Cooking Method: Mixing
Spinach Salad with Limed Pepitas and Dried Cranberries
Spinach Salad with Limed Pepitas and Dried Cranberries is delicious! Pepita (from Mexican Spanish: pepita de calabaza, "little seed of squash") is a Spanish culinary term for the pumpkin seed, the edible seed of a pumpkin or squash. The following recipe is based on Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger's recipe from The Boarder Grill in Los Angeles. Their version of this salad uses pomegranate Seeds and jicama. Also, if you are serving buffet style spinach is a good green to use. It's less delicate than lettuce and doesn't go as limp. I had never "limed" a pepitas before, but now I hooked!
By - Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 5 mins
- Yields: 12 Servings
Cold Noodles with Chicken & Sesame Sauce
If you can't stand the heat..... I am not a sunny climate, hot weather type of person. I know this must be a shock to most of you, but it’s true. I hate the heat. Unfortunately, I live in Los Angeles. I try to think of things that I can make in the morning and pull out of the fridge for dinner. One of my go to meals on a bloody hot day is – cold noodles with sesame sauce. It’s a great dinner and it’s delicious. I always eat it with chop sticks and a very cold glass of wine!
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 40 mins
- Yields: 4 Servings
Minty Grapefruit Vinaigrette
This Minty Grapefruit Vinaigrette is very light and fresh tasting. My husband, Eric, said it would be good with roasted chicken, green onions, toasted almonds and manchego cheese over a bed of greens.
- Prep: 10 mins
- Yields: Makes 1 cup
Grapefruit Margarita
A friend sent me a case of grapefruit, I thought I would try making a Grapefruit Margarita, which is not such a stretch when you consider that the Salty Dog cocktail, which is a Greyhound (vodka and grapefruit juice) in a salt-rimmed glass, marries the salt and grapefruit flavors and has been popular for years. For my margarita, I used freshly-squeezed ruby grapefruit juice, silver tequila, blue agave sweetener and I added a kick of chili into the mix.
Gazpacho
My daughter, Grace, made this Gazpacho. It was her mission. Gazpacho is probably the last thing she would ever eat, which proved to be true. She never even tasted it. Gazpacho is a tomato-based soup traditionally served cold, originating in the southern Spanish region of Andalucía. Gazpacho is widely consumed in Spanish cuisine, as well as in neighboring Portugal, where it is known as gaspacho.
- Prep: 15 mins
- Yields: 6 Servings
Saturday Salad
My brother-in-law, Russell, sent me this Saturday Salad recipe that he made. Little did he know, I've made this salad for years. It's one of my all time favorites. I prepare everything ahead in the morning. It's from “The Cuisine of California” by Diane Rossen Worthington, which was given to me by my friend Barbie. The chicken breasts are first marinated and then baked, and the juices from the baked chicken are used as the basis the fragrant vinegar-garlic dressing.
- Prep: 20 mins
- Cook: 30 mins
- Yields: 4 Servings as a main course
Deviled Eggs with Tarragon and Cornichons
Deviled Eggs with Tarragon and Cornichons - Who doesn't love deviled eggs? One of my favorite variations of deviled eggs are Eggs Mimosa made with avocado, which is a brilliant combination. My husband happens to love tarragon and cornichons, so we had to try it.
- Prep: 15 mins
- Yields: Makes 24 eggs
Cream Cheese and Olive Dip
My brother-in-law, Todd, made this Cream Cheese and Olive Dip. I am not a fan of olives, but if you are, you will love this dip. I really wish I liked olives!
- Prep: 5 mins
BLT with Basil Mayonnaise
BLT with Basil Mayonnaise - If you grow tomatoes, you end up with a "boat load". My husband decided that we would have BLTs for dinner, which is a very good idea. My daughter took a bite and said "Whoa, that's bomb!" I am assuming that "bomb" is a good thing. I think it was by the look on her face! FYI - Adding slices of avocado wouldn't be a bad idea. Then it would be called a BLAT with Basil Mayonnaise.
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 20 mins
- Yields: 1 sandwich
Lemon Tabasco Aioli
I went to happy hour at McCormick & Schmick’s, which is a seafood restaurant. I ordered the Crispy Shrimp Croutons with Lemon Tabasco Aioli. It was particularly delicious. Aioli is a Provençal traditional sauce made of garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and usually egg yolks. It's basically garlicy mayo. There are many variations. It is usually served at room temperature. The name aioli comes from Provençal alh 'garlic' and òli 'oil'.
- Prep: 1 hrs 5 mins
- Yields: Makes 1 1/3 Cups
