It’s that time of year when we’re all a little more aware of what we’re eating. So, I offer you a beautiful winter salad that tastes as wonderful as it is good for you.
Avocado & Orange Salad
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Category Archives: Vegan
At the Market: Tomatoes
The combination of peaches and tomatoes has been rattling around in my head for a while. I’ve seen it a number of places, and it struck me as unusual and interesting. Now that we’ve hit tomato season, I decided to give it a try in a quick salad.
The result is wonderful and to me, really personifies great summer cooking. In season fruits and veggies are highlighted by using nothing more than a healthy dose of salt and pepper and a zip of a light vinaigrette. No fancy techniques or ingredients required.
Take my advice and try it this weekend for lunch. Continue reading
Asparagus with Lemon and Heat
Asparagus is perfect this time of year. In the past, I’ve always made it the same way – roasted on high heat and served with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Although this method is delicious, I wanted to try something new.
Ever since making this meal, I’ve fallen in love with the combination of lemon and crushed red pepper flakes. I thought it might be a nice complement to asparagus and add a bit of freshness.
The citrus of the lemon and heat from the red pepper make this quick side dish flavorful. Pretty enough to serve for friends, it comes together in 15 minutes or less. Not too shabby for a weeknight meal. Continue reading
Jicama, Almond and Orange Salad
Around Christmas, I ate at Blanc Burgers + Bottles in Leawood. Instead of my usual fries, I opted for a salad with my burger. The arugula + citrus caught my eye, and after I ate it, I couldn’t get it out of my head.
A week later, I was still thinking about it and thought I could make a similar version at home. My grocery store didn’t have blood oranges, and I didn’t want to invest in another expensive olive oil, so I used plain navel oranges instead. And, they worked just fine.
My version is delicious and simple to put together. The most intimidating element might be the jicama. If you’ve never seen, eaten or cooked with a jicama, you’re in for a treat. Although not the prettiest person at the party, it’s a tasty ingredient. Jicama has basically, no flavor. It’s crunchy and porous, which means it will take on the flavors of other ingredients easily, while remaining firm. It looks like this.
To use a jicama, peel it and then, slice it. Here’s how the julienned slices looked.
Watermelon + Lime
A good friend told me about a little dish she likes to make for showers. It’s so easy you can’t really call it a recipe, but the mere suggestion of it has been rattling around my head for over a month.
I’ve been waiting for good watermelon. And finally, I bought one.
Cookbook Review: Tart & Sweet
I did it. I canned jam.
I’ve been wanting to try it for a while, but have been too nervous. I’m not really sure what I was afraid would happen. It’s not as if there is some sort of terrible side effect to canning, like monsters or warts. Maybe it’s because, I’ve heard it’s such a pain? Who knows?
I suppose it doesn’t matter that I was scared to do it. The important thing is that I did it, and now, I have blueberry honey jam at my house, four jars to be exact. Would you like to try some? Continue reading
Summer Squash & Potato Sauté
I’ve been playing with this recipe for the last few weeks. I loved the flavors, but had some difficulty getting the cooking time just right. It might not win a lot of beauty pageants and may have taken some time to perfect, but I couldn’t be happier with the results. Fresh summer squash, new potatoes, lemon and thyme slowly cook together in white wine, creating a dish that’s light and fruity. The whole thing takes about 30 minutes to put together, so if you’re roasting chicken, start this when you preheat the oven, and it should be ready just ahead of the meat.
This is great with a protein, but it would also be lovely with a fried egg on top. Feel free to serve it however you’d like. Continue reading
Tomato, Basil & Whole Wheat Pasta
This recipe is summer personified. Roma tomatoes, fresh basil and whole wheat pasta make a wholesome and sunny meal that comes together in minutes. Because this recipe uses only a few ingredients, make sure the ones you select are of a high quality. Perfectly ripe tomatoes, good Parmigiano Reggiano and high quality evoo are essential to making this dish something special. Continue reading
Grill Master
Slaving away at the grill is stereotypically a man’s job, but I think it’s one ladies should know a thing or two about. Now, I’m by no means an expert, who only believes in charcoal and takes a million precautions to make sure everything’s “just right.” Instead, I’m a lady who has an appreciation for the healthy quick meals I can put together on my gas grill. Largely because, meals made outside require very, little clean-up.
My favorite grilling cookbook, Grill It!, by Bobby Flay is a great resource for those learning to grill. Each section describes the basics of grilling a certain item, like chicken, corn or burgers. It then goes on to provide great recipes for basting, marinating and generally, jazzing up simple ingredients.
This weekend, I picked up some corn at the farmers’ market. Cooking it on the grill is really simple, and the smoke gives it a nice, toasted flavor. I used Bobby Flay’s method. Continue reading
Sauteed Mushrooms
My husband has a host of vegetables he doesn’t like, and mushrooms top the list. Last week, he was out-of-town for work, so I did what I usually do when he’s gone, cook something he’d hate. And let me tell you, he really missed out on this one. I slowly sautéed cremini mushrooms with a chopped shallot and minced garlic and then, let them cook slowly in some wine. The resulting product was so good I found myself eating seconds straight out of the pan.
If you like mushrooms too, try this recipe soon. I ate mine over some polenta topped with a fried egg and Gruyère cheese. It would also be great over roasted chicken, folded into risotto or tossed with pasta. Truthfully though, this dish stands on its own, so feel free to serve it by itself as a side dish.
