Dungeness Crab Spring Salad

It's time to get all fancy pants with a salad recipe that couldn't be simpler to put together. How simple? From fridge to plate in 5 minutes flat, that simple.

Do you ever fantasize about throwing these glamorous dinner parties that leave your guests wondering how on earth you pulled off such an elegant affair with such grace and effortlessness? I used to, quite often. And then I would proceed to try although I don't know with how much grace and effortlessness I succeeded...

I absolutely adored throwing impromptu food gatherings, I just lived for it. A motley crew would assemble, and we would all converge in my pretty little garden at the table with the mismatched chairs and dine from mismatched plates, creating a cool Mad Hatter's tea party sort of vibe. Italian feasts, signature cocktails, shrimp boils and multi-course mimosa bar brunches- there was always something tasty going on.

But now that I get paid to prepare other people's dinner parties, and as my business grows and my free time shrinks, playing hostess has become quite the rarity. It makes me a little sad, but then I remind myself that since I get to make food for a living it doesn't really feel like work, and that cheers me right back up. Nonetheless, I need to get back into the whole dinner party thing, it really is the best thing ever. In the meantime though, at least I can live vicariously through this blog and pretend what I would serve at my next dinner party, and right now it would be this colorful Dungeness Crab Salad.

You would be wise to keep this recipe in your back pocket- what a stunning first course. I mean, it doesn't get much more fabulous than Dungeness crab, does it? Plus, it's a cinch to prepare. Choose fresh lump crabmeat from your local fish market, that way you can skip the messy job of removing the meat from the shells and keep your apron spotless. Pair it with delicate butter lettuce, crisp spring radishes, creamy avocado and sweet mango for a perfectly balanced dish. A simple honey-lime vinaigrette is all you need to enhance these flavors, but a glass of zesty Sauvignon Blanc wouldn't hurt either! Right now I'm loving the 2012 Sauv from Fox Wine Co.- it's a great warm weather wine with a nice mineral streak that plays well with the briny crab, and the tropical notes compliment the mango element of the salad perfectly.

serves 4
Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. lime juice
zest of 1 lime
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 lb. cooked Dungeness crab, chilled
1 head butter lettuce, leaves rinsed and torn
2 radishes, thinly sliced
1 avocado, thinly sliced
1 mango, thinly sliced
1 tbsp. minced chives

Instructions
1. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, honey, lime zest and juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place crab in a separate bowl and pour half of dressing into the bowl, tossing to combine with the crab. Reserve the other half of vinaigrette.
2. Divide lettuce, mango, avocado and radish evenly among plates. Top with dressed crab and drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over each salad. Garnish with chives.

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Black Bean Soup with Avocado Crema

When the craving for Mexican food hits, it hits hard. It's not something that is easily ignored, nor is it something that I can feel great about eating, but I do it anyway because I know the craving won't subside until I give in. The other day after a long hike with John left us feeling ravenous and quite deserving of something yummy, we bit the bullet. We binged on baskets of warm tortilla chips, a super-sized guacamole and like, three refills of the free black bean and corn salsa at Carlitos, one of my favorite Mexican restaurants in Santa Barbara. It was all well and good until our fajitas arrived and we were so stuffed we could hardly make a dent in it. Tragic.

Although we were more than happy to take home the heaps of leftovers (including the chips and salsa that we didn't manage to inhale), it got me thinking that the next time I felt a Mexican craving coming on a lighter situation was in order. This black bean soup is just that, with all the flavors I could want but  minus the food coma afterwards. It's rich in fiber and protein, and the smooth consistency makes it easy to digest. I also opted to substitute traditional sour cream with Greek yogurt, which is something I always do when making Mexican at home. It cuts on fat and calories, and I promise you will hardly notice the difference. Finish it off with a zesty avocado crema and a dollop of fresh pico de gallo. It makes the dish more so much more fun, like a little fiesta for your mouth.

makes about 6 servings
Ingredients
for the soup:
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
4 scallions, chopped
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 bay leaf
2 14 oz. cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
salt and pepper, to taste
1/3 cup Greek yogurt

for the avocado crema:
1/2 of a ripe avocado, mashed
1/4 cup Greek Yogurt
1/2 tsp. lime zest
1 tsp. lime juice
pinch of salt

Instructions
1. Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add garlic, carrots and scallions and cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots begin to soften (about 5 minutes).
2. Add broth, cumin, bay leaf and black beans to pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and puree soup using an immersion blender until smooth.
3. Season with salt and pepper and add Greek yogurt, stirring until fully combined.
4. To make the avocado crema, combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth.
5. To serve, ladle soup into bowls and garnish with avocado crema and pico de gallo, if desired.

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Egg White Fritatta

Fritattas are basically a healthier version of quiche, and although sadly they don't include that wonderfully indulgent buttery crust they can still be just as satisfying. I love making fritattas at the beginning of the week to have on hand for a quick breakfast, light lunch or even a simple dinner- you gotta love that! This time I thought I would try an uberhealthy fritatta using only egg whites, and the result was delightful.

I love the versatility of this baked egg dish, you can include just about any type of veggie or meat your heart desires. And adding a bit of cooked orzo pasta or cheese is a wonderful way to impart heartiness and richness. Try baking them in muffin tins for cute little individual portions! Lots of options here...for this particular fritatta I just used a hodgepodge of vegetables in my kitchen that needed to be used up quickly- zucchini, bell pepper and jalapeño- and sprinkled a touch of fresh parsley over the top for a pop of color. And I couldn't resist adding avocado, because, let's face it, I can hardly ever resist adding avocado to anything...it's kind of my little secret weapon. So now you know. Secret's out.

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil
1 small jalapeño, seeded and diced
1/2 zucchini, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 yellow pepper, diced
8 egg whites
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
1/2 avocado, sliced

 Instructions 
1. Preheat broiler. Warm the olive oil in a medium sized oven-safe pan. Add the jalapeño, zucchini, red and yellow peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes.
2. Whisk together the egg whites, pepper and salt and pour over the vegetables and cook gently until the egg whites are set.
3. Transfer pan to broiler and broil until the top is nicely browned. Sprinkle with parsley and top with avocado before serving.

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Chicken Salad Stuffed Avocado

Palta Rellena, or "stuffed avocado" in Spanish, is a classic Peruvian dish that I can remember eating since childhood. Generally however, from what I can remember the chicken salad was always a quizzical mix of chicken, mayonnaise and that bag of mixed vegetables you find in the frozen aisle at the grocery store (you know the one, with the peas, corn and little cubes of carrot). Now that didn't make it any less delicious, but when John made a rotisserie chicken the other night I was inspired to create a contemporary version of this Peruvian classic with the leftovers. Chicken salad is one of our favorite things to make with a leftover chicken; we've also been loving polenta bowls with a hodgepodge of sauteed vegetables and sliced chicken, but that's a whole other blog post.

I love the idea of eating chicken salad in something other than a sandwich, it just keeps things exciting and new. And it's perfect if you're trying to limit your carb intake because the avocado makes it feel decadent.

For this chicken salad I included currants, toasted almonds and a sprinkling of parsley for color, but I have also made this dish with a Southwestern twist using black beans, corn, roasted pepper and cilantro. And I just love a chicken salad with dill, fennel and citrus...the possibilities are endless! 

serves 2

Ingredients

1 cup cooked chicken breast, chopped

1 small shallot, diced

1 stalk celery, diced
2 tbsp dried currants
2 tbsp sliced almond, toasted
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
1/4 mayonnaise
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper
2 ripe avocados, halved, pitted and skins removed

Instructions
1. To make the chicken salad, combine chicken, shallot, celery, currants, toasted almond, parsley, mayonnaise and blasamic vinegar in a bowl and mix until ingredients are evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Scoop chicken salad into avocado halves. Garnish with additional parsley and serve.

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