Cooking With Sisters (Pea Pesto Crostini Appetizers)

One of the appetizers served at Giada De Laurentiis' book signing was the pea pesto crostini, and they were so absolutely amazing that I was determined to re-make them for my sister the next time she was in town. (Which happened to be this weekend for a wedding.) I ended up making them for her as well as my other "part" sister, Kylie, and my mother, Robin. So there we were all around the kitchen's island laughing, talking, and making appetizers together. The crostinis were just fabulous to make for Kylie helped with the french bread and LB helped out by slicing tomatoes, and my mother. . . well she sat there keeping us lots and lots of company and wine. (Well for her, LB, and Ky! Ha!)

This recipe comes directly out of Giada's newest cook book; Giada at Home. So no need to run out and buy a thirty five dollar cookbook if you don't mind waiting it out until I have posted every recipe of hers on my blog, because everything Giada cooks up is just splendid and I know sooner or later her entire cookbook will be one hundred percent replicated here in my (mom's) kitchen.

Pea Pesto Crostinis can be made before hand by leaving the pesto refrigerated until time to serve on slightly toasted bread. It can also be made by creating an assembly line if you would like to have everyone in the family involved by having one slice tomatoes, one slice and toast bread, one create pesto, and one more to assemble the appetizers together. (Which is exactly what we did to make everything go by that much faster and was also easier to make! Oh, and did I mention. . . it makes cooking more fun as well?!) Okay so maybe we sort of did the "assembly line" effect because I did have some help in the kitchen, but in the end I would have to say it was me who did most of the cooking. But hey, it's my passion so who cares, right? (side note: shirt above created by the brilliant Chris Tran who designs fat cows with the phrase high in COWlories underneath the cow!)

So did I say that Ky and LB were there to help me? . . . well lets just say they attempted but got a bit side tracked with the bread knife and sharp pink tomato slicing knife. . . But that is why I love them :-)

So once the appetizers are fully prepared, arrange them neatly onto a serving platter and enjoy with one, four, or a party more! However, my pea pesto crostini did not turn out to look exactly like Giada's, but if I were to copy exactly her ways then that would show my inability to be flexible and creative. Therefore, my tomatoes were sliced a tad different and my bread was toasted a bit thicker. Thankfully though they tasted divine and were so wonderful my mother has decided to make them again next weekend for our neighbor's wedding shower.

Ingredients:

10 ounces frozen peas thawed

1 garlic clove

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

2/3 cup olive oil

somewhat thinly sliced french baguette bread

couple handfuls of cherry tomatoes, halved

LETS COOK!

Pulse together in a food processor the peas, garlic, cheese, salt and pepper. With machine still running, pour slowly in 1/3 cup olive oil. Keep machine running about one to two more minutes or until well combined and mostly smooth. Season with more pepper if needed. Set aside. Preheat a stove top griddle or grill pan over medium-high. Brush both sides of each of the bread slices with the remaining olive oil and grill until golden brown, about 2 or 3 minutes. Transfer bread to platter and spread evenly pesto and then arrange two tomatoe slice on each piece, serve and enjoy!

Happy Late Easter (Classic Bruschetta)

Okay, so to all my dedicated readers and followers I deeply apologize for not blogging in nearly two weeks! Gasp! It has felt like a life time, but no worries because I have not abandoned my blog (well not completely) and I most definitely have not forgotten about it! The truth is, I have been so busy with school and bike riding and events and just everything other than food. Sadly I haven't had much time to cook much of anything lately (tear.) but I am starting to get back into the groove of things and go back into my happy little kitchen. As I have made it clear that I am quite behind on my blog, I will still post up recipes that I have made in the past few weeks, such as these classic bruschetta appetizers that were made in celebration of Easter. (Which was spent with my family as well as the Brosnahan's at our lovely little lake house in Montgomery, Texas.)

I have watched endless numbers of shows, read pages and pages of recipes, and seen all variations of a bruschetta appetizer, but today I decided to take the more classic and authentic approach to these lovely little Italian appetizers. However, when grocery shopping in a small country town, well lets just say. . . Wal-Mart (the only grocer in town) doesn't usually carry raw and fresh ingredients. So I did with what was available and put together a somewhat classic version of bruschetta which turned out to be better than I had anticipated. These are terrific little appetizers, which are also great as a side for a brunch or dinner party. Not only are they delicious, but extremely easy to make and very chic to serve for guests.
Ingredients:
7 ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs)

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2-3 tablespoons dried basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 baguette French bread or similar Italian bread
1/4 cup olive oil
LETS COOK!
Prepare the tomatoes first. Parboil the tomatoes for one minute in boiling water that has just been removed from the burner. Drain. Using a sharp small knife, remove the skins of the tomatoes. Once the tomatoes are peeled, cut them in halves or quarters and remove the seeds and juice from their centers. Also cut out and discard the stem area.Turn on the oven to 450°F to preheat. While the oven is heating, chop up the tomatoes finely. Put tomatoes, garlic, 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, vinegar in a bowl and mix. Add the basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Slice the baguette on a diagonal about 1/2 inch thick slices. Coat one side of each slice with olive oil using a pastry brush. Place on a cooking sheet, olive oil side down. Once the oven has reached 450°F, place a tray of bread slices in the oven on the top rack. Toast for 5-6 minutes, until the bread just begins to turn golden brown.Serve, and enjoy!

Cheerful Lunches (Citrus Garden Salad)

Today I stayed home from school for unexplainable reasons, but that is far besides the point. The point is I was able to prepare a fabulous lunch for my most fabulous mother while she was away gaining another victory for her tennis team. She was delighted to see I have been somewhat productive on my day off as I folded the laundry, unloaded the dishwasher, ran a few errands, and now indulged in a little something for my self as well as her; in which I made a deelishis citrusy salad with these new extra citrus oranges that my mother had recently found at our grocery store.

It is very hard for me to explain these oranges, because they are not typical oranges. They are way better! Yesterday my mother came home from the local grocery store, and inside our go-green bags I was delighted to see loads and loads of colorful fruit. It made me smile at the fact she was thinking about me and made me smile even more to see she had bought oranges, life's happy little fruit. However, when I cut one open the other day, I noticed they looked more like grapefruits. But when I bit into one, it tasted quite like an orange but juicier, fresher, and all around better! Therefore, it was settled that I must add this fruit to my next salad to spruce up a typical garden salad. The salad was fresh, tangy, and looked so much happier, for it was now mixed with a sweetly sensational fruit.
Ingredients:
Mixed baby greens and baby spinach lettuce
One Orange (Or any citrus fruit)
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
basil herb salad dressing
LETS COOK!
Place lettuce in a bowl and grate cheese over lettuce. Pour dressing and toss. Add salad to plates and sprinkle almonds on top. Place orange on top of salad, serve and enjoy! (How simple and easy was that?!)

Happy Mornings With Scrambled Tomato Eggs :)

I love Weekends. Especially this one and not only because my mother was up early in the kitchen arousing the house full of sweet, sweet smells, but because it was simply a  beautiful and sunny day. I can not recall a morning in the past four months where I have woken up and not needed to bundle up in scarves and mittens just to walk down stairs. (Which might I add, is totally and completely not normal for a Texan! Also, this comes to show that even in cold weather...my mother continues to keep the heat OFF! But I still love you mom!) Therefor this morning was perfect; the sun was finally shining below my house and everyone was just so happy. The mornings are also so critical for making the entire day a happy one. I believe one's attitude when they wake up will reflect on their perspective of life through out the rest of the day. Therefore, what better way than to start the day off with sunny scrambled eggs with tomatoes and fresh cheddar cheese?
Ingredients:
two handfuls of grated cheddar cheese
four eggs
one tomato diced
2 tablespoons milk
pinch of salt and pepper
LETS COOK!
Crack all four eggs into a small bowl and beat together. Add milk salt and pepper and continue to beat until all mixed together. Turn on medium sized skillet to medium-high heat, and spray with a butter. When warm pour eggs over skillet and move around until 80% cooked through to make the scrambled eggs. Add the tomatoes and then the cheese. When scrambled eggs are soft and not over cooked, and are perfectly done, take immedietly off heat. Serve, and enjoy!

Poached Egg Garden Salad

Many of you know that I have recently become a vegetarian, therefore I have begun reading and researching about vegetarian recipes through websites and magazines. I came to find that many recipes were quite intricate and required at least an entire circle around the clock in the kitchen. But some days there are not enough hours for me to fulfill what I hope to complete. And letting alone all the strenuous hours of homework and studying, I barley have time during the week to cook a gourmet meal. Therefore I realized salads are easy, quick, and extremely simple to make in a short amount of time, but I was getting tired of the same ol' same ol' house salad with tomatoes and boiled eggs. So I decided to add a bit of a twist to my new and improved favorite salad, known as the Poached Egg Garden Salad.

The reason I absolutely love and adore this salad is because well... the egg is poached!! When my mother first made a poached egg one morning for breakfast, I fell in love right away. The fact that the egg is half boiling yet still gooey and oozy in the middle, fascinates me and still puts me in awe! I never would of thought of adding this soft egg on top of a salad, but when I read about it from a cook book and then saw it on the Food Network station the next day, I knew it must be a success...and indeed it was. The soft, yellow insides of the egg ooze out ever so gently and blend with the salad dressing to create a whole new dressing of its own. This salad is refreshing, mouth watering, and just so good! (I also think it is so wonderfully amazing because who knew someone could put together such a decedent looking dinner in under ten minutes?!)

Ingredients:

1/4 bag of baby spinach
handful of small carrots
fresh parmesan cheese
light, oily caesar dressing
one egg
LETS COOK!

Tear off all stems of spinach and clean spinach before putting into bowl. In a small frying pan, boil about a quarter full of water. Once boiling, slowly add egg to water and bring to a simmer. With a slotted spoon, gently fold the whites of the egg over the top to keep the egg as a whole. Leave alone for a few minutes white thinly and coarsely slicing the carrots and slicing thin, thin slice of cheese. Add too lettuce and toss with dressing. After about 6 or so minutes (will know when egg is ready when the yellow middle has turned a translucent white) add the egg on top of the salad, serve, and enjoy!

A New Twist (Pear and Pecan Salad)

What good is a cook book when the price triumphs over taste and thinking while one stares at a recipe, is it really worth twenty dollars? That is why I love the Half Price Book Store so much. The price is the last thing I have to worry about when wandering from aisle to aisle scanning all the gently used and greatly loved books. The store has been so lovingly good to me in the past years from accompanying pleasurable summer novels for me to read while lounging around the beaches of Mexico, to saving my life with Spark notes for school projects in English, and now leaving extra change in my pocket to buy my first vegetarian cook book. Yes, that is right, I have pledged to PETA, and have happily become a vegetarian. So good bye meat, and sorry to those meat lovers, but this will no longer be a blog of meat. And for those meat lovers, well, it was very nice to meat you. (Hah, Blake, I had to add a pun! It only made sense!...Or since I am talking about saving money, it only made cents!)

I absolutely loved this salad, because the textures melted so well together. The pear was perfectly ripe and sweetened the red tipped lettuce, while the toasted pecans added a huge crunch to every bite. The softness of the pear almost smashed into the salad and the crunch of the pecans caused them to crumble on top. Because of this, a perfect salad was created. Thank you Nicola Graimes for this splendid combo! Note to reader: As this recipe did come from a cook book, I did change it up quite a bit and I saved more or less the idea of blending the two main ingredients together in the salad.
Ingredients:
1 cup shelled pecan nuts, halved

2 ripe pears

about half or so red tipped lettuce
caesar dressing that is more on the oily side

LETS COOK!

At 350 degrees fahrenheit, toast pecans on baking sheet that is lightly covered with olive oil. Make sure they do not burn. Cut the pears into even and thin slices, leaving the skin intact and discarding the cores. Wash the salad leaves and spin dry as well as patting down to with towel to further drying. Pour dressing and nuts over lettuce and toss. Serve with pecans on top, and enjoy!

The Chinese Tortilla (Mandarin Pancakes)

Breakfast burrito or mu shu pork wrapped in a mandarin pancake? Easy; its the mu shu pork wrapped in a mandarin pancake. Okay, so not so easy to tell. But yes, that is more of a mandarin pancake, and less of a Mexican tortilla. It may come across a little hard to believe, but that in fact, is what I like to call a Chinese tortilla. Why not, right? I mean it is made of flour, looks like a tortilla, almost taste like one, and is used to wrap up all the goodness in order to eat with one's hands. So am I the first to say that not all Chinese food requires those tricky and impossible little sticks that are magically somehow supposed to scoop up not even half a bite size? Now don't get me wrong, I have nothing against those who value meal time and don't mind finishing a meal in about four hours. But for me, when I use chopsticks, by my next attempt at getting even that second bite my food has gone terribly cold. Maybe that is why I loved this Chinese dish so much. I was able to eat it at a moderately and average time which allowed my mu shu pork to stay warm the whole way through dinner. (This made me happy.)

These Mandarin Pancakes are extremely easy to make, for they have very few ingredients. In fact, to my surprise, these simple little pancakes call for flour, oil, and water! Yep, that is it. . . just flour, oil, and water. In fact the ingredient list is so surprisingly short that I am going to say it again. Flour. Oil. Water. Flour. Oil. Water. Flour. Oil. Water. Easy, right? So few ingredients, anyone can remember them! Flour. Oil. Water. Not only is this recipe short, simple, and easy to remember, but also has a simple and light, airy taste to them as well! They are simply and perfectly delish!

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup boiling water
about 2 tablespoons sesame oil

LETS COOK!

Measure flour into a bowl and mix in water with a fork. Work dough several minutes until it holds together, then knead on a lightly floured board until smooth. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 30 min. Roll dough into 12 inch long log and cut into 12 equal pieces and keep covered. To make each pancake, cut one piece of dough exactly in half. Roll each half into a ball and flatten slightly. Roll each ball on a very lightly floured board to a round 3 inches in diameter. Brush sesame oil lightly on top of one round and cover with another round. Press the 2 rounds lightly but firmly together. Place the double round on a lightly floured board and roll out, from center to edges until 7 or 8 inches in diameter. Turn frequently, brushing board lightly with flour as needed. Repeat procedure until you have 2 or 3 pancakes; then cook before making more. Heat a wide frying pan over medium-high eat, then place a pancake on the uncreased surface. Turn about every 16 seconds until cake is blistered by air pockets, turns parchment color, and feels dry. Cake should not brown, but a few golden spots won't hurt. If overcooked, cake becomes brittle. Remove from pan and carefully pull the two halves apart and stack on a plate. Keep covered to stay warm. When ready to serve, brush hoisin sauce lightly on one side and fill with mu shu pork or whatever else you please! oh, and enjoy!

Other Than Salad (Herbs, Cheese, and Baked Tomatoes)

I believe that tomatoes are an excuse for friends and family to come together and form assembly lines in order to slice, fold, and sprinkle while still chatting and having a good time. This may sound a little odd, but that is exactly how these tomatoes were made. I was off cooking the main dish with Blake, while helping my mother and Kylie prepare these decadent tomatoes. My mom became quite the professional slicer, while Kylie tore through her job of evenly tearing the cheese hoping to go for an authentic tomato look. Lots of fun was spent in the kitchen that night while we all hovered around the island pitching in when necessary in order to create that perfectly interesting dinner menu; Cajun barbecued shrimp with house salad, garlic buttered french bread and baked tomatoes. So yes, I would say we got the whole effect of "around the world cuisine" from France to New Orleans to anywhere that eats a simple house salad and baked tomatoes.

If there was anyone who loves these tomatoes the most, it would have to go to my sister, LB. They are a must when she is in town and her love for these tomatoes have made me come to love them as well. There is just something about a tomato being baked that makes my mouth water, and when I see the juices squirting out and over the bubbling, warm Swiss cheese, the taste become rich and creamy. Seconds and even thirds often appear for these baked tomatoes. They are bold in taste, smooth in texture, and overall beautiful to look at.

Ingredients:

3 medium sized tomatoes

tablespoon dried basil

thinly sliced Swiss cheese

extra virgin olive oil

LETS COOK!

Slice the tomatoes to about half inch thick and align them on parchment paper on cookie sheet. Drizzle oil over tomatoes. Fold and tear cheese to fit the size of the tomatoes and place on top. Sprinkle basil on top and cook for about 6 min (until cheese melted and bubbly on tomatoes) in oven at 365 degrees fahrenheit. It is so simple, yet so good! Serve, and enjoy!

Bread Baking (Hamburger Buns)

What is the fun in baking when it is not much of a challenge? Even more of a broader question, what is the fun in life when there are no challenges put forth? These are questions I often ponder upon, because two arguments can easily be faced: routine and easy simpleness brings pleasure with out needing to use much of a brain, or the brain is shriveling up trying to find a challenge in life that is mere like a puzzle; something a bit more difficult yet intriguing enough that one is eager to find the answer for. The second argument is exactly how I felt about these somewhat challenging hamburger buns. It was set that Blake and I would be grilling hamburgers for some friends one Saturday night, but I wanted more of a challenge. Something that could be done, yet something I had to work a little harder at and really use my skills and technique with.

So this is what I had come up with, why not make the buns to the hamburger them selves!. (A post was previously posted on the hamburgers.) I must admit, about half way through I was extremely skeptical to the point I was going to head to the store and buy the fake and prepackaged buns. Thanks to Blake's optimism, I stuck with the dough and kneaded through the hard times. Glad that I did, these buns turned out beyond my expectations for they were not only GIANT! but light and fluffy on the inside while still a bit hard with a crunch on the outside. From coming strait out of the oven, they were warm and fresher than buying any loaf of bread from a market place. I, as well as my friends, were delighted and awed by the whole experience of getting the opportunity to try home-made, fresh hamburger buns.

Ingredients: (makes about 12 big buns)

1 cup instant mashed potatoes

2.5 cups boiling water

2 cups cottage cheese

1/2 cup sugar

4 tablespoons oil

4.5 teaspoons instant yeast

2 eggs (beaten)

2 teaspoons salt

1 cup bran *found with whole and organic foods*

8 cups all purpose flour (or whole wheat flour)

2 tablespoons milk

2 eggs beaten

sesame seeds

LETS COOK!

Place instant mashed potatoes into a large bowl and add boiling water and stir with wooden spoon till smooth and allow to cool. Once cooled, add in cottage cheese, beaten egg, sugar, oil and salt. Mix together till the mixture is smooth. Not, add in the bran, instant yeast and two cups of flour. Mix with a wooden spoon for about five minutes. Allow to rest for ten minute uncovered. Place some of the flour onto a flat surface and our out the "dough" (I say this because it will appear rather chunky and liquidy) Sprinkle some more flour on top and begin to knead in the flour. Continue to knead for a very LONG TIME and slowly the "mush" will somehow, gradually become a type of dough. Then knead it for about ten minutes slowly and adding in more flour. The dough will be a little sticky but shouldn't any longer stick to your hands. It will become smooth and elastic. Add a tablespoon of oil to a clean bowl and place the kneaded dough into the bowl. Turn over a few times to lightly coat all of dough with oil. Cover with a damply wet towel and allow to rise until double in bulk (about one hour) pour out the dough and knead a few times to release the gas from the dough. Roll the dough out to form a long log and cut evenly about 10 to 16 slices. Roll each slice into a firm and round ball. Then place the ball on the table and under your palm, and press your palm down until the dough flattens out to about half and inch thick and is much wider. with two different sized cookie cutters, place both circled shaped cut out on top of the dough to leave a neat indention for the top of the bun. Brush the tops of the buns with the mixture of milk and eggs and then sprinkle seeds on top. Bake in oven on 350 degree fahrenheit for about 20 to 30 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Healthy Simpleness (Baked French Fries)

Cheers to possibly my shortest post yet. I figured I should make this one short, simple, and to the point in which it would parallel to the short and simple recipe. The french fries are a quick and easy side dish that may sound heart threatening and even fat quenching, but are not. Why is this so? Because they are baked! They are simply sliced and baked  potatoes. So unless a pure and nearly raw (yet not raw) potato is considered fattening and life threatening, then no they are not terribly bad for you!
Ingredients:
two small or regular sized potatoes
sea salt and pepper to taste (plus a little more)
extra virgin olive oil (about 1/4 cup or more or less.. depending on size of potatoes)
pinch of cayenne red pepper
LETS COOK!
Okay, this should make about four to five servings or so. slice potatoes up to resemble thick french fries (do not peel of skin) Place them all into a BIG zip lock baggie and pour in oil to coat all fries, enough salt and pepper to assure each fry will have some and just a pinch of the cayenne red pepper. Close bag and shake untill everything is covered and dispersed evenly among fries. Let bag sit in refrigerator until ready to bake fries for about 30 to 40 min at about 350 degree fahrenheit. serve and enjoy!

Simple Garlic Bread

Every great Italian meal is always paired best with a warm, toasty slice of bread made fresh daily from a local market. The best bread is simple, with few ingredients for it is used best to soak up the richly decedent sauces on one's plate full of pasta and more pasta. I made this bread with Spaghetti Carbonara for my mother's Christmas dinner party, and it was a huge hit.

I used a french bread, because it is not only beautiful to look at but it can also vary with endless ideas on topping the bread. For this time that I used french bread, I paired it with a hint of garlic, some extra virgin olive oil, and just a tab of salty butter. I brushed the top of the bread which created a moist and smooth inside, yet thanks to the lovely creation of an oven; i was able to lightly toast the French bread giving the outside and crust more of a crunch and textured taste.

Ingredients:

one loaf of fresh french bread

one clove of garlic

about half a cup to one cup extra virgin olive oil

2 to 3 tablespoons softened salted butter

LETS COOK!

Finley chop up the garlic and then add it into a small bowl. Pour in oil and add butter. With back of spoon kind of "smush" the butter around mixing it into mixture. Then, mix mixture together and with pastry brush lightly brush tops of one inch thick sliced french bread. With oven preheated to 300 degrees fahrenheit, put bread with mixture side up on cookie sheet and set inside oven. Cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, or until crust is browned and bread is warm and baked to desired consistency. Serve and enjoy this extremely easy side dish!!

Baked Crab Rangoon

Once again party time is here for Christmas is near. And this specific party consisted of a few tennis ladies, a few bottles of wine, a few tasty appetizers, and lots of laughter to fill the entire neighborhood. It was an honor and great joy to be asked to cook for the lovely guests my mom had over for her eloquent Christmas dinner party. But no party is successful without an appetizer to match the occasion. And for this splendid, warm, and simple party my Baked Crab Rangoon fit in perfectly with its simple taste and effortless look with the won top strips curved so gently around the dainty crab meat.

My mother had requested for me to make this as an appetizer, and it was definitely a success. For how does one know when a recipe is a success? well simple: when there is nothing but a crumb left of the platter. But, for those out there who decide to make this for their Christmas Party (or any other festive occasion at that) this appetizer is a WARM appetizer and does not taste quiet as good when served at room temperature, let alone cold! Its creamy center explodes with the crunch from the won tons and is the perfect mix for any evening and holiday appetizer. P.S. I have a feeling I will be making this for my family on Christmas Day...
Ingredients:
2 cans (12 ounces) white crab meat, drained, flaked
8 ounces Neufchatel Cheese
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 cup Light Mayonnaise
24 won ton wrappers (found in refrigerated produce section)
LETS COOK!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Mix crab meat, neufchatel cheese, onions and mayo. Spray 24 regular sized muffin tin cups with cooking spray. place one won ton wrapper in each cup, allowing edges of wrappers to extend above sides of cups. Fill evenly with crab meat mixture. Back 15 minutes, then rotate pan and bake for about 2 to 3 more minutes, and edges should be golden brown and filling should be heated all the way through. Serve WARM. Garnish with chopped green onions, and enjoy!

Baby Mixed Greens Salad

Okay, this may sound strange, unbelievable, and even unfathomable, but I have never liked a salad until this past summer. You are probably thinking how have I lived and gone a whole seventeen plus years with out eating a single green leaf! Well, some how I managed to live, and I did survive. I first found my love of salad when I went with my mother and sister to La Madeline's for lunch one Sunday afternoon. They had both ordered a caesar salad, and it was just unbelievably beautiful! I couldn't resist and I had to order one my self to give this "salad" thing a try. From that day on I fell in love and now I eat salad every chance I get with every meal possible. (If I could, I would probably be eating it with my breakfast!)

My all time favorite salads, hands down, are caesar salads with the perfectly delightful creamy textured and thick dressing, as well as any salad with baby spinach leaves and a thin, light vinaigrette. I decided to mix all my favorite ingredients into one big salad, and have a variety of textures as well as a variety of different green leaves. This salad borders between a warm side dish and a crunchy full on entree. The warm, hard boiled egg wilts the spinach just enough to melt them around the chopped almonds and crumbled feta cheese. It is absolutely delicious if you are a salad lover, and your taste buds will be begging for that next bite. . .
Ingredients: (all will depend on the size of salad being made)
baby green leaf lettuce
baby spinach (make sure to have more of this than the other two)
baby Romain lettuce
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 hard boiled eggs
1/4 cup almonds
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 red onion
2 tablespoons orange juice with pulp
1 cup balsamic vinaigrette
LETS COOK!
boil eggs and peel shell off once boiled. clean all lettuce and leaves with water and pick off every stem from the baby spinach. (may take a while, but worth it in the end!) In a small bowl mix orange juice and vinaigrette together and set aside. In serving bowl, place lettuces inside. Roast almonds for a few minutes over medium-high heat in frying pan with olive oil until golden brown. Remove from heat and cut into halves, placing them on top of lettuce. Add the sliced hard boiled egg and crumbled feta cheese. Chop small pieces of the red onion, then add to salad. When ready to serve, pour vinaigrette over salad, toss, and enjoy! (simple as one, two, three!)

Turkey Day Fave (Cranberry-Almond Spinach Salad)

Webster's definition of Thanksgiving: the act of giving thanks and expressing gratitude through prayer. My definition of Thanksgiving: a day to indulge in lots and lots of good American food. Thanksgiving is a day that one can eat as much as they please without being judged, so why not enjoy the food we eat? That is why this year I decided to prepare a salad that was sure to make a second round around the table.

Thanksgiving is the start of fall cooking, therefore cranberries are all the rage in many of the side dishes; including spinach salads. It was a must to add cranberries for it's a popular favorite among many traditional Americans, as well are warm and toasty slivered almonds. This salad pairs between sweet-tang which comes from fresh, squeezed orange juices spritzed within the dressing and dried up cranberries sprinkled through out the baby spinach.

Ingredients:  (makes for large families)

2 packages fresh baby spinach

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup roasted or toasted almonds

1 cup balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing

4 tablespoons orange juice

LETS COOK!

pick off every single stem from each leaf of the baby spinach (yes, this is very tedious). Place spinach in a serving bowl and add the cheese, onion, and cranberries. Thinly slice almonds and add to bowl as well.

In separate bowl combine balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing and orange juice. mix well together and pour over salad mixture when ready to serve.

Toss entire mixture together, and try to leave most of the cheeses, onion slices, almonds, and cranberries on top of spinach.

Serve and enjoy. (very simple, yet very good!)