Cinco de Mayo (and Warm Weather) Recipes

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I wanted to do a post on the Cinco de Mayo-ish recipes I have on the blog. Except I realized that I didn’t have a lot of them.

Instead, I’m going to share with you some of my favorite southwestern and summer recipes! Enjoy :)

Cinco de Mayo-ish

red beans and quinoa

Mole-Style Red Beans and Cilantro-Green Chile Quinoa

Black Bean Quinoa Salad with Cilantro and Lime (v/gf)

Refreshing and healthy

Black Bean Tacos with Spicy Peach Salsa (v)

Completely customizable and tasty

Mole-Style Red Beans and Cilantro-Green Chile Quinoa (v/gf)

I love this dish. It’s spicy and super flavorful

Refried Bean and Portobello Mushroom Quesadilla (v/gf)

This is a standard meal for me. It sounds a bit simple, but I find it filling and satisfying!

Snackity Snacks and Breakfast Goodies

Vegan Cornbread

Vegan Cornbread

Chickpea and Avocado Spread (v/gf)

I love this spread. I put it on basically everything. It’s very refreshing

Fresh Summer Fruit Salad (v/gf)

This is completely customizable to preference or what is in season. I love to have some kind of fruit salad in the fridge at all times!

White Bean Pesto Hummus (gf)

Super easy and very tasty. Try it with chickpeas too!

Vegan Cornbread (v)

This is the BEST cornbread I’ve ever made and it just so happens to be VEGAN too. Try it with chili or at a barbecue–I’m sure everyone will enjoy it.

Crazy Caramel Corn

Crunchy, sweet, and customizable!

Chocolate Chip and Strawberry Pancakes

This is the perfect Sunday breakfast. Or Wednesday if you need a pick me up.

Whole-Wheat Blueberry and Lemon Pancakes

Blueberries and lemon. C’mon, there really aren’t combos much better than this!

Dessert-y Things

Flu-Fighter Cookies

Flu-Fighter Cookies

Creamy Orange Bars

I love these bars. They are super creamy and tart. Since oranges aren’t really in season any more, try lemons!

Peach Crumble Bars

Make these! You will not regret it. Sweet, in season peaches pair perfectly with the buttery crust. Your mind will be blown, promise!

Graham Cracker Torte

This unusual torte is perfect for a summer party!

Summer Strawberry-Peach Cake

Peaches and strawberries are the stars in this sweet cake. This is another seasonal favorite!

Chocolate-Almond-Pretzel-Potato Chip-Confetti Cookies

These cookies are a crunchy, sweet, surprise. You should bring them to your next potluck.

Chocolate Truffle Pie

Chocolate Truffle Pie

Peanut Butter Pretzel Granola Bars with Chocolate Chips

AMAZING granola bars. Take them with you on your next summer hike!

Flu-Fighter Cookies (Chocolate Cranberry Nut Cookies)

These cookies are some of my favorite. Plus, they are loaded with tasty “flu-fighting” ingredients!

Ice-Box Key Lime Pie

Cool and creamy, this key lime pie is so wonderful on a hot summer day. It’s wonderfully tart, but also sweet.

Chocolate Truffle Pie

Do you love chocolate? Make this pie. It’s light (in texture, not calories haha), creamy, and rich in flavor

Dinner-ish

Chopped Salad

Fresh Summer Chopped Salad

Fresh Summer Chopped Salad

This salad takes advantage of some of summers most delicious veggies and fruits.

Garden-Fresh Chicken and Rice

Quick and delicious!

Pasta Puttanesca

This pasta is loaded with fresh veggies. You can use whatever you have at home and it will surely be delicious

Shish Kabobs (gf)

This is one of my favorite ways to have chicken. Lemon, garlic, and olive oil are the stars!

Shish Kabobs

Shish Kabobs

Grilled Salmon with Lemon-Basil Pesto

Super quick and flavorful, you’ll want this on your dinner menu soon

Farfalle Pasta Salad with Cannellini Beans (v)

This pasta salad is a healthy and flavorful side dish. It’s perfect for a potluck dinner

Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad (v/gf)

This is another favorite salad. It’s cool, filling, and loaded with flavor.

Quinoa and White Bean Burgers

These are my favorite bean burgers. They remind me a lot of falafel.

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Double Chocolate Avocado Muffins

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Refried Beans…

No they aren’t in these muffins.

Chocolate Muffins

Actually, I’m going to tell you a pretty dumb wonderful story about refried beans.

So I have this “friend”.

She loves to cook, but sometimes she REALLY doesn’t want to cook. She’d rather have her teeth cleaned ten times (although, oddly she really likes getting her teeth cleaned)

So she eats refried beans.

Chocolate Muffins

Why? Because they are freakin’ delicious! And nutritious! I really don’t know why there are so many haters. Anyway…

This tasty habit occurred quite regularly to the point that her roommate could even tell her moods by the presence of absence of the signature can.

What is the moral of this story? I My friend just had the most delicious dinner of refried beans and rice. And then it inspired me her to tell me about it. Which got me thinking about muffins.

Chocolate Muffins

I’m sure you can see the connection here.

Last Year: Creamy Orange Bars and Armenian Nutmeg Cake

Two Years Ago: Chocolate Chickpea Cake

Double Chocolate Avocado Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

These muffins are moist and chocolatey. I would have to say these are probably my favorite chocolate muffins. They were gone in only a few days! The avocado is a replacement for some of the butter in the original recipe, so if you don’t have any (or don’t want to use it-although you really can’t taste it), you can use 4 tablespoons of butter instead. Also I used one cup of whole wheat flour to make the muffins a little bit healthier. You can use all-purpose if you want a lighter muffin though. 

Feel free to try using dried fruit (like cranberries) or different flavored chips (peanut butter, white chocolate, etc.) in place of the chocolate chips. Also, you can drizzle chocolate on top for an extra decadent breakfast treat.

Finally, the ingredient list looks long, but it’s really not that bad!

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1/2 medium avocado, diced small (or an additional 1/4 cup of unsalted butter)
  • 5 ounces semisweet chocolate (I used chocolate chips, but coarsely chopped bar chocolate works as well)
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 scant cup whole wheat flour (or an additional cup of all-purpose for a lighter crumb)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon instant expresso powder (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup buttermilk (you can easily make your own with a few teaspoons of white vinegar or lemon juice)
  • 1/2 to 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chunks (OR dried fruit, white chocolate, peanut butter chips, etc.)

Method

1. Place oven rack in upper third of oven. Preheat to 350°F. Line 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.

2. Prepare a double bowler by filling a small pot with about two inches of water over medium heat and allowing it to simmer. Place a slightly larger heat proof bowl (VERY IMPORTANT!) over the pot with butter, avocado, and 5 ounces of chocolate. Make sure it’s NOT touching the water in the pot. Stir occasionally until completely melted – I had to mash the avocado a bit into it, but eventually it melted completely. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder in a medium bowl.

4. To the cooled chocolate mixture, mix in brown sugar. Then whisk in eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla (if using) into the chocolate mixture until well blended.

5. Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture all at once, folding with a spatula until there the flour is not visible. Fold in the chocolate chips (or dried fruit, etc.).

6. Divide batter into prepared muffin tin. Bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes before removing them from the muffin tin. Eat! I liked them warm because the chocolate chunks got melty and delicious.

Storage Store in an airtight container or individually plastic wrapped at room temperature for up to five days.They also freeze well for up to one month. I usually wrap them individually in plastic wrap, place them in a gallon freezer bag, and freeze then for quick breakfasts.

Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker Cookbook

Chocolate Muffins

Related Recipes

Thousand Seed Fig and Banana Muffins

These muffins are filled with seedy deliciousness. They are a breakfast staple.

Banana and Fig Thousand Seed Muffins

Banana and Fig Thousand Seed Muffins

Caraway Rye Corn Muffins

Tasty and mildly savory, these muffins are the perfect side dish to a big bowl of soup.

Caraway-Rye Corn Muffins

Caraway-Rye Corn Muffins

Apple Flax Seed Muffins with Cinnamon and Walnuts

These yummy morsels taste like Fall and love and wonderfulness. My three favorite things.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins with Flax and Walnuts

Apple Cinnamon Muffins with Flax and Walnuts

Looking for more Cooking College Chick? Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest! You can also subscribe on the upper right hand bar to receive email updates! Happy Cooking!!!

Vanilla Scented Sweet Potato Bisque with Cinnamon Sugar Croutons

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It’s days like this that I wish I wasn’t an “adult”.

Sweet Potato Bisque with Brown Butter Croutons

And I use that term loosely since I feel a million miles from being a real adult. Let me elaborate…

I went to bed last night (at 9:00 PM), keenly aware that I was getting sick.

Sweet Potato Bisque with Brown Butter Croutons

I tossed and turned the entire night and woke up feeling at though I ran an ultra marathon with no water in the 120°F sun (translation: really tired, really hot, and really sore throat-y).

Sweet Potato Bisque with Brown Butter Croutons

But since I’m an adult (in air quotes, of course), I still have to do my grown-up things when I’m sick like laundry and filling up my gas tank and grocery shopping and paying my electricity bill.

Sweet Potato Bisque with Brown Butter Croutons

And I have to make my own sick soup.

It’s a hard life.

Sweet Potato Bisque with Brown Butter Croutons

Last Year Sesame Ginger Salmon

Vanilla Scented Sweet Potato Bisque with Cinnamon Sugar Croutons

Makes about 4 large servings or 6 side dish servings

This soup is very warm and comforting. The sweet and crunchy croutons pair wonderfully with the creamy bisque. The original recipe uses bourbon instead of vanilla extract, but I didn’t have a chance to buy bourbon so I used bourbon vanilla extract instead. 

Also I used 1/4 c. milk and 1/4 c. greek yogurt instead of 1/2 c. half and half because I didn’t have any. The half and half will create a more rich soup, but I was happy with the milk and greek yogurt combo

For GLUTEN FREE omit the croutons or use gluten free bread. As always, check for gluten free certification on ALL products. 

Ingredients

For Bisque

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 sweet onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 pinch of red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 tablespoon vanilla mixed with 2 tablespoons water (or 3 tablespoons bourbon)
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (mine came to about 1.25 pounds, peeled and cubed)
  • 2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup greek yogurt
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper

For Croutons

  • 4 slices whole grain bread, cut into cubes – I used the 8 grain 3 seed bread from Whole Foods
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Method

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Heat a large pot over medium heat and add olive oil and butter. Add onions with pepper flakes and a pinch of salt and stir to coat, then cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add in garlic and cook for another minute. Increase heat slightly and add vanilla (or bourbon), stirring well. Let cook for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add sweet potatoes, stock and water to the pot. Cover and let simmer for 25 minutes, until sweet potatoes are soft.

4. While sweet potatoes are boiling, place butter in a small pan over medium heat. Let melt and stir frequently until the butter becomes fragrant and brown in color. It usually takes about 7 minutes for my butter to brown. Make sure to watch it because it can burn quickly once it browns. Once brown and fragrant, remove from heat.

5. Place bread cubes on a baking sheet. Toss with cinnamon and sugar, then brown butter, and bake for 8-10 minutes until golden. Remove and set aside until soup is finished.

6. After sweet potatoes are soft, carefully pour the soup into a high-powdered blender and pureed until smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes. Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender but the soup may not be as smooth. Transfer creamy soup back into the pot over low heat. Stir in milk and greek yogurt, salt and pepper, to taste. Serve with croutons on top!

Storage Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Freeze for up to one month.

Recipe from How Sweet Eats

Sweet Potato Bisque with Brown Butter Croutons

Related Recipes

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup (vegan and gluten free)

The soup is thick and dreamy. It has a light sweetness from the roasted apples and squash, but is balanced nicely with the onion and stock. It is probably one of my favorites on the blog.

butternut squash soup

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Gingered-Coconut Carrot Soup (vegan and gluten free)

I love this soup! It is spicy from the ginger, but creamy and refreshing from the coconut milk.

Butternut Squash and Tomato Soup with Pesto Cream

Tomatoes and butternut squash make a fabulous combo in this tasty soup. The pesto cream is surprising, but also very tasty.

Butternut Squash and Tomato Soup with Pesto Cream

Butternut Squash and Tomato Soup with Pesto Cream

Split Pea Soup (gluten free)

Split pea soup is good, old-fashioned comfort food. Enough said

Sweet Potato Soup with Yellow Split Peas (vegan and gluten free)

This hearty soup becomes a filling meal with fiber rich split peas and yummy sweet potatoes.

Pumpkin Apple Soup

Slightly sweet, super filling, and delicious. Even though we are headed into spring, this soup is still a favorite!

Looking for more Cooking College Chick? Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest! You can also subscribe on the upper right hand bar to receive email updates! Happy Cooking!!!

Blood Orange, Edamame, and Cashew Salad

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Did you know that there are quite a few profane cabbage jokes?

Blood Orange, Cabbage, Edamame Salad

I’m having incredible writers block lately (perhaps because I’m writing my thesis and weekly papers for my Italian class, English class, and Internship), and I couldn’t think of any way to talk about this salad.

Blood Orange, Edamame, and Cashew Salad

Then I decided to look up cabbage jokes since this salad is made with napa and purple cabbage.

Because really what better way could I use my time?

Blood Orange, Edamame, and Cashew Salad

I stumbled upon a few cute ones like this one:

Q: What’s the difference between cabbage and snot? A: Kids dont eat cabbage!

But then I found a whole bunch of weird ones. I’ll just let you go and search those for yourself.

Blood Orange, Edamame, and Cashew Salad

Last Year: Charoset and Gluten-Free and Vegan Oat Bars

Blood Orange, Edamame, and Cashew Salad

Serves 4 dinner sized salads or 6 side dish salads

This salad is crunchy and refreshing. It is loaded with protein from the edamame and cashews, crunchy veggies, and healthy fats from the vinaigrette. For a complete dinner, it would pair wonderfully with grilled salmon, chicken, or tofu and rice or quinoa. 

Ingredients

  • 4 cups napa cabbage, sliced thin
  • 4 cups purple cabbage, sliced thin
  • 1 pound frozen, shelled edamame
  • 2 blood oranges (or any other orange: navel, cara cara…), peel and pith removed and cut into wedges
  • 1 orange bell pepper, diced – you can use any color, I thought red was pretty
  • 3 green onions, sliced
  • 1/2 cup chopped cashews, toasted
  • large handful of cilantro, chopped
  • Ginger Vinaigrette, recipe follows

Ginger Vinaigrette

  • 1/2 cup olive oil – I used blood orange olive oil
  • 1 TBS toasted sesame oil – try not to substitute!
  • 1 TBS red wine vinegar
  • 1 TBS honey (or agave nectar/maple to make it vegan)
  • 1/2 TBS dijon mustard
  • 3/4 tsp ground ginger (or 1/8-1/4 tsp powdered ginger)
  • zest from 1 blood orange
  • salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. To defrost edamame quickly, place frozen edamame in a colander and rinse with warm water (I actually rinsed a few times while I prepared the rest of the veggies), Let drain. Alternatively, you can place in a colander and let them reach room temp without the water.

2. In a large bowl, combine both cabbages, edamame, orange slices, bell pepper, green onion, cilantro, and cashews, set aside.

3. In a smaller bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing. Drizzle desired amount of dressing over salad (I didn’t use all of it) and toss until combined.

Storage Salad is best if eaten immediately, but it stores well in fridge for up to one week (cabbage is very hearty). HOWEVER, the cashews become softer and the green onions may get bitter, so I recommend storing them separately, if possible.

Blood Orange, Edamame, and Cashew Salad

Recipe adapted from this Cabbage Salad

Related Recipes

Cabbage Salad with Sesame-Ginger Vinaigrette, Roasted Almonds, and Cara Cara Oranges (v/gf)

This recipe was the inspiration for my current creation.

Cabbage Salad Cara Cara Orange IMG_6105

Looking for more Cooking College Chick? Follow me on Twitter or Pinterest! You can also subscribe on the upper right hand bar to receive email updates! Happy Cooking!!!