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Browsing Tag: Summer Salads

Zesty Greek-Inspired Salad with Crispy Chickpeas

Zesty Greek-Inspired Salad with Crispy Chickpeas

Health and happiness in a bowl: that’s this Zesty Greek-Inspired Salad with Crispy Chickpeas!

I adore salads: what a tasty way to get in your veggies! And Greek salad has become one of my major culinary crushes over the last few years. It’s such a flavor-saturated, satisfying dish! It’s also a beloved staple in diners here in the Metro-Detroit area (what we call “Coney” or “Coney Island” restaurants, based off of the iconic chili-topped hot dogs they serve).

It was about time I created a recipe that pays homage to this wonderful salad. Enter Zesty Greek-Inspired Salad with Crispy Chickpeas!

Asian Chicken Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing

Asian Chicken Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing 1

Summer is HERE!!!!!! And what says summer quite like this colorful Asian Chicken Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing?

OK, according to the calendar, it’s not officially summer yet; it’s still 11 days away – but the weather doesn’t know that. Here in the Detroit area, the day I’m typing this is the epitome of a gorgeous summer day as far as I’m concerned. The sky is a bright blue, the grass, a vibrant lush green, and I got sunburned last weekend sitting outside on a rooftop patio eating pizza and drinking blueberry beer and then attending a baseball game – that equals summer to me. And I’m THRILLED. May through October is definitely my favorite chunk of the year hands-down, and I’m so happy to be right in the thick of it wearing sandals and cheerfully sweating my butt off.

I hope if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere like me that you’re experiencing beautiful summery weather and shenanigans that make you hungry – hungry for this Asian Chicken Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing! And if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere and gearing up for winter with its chilliness and waning daylight hours, well, if you’re anything like me and not a fan of that time of year, you could use this Asian Chicken Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing for the cheer of its vibrant colors alone. You can pretend you’re at a beach party eating it while you’re really holed up in your house hiding from the frigid temps in your flannel jammies – and then whip out this recipe the next time it IS summer and you ARE invited to a beach barbecue. That’s probably what I’ll be doing the next time it’s winter for me.

But for now, it’s summer where I live, so I’m extolling the virtues of this Asian Chicken Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing as a warm-weather salad.

Arugula and Quinoa Salad with Feta, Blueberries, and Pecans

Arugula and Quinoa Salad with Feta, Blueberries, and Pecans 1

Hello, all! It’s May, and it’s maybe almost summer here in Michigan, and summer means fresh, healthful salads like this Arugula and Quinoa Salad with Feta, Blueberries, and Pecans!

It’s been two weeks since I’ve last posted, and I’m glad to be back in the game! Life has been a little crazy lately, but when is it not in this day and age for most of us, really? I let myself fall out of the habit of recipe creation and felt The Resistance – that dreaded force that plagues so many of us creatives – looming larger and larger. The longer I waited to try a draft of a recipe, the more daunting a task it felt.

Last night, I finally coaxed myself into trying a first draft of a vegan dessert recipe I’ve wanted to attempt for weeks. The result: a resounding FAIL. Draft 2 would require some prep work; I’d need at least a day or two to get back at it. I was discouraged.

Finally I decided this morning that if I wanted to get a post up, anything would do, really. That’s the kind of thing I have to tell myself as a recovering perfectionist. Perfect is the enemy of the good, right? (Any recovering perfectionists with me on that?) So I got up early and dragged myself to the grocery store, intending to pick up a few things for a granola recipe I had in mind – until a more tantalizing idea hit.

What about a salad, with fresh blueberries . . . and pecans . . . and arugula – of course arugula. And some quinoa. And my lemon vinaigrette.

OK, NOW we’re talking!

Arugula and Quinoa Salad with Feta, Blueberries, and Pecans was born.

Peach, Radish, and Feta Kale Salad

 

Peach, Radish, and Feta Kale Salad 1

Happy fall, everyone! I was mourning summer until the official first day of fall last Thursday; then a flip switched in me. I am LOVING the cooler weather and coziness we are having here in Metro Detroit. It’s that perfect sweet spot where it’s in the low 70s during the day but cool enough at night that I get to break out my fleece sweatpants – YES!!! Fleece sweatpants, I missed you so!!! Who feels me on that one?

Strawberry-Peach Balsamic Spinach Salad with Pulled Roasted Chicken

 

Strawberry-Peach Balsamic Spinach Salad with Pulled Roasted Chicken 1

Hello, all! Happy Monday!

The Olympics is OVER! And I’m sad about it. I enjoy both the summer and winter games. I didn’t even religiously watch any of the coverage this year. I just liked having it on in the background; I found its presence comforting. I think it has to do with the fact that my parents always had Olympics coverage on in the house when I was growing up. It reminds me of childhood. 

Avocado and Bell Pepper Quinoa Salad

20150531_185146Avocados – most definitely one of my food obsessions. I have missed them so! I really didn’t eat much of them this winter.

Strawberry Tomato Mozzarella Salad

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I felt like Adam Sandler in Billy Madison when he tells his first-grade teacher, Miss Lippy, why he colored a blue duck: “I made the duck blue because I’d never seen a blue duck before and I wanted to see one.” Yeah, that’s a random allusion, but it is so stuck in my head in connection with this salad!