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the underwear diet

charred corn and zucchini

September 15, 2013
somethin' on the side, the underwear diet
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Couldn’t be simpler or more delicious. A perfect side dish for al fresco dining, especially when paired with grilled skirt steak with chimichurri.

3 ears of corn, shucked and silks removed
2 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, and then crosswise to make little half moons
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup cilantro, rough chop
kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

1. Place the corn directly on the grill and cook, turning occasionally, until charred, about 10 minutes.
2. Heat 2 tsp of the olive oil in a pan over high heat. Add the zucchini and sautee until tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Once the corn are cool enough to handle, remove the kernels from the cob.
4. Combine the corn kernels with the zucchini and toss with the remaining olive oil.
5. Stir in cilantro and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

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guacamole

September 2, 2013
appeteaser, the underwear diet
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A while back I posted my favorite guacamole recipe, which calls for little more than the avocados themselves. This is typically my go-to approach for this simple starter, but here I deviated a bit. The avocados I bought were, for some reason, on the bland side, so I added a few more ingredients to the mix.

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2 Hass avocados, medium dice
juice of 1/2 lemon
juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 tomato, small dice (I only had cherry tomatoes so feel free to use whatever  you have on hand)
1/4 small red onion, minced (or 1 shallot, minced)
kosher salt, to taste

1. Place the avocados into a medium bowl and, using 2 knives, cut the pieces so that the avocados break down. Be sure to leave some chunks (unless you prefer it smooth).
2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the avocado and stir.
3. Adjust seasoning as needed.

tomato, avocado and artichoke salad

August 28, 2013
somethin' on the side, the underwear diet
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The night before a big day of travel, my S.S. and I gorged on a big beautiful margarita pizza. We ordered a salad to make up for it, with little intention of enjoying it.

While the pizza was tremendous, the salad stole the show. Big hunks of plum tomatoes were tossed with avocado and hearts of palm. The dressing was simple (lemon, olive oil, and maybe oregano?).

Fast-forward to life after vacation: I am still thinking about that salad. I need that salad. Here we go:

4 vine-ripe tomatoes, large dice
2 avocados, sliced or medium dice
artichoke hearts, halved or quartered (of course, my local grocery store doesn’t stock hearts of palm; this was a good substitute)
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and gently toss. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Note: not great the next day (avocado browning isn’t as big of a problem as the avocado breaking down and muddling the flavors). Eat same day.

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Thank you, Il Porto, for making our night–and for the inspiration!

couscous tabbouleh

August 5, 2013
somethin' on the side, the underwear diet
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6 servings of cooked couscous
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small hothouse cucumber, deseeded and chopped
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 small bunch parsley, roughly chopped
1 small bunch dill, roughly chopped
1 small bunch mint, roughly chopped (I didn’t have any on hand but think it would complete the dish)
juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt and pepper

1. Cook 6 servings of couscous (I used whole wheat) according to the package’s directions.
2. Combine the couscous with the rest of the ingredients.
3. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

This paired wonderfully with baked salmon topped with cucumber yogurt sauce:

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scrambled eggs on toast

August 4, 2013
the main event, the underwear diet
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More of an idea than an actual recipe:
baguette (I used whole wheat)
olive oil
kosher salt and pepper
butter
eggs
tomato
avocado
hot sauce

1. Brush sliced baguette with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toast in a 400 degree F oven until lightly browned.
2. Meanwhile, heat butter in a pan over low heat and add the eggs. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until cooked through but still wet.
3. Season tomatoes with salt and pepper and place on top of the baguette.
4. Top tomatoes with scrambled eggs and garnish with avocado slices and hot sauce (optional).

Notes: use sliced tomatoes (not quartered cherry tomatoes), consider different cut of bread. This was ridiculously difficult to eat, but so so delicious.