Cooking Method: Mixing

Lentil Chickpea Salad with Maple Tahini Dressing

This Lentil Chickpea Salad with Maple Tahini Dressing is vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and a power bowl of nutrition. It lasts in the fridge for up to 5 days, which makes it the perfect packable lunch.

By Leslie Blythe

Jennifer Aniston Friends Salad

I guess I might as well jump on the bandwagon with this recipe that is flooding the internet. Actually, the reason I made it is because I can never figure out what to have for lunch. I absolutely hate eating the food I make while catering because I've shopped for it, cooked it, and served it. By that time, I want something else.

This is the salad that Jennifer Aniston ate every day for 10 years on the set of Friends. What I like about it is that it's very versatile, you can easily adapt it to suit your taste. I used a packet of ready-made 7 grains instead of bulgar. You could use quinoa, brown rice, or any combination. You can change the kind of cheese, nuts, etc. Next time I make this, I will use green onions instead of red onions, I'm not a fan of red onions even after I soak them in water to remove some of the "oniony" taste. Anyway, it's a very good, healthy and nutritious lunch.

By Leslie Blythe

Lentil Salad with Lemon Dressing

This Lentil Salad with Lemon Dressing great for a picnic. The combination of cucumbers, sun-dried tomatoes, red onion and fresh mint goes perfectly with the lemony dressing. Lentils are an excellent source of B vitamins, iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc. They are high in protein, fiber and a great choice for the heart and for managing blood pressure and cholesterol. I could go on with even more health benefits of lentils!

By Leslie Blythe

Tokyo Hot Dog

My daughter and her boyfriend took me to this fun brewery in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. They wanted me to try the Tokyo hot dog. All I can say is that I'm hooked and  I want to make this when I get home! I love hot dogs. This Tokyo hot dog is a new and different way to serve hot dogs. Put away the boring ketchup, mustard and relish and try this!

By Leslie Blythe

Tuna Salad with Yogurt, Capers, and Za’atar

My husband loves tuna salad, and I gave him this recipe for Tuna Salad with Yogurt, Capers, and Za'atar to try. He loved it! You can serve it on a bed of lettuce or with pita bread. Za'atar is a spice mixture from the Middle East. You can buy it or make it yourself. I have provided a recipe.

By Leslie Blythe

Marinated Chickpea and Feta Salad with Spring Vegetables

This Marinated Chickpea and Feta Salad with Spring Vegetables makes a great lunch. It also has farro, which is a food composed of the grains of certain wheat species. Because it contains more fiber than other popular grains like rice or even quinoa, farro might have even more positive benefits when it comes to digestion and cardiovascular health. It's also exceptionally high in protein for a grain and supplies more than 10 different vitamins and minerals. Trader Joe's sells 10 Minute Farros, which is fast and easy to make.

By Leslie Blythe

Bourbon Orange Ham Glaze

This Bourbon Orange Ham Glaze has orange marmalade, maple syrup, Dijon, Lemon Juice, and of course, Bourbon.

By Leslie Blythe

Ramen Noodle Salad

Yesterday for lunch, I made this Ramen Noodle Salad. It's another one from Chrissy Teigen's book. She calls it Dump and Done Ramen Salad. I have made many salads using crushed up uncooked ramen noodles. It adds a lot of crunch and nice texture. I have adapted it to suit my tastes, like using green onions instead of red onions, etc. You could add some cooked shrimp or chicken to add protein to this salad. It's absolutely delicious and very adaptable to your own tastes.

By Leslie Blythe

Alabama Slammer

The Alabama Slammer is a cocktail that gained popularity in the ‘70s made with vodka, Southern Comfort, sloe gin, and orange juice, served in a Collins glass. This harkens back to a time when strong, sweet drinks were all the rage (the infamous Long Island Iced Tea is another ‘70s sledgehammer of a drink). Back in the day, it seemed like boisterous bars catering to a younger crowd (Carlos-n-Charlie’s, I am looking at you….) churned these out by the gallon.  If you are feeling like having a retro, fruity drink with a real kick, the Alabama Slammer is the perfect choice.

By Leslie Blythe

Moscow Mule

Years ago, my late friend Brady gave us 25 original Moscow Mule mugs from the legendary late Cock n' Bull restaurant on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood.  The Cock n' Bull invented the Moscow Mule Cocktail. It's unclear why he thought we needed 25 and I guess I will never know.  They are very rare and hard to find, I think he collected them from eBay. Legend has it that in 1941, Jack Morgan, the owner of the Cock ‘n’ Bull,  developed a ginger beer that he was trying to sell to patrons of the pub. He apparently teamed up with the head of the vodka division of Smirnoff. They both complained of poor sales of their products and developed the Moscow Mule to try and boost the sales of both the ginger beer and vodka. Another version of the story is that the bartender made up the drink to “clean out the basement to get rid of a lot of dead stock.” Somehow, they must have found a copper manufacturer to make these glorious mugs. The mugs are key to this drink, which keeps it arctic cold!

The only time I actually used all 25 mugs, was when I catered a party and the Moscow Mule was the featured drink. At the end of the night, I had to go around and pry them out of the hands of the guests before leaving!

By Leslie Blythe