{asian salad}

a really great way to get your veggies and mix up the flavors! the peanut butter gives this a nutty flavor as well as a tiny bit of hearty creaminess.

{asian salad}

adapted from hungry girl

INGREDIENTS

1 16oz package broccoli slaw mix (a bagged mixture of shredded broccoli and cabbage)

1 cup canned mandarin orange slices

2 cups shelled and cooked edamame beans (find shelled edamame in the frozen vegetable section)

1/3 c. cilantro leaves

2 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes or 1 T. sriracha sauce

1/3 to 1/2 c. asian dressing such as Newman's Own Low Fat Sesame Ginger dressing. I used Central Market's Ginger Sesame Vinaigrette 

1/4 to 1/3 cup peanut butter.

{additional veggie options}

1 cup steamed broccoli

1 cup steamed snap peas

1/2 c. water chestnuts

1 cup steamed asparagus pieces

DIRECTIONS

Whisk together pepper flakes or sauce with dressing and peanut butter. Toss well with combined slaw mix, cilantro and edamame. Chill covered for at least and hour before serving. Adapt to taste!

steak salad

Hey look! A man salad.
This was a great summer dinner that kept Taylor feeling he'd been heartily cooked for and involved a tasty little portion of red meat that I didn't mind eating. {read: not ground beef}

steak salad
serves 2
INGREDIENTS
3/4 lb strip steak
2 heaping cups arugula
2 heaping cups baby spinach
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 to 1/3 avocado, chopped
1/4 cup red bell peppers, diced
1 tablespoon seasoning salt
red wine vinaigrette dressing {recipe below}
cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
DIRECTIONS
Heat skillet to high heat. Season steak generously with Worcestershire sauce and cracked pepper and rub in to both sides. Add steak to skillet and cook about 2 minutes on each side, until internal temperature reaches around 130 degrees. Transfer to cutting board and allow to sit for 1 to 2 minutes. While meat is resting, divide vegetables evenly among two rimmed plates and toss with desired amount of dressing and seasoning salt.

Cut meat into thin strips, trimming as desired, and then cut each strip in half. Top tossed salads with steak.

red wine vinaigrette
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Add all ingredients together and whisk in the oil.

I served this with some roasted "old" potatoes, kind of a twist on steak and potatoes, but it probably would have been better with some good, toasted crusty bread.

orzo pasta with chicken, peppers and arugula

I'd never had, much less made anything with orzo pasta. I really liked it, and a little bit goes a long way. One serving size is 1/2 of a cup dry and I found that, once cooked very satisfying. I also liked that I could buy exactly the amount I wanted in HEB's bulk section and only pay a dollar and some change. That section is great when I need a little special ingredient but don't want to buy a large portion of it; or if I want to try something new --like orzo!
This is a great base for any veggies you have sitting around. I've been into arugula and have been finding tons of places in which to throw it. Definitely toast the pine nuts.

orzo pasta with chicken and arugula
{serves 4}
INGREDIENTS
2 T. olive oil
1 small shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 of a red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
2 cups arugula
1 1/2 cups orzo pasta
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted*
1/8 to 1/4 cup lemon vinaigrette dressing**
DIRECTIONS
*{toasting pine nuts: add to dry pot on medium heat, stirring occasionally until slightly browned and fragrant}

Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add orzo pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain. Add to large bowl with toasted pine nuts and set aside. I toasted the nuts in the same pot, once the pasta was finished.

While pasta is cooking, pour 2 tablespoons olive oil into non-stick or cast iron skillet. Stir in onion, peppers and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent, add garlic and cook 2 more minutes, stirring often. Increase heat to medium high, pour in white wine; cook about 3 minutes. Liquid should simmer and reduce significantly.
Reduce heat to low, stir in chicken and arugula. Cover, and cook to warm through, about 3 minutes. Uncover and stir until arugula is wilted. Add mixture to orzo and pine nuts and toss with dressing.

You may need a little less pasta than that and perhaps a bit more dressing. I plated ours and added the chicken, pepper, arugula mixture and dressing separately to each plate to be sure the proportions were right. Then tossed.

**{if you don't want to make my lemon vinaigrette, you can also toss this with about 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil and a squirt of dijon mustard, or go a different route and do balsamic vinaigrette}

lemon vinaigrette dressing

Homemade dressing is a pretty simple way to make a simple salad feel more special.
I tossed this dressing with arugula, chopped tomatoes, toasted pine nuts and feta cheese. It would be great poured over steamed asparagus or even as a light topping for a summer pasta.
lemon vinaigrette dressing
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon sugar
DIRECTIONS
Whisk all ingredients in bowl to blend. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Bring to room temperature before using.)


{photos belongs to mharvey75 and wineandchocolate}

chicken salad

Taylor prefers his chicken salad done pretty plain. He likes Kitchen Door's Austin award winning chicken salad. I, on the other hand, prefer my chicken salad to have much more action-packed chunkiness going on than just chicken and mayo. Plus that wouldn't be exciting food blog fodder. "Shred chicken, mix with mayo. Eat on white bread." So here's my type of chicken salad.


Chunky Chicken Salad
{serves 4}
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken
2/3 cup grapes, cut into eighths
1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/3 cup diced onions, cooked
1/4 cup celery, diced
1/2 tablespoon honey
3 teaspoons cracked pepper
3 teaspoons seasoning salt
2 teaspoons fresh tarragon, chopped
1/3 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise. I used Kraft's new kind made with olive oil.
DIRECTIONS
Combine first four ingredients. Add the honey and then remaining ingredients to taste. Serve stuffed in a big, ripe, yummy tomato or on a bed of lettuce with avocado slices. Or on your favorite toasted bread. The options are limitless, really.
{notes and modifications}
I used a combination of leftover grilled chicken breast and rotisserie chicken meat. Whole Foods makes theirs by adding a little bit of apple cider vinegar. Try that if you like, it sounds good but I make no endorsements since I didn't do it myself. I diced my onions, then zapped them in the microwave for about 2 minutes. You can toast the pecans by placing in dry skillet on medium low and stirring for about 3-5 minutes.


Oh, and please do not get the impression that I'm knocking Kitchen Door. They have good ice.
And oatmeal cookies and frosted cookies and brownies. But I'm sad they left Lake Austin Blvd. Moment of silence...

{image belongs to scottishcow}

tex mex summer salad

Wondering what to do with that avocado now, since you only used 1/6th of it for your sandwich on Saturday? Make a scrumptious little salad! Depending on how generous you feel like being with that avocado, and whether or not you want to add black beans, this could even be a meal.
Cast of characters, minus a few of the flavorings.

tex mex summer salad
INGREDIENTS
1 large avocado
2 roma tomatoes
juice from one lime
1 1/2 cup corn kernels (I used canned)
1 1/2 cup cooked black beans (I'd use canned...but had none)
2 tsp. yellow mustard
1/4 to 1/3 c. finely chopped cilantro
2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
3 tsp salt or seasoning salt
2 tsp chili powder
DIRECTIONS
Dice avocado and tomatoes and add to medium sized bowl with corn and black beans. Add lime juice, cilantro and spices and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and chill 30 minutes to a hour before serving.

Perhaps you can tell that my avocado was quite ripe. Great for below sandwich, still tasty but a little mushy for this salad. Chilling this before serving not only enhances the refreshing aspect of the salad but also allows the flavors to blend. Obviously this is quite flexible and I suggest you taste it as you add spices... diced peppers like red or jalapenos would be another great addition. Squeezing a bit of orange into it would probably be really good as well. This could also be a yummy topping for fajitas or grilled shrimp tacos or even salmon. So easy, so versatile, what's not to love?

hummus among us

The raw garlic makes the hummus spicy so only add one clove if you're interested in toning it down. Black beans and maybe a dash of paprika or nutmeg (probably not those two spices simultaneously) would also add a different flavor. If you don't have a food processor and aren't interested in purchasing one based upon my recommendation, you could also do this with a potato masher tool or even a fork. Perhaps a blender as well as long as you were generous with the olive oil. Very easy and really good. If you're one of my girlfriends who can make itty bitty meals without worrying about starving a non-existent husband, you should really try this. Or if your significant other doesn't mind stashing his carnivoirish tendencies for a night. Mine minds. But I personally spread this out into about three meals.
Chickpeas are a legume that, like all legumes, are high in protein and fiber and low in fat and cholesterol. Adding black beans will not only amp up the flavor but the protein and fiber content as well. Since the only meats I ever really eat are chicken and salmon, I'm enjoying figuring out some protein varieties to add to my repertoire. If you get canned chickpeas and black beans look for the low sodium ones.

Spicy Hummus Pitas
INGREDIENTS
1 15 oz can chickpeas / garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 - 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/4 c. olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
pita bread pockets
{recommended variations}
sliced cucumbers
sliced roma or cherry tomatoes
baby spinach leaves
DIRECTIONS
Place all ingredients in food processor. Pulse until creamy. Add pepper, salt, lemon juice to taste or more olive oil if it’s not smooth enough.

Envelope pita(s) in foil and place under broiler on low for about 3 minutes. Uncover and allow to toast for 1 to 2 min on each side. Add hummus and any additional desired ingredients.There's a "digital macro" shot of my garlic press. I'm still trying to figure out the settings on my point and shoot and the "maco" setting is much better than the "digital macro" setting. Hence the unacceptable fuzziness of this shot. Regardless, this is a trusty little garlic press and I just wanted to show it off.My supporting actress of choice is the Nature's Choice Sweet Cherubs. If I had cucumbers they would have been diced up and thown in there too. I'm sorry I had already begun to devour my dinner before taking this picture.