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By mlb, on April 24th, 2013%
This is a salad that is directly from the gods of delicious things. I used to work right by the Whole Foods in Bridgeport and oh man, I would buy a little containers of this salad at least once a week. It’s so good! It’s also a dangerous salad because it is made up of broccoli, so you can easily kid yourself into thinking that it’s healthy. But, oh no, if you are doing it right, it is not.
We recently went through a whole bowl of this. It’s very addictive, as well as being unbelievably tasty, crunchy, bacony, oniony and sweet.
I think this is pretty close to what Whole Foods sells. A lot of the other recipes on the subject that I’ve seen don’t include the bacon or the candied cashews but, in my opinion, both are crucial. If you wanted a vegetarian version, you could of course skip the bacon, but that’s your decision. My personal preference is to very briefly steam the broccoli so that it is crisp-tender, to be honest, I’m not sure if Whole Foods uses raw or lightly steamed broccoli in their version, but that is . . . → Read More: Broccoli Crunch Salad (à la Whole Foods)
By mlb, on January 9th, 2013%
Simple Truth Organic and Natural Food
Way back in December, I was invited to an event at the Hawthorne Fred Meyer, for a launch of their new product line — Simple Truth.
Simple Truth aims to “provide a simple, uncomplicated and trustworthy solution to the challenge of simply better living. All Simple Truth items are Free From 101 artificial ingredients and preservatives.” These products are available in Oregon at Fred Meyer and nationally at Kroger grocery stores.
Nutritionist Carolyn Brown answering questions about eating healthier and a plateful of delicious event snacks — a quinoa salad and cashew curry chicken salad. Disclaimer: photos from my phone.
It was a fun event which included food demos with Leigh Ann Hieronymus and nutrition information with Carolyn Brown, MS, RD. There was also organic wine and beer and a huge swag bag at the end of the evening for everyone to lug home. But even better, attendees were given the opportunity to do a future blog giveaway. Hooray!
Seeing that it’s the beginning of a brand new year and a great time for eating healthier and wiser, wouldn’t . . . → Read More: Simple Truth Giveaway + Chicken Curry Cashew Salad
By mlb, on January 6th, 2013%
Quinoa is one of my favorite grains. I can’t remember when I first tried it — I think maybe a couple of years ago? But ever since that first experience, I’m always looking for new ways to use it. I’m not quite sure what it is but I really like the texture and flavor — soft but still a bit toothsome, but with a slightly nutty flavor.
Tossed with spicy, roasted carrots, pecans, cranberries and peppery arugula, this is a great way to incorporate quinoa. There’s also a good chance that all the spices needed for the spice mix are already in your cabinet so you really don’t have an excuse to not give this a try. It may seem like a lot of work, but after you combine the spices together, you’re basically just using it as a seasoning for roasting the carrots, flavoring the dressing, and mixing in with the final salad.
After I photographed this meal, I got the lightbulb-worthy idea to crumble some feta on top of the salad — you should definitely do that.
Also, we don’t really stick to a Meatless Monday schedule, as we have a lot of . . . → Read More: Perfect for Meatless Monday: Roasted Carrot and Quinoa Salad
By mlb, on September 27th, 2012%
This was a great French Fridays with Dorie recipe. The only thing that could have made it better is if it were about 10 degrees cooler out today (80 degrees? Really, Portland?) Anyway, this dish is very Fall-ish and delicious, even if the weather wasn’t exactly cooperating.
You basically take a non-stick pan, melt some salted butter and caramelize a bunch of Autumn stuff with endive leaves — apples, grapes, rosemary. Easy, if a little time consuming, but totally worth it.
Notes:
1. I added two shallots, sliced in half. I wish I had added more.
2. I also added two halved figs.
3. Topped with a little goat cheese while eating. That was really good.
4. Also, the recipe is posted here, so you really should go make this even if you don’t have the cookbook.
5. I think this would be awesome with some roasted chicken or pork. As it was, it made a great Thursday night dinner.
Here’s a link to everyone’s posts this week and my photos below.
All of the raw materials, about to become even more delicious.
I had unsalted butter so . . . → Read More: FFwD: Endives, Apples, and Grapes (Oh My)
By mlb, on September 5th, 2012%
So, hey, welcome back summer! We’re even supposed to be at about 95 degrees on Friday. Why? WHYYYYYY??? Well, I guess the tomatoes will enjoy the heat. Myself, on the other hand, will not be enjoying it. I may have to resort to eating the leftovers from this cool chicken salad in the basement, with the fan going.
The cucumber gazpacho can easily be doubled. I used our one (so far!) super-large garden cucumber and the soup made two pretty generous bowls. And the salad…the salad was so good! It looks really pretty too, I think these little stuffed leaves would make a great party appetizer. Or you could just eat them down in your basement, trying to stay cool on a too-hot summer/fall day.
Cucumber Gazpacho with Melon
Adapted from a recipe by CuisinArt Resort & Spa; makes 2-4 servings.
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped
2 green onions (white and green parts), coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1/4 cup chopped parsley leaves
1/2 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp dried mint
1 (1/2-inch) piece fresh ginger, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
3/4 tsp kosher . . . → Read More: A Cool Dinner for a Hot Day: Cucumber Gazpacho and Crunchy Chicken Slaw in Endive
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