Dukan Diet

(Updated with new photos and step-by-step instructions, August 2013.)  One interesting thing about blogging is how it becomes a record of what foods you're craving at different times of the year.  I've confessed how my mid-winter craving for tomatoes leads to recipes like  Pinto Bean Salad with Avocado, Tomatoes, Red Onion, and Cilantro.  It happened again in 2009, when I spotted the recipe for Greek Salad with Avocado, Shrimp, and Caper Vinaigrette from Nick's Fishmarket Maui in the R.S.V.P. column in Bon Appetit Magazine, and tomatoes jumped into my basket the next time I was at Costco. I did enjoy those mid-winter tomatoes, but if you're making this in the summer with fresh garden tomatoes it will be even better!  Another ingredient that really made this salad special was the caper vinaigrette.  I adapted the restaurant's recipe a bit, but I'd never leave out the capers, which were a brilliant addition here.

I don't remember my mother cooking black beans when I was a kid, but sometime after I left home she must have started using them, because they became my father's favorite type of bean, and any dish that had black beans was something he would enjoy.  I was thinking about that as I missed him on Father's day, and remembered all the black bean salads I made for him the last few years of his life when he was in an assisted living center where I'd visit twice a week and cook lunch.  My dad could be a picky customer when it came to trying new dishes, and I doubt he ever heard of vegan food, but I'm betting he would have enjoyed these Slow Cooker Vegan Brown Rice Mexican Bowls with Black Beans, Bell Peppers, and Poblano-Avocado Salsa, if only because of the black beans, rice and avocados; three foods he always loved.   Using the slow cooker to cook the rice and then heat together the chopped peppers, green chiles, and black beans kept the house cool, and I thought one of these Mexican bowls made a perfect Slow Cooker Summer Dinner.

(For Phase One Fridays I highlight Phase One recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites, and this tasty salad with chicken, black beans, and red peppers with avocado dressing is something I love when the weather gets hot.  I normally post my Phase One Friday favorites on Friday morning, but I'm sharing this one early because tomorrow morning I'll be heading out bright and early to attend the BlogHer Food 2013 Conference.  This year the conference is in Austin, Texas, where it's definitely hot enough to make you crave this type of salad; enjoy!)

It's hot, hot, hot outside, and whether you're looking for a cold side dish to take to a party or just something that's an eat-it-cold meal idea, this Chicken, Black Bean, and Red Pepper Salad with Spicy Avocado Dressing is going to hit the spot, I promise.  If you really want to avoid cooking you can make this with leftover rotisserie chicken, but if you don't have that poaching two chicken breasts is still pretty quick and easy.  This salad stayed good in the fridge for several days, especially if you stir in a little more of the spicy avocado dressing to perk up the flavors.  Enjoy!

(Updated May 2013 with better photos and step-by-step instructions.  I've been making this Spicy Avocado in Pita regularly since I first posted it in 2006!)  If you're going to stick with any kind of healthy eating plan you need some easy and healthy options for times when you just don't want to cook, and this is one of my favorite things to make for an easy lunch or dinner, especially whenever avocados are on sale. It's nothing more complicated than avocado mashed with a fork, spiced up with a bit of chile powder and salt, and then eaten in a 100% whole wheat pita pocket or Foldit with a bit of lettuce.  (The same whole wheat pita I use for this is also great to cut into triangles, crisp in the oven a little, and use instead of chips for any kind of dip or hummus, for another easy and healthy snack or lunch.)

In Utah it's expected to hit 104F this week, and it seems likely we're going to set a record this summer for the most days above 100F.  I hear some people lose their appetite when the weather is extra hot, but that never happens to me; in fact when summer produce is abundant I'm always thinking up new ways to use it.  My latest experiment was this Julienned Zucchini Vegan Mexican Bowl with Black Beans, Avocado, Tomato, Poblano, and Lime, and the fact that the only cooking involved was 2-3 minutes to quickly saute the julienned zucchini made this a great hot-weather dish.   If you like zucchini and you're looking for a light summer meal where you don't need to heat up the kitchen, I bet you might enjoy this as much as I did.

The holidays are absolutely the hardest time of year to stick to a more carb-conscious eating plan, and when I go to a party I'm always grateful if the hosts offer a few healthy-eating options.  And when I'm taking a pot-luck dish, I always try to take a lower-carb favorite that's something I love so I won't feel deprived if there end up being lots of other things I don't want to eat.  I already have a favorite red-and-green chicken salad that's amazing if you're a green olive fan.  But this week I bought one of those packs of shredded rotisserie chicken meat from Costco (so handy!) and the idea for this Rotisserie Chicken Christmas Salad with Avocado, Red Pepper, and Lime popped into my mind.  And even though I am a very bad blogger for not sharing this with you sooner, this will still be delicious if you make it long after Christmas is over.

Cucumbers. Avocado.  Cilantro.  Lime.  Let me get those four ingredients out there just in case anyone turned up their nose at this idea because of the canned tuna, which admittedly is not everyone's cup of tea.  I wasn't much of a canned tuna lover myself until I discovered my favorite tuna packed in olive oil, and now I find myself reaching for it regularly, especially during the summer months.  This Cucumber Avocado Salad with Tuna, Cilantro, and Lime is something I came up with recently on one of those days when I was standing in front of the fridge wondering what to make for lunch.  My first time I just made one serving (and gobbled it up) and then the next day I worked on the actual recipe and took these photos.   And if this particular salad with tuna doesn't grab you, look after the recipe for some other ideas for tuna salads that are great for summer.