Deconstructed Summer Salad, with radish, chickpeas, and simple vinaigrette. A side dish with edible flowers

I love eating flowers! There’s something a little naughty and beautiful and fun all at the same time about it.

Here are a few I know you can eat. Pansies, nasturtiums, and daylilies.

And here’s a link to a super helpful flower eating chart.

http://homecooking.about.com/library/weekly/blflowers.htm

It was about 90 degrees when I made this salad. We all wanted simple and refreshing.

• Pansy flowers
• Spicy greens and romaine
• Fresh tai basil (tear off leaves and toss with greens)
• Chickpeas (rinsed well)
• Red cabbage
• Radish (just cleaned with the leaves still on)
• Red onion
• Red pepper
• Olive oil and red wine vinegar (just drizzle on top of everything)
• Sea Salt and pepper to taste

The greens, flowers, and veggies all have so much flavor in this salad. It’s good to keep the dressing simple. That way you can just appreciate good  food for what  it is.

Just a side note: My two year old love chickpeas and getting to eat flowers. We made it very clear that these were “special” flowers. Not to be confused with those random and possibly poisonous ones in nature.

Quinoa Tabouli Salad

This salad comes out tasting a little lighter and brighter than one made with bulgur. Plus there’s extra protein in the quinoa!

Cooking time: 20min

Hands on time: 15min (while quinoa cooks)

You will need:

• 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 cup chopped curly leaf parsley
• 1 small tomato
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion or green onion
• juice from 1 lemon
• three Tablespoons olive oil
• two teaspoons oregano
• salt and pepper to taste

I rarely measure when I make this salad. These measurements don’t have to be exact. Make it the way you like it!

Directions:

1. Rinse quinoa in a mesh colander until the water runs clear. (Do not skip this step. Your salad will be bitter.)
2. Simmer quinoa with 1 cup water and 1 tablespoon olive oil. It takes about 20 minutes to cook. When it’s finished the grain will be translucent and you will be able to see the germ.
3. While that simmers. Chop your parsley, dice your tomato and onion.
4. Add the veggies and your remaining ingredients to a bowl.
5. When the quinoa is cooked use the colander to run cold water over it. This will cool it fast and stop it from overcooking.
6. Mix everything together
7. Enjoy

Breakfast for Mom (Iced Latte with Protein)

It’s smoothie season! Is that really a thing?… It just feels too cold to drink them before May around here.  Anyway,  I titled this breakfast for mom because it’s what I like for breakfast… not everyday. It’s just perfect for those mornings when you need a kick in the butt to get moving. Ok, maybe every morning… My husband is actually responsible for the recipe. He invented it one warm afternoon. Thanks! This is one of my favorite smoothies.

Iced Latte with Soy Protein

• One to two shots espresso (I make mine in a French press… you don’t really need the big expensive machine)
• About seven ice cubes
• One serving protein powder (mixes vary. Wey protein tends to be smoother but soy is vegetarian)
• 1/2 cup milk (whatever kind you drink)

Blend it all in a blender. Enjoy.

Hungarian Vegetable Pasta

One day I will be able to spell vegetable without spell check! Here’s a helpful hit for those of you with this problem. It doesn’t have and I in it! Anyway I am calling this Hungarian simply because it has smoked paprika in it. Not because I actually know how to cook Hungarian food. I was going for tasty and easy not authenticity. It’s probably more Italian style cooking… except in a wok with Hungarian spices.

Here’s the important part. This is another one of those super easy recipes that can easily be adjusted to fit your family’s taste. I make variations of this once or twice a week. Uli usually picks around and eat what she feels like any given day… I just keep putting it all in front of her so she has new things to try. Some days she’ll gobble up what she rejected the day before.

You will need:

• Pasta (I used spinach linguini)
• Kale (or swiss chard)
• Zucchini
• cherry tomatoes
• diced onions
• smoked paprika, salt, pepper
• olive oil
• Lemon juice
• parmesan cheese (leave it out or use breadcrumbs if your making a vegan version)

What to do:

1. Start pasta (if your someone who times you cooking, you’ll be cooking it until it’s al dente. Use package instructions to do this.)
2. Cut up your veggies. Keep the kale and onions separate.
3. Heat up your wok to medium/low heat. (You can use any large pan. Woks are just easier to clean.)
4. Add some olive oil and onions first
5. Then salt and pepper
6. Pay attention to your pasta and drain it when it’s al dente. Or still a bit firm.
7. When your onion’s translucent add paprika. (Enough to coat your onions)
8. Add your veggies and cook to your liking
9. Add the greens and pasta just before it’s done
10. Toss until the greens are wilted add a bit of your pasta water if it looks dry. (This will depend on what vegetables you use)
11. Squeeze some lemon juice and add  parmesan cheese just before serving.

Butternut Squash Soup and Salad

We’ve been in puppy land this week. I love puppies!!! It can’t last though. She found us. Puppies and babies that wake up at night just aren’t a good combo. So a dear friend of mine will be taking her and spoiling her rotten soon. In the meantime here’s a two for one recipe. An easy one. It gets us through chaotic weeks like this.

Fun, freeform cooking is the style around our house. Here are a couple of recipes that just beg to be expierimented with.

Butternut Squash Bisque

Roast an extra squash while you have the oven going. This will be for dinner tomorrow (salad). Because who has the energy to cook two night in a row?… not me

Start by preheating your oven to 425

• One butternut squash (Hubbard, acorn, or sweet potato would work here too)
• One sweet onion
• Olive oil (1-2 tablespoons)
• Spices (I used paprika, cumin, and chili powder)
• salt and pepper

Cut your squash and onion into one inch cubes. Add spices, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Mix with your hands or a spoon.

Roast until the squash is golden and the onions are slightly brown and translucent. This takes about 30 minutes. Put one squash and all of the onions into a blender. Add water or vegetable broth. Blend. Add more liquid until the soups perfect for you.

Done! I love this soup!

I’m not yet brave enough to let Uli go to town with soup. So, I thickened hers with cereal. (Rice works for this two if you have some already cooked)

Butternut, Grape and Blue Cheese Salad

This salad is yummy warm.

• Start with spinach (my favorite with blue cheese)
• Half some grapes (anything purplish will work here blackberries, dried cherries, dried cranberries…)
• Walnuts (toast them if your feeling fancy or making a warm salad)
• One inch cubes of roasted squash
• Balsamic vinaigrette mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm (Uli actually got a hold of the computer and happened to type mmmmm….hehe… Evidently she likes balsamic vinaigrette)

Ginger Carrot Sandwich with Freestyle Potato Salad

Mom’s plateUli Belle’s plate

(I left the dressing on the side for Uli’s salad)

Carrot Ginger Sandwich

I was craving something really fresh tasting and this did the trick.

Start with:

• Bread (I used seven grain)
• shredded carrot
• Thinly sliced cucumber
• mixed salad greens
• Thinly sliced orange bell pepper
• Ginger Lemon Tahini dressing (recipe follows)

Ginger Lemon Tahini Dressing

• Add a little lemon zest (only do this if you really like lemons)
• Juice of one lemon
• grate about 1 tablespoon ginger
• add tahini and whisk until the dressing is a smooth, spreadable consistency
• add salt and pepper to taste

Freestyle Redskin Potato Salad

I like using redskin potatoes for salad because they cook faster and I can leave the skins on. That makes less work all around! potato salads are also great for picky eaters or those with special diets. You can even make a vegan version with olive oil based dressing.

Here are the essentials (The cheese and eggs can be left out. I just like them.)

• Potatoes, boiled until tender and cooled. ( This takes 15-30 minutes depending on your potatoes. If they’re really big you may want to cube them before boiling.) Cut into cubes
• something oniony (vedalia onions are generally sweeter, red onions have bite, shallots are subtle, or green onions are fresh tasting)
• other veggies (celery, shredded carrot, peppers, ect.)
• cheese (cut in small cubes)
• eggs or cubed polenta
• Either olive oil or mayo
• vinegar (I used red wine)
• Seasoning (garlic, mustard, dill, cumin, curry, or parsley work well. Stick with just a couple that sound good together)

Directions

• Mix the potatoes, onions, veggies, eggs, and cheese in a large bowl
• In a separate bowl or cup
• Add enough olive oil or mayo to coat the salad
• Add some vinegar to taste ( A couple tablespoon or so usually does the trick)
• Add seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste
• Stir until smooth
• Mix your dressing into the salad (If you are a preplanner. Potato salad usually tastes best if it sits in the fridge at least an hour)