ranch dressing

i make all of my salad dressings from scratch.  i try to vary what i make my clients, rather than providing a standard vinaigrette with every meal.  it's tricky when you get into the creamier dressings - mayonnaise is generally the base behind them.  i use a mixture of greek yogurt and reduced fat buttermilk to make my creamy dressings.  i must admit, they are good, but they definitely don't have the texture that good ole' bottle of ranch or blue cheese has.  the consistency is on the thinner side - but, it will also keep you on the thinner side.  to make my version of "ranch", here's what you need to do.  in a jar with a tight fitting lid, add 1/2 cup of nonfat plain greek yogurt, 1/2 cup of reduced fat buttermilk, the juice of half a lemon, 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, 2 tablespoons of finely chopped fresh chives, salt, and pepper.  put the lid on the jar and shake away.  pour it over your favorite lettuce, or use it as a dip for your veggies.  try it for yourself - i bet you won't miss all the fat.

a lovely light lunch

i think i have figured it out. finally. hopefully (but probably not), the secret to me losing weight!  and that secret is...(drum roll, please) eating a light lunch.  yes, it's true.  i have breakfast down to a science (an egg white sandwich). i have dinner down for the most part. but it is lunch that can stand in the way of making a good decision or not.  especially if i am not at home.  i will be the first to scarf down a costco hot dog if the mood strikes.  god they are good.  i will knock back a moe's burrito and all the chips they serve me.  and that just isn't working for me anymore.  the problem is this.  i leave in the morning to do all of my grocery shopping. i generally finish up around 11:00 a.m.,  by 10:00 a.m. i am seriously thinking about what is for lunch.  so, coming back home and making lunch for myself on top of the day i have ahead of me, well, i sometimes just don't want to go through all of the trouble.   so, i have recently started to make it easy on myself.  i simply make a salad the day before, store it in the fridge and eat it with some piece of protein the next day for lunch. or i will make a huge batch of some sort of lean soup and eat on it for a few days.  i try so hard to eat very healthy on the weekdays and splurge a little on weekends.   and over the past 3 weeks i have really been focused on dropping a few pounds.  i have had a few reunions, my 20 year high school which was last weekend (had such a blast).  and my unc college soccer alumnae reunion coming up this weekend.  it's important for me to look good.  so the past three weeks or so, i have dedicated myself to eating very light and healthy.  in particular lunch.  this is a salad i made today and it was awesome.  i marinated a piece of salmon (yesterday) in miso, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, fresh ginger and garlic.  and served it with a massive salad.  i have lost 8 pounds by implementing this way of eating.  i feel better, i look better, and i sleep better. i think the moral of this very long story is preparation.  if i don't have a game plan, well costco or moe's, your probably getting my business! 

chunky greek salad

 eat one this weekend for dinner.  cleanse.  romaine, peppers, tomatoes (hurry, the season is coming to an end), kalamata olives, baby cucs, feta, and a fantastic home made vinaigrette.

beet salad

i tend to eat in cycles. if i come across a certain recipe, or a particular food that i really like, i eat the heck out if it.  i'm on a beet kick right now.  i think i am just about done with my okra kick.  i ate pan seared okra 5 days in a row.  i loved it that much.  over the weekend, i ate a beet salad with every dinner i made.  i enjoyed this one last night with seared scallops ( and okra).  i don't always see rainbow beets at the market, seems it's the purple beets that are always available, but not many other varieties.  i came across these baby rainbow beets and snatched up two bunches.  i like beet salads with arugula, goat cheese, and toasted walnuts.  a simple drizzle of olive oil and white balsamic vinegar.  that's it.  the flavor combination works so well together, nothing else needs to be done to this gorgeous, delicious, healthy salad.  i think people don't give beets a fair try.  maybe they were forced to try canned beets as a child and have sworn off fresh beets because of it.  i roasted some beets for a client last week who told me a while back that she didn't like beets.  i told her she had to try them, that we were having a "taster's rule".  she couldn't balk or complain, because i made sure i told her this with her two young children in the room!  she loved them.  so, for all you people out there who think you don't like something, perhaps a holdover from your childhood . . .  give it another try.  your taste buds do mature.  besides, what is there really not to like about something as simple and healthy as a beet?  be forewarned - eating a lot of beets does make your urine red!

watermelon and feta salad

i am on a big fruit kick lately. i've been adding them to salads, making salsas, even putting them in my cocktails.  i made this salad for one of my clients this week and they told me how delicious it was, so i thought i would share it with you.  it's super simple.  arugula, watermelon, feta, and lemon zest.  the dressing is made up of only lemon juice and olive oil.  watercress or spinach would be good, too.  i make a salad every night for my clients, so i don't want to serve the same ole' salad over and over again.  i try to add different vegetables, use a variety of lettuces, and make various dressings. but i sometimes get in a rut.  so, i am asking you for your favorite salad recipe.  will you do that?   send me your best, most unusual salad - dressing included. (it's really only fair, since i shared this one with you).

greek salad

aah, a salad. this world cup eating has been somthing else. a bit heavier than i am use to, but so much fun. i looked at the schedule this morning and saw that greece was playing and my first thought was spanakopata. so, i carried on with my morning, made a list of ingredients to purchase for my clients, and then to the computer to find a recipe for spanakopata.  iv'e never made it before, but i love eating it!  after settling on the one i wanted to try, i headed to the shower to start my day. there was a problem, just a slight problem. my jeans where tight. damn. i knew this past week was a bit indulgent.  i have been carrying on more than you all know, more than what i have been posting. there have been cocktails consumed, appetizers nibbled on...and on), a few desserts even. all fantastic. but today i feel a bit, well, uncomfortable (actually pulled out my "big girl jeans").  do you still have a pair in your closet? anyway, i threw together this pretty salad of romaine lettuce, cucumber (the one first picked from my garden!), pepperoncini peppers, tomato, kalamata olives, feta, and i made a traditional red wine vinaigrette. i already feel better now that i have eaten it.
i just hope i remember that tomorrow. usa is playing, and it's friday night, and i love burgers....

spring pea salad

it's pea season, so i have been trying to come up with several different recipes using them. they are really good in salads. this is a recipe i saw in my fine cooking magazine and i just knew i had to make it. it's simple to throw together, not a lot of chopping. boston (bibb) lettuce, radishes, peas (of course), some ricotta salata cheese (optional), and a variety of fresh herbs. i used parsley, chives, and tarragon. when buying peas, choose medium pods. they are younger, sweeter, and more tender than large ones. look for firm, green pods. peas don't have much of a shelf life, so eat up. you can freeze peas and then store them in zip lock bags. first shell them, blanch for a minute or two, and then shock the peas in an ice-water bath. they will keep for five to six months. one more thing, 1 pound of peas in their pods is about 1 cup shelled peas - in case you were wondering! oh, in case you are wondering some more, peas and mint go wonderfully together.

panzanella salad

this is such a wonderful, colorful, hearty salad.  i served this tonight with crab stuffed shrimp.  i think it paired nicely together.  you could make this salad with any vegetable you like.  i chose, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, baby artichokes, kalamata olives, and fresh basil.  panzanella is sometimes referred to as "leftover salad", because you should use day old bread.  i didn't have day old bread, so when i got back home from the market, i cubed the baguette and left it out for a few hours to "stale up". i used a whole wheat baguette that i cut  into 1" cubes.  i then toasted the bread cubes in a little extra virgin olive oil for about ten minutes or so, until the cubes got nice and golden.  make a simple vinaigrette, toss with the veggies,  and add the bread cubes at the end.  i have looked at a lot of panzanella recipes and most say to toss the dressing over everything, but i want to be assured my bread doesn't get soggy, so i don't go that route.  i hate soggy bread, the thought makes me a bit queasy, actually.  this is a a fantastic summer salad, that travels well.  think about taking it to your next bbq, everyone will love it!

kale and quinoa salad

i came across this recipe a while back, printed it, tossed it aside and finally got around to making it.  glad i did, it's really good. it's different, it's simple, it's attractive and it's healthy. i found it on another blog, running with tweezers. i changed mine up only by blanching the kale, putting it in a cold water bath and then spinning the greens. other than that, i followed the recipe exactly. next time i make it, and i will, i am going to use a white balsamic vinaigrette, rather than the horseradish dressing in the original recipe.  i free pour when i make my dressings, but all my vinaigrettes are pretty much made like this:  1/4 cup of vinegar, small clove of garlic or shallot, minced, 1 teaspoon (maybe a bit less) of honey, 1-2 teaspoons of dijon mustard (don't substitute), salt, fresh cracked pepper, and a little less than 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil.  i know, i know, you are probably thinking my ratios to dressing and oil are off, but i like a more vinegary tasting dressing and the use of less oil. most chefs go for a 2:1 ratio of oil to vinegar, try it my way and let me know what you think.  also, make sure to check out running with tweezers, this chick takes incredible photographs (she's a food stylist), but she also has wonderful recipes.

green and simple

i make a salad with every meal that i prepare for my clients. when was the last time you made one? i think the key to any good . . . no actually, great salad, is washing the lettuce. and to never, ever, buy salad "kits"... ever. truthfully, i don't even enjoy salads out, not even at really nice restaurants. the lettuce is never crisp. anyway, so this brings me to my point. i am a huge fan of romaine. i make salads with it often. what i like to do is take the outer leaves off, cut the top and bottom of the head and discard. keeping the head in tact, i make about 1/2 inch slices, toss them into the spinner and wash the lettuce under very cold water. i do this with most of the vegetables i am using, excluding a few (mushrooms, tomatoes, onions...)i think it shocks the cut ends and creates for a very crisp bite. i use a salad spinner to dry the lettuce. an item every kitchen should have, by the way.