Although hearty cold salads are a staple at summer picnics and outdoor gatherings, you shouldn’t wait that long to try this broccoli salad slathered with a creamy tangy kick-ass tahini honey dressing that has, what some may call, the boring broccoli, doing cartwheels. And just look at those bright colors – hello happy school or work lunches!
Warmed Chickpea Cauliflower Mango Salad (gluten free, nut free, soy free, vegan)
And just like that, summer came and went, and we jumped into back-to-school mode. Michael and Ely were excited to go to their ‘big’ middle school. My teenage sophomore was somewhat excited but now especially thrilled joining the yearbook committee and being elected president of the tech club (he’s a pretty tech savvy dude and definitely didn’t get that from his mother). We eased into the routine nicely until Michael’s school nurse called to tell me he has rashes all over his body… exactly at the point I was about to add the flour blend to my pumpkin spice muffin batter (so good and coming to the blog SOON) as one does when one is itching for pumpkin spice. Panic!
Classic Caesar Salad (gluten free, dairy free, egg free, soy free)
Caesar salad lovers rejoice!
Has it been way too long since you’ve had a caesar salad? A real caesar salad? Me too. This may not be the real thing but holy YUM is this close. You need this in your life, my friends.
If you think about it, there is really nothing original or unusual about a caesar salad yet it has been a popular starter since the 40’s. Some romaine lettuce leaves, dressing and cubed bread, yet when made with fresh garlic, crisp greens, and the right type of anchovy you have something extraordinary. This was one of my favorite salads way back when gluten and dairy were my so-called friends. And not something that can be made on-the-fly, you know. I tried. The catch: the dressing contains gluten, dairy, and egg. Oh right, that.
Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad with Persimmon, Jicama, and Coconut Chips
With Thanksgiving days away, I have been thinking about all the things I’m grateful for. Grateful for my family, friends, health, and you, my cyber friends for keeping my life colorful, constant and memorable – blessings I cherish. And, I don’t care how cheesy this sounds, but I want to say THANK YOU, my dear blog friends! YOU make this little hobby of mine so much fun! Seriously, something that started out as a way to journal new recipes on a new journey of food became more than I would have ever thought.
Simple End of Summer Peach Arugula Salad
Summer stone fruit has nearly run its’ course, which I take cue overstuffing my farmer’s markets bag (lucky to have this in southern California) without a care in the world as to what I’m going to do with them.
Stone fruit: they have a way of figuring these things out like ending up in this simple salad, or here or here. Though I’m a sucker for fruit desserts, I will admit sometimes there’s nothing better than leaning over the kitchen sink (preferably an empty sink) eating a big fat peach with its’ juices dripping down my chin, or arm, as I take a minute to enjoy the moment.
Easy Cherry Quinoa Salad + Honey Ginger Dressing
Michael and Ely (my twin boys) started school today (5th grade already!), Mr. teenager started high school (yikes!) last week. With all three in school now I decided to take a breather for a minute to enjoy some quiet time sitting outside, slowly sipping my americano and letting the sounds of nature consume me.
Blood Orange and Fennel Salad
This may be exactly what one needs after indulging on Super Bowl Sunday. And that one is me. If you over-indulged like I did, this one’s for you – not exactly a detox salad, but close.
Even me, who is not big on football, enjoys watching the game (what a close game it was!) so long as there is plenty of guacamole, chips, and pretzels … food I brought over to our friend’s house (who happens to have a huge TV, perfect for watching a bunch of guys tackle each other, don’t you think?) just in case there may not be anything my family can eat. So, to prevent any awkwardness I usually bring gluten/dairy/soy free food everyone can enjoy … the funny thing is nobody notices it’s gf/df/sf most of the time, they just eat. “Mangia, mangia!”
Chinese Chicken Salad
I adapted this Chinese Chicken Salad for dinner last night. I had the “original” (minus the noodles) while out with a friend at this popular pizza chain restaurant last week. As I’m eating, I thought: “Why not make this salad for dinner? … something light after all the sweets we have been eating since Thanksgiving”. Not that that’s all I have been feeding my brood, but it kinda feels that way. A light, easy dinner is just what we needed.
Black Rice with Curry Seasonal Vegetables
We had black rice with curried vegetables for dinner tonight. Black rice is a new food for our table. A food everyone embraced with enthusiasm, as they dug into a bowl of black and orange food. Fun food because it’s so out of the ordinary to see black rice on their plates. Or should I say Halloween food. It is Halloween week after all, why not have a little fun with food, right?
Watermelon Panzanella Salad
For a simple weeknight dinner that is full of seasonal bright flavors you must try my twist on a classic panzanella salad…with watermelon! You may think of watermelon as too sweet for this recipe, but let me tell you it’s really, really good in this salad. I will warn you that the croutons are addictive, I tend to pop more than a few in my mouth as I’m preparing the salad. I also make them for salads and grind them in the food processor for an herbed breadcrumb. I serve this with a roast chicken as our protein…