Spring Bliss: Sugar Snap Pea, Avocado, Tomato, Mint

spring bliss soup, sugar snap pea soup, chilled pea and mint soup

Chilled Sugar Snap Pea & Mint Soup
Mashed Avocado with Lime, Tomato Concassé with Shallot
Fresh Mint, Chili Oil & Creme Fraiche Garnish

A vendor at the Farmers’ Market was handing out samples of fresh-from-the-vine sugar snap peas. Telling people just to eat them as is, no cooking necessary. They were sweet & exploding with flavor, crunchy, the color of spring. Few of us could pass up buying a basket or two. Once home, I turned to my favorite vegetable cookbook Charlie Trotter’s Vegetables for inspiration: Sugar Snap Pea Soup. A simple and refreshing chilled soup. With avocado for richness, tomato for sweet acidity, mint for brightness. Spring. Bliss.

Continue reading “Spring Bliss: Sugar Snap Pea, Avocado, Tomato, Mint”

Linguini, Smoky Avocado Sauce, Black Beans, Lime

avocado pasta

Linguini, Grilled Avocado Sauce with Lime & Cilantro
Topped with Black Beans, Red Onion & Serrano

Been seeing the avocado puréed, and used as a sauce or dressing a lot lately? I sure have. With pasta, as a substitute for mayonnaise in tuna salad, as a substitute for hollandaise with fresh fish or vegetables. Great heart-healthy ideas all!

Here, I take flavors that pair well with avocado such as lime, green chile, red onion, cilantro, black beans…and re-mix them into a refreshing green pasta dish. And by adding one more layer of flavor – smoke – the silky sauce takes on another dimension. Lime juice keeps it bright, and serrano kicks up the heat. It’s a healthy pasta fiesta!

Continue reading “Linguini, Smoky Avocado Sauce, Black Beans, Lime”

Sweet, Spicy, Savory Kale Salad

kale salad
Organic Kale with Dried Cherries & Shirataki Noodles
Garlicky Chili Lime Dressing

I’m not usually a fan of those free food samples at the supermarket. Seen too many “grazers” with poor manners and questionable hygiene, I suppose. But every once in a while, when there is a conscientious host passing out tastes of a unique offering, I might give it a try, as was the case this past weekend at Whole Foods.

A charming older woman was enthusiastically portioning out little cups of this interesting raw kale salad. It turned out to be an outrageous combination of flavors and textures, so fresh and bright, with an unexpected umami note. I put a bag of her shirataki noodles in my cart, and went home to create a salad inspired by that sample.

Continue reading “Sweet, Spicy, Savory Kale Salad”

Crispy-Skin Cod, Ginger Braised Bok Choy

sustainable black cod
Crispy-Skin Local Sustainable Black Cod
Ginger Braised Baby Bok Choy
Garlic Chive Blossom Garnish

This simple preparation of Black Cod is a welcome respite between all the rich lavish holiday foods. Wild-caught locally, off the coast of Santa Barbara, this species is relatively abundant and harvested with methods that cause little damage to habitat and other marine life. The cod needs only to be seasoned with salt and pepper and cooked over high heat with olive oil to let the fabulous textures of crisp skin and silky flesh with a buttery flavor shine through.

The bok choy cooking method is equally straightforward. Flavored with ginger, soy, sesame, and  a bit of brown sugar – the braising liquid infuses the vegetable with umami flavors, a hint of sweetness and a note of ginger spiciness. This cod & bok choy make a delightful pair, especially when one is in the mood for a clean and uncomplicated yet satisfying meal.

Continue reading “Crispy-Skin Cod, Ginger Braised Bok Choy”

♡ olive oil oatmeal cookies ♡

heart-healthy oatmeal cookies

♡ heart-healthy olive oil oatmeal walnut cranberry blueberry raisin cookies ♡

Taste With The Eyes is four-and-a-half years old and it’s time to celebrate! No, not because of the mini-milestone, we’re celebrating the first cookie recipe on this blog, ever. And they’re not colorful, festive, nor particularly sweet…and they are definitely not tied up with ribbons and bows.  I’ll leave those fabulous gussied up holiday cookies to the baking experts. These are brown, irregular, crunchy, a little chewy, heart-healthy, and great with black coffee. My kinda cookie. I know this is a long shot, but perhaps, yours, too?

After all these years without a cookie in sight, what motivated me, a rather savory gal, to bake cookies?

Well, I received a generous gift of fancy holiday cookies from a client at my office the other day. They were shipped from a popular local bakery. And they were very very pretty. With lots of icing, and red and green sprinkles. They were aptly named “Sugar Rush.” The label indicated each serving contained 25 mg of cholesterol. I gave them away to a delighted colleague, then sent a thank you note to that gracious client.

Continue reading “♡ olive oil oatmeal cookies ♡”