Baby Greens Salad with Accoutrements

From time to time, my body just craves something light and healthy.  I don't know if it's the yoga I've started doing or the warmer, longer days, but this weekend was a good time to eat light.  And this salad hit the spot.  I've said it before, but salads can be really good or really boring.  I like to experiment with different fruit and veggies, nuts and cheeses in my salads - there are many winning combinations.  This salad is sweet and tropical with golden brown chicken and a satisfying crunch.  

Baby Greens Salad with Accoutrements

Baby Greens

Chicken, sliced (grilled, pan-fried or rotisserie)

Gorgonzola Cheese

Strawberries, sliced

Mandarin Orange wedges

Nuts (almonds, pistachios or pecans)

Champaign Vinaigrette (or your favorite dressing)

Salt & Pepper

In an extra large bowl, toss the mixed greens in a couple tablespoons of the salad's dressing.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  (This is how they do it in a restaurant; so the salad is completely coated, but not soggy).  

Transfer the greens to a plate and top with the chicken, cheese, fruit and nuts.  Top with more dressing and salt & pepper.  

Gluten-Free Lemon Pound Cake

One of my favorite people came to visit last weekend!  My aunt Sara came in from San Francisco with my uncle Marty and my cousin Grady.  I met Sara when I was 15 – she and Marty invited me to SF for a week and I had an absolute blast!  They helped teach me to drive, took me to the Blue Man Group and Sara even taught me to make pasta from scratch.  She and I have shared recipes and food stories from the beginning and I’ve learned quite a bit from her inside and outside of the kitchen. 

This weekend, Sean and I joined Sara’s family for dinner with my aunt Mary Catherine and uncle Peter at a “fresh” restaurant called True Food.  I’ll be honest – I thought it was going to be a rough dinner because I’d heard you could only order raw food.  But, it ended up being delicious!  Everyone at the table enjoyed their meal.  I had a roasted corn and kale pizza that I’d order again in a heartbeat.  The reason we chose this restaurant is because Sara cannot eat any gluten.  The restaurant offered many options and we had a splendid time. 

The next day, Sean and I met with Sara again and this time we baked together!  Sara brought one of her favorite gluten-free recipes and Mary Catherine was kind enough to offer her kitchen.  It was so nice and relaxing to just hang in the kitchen and chat over food.  And I learned quite a bit about special flour combinations and a gluten-free diet in general. 

We made gluten-free lemon pound cake.  It was great!  The cake was light and soft.  It reminded me of sugar cookies with a hint of lemon.  Not your normal cloyingly sweet cake drenched in frosting, this cake was divine.  This recipe comes from the cookbook, The Blackbird Bakery Gluten Free 75 Recipes for Irresistible Gluten-Free Desserts and Pastries* by Karen Morgan.

Thank you for everything Sara!

1 C. Sorghum flour

½ C. Tapioca flour

½ C. Cornstarch

½ t. baking powder

¼ t. kosher salt

Zest of 1 lemon

1 C. plus 2 T. unsalted butter at room temperature

1 ¼ C. sugar

4 large eggs

2 ½ t. pure vanilla extract

Position an oven rack in the center of the oven.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees (F).  Butter a 5-by-9-inch loaf pan. 

In a medium bowl, combine both flours, the cornstarch, baking powder and salt and stir with a whisk to blend.  Add the lemon zest to the dry ingredients. 

In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar on high speed for 5 minutes.  Add the eggs, one at a time and beat for a full minute after each addition stopping once or twice to beat for a full minute after each addition, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Reduce the mixer speed to medium and add the dry ingredients all at once.  Beat for 3-5 minutes or until light and fluffy.  Beat in the vanilla.  Pour into the prepared pan, smooth the top and bake for 60-75 minutes or until the cake is lightly golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.  Check the cake after the first 25 minutes of baking; if it has begun to darken, loosely cover with aluminum foil and resume baking. 

            

Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.  Run a knife around the edges of the pan and unmold the cake a cutting board.  Cut into slices to serve. 

 Sara, Sean and I ate our pound cake with fresh fruit and peach and cherry sauces.  Yumm!

*http://www.amazon.com/Blackbird-Bakery-Gluten-Free-Irresistible-Desserts/dp/0811873315

Happy Fourth of July!

I think we sometimes overlook the little things in life and take for granted what is so normal to us.  Things that other places in the world can only dream about.  I’m proud and happy to live in the U.S. and sometimes I forget to stop and remember just how important it is to be grateful.  Thank you to all the men and women who put their lives on the line each day to make sure we are safe and can enjoy our American lifestyle. 

The fourth of July was just about perfect this year!  I woke up on Wednesday morning to beautiful, cloudy skies – a welcome treat in Phoenix, AZ.  The desert had been cooled to a reasonable and pleasant temperature.  So, I made biscuits and my family and I ate them outside on the patio, enjoying the garden and reading some new books.  The overcast lighting seemed too perfect to pass by, so Sean selflessly let me take pictures of him for a new painting – they turned out great!  We took some adorable family shots too. 

Almost a moment after I snapped the last handsome picture, it began to rain.  Normally, we would have been upset by this on the Fourth of July, but today it was just fine.  We took a drive together and laughed over assembling new windshield wipers, which don’t get much use here in Arizona – all the while getting soaked in the rain. 

When we returned home, we had some margaritas by the pool, as the rain had begun to let up.  By dinnertime, the clouds had completely subsided and bright blue skies made barbequing possible.  With classic American songs in the background, we munched on hamburgers, deviled eggs, coleslaw, potato salad, chips and dip, guacamole, baked beans and even tomato aspic. Dessert was truly patriotic – shortcake with white whipped cream, red strawberries and blue blueberries.  It was a real feast and I hardly cooked a thing!  It was an easy and mostly store-bought summer BBQ. 

Once we were securely in our food comas, we watched the fireworks, broadcast from D.C. and N.Y.  I couldn’t have asked for a more relaxing and happy mid-week respite and Fourth of July.

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Today’s recipe is hardly a recipe.  But, even a cook sometimes needs a break from laboring in the kitchen – especially when the holiday is in the middle of the week! 

Shortcake with Whipped Cream and Fresh Berries

Shortcake

Whipping cream + 2 T. Sugar

Strawberries

Blueberries

Whip the cream until soft peaks form and slowly sprinkle in the sugar, whipping until it is completely combined and stiff peaks have formed.  Arrange each shortcake on your plate and top with whipped cream.  Garnish with fresh berries.  It’s that simple.