Tag Archives: salad

Harvest Lentil Salad

“Beautiful beluga lentils” I seriously had to exclaim!

These lentils are unique and they get their name because they look just like beluga caviar. What a treasure to find in the Food Bank! I took some home to test out a new recipe using the other produce and goods available to the Food Bank clients.

The result was this simple salad. Consider this a base recipe. A recipe that would happily enjoy a bit of sparkling up with bits of dried fruit such as minced apricots or cranberries or even the jewels of pomegranates. The crunch of various nuts or seeds, such as toasted almonds, crumbled pecans or last week’s Candied Chipotle Pepitas would settle in nicely with these lentils. Roasted veggies, roots, or shreds of leaves could be folded in as well. A crumble of feta or shavings of parmesan would also do well in this dish. It calls for water, but cooking the beans in broth adds yet another layer of flavor.

This can be a simple weeknight meal or a side dish to an elaborate holiday dish. Let me know how you glam up these simple belugas.

Harvest Lentil Salad
Beluga Lentils can be found in specialty shops, gourmet groceries, co-ops or health food stores. Another lentil such as French, Green, or Brown lentils can work instead. The only lentil I would avoid are the thinner lentils, such as the red, which are better for soups than salads.

1 onion, finely chopped
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1 cup beluga lentils, or french or green
3 cups water, or unsalted broth
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 apple, cored and finely chopped
1/4 cup sage, washed and finely chopped, or thyme or parsley

Place the onions, lentils, and chopped carrots (or squash/sweet potatoes) in a pot covered with the water and a lid. Bring up to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for about 40-50 minutes until tender to the bite. Once the lentils are nearly done, add half of the salt. If there is extra water, increase the heat to boil it off quickly or strain off the liquid using a wire mesh strainer.

In a large separate bowl, whisk together the vinegar and honey. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking rapidly. Add the remaining salt. Fold the cooked lentils into the dressing and then add the apples and fresh herbs. Serve warm or cool and serve chilled.

What a Mama really wants + Strawberry Almond Lentils

Strawberry Lentil Salad

1 cup dry lentils, french, green or beluga
1 cup almonds, raw + whole
1 1/2 cups strawberries
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon honey, optional or your favorite sweetener
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 stalks celery, (or chard stalks, or carrots or sweet peppers)
4 green onions, finely minced

Rinse and pick through the lentils. Bring the lentils up to a boil with at least three times the amount of water. Depending on the size of the lentil (tiny red are faster than the larger brown, green or french variety) boil for 15-45 minutes. When the lentil is tender to the bite it is done. Try not to over cook since this is essentially a salad and you don’t want it to be mushy.

Whisk together the vinegar, honey, salt & pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to emulsify. Add the lentils to the dressing as soon as possible to marinate slightly.

Roughly chop the whole almonds into bits and pieces. Spread on a baking sheet and toast at 375 for about 5-10 minutes. Watch them carefully and stir periodically. They can go from raw to burnt very quickly.

Next, wash the strawberries and chop into small pieces. Mince the celery or any other veggies such as carrots or chard stalks.

Gently toss the lentils with the minced almonds, strawberries, celery and green onions.

Serve warm or cooled as a salad.

Zucchini for Xerxes and Anyone Else with Too Much Zucchini

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This photo of zucchini above was sent from my husband the day that our kids and I got on a plane for a vacation. I imagine by the time we return, Xerxes will be exhausted by our zucchini. The scary part is this photo is only about the fourth day of harvesting. The zucchini takeover has only just begun.

So, I am actually not writing this post for you at all today, because I imagine you did not overdo the number of zucchini and summer squash you planted just a couple of months ago. I know you are not contemplating ways to eat it in absolutely every single meal for the next month. Xerxes on the other hand is needing some help. Fortunately, he is an awesome cook, especially anything Italian, and so I decided to put together a list just for him. I am sure he would love more help, so please leave a comment with your favorite way to gobble up way too much zucchini, too. Of course, if you decide to try any of these recipes, I would love to hear about that as well.

Without further ado, here are some zucchini recipes for Xerxes… and you:

Crispy Zucchini Sticks Love fried zucchini? Try them a bit more guilt-free in the oven.

Zucchini Soup My family’s favorite. This is an essential recipe for anyone with too much summer squash.

Cheese & Mustard Zucchini Delights This is an ode to the Cheese & Mustard Delights that my best friends from college taught me to make & love.

Skillet Zucchini & Potatoes Lighten up a potato dish with a bit (or a lot) of zucchini.

Grilled Zucchini Meatballs Zucchini is stuffed in the meatballs and around the meatballs, giving each ball a little zucchini hug.

Grilled Zucchini & Peaches Stone fruit & zucchini become magic on the grill, then they are drizzled with lemon basil goodness.

Lemon Summer Squash & Walnut Pasta For the pasta lover (hey, Xerxes!)

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Summer Squash Pancakes The classic zucchini pancake.

Zucchini & Tomato Bread Salad Leftover bread? Leftover Zucchini? Make this panzanella salad… pronto!

Zucchini Antipasto Salad Your favorite antipasto platter and your favorite summer squash tossed into salad form.

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Bread My favorite zucchini bread recipe… probably because it is packed with chocolate.

Zucchini Corn & Quinoa Wraps These balanced wraps travel well for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Peach & Summer Squash Quinoa A pretty little salad that celebrates one of my favorite summer combinations: squash and stone fruit.

What do you make with your zucchini abundance? Tell me below!

Cook seasonally. Eat consciously. Live well,

Chef Lilly

Rule Breaking Grilled Potato & Greens Salad

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Summer meals are often all about the ingredients: the ripest tomatoes with a fancy-ish cheese, crispy cucumbers with vinaigrettes, zucchini blended into the simplest soups.

And then there is this salad.

While finding the highest quality version of each of the merely seven ingredients in this salad is of course a super-dooper idea, it is not quite as necessary as acquiring a perfect tomato for your caprese.

You see the magic actually happens after the ingredients mingle and dance together.

This is not something I knew when I first started whipping it up. I ignored all sorts of rules about heat & acid when my mind wandered to the fantasy of a perfect Potato Salad with a dressing lighter than the cloying mayo kind, with grilled instead of boiled potatoes, a drizzle of tangy yogurt and more greens than anyone should ever put in this salad and still name it after the spud.

But, I made it anyways. (Dare I say… ala Julia Child’s quote “In cooking you must have a what the hell attitude”.)

The initial result of my wild idea was not very poetic. A more perfect person, would probably have required a silky dressing properly soaking each wedge of artfully grilled potato and maybe they would all rest on a fluffy bed of greens. Instead, I looked at the mess of a salad I made and saw curdled globlettes of yogurt twisting through the singed, way too dark in spots, potato wedges. And then there were the greens: some were entirely wilted and others that were still seemingly raw.

Oh, the disappointment. But, oh well, my family had to eat and that was what I was serving, pretty or not, here it comes.

So apparently, the lemon based dressing managed to curdle in the heat, but instead of the usual awkward cheese moment, it somehow became little droplets of goodness. And the random decisions each baby green made as they either wilted or stayed crisp managed to make complete sense too. At least in our mouths as we gleefully chewed away.

Unlike the standard heavy potato salad this one is best hot or room temperature. It loses a bit of magic when icy chilled, although, I have been known to grab a cold wedge of potato with sauce & greens clinging to it and munch down happily without complaint.

In a shameless final promotion of this salad, I just made it recently for the World Cup Final. Sadly, we had to leave during overtime, merely moments before the only goal in the game. As I went to pack up the last dredges of our salad, every guest asked if they could take another serving before it went sailing out the door. Yes, it is that good. And the ingredient list is nice and compact, too:
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Grilled Potato & Greens Salad
serves 2-3 people

1 1/2 pounds red or yukon potatoes (any thin-skinned potato will work well)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
1 lemon, zest and juice
2 cups arugula, spinach, or another tender baby green
1/2 cup basil, optional (roughly torn)

Heat a grill over medium-high. Cut the potatoes into wedges (if they are small, leave them whole) and toss lightly with half of the olive oil. Place directly on the grill, reduce to medium, cover and sear for 6-10 minutes. Reduce the heat slightly, if the potatoes are not becoming tender. Once grill marks appear, flip over and sear on the other side for 6-10 minutes until cooked through.

Meanwhile, whisk together the garlic, salt, yogurt, lemon zest and juice. Slowly drizzle in the remaining olive oil while whisking rapidly.

Roughly chop the arugula or other greens and basil. Fold the greenery into the dressing. As soon as the potatoes are grilled, toss into the greens & dressing.

Serve warm or room temperature.

Miracles… from Surgery to Salad

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The past couple of weeks have been full of challenges and in between all of the chaos, it has been a joy to receive the miracles. It all started with my husband heading to a conference, which usually leaves me a bit apprehensive about how my children and I will get through our days solo. Partially, because Xerxes offers additional hands for doing chores and caring for our children, but also because his emotional support and kind nature are critical to my personal sanity.

Of course, maybe to keep my mind off of his absence, my evenings were scheduled full of goodness and busy-ness. Looking at my evenings of to-do’s, without much help to make it all happen, made me very nervous. Fortunately, a few days before the week started my Mom and I found a ticket for her to fly out to be with us during this time to help us: the first miracle.

My baby Zed also had an appointment at the start of the week to determine if he would need surgery for a hernia that kept popping out the last few weeks. Low and behold, he did! And asap! After a phone call to Xerxes, we all agreed Friday would be the day, even though he would still be at his conference. Knowing my Mom would be here to help, I was able to breath relief.

As I wandered in to the hospital cafeteria with my two cuties in tow, feeling an aching sensation of concern for the coming Friday and the low-blood sugar of hunger, I looked up to see the mother of one of Juliette’s preschool classmates. I told my tale, and she brightly suggested Juliette spend Friday afternoon with her and her daughter: the second miracle.

The week went on smoothly. The dance classes I taught were made easier knowing my Mom was watching my children. The next day’s opportunity to share Lilly’s Table with Juliette’s preschool was also easier than expected. Again, all because of the extra hands.

Zed playing in the children’s hospital waiting for surgery

The big day arrived too quickly and I found myself most concerned that my husbands’ family history of hernia operations, (three men had a combination of at least seven hernia surgeries!) would mean Zed would have to go through all of this again for the left side as well. Xerxes and I each swore we felt a second hernia, too, which was seemingly undetected by our medical advisors. It was decided that while he was under, the surgeon would check to see if the left side had anything.

I attempted to stomach another meal at the hospital cafeteria during his surgery, which was briefly interrupted when they called to say that YES in fact Xerxes and I were correct. The left side showed a similarly sized hernia that had managed stay hidden. The surgery was a mere 20 minutes longer and future surgeries suddenly became much less likely: the third miracle.

There are certainly more details to this story, but there was another element that I consider the fourth miracle that kept giving to us all week… our garden! It is overflowing with salad greens that need just a kiss of dressing, some sort of protein and a few slices of my sourdough bread to make a meal. Throughout this trying week, I found myself indebted not just to my Mom, but to this greenery that fed and nourished my family during a time when making another trip to the grocery would have simply pushed me over the edge.

I also have to say that this is the first time I have experienced such lushness in my garden. I have historically lamented about my ‘brown thumb’. Even though I love the process of gardening, luck rarely seemed on my side. Until this year. In honesty, I want to say that not everything planted is abundant… yet (fingers crossed). It certainly helps that Xerxes built a hoop house that has extended our rather short Rocky Mountain growing season, too. Thanks Sweetie!

We all have weeks that push us a bit more than others. I realize gardening with all of its preparations, patience, and unpredictability seems the last thing that will help when life seems to be testing you, but the rewards bring balance to the challenges. Being outside, moving dirt, watering and harvesting when my mind wanted to be fretful kept my spirit calm. My Mom always talks of gardening’s meditative powers and I am finally starting to believe her. Meanwhile eating the powerhouse of nourishing leaves kept my body and family satisfied.

You and I, we are all still at the start of the growing season this spring. I encourage you to prepare a bit of soil. Tuck seeds down into the cozy bed of dirt. Moisten it and wait…
for the miracles.

I offer you this salad dressing recipe as a mini-miracle. Because you may not have the time or space to garden (although, I would love to argue the contrary! If I can do it, you can, too) the very least you can do is make your own dressing. You will save money. You will save your health. You will save your greens from being abused by the chemical liquid combinations that one calls salad dressing.

Start with your large salad bowl. Place the greens, washed and dried on stand-by.

Dip your whisk into your favorite dijon mustard. Pull out a dollop. Place it in the large bowl. Add about twice the amount of balsamic vinegar. Drizzle in just a slight swirl of honey or maple syrup. Beat the small amount of ingredients together smearing it all over the bowl.
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Take a generous pinch of salt. With your hand high above the bowl sprinkle it all over, dusting the tiny base of your dressing.

Grab the olive oil, again high above the bowl, pour it gently in a steady stream that is just a bit more steady than a drip, drip, drip, drip…. As the olive oil trills in slowly, madly beat your whisk to incorporate the fat into the molecules of your dressing. It will start to thicken. The dark balsamic will become lighter in color, or dare I say fluffier in appearance. Stop pouring the olive oil to rest your beating hand and to taste. Does it need more salt?

Sweetness? Vinegar? Add accordingly.

Too tangy? More olive oil is needed.

Add olive oil again as you pour with one hand and beat with the other. Taste. Adjust until you are satisfied. Taste. I trust your tastebuds. Just as you should trust your own.

Now, I often pour out about half of my dressing in to a small dish to reserve for later. Next I add the greens and with a spatula fold them lightly into the dressing. I add more dressing to the top as needed. Swirling it above, again high, until each leaf receives a simple kiss of goodness.

Nuts & seeds, shreds of veggies, pieces of fruit, dried, fresh, never frozen, or even bits and pieces of your favorite leftovers can serve to complete your salad, but really…

It is all about the greens and the dressing. May this serve as a simple little miracle for your day.

And for all of you who rather work with measurements, here is the list of ingredients:

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (more or less as desired)
1/4 teaspoon salt & black pepper

Whisk together the mustard, vinegar and sweetener. While beating wildly, drizzle in the olive oil until the dressing is slightly thick and tastes delicious. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook seasonally. Eat consciously. Live blessed,

Chef Lilly

Warm Dandelion & Sweet Potato Salad

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It seems my 9-month old puts everything in his mouth lately. As we wrapped up his appointment recently, the physician assistant handed me a Poison Control magnet for our fridge. She must know him! In response, I told her how my daughter had nibbled on an oleander leaf at a similar age, when we were living in Tucson. After a hysterical run to the ER, we ended up calling Poison Control, which we clearly should have done first. Despite oleander’s deadly reputation the one’s grown in Tucson are apparently more benign.

The physician assistant in turn told me the only time she had to call poison control, for her now grown children, was because of Bill Nye. After watching the Science Guy explain that dandelion greens are in fact edible, her son munched on a few that had been recently sprayed with weed killer by his father. Hmm… delicious. I didn’t ask, but was curious as to whether the consequence was to not use weed killer’s in the future? My hunch is that the child was told to never do it again as Bill Nye was clearly being blamed for the Poison Control call.

At our home, we are not necessarily enthusiastic lawn owners. I certainly love to picnic and watch my children play on the patch of grass that is still recovering from years of neglect from the previous owners. However, watering, weeding and tending that big outdoor carpet is not as joyful as gardening flowers and fresh vegetables for me. Especially, since we live in an area that has drought restrictions, but also bans rain water harvesting. I won’t dive into my frustrations with this paradox today.

Also, in our yard, dandelions have been mostly choked out by the gnarlier, deep rooted thistle weed, which we pulled and yanked out of the ground throughout the whole summer. A tedious job, that we made more joyful in short bursts of time on cozy blankets with hot cups of coffee on dewy mornings before the sun made the task unbearable. We had piles and piles of thistle, morning glories and other culprits. I would have been so happy to have turned them into dinner! But, my pregnant and subsequently postpartum body was too exhausted to go beyond dumping them in the trash.

Now, I hope that I am not the first to point out the edible nature of dandelions to you. But, if I am… welcome to a beautiful blossoming world of scavenging. I hope I do not need to tell you to make sure no one has sprayed them with weed killer, but please do take care! If you are like me and have less dandelions than other pesky plants, you can also purchase long beautiful leaves of dandelions from green markets, health food stores and farmer’s markets, too.

So preparing the infamous weed is another task that requires a bit of attention. It is a strong, bitter, nutrient packed leaf of goodness. All those bitter leaves are so often, so good for you it seems! Especially for salads, if I am starting with bitterness, the best course of action is to add a serious dose of sweetness.

For me, an earthy orange-glazed sweet potato cooked until warm and tossed with bitter dandelion greens turns a salad into comfort food. A bit of your favorite strong cheese such as a crumble of feta or strips of manchego would be a perfect addition for any cheese lovers. Remember, before you run off and dip your leaves in sugar, the goal is to balance your dish. Start with the recipe below and then share your discoveries of the dandelion possibilities below in the comments!

Warm Dandelion & Sweet Potato Salad

1½ pound sweet potato
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 inch piece ginger, peel and finely mince
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¼ cup water
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon maple syrup, optional
1 bunch dandelion greens, washed well
salt and pepper, to taste

Scrub the sweet potatoes and peel if desired.

Cut down the middle and lay flat. Slice on a diagonal in 1/4 inch thick pieces. This will create an angled half moon shape as seen in the photo.

Warm a splash of the olive oil over medium heat in a medium sized skillet. Spread the sweet potatoes out evenly spacing to avoid overlap. Sear on one side for about 4-6 minutes until golden, flip and sear on the other side.

Add the minced garlic and ginger. Pour in half of the orange juice and all of the water & salt. Bring up to a simmer. Once the juice is reduced down the sweet potatoes should be cooked through. If you would like them to be a bit more tender, simply add more water and continue to simmer until they are your desired tenderness.

Remove the sweet potatoes and add the remaining orange juice, dijon mustard, maple syrup if using, and the remaining olive oil to the hot pan. Whisk to combine and bring up to a slight simmer. As soon as it is hot, it is ready.

Tear the clean dandelion leaves in pieces into a large bowl. Add the sliced sweet potatoes and drizzle on the warm dressing. Toss to combine.

Finish with a dash of salt and black pepper, to taste. Crumble on your favorite strong cheese for an extra element of flavor and protein boost.

My senior year of college, we found out a few of our friends were not going home for Thanksgiving. It seemed a crime for them to not enjoy a turkey feast, so we decided to have a pre-holiday meal altogether. There were about 20+ of us in our circle of friends and I went to task finding out everyone’s must-have T-day dishes.

Since I was a vegetarian at the time, I had no interest in cooking the turkey, but a couple of friends signed up for that job. So, other than the mashers, which arrived fluffy with beautiful red skins throughout, I made the rest of the meal.

I remember a few items being requested that I had never actually made before such as Green Bean Casserole, Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows and Creamed Corn, but they were requested and thus I worked on figuring out how to make them. Please note, this was long enough ago that the internet was not swarming with information, so many phone calls later I figured it all out.

While the college crowd was thrilled, I found myself pleased and grateful for my incredible friends, but not completely satisfied with the canned food-centric feast I had prepared. The years of Thanksgivings that followed became an unraveling of that meal.

Thanksgiving can be as simple or as complicated as you like, but I also see no excuse to eat processed food. Not just because I prefer the flavor of real food, but most sides are easier to prepare than most of us believe.

Here are a few ways to create an unprocessed, easy as pumpkin pie, Thanksgiving:

1. Fresh not Canned Sweet Potatoes (aka Yams)

The last time I opened a can of sweet potatoes (possibly that day back in college), I was amazed by the slightly syrupy, super starchy, lacking in flavor nuggets that were inside. No wonder you need marshmallows! Oh, and yes, they were called yams, (except they are not actually yams unless they are white, not sweet and all starch) but that is another story for another day.

The can-free, tastier, easier method: Scrub your sweet potato, prick all over with a paring knife, and toss in the oven alongside whatever is cooking. A temperature between 325-425 will be sufficient to roast them. Once you can squeeze the sweet potato and it feels soft, about 25-60 minutes depending on a number of factors such as the sweet potato’s size and the oven temperature, then it is ready. Chill it outside or in the fridge until it is cool enough to handle them and then peel off the skin. They will be crazy sweet from roasting and can be chopped or smashed from this point forward to be used with your favorite flavors or toppings.

What is your favorite sweet potato topping? We do this Streusel Topped Sweet Potato at home, but do you prefer Marshmallows?

2. Green Bean possibilities beyond the tins

Since the Green Bean Casserole is such a classic, try this simple enough version including my own homemade creamy mushroom sauce and crispy, oven baked onion strips. While I love dairy, I found myself wanting to explore the vegan possibility and recently created this Creamy Cauliflower Green Bean Casserole.

Typically though, I keep it simple with steamed green beans, maybe a squirt of lemon, a generous dollop of butter and toasty almonds, aka Green Bean Almandine.

3. Veggie Time

Turkey’s don’t make people sleepy. Turkey’s starchy buddies exhaust us.

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Chopped Kale & Pomegranate Salad
Creamy Roasted Potato & Apple Salad
Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Florets

But, you can also make it crazy simple with your favorite salad mix, a crumble of dry cheese (maybe blue or feta?), pecans or other toasted nuts, and generous splash of a good quality balsamic and olive oil. This Balsamic Dressing recipe is what I use when my balsamic is not rich and aged. Follow the season’s abundance- it will not let you down!

4. Skip the Pre-made Gravy

Here is the deal. If you are already making a turkey, the gravy is simple to make delicious and amazing. You have all of the ingredients, most likely. Flour (all-purpose or gluten-free rice flour both work) and butter (or your fat of choice- ghee? bacon? olive oil?) are critical. A box of good quality chicken broth is about as ‘processed’ as I would go if you want to cut corners. We make homemade broth at our house after roasting chicken or turkey wings and I try to always have some available before Turkey day. Here is my gravy recipe and I will keep it up and available to you until after T-day this year. If you have never made it before, this is your year. Grab a whisk and let’s make a delicious gravy.

If you have vegetarian guests, this vegan Mushroom Gravy will satisfy your entire crowd. I say this as a non-mushroom eater. They are pretty much my least favorite veg, but this gravy surprisingly makes me happy.

5. Stuffing?

I know Pepperidge Farm and Stove Top sold us all a long time ago with their ‘easy’ take on stuffing. But, your favorite bakery fresh bread chopped into pieces and dried out will give you all that love without the processed ingredients. You can also go crazy with any combination of carb-rich bread: whole-grain, studded with dried fruits, pumpernickel, gingerbread, cornbread, panettone, and more! Here is my recipe for drying out the cubes yourself, but really it is quite simple. If you do it a few days before you won’t even need an oven. 😉

Gluten-free? There are certainly lots of possibilities these days for that, but last year I did this Herb Polenta Stuffing and it kind of rocked. This year the Roasted Root + Polenta Stuffing is rocking my world.

Your turn! How do you un-process Thanksgiving? Or are there a few dishes you prefer to have out of a box or can, otherwise it just doesn’t taste like turkey day.

Comment below and let me know!

Cook seasonally. Eat consciously. Live well!

In gratitude,

Lilly

The name “Georgia Peach” is so darn famous its a wonder peaches exist elsewhere. I mean it is on the license plate, so clearly it is big. Right? I thought my experience with peaches would never be like they were when I visited the south. Of course, that was until I moved to Colorado and the Western Slope peaches started to roll in. Big, abundant, juicy and perfectly peachy they just can’t be beat. Sorry, Georgia. During my Colorado time I happily brought peaches home by the box full for countless dishes or just to eat with the juice running down my chin. Now that I am in Tucson, I am happy a few trees and orchards keep us supplied, but there small size mostly just make me miss Colorado. If you are ever in Colorado, I highly recommend a trip through Palisade for the best peaches especially this time of year, but really this gorgeous fruit can be found all throughout the state (and I imagine beyond) during these hot summer days.

I created this salad for our dear friend’s August wedding. Friend’s who I actually met through Kaycie on a backpacking hut trip. The dressing is creamy, honey sweetened yogurt with dollops of goat cheese and toasted pine nuts throughout making this an almost dessert like experience to serve up during dinner alongside anything coming off of the grill.

Creamy Peach Salad

2 servings

Dressing:

1 lemon zest & juice

1 teaspoon honey

¼ cup plain yogurt

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1 pinch salt and pepper

3 cups spring lettuce greens

1 large peach (or two small)

2 ounces goat cheese

½ cup blueberries, washed & dried, optional

¼ cup toasted pine nuts

Whisk together the lemon zest, juice, and honey. Once the honey has dissolved stir in the yogurt to combine. Slowly whisk in the oil. Season the dressing with the salt and pepper to your taste.

Arrange the spring greens in a salad bowl or on individual serving plates. Slice the peach and arrange on the lettuce greens. Pour any peach juices on to the lettuce as well. Crumble the goat cheese on top. Sprinkle on the blueberries and nuts.

Balsamic Quinoa Salad is quick and satisfying

As a follow-up to my last post, I wanted to talk a bit about how we manage our “no cooking indoors” rule during hot summer nights. As the mother of two rapidly growing girls and the wife of a guy with the fastest metabolism in the West, the lovely cold soup paired with a beautiful green salad that would tantalize my girlfriends simply isn’t an option. We need protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs to fuel the furnaces in this house.

One of the strategies we use here is to give our salads some heft by making them from a base of whole grains and legumes. The rice cooker on the deck is used for brown rice salads, or else I’ll make a large pot of quinoa or beans early in the week and then use it in multiple ways in the days that follow. In a pinch, I also keep several different types of canned beans in the pantry. (there is no comparison between canned and homemade beans, and the pressure cooker whips up those babies pretty quick, but let’s be realistic here, sometimes we all need canned beans.)

Grain salads are so easy and satisfying, and are incredibly versatile and can easily be adapted to whatever you have lying around the house. My basic guidelines for grain salads are as follows:

2 cups cooked grains
2 cups cooked beans (or one can)
2 cups chopped vegetables
½ cup chopped fresh fruit or ¼ cup dried fruit
¼ cup chopped fresh herbs
¼ cup toasted chopped nuts or seeds
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp vinegar or juice of ½-1 lemon or lime
salt and pepper to taste

For picky kids or infants over 8 months, you can serve cooked rice or quinoa, beans, and fruits or veggies as separate items without dressing.
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The version of this recipe as pictured above:
Balsamic Quinoa Salad

2 cups cooked quinoa
1 can drained garbanzo beans
¼ cup chopped, toasted almonds
1 chopped carrot
1 large chopped stalk of celery
½ chopped red bell pepper
¼ cup sliced kalamata olives
¼ cup chopped chives (with flowers) and dill
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp grated parmesan
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and enjoy!

Valentines Day is the perfect time eat choclate, right?

But, why do we reserve it simply for sweet, sugary dishes when its depth of flavor adds so much to savory dishes as well. I was excited to create a Cocoa VInaigrette with a texture of a chocolate dressing. I did a bit of research and found most people with a similar idea used cloyingly sweet chocolate sauces rather than rich cocoa powders. My creation has undertones of orange with a hint of garlic and ginger. This dressing is delightful tossed on raw shredded winter vegetables and greens or as the finishing sauce to roasted vegetables.

1 orange, zest and juice

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

1 clove garlic, finely minced
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1 inch piece ginger, finely minced

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Whisk together the orange zest, juice, vinegar, honey, garlic and ginger. Sprinkle in the cocoa powder. Whisk. As soon as it is fully incorporated, drizzle in the olive oil while whisking until it is thick, luscious and looks like chocolate syrup. Add salt and pepper. Taste. Drizzle on a salad, roasted vegetables or anywhere that needs a rich flavorful sauce.

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