Strawberry Arugula Salad

After laying in bed for two straight days with a head cold I decided I needed to get out of the house and do something productive...

Of all the things I SHOULD have done (laundry, grocery shopping, taking the dogs for a much needed long walk) I decided to say screw it and go strawberry picking instead.

Priorities.

Plus.. strawberies are FULL of vitamin C, which in turn will help boost my immunity, so I think I made a very wise decision. 

I ate my fair share while I was picking.  You know how it goes: Pick one, eat one. Pick two, eat two... You think I would have learned my lesson when I chomped down on a piece of sand from my unwashed "stolen" berries, but no, I just kept eating more.

So.... by the time I got home I was kinda sick of berries, but those fresh picked babies have to be eaten pretty quickly or else they get all nasty.

I had to think of some ideas...

Strawberry shortcake? Unless homemade buttermilk biscuits and fresh whipped cream appeared at the snap of a finger, it wasn't gonna happen.

Strawberry margaritas?  No tequila in the house. Note to self: buy some tequila.

I wanted some greens for dinner (no brainer), but had to use my berries. A salad... with strawberries? Yes, please!

Strawberries and spinach are a classic combination, but I'm not a huge fan of raw spinach and I had some arugula on hand, so I went with it.  Throw in some toasted nuts and a little cheese (I used walnuts and feta in this case) and make a simple vinagrette and you have a damn tasty lunch or light dinner.

Strawberry Arugula Salad (makes 2 large salads)

5 oz. arugula (one of those clamshell containers worth)
2 c. strawberries, hulled and cut in half
1/2 c. chopped walnuts, toasted
6 oz. feta cheese

Honey Champagne Vinaigrette:

2 t. honey
1 1/2 T. champagne vinegar
2 1/2 T. extra virgin olive oil
pinch of sea salt and black pepper

Combine honey, vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper in a small jar and shake until emulsified.  Place the arugula and strawberries in a large bowl and toss with half the dressing. Divide between two plates and top with the walnuts and feta.  Drizzle the remaining dressing on top, if desired.

The Best Egg Salad.. EVER.

The quality of your eggs is directly propotional to the taste of your egg salad.

It's easy math really.  Get some mass produced supermarket eggs with pale yolks and the final result ain't gonna be all that.  No amount of mayonnaise or herbs or whatever you like to add to your egg salad is going to help.

Now... get yourself some local, free range, preferably organic eggs. The kind where the name of the farm is printed on the box. The kind where the eggs vary in size and color and the yolks are so vibrantly yellow they appear to glow.

I haven't always loved egg salad. Especially the kind sold in deli's gooped up with mayo sitting in a glass case under some limp kale for god knows HOW long.  I avoided it like the plague. It just looked so unappealing to me. 

Then one day I decided to make my own. 

What the hell took me so long?

I've made several variations and this is my favorite.  Local eggs, a little bit of mayo, fresh herbs, shallots and just a touch of dijon mustard.  Sandwiched between some good bread or eaten straight out the bowl this stuff is delicious. 

Make it once and you'll never go back to store bought again..

Egg Salad
6 large hard boiled eggs, peeled (local, free range and/or organic)
2 T. fresh chopped dill
2 T. fresh chopped parsley
1 T. chives
2 T. diced shallot
3-4 T. mayonnaise
1/2 T. dijon mustard
sea salt and black pepper, to taste


Never hardboiled eggs before?


Here's my go to method:
Place the eggs in a medium sized saucepan (so they all fit comfortably) and cover with cold water. I usually add a tablespoon of vinegar, which is supposed to make the eggs easier to peel. Some people do this and others don't.  It seems to work pretty well for me so I go with it.  Bring to a boil. When the water comes to a boil, remove from the heat, cover and let sit 16 minutes. Immediately transfer eggs to an ice water bath and let them hang out for 10 minutes or so.  Voila! You got hard boiled eggs.

Rough chop your eggs. I like the salad a little on the chunky side, if you like yours a little more uniform, you could chop the eggs finer. Place in a bowl and gently fold in the remaining ingredients, seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.

White Bean and Tuna Salad with Radicchio and Parsley Vinaigrette

It all started with an $11 jar of tuna...

Because I'm classy like that.

I've also been known to drink a 40 oz. out of a paper bag on the train, so I guess I ain't THAT classy... I'm just smart.

Spending that much on a jar of tuna was a bit of a splurge (especially when I only got two servings out of it), but it was sooo well worth it. It's hard to find a good quality canned tuna packed in extra virgin olive oil, so when some was recommended to me by my gay boyfriend/food aficionado I HAD to have it.

I decided to make a salad, 'cause that's what you do when you buy expensive jarred tuna.

I looked on bon appetit for some inspiration and found an amazing recipe for what is now my new favorite salad.

Bonus: It's super healthy (aka not topped with lots of cheese and homemade croutons, like my typical salads) and can be thrown together for a quick dinner.  Radicchio, cannelini beans, arugula, celery and tuna are tossed with a delicious parsley vinagrette.
That's it!
Pair it with a glass, uhhh I mean bottle of cheap white wine and you are good. to. go.

Expensive tuna... cheap wine.

Yup, that's how I roll.

White Bean and Tuna Salad with Radicchio and Parsley Vinaigrette (serves 2-3 as a main, 4-6 as a side)
slightly adapted from bonappetit

Parsley Vinaigrette:


2 c. packed flat leaf parsley (stems and leaves)
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
3 T. fresh lemon juice
1/2 T. champagne vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
sea salt and black pepper, to taste


White Bean and Tuna Salad with Radicchio


2 medium heads radicchio, cored, leaves coarsley torn
6 oz. baby arugula
2 15 oz. cans cannelini beans, rinsed and drained (or 3 1/2 c. cooked beans)
3 celery stalks, thinly sliced on an extreme diagonal
1 1/2 c. good quality olive oil packed tuna broken into chunks
sprouts or pea shoots (optional)


To make the parsley vinaigrette, place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until wellcombined.
Place radicchio and arugula in a large bowl and drizzle with enough parsley vinaigrette to lightly coat the greens. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a large serving platter (or individual plates). Using the same bowl, toss 3-4 T. parsley vinaigrette with the cannelini beans and celery. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Arrange the beans mixture on top of the arugula and radicchio. Top the salad with the tuna and drizzle on more vinaigrette. Pile on some sprouts or pea shoots if you've got 'em.

Arugula Salad with Pear and Fennel

Sunday mornings.

In my dream world Sunday mornings go a little something like this:

Wake up without being dragged out of bed by my two dogs. 
Drink copious amounts of tea while preparing a huge brunch.. you know pancakes, french toast, eggs or something else decadent that will sit in my gut like a rock until dinner time. 
Then... I would sprawl out on my bed, read the New York Times and start drinking mimosas when the clock strikes noon (Don't judge... at least I wait 'till noon). 

Real life:

Wake up to the sound of dogs whining like they haven't eaten in weeks. Roll out of bed, trip on something, swear loudly.
Make some tea while feeding the dogs.. decide to take them for a long walk so I don't feel guilty if I don't leave the house the rest of the day.
Get harrased by my neighbor for letting my dogs poop in front of his house despite the fact I pick it up. Attempt to NOT go off on him, which rarely happens.
Come back inside. Drink my tea while trying to keep my dogs from humping each other (I told you... real life). Start to get hungry, then realize I have nothing to eat for breakfast in the house despite the fact I dropped $75 at the grocery store the day before.  You know.. on vitamins, flax oil and fancy salt. The necessities.
Think about eating popcorn and a drinking a beer at 10:30 a.m.
Decide I should eat something healthy to counteract all the martinis I had last night.. you know.. like a salad.
Pray that I have something I can throw together in less than 10 minutes.

Pull out some arugula, half a bulb of fennel and a bosc pear. Chop, chop, chop.

Make a quick dressing. Shake, shake.

Enjoy my salad while watching old episodes of real housewives of Atlanta, wishing I had some champagne to wash it down.

Arugula Salad with Pear and Fennel (serves 1-2)

This makes a great first course salad. If you are looking to make it a bit more substantial I think adding some shaved parmesan and a handful of roasted almonds would be amazing.


4 oz. Baby arugula (a couple large handfuls)
1 bosc pear, cored and sliced into thin pieces
1/2 fennel bulb, sliced thin
Shaved parmesan cheese (optional)
Roasted almonds, rough chopped (optional)

Simple champagne vinaigrette (this may make a bit more than you need, but keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days)

2 T. champagne vinegar
1 t. stoneground mustard
1 1/2 t. honey
1 T. minced shallot
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Place all ingredients in a small glass jar and shake it up.

Place arugula in a large bowl, add some dressing and toss to combine.  Transfer to a plate.  Add the fennel and pear to the bowl, toss with some dressing and pile on top of the arugula. Top with a little more dressing and some fresh cracked pepper.  If you're feeling naughty top with some shaved parmesan and chopped roasted almonds.

Roasted Beet Salad

It's cold and blustery and snowflakes are in the air.

My choice of dinner plans probably wasn't the most logical given the weather outside, but then again, when do I ever think logically about anything.

As much as I love vegetables, I'm really not much of a salad person. Unless, of course, it contains lots of croutons and cheese, with super fresh greens and a nice homemade vinaigrette.  Then... I'm game.

The greens at the farmers market are my top pick when making a big 'ol salad. This week they were calling my name. They're on the pricy side, but there is no comparison when it comes to freshness and flavor.  I snagged some arugula and pea shoots from Little Seed Gardens.  Pea shoots are pretty much one of the best things ever. So good.

I picked up a fresh baguette and made some croutons for crunch.

Beets made an appearance too. Roasting 'em is the way to go!

A simple vinaigrette and a little cheese is all you need to complete this delicious salad.

Don't be put off by all the steps. If you prep everything while your beets are roasting, this salad comes together in no time.  The beets, vinaigrette and croutons can also be made a day ahead and thrown together the next day for a quick salad.

Roasted Beet Salad (Makes 2 HUGE salads or 4 side salads)

Roasted Beets

1 lb. red beets, scrubbed clean. (I used about 8 small beets. The smaller ones cook alot faster too!)
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
sea salt

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange the beets in the center. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Fold up the sides of the foil to make a little package. Place the sheetpan in the oven and roast until you can easily pierce your beets with a knife. This can take anywhere between 45 minutes to an hour and a half depending on the size of your beets. I usually check them in 20 minute intervals. When beets are done, set aside until cool enough to handle. The skins should slide off easily, if not, a small paring knife can be used. Once the beets are peeled, cut into 1" cubes and set aside. Turn the oven down to 400 degrees to make the croutons.

Croutons

1/3 of a baguette, cut into 1/2" cubes (about 4 c.)
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves roasted garlic
1 T. lemon juice
1 t. dried thyme
1/4 t. sea salt

Make sure the oven is at 400 degrees. Place the olive oil, garlic, lemon, thyme, olive oil and sea salt in a blender or food processor and blend until creamy. Place the croutons in a bowl, pour the dressing on top and toss well to coat. Spread the croutons on a sheet pan and bake for 12-14 minutes until light brown.

Champagne Vinaigrette

2 T. champagne vinegar
1 t. dijon
1 1/2 t. honey
1 T. minced shallot
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Place all the ingredients in a small glass jar and shake the crap out of it for 10 seconds.

Now.... the assembly.

Place some arugula (or other salad green) and pea shoots (if using) in a large bowl, and toss with some of the dressing. Transfer your greens to a plate, and then toss some of the beets with a little dressing. Pile beets on the greens and top with croutons and a sprinkling of feta or goat cheese.

quinoa salad with radishes and snow peas

Things I love about summer:

Walking bearfoot in the grass. Drinking iced tea. White wine, sangria, cold beer and mojitos.  Sitting on the stoop. Fire pits. Farmers markets. Sandles.  Swimming in lakes. Minimal clothing.  Not having to wait 30 minutes to warm up my car. Longer days. Ice cream. Sunskissed skin. Walks with the dogs in the park. Canoeing. Swimming. And.... meals like this. 

Unfortunately the last few days have felt less like summer and more like hell (literally).  Temperatures have been creeping into the upper 90's and most of my free time has been spent sitting in my air conditioned apartment.  My appetite has been waning due to the heat and I am having little motivation to do anything with my oven. But.... a sistas gotta eat!

I broke out the quinoa, since it only takes 15-20 minutes to cook.

Quinoa  (keen-wa) is an amino acid rich seed that has a fluffy, nutty texture when cooked.  It's gluten free, super duper high in protein and is a complete protein as well (contains all 9 essenial amino acids). It's also a great source of fiber, manganese, iron and phosphorus. Holla!

Quinoa in it's natural state contains has a bitter coating of saponins which can make it taste icky. Give it a rinse in a fine mesh strainer before you cook it and you are good to go.

I make salads with quinoa as a base all the time.  I had some veggies and herbs left over from the farmers market so I chopped them up while the quinoa was cooking.

Quinoa with radishes and snow peas (serves 2-4)

2/3 c. quinoa
1 c. snowpeas, sliced on a diagonal
3/4 c. radishes, sliced
1/4 c. fresh mint, chopped
3 scallions, sliced
1/4 c. parsley, chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1/4 t. cracked black pepper
1/4-1/2 t. salt
2 T. olive oil
1/2 c. feta cheese

Bring 1 1/3 c water and a pinch of salt to a boil. Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh strainer.  Add to water, cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook for 15-20 minutes until the water is absorbed.  Remove from heat and let sit covered for 10 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl, and allow to cool to room temperature.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well to combine.
Serve over some lightly dressed salad greens or eat as is.