Strawberry & Blue Cheese Spinach Salad

This spinach salad is an excellent example of something I like to make at home mainly because I can control the size of the blue cheese crumbles. Also, this salad needs strawberries of high caliber and I knew the strawberries I had on hand would fit the bill nicely. In a restaurant, I usually just hope for the best with fruit quality. Most of the time, it's passable, but not anything that could be classified as good.

The only component that requires some attention is the balsamic vinaigrette; my version is a bit of Dijon mustard, honey, balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper whisked together furiously with a fork until emulsified (meaning everything has combined and the olive oil isn't a separate layer on top). A whisk probably works better, but I just use a fork.

If you want to get cute, you could throw in blueberries instead and call it a "blue" spinach salad. Just a thought!

Black Bean Salad

I'm beginning to think that in the kitchen, the inspiration game is not right for me. Most of the time, I just decide what to make, go buy the ingredients without hesitation and do the damn thing. And that's pretty much how this black bean salad came to be (pertinent information: I spent the weekend drinking a lot of cold beer and eating delectable foods that live many time zones away from virtuous).

There are a lot of black bean salad recipes out there. I made a very pared down version because let's face it, that's my usual approach to food. I put the following in a bowl: black beans, corn, red peppers, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, a very small amount of cumin, olive oil, salt and pepper. I imagine if you made a separate dressing, the salad might taste even better, but on a Monday night, I felt strongly that it wasn't essential. I did, however, run the red onion under a bit of water to mellow it out.

Summer and I have an uneasy relationship, especially since I moved to LA where central air conditioning is rare for renters; I try to keep my wits about me and accept that it's sentencing me to months of eating cold salads/sandwiches/whatever doesn't require the stove as well as fitful nights of waking up really annoyed at how hot it is, even at night. But, whether I'm ready or not, she has officially arrived to torment us all. So, prepare yourselves for a lot of cold dishes from me!

Broccoli Slaw

Now I know what a home run feels like.



When I cook at home, my expectations are fairly low. Most of the time, I am able to turn out better-than-edible food and once in a blue moon, I make something incredibly good.

This broccoli slaw made my jaw drop. I couldn't believe I made something so awesome. I used Smitten Kitchen's recipe, which nonchalantly introduced me to the best damn version of one of my favorite vegetable dishes (I cannot resist any interpretation of broccoli slaw; you should see how my eyes light up at the very sight of it).

Notes: I have been rather taken with currants lately and used those instead of cranberries. For the dressing, instead of shallots, I used red onion, which is mentioned as a substitute in her recipe.

If you don't know Smitten Kitchen, now you do. She knows what's up, especially if you are a baker (let's not go there right now; let me bask in my glory).

Spinach Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

My nutritional intake has been very questionable lately. Weeknights are especially dicey as I will almost never enter the fray that is the dinner-time-rush at the grocery store (I know I should be better about stocking up over the weekend, but let's not dwell on that right now). I have not been abiding by Ellie Krieger's "eat the colors of the rainbow" advice at all, which is probably why I found myself craving a spinach salad over the weekend.

I baked the bacon in the oven (anything to keep the smell of bacon out of my hair), boiled some eggs and whisked up a dressing with dijon, honey, salt, pepper and... bacon fat (you can pretend this part never happened for the sake of your opinion of me). I planned on using extra virgin olive oil, but got to thinking deviously when I saw the fat on the baking sheet.

This salad can be put together very quickly; it only took me about 20 min. from start to finish. Definitely going to be a keeper as the warmer months approach, but it's funny because I can count on one hand the number of spinach salads I eat in a year and I never order honey mustard dressing. Maybe 2009 is the year everything changes!

Russet Potato Salad with Greens and Bacon

I had two potatoes in my possession, which had been planned as cheapo dinner options, but I didn't think about how long it'd take me to preheat the oven and bake them on a weeknight. So, they were still just sitting on the counter by the time the weekend rolled around. After a search on trusty Epicurious, I found this recipe for Yam and Russet Potato Salad with Greens and Bacon. I tweaked it a bit: only used potatoes, had to use regular mustard after realizing I had thrown out the dijon, and halved the recipe measurements. I had some parsley on hand, so threw that in as well.

I liked this warm salad a lot! The smoky bacon worked really well with the greens and the sweet and vinegary dressing (I imagine it is even better with dijon, the regular yellow mustard was a bit harsh). I'm always pumped to discover new ways to cook familiar-bordering-on-boring ingredients! I highly recommend this recipe, folks.

Chicken Katsu and Salad with Apple and Blue Cheese

I've been remiss with my cooking, but last night, I got back on track with an oldie, but a goodie dish from my arsenal. Chicken katsu, breaded cutlets (or in this case, tenders), whatever you want to call it: I breaded the chicken in egg and panko crumbs (per usual, I was too lazy for the 2nd step of flour), which was then pan-fried and dipped in tonkatsu sauce. And of course, eaten with rice.

I felt in the mood for a better-than-the-usual simple salad. I picked up some granny smith apples and blue cheese to gussy up some mixed greens and dressed it with a balsamic vinaigrette.



Sometimes, wanting to eat two different types of cuisine in the same meal can be just plain wrong, but it worked here (I am guessing because I was craving the combination of apples and blue cheese so intensely).

And to drink, we had Tsing Tao beer. I got a big task off my to-do list, so I was in the mood to celebrate! Happy weekend, everyone! I may not have Patrick Duffy and Suzanne Somers to help kick off TGIF, but I do have cheap Thai food and alcohol in the cards for tonight, which is like 30% as good.

Couscous Salad

I don't eat couscous much, but after enjoying a ready-made version from Whole Foods, I thought I'd try my hand at it. Well, it was easy to make, but turned out a bit bland and lacking in strong flavor. In this cold salad, though, the couscous is mostly a vehicle for the fresh vegetables and feta cheese as well as a good source of fiber (at least, I think that's what eating grains is good for). Although I had it for a light dinner, it'd be more suitable as a side dish, particularly at a picnic or a BBQ.

Couscous anecdote: my first introduction to couscous was when Cindy Crawford prepared it on "House of Style" and I remember thinking it did not look very good. Still, you have to give props to Cindy; her worldly travels as a supermodel must have led her to be way ahead of the food trend curve (at least in American; obviously there are parts of the world where couscous has always been a mainstay of cuisine).