Carrots: Happy Hour Fiesta

Earlier this week I hosted a gathering of my colleagues for a little fiesta at my house. When I am picking the menu for an event, I like to start by thinking about which ingredients are in season, what the weather will be like, and what time of day the event will take place. I also like to make as many of the dishes ahead of time as possible--in this case, all of them. I went for a fiesta theme with Mexican inspired dishes such as a Black Bean Quinoa and a Spicy Pinto Bean Dip. Because the party was taking place at Happy Hour, I wanted my guests to leave feeling fed, but not overly full. So, I opted for a variety of chips and dips, a couple of light dishes, and a dessert.

Here's the menu:

Tortilla Chips and Crudités with a variety of dips: Guacamole, Pico de Gallo, Mango Salsa, and Cantina Style Salsa
Spicy Pinto Bean Dip
Chili Rosemary Roasted Nuts
Black Bean Quinoa
Minty Sweet Summer Fruit Salad
Three Flavors of Cupcakes: Poppy Seed with Vanilla Frosting, Vanilla with Chocolate Frosting, and Chocolate with Chocolate Frosting
White Wine, Prosecco, Beer, Sparkling and Still Waters

Black Bean Quinoa

Ingredients

3 cups shredded, de-stemmed Dinosaur kale

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon cumin

2 1/2 cups cooked & cooled quinoa

1 onion, diced (red or white)

1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 sweet potatoes, diced and roasted

1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

2 bell peppers, diced

4 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Salt and pepper, to taste

Place the kale in a large bowl and massage with your hands for about 45 seconds. Whisk the dressing ingredients together (olive oil, lime juice, and cumin), and pour over the kale. Toss to coat. Add the other ingredients and mix thoroughly to fully coat and evenly distribute the dressing. This salad could easily be made 1-2 days in advance. Refrigerate and serve chilled or at room temperature. Optional: Garnish with sliced avocado.

Spicy Pinto Bean Dip

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup chopped red onion

1/2 of a bell pepper, diced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 15-oz can low sodium pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring until softened and until the onion is nearly translucent. Add beans and garlic and continue to cook, stirring until softened and warmed through, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the chili powder.

Pour the bean mixture into a food processor and add the vinegar, oregano, salt, and pepper. Add 1/4 cup water and process on high until smooth and creamy. You may need to add an additional teaspoon of water to get the right consistency so the dip is not too thick. I ran the processor for several minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Can be made up to 3 days in advance. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate.

The dip recipe was inspired by one in Epicurious.

Minty Sweet Summer Fruit Salad

Ingredients

1 large container blueberries

1 large container raspberries

1 mango, cut into 1" cubes

1 pineapple, cut into 1" cubes

1 large bunch of fresh mint leaves

1/3 cup sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup water

Bring the sugar and water to a boil in a small saucepan. Simmer for two minutes, then remove from heat. Stir in the mint and lemon juice. Cover and steep for 15 minutes. Pull out the mint leaves and set aside to cool.

Combine the fresh fruit in a large bowl and toss with the sugar syrup. Cover and chill for two hours, or overnight.

The summer salad was inspired by one I found at Vegetarian Times.

The spread, including the Chili Rosemary Roasted Nuts.