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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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Pasta Aglio e Olio: CYOA
On its own, pasta aglio e olio is deliciously simple: pasta + garlic + olive oil. Life doesn’t get much more pure than that. But we are going to shake things up a bit, go beyond garlic and olive oil. This recipe takes that classic dish of pasta glistening with oil, loaded with caramelized garlic and swanks it up a bit with a toss of crushed red pepper + fresh parsley + (among other things) zippy lemon zest. Mediterranean confetti, if you will. We’re taking an age-old recipe for pasta aglio e olio and giving it a plot twist of our choosing. Hence Pasta Aglio e Olio: CYOA (Choose Your…
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Chopped* Greek Salad
You may have heard me pontificate about what makes a real Greek salad–the Horiatiki salad, like my mom used to make, straight from the bounty of our garden. Ripe tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, and pungent onions topped with a swirl of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Pure and utter goodness. So when I refer to a real Greek salad, that is my point of reference. I am not saying other ingredient combinations are wrong, I am just saying they are not right. (I can be a real know-it-all pain-in-the-fanny kinda gal sometimes.) But enough quibble. Don’t mind me. Just roll your eyes and read on. This Chopped…
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Buffalo Chickpea Pockets with Bleu Cheese Drizzle
We are counting down to the Sweet Sixteen. As the bracket narrows, The Man is brainstorming game day menus. One request is Buffalo Chicken Wraps. I agreed, but with the caveat that I make plant-based modifications, just for funsies. I gave these a practice run and WOW, let me tell you—these babies are a slam dunk! Blue cheese + buffalo sauce is one of my love languages (um, I seem to have so many). Today we are subbing chickpeas for chicken. Chickpeas are little pearls of protein with less cholesterol than the alternative. You’ll drench them with a spicy piquant sauce and then cool them down with a buttermilk bleu…
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Chunky Mediterranean Hummus
This recipe is one of the reasons I am invited to parties. For years I thought it was my irresistible charm or my clever wit that was so alluring, but no. “Hey, we’re having a get-together Friday. We hope you can come! Around 7PM?” “Sounds great!” “Oh, and can you bring your Chunky Mediterranean Hummus?” My hummus. That’s the caveat. But who can blame anyone for loving this dish? My recipe takes hummus, a Middle Eastern staple, and loads it up with Mediterranean goodness. Hummus is like a beautiful neutral palette that complements anything that…
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