Last summer our family of five traveled to Arizona along the I-5 corridor making a surprise stop in Disneyland. I still remember the thrill in our daughter’s eyes when we woke up in a hotel to reveal our surprise of entering Disneyland that day. After an “let’s cram it all in” sort of day, weContinue reading “Summer Medley of Sliced Fennel, Beets, Radishes, & Carrots with Orange Vinaigrette”
Tag Archives: salad
Roasted Beet-Orange-Fennel & Shallot Salad Which My Seven Year old Loves
I have a love-love relationship for beets. As a child, the only way I could get them was found at the salad bar at a restaurant I affectionately called, “Tom & Tates.” I guess you could call me the oddball kid in the family (perfectly in the middle), who choked down dry lima beans, gladlyContinue reading “Roasted Beet-Orange-Fennel & Shallot Salad Which My Seven Year old Loves”
Kamille’s Ultimate Birthday Salad
If you like what you see, then check out the recipe for this taste bud popping “ultimate” salad. One Year Ago: Peach Pico de Gallo & Tina’s Pumpkin Spice Latte Two Years Ago: ‘Redemptive Love’ Sour Lemon Scones
Paleo Week 2: Harvest Salad
I told myself that I would not have any obligation to post everyday during this 30 day challenge, and I’m glad about it. I went to a conference this past weekend (Friday & Saturday) in Seattle. I was pleasantly surprised, because my expectations were very low. I went prepared, while carrying around my little strawberry tote bag everywhere, which was loaded with Paleo supplies (celery sticks, nuts, apple slices, hazelnut butter, etc). I also discovered that club soda is not nearly as awful when your taste buds have been devoid of sugar. In fact, the soda water was AMAZING!
It also must be said that I still miss chocolate, red wine, and ice cream doesn’t sound too bad. However, despite those non-L&G foods, I think I could see making this as part of our lifestyle. Not necessarily 100%, but in the high percentages. I will let you know about next week, because I’m told that come third week–your body feels better than good. The downside to the challenge during this second week is how my performance at the gym has been low. When running–my legs feel like lead. When lifting–my arms feel like noodles. I’m hoping week three will be better than good.
This salad is probably my go to salad. My friend Jessica fell in love with it that she went out to get the ingredients that day. And you can easily make it Paleo by nixing the blue cheese (just make sure the cranberries don’t have sugar with them).
A Year Ago: Roasting Pumpkin
Harvest Salad (printable recipe)
Ingredients:
Head of lettuce (romaine, red leaf, green leaf), washed, dried, & torn into bite sized pieces
1 apple (Gala, Fuji, Honeycrisp, whatever you want–just not Red Delicious)
1/2 cup toasted walnuts or pecans, chopped
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, Roquefort
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tb mustard (regular or dijon)
1 tsp dried basil (crunch it in your hands to release the oils)
Directions: Pretty straightforward, put the washed/torn lettuce into a big bowl. Sprinkle the nuts, dried cranberries, & blue cheese on the lettuce.
In a bowl or glass measuring cup, add extra virgin olive oil & balsamic vinegar. Add the mustard and whisk together. It should start to combine. Add the basil. No need to pour all of it on the salad, but start small and mix to combine. If you need a bit more, then add it:)
Paleo Day 2: Spinach Salad with sauteed shiitakes & subdued garlic
If only garlic started with an “S” then I’d have won for alliteration. It’s only day two and at this rate, not sure if posting everyday for the next 28 days is possible; however, let’s give it a shot (not going to try too many firsts here). Last Wednesday at my little gym, my coach Emilie led the “chalktalk” on this upcoming “Lean & Green Challenge,” where she laid out the ground rules, fears & ideas to rally the troops in to complete the mission. Challenge: “no grains, dairy, sugars, legumes for 30 days.” Well, that’s not TOO bad–right?!
But it got me thinking about the various people who have gone Paleo and never looked back. Their phrases were sung to the melody of “the hills are alive.” And the thing is, they didn’t have those looks that you can easily call out in a crowd as a bluff. They really were holding an ace high straight flush and want to lead as many people to the goods who will willingly follow. So, just in case you’re not following, after the 30 days, they didn’t want to go back. They didn’t want to go back to gluten-filled goodness, rice cakes (oops how did that get there), cream in their coffee, or a place where the beer flows like wine. Mostly, people didn’t want to go back to the gluten, because it affected their systems; however, seeing as half of my recipes here consist of that little beauty–I can’t help but get a little sad. To think of Christmas without having Vetekrans, a blustery Autumn weekend having Pumpkin Pecan Scones, or enjoying a getaway with my friends with Homemade Oreos. Seriously, never again (insert sad face).
As for day two–it’s close to over and I should be reporting to sleep duty. What I do know is this morning Ben did wake up to “nutty wife syndrome” (didn’t say it wasn’t coming), tonight was easier than last, and maybe, just maybe I won’t miss all of the said above items and long for this simple Spinach Salad (one can dream right). Sweet dreams friends!
A Year Ago: Pear, Apple, Cranberry Crisp
Spinach Salad with sautéed Shiitakes & Subdued Garlic (printable recipe)
Ingredients:
A whole bunch of washed, dried spinach (preferably pre-washed)
8 oz shiitake mushrooms, stems cut off and sliced
1-2 Tb almond oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tb olive oil
salt
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
freshly ground pepper
Directions: In a large bowl, put your spinach in it. In a medium saute pan and on medium heat, heat almond oil. Add the mushrooms and stir occasionally. Once they have gotten nice & sautéed, then add a pinch of salt. Put sautéed mushrooms atop the spinach.
With the same pan, add the olive oil (on medium-low heat) and add your minced garlic. Stir around and keep all the garlic simmering in the oil. You DO NOT want it to brown. Your simply simmering out the garlic to soften both texture & flavor (1 -1 1/2 minutes). Add a pinch of salt to garlic. Empty onto the mushroom & spinach.
Spread out the thinly sliced mushrooms atop. Drizzle a bit more olive oil (not too much) & grind some pepper.
Beet Salad Done Right!!
I’ve been suffering from a bit of writer’s block. In college when it came time to write my history papers I would fumble & fumble with the introduction. And that’s how it’s been feeling when I sit down to write a new post. I can’t seem to find just the right words to begin. But, in a way, it’s exactly how life is going in the here & now. Take breakfast for instance. It’s 8:00 and I’m actually showered & ready, so breakfast should be a snap. Not quite. When I came downstairs I found my “risen bread” to be not so risen, but quite fallen. I didn’t want to waste it, so I began thinking what I could do instead.
Then, insert two little girls under the age of four asking for, “Mama, can you put Shortcake Swing on?” Me: “Yes! (still looking baffled at my dough). And since I didn’t move in .milliseconds I was asked the same question again. Then, Tayers needed her boots on like sissy. Oh, but my hands were sticky, so go and wash, help with said boots, then back to dou…oh wait, there’s dirt all over the floor. Find broom. Another question asked of me. Me wondering if I had something I was doing in the kitchen. By the time I got back the dough was sticking to the board. Eventually, I made a sad excuse for a breakfast pizza (eggs cooking on top, dough a bit soggy [because it was intended for bread in the first place]); however, the girls didn’t seem to mind.
Oh, what I also forgot to mention was the time when we finally ate…oh about 9:15. Because what ensued from the time I started to the time I finished, well, I have no clue at this point in the afternoon. I do know that I lost my marbles at one time with a bit more boisterous mama (some call it shouting) saying, “I need to think! Out of the kitchen…get out of the kitchen!” I think I was the one who needed an immediate time out and my apologies & reminding myself in front of the girls how we are to “use our words.” That’s what my introductions to posts feel like. My life at present is like the first time I learned to drive stick, a whole bunch of jerking stops not knowing how (or if I should) to begin again.
But you know, I find a bit of solace amidst of all this (granted, it’s almost 8 hours later). As I was picking up the toys, hats, shoes from the floor for the umpteenth time I thought of the people without kids (whether it be the barren, the empty nester, etc) and how this mere “inconvenience” is full of life. Our home is full of non-stop chatting, laughter, cries, music, movement & breaths. The silence is more than appreciated & needed, but there’s something about that little voice after nap, which gladly says, “Hi Mama!” There’s something about it all that I wish I could stuff it into a bottle so it never fades. It’s contentment in these little things, that makes a Monday feel like a Friday. This little salad does just that. The acidity from the marinated beets, sweet licorice blend from the fennel, and the creaminess from the avocado. You could eat it by itself or put it on top of salad greens.
A Year Ago: Superlative Chocolate Chip Cookies & Cabbage-Apple Salad
Beet, Fennel, & Avocado Salad
This salad can be eaten without salad greens, or with. I found a good washed kind from my Farmer’s Market (had kale, mustard greens, herbs, bibb lettuce). Be sure you don’t throw out your beet greens. You can either saute them up with a little minced garlic, olive oil & salt for later. Or, chop them up to use as part of your salad greens for this here salad.
(printable recipe)
Ingredients:
1 bunch of beets (if you can get a variety sold at a Farmer’s Market–that would be optimal)
4-5 small fennel bulbs (or 2 big ones)
2 ripe avocados
Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
Kosher Salt or Sea Salt
Olive oil
Mixed Greens
Directions: Chop the beet greens off (save them for later use by steaming or cut up & put as part of your salad). Scrub the beets, but no need to peel them. Thinly slice them using a mandoline. Put them in a bowl and pour enough raw apple cider vinegar to cover them. Allow them to marinate for minimum 2 hours. Once your beets have marinated (I marinated mine for 3 1/2 hours), drain them & if you want to barely rinse them, go ahead.
Slice the fennel with the mandoline (think thin as well). Put them in a ice water bath, then transfer them to a salad spinner to get the water out. The ice water bath shrinks the fennel, allowing it to be crunchy.
Transfer the beets & fennel into a bowl. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on top, sprinkle with salt & cubed avocados as well. Lightly mix with your hands. Place a portion on top of mixed salad greens. Drizzle with a little bit more olive oil and you’re good to go.
Something Quick
So I made this yummy Salmon Chowder last night for our small group gathering, but I don’t have the recipe as it was a do it as I go sort of thing. The greatest part to me was the pureed celery root, which if you’ve never tried it you truly must and this is the season to do it. Quick, go do it before time runs out.
Aside from the salmon chowder, I have to say that I love my small group and how it’s made up. We are in this transition period. You know the transition of figuring out how to meet together, have adult conversations, while seven little monkeys all under the age of 3 are running, crying, & shouting around the house. Nonetheless, we’re figuring out our rhythms and it just might be working.
We meet twice a month as a large group where we share dinner. I make the main dish and everyone brings something else to share. It’s this beautiful meld of hospitality at it’s finest. We see each other as we are, much like the dishes we bring. The food doesn’t have to compliment one another, be exquisite, or honestly, it doesn’t even have to taste the best. What it is is that we are simply taking time to breathe, love, & enjoy one another.
Our meal last night was salmon chowder (which I took inventory of what I had and threw it in the pot), leftover salad from the previous night and some corn thrown in on top, freshly picked blueberries with sliced strawberries, and sliced watermelon from the day before. Then, there’s our group, a campus pastor, stay-at-home moms, linguist, financial advisor, nutritionist & physical trainer, baker & cook, horse instructor, engineering, & economist.
There is a realness and understanding that we don’t have it together, that we might come grumpy and distraught, that marriage isn’t easy when you have toddlers and babies, and we might even say some stupid, “why did I just say that?” sort of things. It’s not perfect, it’s not polished, and sometimes it’s not always fun, but I would say that there is a mutual appreciation, respect, honesty & love, which permeates through our gatherings.
Here’s something quick you can pull out with company, your family, or give to someone who needs it. It’s a combination of sweet, tangy & crunchy.
Cabbage-Apple Salad (printable recipe)
This recipe is adapted from Epicurious
Ingredients:
half of green cabbage, sliced thinly
2 apples, sliced thinly
1 cup chopped pecans
2 teaspoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
pinch of cayenne pepper
pinch of kosher salt
1/8 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Prepare:
Put butter in a skillet over medium-high heat till melted. Add pecans and stir to coat them. Cook while stirring for about one minute. Add brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne & salt; stir till nuts are coated, about 1 minute. Transfer nuts to foil or parchment paper to cool.
Combine olive oil, rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar, & dijon mustard. Stir to combine & set aside.
Put your sliced cabbage & apples in a bowl. Add your nuts and pour dressing on top. Combine and serve.
Heirloom Tomato & Watermelon Salad
There is so much going on around our house, well actually not really right now. It’s more like there’s so much going to happen within our family. My little nephew Lucas will be going in tomorrow to have an MRI to check the growth of his brain. At his six-month check-up the doctor was concerned about the growth of his head, because it was on the small side. She reassured my sister-in-law that it was either because he simply has a small head or his skull is already fusing together. If it was the later, then they would do surgery to ensure proper growth.
Well, he went in for a cat scan last week where the news wasn’t either of the possibilities. The technician reported that the scan showed there was some sort of pressure (I hate the ambiguity from doctor reports), which means he has to be sedated to have an MRI. Not as if that’s not enough stress, anxiety, & fear to put on a mama, but his appointment isn’t until 2pm. If you’ve never experienced an MRI than you might be a little lost as to why the appointment time is a big deal…bear with me. Our oldest had an MRI when she was 14 months, but it was first thing in the morning. They make you fast, but not just an hour beforehand–it’s much longer. So for dear Lucas, he won’t be able to eat anything after 7 am and then only clear liquids from that point until 11 am. After 11 am he isn’t allowed to eat or drink anything! I thought it was hard for my 14 month old, but for a 6 month old this really is difficult.
The good news is my brother, sister-in-law and nephew will be flying from AZ to see us on Wednesday. I get so giddy when family, friends, or guests come to stay with us, especially if they’ve never (or hardly) been to our neck of the woods. I think of all the food I get to make, the lazy morning Americanos or lattes to drink, walks by the water, and evenings on the deck while the kids go to sleep.
Even though I’m super excited to see them, I’m wearing a heavy heart for Adrienne as a mama who’s going through this with her little boy. I know the heart strings that get pulled when it comes to your child–it’s personal and we mothers can’t think logically. Our minds wander into that pit of fear and “what if’s?” Plus, they’ll be here when they get the results back from the MRI. If it’s good news than we get to rejoice and celebrate. But what if it’s bad news? We’ll embrace one another and cry, question God and ask him why is this happening to this young life?
The thing about it is I’m remaining hopeful for dear, sweet Lucas. I truly believe the MRI will come back as nothing. That the doctors will call on Thursday with positive news. That the only thing they found is that Lucas simply has a small head and the CAT scan was incorrect. It’s like the ultrasound at 19 weeks with my first and the doctor reported that there was a shadow under the left ventricle of the heart, which meant a possibility of Down’s Syndrome. I knew that everything was fine with my baby–I had a peace like on a warm summer day when there’s a gentle breeze ushering in from the water as the sun kisses your skin. There’s no threat of rain clouds or fear of a storm approaching. And I see Lucas sitting between his daddy & mama right next to me on the grass in that peace.
Heirloom Tomato & Watermelon Salad (printable recipe)
So come Thursday, I hope to make this wonderful salad again in celebration of good news!
Ingredients:
- 3 lbs variety of heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges (try the Green Zebra)
- 1 small watermelon, cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1/2 red onion, cut into 1-in slices
- 1 or 2 avocados, cut into chunks
- 2 sprigs tarragon, take off stem (you can also add chopped basil)
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 3 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
- Kosher Salt & Ground Pepper
Combine tomatoes, watermelon, avocado, & red onions in large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and mix with hands. In a measuring cup or large cup combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, tarragon, and salt and pepper to taste. Dump onto fruit. Mix it up. Grab a bowl and fork and dive in.
Barley-Kale Salad
I made this very yummy salad from this wonderful blog. Now if you were to tell me that I would like kale years ago I would think you were crazy. I remember tasting it many moons ago thinking, “This is rabbit food, except worst!” Well, I have changed my mind since and I plead with you to do the same if you are one who thinks eating rabbit food sounds pretty crummy.
I was originally going to serve this along side roasted chicken, but thought to myself, “there’s carbs and protein in it–why do I need to defrost chicken? Plus, it’s a wonderful sunny day and eating this salad just makes me feel healthy (we won’t talk about the two chocolate ganache cupcakes I ate though–will we).”
Plus, I’m always trying to find ways to incorporate the grain world with the vegetable world outside of a pasta salad. So if you’re simply wanting to make dinner, or make a side dish for guests coming over, or going to a celebration–this is a great summer salad (or not summer) to make.
**Plus the great thing about kale is it doesn’t wilt if you put dressing on it and store it in the fridge to eat the next day.
Birthday Barley Salad Recipe from www.inpraiseofleftovers.com
Salad Ingredients:
2 cups barley
1 head curly kale, washed, ribbed, and finely chopped
1 c. roasted pecans
1/2 c. dried cherries, roughly chopped
1/2 c. crumbled Danish blue cheese (or other firm blue cheese)
zest from one lemon
Dressing:
1 minced garlic clove
salt and pepper to taste (don’t be shy with your salt!)
1/2 ts. smoked paprika
4 Tb. apple cider vinegar
2 Tb. honey
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 red onion, cut into thin rings
For dressing: Mix the first five ingredients in a large measuring cup. Whisk in olive oil until emulsified. Season to taste. Drop in onions and let them marinate for at least 20 minutes.
For salad: Cook barley in lots of boiling water for about 45 minutes. There needs to be plenty of water so it won’t stick together–you want the grains to be separate. After it’s done (grains will be soft, but still a little chewy), drain it and run cold water over it. You can do this one day ahead if you want.
Toss barley with kale and most of the pecans, blue cheese, dried cherries, and dressing. I use my hands to do this. Scatter some of the remaining ingredients, the lemon zest, and a few marinated onions from the dressing over the top. I always like my audience to know exactly what’s in the salad just by looking at it. Grind a bit more pepper if you like.
Backdoor Hospitality 