after the way yesterday’s salad swept me off my feet, i had high expectations for this salad and ended up a bit disappointed. this is not to say this salad was bad, it just wasnt’ as scrumptous as i had hoped it to be. i think perhaps some of the problem was i used too much oil in the dressing which made the asparagus a bit soggy.
directions from article:
4. Shave raw asparagus stalks with a vegetable peeler. Discard the tough first pass of the peeler — i.e., the peel — but do use the tips, whole. Dress with lemon vinaigrette and coarse salt. (Chopped hard-boiled eggs optional but good.)
let’s just start with the whole idea of shaving asparagus – it seemed a bit pretentious to me. i mean, have you ever tried to shave asparagus? it’s not easy. one tip i learned the hard way? do not snap off the tough ends of the asparagus before trying to shave it. instead, you can use the tough end of the vegetable and hold on to it while shaving the rest. i’m not sure if shaving the asparagus has much to do with the taste or just the aesthetics of the dish – it is awfully pretty isn’t it? when i do this again, i would most likely try just cutting the asparagus into strips (proper cooking term = julienne) and see how it works out. i will also take a few seconds to whisk the oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper together to make a proper dressing.
here’s what i used to make a salad for one:
8 fresh asparagus spears, tips removed
squeeze of fresh lemon juice
drizzle of olive oil – i probably used close to 1 tbsp but it proved too much or i didn’t use enough lemon juice to balance it out.
sprinkle of salt and fresh ground pepper
one hard boiled egg (i chose to add this since this was my lunch and i needed a protein)
while this salad didn’t blow me away as i hoped, it was still good and a much better improvement over a usual lunch for me and definitely something i’ll try making again.
2. Mix wedges of tomatoes and peaches, add slivers of red onion, a few red-pepper flakes and cilantro. Dress with olive oil and lime or lemon juice. Astonishing.
oh my this salad is good! i admit i was a bit skeptical by the pairing of tomatoes with peaches but decided to be daring and adventurous and try it anyway. that’s part of the point of this whole thing anyway – to find new ways of preparing veggies….all i know is i want to eat this salad every day for the rest of my life, thank you very much, the end.
this salad has a great mix of sweet and savory and the red pepper flakes give it just a bit of heat which is surprisingly refreshing especially considering i’m not normally one to go for spice. my 14 year old son came in while i was making this and asked if he could have some too. he practically inhaled his plate. he loved it so much my 9 year old son asked if he could have a bite and he loved it too. looks like i may not be the only one who’s going to like this 30 days of more veggies
here’s what i used to make enough salad for 2:
1 ripe peach cut into thin slices
2 small tomatoes cut into thin slices
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
2 tsp minced red onion
sprinkle of red pepper flakes
for dressing – whisk together juice from 1/2 lime, 1 tbsp olive oil, a pinch of salt and a bit of fresh ground pepper
every once in a while i like to waste my time discovering new things by clicking through links on other blogs or on twitter. i find all sorts of information this way and an occasional blog to add to my reader. for instance, i recently fell in love with this site.
the other day i was stumbling along and found Room 704 and Mrs. Flinger’s offer to join her in a quest of sorts: 30 Days of {_________} based on the premise that it takes 30 days to make something a habit, this is an opportunity to try something new, pick up a new skill, find a way to improve your life, or indulge for once – whatever you want – the sky’s the limit! i adore the fact that this tied to any real guidelines or rules besides what i choose them to be.
i knew immediately that i wanted to play along but had no idea what i would choose for my new 30 day habit. so i tucked the idea in the back of my brain and moved on. the internet gods then smiled upon me and led me to an article on the New York Times website: 101 Simple Salads for the Season. oh my, i think i’m in love! these salads are simple. none of the ‘recipes’ are really recipes with exact measurments but a list of ingredients you can toss together to suit your taste. all of the salads in this article can be made for one or a crowd. and it’s summer! when my AC system is works all day long to cool my home to 80 degrees and the thought of turning the oven on to cook can be depressing. for me, what’s better than a quick easy meal that takes no (or just a tad bit) of cooking.
there’s a tape in my voice in my head that keeps mumbling (and sometimes shouting) i need to take better care of myself: get more sleep, drink more water, exercise more, eat better…..it goes on and on. it’s a struggle and thinking about all of the things i could/should be doing better is so overwhelming at times that i continue to remain stuck. but what about just picking one thing? just one thing and work on that? i hadn’t really thought about it before. but now that i have, i really like the idea.
it’s standard knowledge that we all should eat 5-7 servings of fruit and veggies each day. fruit seems to be easy for me, it’s sweet and most of it comes ready to eat. a lot of veggies can be considered ready to eat too i suppose but for me, not so much. to me veggies need to have some sort of preparation involved and the only veggies i consider eating in their original packaging are carrots or celery – a girl can only eat so many carrot sticks! so perhaps, this is what i love most about this article – it features all sorts of fresh veggies served up in ways i never really thought about before. and none of them are the typical ‘green salads’ – a girl can only eat so many of those too.
so for the next 30 days, using the article from the NYT as a guide, i’m going to eat more vegetables. and maybe it’ll make that voice in my head shut up for just a little bit. not so earth shattering i know but it’s a start and we all have to start somewhere – although i’m thinking my husband wishes i had chosen to take on 30 days of sex instead (august ain’t the only month in the year babe)
this video popped up on my att home page this morning. i thought it was cute and i love hearing stories about the good things in life and about people who try to make this world a better place – even if it’s one smile at a time. enjoy – and go make someone smile today, it easier than we think
do you ever wish you could do that? turn back time? maybe to make a different choice or to erase a mistake? what about just for the chance to relive a day or a moment? these days i’ve been awfully nostalgic and sentimental. i don’t know what it is that has brought this on. maybe it’s because it’s summer and i get to spend more time with my kids. maybe it’s because any day now my 13 year old son will be taller than me. or, maybe it is the most amazing bundle of joy that is my 2 month old nephew which is causing me to think about when my kids were so small. whatever it is, it’s strong.
the other day i was walking enrique into his tutoring center. he grabbed my hand as we crossed the parking lot and in that instant a memory rushed back to me. many memories in fact of a time when he would grab on with both hands and i would swing him around and around. i could even hear the squeal of laughter which the swinging used to bring out of him. the memory was so strong that i almost swung him right then and there. being that he’s almost 10 now, it’s a good thing for both of us i didn’t
