Fresh

Since I hate the taste of water (yes, it has a taste), I try to drink as little of it as possible, except when in the ocean, where I always manage to drink enormous quantities of it, enjoying as I do the subtle hints of fresh seaweed and baby pee. This general aversion means that, from time to time, I have sudden and overwhelming cravings for "fresh". "Fresh", being distinctly different from "healthy", can be satisfied with a salad (mandatory 1:25, leaf:more delicious things ratio), sushi, or Otter Pops.

I chose salad yesterday.

I know you can throw just about anything over cold veggies and call it a salad, but I think I've hit upon a pretty excellent one.

Strawberry and Avocado Salad

Ingredients:
8-10 large strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/2 avocado, diced
3 radishes, diced
2 slices of Canadian bacon, diced
a handful of grape tomatoes
mixed baby greens (or baby spinach)
a dash of lemon juice
a mandarin-based salad dressing (I used Brianna's Ginger Mandarin)

Toss and serve. (For 2. I just eat twice as much.)

Mango Corn Salsa

(based on recipe found on Bread & Honey through blogspot)


Ingredients:
1 almost ripe mango, diced
1 pasilla pepper, halved and seeded
1 can of black beans
1/2 a bag of Trader Joe's Fire roasted corn, thawed
2 avocados, diced
1 red onion, diced
2-3 tbsps of coarsely chopped cilantro
1 lime
1/2 lemon
a pinch of salt & pepper to taste

Preheat the oven on to 400 degrees.

Lightly drizzle the pepper halves and place on a baking sheet lined with foil. Stick them in the oven for about 10-15 minutes and pull them out when they begin to blacken around the edges. Put aside to cool.

Rinse and drain black beans. In a large mixing bowl, throw together the beans, corn, onion, mango, avocado, and cilantro. Once the peppers have cooled, dice them up and add to the mix.


Add in the juice squeezed from the lemon and lime. Change ratio according to taste. Do the same with the salt and pepper, and it's done and delicious. Serve with blue corn tortilla chips.