I have slowly been stretching my family’s palates out of our normal food comfort zone. We have been experimenting with different grains and beans, planting more variety in our garden, and substituting vegetables for meat. So far, everyone seems fat and happy with the changes.
In the place of plain old lettuce, we have been eating more dark, leafy greens: kale and chard and spinach. Kale was not love at first bite for me, but now that we have been eating more of it in soups and salads, the robust flavor and texture has definitely grown on me. Now lettuce seems boring and flavorless by comparison.
This salad is so delicious. My mom makes it often, and I crave it in between visits. Who craves salad? Proof that this recipe is a keeper. Futher proof: When my family got together for Mother’s Day, this salad was on the menu. I took exactly one picture with people in it, and at least a dozen shots of this salad. Case closed.
The dressing ingredients are basic, but the avocado punches it up a notch (the notch marked “creamy”). The salad ingredients are simple and versatile. You could easily substitute other fruits or vegetables in place of the apples and beets.
Creamy Kale Salad
adapted from Whole Living magazine
1 ripe avocado, halved & seed removed
2 T. vinegar
2 t. Dijon mustard
3 T. olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 bunch (8 oz.) kale, stemmed and coarsely chopped
1 beet, cooked, peeled, and thinly sliced
1 apple, cored and cut into thin wedges
1/2 c. toasted nuts
Today has finally been a quiet one so I’m getting caught up on a few things. This poor neglected blog being one of them.
My spring garden has been thrilled with all of this cool, wet weather. The kale, chard, and spinach are growing like crazy (The above picture was taken 3 weeks ago. There is definitely more green than brown now, but I was too lazy to run out and take another picture…). I decided to highlight those three in my menus this week. I am also creating a vegetarian menu plan, something we’ve been leaning toward more often these days anyway.
Monday – Dinner Out
Tuesday – Spinach Lasagna (something like this?), kale salad, Artisan Bread
Wednesday – Beans & Greens, Artisan Bread, Roasted Garlic & Brie
Thursday - Tortellini Soup, biscuits, fresh fruit
Friday – Spinach Egg Bake, Rhubarb Muffins, Green Smoothies
Saturday – Brown Rice, Spiced Coconut Spinach, Roasted Beets with goat cheese
Sunday – Baked Pasta Casserole, Creamed Spinach
Did I mention I have lots of spinach to use up…
I stumbled onto this recipe on Fine Cooking’s website, one of my favorite places for cooking inspiration. Chicken salad sandwiches are my one true weakness. Ok, one of many. My sister and I are always trying out new combinations: cashews, brown rice, grapes, cucumbers, currants, avocado, curry, or cranberries.
This chicken salad recipe is actually very simple: raisins, celery, and onions. It is the carrot-beet slaw with fresh cilantro that puts it over the top. My husband and I have been eating beets like they are going out of style lately, but I had never served them raw before.
The combination of slaw and salad is a delicious twist on an old favorite. Tuck the salad in between bread, wrapped into lettuce or tortillas, or simply eaten with a fork. Or try it all. The leftovers are delicious.
Brazilian Chicken Salad Sandwich
barely adapted from a Fine Cooking recipe
lettuce leaves
tortillas or bread, toasted if desired
Back in December I attended a great little baking demonstration at Sweetwares, featuring my favorite cookbook author Kim Boyce. These cookies were one of the featured recipes. [Go to Stone Buhr's Facebook page to check out a few pictures from that night. My arm is featured prominently; a proud discovery for me.]
These rich, chewy chocolate cookies are coated with crunchy cocoa nibs. They are slightly bitter and incredibly addicting, like a cross between coffee beans and dark chocolate. The package claims they are Mayan superfood. I always say, “If it’s good enough for the Mayans, it’s good enough for me.”
Never heard of nibs? Don’t worry; you’re in good company. Neither had the fine folks at four local grocery stores I checked. I finally found them at New Seasons. They were worth the persistence. They are not cheap, though, which is probably a good thing, otherwise I could easily bake up a batch of these every other week.
These cookies also feature bittersweet chocolate, spelt flour, and plenty of sugar. As Boyce notes, “Sugar not only provides sweetness; it’s also what gives a cookie its crust and crumb. In this recipe, sugar produces a crackly surface and wonderfully chewy edges.”
Chocolate Chocolate Cookies
recipe from Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce
1 c. unsalted butter
16 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped and divided
4 eggs
2 1/4 c. sugar
2 c. spelt flour
1 T. + 1 t. baking powder
2 t. kosher salt
1 c. cacao nibs
I am currently on a low-sugar diet. So it may seem strange that I am posting two cookie recipes today. Perhaps I am a glutton for punishment. And sugar. I figure there’s no reason you can’t have a sugar rush. This one’s on me. These cookies are a great place to start.
Now, when it comes to cookies, my husband likes them soft and gooey. Like cookie dough that has been warmed in the oven. I, on the other hand, like them crisp and chewy, perfect for dunking in a cold glass of milk. Oh, this is punishment!
Anyway, these cookies are a nice balance. They are crisp and chewy; the oatmeal gives them a nice texture. I always feel like oatmeal has a wonderful redeeming quality where butter is involved. For my husband, I just cut the baking time so he can have his warm dough and eat it, too. This recipe is yet another baking gem I inherited from my in-laws.
Today is gray and cold here, perfect for baking. Bake a batch of these today and then tell me how sweet and delicious they were so I can enjoy them vicariously through you. Deal?
Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies
yields 3 dozen
1 c. butter
1 c. peanut butter
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
2 c. oats
1 1/4 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 /4 t. salt
granulated or turbinado sugar
Posted in baking, cookies, dessert, peanut butter
Tagged cookies, dessert, peanut butter, sweets