Banh Mi Salad

Homemade pickled radish, carrots, and jalapenos.

Shredded veggies.

Pulled chicken.

If Banh Mi ever came in the form of a salad - this is it!

The pickles are inspired by Eva Tolenko.  Although she calls them Taco Pickles, they screamed Banh Mi when I saw them.  I used a mandolin slicer to cut the veggies and let them sit overnight.  Feel free to let them sit longer and they should stay good in the fridge for about a month.

Of course my favorite kale and cabbage salad combo made the base to this one, for some extra crunch and flavor I also added chopped celery.

For those of you who have never made pulled chicken before - don't worry, neither had I!

I compared a few recipes and the general method is to sear the chicken for a few minutes on each side, then to cover it with liquid and simmer it until it is done cooking.  The chicken will absorb any flavors that are in the liquid you use soy sauce, ginger, and garlic are great easy choices for this flavor fusion!

Pulled Pickle Salad

Ingredients

For the Pickles

• 1 small carrot, peeled
• 3 jalapenos
• 4 radishes
• 1/4 c boiling water
• 1 T sugar
• 2 t salt
• 1/2 c vinegar
• 1/4 t coriander

For the Chicken

• 1 lb chicken thighs, fat trimmed off
• 3 T oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 T soy sauce
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/4 t red pepper
• 1/4 t smoked sea salt

For the Salad

• 4 large leaves kale, de-ribbed and thinly chopped
• 1/2 sm purple cabbage, thinly sliced with mandolin or knife
• 2 ribs celery, sliced

For the Dressing

• 1/4 c cilantro
• 2 limes, juiced
• 2 T oil or tahini
• Salt and pepper to taste

Optional Garnish: fresh cilantro, sprinkling of sesame oil

Combine

1. Slice the carrots, jalapenos, and radishes into coins and stuff into a clean mason jar.
2. Boil water, dissolve the sugar and salt in the water, then stir in the vinegar and coriander.
3. Pour as much of the vinegar mixture into the mason jar.  If you have space, add extra vinegar then let the pickles sit overnight.
4. Trim the fat off your chicken thighs and heat some oil in a large sauce pan or pot.  Sear the chicken on each side for a few minutes, adding the garlic to the pan halfway through.
5. Add the soy sauce, lime juice, red pepper, and sea salt to the pan then cover the chicken the rest of the way with water.  Bring to a boil then simmer for 10-15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
6. Put the chicken in a bowl and use two sturdy forks to pull all of the meat away from the bones and shred into pieces.
7. While you wait for the chicken to cook, chop your kale and slice your cabbage and celery.
8. Puree the ingredients for the dressing in a blender then toss with the kale mixture until well coated.
9. Top with pickles, pulled chicken, fresh cilantro, a sprinkling of sesame oil, and enjoy!

A Southern Salmon

Although salmon is northern native, this particular fishy decided to rock a little southern flair!


After being rubbed with chipotle for a smokey, spicy bang, drizzled with lime juice, then topped with roasted corn and black bean salsa - how could you not be a fan of it's change in regional inspiration?

Note: if you don't handle heat well, I recommend going easy on the red pepper flakes or adding a little bit of a creamy dressing to the spinach to balance out the spice!

Chipotle Salmon with Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Ingredients

For the Salmon

• 12 ounces salmon
• Lime juice
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• 1/2 t garlic powder
• 1/2 t cumin
• 1/4 t chipotle powder
• 1/4 t red pepper flakes

For the Salsa

• 1 c cilantro, roughly chopped and loosely packed
• 1 can black beans, rinsed very well
• 1 small shallot, diced
• 1 ear of corn, roasted and kernelled
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1-2 T olive oil

For the Meal

• Large handful of spinach
• Feta crumbles
• limes

Combine

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Drizzle the salmon with lime juice then sprinkle with spices.
3. Toss in the oven for 15-20 minutes until cooked to your liking.
4. While you wait toss the ingredients for the salsa together.
5. Top a bed of spinach with a serving of salmon, then sprinkle with salsa, feta, and extra lime juice and enjoy!

Just Peachy

In case you can't tell I am hanging on to the end of peach season by the very tip of my fingers.


Not only is this salad is a great way to enjoy the last bits of the harvest but it's also super quick to throw together, so even if you're not having a hard time saying goodbye to the foods of summer it's well worth it!

Spinach, mixed greens, or arugula make the best base to this one.  You need something hearty enough to stand behind the contrast of flavors going on but not so strong that it steals the show, read: avoid kale!  I highly suggest choosing a "spicy" meat to balance out the sweet fruit and creamy cheese but prosciutto or bacon are also great.

Ricotta and Peach Salad

Ingredients

• Large handful of spinach
• Nectarine or peach, sliced
• 1/4 c ricotta
• a few slices of prosciutto, sopressata, or cooked bacon crumbles

For the Balsamic

• 2 T balsamic vinegar
• 1 T olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/4 onion
• salt and pepper to taste

Combine

1. Toss all the ingredients for the dressing in a blender and process until smooth.
2. Top spinach with ricotta, sliced fruit, and sausage, then toss with balsamic.
3. Enjoy!

Ratatouille

 

Ratatouille is not a dish I grew up eating but at some point I got my heart set on trying this delicious, fresh flavor combination.

Next thing I knew I had spent a few hours comparing endless recipes and finally came up with a basic mix that sounded standard and simple.

Although ratatouille is a very traditional dish, I've experimented with flavors over the years and like mine the best when it includes savory flavors of bay, thyme, and marjoram, in addition to some capers and a splash of white wine.  For this meal I ate it with a quick "risotto" but it is also delicious with a herb-roasted chicken!

Ratatouille with Creamy Rice

Ingredients

For the Ratatouille

• 1 small eggplant
• butter as needed
• 1 sweet onion
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 3 small zucchini
• 1 red pepper
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 t thyme
• 1 t marjoram
• 2 t red pepper flakes
• 2 t salt
• 1 t black pepper
• 1 28-oz can of diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1 T capers
• a splash of white white

For the rice

• 1 c brown rice + 2 c water + 1 T butter + pinch of salt
• 1 large handful of spinach, chopped
• 2 T goat cheese + 1 t horseradish
• salt and pepper to taste

Combine

For the Ratatouille

1. Dice your eggplant, sprinkle generously with salt, and set aside in a large container for 20-30 minutes.
2. While you wait chop up the red pepper, onion, zucchini, and garlic.
3. Juices will have released from the eggplant - drain them off, rinse the salt off the eggplant, then pat dry.
4. In a large pot, heat a few tablespoons of butter over medium heat.  Drop the onion in and saute for 5 minutes until they are starting to turn translucent and yellow.
5. Add the garlic and saute for another 2 minutes.
6. Add the eggplant and saute for 5-7 minutes, until the pieces start turning from white to a golden yellow.
7. Add the red pepper, zucchini, bay leaves, thyme, marjoram, red pepper, salt, black pepper, and white wine if including or more butter if not.  Cook for another 5 minutes until the zucchini and pepper are softened.
8. Add the tomatoes and capers and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
9. Add salt and pepper to taste then enjoy over the rice!

For the Rice

1. Rinse the rice then add to 2 cups of boiling water with a pinch of salt and tablespoon of butter.
2. Boil the rice over high heat until the water starts to become level with the rice, then reduce the heat to medium low and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally.
3. Add more water as needed and continue to stir gently.
4. When the water is reduced almost all the way stir in the spinach, horseradish goat cheese, and salt and pepper to taste until spinach is wilted.
5. Remove from heat and enjoy!

Transitioning

Cold weather is coming and there is no better way to get your body winter ready than by eating delicious pasta dinners!

This sauce is quick to make, has a slightly smokey flavor from the paprika, includes spicy harissa to warm you up in the fall and winter months, and includes a hint of balsamic to help ease us out of summer flavors.  If you don't have harissa, it's okay to add some red pepper flakes instead!

Smokey Pasta with Chicken, Tomatoes, and Greens

Ingredients

• 1 c pasta of choice
• 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 lb chicken, sliced into thin strips and lightly oiled, salted, and peppered.
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 2 t dried basil or oregano
• 1/2 t smoked paprika
• 2 T balsamic + 1 T tomato paste + 1 T harissa, whisked
• 2 t capers
• 2 large handfuls of arugula
• Olive oil as needed

Optional

• Parmesan to garnish

Combine

1. Fill a pot with salted water and bring to a boil over high heat.  Dump in the pasta and cook accordingly.
2. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  When the oil is shiny, add the onion to the pan and saute for 5-7 minutes until softened.
3. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute until fragrant.
4. Push the veggies to the edges of the pan, add a little more oil, then place the chicken in the center without overlapping the pieces.
5. Once the edges of the chicken start to turn white, flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
6. Add in the tomato, basil, paprika, balsamic, tomato paste, harissa, and capers.
7. Stir until the ingredients are well combined and the chicken is cooked through (5-7 minutes).
8. Add the drained pasta and arugula and toss until well coated.
9. Garnish with parmesan and enjoy!

Asian Fusion Salad

Asian Fusion salads have been cropping up all over the place and after having versions in two different restaurants I fell in love and decided it was time to take this recipe home!


The beauty of this salad is the balance of the flavors that can be found through many different combinations.   The sweet, the salty, the citrus - it's amazing!  The basis is a bunch of shredded veggies tossed with something sweet, some nuts, a fusion dressing and a protein.  Adding a light cheese or some sliced avocado is always a good idea and a great way to keep this salad vegetarian.


In this version kale is mellowed with lime juice, sweet carrots and apples, marinated chicken breast, and roasted, salted peanuts, but as suggested above feel free to make any desired substitution: for a sweeter salad try tossing in beets or raisins; if you are nuts for nuts, try using raw almonds or something flavored like spiced pepitas or honey roasted peanuts; if you don't like kale even iceberg lettuce will taste good in this mix.  As long as the dressing is kept in line with the same balance of salty, sweet, and acidic, any combination should be great!

Fusion Salad

Ingredients

• 5 Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced/chopped
• 2 sm carrots, peeled and grated
• 1 sm. apple, chopped into strips
• 4 large leaves kale, washed and chopped
• 1 lime, juiced
• Roasted salted peanuts as desired
• 1/2 t sesame oil

For the chicken

• 1 lb chicken breasts, cleaned
• 2 T olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 t red pepper
• 1 T soy sauce
• 1 T apple cider vinegar
• 1 T honey
• 1/4 t garlic powder
• 1 inch ginger, grated

Combine

1. Wash and chop your veggies, place them in a large mixing bowl, toss with the lime juice until covered, then set aside.
2. Trim the chicken, rub with a little oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat then brown the chicken on each side and cook through until internal temperature is 160 degrees.
3. Whisk the red pepper, soy, vinegar, honey, garlic, and ginger. Cut the cooked chicken into slices then toss with the sauce.
4. Top the salad with the chicken and extra sauce.
5. Sprinkle with sesame oil and peanuts and enjoy!

Monday Muffins

When baking I sometimes find myself thinking "how the shit is this going to come together?"

Usually if you're thinking something looks wrong while making a recipe, you are right.   Batter that is too clumpy or too runny is hard to fix but I've come up with a few guidelines that have helped me improve my baking.

First off, make sure you're measuring your flour correctly!  Reading this method from Sally's Baking Addiction completely revolutionized my baking adventures.

Although it's tempting to cut the sugar, cut the oil, add wheat flour - don't change a recipe too much the first time you try it!  Until you know what product you're manipulating, you're better off waiting until the next time you make it.  When that time comes around make sure you compare your adjustments to a recipe that is tried and true.

Know what flavors and textures you like and try to bring them into your baking.  It's the only way to make a recipe your own and you're guaranteed to like the product better - especially if it doesn't come out perfectly the first time you make it!

While making this recipe I kind of broke rule two but stuck hard to rules one and three.

I started with this recipe from Green Kitchen Stories, and compared it to my favorite blueberry muffin recipe to make sure my changes weren't going to be drastically different from a recipe I know works out.

The results were so great that I tried one, immediately ate another, then quickly froze half of the batch so I could make sure some would last for breakfast next week!

Cranberry Cacao Almond Muffins

Dry Ingredients

• 1 c almonds
• 1 c old fashioned oats
• 1/3 c cacao nibs, raw and unsweetened
• 2/3 c wheat flour
• 1 t baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/2 t cardamom
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1/2 t salt
• 2 T chia seeds
• 1/2 c cranberries

Wet ingredients

• 3 medium eggs, beaten
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 5 oz greek yogurt
• 3 oz oil
• 1 t vanilla
• 1/4 c milk

Combine

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and use a towel and a dab of shortening to grease a muffin tin.
2. Drop the almonds, oats, and cacao nibs into your food processor and blend on medium speed for ~3 minutes, until mixture consists of large crumbs.
3. Remove the blade, then whisk in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, cinnamon, salt, and chia seeds until evenly combined.  Toss in the cranberries and whisk again making sure the cranberries don't clump.
4. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl.  Whisk in the brown sugar, then gently fold in the yogurt, oil, vanilla, and milk.
5. Fold the wet and dry ingredients together.
6. Drop 1/4 cups of the batter into your muffin tin.
7. Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through.
8. Enjoy!

On Drinking Green

Things I miss about Massachusetts include this kale smoothie from Woodstar Cafe.

Although it isn't their exact recipe, this version has done a pretty good job holding me over until I finish trying every smoothie cart and juice bar in The City to find my new favorite.

Tropical flavors of banana, mango, and orange bring out the best of kale's health aspects while masking its bitterness.  Greek yogurt adds protein and balances the kick from the fresh ginger.  Sprulina and lemon brighten up the drink while flax grounds it with a little nuttiness.

If you like your smoothies sweet try adding a splash of honey!

Woodstar's Green Smoothie

Ingredients (makes 2)

• 1 1/2 c kale, washed and chopped
• 1 banana, sliced
• 1 mango (or a second banana), peeled and chopped
• 6 oz greek yogurt
• 2 inches ginger, peeled
• 12 oz orange juice
• 2 T flax or chia seeds
• 1-2 T sprulina powder 
• squeeze of lemon

Optional: 1 T honey

Combine

1. Add all ingredients to a blender and process until smooth.
2. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate to enjoy chilled.
3. Stays good in fridge for 3-5 days.

Don't salt, just feta.

Yes, you read that right.

All you crazy people putting salt on your watermelon can stop before you start, all you really need is feta!

It's a classic that not many people know about but now that you're set straight you can move on to eating this ideal end of the summer meal.

The chicken has a mustard-y kick and is a great alternative to the sweet honey-mustard recipes that are too common, the quinoa salad is adjusted from Equinox because watermelon, feta, and basil are the best, and of course no meal would be complete without kale.

Enjoy!

Mustard Chicken with Basil Melon Quinoa + Balsamic Kale

Ingredients

For the Chicken

• 1 lb chicken, thinly sliced
• Olive oil as needed
• 2 t mustard seeds for sprinkling
• 3 t ground mustard seed
• 1 t salt
• 1 t pepper
• 1/2 t crushed red pepper
• 2 t onion, dried
• 2 t garlic, dried
• 1 t oregano or tarragon

For the Quinoa

• 3/4 c quinoa, well washed
• 1 1/2 c water
• 1 T oil
• 2 T basil
• salt
• 2 c watermelon, diced
• 2 T feta
• 1/2 t pepper

For the Kale

• 4 large kale leaves, washed and chopped.
• 1 T oil
• 1-2 T balsamic reduction

Combine

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Boil water over high heat, add in the quinoa, oil, basil, and salt, and cook until the water is level with the quinoa.  Reduce to low heat and simmer covered until cooked through.
3. While you wait mix up the spices for the chicken.
4. Trim the chicken and rub it with a little olive oil.
5. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with whole mustard seed, then sprinkle both sides with the spice mix until well covered.  (Use the back of a spoon to press the spices down if needed.)
6. Bake the chicken for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.
7. While you wait put the watermelon, feta, and pepper into a large mixing bowl and toss.  Fluff the quinoa with a fork, add to the bowl, and toss until combined.
8. Wash and chop your kale, heat the oil over medium-low heat, then add kale and cook until just wilted.  Toss with the balsamic reduction.
9. Enjoy!

From the Peanut Gallery

Maybe I'm still inspired by the China Through the Looking Glass exhibit I saw this weekend at The Met, but Asian food is seriously the best.

It's also a well known fact that Asian cuisine tastes better when it's hot out and even better still when there is peanut sauce involved.

Although basic, this recipe is the only one I use. It packs in a lot of flavor from the fresh peanut butter base then uses ginger, garlic, and red pepper to deliver a little kick, with just enough soy sauce and vinegar to add some zip.

No judgement to those of you who lick the dish clean after tasting this sauce - it's that good, I promise!

Peanut Sauce

Ingredients

• 1/3 c peanut butter (I use raw)
• 2 T soy sauce
• 3 T unsweetened rice vinegar
• 2 t dried ginger or 1 inch fresh ginger
• 2 t dried garlic or 1 large clove fresh garlic
• 1 T agave
• 1-2 t red pepper flakes
• 1 t sesame oil
• 1/2 lime juiced

Combine

1. Place all ingredients into a food processor and blend on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until everything is smooth.
2. If the sauce seems too runny add an extra spoonful of peanut butter and blend again.
3. If the sauce seems to thick add an extra splash of soy and blend again.

Chicken 'n Soba Saute

Ingredients

• 1 inch diameter of soba noodles
• 1 pound chicken, trimmed of fat, cut into tender size strips, lightly oiled and salted.
• 1-2 T vegetable or olive oil
• 1/2 jalapeno, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 carrot, peeled and julienne
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1-2 ribs of celery, sliced
• 1 handful snap peas
• 1 lime, juiced

Combine

1. Bring a tall pot of water to a boil, drop in the noodles, and cook according to time on package. Drain the noodles when finished and set aside in a bath of cold water to prevent them from sticking together.
2. Heat a little oil in a pan until it shimmers, add the chicken and brown each side.
3. Toss in the jalapeno and cook for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add in the garlic, red pepper, and carrots and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
5. Add in the celery, snap peas, and lime juice and cook just until the peas look bright.  Then remove from heat.
6. Drain the soba noodles, toss in peanut sauce until well coated and plate.
7. Top with veggies and enjoy!

Gazpacho and BLCT

Sometimes it's okay to be a super lazy "cook".

 Aka it's totally alright to eat sandwiches for dinner, especially when it's a thousand degrees in your apartment and especially if the sandwich is a B.L.T. paired with a side of fresh gazpacho like this!

( Bonus points to those of you who also add cheese to your B.L.T.s. )

This summer I was reintroduced to how amazing B.L.T.s and gazpacho are and craved the two together for a lazy, sweaty, summer dinner.

Although my first sandwich used pork bacon, sharp cheddar, and actual lettuce I work with what I have and substituted fresh mozzarella, turkey bacon, and a handful of baby greens on slices of fresh spelt bread.

The first gazpacho recipe I ever tried was from my mom, but had to pull from memory after losing the recipe card - and yes I totally still write my recipes on index cards!

Luckily gazpacho is one of those soups you can literally throw any summer veggie into.  Tomatoes, peppers, onion, and cucumbers usually make up the base.  Feel free to use fresh tomatoes or canned ones in their juices, any color peppers, and more or less jalapenos for spice factor.  Toss everything into your Ninja and voila, dinner is ready!

Gazpacho

Ingredients (large batch)

• 3 cups diced tomatoes
• 1 green pepper
• 1 red pepper
• 3/4 sweet or vidalia onion
• 3/4 seedless cucumber
• 2 tomatillos
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 jalapeno, de-seeded
• 2 T white vinegar
• 4 T balsamic vinegar
• 1 T worcestorshire sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste

Combine

1. Wash and chop your veggies.
2. Put everything into a food processor or high speed blender and blend on high speed until smooth.
3. Enjoy!

B.L.C.T.

Ingredients (serves 1)

• 2 slices bread
• 2 oz mozzarella
• 3 slices bacon, cooked
• 3 slices tomato
• greens of choice
• mayo, as desired

Combine

1. Toast your bread then spread with mayo if using.
2. Lay the cheese, bacon, tomato, and greens on one slice of bread.
3. Top with the other slice of bread and cut in half, diagonally of course.
4. Enjoy!

The Super Swing of Things

Starting at a new job this week has had me settling back into the 9-5 grind (slowly).



Although I'm totally a routine person by nature, getting back into the swing of things is always a struggle.  It's one thing to start waking up at the same time everyday, but a completely different step to get back on track at the gym and start eating normally again.



After one too many peanut butter and banana sandwiches, having a veggie filled fridge was a very welcome change and this superfood packed salad was a great beginning to a salad-paved work week!

Surprisingly, this super salad is a "cleaned-up" version of one seen at a grocery store deli.  The kale/cabbage combo salad base is my new favorite and holds up really well when marinated in a quick balsamic vinaigrette and topped with carrots, cranberries, blueberries, flax, and walnuts.


A little sweet, a little zingy, a little nutty, and a lot of healthy.


As if all the antioxidants and vitamins crammed in this salad weren't enough - it's also a pack-able recipe so you can chop once but feel one step closer to the grind all week!

Superfood Salad

Ingredients

• 1/2 small purple cabbage, thinly sliced
• 3 small grated carrots
• 4 large kale leaves, de-ribbed and chopped
• 1 can chickpeas, washed
• 1/4 c cranberries, dried
• 1 handful walnut pieces
• 1 T flax seeds
• 1/8 c balsamic vinegar
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• Salt and Pepper as desired
• 1 pint blueberries, rinsed in vinegar and water

Combine

1. Rinse and dry the veggies, chickpeas, and blueberries.
2. Slice your cabbage, peel and grate your carrots, de-rib and chop the kale dumping them into a large mixing bowl as you go.
3. Add the chickpeas, cranberries, walnuts, flax seeds, oil, and vinegar then give everything a good toss.
4. Top with blueberries.
5. Enjoy immediately or pack up to enjoy throughout the week - it will last in the fridge for 3-5 days!