Mexican Bean Salad

A colorful and refreshing bean salad
Recipe:
1 ½ cup corn cooked (1 can)
1/ ½ cup black beans cooked (1 can)
1 tomato (1 cup cubed tomato)
1 medium onion chopped
4 tbls lime juice (2 limes)
2 tbls olive oil
1/8 tsp pepper
½ tsp salt
½ tsp chilli powder
1 clove crushed garlic
2 tsp cilantro
2 tsp parsley


In a large bowl combine all ingredients. Chill and serve cold with croutons, fresh bread or tortillas.

Arugula Risotto

This mild, light and nutritious risotto is made with brown rice. It is garnished with beautiful and delicate arugula flowers. Arugula flowers are available at some farmers markets and if you grow your own arugula you will have plenty of flowers. They are mild in taste, similar to arugula leaves.
Recipe:
Precooking rice:
1 cup brown rice
2 cups water
1 clove garlic finely chopped
½ tsp salt
1 tsp basil
In a saucepan, boil all ingredients and continue to cook for 30 minutes.
Risotto:
1 onion
3 tbls olive oil
1 cup fine green beans
2 cups arugula
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
¼ cup raw sunflower seeds chopped
1 tbls butter
1 tsp honey
2 tbls white wine
½ cup arugula flowers


In a large pan sauté onions on olive oil, add rice and vegetables, salt, pepper and wine. Cover the pan and cook over a low heat for about 15 minutes or until rice is tender and there is no more liquid. Add butter and sunflower seeds at the end. Serve garnished with grated parmesan cheese and arugula flowers.

For vegetarian version of this risotto omit butter and parmesan. You can add a little bit more olive oil and sprinkle the risotto with some more chopped sunflower seeds. When precooking the rice, instead of salt put 1 tbls of white miso.

Onion Bread

Recipe:
1 onion medium to large
1 ½ cup whole wheat flour
1 ½ cup all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp dry yeast
1 tsp rosemary chopped
1 cup milk or (soy milk)
1 tbls olive oil
1 tbls brown sugar
¼ cup or less water


In a food processor mix the onion until almost liquid. In a large bowl combine all ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon, adding water gradually. Cover dough with plastic wrap and allow to rest at warm place for an hour. Preheat the oven at 350 F. Roll the dough to floured surface until covered in flour from each side, do not knead. Put the dough into a greased and floured loaf pan. Cover with kitchen cloth and let it rise for 15 more minutes at warm place. Bake at 350 F for one hour.

Sardine Pâté

Recipe:
2 cans sardines in oil (125 g each)
3 eggs
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 lemon peeled and chopped
½ cup butter
2 tbls mustard
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 tbls chopped parsley


Drain oil from sardines (you will not use it). Cook eggs in water and chop them. Cut lemon into 4 wedges. With a sharp knife peel the wedges and cut lemon in smaller pieces. Put all ingredients in a food processor and mix until smooth. Add parsley at the very end. Cool in refrigerator and garnish with a fresh lemon thyme.