Luis

There is a "work park" on the street I live off of, where day laborers meet to get work. This is a portrait of Luis a painter (of different sorts than myself) that I met there.
This painting is somewhat related to something new and exciting going on in my world. I am starting a big painting project/series as a fund raiser for Central Dallas Ministries. This organization addresses poverty from every angle and is a huge inspiration to me. I will be sharing more about the program in the upcoming months. The project is centered on unifying the community and I'm so excited to finally be doing what I have dreamt of.

Now for the Delicious Salad of the day:
BLUE Salad

This is just one I throw together- easy and yummy. So the recipe is a somewhat vague.

blueberries
blue cheese
pecans or walnuts
greens

Dressing- (same as blackberry.jicama salad, except Lemon instead of lime)
2 Tbs. nonfat yogurt
4 tsp. lemon juice
4 tsp. olive oil
2 tsp. raspberry champagne vinegar
2 tsp. agave nectar or honey
1/2 tsp. poppy seeds

I love lemon and blueberries...sooo good together. And what's even better? If you pair the salad with an Asparagus-Phyllo Tart. Which also has lemon.


Serves 6
Filling
1 lb. fat asparagus, cut into 1-inch lengths
1 large egg
1 15-oz. container low-fat ricotta cheese (1 3/4 cups)
2/3 cup chopped green onions
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbs. grated lemon zest
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Crust
Olive oil cooking spray
1/3 cup fine breadcrumbs, divided
14 (13- x 9-inch) sheets phyllo dough, thawed (I use whole-wheat)
1 Tbs. sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS

1Preheat oven to 400°F. Cook asparagus in boiling salted water 30 seconds. Drain, and refresh under cold running water until cooled.
Whisk together egg and ricotta in medium bowl. Stir in green onions, basil, Parmesan, lemon zest, garlic, salt, pepper, and asparagus.
To make Crust: Coat 11- or 12-inch tart pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Lay 1 sheet phyllo on work surface. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle lightly with breadcrumbs. Repeat with 6 more phyllo sheets, placing each sheet at a 45° angle to the previous one to form a rough circle. Lift phyllo stack into prepared tart pan, letting excess hang over sides. Gently press into pan. Spread ricotta filling in crust. Cover with plastic wrap while preparing top crust.
Spray and stack remaining 7 phyllo sheets in same manner as bottom crust. Spray top sheet with cooking spray, but do not sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Set stack on top of filling and press edges to seal. With scissors, trim edges, leaving 1-inch overhang. Roll edges over to form rim. Spray with cooking spray. Cut several slits in crust for steam vents. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Set tart pan on baking sheet, and bake 25 to 35 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Cool 10 minutes before serving.