Salad Creations -- at home version

Near where I work is this cool little lunch place called Salad Creations.

They have all sorts of salads and toppings and dressings and I adore going there for lunch because I can be healthy and have a yummy lunch. Problem is, when all is said and done, my lunch costs almost $15!! So I decided to do my own Salad Creations at home; it worked out great and was a LOT cheaper than $15 per day for lunch. :)

At Publix, I bought everything I could want on my salad. At Salad Creations, I get the create your own and ask for almost everything they have. This is what I bought, but feel free to get whatever you like -- croutons, nuts, dried fruit, anything!

• lettuce
• tomatoes
• cucumbers
• shredded carrots
• green pepper
• broccoli 
• mushrooms
• red onion
• canned chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
• canned water chestnuts (drained and rinsed)
• canned corn (drained and rinsed)
• eggs (which I hard-boiled and peeled)
• canned black beans (drained and rinsed) 
• bacon (cooked and chopped or crumbled)
• shredded cheese
• frozen, shelled edamame (thawed)
• frozen peas (thawed)

I spent an afternoon chopping, thawing, draining and rinsing everything. Then I put each item in a Ziploc sandwich bag, then all of them into a bigger Ziploc bag and into my fridge. I also bought some chicken breasts, butterflied them, and threw them in a quick marinade of olive oil, salt, pepper, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard & lemon juice (whatever you have really!). Every night before work, I put a spoon full of each of my ingredients plus a lot of lettuce in a big Tupperware and a small Tupperware full of dressing in (I made an awesome roasted garlic vinaigrette, but use whatever you have in the fridge). I put the dressing in the big Tupperware to keep it from spilling in my lunchbox. I also quickly cooked my chicken in a frying pan, chopped it up and put it in a separate container. At lunch time, I warmed the chicken separately, tossed it into the salad, emptied the dressing, and shook! I also brought a few crackers or breadsticks because I need carbs at every meal (LOL). For maybe $30 worth of groceries I probably got 6 or 7 big salads. Take THAT Salad Creations $15 lunch!

Try it with whatever ingredients you like in your salads! Check out all the combos on the Salad Creations website and make your own Chipotle BBQ Chicken Salad! :)

(Fail whale for me, forgot to take any photos at all of this process. But when I was using all those ziplocks I looked like a real hoarder, I am sure!)

Coq au Vin Dinner Party

A few weeks ago I had some of my friends in Ft Lauderdale over to help me check-off one of my 2012 goals: making Coq au Vin from scratch. My parents actually had both volumes of Mastering the Art of French Cooking (which I have since adopted and brought to Ft Laudy with me), so I had ALL the recipes on hand for my dinner! But I had to do some menu planning  to make my dinner party EXTRA fabulous :)

After menu planning and spending nearly a FORTUNE at Publix, I got to work in the kitchen! To be quite honest, none of Julia Child's recipes (that I've made anyways) are that difficult or take that long. When I made Beef Bourgionon in the spring, it really didn't take ALL afternoon, but there were a lot of steps. The same thing for Coq au Vin. All-in-all, it maybe took 2 hours, but there were a lot of steps. Nothing complex, just a lot of steps. I set a gorg table, and used my favorite plates EVER (still) I got from John & Juan a few Christmases ago.

I decided on an app I made for the Orlando gays awhile ago: Pancetta Crisps with Goat Cheese & Figs. It's seriously SO easy and so delicious. And I randomly bought honey-flavored goat cheese at Publix that day, and I drizzled a little honey on top instead of the fig jam, and it was AMAZING! The boys LOVED them. (And so did I!)

I also made a delish Sparkling Pomegranate Cocktail which was so refreshing on a Saturday afternoon!

We had a green salad, which was easy and delicious. I mixed arugula and spinach, topped with some cherry tomatoes and thinly sliced red onions and a honey-balsamic vinaigrette:

Honey-Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinager
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste

Mix first 3 ingredients, then stream in olive oil while whisking. Add salt & fresh-ground pepper to taste. (Okay, yes, I went there with the "fresh-ground pepper"... but honestly, it makes a big difference in recipes where the flavors are simple and easy.) This has become my go-to dressing for everything, it's just THAT good.

You can KINDA see the salad in this shot of the table.

Then we had the Coq au Vin, which was simply amazing. Julia Child makes some GOOD FOOD. I made some mashed potatoes (from scratch of course) and bought a few baguettes at the store (I would've made them but didn't plan enough in advance!), and our meal was complete with LOTS of red wine.

For dessert, I made Vanilla Panna Cotta with chocolate whipped cream. The easiest dessert but it tastes amazing and if you put it in classy glasses it looks REALLY fancy!

So that leaves me with ONE item left on my 2012 food hit list: croissants. I have 2 months and I feel pretty good I can find another group of friends to grin and bear it while I make some croissants.

Go out there and have a fun party and cook some good food!!

Spicy Thai Noodles

Oh my god, y'all. I made these noodles Friday for dinner, and then went out in Miami for a friend's birthday, and finished them when I got home (at 4am--yikes!) and they were a million times better cold than hot. I can't even describe how good they tasted when I got home (the flavors might've been accentuated by the wine & vodka I had while out, or because the pasta had time to soak up the sauce), but it was seriously so good. AND so easy! And, of course, I saw it on pinterest, LOL!

Spicy Thai Noodles
1/4 cup sesame oil (find it in the Asian section at your supermarket)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (but I think this can be omitted)
1-2 tablespoons red pepper flakes (depending on how spicy you can handle)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons honey
linguine, angel hair pasta or spaghetti (I used about a half of a box)
Toppings/Mix-ins
sauteed spinach
sauteed mushrooms
sliced chicken or shrimp
thinly sliced cucumbers
sliced water chestnuts
shredded carrots
thinly sliced green onions
chopped cilantro
chopped peanuts

Start by cooking the pasta. While the pasta is cooking, simmer the sesame and vegetable oil with the red pepper flakes 2-3 minutes. Be careful it doesn't burn! I looked away for a minute and it almost got burnt. Strain out the red pepper flakes, and put the oil in a large bowl. Add in the soy sauce and honey, and whisk until mixed (I added a little extra soy sauce because it seemed a little oily). Toss in the pasta and any of your mix-ins. I did the sauteed spinach and mushrooms, because that was what I had on hand, but if you serve this cold, making it into a cold noodle salad would be delicious! Or, making it into a meal by adding some grilled chicken or shrimp. Seriously, the possibilities are endless because the sauce is just so good.

When I got home, the noodles were almost brown from all the sauce! Just so good. Try it, NOW!

A BIG hug and kisses to my good friend Diame for her birthday! We had an amazing time Friday night at Wynwood Kitchen & Bardot Lounge. Wynwood Kitchen is this amazing little tapas restaurant in the design district in Miami. I had the gazpacho which came with spicy croutons and it was amazing. Then we finished the night at Bardot; it's a dark, smokey lounge, with a great DJ, also in the design district. All in all, a great night for an amazing friend!

APOLOGIES!! & A Yummy Salad

First, let me start by saying I am truly and deeply sorry I've been supremely lax about this blog. In the past few months, I moved to Ft Lauderdale, have gotten settled and into a routine, so hopefully now I can start a. cooking more (eating out is expensive and BAD for you!) and b. writing this blog again!

My favorite salad of all time is tomato & cucumber salad. Basically chopped tomatoes and cukes with olive oil and rice wine vinegar. Well, lately, I've been getting SUPER into pinterest, and found this little gem of a salad the other day that I wanted to make. I made it (semi-according to the recipe) and it was delicious. This morning as I was making lunch, I had an extra cucumber but no tomato, so I decided to whip it up again. I started to cut up an apple for a snack, but thought that it might be tasty to add it to the mix, and it turned out AMAZING. (Confession, I sorta liked the apple more than the cucumber part of this salad.)

Sweet & Spicy Cucumber Salad
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1 apple, thinly sliced
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup water
1 tbsp white sugar
red pepper flakes to taste (I added a bit too many, oops, spicy!)
salt & pepper to taste

Start by slicing up all the veggies. My cucumbers were a little fat, next time I'll slice them thinner. The red onion I sliced very thin and it turned out great. I hate raw onions, but these were a little pickled and super yummy. The original recipe says to salt and drain the cucumbers for an hour, I did this, but I'm pretty sure you could skip it. Mix the water, vinegar, sugar, red pepper, salt & pepper in a bowl. The sugar should dissolve after a few mixes. Add in the veggies and let sit for a few hours in the fridge (if you can wait that long!). I made this at 7:30 this morning and ate it as a morning snack and it was perfect.

ENJOY!

(Sorry for the tupperware and questionable picture quality, I clearly didn't think this through fully this morning.)

Caprese Salad (Tomato & Mozarella Salad)

I think my favorite thing to order at an Italian restaurant is the Caprese salad. It's hard to mess up and usually tastes amazing. I like to punch mine up by making an easy balsamic glaze, instead of using regular vinegar.

First, start by buying some good mozzarella. Now is not the time to save pennies by using the prepackaged kind next to the Kraft cheddar cheese. I always go to the specialty cheese case and get the kind packaged in water. But if you do buy the kind packaged in water, make sure to use it within a few days of opening, as the water will turn sour and then your cheese will taste yucky (trust me, this happened to me one time and I had to throw a big chunk of mozzarella into the trash!). Lately, I've been buying the mozzarella logs which are really yummy, and usually a little cheaper than the kind in the water (sometimes they even come pre-sliced!).

Next, slice a few large tomatoes. Usually I eat this salad with a light dinner, so I do large portions of one tomato per person.

To make the balsamic glaze is really simple. Put some balsamic vinegar (I would say maybe a cup to start with) in a small frying pan and let simmer over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes.

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT put your face directly over the pan to smell while it's boiling. You'll get a really strong whiff of vinegar that will probably knock you off your feet. Keep a close eye on it, you want to take it off the heat once it starts to thicken. I judge this by seeing if it'll coat the back of a spoon.

Once it's thick enough (don't let it get TOO thick though!), let it cool for awhile. You don't want to blemish your tomatoes with this hot glaze.

Make your stacks of tomatoes and mozzarella. If you have basil, use it. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. It's definitely not the end of the world if you don't use it. Always make sure to salt & pepper the tomatoes before adding the mozzarella. If you want to be fancier, feel free. Or, if you want to make these as appetizers for a party, get short skewers, cherry tomatoes and the little small mozzarella balls and thread them onto the skewers, putting a small piece of basil in between each one. See this as an example of the skewers.

After the glaze has cooled, drizzle over your stacks (or skewers). Drizzle a little olive oil over them too.

Then, dig in!

Broccoli Salad

My mom has this recipe for broccoli salad that is divine. She always makes it for holidays, but I got the recipe and made it with the Beer Can Chicken last Friday for dinner. I adjusted the recipe a little bit, and am going to share it with you. Make this anytime, because it's so delish and easy to make! But it's especially good in the summer, it's so refreshing.

Broccoli Salad
1 package broccoli (the one I got from Publix had 4 stalks in it, and this served 3 very hungry people)
1 cup raisins
3 green onions or scallions
1 cup cashews
1 cup cheddar cheese

First, cut the broccoli florets off the stalk. I like to start with the outside florets, working my way around the stalk, round and round, cutting each one off.

Next, you want to blanch the broccoli. Get a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Drop in the broccoli and let boil for a few minutes. Literally, only 2-3 minutes. You don't want the broccoli cooked all the way through, you just want that raw taste to be gone. Drain the broccoli, then dump immediately into a bowl of ice water. This will stop the cooking and help to retain the green color.

While the broccoli is taking its ice bath, chop up the green onions or scallions into thin slices. Put those in a bowl with the raisins.

(This picture kind of looks like the green onions and raisins are floating on the stove! They are in a bowl, I promise!)

Drain the broccoli and let drip dry onto a few paper towels. You want to get as much of the water out as possible, so the salad isn't watery.  Add the broccoli to the bowl and mix with the raisins and green onions.

Next, mix up the dressing.

Dressing
1/2 cup mayonaisse
5 tablespoons sugar (or sugar to taste, if you don't want such a sweet dressing)
3 tablespoons cider or white vinegar

You're going to have to use a whisk to get this mixed well.

So, if you're not going to serve this right away, just stop and put everything in the fridge. When you're ready to serve, rewhisk the dressing and pour over the broccoli mixture. Add in the cashews and cheese, and mix thoroughly. Serve in a pretty bowl and enjoy!

Potato Salad

Paula Deen once said that there is no excuse for bringing store-bought potato salad to a party.

I totally agree. The store-bought junk doesn't taste fresh. And making potato salad at home is a lot easier and quicker than you think. I love the stuff, so I've perfected the art of making potato salad from scratch in a jiff!

First, start by boiling eggs. I use 1 egg per large potato. (A large potato will make about 2 servings). There's all sorts of ways to hard boil eggs, but I find the easiest way is to start them in cold water.

Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. Turn the heat to low, and let simmer/boil for 10 minutes covered. After the 10 minutes are up, drain the hot water (just crack the lid of the pot, no need to use a strainer or anything). Then, fill the pot with ice cubes and cold water. Doing this will help you get the shells off easier. Let the eggs sit in the cold water for 5-10 minutes, then peel.

While the eggs are boiling, peel the potatoes. I don't think red potatoes work very well for potato salad, so stick with the regular kind. After peeling, cube the potatoes. You want to make sure the cubes are about the same size, so they cook evenly.

Start the potatoes in a pot of cold, salted water. You want to be generous with the salt, since this is the only chance you get to salt the potatoes (like cooking pasta). You can cook the potatoes covered or uncovered, depending on how fast you want them to cook. But keep a close eye, because they will cook fast. Once the water starts boiling, they'll be ready within a few minutes. I like the potatoes in my potato salad a little more undercooked, than overcooked, so I always take them out early. But if you let them cook too long, they'll turn mushy, and won't hold up when you start the mixing. After the potatoes are done, drain them, then turn them out onto a paper towel or clean dish towel. Put them in a single layer, this helps them cool down faster.

Now cut up the eggs. Of course, there's a few different ways to do this. You can simply chop them up with a slap chop or knife. I've seen Paula use a potato masher to get them in small pieces. And I've also seen her squeeze the eggs through her fingers. Usually I just smush them up with a fork against the sides of my bowl.

After the potatoes have cooled down a bit (I like to mix this up when they are still slightly warm), put them in the bowl with the egg. At this time you can add in anything else you want, like onions, pickles, olives, whatever. I like my potato salad plain, so I just use potatoes and eggs (this may be why I don't like the store-bought kind... it's always loaded with stuff I don't like!). Add in a little mayonnaise and mix. For a large potato, you should probably start with maybe 1/4 cup. Remember, you can always add more mayo in if it isn't creamy enough for you, but once you put too much mayo, you can't take it out. You can also add some mustard at this time if you want too, just make it your own!

Sadly, I got a little overzealous and ate all my potato salad before taking a picture. (I told you I love the stuff!!) But here's a picture of what it should resemble. There's a ton of different ways to make potato salad, so get googling if you want something different than what I've described... just get in the kitchen and get cooking!

Tomato & Cucumber Salad

Do you ever have the craving for a simple, healthy salad to go with dinner? No store-bought dressings filled with chemicals and junk. You don't even need lettuce. Just fresh vegetables, oil and vinegar.