pretty sweet pea sprouts

Have you ever laid eyes on prettier sprouts?  I snatched up these sweet pea sprouts at the grocery store and set home to make a dinner salad with them.    

And this is how it evolved…

Crunchy, bright carrots…check.

Velvety black beans…check. 

Creamy, ripe avocado...check.

Dressed with lemon juice and sprinkled with sea salt and ground pepper.

Sweet Pea Sprout Salad

vegan, gluten-free

1 cup sweet pea sprouts

1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained

2 carrots, peeled and julienned

½ avocado

juice of one lemon

sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Toss all ingredients in a large bowl with lemon juice.  Sprinkle sea salt and pepper to taste.  Serve room temperature or chilled. 

cherry-limeade cookies

Oh, Texas…  You and your Sonic Drive-In on every other street corner.   Not going to lie... I miss you.

 The tiny town in which I was raised didn’t have much, but what it did have was a Sonic.  My staple “happy hour” order was always a barrel-sized cup full of Diet Cherry Limeade.  Diet Sprite with cherries and limes with their signature crushed ice.  

I don’t do carbonated drinks anymore, but I’ll always be a bit nostalgic toward my staple Sonic drink.  I’ve translated my Diet Cherry Limeade drink into cookie form so that you’re able to have a taste of this divinity whether or not there’s a Sonic on your street corner.

Cherry-Limeade Cookies

¾ cup fresh cherries, cut into ¼” dice

juice of 1 lime

¼ teaspoon lime zest

2 cups all purpose flour

8 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon instant lemonade mix

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

2/3 cup heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, stir cherries, lime juice and two tablespoons together and set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, rub lime zest into sugar until moist.  
4. Add flour, lemonade mix, baking powder, salt and whisk to combine.  Mix butter into the flour mixture and combine until you have course crumbs.  
5. Add cream and stir until dough begins to come together.  Gently stir in cherry mixture.
6. Use a tablespoon to portion the dough onto prepared baking sheet, spacing 1 1/2 -2” apart.  
7. Bake 18-20 minutes or until edges become golden brown.  Transfer to a rack to cool.
8. Store in an airtight container and enjoy!