Sunday, August 5, 2012

A Mid-Summer Salad



Here in Michigan, we’re entering the late summer months, which consist of hot sticky days where merely walking to your car causes you to sweat through your shirt, and breathing through the humidity is like trying to breathe water. Anyone who knows me well, knows that I tend to cave at even the slightest touch of heat, so most of my days as of late have been spent inside with the shades pulled, and air conditioning set to frigid.

As a result, I wanted to make a refreshing summer dish to help keep my body from erupting into flames. This cold salad is something my family makes quite frequently during the summer, and it has always been one of my favorites. It’s especially good to make in the late summer when people’s gardens are starting to produce fresh vegetables.

This is an extremely quick and simple salad to throw together and the only true cooking involved is boiling potatoes.

Tomato Potato Salad


Ingredients

3 Large Tomatoes, cut into large chunks
4 Medium Potatoes, cut into large chunks
1 Large Onion, sliced
1/8 Cup Fresh Basil, roughly chopped)
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar

Salt
Pepper

Directions

Step 1: In a medium pot, bring water (enough to cover potatoes) to a boil. If desired, you can also add some salt to the water. Once the water starts to boil, add the potatoes and cook until soft (but not too soft). This will depend on the type of potato used.

Once the potatoes are cooked, strain and cool.

Step 2:  In a large mixing bowl, add the tomatoes, onion, potatoes, olive oil, basil and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and toss until all the veggies are coated.

Additional Notes

This salad can be served immediately, however, I find that it will taste even better if chilled overnight in the refrigerator. This allows all the veggies time to marinate and the flavor will be bolder.

Monday, July 30, 2012

Good Beginnings And A Delicious Breakfast




Hello and welcome one and all to the unveiling of my new blog. I’m super excited to start sharing recipes and my culinary experiences. So, let’s get started.
Recently, I’ve become obsessed with no cook, overnight oatmeal. I am someone who is very particular about consistency, and I don’t appreciate oatmeal that is liquid-y and soggy. So any morning I decide to make a bowl, it becomes a fine science of putting in the right amount of liquid and running back and forth from the microwave to check the texture, stir, and cook out more of the milk for another minute or two, only to end up with oats that have turned into a pile of rubbery… stuff. And for someone who already has a very low tolerance for mornings, this is not a welcome challenge. But no longer! These overnight oats are the perfect solution to making oatmeal that a) can be prepared the night before (so less work in the AM) and b) soak up just the right amount of milk without getting mushy. Basically, you can put anything you want in them, but here is one recipe that has quickly become my favorite.

Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oatmeal


Ingredients


1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1 cup almond milk
1/2 small to medium apple cubed
1/8 cup raisins
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Ground Cloves
Ground Ginger
1 Tbsp. Brown Sugar (for topping)

Directions

            Combine all ingredients (except the brown sugar) in a well sealing container. I personally use a 12oz mason jar. As for the spices you can add as much or as little as you want, it’s all a matter of opinion really. Give the container a shake and place in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, mix in the brown sugar and pour the oatmeal into a bowl (or just eat it straight from the jar) and enjoy!