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Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad
Have you been outside lately? I am sitting indoors at the computer with the AC blowing full blast. Just looking out the window makes me glisten. How do I remedy this thermal warfare? Cucumbers. Cucumbers are magical. They have the power to cool you in the deepest of heat. But in this salad, paradoxically, they are also the source of deep heat as they are drenched in piquant oils and chiles. The vinegar + red pepper flakes provide a surprisingly potent punch of fire + tang to the cucumber ribbons, making this Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad one of our favorites. About cucumbers: The recipe calls for either 1 large cucumber…
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Panzanella Salad
It was bloody hot today. Too hot to hold hands with The Man. Too hot to walk barefoot in the grass (even the grass was hot). And def too hot to cook. AmIright? So here’s what we’re gonna do. Stay inside, strip down to our skivvies, pour some wine, turn on our favorite music (Justin Timberlake, Outkast, Beck, Nina Simone…whatever gets the hips swaying) and make Panzanella Salad. It’s a beautiful word, isn’t it? Panzanella. Pane (bread) + zanella (soup bowl) = panzanella. Saying it feels like a silky + floral Chianti is trickling down your throat. Pan-za-NEL-la! Calling it by its name— Panzanella Salad, a Tuscan bread salad—is much more…
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Blackened Shrimp Caesar Salad
When I walked outside this morning to fill the bird feeders, I withered like a delicate flower. Seeing as how I am not a flower (nor delicate), this is my poetic way of telling you it was already scorching hot at 8AM. So how does a withered flower combat a hot day that will only get hotter? Blackened Shrimp Caesar Salad, of course! This salad is 200% awesome. 50% because cool + creamy Caesar dressing 50% because piquant + spicy blackened shrimp 50% because crunchy + garlicky croutons 50% because rich + sapid Parmesan cheese Actually, it’s probably more like 300% awesome. (You’ll agree once you dive in.) It’s a…
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Tangy + Crunchy Asian Chicken Salad
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Tangy + Crunchy Asian Chicken Salad
Do you have 30 minutes? Good! That means you have time to throw together this refreshing Tangy + Crunchy Asian Chicken Salad! It’s a rainbow of colors + textures bolstered by a silky peanut dressing—a flavor explosion, I guarantee. I have compiled a scrumptious conglomeration of typical Southeastern Asian ingredients including sesame oil + cilantro + ginger (for flavor) and chopped peanuts + cabbage + carrots (for crunch). You could always add crispy wontons for extra toothsomeness. I’ve also included a zinger: green papaya. Most Asian markets carry green, or under ripe, papayas either whole or shredded in a bag. Adding green papaya among this salad’s gorgeous vegetables + flavors…
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Crunchy + Garlicky Croutons
This is an open letter to Mrs. Kitchens, my former neighbor and babysitting employer. Dear Mrs. Kitchens, There was this one occasion when I babysat your kids that I found a container of crunchy bread chunks in the pantry. Those chunks were so savory + buttery that I started eating them–just one or two each time I walked through the kitchen. What harm was there in eating a few toasted pieces of bread? Well, I am not sure what happened next…things are a little foggy…but the next thing I remember was seeing the bottom of the container, unobstructed. I had eaten ALL the bread. So I write this open letter…
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Vietnamese Shredded Chicken + Noodle Salad
I wish everyone reading this post could jump through the screen and taste this Vietnamese Shredded Chicken + Noodle Salad! It is bursting with bright colors + savory flavors + sundry textures. I am scarfing down another heaping helping right now. It’s a good thing I am writing and not talking because my mouth is full and NO ONE wants to see that. I was craving this Vietnamese Shredded Chicken + Noodle Salad as I wanted to make something substantial yet light. This salad nails both of those qualifiers. The chicken adds a lot of substance, as do the noodles, while the vinegar-based dressing keeps it bright. (Excuse me while…
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Seared Pepper Ahi Tuna + Wasabi Vinaigrette
I am about to blow your mind with this recipe, so pay attention. Seared Pepper Tuna is such an indulgence for me. Something about clean tuna crusted with freshly cracked pepper throws me into a drooling tailspin. So.Many.Times I have put all dinner plans aside to drive directly to a sushi house to get my fix. For some reason it never occurred to me that I should (or could!) make it at home. That is, until I had this chat with myself: Girl, you are a bad ass, and you can make this yourself! So here we are. Lean in. I have to tell you a secret. You can be…
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Mediterranean Chicken Salad
Isn’t this Mediterranean Chicken Salad gorgeous? You bet your sweet ass, it is! I am an absolute sucker when it comes to beautiful produce. I mean, I get weak in the knees and my eyes glaze over. Then I hear this robotic voice in my head: Must Buy All the Produce. I call it Blog Brain Frenzy where I buy anything and all that is beautiful because in some manner or fashion I can use it in something. Right? In the history of never have I been able to pass up beautiful produce. Today I had to borrow a truck to get it all home. But the positive side of…
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Bleu Cheese + BLT Salad
It’s time to bring out your Summer Goddess. This Bleu Cheese + BLT Salad has all the flavor and is a breeze to throw together! Spilling over with delicious ingredients and this amazingly light Buttermilk Bleu Cheese Dressing, you will want to eat this every day during the warm summer months. At the market on Saturday, I was awestruck by the sight of the gorgeous locally grown, farm fresh produce. I usually gather it all up, knowing that it will somehow become a recipe. Today’s tough decision was which salad I should I make. The resident carnivore put in a request for something with bacon, and thus was born this…
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Ultimate Chicken + Avocado Caprese Salad
It’s that time of year when we are inundated with images of summer-readiness attire + activities + dietary regimen. It can be so stressful getting back on track after the holidays in preparation for the nearly naked time of year. (Seriously, have you seen how tiny bikinis are nowadays?) But there is no stress at all with preparing or eating this delightfully light yet satisfying Ultimate Chicken + Avocado Caprese Salad! I’d go so far as to say this salad is crazy easy to prepare. Simply do a sweep through the produce aisle of the market, grab a rotisserie chicken, and throw together some dressing fixins and you’re set! This…
