Chickpea Salad with Parmesan & Parsley

Sometimes, simple is better, no? I like to think I'm a pretty un-complicated gal myself. Especially when it comes to recipes. Some of my most favorite recipes, are also the easiest, but what they all must have in common is that their results taste amazing. Maybe simple means just a few high-quality ingredients with little fussing or fixing to let their flavors shine. Or maybe a simple recipe means a one pot meal, with not a lot of dishes to clean up. Or perhaps a simple dish, is one that takes all of five minutes to put together, with ingredients you already have laying around in your fridge and pantry.

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad

I have a tendency to get into a little bit of a funk in January. The holidays are long gone, the weather is rainy and dreary, and it makes me want to hibernate in my little shack with a warm fire until February comes along. During this month I definitely need a bit of inspiration to get me off the couch and get my creative juices flowing again. Luckily, I received some new cookbooks for Christmas, and inspiration is not so hard to find in this stack of loveliness:
Oh how I love me some new cookbooks. I can't wait to read them all the way through when I first get them, and mentally pick out dishes that I'm dying to try. I even like to read the recipes in bed before I go to sleep, thumbing through the pages until I can no longer keep my eyes open. Unfortunately as much as I love reading and gathering ideas from cookbooks, I am horrible at actually going back to those books on a regular basis and making new recipes out of them. I think it has something to do with the onslaught of cooking magazines I receive each month, when I tear out the glossy pages and place them in a folder that is always overflowing and easily accessible. Instead of reaching for a cookbook, I tend to reach for that folder instead. Not to mention the recipes I get inspired from off of other blogs and cooking websites. With all those other forms of cooking inspiration, I forget about the books that are tucked away in my cupboard, begging to be opened and used.

So I made a pact with myself after obtaining the most recent additions of cookbooks, that I would cook at least one recipe out of each book in the next couple of weeks, and make sure that they don't get put away before that happens. Which is how this delicious bowl of shaved Brussels sprouts with egg, almonds, and a citrus vinaigrette appeared in my kitchen.

Two Ways with Radishes

Ah the radish. Truly one of the more under appreciated veggies out there. Usually relegated to being sliced and tossed in a salad without much thought; the radish often doesn't get its chance to shine. Maybe it has something to do with the taste, which is definitely on the bold and assertive side. I find that I appreciate radishes more in small doses, which is perhaps why they are often not the centerpiece of recipes.
And while radishes may not be one of my favorites, the dang things are so easy to grow that there was no way I could stop myself from planting them in my garden. This year I planted the "Easter Egg" variety of radishes. They come in the most beautiful range of reds, pinks, and white. Unfortunately I did not think to do a successive sowing of the little buggers, which means I have a very large crop of beautiful radishes appearing all at once. My garden overfloweth.
And so I have been trying to use my abundance of radishes in as many applications as possible. So far there have been two winners. An amazingly tasty salad dressing made out of radishes that highlights their flavor in a way I didn't know possible:.
And these crunchy little slivers of pickled radishes. These would be great for topping sandwiches or fish tacos. They also are great to have hanging out in the fridge for snacking.

Asparagus Salad

I am ready for winter to be over. Don't get me wrong, I am a fan of winter weather, which in Northern California means rain, but I am more than ready for that rain to go away. I feel bad saying that, because I know that the rain has been much needed, but I can't help it, I'm ready for spring. And after living in a house with no heat all winter, I'm most of all ready to be warm again.

Last week it felt like we had skipped spring altogether and had fast forwarded in to summer. The days were verging on hot, the sky was clear blue and I began to feel re-energized by the sun. Yet here I am a week later, looking out the window at a gentle sheet of rain falling down. But I don't want to continue to complain about the rain, so instead I'm going to pretend it's spring outside. One of the ways I'll do that is by enjoying some asparagus, a springtime vegetable, in this salad. The fresh and bright flavors of the salad will help me realize that spring is (hopefully) just around the corner.

Warm Winter Vegetable Salad

I must admit, winter is not my favorite season when it comes to fresh vegetables. I miss summer, where all the produce seems to smell and taste so much fresher, and is crying out to picked and eaten as-is. Winter veggies require a little more time and patience. They need to be slow roasted, until they become tender and caramelized, making them much richer in flavor and texture.

And so, roasting becomes my go-to preparation for vegetables in the winter time. It's great for almost anything, squashes, brussel sprouts, and any root vegetable all get even tastier when roasted in the oven. I especially love sweet potatoes and acorn squash. Tossed with a little bit of olive oil and salt and pepper and then cooked in the oven, they are absolutely delicious. But after a while, I'm looking for new ways to roast and not get bored.
Which is why I loved this Warm Winter-Vegetable Salad recipe. The technique is the same, but simply adding in some toasted nuts, a sprinkling of cheese, and a light yet flavorful vinaigrette made it seem like something I had never eaten before.

Italian Chopped Salad

In college, I spent many a weeknight waiting tables at the California Pizza Kitchen in Westwood Village.  And while I had to wear a hideous yellow tie and often came home smelling like tortilla soup, a few good things came out of that stint.  One is the boy that lives in my home and eats most of my dinners with me.  Another is this Italian chopped salad that I adore.

One of my favorite things to do in the kitchen is rip off great restaurant meals.  This salad is hearty enough to eat for dinner without feeling weighed down, and perfect for a quick weeknight meal on the go.  Dress it lightly, and you can pack the leftovers for a tasty lunch.  Making your own mustard vinaigrette saves you cash, along with preservatives, artificial flavors, and high-fructose corn syrup.  Best of all, it's easy.  Even if you're inexperienced and afraid of your kitchen, throw these ingredients together and you'll have a great dish to bring to your next potluck or picnic lunch.

Start by chopping a head of romaine lettuce.

Washing lettuce is pretty high on my list of things that annoy me, but a salad spinner makes it bearable.  Rinse the lettuce in the strainer.  Rinse it well...  Dirt in your salad is not a happy time!

Once the salad is good and washed, the strainer basket fits inside a plastic bowl with a special crank lid.

The water spins right out!  Now I understand that not everyone has a salad spinner.  The easiest way to wash your lettuce without one is to rinse the individual romaine leaves, and blot them with paper towels until they're dry.

Since it's a chopped salad, we're gonna keep on chopping.  Salami and turkey...

You can get thick-cut salami and turkey at the deli counter at your grocery store.  I asked for two 1/2 inch slices of each meat (just be sure you say "please" and "thank you", and give 'em a smile).

 

Roughly chop some cherry tomatoes, basil, and garbanzo beans, and add them to the party.

Now grate some mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese.  Take a photo of your finished cheese and email it to me so I can put it on the blog.  Thanks!