roasted corn & poblano salad with lime vinaigrette

Memorial Day cookouts are and should be a summer side dish extravaganza. Pasta salads, potato salads, coleslaw, vegetable platters, chips and salsa, chips and ranch dip, fruit salad, fruit pizza, watermelon... You name it and you will probably find it alongside a hamburger or hotdog this weekend. I got to admit I kinda love that about cookouts. I love taking a bite or two from every dish and trying it.  I love seeing the mix of flavors and foods and colors that guests bring to the table. 

This year, we are heading to a beach house for Memorial Day weekend and I wanted to have a side that wowed my family.  My mom is a pretty fantastic cook and it's hard to impress her, but I'm pretty sure this roasted corn and poblanosalad will do the trick.  Chocked full of veggies and drizzled with a tangy lime vinaigrette, it is the perfect, light side dish to bring to any cookout. Plus, it's served cold, which is kinda perfect for muggy, beach weather.

This really is an easy dish to make.  Roast corn and peppers in the oven.  (The poblano keeps the flavor pretty mild, but if you want some more kick toss in a jalepeno or two.)  Stir in fresh tomoatoes, cilantro, onions, and black beans. Whisk together your dressing and mix it all together. BAM! Impressive, simple, cheap, and the perfect thing to bring to a summer party. 

Click to read more ...

weeknight wonder: kitchen sink cobb salad

Why, hello there!  Hope that you had a lovely weekend.  We were insanely productive...  The car got inspected, closets got cleaned out, garage sale finds were washed and placed in the nursery, photo sessions were snapped and edited, recipes were tested, groceries bought, cleaning done... On top of that, Jason worked, Lady got spayed, and we went to a base ball game with friends.  Needless, to say, I'm am exhausted. I need a weekend to recover from the weekend... or at least a second cup of coffee.  Ever feel like that on Mondays?

So tonight, we will probably have something easy like this kitchen sink cobb salad. It's pretty simple.  Bake some bacon, boil an egg or two, and then toss in whatever veggies you have in the fridge. Easy to throw together, but it's a super fresh dinner that is still filling thanks to the eggs and bacon.  The recipe below lists the veggies I used for this exact salad, but usually I don't follow a recipe.  I chop and toss really whatever we have in the produce bin into this sucker.  I do like adding berries cause I like a little something sweet and unexpected.  I used a sprinkle of cole slaw mix to give it some crunch, but you could substitute nuts or croutons. Cracked black pepper gives the meal a finished touch. 

Super simple.  Enjoy and happy Monday!

Click to read more ...

Spring Salad

Even if the weather will not cooperate with my rampant spring fever, my lunches can, right?  I mean instead of warm soups and toasted sandwiches I can start embracing salads and smoothies, right?  Let's be honest, I know you're wearing shorts and flip flips around your flat too in spite of the winter storm raging outside.  Well, maybe that's just me... 

This salad will definitely get you in the mood for spring.  Creamy avocado, tart grapefruit, and sweet strawberries combine for a light flavor that screams fresh.  A touch of black pepper and roasted almonds add a nice crunch.  Overall, it's my new go to salad.  Feel free to toss chicken or shrimp in there to make it more substantial. 

Click to read more ...