I’ve always been a fan of a great at-home bar. I strongly believe it’s a must-learn life skill to mix up classic cocktails, and as an avid host, it’s important to provide an array...
Looking back on Easter as a child, I remember how excited I was to dig through my Easter basket. Full of chocolate bunnies, malt ball Easter eggs, Peeps, golden coins, and my favorite Cadbury...
Lets be honest, salads can be boring. So I’m always trying to think outside of the box to come up with salad recipes that I’ll thoroughly enjoy, but are beyond easy to make. Enter...
Lets be honest, salads can be boring. So I’m always trying to think outside of the box to come up with salad recipes that I’ll thoroughly enjoy, but are beyond easy to make. Enter...
This, my friends, is seasonal eating at its best. Heirloom tomatoes are always so beautiful, and when prepared during the peak of season, in a simple summer salad, their rich flavors really shine through. While I love a classic tomato and mozzarella salad, and I’m always up for an heirloom tomato tart, this summer I began recipe testing for a new way to enjoy my favorite summer fruit.
Enter my heirloom tomato salad with fresh grilled peaches, mustard quinoa, with a sweet balsamic vinaigrette. As either a side dish or as a main entree by itself, this dish will quickly become a mainstay on your summer entertaining menu.
A few things to think about when pulling together this seasonal salad; I always use a mix of heirloom tomatoes, regular red tomatoes on a vine, and red and yellow cherry tomatoes. This variety ensures that each bite bursts with a different heirloom tomato flavor. I also include sliced peaches that I’ve grilled for 1-2 quick minutes for an extra punch, and a spicy mustard-and-quinoa mixture for a little carby substance. Also the tang of the mustard balances out the sweetness of the balsamic vinaigrette. And of course I couldn’t have an heirloom tomato salad without a little fresh basil and shaved parmesan (I use a vegetable peeler for the best parmesan shavings, I also love this parmesan knife if parm is your thing!). And that’s it! The easiest, under 30 minute seasonal summer salad you’ll make season after season. Truly, MKR
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Heirloom Tomatoes with Grilled Peaches & Mustard Quinoa
I love a good caesar salad. The sad thing is nothing on a classic caesar salad is relatively healthy. So I tried to fuss with the standard recipe a bit to make it a more on the healthy side. And this amped up jerk chicken caesar salad with cherry tomatoes, fresh avocado and croutons hits the spot.
I’ve come to find that I really prefer my chicken, or any proteins on my salads to be warm. That’s where the grilling comes in; you know I love grilling on our Big Green Egg. But since I was making this salad for lunch, I simply used my Le Creuset cast iron griddle on my stovetop.
When cooking or grilling chicken it can be tricky; you can’t have it pink and you don’t want it dry either. So my trick here is to use a grill press like this one under $30 that applies pressure on the meat to help it cook evenly throughout. I use my grill press for burgers, sausage links, bacon, you name it…and it always proves to be a great thing to have.
For my jerk chicken caesar salad I season the chicken quite liberally with a jerk dry rub. Then I get the griddle, sprayed with organic high heat non stick, to as hot as it can get. I place the chicken on the griddle and use my grill press to press down. I grill each side for about 3 minutes or until the grill marks are pressed in and the outside is just a tad on the crisp side. Then I turn the heat down to a medium low or low, and continue to cook the chicken through.
Lastly, I rely on a meat thermometer that tells me when the chicken is five degrees under being done—at 160 degrees—and I pull it out to let it rest. Like all meats, the chicken will continue to cook after it’s removed from the heat, so I give it a five degree window.
The rest of my jerk chicken caesar salad is easy breezy to pull together. In this recipe, I use both iceberg lettuce and a romaine blend; I know iceberg doesn’t bring a whole lot of nutritional value to the table, but I do like the texture and the cold crunch that comes with it. I roughly chop both types of lettuce, and combined them together to form the base of the salad. Next, I add lines of fresh avocado, jerk seasoned chicken cut into thin strips, halved cherry tomatoes and garlicky croutons.
My philosophy, when it comes to croutons, is that if you’re going to waste the calories then go big and get a great crouton. I love picking up the garlic and olive oil ones from Whole Foods if I’m tight on time, like I did here today, but if I ever have a French bread baguette in the house, I rough chop it and drizzle olive oil, garlic and salt on it then pop it in the toaster oven till it turns a golden brown. Homemade croutons are surprisingly SO easy to make, and they last a really long time once they’re cooked and sealed in an airtight container. Enjoy! Truly, MKR
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Like many of you, the new year has brought me resolutions that focus on food. But unlike past years, thoughts and goals around food have shifted. Instead of my end game being weight loss, my food goal for 2018 is to be more balanced and mindful of what I eat and how that effects my body and overall health.
As many of you know, I was a vegetarian for seven years. You can read more about that journey here, but long story short 2017 brought the end of vegetarianism for me. At least for now. One of the side effects of that change was that I went on what I’ve termed a “meat bender.” Consuming so much meat not necessarily because I wanted to, but because it was now allowed. And because of this allowance my overall eating habits became MUCH more unhealthy. It’s was now way easier to stop for that fast food burger and fries on the daily basis, unlike before when there was no reason to pull into the drivethru because there was nothing on the menu for me to eat!
And while my “bender,” was an unforeseen, negative side effect, one of the happier side effects of eating meat again is my stomach and intestinal issues have normalized. So now the question becomes how do I keep the good and throw out the bad?ecause while my stomach may be doing better, my 2017 diet wrecked havoc on my sleep, weight, complexion, and energy. Balance of course.
This year I want to restore balance back to my daily diet, and be more mindful about every single thing I’m putting in my body. Consuming foods that fuel my body, and re-focusing on how those foods make me feel. For me that means minimizing my meat, dairy, sugar, alcohol and processed foods intake. Letting vegetables, fruits, and healthy grains be the star of the show again. Getting back to planning out, and cooking my meals. And most importantly, eating for my long-term health and not a number on the scale.
So with this newly restored focus, I’m happy to share my first meal of 2018-a super easy, Quinoa Superfoods Salad. So what are superfoods? According to Live Science, “Superfoods are foods — mostly plant-based but also some fish and dairy — thought to be nutritionally dense and thus good for one’s health. Blueberries, salmon, pomegranates, nuts & seeds, squash, kale and acai are just a few examples of foods that have garnered the “superfood” label. Superfoods have extra-large doses of vitamins and minerals that can help us ward off diseases and live a longer, healthier life. Some of the nutrients that certain superfoods contain include antioxidants, thought to ward off cancer; healthy fats, thought to prevent heart disease; fiber, thought to prevent diabetes and digestive problems; or phytochemicals, the chemicals in plants responsible for deep colors and smells, which can have numerous health benefits.”
All great things scientifically right?! But I don’t really need science to know this Quinoa Superfoods Salad is super. If I’m tuned into my body, I naturally know everything in this salad is great because of how amazing it makes me feel. Chocked full of warm butternut squash flavored with good-for-you cinnamon and turmeric spices, the warm, and spicy squash pairs perfectly with the cool and tart granny smith apples and refreshing pomegranate seeds. Then you know I’ve got to have a little crunch, which I get thanks to pumpkin seeds. While it’s great to use heart-healthy almonds and walnuts in dishes, I love switching it up with pumpkin seeds. I find they still provide that nutty flavor I crave, but don’t overwhelm the dish. Then I topped it with a little goat cheese for that creamy texture and cilantro because I top almost everything with cilantro. You can of course leave these out if you’re one of the cilantro haters and if you’re avoiding dairy…the dish will not suffer.
My Quinoa Superfoods Salad is easily a main dish in itself, but if you’re slowly introducing yourself or your family to superfoods it can also be a side. Plus it’s great the next day, warm or cold!
At the end of the day I know I’ll still have my burgers and fries, but I look forward to enjoying those as a treat and not as a Monday thru Sunday staple. I’d love to know do you have any 2018 goals around food? Truly, MKR
On a large, sprayed or non-stick, roasting pan lay out your butternut squash. Sprinkle with cinnamon, turmeric, cayenne & a pinch or too of salt. Drizzle with olive oil and mix together so squash is well coated. If you want to add more spices, do so now. Place in oven and let roast for 10-15 minutes or until softened and cooked through.
While the squash is roasting cook quinoa per directions, cover and set aside. You want the quinoa warm when you mix up the salad.
Once both the quinoa and squash is complete grab one large bowl or separate bowls. Add in quinoa as the base, then layer with squash, apples, pomegranate seeds, pumpkin seeds, and top with cilantro and cheese if desired.
Add salt to taste, and if you'd like a bit of citrus olive oil. Enjoy!
By Mandy Kellogg Rye @waitingonmartha
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