turn into dinner. Lol. I can’t count the number of times I’ve thrown a jar of these strawberries together in the afternoon, assembled some toasts for a summery outside snack at that magical (challenging) 4pm hour, and then watched as everyone devoured enough bread, cheese, and strawberries to be happy for the rest of the evening. Works for me.

They arer simple, unexpected, and honestly just plain fun. It’s the perfect way to sneak a little bit of delight into the week!

Pickled Strawberries

Author: Lindsay
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

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Ingredients

Units

For the Pickled Strawberries:

1 1/2 cups halved strawberries (enough to fill a jar)
1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon peppercorns
water to fill the rest of the jar

For Toasts:

6–7 slices sourdough
one or two 4-ounce packages goat cheese
some thyme leaves
a honey drizzle
pinch of salt

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Instructions

Pickled Strawberries: Place the strawberries in a jar. Add the vinegar, sugar, peppercorns, and salt. Fill to the top with water. Secure the lid and shake gently to combine.
Wait Time: Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours, or up to 2 days. (I prefer these within the first 12-24 hours so they don’t get too mushy.)
For Serving: Fry or grill the bread. I fry a few slices at a time in olive oil on my griddle until nice and golden and crispy. Smear the goat cheese on the toast and top with a few strawberries. Smash them gently with a fork. Sprinkle with bits of thyme, a drizzle of honey, and a hit of salt. Mwah!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Category: Appetizer
Method: Marinate
Cuisine: American

Keywords: pickled strawberries, strawberry recipe, strawberry crostini

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do I Have To Use White Balsamic Vinegar?

I think you could achieve a similar end result with a different vinegar (apple cider vinegar or champagne vinegar, for example) but I love the white balsamic because it’s naturally sweet and mild. I go out of my way to buy a bottle or two each summer and then just keep it stocked specifically for this recipe!

Do You Eat The Peppercorns?

I do like the peppercorns! They get softened a bit and I think they add the perfect bite of peppery crunch on the toasts, which is why you see them in the picture. That’s how I eat them!

However, I know that’s not for everyone and you can definitely leave them off your final toast creation if you prefer it without anything too peppery.

Could I Use Something Else Besides Goat Cheese?

Cream cheese or ricotta cheese are both great!

Do Your Kids Like This?

They LOVE it. We actually started them on it with a yogurt version – just smeared some whole milk Greek yogurt on the toast with the strawberries and they were so into it.

How Do You Make This Gluten Free or Dairy Free?

Use a gluten-free bread, or a dairy-free creamy element. We love Kite Hill cream cheese!

How Else Can You Use These Pickled Strawberries?

There are so many ways to use these – they are awesome just eaten plain, in a yogurt bowl with granola, or on a salad!

The post Pickled Strawberries appeared first on Pinch of Yum.

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Monday, May 15, 2023

Salmon Tacos with Mango Corn Salsa

Salmon tacos with cucumber salsa lined up

In This Post

Lindsay’s Notes
Salmon Tacos Recipe
Frequently Asked Questions
Reviews

Lindsay’s Notes

These tacos are THE dinner for me right now!

A few nights ago, I made them (again), and I set the sheet pan of salmon down on the table and my whole family literally descended upon it and started grabbing at the salmon with their hands and forks as I stood by watching in half shock, half pride. It was a feeding frenzy.

Of course, we love salmon. It’s a great source of nutrition and protein and, when cooked well, it gently slides apart into buttery, juicy, delightful little flakes.

But I’m not going to lie to you: the main event here is that mango corn salsa.

The salmon itself is completely SOS (taco seasoning and THAT’S IT), which is why I think it makes sense to put all your effort and energy into the salsa. This salsa is also the thing that’s going to keep you sitting at the table long after you’re done eating tacos, just scooping some extra salsa bites all on its own and suddenly thinking of it as more of a salad? It can be a salad, right? I would totally eat this salsa on its own as a salad.

Each bite is extra crispy and unexpected from the raw sweet corn and cucumber with a little burst of juicy flavor. But it’s also mainstream enough with the mango that my two young kids are usually happy to devour it right along with us.

I love a million sauces on my tacos (okay, fine, on every recipe). But with this one, all it needs is a bit of extra lime and honey to finish it off. Simple, minimal effort, max deliciousness.

Salmon Tacos with Mango Corn Salsa

Author: Lindsay
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

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Description

Super easy salmon tacos loaded with a mango, sweet corn, and cucumber salsa! Perfect with black beans or avocado tucked into a corn tortilla.

Ingredients

Units

Salmon Tacos:

1 lb. salmon fillet (see notes)
2–3 teaspoons taco seasoning
2 teaspoons avocado oil

Mango Corn Salsa:

1 large mango, diced
1 cucumber, diced
2 ears sweet corn, kernels cut off the cob
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon honey
zest and juice of 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon salt

Extras:

one 14-ounce can refried beans, or regular black beans, or 2 avocados
8 corn tortillas
1/4 cup avocado oil for softening

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Instructions

Prep: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Season the Salmon: Toss the salmon with the taco seasoning and avocado oil until well-coated – you can do this in a bowl or directly on the baking sheet. If your taco seasoning does not have salt, add some salt to the salmon.
Bake the Salmon: Bake the salmon for 8 minutes, close to the top of the oven, or until it slips apart easily when pressed with a fork.
Make the Salsa: While the salmon is baking, chop up your salsa ingredients and toss together in a bowl. Season to taste.
Soften the Tortillas: To soften the corn tortillas, I usually heat up some oil in a large skillet and then give the tortilla a very quick one-sided dip into the hot oil and transfer to a paper-towel lined plate. I stack them up as I go so the heat and oil kind of distributes between all the tortillas. You can also wrap the tortillas in a few damp paper towels and microwave for 30 seconds to steam them so they become more pliable and yummy to eat.
Assemble the Tacos: Mash avocado or spread refried beans on the bottom of the tortilla. Add a couple pieces of salmon; press to gently smash them. Top with a big scoop of the salsa. I often finish these with lime squeezes and a drizzle of honey!

Notes

Purchasing Salmon: For this recipe, I look for salmon fillets that are nice and thick so you can cube it! I usually cut the skin off and then cut into large cubes; I love the cube shape because they cook nice and evenly and make for a fun shape to squish apart in the taco. It’s also totally fine to just sprinkle your seasonings onto a thinner fillet and flake the fish apart to put into the tacos.

Salmon Doneness: People cook salmon to varying degrees of doneness depending on your preferences and the quality of the salmon. I like to cook it to medium well, where everything is almost totally cooked through but it’s nice and soft and slips apart easily when you press it with a fork. Here’s a guide with more info on cooking salmon and how to tell when it’s done.

Salsa Spiciness: As written, this salsa is not spicy at all, but a jalapeño would be a great addition! I keep it mild for my kids, but if that is not your journey, go for the heat!

Tortillas: In the photos, I was using a thicker type of tortilla (corn and flour blend) that I charred in a dry cast iron skillet. When I usually make this, I use regular corn tortillas and I follow the recipe directions for softening them.

Taco Seasoning: All brands are different, but if you’re using a mild one and you want more going on with your salmon, sprinkle it with some extra chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder. *chef’s kiss*

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Category: Tacos
Method: Bake
Cuisine: Caribbean-Inspired

Keywords: salmon tacos, salmon recipe, mango salsa

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What Taco Seasoning Do You Like?

Lately I’ve been using the one from Kowalski’s (a local grocery store) – that’s my favorite in this recipe right now.

I also like the Siete brand mild taco seasoning (affiliate link) – the spicy one is a bit much for my kids, but the mild is great.

What Tortillas Do You Like?

In these photos, I’m using the La Tortilla Factory corn and flour blend tortillas! They are a bit thicker than your average tortillas and they hold up well, which is why I picked them for the photos.

If I’m making these at home, no photos necessary, I usually use just a standard yellow corn tortilla.

Can I Use Something Else Besides Salmon?

Yes, this would be delicious with chicken or shrimp! Just adjust your baking time a bit – chicken needs more like 10-12 minutes (depending on the size of your pieces) and shrimp would be about 8 minutes.

Can I Make This Vegetarian?

I would roast up some cauliflower in place of the salmon, following the same method of coating it with the taco seasoning and increasing the roasting time to 25-30 minutes.

If you’re looking for extra protein, tofu would also be good. Here’s our guide to cooking tofu – I would recommend the crispy baked method!

Can I Make This Gluten-Free / Dairy-Free?

It should be both gluten-free and dairy free as written!

Double-check your taco seasoning and your corn tortillas for any added wheat or dairy; otherwise, all the other ingredients are good to go!

How Does This Keep As Leftovers?

I wouldn’t recommend this as a leftovers meal. The salsa gets a bit soggy and the salmon doesn’t do great reheated (everyone is different, but this is just my personal opinion).

If you are cooking for one or two people, I would just keep the salsa ingredients separate and toss them before serving, and maybe even keep the extra salmon un-baked until right before serving.

More Tacos To Love

Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Garlic Cilantro Lime Slaw (These are a must-make!)
The Best Chicken Tinga Tacos (The tinga sauce is incredible)
Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Cilantro Lime Sauce (Very SOS and easy to make)
Caramelized Pork Tacos with Pineapple Salsa (Another taco featuring a fruity salsa fave)
Cauliflower Black Bean Tostadas with Queso and Pickled Onions (Tostadas foreverrrr)

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