MINI girl

Mango Avocado Salsa

This is great as an appetizer with tortilla chips, as a side dish, or as a topping for grilled ahi tuna steaks.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 mango, peeled, pitted and diced
2 avocados, peeled, pitted and diced
juice of 1 lime
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro leaves
4 large shakes of green Tabasco sauce
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

Mix ingredients together and allow to sit for 15-30 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Serve.

© Susanne Leighton, 2008

Hoisin Green Beans

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
1/3 c hoisin sauce
1/2 c orange juice
2 Tbsp light soy sauce
4 tsp peanut oil
1 tsp toasted sesame oil (regular or spicy)
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 1/2 lbs green beans, stem ends removed
3 green onions, chopped on the bias
fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat grill to medium-high, or about 400º-500º.
2. Stir hoisin sauce, orange juice, soy sauce, oils, and seeds together in a large bowl. Add green beans and green onions. Toss to coat, and season with pepper.
3. Pour beans and sauce into a grill basket/pan lined with foil. Grill (with the cover on the grill) for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are soft and slightly shriveled.
4. Transfer to a serving dish, drizzle with pan juices, and serve warm or at room temperature.

© Susanne Leighton, 2008

Southern Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Carolina Barbeque Sauce

I am going up to my parents' place this weekend and am responsible for making dinner Saturday night. I wanted something casual and delicious for the Independence Day weekend, so my mom sent me her pulled pork sandwich recipe. It's going to be a great weekend!

Yield: 8-10 servings

Ingredients:
4-5 lb. pork shoulder
¼ cup chili powder
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp. ground black pepper
1 tbsp. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. dried thyme
Carolina Barbeque Sauce – see below for recipe
1 dozen good quality buns

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 250 F.
2. Trim excess fat from pork and put in a non-reactive container.
3. Combine chili powder, red pepper, black pepper, brown sugar and thyme in a small bowl, mixing well. Rub the spice mixture all over the pork.
4. Place pork in a clay pot or roasting pan. Pour ½ of the barbeque sauce over it, reserving the rest to serve with the cooked meat.
5. Bake pork, covered, for 1½ hours per pound of meat. DON’T open the pot while it is cooking. After meat is cooked, remove to a rimmed sheet pan; pull meat apart using 2 forks. Drizzle a little sauce over it.
6. Cook meat an additional 15-20 minutes.
7. Serve the pulled pork in buns. Serve any remaining sauce heated on the side.

420 calories, 43g carbs., 16g fat, 80mg cholesterol

CAROLINA BARBEQUE SAUCE
Ingredients:
1 medium yellow onion, sliced 1/4" thick
½ cup soy sauce
4 cloves garlic
2 Tb. Worcestershire sauce
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups ketchup
1 tsp. dry mustard
¾ cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tb. finely minced bell pepper

Method:

1. Grill or broil the onion slices until they are a dark golden color.
   
2. Combine onion, garlic, brown sugar, ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper, dry mustard and bell pepper in a sauce pan.
   
3. Bring to a simmer then reduce heat to low.
   
4. Cover and cook for 30 minutes.
   
5. Pour the sauce through a medium mesh strainer, using a metal spoon to force all the pulp through. Refrigerate if not using right away.

Recipe courtesy of my mom, Susan P. Leighton.

Easy Tortellini Soup

This recipe was inspired by my life / wellness coach, Chere Bork. She made a similar soup when she invited me for dinner a couple weeks ago. She likes to find or create recipes using 5 ingredients or less.

Yield: 2-4 servings

Ingredients:
6 c chicken broth
1 pkg tortellini (refrigerated section at your grocery store), flavor of your choice
6 young kale leaves (spines / stems removed), chopped into 1/2" - 1" sections
2 scallions, chopped
1 stalk fresh oregano, leaves only (stem discarded)

Method:

1. Heat broth in a large pot over high heat until it reaches a boil.
2. Add tortellini and reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for 2 minutes fewer than package dictates.
3. Add kale and green onions; stir and simmer gently 2 minutes.
4. Add fresh oregano leaves and taste for flavoring, keeping in mind that salt has probably been added to broth and tortellini already. Adjust seasonings if applicable and serve immediately.

© Susanne Leighton-Brooder 2008

Adapted from a recipe by Chere Bork, owner of Savor Your Life Today, Inc. Chere is a certified life coach, registered dietician, and motivational speaker. She began her career at Hennepin County Public Health working in health promotion with my mom, Sue Leighton. Chere is also President of the Susanne Leighton-Brooder Fan Club.