Salads |

Summer Salad App

I haven’t lived in the same place for more than 2 years ever since I went off to college. I’m starting to think that I’m secretly addicted to moving. After all, it’s a great way to purge extra stuff that you’ve accumulated over time, like a forced motivator to do all that Spring cleaning that was supposed to happen oh, 4 months ago. I always had a really good reason (not an excuse, a reason! reasons are forgivable and rationalizable) to put it off another week…

We, as fortune would have it, are moving to a new apt. How could we turn it down? The opportunity presented itself, we applied, and we actually got it! New place is bigger, newer, nicer, cheaper, and closer to everything we do. It has four burners on the stove, counterspace, a real oven and get this – a dishwasher! I am beyond excited. Sometimes my husband and I think about all the food we have made in our current apartment, and we are both amazed how we pulled it off with so little space. Well, I know how we did it. It’s called our food processor and toaster oven. Lifesavers, they are. Moving now means crazy things like, we can now cook and store enough food to take lunches to work. I can now go buy muffin tins and bake things. Gluten free brioche? That’s something I’ve been longing to try. Or doughnuts? mmmmm. My list of things to make just got a long longer really quickly!

But we’re not quite moved yet, even though all our pots and pans are packed up. Food processor is packed, and so is the toaster oven. Cooking this week is a pretty minimal word. And in the case of this post, non-existent. Lately, we’ve done lots of salads because prep work and lack of cooking work makes them really easy. This is one that we just kinda threw together in our heads the other day coming home from work. Beyond simple, quick, satisfying, and no cooking required. Took a max of 10 minutes to make (when you count chopping all the veggies), 5 minutes to photograph (don’t you just love the tablecloth? ha), and then a few more minutes to devour!

I call this an app, because that’s how most people would eat it I think. We had it for dinner. To each their own, these rules about food aren’t so fastly set in stone. In fact, I encourage breaking some food rules every now and then. It’s good for that adventurous spirit, even if it’s something small like eating an appetizer for dinner

Continue reading Summer Salad App

My Love Affair with Fruit Continues – Summer Fruit Salad

For the two of us, this summer has been all about fresh fruit. Of course we all know my love affair with strawberries, but now that the season has passed, I’ve branched out to enjoy the other tasty sweets nature has to give us along with the bright summer sun. Whether it be sharing a fresh carton of blackberries while walking home from work, picking raspberries on a path out on an evening walk, or waking up in the morning with yogurt, granola, and slices of apricots that aim to be as sweet as the ripest of peaches, we certainly have been enjoying our fruits! And then there are figs. I like to wait til they are super soft, so delicate a firm grip would end them in a fit of a sticky disaster oozing everywhere.

Not every fruit needs to be sweet to be enjoyed. Currants are a tart little explosive burst of flavor when they enter your mouth. At first I was a bit skeptical of my potential love for this fruit because of that, but they have really become a staple in our kitchen the past few weeks. I enjoy their tartness, especially paired with something sweet. They are perfect for balancing sweetness, and are exactly why they are such an integral part of this salad.

Continue reading My Love Affair with Fruit Continues – Summer Fruit Salad

Chilled Pasta Salad

I tend to lose my appetite easily when it is grossly hot outside like it has been this week, tending towards fresh fruits and greens over carbs & meats. There’s just one problem with desiring such lighter fare day after day – I don’t consume enough calories and then I am hungry. So how to eat something more substantial when I don’t feel like anything heavy? Why of course, a chilled flavorful pasta salad!

Unfortunately, pasta salads for me often invoke images of mayonnaise laden macaroni concoctions at a sweltering hot picnic brunch that leave my stomach in that “sunken” feeling after eating, like a giant boulder decided to take up residence in my tummy. It’s usually not an awesome experience. However, thanks to my friend Stacy over at Little Blue Hen, her Greek pasta with colorful visions of artichoke hearts and olives was exactly the inspiration I needed. A light olive oil and vinegar dressing and some great bright flavors sounded perfect to me.

Most everything I had already in my pantry too, which means I didn’t have to go back out in the heat to the store to buy things. Not that going to the store is an issue, but climbing the freaking hill back up to our apartment is. Did I ever tell you that I am a complete wimp in the heat (especially if there is no A/C to be had)? There’s a reason why most of my work & travels have been to cooler regions, or why my husband and I chose the chilly windy New England shore in the Autumn rather than a tropical Caribbean island for our honeymoon. A beach all to myself on a day where the high is 50ºF with 30 knot winds? Now that’s my kinda vacation:

Continue reading Chilled Pasta Salad

Copyright © 2008-2010 by Jenn Cuisine, All Rights Reserved. Do NOT use original graphics or written content without requesting and then receiving explicit permission. Please contact Jenn for all requests.

Disclaimer: I am NOT a licensed medical professional NOR am I a certified nutritionist. This site is NOT meant to be used in place of medical advice. You are responsible for your own consumption of foods. Consult a licensed medical professional before making any dietary changes. Contact manufacturer to inquire about allergy risks in specific food products.