So Simple, So Few

1 avocado, halved and pit out
Salt & pepper
Some goat cheese
Parsley
Extra virgin olive oil

Simple Salad

Small tomatoes and edamame Salad

• 1 pint quartered Cherry rainbow tomatoes
• a cup and a half of edamame 
• dressing: one sliced green onion, a pinch or two of garlic powder, lemon zest, juice of half a lemon, salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil, and a pinch or two of parsley

Some Combinations

Sandwiches

*Apricot jam/jelly and Sunflower Butter

*Grilled Pepper Jack cheese and Apricot jam/jelly 

Cookies

*Almond Butter and dried cherries

*Cashew Butter and dried apricots with apricot jelly center

Toast toppings

*Apricot jelly\jam and strawberries

Salads

*Dragon fruit, avocado, grapes with EVOO, S&P, and lemon juice

*Beets, peaches, arugula, toasted pine nuts, goat cheese, coconut oil, agave nectar, S&P, and champagne vinegar

Abe Laboriel Jr's Roasted Broccoli Salad

 A while back ago, Paul McCartney's drummer was kind enough to give me his recipe of this salad after he posted about it on Twitter. I did tried it and it was delicious, but I forgot about it until the other day. So I dig deep and thankfully found it! 

Stella McCartney's Summer Coleslaw

Prep time: 15 mins
Ready time: 15 mins

Ingredients
2 medium-large carrots
½ small white cabbage
handful trimmed mangetout
6 spring onions
handful trimmed radishes
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
2 tablespoons roughly chopped toasted hazelnuts
2 tablespoons freshly chopped flatleaf parsley
½ lemon, juice
3 tablespoons hazelnut oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
cress, to serve
mustard, to serve

Method
Peel and coarsely grate 2 medium-large carrots into a large mixing bowl.

Finely shred ½ small white cabbage and a handful of trimmed mangetout and add to the bowl.

Finely slice 6 spring onions and a handful of trimmed radishes, and add along with 1 tablespoon poppy seeds,
2 tablespoons roughly chopped toasted hazelnuts and 2 tablespoons freshly chopped flatleaf parsley.

In a separate small bowl whisk together the juice of ½ lemon and 3 tablespoons hazelnut oil and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Pour over the coleslaw and gently mix together. Spoon the salad into a serving bowl and scatter over mustard and cress to serve.

Vanna White’s Layered Pea Salad

In a 9x13x2” casserole dish, layer the following: 

1 head chopped lettuce 

1 cup diced celery 

½ cup green peppers diced 

6 sliced hard-boiled eggs 

1 medium onion diced 

1 pkg. frozen peas, thawed 

8 to 10 cooked bacon strips, crumbled 

Mix 2 cups Miracle Whip salad dressing with 2 Tablespoons sugar. Spread on top of layers in dish. Sprinkle one package of shredded cheddar cheese on top of that. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Asian Style Salad

Salad- daikon, carrots, red pepper, snap peas and peanuts

Dressing- a dollop of peanut butter, rice vinegar, honey, ground ginger, Chinese 5-spice, soy sauce, a squirt of lime juice, pepper and vegetable oil

My Kind Of Salad

Honestly I rarely make salads. Don't get me wrong, I do love salads but I usually go for the ones that are already made. The salad I really like to make is simply tomatoes, cucumbers, garlic and EVOO- yummy! But last night my household wanted a salad so I gave them a salad!

Salad:
-Lettuce (Romaine)
- 1 Tomato
-3 Carrots
-Red Pepper
-Chick peas (drained)
-Dried cranberries (a handful or two)
-3 celery

Dressing:
-2 spoonfuls of dijon mustard
-2 tablespoons of honey
-a little sprinkle of garlic powder
-lemon juice from 1 lemon
-balsamic vinegar (eyeball- about a shot or two)
-EVOO (eyeballing while whisking it in)
-S&P

Homemade Macaroni Salad

This was my first time of making macaroni salad ever. Never really thought of it before until this week when I  was eyeing at the macaroni box that spoke to me "use me". I also had quite a lot of organic vegetables to use before they quickly go bad. The recipe is very simple.

Ingredients:
-celery stalk (with leaves included)- chopped
-carrot- shredded by food processor
-cucumber- shredded with food processor
-mayo- about 3-4 large spoonfuls (eyeball)
-mustard- 1 spoonful (eyeball)
-balsamic vinegar- a shot (eyeball)
-dill- a few springs chopped
-S&P
-red spring onion- sliced thinly with either madonlin or food processor using the slicer blade
-lemon juice- squirt (eyeball)
-macaroni- 2 cups and boiled

Method:
While cooking the macaroni in boiling water, prepare all the ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Allow the macaroni cool down in the strainer before adding to the mixing bowl
Cover and put in refrigerator to chill for about 30 minutes before serving.

Since I like to have my onions cooked (as I love the sweet taste rather than raw), I saute them in a small saute pan with a little EVOO, S&P till soften. Let cool before adding to the other ingredients.

Linda McCartney Tribute Dinner

 On April 17, 2012, I made a vegetarian dinner in honor of Linda Eastman McCartney (I did the same last year, it's sort of becoming sort of a tradition). She always encouraged people to become a vegetarian to save the animals as she's an animal lover. I admit I'm not a vegetarian (as you can tell from this blog) but I do love my veggies and I do make a vegetarian dinner a couple of times per week.

Linda McCartney's Lentil and Cheese Loaf and Cheese Souffle with my tomato-cucumber-garlic salad

Warm Brussel Sprouts 'Salad'

Ingredients-

-1 bag/pint (about 1 lb) of brussel sprouts, sliced

-pancetta, diced (found in package form; if not at least 4 slices)

-EVOO

-small handful of dried cranberries

-garlic, sliced into chips

-balasmic vinegar (eyeball)

Method-

saute pancetta in EVOO till brown, take out on paper-towel covered plate. Saute sliced garlic clove in pancetta/EVOO till brown, take out on paper-towel with pancetta. Saute sliced brussel sprouts, season S&P, stirring till browning careful not to burn. Put in reserved pancetta & garlic and a small handful of dried cranberries. Stir few minutes and add about two shots of balasmic vinegar for a few more minutes and then serve. Add a little more of EVOO if looking little dry as brussel sprouts will absorb while cooking.

For Vegetarians-

just leave out the pancetta; you can also swap or use 1 onion sliced and saute after browning the garlic into chips