Na'ama's Fattoush

It's not often that you'll hear me saying that I crave salad, but the Levantine salad, Fattoush, is something I'm always in the mood for. There's something about the lemony, minty dressing that I can't get enough of. Loaded with chopped vegetables and toasted {or stale} flatbread, it's very much like another favorite salad of mine, Panzanella, also known as, Italian bread salad. In both cases, the crispy bread is softened by the dressing, adding substance to an otherwise light dish. It can really be a meal in itself.
My love for this salad was in overdrive during my recent pregnancy, but I wasn't making it myself. Instead, I was buying it at one of my favorite Middle Eastern spots, and while their version is delicious, now that I've started getting a grip on my life, it's time I got busy in the kitchen making my own.
A fantastically gorgeous cookbook that's been calling my name helped get me back in my blogging boots. Jerusalem, by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi, is one of the more spectacular cookbooks I own. The photography is unreal, and each page has something even more delicious looking than the one before. However, this recipe for Fattoush was the one that needed to be made first.

Years ago, I made another version of Fattoush here. While also very delicious, it's quite different from this one. I've never had Fattoush with a creamy, "buttermilk-like" dressing such as this one...which was a large part of why I wanted to try it. You can opt to buy store-bought buttermilk to save time, but I followed the recipe and made my own by combining plain Greek yogurt with milk. It takes several hours for the bubbling action to take place, but if you plan ahead, you can make it the day before, and leave it in the fridge overnight.
Instead of using stale pita bread, this recipe calls for Turkish flatbread...but you could certainly substitute pita, or even naan, if you so desire. I love the Middle Eastern flatbreads from Trader Joe's, so that's what I used. I cut the flatbread into triangles and toasted them briefly to crisp them up, but leaving them out overnight to stale would have worked too. Before I added the flatbread to the salad, I broke the triangles into bite-sized pieces.

Farmers' Market Pasta Salad with Spinach Pesto

As much as I love doing guest posts, I had recently sworn off doing any until I could get caught up on my own blog. Yet, just days after making this resolution, I received a guest post invitation from the folks at Bldg 25. I happen to be a follower of the blog, and a big fan of the clothing brand, Free People, which the site represents. If you're wondering what a clothing company's blog might have to do with food, hop on over, as you'll be pleasantly surprised to find blog posts about everything from diy projects to beauty tips, and much more.
Being a fan, I could hardly say no {I was also quite flattered to be asked!} - so I got to work developing this recipe, as part of their new series titled Living Local, which "explores the different facets of living a mindful locavore lifestyle". When given the option, buying local is always my preferred method when choosing the foods we eat, and I am quite lucky to live in an area that has some of the most extensive and plentiful Farmers' Markets around. 

For this recipe, I paid a visit to the Westport Farmers' Market, which happens to be one of my favorites. Not only because it's large, with a vast selection of locally grown produce, but also because they're committed to selecting vendors who sell organic, and non-GMO foods only. This results in one potential downside for me, in that there are so many beautiful items to choose from, I end up buying more than I intended to! As case in point, after arriving with the intention of buying one bunch of greens, this trip yielded two bunches of mizuna {one red variegated & one green}, a bunch of spinach, a bag of mesclun greens, and a small container of red orach micro greens...not to mention the items I purchased which were unrelated to this recipe. When I got home and mulled over some ideas, I decided to incorporate all of the greens in a pasta salad dressed with a pesto made using fresh spinach.

I love traditional basil pesto, but frankly I'm not the biggest fan of having it over pasta. Mostly because I find it can be too overwhelming a flavor when eating so much of it. I prefer using basil pesto in other applications, such as drizzled over fresh mozzarella and tomatoes, dolloped on homemade pizza, or substituting it for mayonnaise on a sandwich. This inspired my interest in making a pesto with a milder favor, that I could enjoy over pasta, and which allowed the ingredients served with it a chance to stand out as well.
I began by swapping out the basil in favor of fresh spinach, which is not only a notably milder green, but also a significantly less expensive one. Another change was the oil I used. The slightly bitter flavor of olive oil can stand up to bold-flavored basil, however, it's not as well suited for spinach. So, after experimenting with some neutral-flavored oils that I thought might work well with spinach, I decided the best match was grapeseed oil.
Finally, another component of pesto that I usually always have on hand, is good Parmesan cheese. But the day I made this, I happened to have a block of Grana Padano in the fridge. This turned out to be a blessing, because I actually loved it for this recipe. In fact, I might go as far as saying I preferred it.

Grana Padano is similar to Parmigiano-Reggiano in many ways, but some of the ways they differ are in texture, flavor and price. Grana is typically less expensive, the flavor is less salty and intense, and it has a slightly softer texture. In keeping with my goal of a 'less-overpowering' pesto, it worked very well. Try playing around with some locally-grown greens for this pasta salad...it's really about using what's available to you. Enjoy!
Some more of my Pesto favorites - Traditional Basil Pesto | Pesto Pasta Salad with Grilled Chicken | Roasted Tomatoes with Pesto | Roasted Almond Ricotta Pesto with Olives | Grilled Chicken Salad with Tarragon Pesto

Colcannon

Last week I posted a round-up featuring the Irish recipes I've shared here over the years. While most of them have been my adaptations of the classics, versus passed down family recipes - many of them would have been welcome additions to our St. Patrick's Day dinners growing up. This recipe, however, would not have been received so gladly.
You see, I come from a family of mashed potato purists - and I can guarantee you that adding anything to plain ole' mashed potatoes, other than the basic additions {butter, milk and salt} - would not be welcomed {I think someone even tried that once and it didn't go over well}.
But now - I'm all grown up...I have a family of my own. And if I want to add greens to my mashed potatoes, I certainly can. In fact, the idea of making a batch of Colcannon has been speaking out to me for a long while. When I saw this version in a cookbook my father gave me, called The Country Cooking of Ireland, by Coleman Andrews, I knew I would try a batch this year.

I happen to love greens. Kale, chard, spinach, rapini, or collards...you name it, I like them all. So, this recipe is my kind of side dish. Yes, there's loads of butter in there. Yes, there's also whole milk and it's basically a 'carb-laden' mound of comfort in a bowl. But St. Patrick's Day comes but once a year - and yes, I do feel a bit better about it when the recipe involves a big pile of greens too.

Like any other traditional dish of Ireland, there are as many variations on this recipe as there are Irish Mamos. I've seen recipes that are little more than potatoes, milk, butter and kale. Some add in chopped cabbage, some add other greens - such as spinach or green herbs, like sorrel or parsley. However, my research has lead me to one conclusion - it's really just a way to use up whatever greens you happen to have on hand, or that happen to be in season. If cabbage is abundant, you would use that - same goes for kale, or any other green. Best of all, you can add in more than one type of leafy green - so it's a good way to use up the drips and drabs you might have leftover in the fridge.
I followed the recipe author's instructions for the most part. But I did decide to throw in some fresh parsley leaves...for obvious reasons. I also decided to use baby kale.
For those of you who have not tried baby kale yet - I really love it. Earthbound Farms sells containers of mixed baby kales in a clam shell container - just like their lettuce greens. So it's all washed and ready to use {super convenient}. The young leaves are very tender and much less bitter than mature kale. So it's a good option for those who may not be the biggest 'bitter greens' fan.

In this recipe, the russet potatoes are steamed with their skins on...which is a new technique for me. Usually, when I make mashed potatoes, I peel them ahead of time. Then, I chop the potatoes up into uniform sizes and boil them until tender. But by doing so, I'm boiling away and draining off all the potato flavor. This technique is a tad more involved than simply boiling potatoes, but I encourage you to try it. While potatoes are very bland in general, this technique will help extract as much flavor as possible from them.
Another great flavor maker in this recipe is scallions. The scallion greens are minced and steamed with milk and butter. This gives the milk a vichyssoise-like flavor...for those of you who have had vichyssoise {basically potato leek soup} you'll know what I'm talking about. It's seems scallions {or chives and leeks, for that matter} were destined to marry potatoes...because they're simply meant to be together.

You can read more about the traditional way to serve this dish in the recipe below - but I'll give you a hint: it has something to do with the pool of melted butter in the center.
I recommend serving Colcannon along side the other traditional Irish-American St. Patrick's Day staples of Corned Beef & Cabbage and Soda Bread. If you happen to have any leftovers, try making Colcannon Cakes - you can use this recipe for Boxty {Irish Potato Pancakes} and substitute the Colcannon for the plain mashed potatoes. If you're Irish, or if you just enjoy celebrating St. Patricks' Day and the food of Ireland, I highly recommend you purchase The Country Cooking of Ireland cookbook. It's as much an encyclopedia as it is a cookbook and it's so gorgeous, it will end up on your coffee table instead of a bookshelf. Enjoy!

Scalloped Potatoes & Fennel

I realize that for those of you out there trying to turn over a new healthy-eating leaf this New Year my posting a ridiculously rich and carb-loaded casserole is not exactly helping your cause.  I'm hoping that having this dish on the other side of your computer screen versus sitting right in front of you makes it okay {smiling}.
Truth is, I do have some healthy January recipes on deck.  But before I went ahead with those, I wanted to sneak this one in.  I, for one, am a bit behind with getting started on my resolutions - at least the ones that involve me snapping out of the holiday indulging habits.

This year I hosted dinner at my house on Christmas Day and New Year's Eve.  Both were small gatherings - which was nice.  I didn't have to go too bonkers with the food and my house is small, so intimate groups are my favorite.  When planning my Christmas meal I spotted this recipe from Bon Appétit.  I knew I wanted to make scalloped potatoes, but didn't know exactly what recipe I'd use.  One familiar, or a new one?
When I saw this version, using a mixture of russet potatoes and sliced fennel along with garlic and fresh rosemary - I was sold.

You may have noticed by now...I love fennel and have posted quite a few recipes here featuring it. Such as Fennel & Orange Salad, Edamame & Fennel Salad, Tiny Pasta & Pea Soup, and more recently this Couscous with Roasted Fennel & Toasted Almonds. 
While it does have a taste similar to black licorice, I don't think you necessarily have to be a fan of licorice in order to like fennel, as the anise flavor is more subtle.  It's especially subtle when you cook the fennel.  In fact, the rosemary used in these scalloped potatoes has such a strong presence that it does knock the fennel flavor out quite a bit. 
While the fennel is subtle in this dish, I still think it's a necessary factor in the overall end result and because of this, I wouldn't want to leave it out.  The flavor of these scalloped potatoes is unlike anything you've probably ever tried.  It has many layers yet everything balances out so well.
I love scalloped potatoes in general, but I really love these.  So much so I polished off whatever was leftover on Christmas later on that evening...just the plastic container, a fork and me.  And because it was Christmas, I didn't have one shred of guilt about it either.
Since they were such a big hit the first time around, I decided to make them again a week later - for New Year's Eve.  I also wanted to blog the recipe, so making them again for guests was a better idea than making them again for no one in particular - only to end up eating the whole thing myself.  
I decided to have my little guy help me out with the recipe.  While we were prepping and measuring, I was also taking photos and doing a dozen different things and because of this an extra cup of cream ended up in the mix.  It was quite the bummer, because while they were still good - they weren't knock my socks off good.  The extra cream made everything too soupy and it was too bad I didn't realize it until after the fact and after any chance to fix it had passed.
It just goes to prove that I have screw ups in the kitchen all the time.

Couscous with Roasted Fennel & Toasted Almonds

I was recently offered a review copy of the newly released cookbook from the website Food52.  To say I was excited about this would be an understatement.  I've been a follower of the website for years and every single thing I've ever made from it has been amazing.  I had a feeling their cookbook would be no different.
If you're unfamiliar with the site - in a nutshell it showcases recipes from home cooks, every day people like you and me who happen to have a few great recipes or specialties up their sleeves.  It's a recipe sharing community, but it's also more than that.  The 52 in the site's name comes from the 52 weeks in a year, and each week the editors of the site hold a contest for the best recipe in one of many categories....the Best Holiday Breakfast, the Best Raspberry Recipe, the Best Paella are just a few examples.  The contest entries are vetted by not only the sites creators but also by the community itself.  The winning recipe for each contest gets a prize - but even better gets their recipe published in The Food52 Cookbook!

The cookbook I'm speaking of today is the first one - a year's worth of contest winning recipes {the second book is in the works now}.  Knowing that each winning recipe has been tested and voted upon by a community of food loving people makes me feel confident that I will most likely enjoy them as well...which is why more often than not I use the site as a regular "what should I cook for dinner tonight?" resource.  Personally, I've never entered any of the contests {but - one of my recipes did win a Wild Card slot for the 2nd cookbook!}.  Not because I don't want to, but because the way my life is I'm lucky if I know what day of the week it is, let alone keep track of recipe contests.  I do, however, appreciate everyone who does because I love reaping the benefits.

I do use the recipe sharing part of the site though - if I ever come up with an original recipe that I want to share I upload it there.  It's a great spot to store your personal recipe box.
It was tough trying to decide which recipe I would feature here for this review.  So many of them called out to be made and I know for sure that this cookbook will not sit on a shelf collecting dust - it will get used many times and I hope to one day try all the recipes.
In the end, I decided on this Couscous with Roasted Fennel & Toasted Almonds.  I found it in the Winter section of the book {I love that it's divided by seasons!} and it just felt so perfect for this time of year.  Even the colors in this dish feel like winter to me.

For the exact recipe, I will be sending you to the Food52 website - as I wish to support their cause by having you get it directly from the source.  But - I will share some slight changes I made and specific ingredients I used with you here.
First - the recipe calls for using black raisins which are then soaked in orange juice.  Which for folks who like raisins is probably a great way to plump them up while adding some orange flavor to the final dish - but, I am not a raisin person.  I don't mind them so much on their own, but once they get added to food forget about it.

So, instead I used dried cranberries - and instead of soaking them in orange juice I added a bit of orange juice to the dressing, to keep some of the orange flavor in the finished dish.  I cut back on the vinegar to make up for the added citrus juice {2 tbsp. olive oil, 1/2 tbsp. sherry vinegar & 1/2 tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice}.  It ended up being perfect for my tastes because I love vinaigrette's made with a combination of juice and vinegar.
I also left out the garnish of fennel fronds as the fennel I used was trimmed previously.  As far as adaptions that's pretty much it - everything else I followed to a tee.

As for ingredients, I used a hand-rolled Tunisian couscous, called M'hamsa.  Since it's an imported specialty item it's pricey {for something that's primarily semolina flour and water}.  But - I bought it months ago on a whim, intrigued by the idea of trying a handmade couscous and ever since I've been hooked.  The grain is not as large as an Israeli {pearl} couscous, but it's larger than commercially made varieties.  As far as flavor, it's much more intense than factory made couscous - the nutty flavor is much more pronounced.  I also love that the larger grains don't stick together in a big glutenous mess like the small ones sometimes do.  This salad is a perfect winter side dish and the leftovers taste great the next day.
I know you'll really enjoy this recipe and many others from The Food52 Cookbook.  And...to make sure that one of you does, I'm offering up a free copy to one lucky commenter!
The Giveaway winner will receive a copy of "The Food52 Cookbook: 140 Winning Recipes from Exceptional Home Cooks" by Amanda Hesser & Merrill Stubbs.
To enter, simply leave a comment here on this post.
You may enter multiple times by sharing this giveaway with your friends or followers on Facebook and/or Twitter {one extra entry for each, totaling 3 maximum entries}.  In order to be eligible to win you must comment here under this post.  Please leave your contact information so I can contact you if you win!  The winner will be chosen at random on the morning of Monday, December 19th.  Good Luck!
UPDATE: The winner of this giveaway {chosen using a random number generator} is - Comment #9 Lauren H.  Congrats Lauren!!  {It's your second giveaway win!  You sure are a lucky lady!}

Eggplant Parmesan

My grandmother made the best Eggplant Parmesan known to man. No joke. It was soft, cheesy, salty, sweet from the tomatoes, crispy on the edges and generally perfection in every way. Knowing this, you would think I make it all the time, right? But, I don't. And, I haven't. Ever.
It's just been one of those dishes that intimidates me. Plus, the thought of salting all that eggplant, then having to wait for it to drain, then making a sauce, then assembling it, then doing the mountain of dishes you created using 5 plates, a pot, a colander and a skillet. Well, you just really have to be in the mood.
Another reason is why make it myself when I have my mother's version available numerous times a year? You see, in my opinion [sorry Dad, you've got grandma's meatballs down to a science] my mother can replicate this signature dish exactly. I love when she makes it and so does my entire family.
However, this isn't doing me any good at the moment, as my mother recently moved away...2,207 miles away from me to be exact. She left Connecticut and is fulfilling her dream of living in Jackson Hole, Wyoming {where my brother can have all the eggplant he wants}.

Saag Paneer

I actually made this meal in the middle of the summer. But, somehow, it didn't feel like the right time to post it. For me, this meal is a cool weather kind of thing. It comes in handy though...having some posts on the back burner...for times like this week.
I spent the past weekend in NYC at a Photoshop workshop for bloggers, called Blogshop. It was the best! I learned so much, and want to tell you all about it...I will soon. For now, I am playing catch up. Not being home for 2 days felt like a week...or, I should say it looked like I had been gone a week when I got home.

Today, while I was working on this post, I wished I was having it tonight. Anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I love Indian food. Specifically, Saag Paneer, also known as Palak Paneer. It's a stew-like dish, made with spinach {the saag, or palak} and paneer...which is a firm Indian cheese that has a very mild flavor. The two are cooked with aromatic spices, onions and cream. How much cream depends on the Indian restaurant, or chef who happens to be preparing it.

Fire Roasted Heirloom Salsa

One of the things I did, just prior to getting hit with the recent hurricane, was go food shopping. Just like every person within 100 miles of me. I was hoping the storm wouldn't be as bad as everyone was predicting, that we wouldn't lose power, and that the weekend would be spent being stuck inside, playing board games, watching movies, cooking yummy food and eating!
So, rather stupidly, I stocked the fridge to the max. It wasn't the brightest thing to do because we did indeed lose power. At first it flickered on and off, about every hour or so. Then, it finally went kaput for good the morning the storm hit. After that, the next 48 hours had me in a panic. Not because we couldn't watch TV, or use the computer, or because it's very hard to get used to doing everything in the dark...but, because of the food! Why, oh why, did I spend all that money on food? Much of which would end up getting thrown away. Especially when there are people all over this planet starving?
To relieve some of the anxiety I was having over the situation, I made it my mission to use up as much of it as I could. Luckily, we had the foresight to fill the propane tank for the grill, and anything that could be cooked on it, did. The need to empty the contents of our crisper drawer, combined with a massive amount of tomatoes I had on hand from our garden, inspired this recipe.

Zucchini Blossom Fritters

I've been eating zucchini flowers my entire life. Every summer my grandmother would harvest the blossoms from her zucchini plants and use them to make a frittata. We ate many, many frittatas each season and I loved every one of them.
Nowadays, squash blossoms are a popular ingredient. But, when I was growing up, it seemed that unless you were Italian, you probably had never heard of eating them. So, it didn't surprise me one bit when shortly after meeting my Italian husband, his mother served me Zucchini Blossom Fritters...and it was love at first taste.
Since then, my whole family enjoys these delicious treats every year. My boys love when their grandmother makes them a batch....and, it brings me back to my childhood summers.
It's very common to find zucchini blossom recipes that involve stuffing the flowers with a ricotta cheese mixture, then pan-frying them in a tempura like batter. Those are fantastic too! But, these are different. The blossoms are sauteed in olive oil to soften them a bit, then chopped, and added to a fritter batter flavored with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese. I was so happy when my mother-in-law shared the recipe with me. But, I have to say that unless she is the one making them, they are never exactly the same. Doesn't that seem to be the case with all passed down recipes?
For those not familiar with squash flowers...The best way to get your hands on some is to grow your own zucchinis. But, if that's not possible, check your local farmer's market for some. If they don't have any when you go, just ask! Most times, if they can bring you some the following week, they will. I've also seen them at specialty markets,...or if you live in the Northeast, the company Satur Farms packages them this time of year.

Sugar Snap Pea Salad

Despite the {mostly negative} chatter I seem to be hearing regarding the new Bon Appétit magazine, I have to say I'm loving it. Frankly, new or old style, I've always enjoyed BA. But, now I'm really enjoying it.
For those of you who may not be as engrossed in the world of food magazine's as I am, Bon Appétit has a new editor-in-chief. They have for about 6 months now, but it's only been in the past couple of months that the changes have really become evident.
What are these changes? What stands out most for me is the food photography and the overall styling of the magazine. When I pick up a food magazine and want to not only cook every recipe, but also re-create the exact meal, dish by dish...then it's a winner in my book.
Along with many folks in America, I was on the lookout for some delicious looking, picnic-style foods for the Fourth of July holiday. It just so happened that this month's issue had a delicious and brilliantly photographed spread devised specifically for a Fourth of July picnic...how perfect!
I wanted to make every single item on the menu, but this year I had many dinners to attend during the holiday week {thanks to a 2 week long visit from my sister & nieces} and for most of them I was in charge of bringing a veggie side, or salad. In the end, I made this salad twice...for two different groups of people. Which was actually ideal, as it gave me a chance to change some things I wasn't wild about the first time around. The photographs here are from the first go-around. I used feta cheese, because the ricotta salata that the recipe called for was unavailable to me. I also added the full 2 tablespoons of fresh mint suggested...I thought it was bit too much. I'm a big fan of mint...in things like iced tea, ice cream, or for making mojitos. But, when it comes to a simple salad such as this, it can easily dominate to the point where you can't taste anything else.
My final version is what's shown in the printable recipe at the bottom of this post. If you can get your hands on some ricotta salata, than you most definitely should {I was able to find it at Whole Foods}. As it takes this salad from perfectly good, to fabulous...in a crave-able kind of way. I also recommend adding the mint, and dressing to suit your personal tastes. You can always add more, but taking away is a bit more tricky.

Coleslaw with Fresh Dill

I had hoped by this point I would have some photos up of our vacation to Jackson Hole, WY. But, between the exciting week we had last week and tons of stuff going on this week, I have yet to find the time to go through them. I did, however, manage to get this post together for you.
I made this coleslaw on our very last night of the trip. I grilled some dinner for my brother and his family, along with a friend of my Mom's {hi Kathy!}, who let us stay at her gorgeous house our last night in town. I was inspired to make this because a few weeks earlier, I was shopping at Fairway and had some of their coleslaw. I actually had it on a turkey panini sandwich and was blown away by how good it was! The whole time I was eating the sandwich I was trying to figure out what it was about it that made it so good...it had something unusual about it...something I wasn't used to tasting in coleslaw.
The little sprinkles of green in there gave it away...it was fresh dill. I googled the recipe when I got home and found it right away. The actual recipe uses a ton of sugar, and I didn't remember it tasting overly sweet when I had it...so, I cut way back on that. Otherwise, it pretty much tasted exactly how I remembered it.
While cooking that evening, I had an unexpected helper...my 2 yr. old nephew, Nicholas. I put the bowl of dressing down to take a photograph, and he walked right up, grabbed the rubber spatula and started stirring away. It was as if he had just graduated from culinary school, the way he stirred that dressing! He carefully and methodically wiped the contents along the side of the bowl into the center, as if he were folding egg whites. Then, when satisfied with the consistency of the dressing, he tapped the spatula on the edge of the bowl to get every last bit in. I was blown away!
Now, this is coming from someone who's boys help in the kitchen all the time! But, even my 7 yr. old and 9 yr. old don't stir with that expertise. My brother is a chef, who now owns a Deli in Jackson Hole and my sister-in-law told me that he helps her make pancakes all the time. They have certainly trained him well!

Edamame & Fennel Salad

We arrived home from our vacation in the wee hours this morning. I'm functioning on very little sleep at the moment, but it's been so long since I've posted that I really wanted to get this recipe up!
We had an amazing trip! I know my kids will be remembering all of the adventures they had for a lifetime. It was hard coming home and being thrown back into reality. I have so much to share, including about 1700 photos {and one recipe I did manage to photograph}, but it may take me a bit to get most of it up here!
In the meantime, I'm sharing a recipe I created for the website, Babble. You may remember they included me in their Top 100 Mom Food Blogs of 2011...which was so nice of them! More recently, they asked me to create a recipe for their Meals for the Family section, which features 50 recipes from many of the Mom Food Bloggers on the list.
This salad was my contribution. The recipe happened sort of by happy accident, and was inspired by a local Asian restaurant I love, that steams their edamame with a piece of star anise thrown in. I've ordered their edamame many times, but never knew what made them taste so darn good until one day when I saw the little pod of star anise in there.
I figured if star anise was such a nice compliment to edamame then it must be equally delicious with some fennel. The verdict? Yes, it is! The only regret I had was not making twice as much. My kids aren't big fennel fans, but it was easy enough to pick it out of their serving {they were happy eating their Parmesan coated edamame}. I found this salad so addictive that I ate it at every meal for a few days following.

Spinach & Strawberry Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

I'm so happy that it's Spring! It's so much easier to eat healthy foods this time of year. All my favorite fruits & veggies are coming into season.
One said favorite is strawberries. Buying organic strawberries off season is nearly impossible...and, when you can find them, they're outrageously expensive. When I saw a pound of beautiful looking strawberries at the market this week, I grabbed some.
I was thinking about making a Mother's Day appropriate recipe...something that would be really pretty for a brunch. I've had strawberry salad with poppy seed dressing before & I thought I'd be able to throw something together. It came out really good...and met the approval of the whole family. This salad is perfect for kids, as it's just sweet enough to please them & it also has fruit in it!

Giardiniera

Ever since I experimented with making my own Dill Pickles, I have been thinking about trying to do the same with vegetables & make Giardiniera. The Giardiniera I am making here is the Italian version, pronounced {jar din nair ah} & is more of an antipasto...with larger pieces of vegetables...which work great as a salad ingredient. In Chicago, there's another type of Giardiniera, which is more of a relish. It has smaller diced vegetables & is served as more of a condiment. It's also typically made spicy with the addition of hot peppers.
Italian Giardiniera can also be made hot & spicy. I wanted to make a more family-friendly version here, as I know my kids will love this {they are huge pickles freaks!}. I did add in some red pepper flakes, just for a bit of heat. If you want more heat, you can certainly slice up some jalapenos, or serrano chiles & throw them in.
As far as what vegetables to use, it's really up to you. Use what you like. This recipe is really just a loose guide & you can certainly get as creative as you'd like. Some things I would have added, if I had them on hand, would be...some fennel, eggplant, pearl onions, or celery. I also happened to have some jicama in the fridge the day I made this...so, I added it. Not at all traditional, but so what? I happen to love pickled jicama.

Roasted Tomatoes with Pesto

Trying to squeeze in the time to cook is a challenge at the moment. Something quick & easy is about all I can handle. One of my favorite weeknight dinners is a hamburger {no bun} on a plate, with a thick slice of tomato & some pesto. So simple, yet easy & delicious.
When I saw this recipe in Ina's new cookbook, I thought, Yum!...that would make an awesome hamburger topper! So, this week, that is exactly what I did.
I was able to find a nice, ripe tomato, because "UglyRipes" are available in my area. But, if you can't find one, it's not that big of a deal, as the tomatoes get roasted anyway. Just find the best looking one you can.
For this recipe you can use store bought pesto {as I did}, or homemade.