I’ve been looking high and low for blood oranges, and the other day, I finally found them. I think I said “YES” out loud in the citrus section of the grocery store. I must have, because I got some weird looks. But that’s okay.
This is the perfect, low-key weeknight salad. All it involves is opening two cans of beans, rinsing them, and chopping up some celery. Peeling the orange and slicing it into rounds is a slightly more difficult feat, but here’s a good tutorial.
The other thing I should probably let you know about this salad is that it’s magic. Celery is probably my least favorite vegetable. I just never thought it brought much to the table in terms of taste (although I do like the crunchy texture).
But in this dish, it really shines. It adds crunch, but it also absorbs the other flavors well. And it’s a nice contrast to the softer beans. Who knows? Maybe I’ll actually end up liking celery after all.
Blood Orange and Bean Salad (slightly tweaked from Bon Appetit)
Ingredients
1 small hot chile, thinly sliced
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Kosher salt, ground black pepper
2 cups cooked, cooled mixed beans (I used cannellini beans)
3 blood oranges (if you can’t find them, navel works well, too)
2 small celery stalks, very thinly sliced on a diagonal
1 cup micro greens or sprouts, divided
½ cup cilantro leaves, divided
Directions
Combine chile, oil, lime juice, and vinegar in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add beans and toss to coat. Let sit 10 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
Meanwhile, using a small knife, remove peel and white pith from oranges. Cut crosswise into ¼”-thick rounds.
Add oranges, celery, and half of greens/sprouts and cilantro to beans. Season with salt and pepper and toss once to combine.
Serve topped with remaining greens and cilantro.
I’ve been spending the last 48 hours tricking myself into believing that it’s already spring. So far, it seems to be working.
There’s something to be said for drinks in a jar. Every time I sip something out of a Mason jar, I get a cheap thrill. Maybe it’s millennial brainwashing, I don’t know. But whatever it is, it’s working.
I’ve been wanting to make sweet potato and black bean enchiladas for a while, but I was waiting until I found the perfect recipe. I knew that I wanted a red sauce on top, traditional style, but a lot of the recipes I saw called for lime crema. Not cutting it.
They say that true love finds you, and you don’t find it. Cliché, I know. But that’s what happened with me and avocado toast.
My friend Rachel just pointed out that I forgot to put up the recipe for this maple glazed tofu with soba noodles. GLARING OMISSION.
Sometimes, I wish I could just sing to you about these dishes. But no one really wants that, trust me. I’ll just tell you about it without musical accompaniment.
Every now and then, I like to switch things up.
This recipe is brought to you courtesy of my friend Tanya.
Sometimes, all you need is comfort food.