July 20, 2009

Thai Watermelon Salad

I made this salad tonight for dinner! It is soooo the epitome of summer.

The salty sourness of the dressing is PERFECTLY balanced by the sweetness of the watermelon.

The crunch of the radishes and the peppery arugula add such a nice kick! The feta brings a nice bite & texture to the party and the rest is history.

I will make this at least a few more times before summer is over!

It’s health on a plate! Thanks to Jamie Oliver, I got a HUGE dose of fruits & veggies today. And it’s husband approved, so what could be better?

And look at all of those herbs! Your mouth will thank you. The aftertaste is overwhelmingly good. I am tempted NOT to have dessert tonight because I still have that minty-ness lingering… You think I can hold out? We’ll see……

Thai Watermelon Salad

(recipe Jamie Oliver’s Family Dinners)

Salad:
1/4 of a watermelon
2 handfuls of fresh cilantro leaves
2 handfuls of arugula
2 handfuls of fresh mint leaves
1 small bunch of radishes, finely sliced
a handful of peanuts or sunflower seeds (i used sunflower)
4oz feta cheese

Dressing:
a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 red, 1 yellow and 1 green chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
1 tablespoons soy sauce
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
juice of 3 or 4 limes
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Remove the skin from the watermelon and cut the flesh into small cubes, removing as many seeds as you can.

When you pick the cilantro leaves, remove the stringier part of the stalks but keep the finer ones, as they are nice to eat. Place in a bowl with the rocket, mint, watermelon and radishes. Put the ginger, chilli, soy sauce, olive oil and sesame oil into a smaller bowl and add just enough lime juice to cut through the oil–the number of limes you use will depend on how juicy they are. Season to taste and make sure the dressing is well balanced.

Place your peanuts or sunflower seeds in the oven or in a pan and warm through, then roughly pound them up in a pestle and mortar or in a metal bowl using the end of a rolling pin. Dress the salad really quickly. (You can use more dressing if you wish, but any left over is great to keep in the fridge to use the next day). Divide between the plates, sprinkle over the hot peanuts or sunflower seeds and crumble the feta cheese over the top.

out & about

July 20, 2009

i’m sleepy

cuzzzzzz we had a bizzy weekend!

Friday I went to Ikea and treated myself to a yogurt with kiwis & strawberries at Harmony in San Carlos

recipes, Uncategorized

July 17, 2009

Cherry Sherbet

You say SHER-BERT? I say SHER-BET! In this case, I say SURE-BET. Cuz it is one.

What makes it a SURE-BET?

-the tang
-the brightness
-the color
-the smooth texture
-the refreshing aftertaste
-that hint of milk
-the absence of guilt!!!!

We just enjoyed some out on our patio tonight. We sampled with putting a little Muscato (a white/sweet dessert wine) in our cups. OH BOY WAS THAT TASTY. I bet it would be killer with a lil Prosecco. NOM.

Perfect end to a day full of sun. Ahhhhh……..

Cherry Sherbet
(Sunset Magazine Recipe)

-2 cups frozen sweet cherries (juice included) or 3 cups very ripe pitted fresh sweet cherries
-1 cup sugar
-1 1/2 cups milk
– 2 tablespoons kirsch or other cherry liquor (I used grenadine)
-1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1. Put cherries in a small saucepan. Add 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower heat to medium and cook, stirring, until cherries have released their juice and pulp has softened.

2. Transfer cherry mixture to a blender and pulse 3 or 4 times to purée fruit pieces. Pour through a strainer into a medium heatproof bowl, using the back of a ladle to push any juice and purée through. Discard solids. Add sugar to hot liquid and stir until sugar has dissolved completely. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.

3. Add milk, liquor (grenadine in my case), and lemon juice and stir to combine. Pour into an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s directions. Transfer to an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze at least 4 hours. It’s torture…so try to make it in the morning!

p.s. LOOK AT ALL THE CHERRIES in there!!!

around the home, Uncategorized

July 17, 2009

hand printing

Ever since Cooper was born I’ve wanted to do that cliche handprint thing…You know- putting his hand in clay so I can look at it one day and see how small his lil fingers were. I’ve been MEANING to get around to it- I even have a kit!

But life just gets in the way. I think of how much he moves his fingers and hands and cringe. Man, that would make such a mess. I’ll do it one day…

Then it dawned on me….. I already have his hand prints somewhere!! On our mirror!

Every morning we all hang out in bed and he climbs up to the mirror and slaps his lil (big) mitts on it. Every time I look at those prints my heart melts. I don’t need one of those hand print kits to make me happy. I just need to look at this picture and remember our current morning ritual. He stands up on our headboard, looks at himself in the mirror and then at us. The smiles begin. And he’s soo proud that it shows.

The old childless me would have immediately wiped the mirror clean every day. But now I leave those prints up for weeks….

It’s the little things that fill me up with soo much hope and love. I am so glad he is in our life.

recipes, Uncategorized

July 16, 2009

Quick Chicken Stir Fry

note to self: make this again

I am not sure all the steps that went into this…as I was trying to

1. feed bebe
2. clean up kitchen
3. unload dishwasher (ugggh dread!)
4. unpack bag from work

So here’s a short list of what’s involved:

Chicken:
Boneless thighs marniated in Trader Joe’s Soyaki overnight
(it’s their version of the Soy Vay Teriakyi sauce that’s super good)

I grilled it on the grill– about 5 mins per side.

My Stir Fry included:
-1 large red onion
-1/2 head cabbage
-2 green onions
-1 clove garlic chopped
-handful of green beans chopped
-handful of shredded carrots
-a few dashes of vegetable oil
-splash of soyaki
-splash of Sriracha (momma likes heat)
-2 beaten eggs scrambled in the mix

all topped on some brown rice.

mmmm burps soo good

around the home, Uncategorized

July 14, 2009

RIPEN RIPEN RIPEN!!!

I know a watched pot never boils…..

BUT there are a few of these Early Girls that are SOOO close to ripening. I hope that when I get home from work, I can devour one.

Cooper is pretty impatient too….

recipes, Uncategorized

July 8, 2009

Vegetable Minestrone

Hubby with cold+
Fridge full of veggies+
Fresh beans from neighbor=
Veggie Minestrone!!

So now that we’ve figured out that equation, here’s what I am eating for lunch today:

Here are the veggies to chop:

Watch it simmer in the pot:

I am enjoying a bowl of it while my baby naps!

The best part about this soup is that it is easy adaptable. You can add whatever veggies you have on hand.

Enjoy with a crusty piece of bread! And know that you knocked down a HUGE chunk of your vegetable requirement for the day!

Summer Vegetable Soup

-1 large onion chopped
-1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
-32 oz. container chicken stock
-3 zucchini chopped
-1 1/2 cup shredded carrots (that’s what I had on hand- you can chop up like 2 carrots or so)
-1 16oz. can cannellini beans
-1 cup chopped green beans
-3 large cloves garlic smashed
-1/2 cup macaroni (short elbows)
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-1 tablespoon curry powder
-1 dash of cayenne pepper
-salt & pepper to taste
-a quick glug of red wine vinegar

TO DO:

Saute onion & garlic in the olive oil in a large soup pot until translucent on medium high heat. Add chicken stock, curry powder & cayenne pepper. Add vegetables and bring to a boil. Add macaroni and continue to simmer for about 10 minutes. Add beans. If the soup looks too thick- with not enough broth, add a bit of water to thin it out. Taste to see if it needs salt & pepper. 5 minutes before you are done, add that glug of the red wine vinegar. It will add a nice little tang to the soup. The whole process should take less than 40 mins.

Enjoy!