Asian-Inspired Cabbage and Carrot Salad with Peanuts

Asian Carrot Cabbage Salad with Peanuts
Asian Carrot Cabbage Salad with Peanuts

When a chicken was roasted on a hot day earlier this week, the planned side dish of sauté greens would’ve been overwhelming. Thanks to a weekly menu plan, Napa cabbage and carrots were shredded a few days prior. A quick vinaigrette of ginger, savory soy sauce, sweet lime juice and fresh lemon balm was tossed with the shredded vegetables. Like most large heads of cabbage, there was plenty of salad left over. It became another side dish that completed a fast and effortless weekday meal of saute fish. Read more

A Pantry Staple Salad: Black-eye Pea and Chickpea Salad

Black-eye and Chickpea Pea Salad
Black-eye and Chickpea Pea Salad

The sun played with us this past weekend. When it hid behind the clouds, the temperature would drop to a slight chill. When it decided to become the center of the world, we basked in its warmth. What can one say to the sun, us being mere mortals? Alas, the survival of the fittest adapts to change. Wearing a sundress and sandals, a scarf and a jacket were stuffed into a bag. It was a lovely time that started on a Friday. Despite all the weekend activities, Sunday evening arrived slowly. With little time to cook a traditional Sunday meal, a few pantry staples of lemons, canned beans, cornmeal and milk were placed on the counter. A Black-eye pea and Chickpea salad was made with tomatoes, mint and cilantro. Salmon, brought earlier in the morning, was steamed with the juice and zest of a lime, onions, garlic, butter, olive oil, salt and pepper. Milk was turned into buttermilk by adding one tablespoon of white vinegar to one cup of room temperature milk* to make cornbread. It was a nice dinner that ended a chill weekend.

…FYI, the salad and the cornbread is a great lunch, and it makes a nice breakfast with cheddar cheese eggs, scrambled or in an omelet.

*Let “buttermilk” curdle for 15 minutes.

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Quick Chicken Dill Salad Served with Mustard Vinaigrette Green Beans

Chicken Dill Salad Served with Mustard Vinaigrette Green Beans
Chicken Dill Salad Served with Mustard Vinaigrette Green Beans

Six months since starting this food blog, writing about food has become an unexpected newfound passion. The topics in my mind about food are as diverse as the spices on earth. Let’s talk from morning to night about ingredients, the environment, health, food, nutrition and recipes… on another day. This week there is little time for an all day conversation about these ravenous topics. As this post is being written, a silent prayer is being chanted: “Please, God, let this food post about the Chicken Dill Salad be short and savory. Taxes need to be filed, a design proposal, dinner for tonight that I have no idea…”

Viola, prayer granted! As this is a quickly written post, so is the recipe.

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Nicoise Salad for Redemption

It was a naughty day, for we slept in until the afternoon. A last minute decision was made to go to the gym and run a few miles. On our way out of the gym, we ran into friends who invited us to join them for pizza. It wasn’t the ideal meal to eat after running, but we accepted the offer. An hour later, a last minute shopping decision was spent looking at electronics before going grocery shopping. It was around 8 p.m. when we returned home. Albeit, it was a good day, but neither one of us wanted to return outside to pick up a takeout meal. After eating pizza earlier in the day, greasy delivery wasn’t an option. I decided to make a quick salad that was originally planned for Wednesday or Thursday’s dinner. The menu needed a healthy change to soothe the guilt.

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Blood Oranges, Grapes and Italian Pistachios in Rose Water

May we ring in the New Year on a refreshing start. The holidays gave me a few extra pounds that I intend to give away by Spring. I forgot we were invited to a Kwanzaa celebration. That means, I don’t have to cook a New Year’s dinner. After the midnight champagne toast, it’ll be nice to wake up to a citrus salad and lounge around the house until it’s time to socialize. Happy twenty-ten.

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