Duck Breasts w/ Panzanella

Happy Monday everybody! 

How was your weekend?  Ours was pretty relaxed, nothing new right? 

We had our first Fantasy Football draft of the season (we're in 3 leagues!) yesterday and I ended up with a pretty solid team.  I'm just so happy that #1.  NFL Football is actually happening this year. & #2. That the season is actually here!  Sundays = Football in our house!  And I can't help but laugh when I think about when I first met Andy, he didn't like any sports whatsoever.  I guess we do rub off on eachother.

Anyway...

I usually don't post something I've made right away.  I usually wait a day or two most of the time.  I've just got tons of things in my Lightroom gallery that it's hard picking what to do next.  However, we had this for dinner last night, and it was so amazing that I couldn't wait to share it.  Seriously, if you like duck (it's probably my favorite protein) and want something special and elegant - this is it.  Trust me.

Ingredients:
Adapted from Food & Wine's recipe

2 boneless duck breasts
4 ears of corn
2 potatoes, scrubbed and diced
15 asparagus spears, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
4 slices of bacon, chopped
5 slices of bread (we used a local bakery's Cereal Loaf), cut into 1 inch cubes
salt and pepper, to taste
1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup red wine vinegar

I'm so glad I decided to buy a whole duck instead of just the breasts.  It's a lot cheaper, plus I have the rest of the duck to use to make a confit (which is actually in the works as we speak! The house smells so good right now!).

Food & Wine recommends aging the breasts for 4 days - but I didn't have 4 days.  So I quickly aged the duck breasts for about 2 hours.  Just place the duck breasts in a glass dish, skin side up.  Season with salt and pepper and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours, and up to 7 days.

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Line up corn, asparagus, and potatoes on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Roast for about 30 minutes, or until potatoes are golden brown, stirring occasionally.  You'll want to flip around your corn every once in a while too.  Let vegetables cool slightly, then cut off kernels from corn cob.

While the vegetables are roasting, heat a large cast iron skillet under medium heat and add bacon.  Cook until bacon is crisp, about 5-7 minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel-lined plate.

Add the bread cubes to the bacon fat (this was genius!) and coat well.  Transfer skillet to the oven (on a rack underneath the vegetables) and bake until crisp, about 13-15 minutes.  Season croutons with salt and pepper.

Heat a large skillet under medium high heat.  Add duck breasts, skin side down, and cook until skin is golden and crisp - about 12-14 minutes.  Turn duck over and cook until medium-rare (if you're not comfortable with that, cook it a little longer) about 4-6 minutes. 

Transfer duck to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.  Slice thinly.

While the duck is resting, you can prepare your panzanella.  In a large bowl, combine the corn, potatoes, asparagus, bacon, croutons, tomatoes, scallions, and oregano.  Toss well. 

In a small bowl, combine the red wine vinegar and 1/4 cup olive oil.  Season dressing with salt and pepper and drizzle over vegetables and croutons in bowl.  Toss to mix well.

Divide the panzanella among plates and top with slices of duck. 

Seriously, this was absolutely amazing.  I think it took Andy all of 5 minutes to clear his plate.  He said it was so good he couldn't help but keep shoving it in his mouth.  Me, I took it slow.  So I could enjoy every bite because it was really the perfect meal! 

Have a great Monday guys!

Chef Salad w/ Honey Mustard Dressing

Boy am I glad it's Friday!  I don't really have big plans for the weekend (possibly the KY State Fair?), but the usual - relaxing. 

Andy is going to be out tonight for a bachelor party, so that leaves me to fend for myself tonight for dinner.  I work late, so I might just throw together some CSA vegetables and see what I come up with!

Salads are always my go-to lunch during the week, but every now and then you'll see them appear for dinner.  I made this a while back, but it's still been in the back of my mind because it was one of the best and most filling salads I've ever had.  The easy honey mustard dressing really makes this something special!

Ingredients:

Dressing:

1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon chopped dill

Salad:

Romaine Lettuce
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and julienned
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
3 pieces of bacon, cooked and chopped
shredded cheddar cheese
sliced turkey, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped

I love the "Mason Jar" method when making salad dressings.  What is that?  Well, basically, throw in all of the ingredients for the dressing into a Mason Jar.  Shake until mixed.  Pour on top of salad.  Easy?  Hell yeah it is.

To assemble the salad, wash the lettuce and shake dry.  Divide among plates and top with apple, eggs, bacon, cheese, turkey, and carrots.  Drizzle on dressing. 

And bam!  Lunch or dinner is ready in no time. 

I don't usually like honey mustard as anything other than a dipping sauce for chicken, but on top of this salad... it was amazing.

What's your favorite salad & dressing combo?

Have a great weekend guys!

Blueberry & Avocado Spinach Salad

Happy Monday guys!  Anybody do anything exciting?

Again, we were pretty lazy.  Andy had to go into work yesterday night for some end of the month reports, so I sat around the house catching up on some Netflix action.

It's also August!  Boy has this year flown by!

I thought I'd start the week with something light.  I usually take my lunch to work 99.9% of the time, and this is just a glimpse of the sort of thing I take with me!

Ingredients:

1 Avocado, cubed
1/4 cup cherry or grape tomatoes
a few slices of ham, chopped
1/4 cup blueberries
1 cup spinach
juice from 1 lime

I'm one of those weird people that prefers their salad undressed most of the time.  And plus, the avocado is creamy enough that it adds a faux dressing feel.

Combine avocado, tomatoes, ham, blueberries, and spinach in a large bowl.  Toss until mixed well. 

Squeeze lime juice over salad and toss again. 

Dig in!

Quick and easy lunch any day of the week!

Do you bring your lunch to work?  What sort of things do you take with you?



Well, I'm off to get some cleaning done around the house - since I let myself be lazy all day yesterday!  Have a great start to the week guys!

Spinach & Bacon Salad

Andy and I have been on a little health-kick lately.  We've been over-indulging a little too much, and our bodies are retaliating.  So in order to pay homage to our bodies, we're eating better.  Everything in moderation right?

What I love about this salad is that it's absolutely beautiful.  It's simple.  It's colorful.  It's downright mesmerizing.  And that's before you even have a bite.

The tangy vinaigrette offers a bright awakening of the senses and goes perfectly with the fresh, colorful vegetables.  Needless to say, our bodies loved us for this.

* This post has been entered as part of Denny's & Foodbuzz's BACONALIA challenge for a chance to win.
 
Ingredients:

2-4 cups baby spinach, washed
1 cup red cabbage, shredded/sliced thinly
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
salt and pepper, to taste
4 slices of bacon

In a large bowl, toss the spinach, cabbage, and carrots until mixed.

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, maple syrup, and Dijon mustard.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Heat large skillet under medium high heat and fry up the bacon until crisp, about 5-8 minutes.  Drain on a paper towel-lined plate and roughly chop into small pieces.

Divide vegetables among two plates and top with bacon pieces.  Drizzle vinaigrette over top and dig in!

You definitely won't regret this.  Andy said he loved this salad, and even said that we need to start eating more of this type of salad.  I've got no complaints there!  I mean, this is practically ready in about 15 minutes or less!  And it was super tasty!

I'm off to a bookclub meeting with my girls - this month's book was The Other Boleyn Girl.  Definitely a good one!  Have you read it?  What are you guys currently reading?

Restaurant Recreations: The Tilted Kilt

Okay, let's get one thing straight.  I like Hooters.  The restaurant (get your mind out of the gutter).  You know, with the women in the short orange shorts, and tons of beer.  And wings.  While I don't frequent the place on a regular basis, I can say that they get my business every now and then.  Plus, they have a really good burger - I know, you've all just disowned me.  And I realize that this post isn't about Hooters, but I'll get back to that point in just a moment.

The Tilted Kilt over on Dutchman's Ln. (it used to be Ernesto's) can be summed up in just a few words.  Tacky. Irish. Version. Of. Hooters.  Girls in plaid skirts, school girl shirts tied just below their knockers, exposing their (not-so-attractive) stomachs.  Yeah, to half-drunken men - this is paradise.  To a 25 year old woman, just looking for a quick and cheap meal... not so appealing.

In fact, the first thing Andy said to me when we walked in - "Including you, there's only 3 chicks in here, not counting the ones that actually work here."  Great, I can see this going well.  Almost tempted to leave, (the place was PACKED - the Louisville vs. Ohio game was on - which is one pro to this place is that there are TV's EVERYWHERE, so it's a sports fan's paradise) we thought we'd stick it out for the food.  And we were hungry and desperate.

First of all, it took forever for someone to even talk to us.  I kept telling Andy it was because of my estrogen-empowered self, and if I was of the opposite sex, then we would have been waited on promptly.  But 20 minutes after being seated, we finally had our drink order taken from us.  I don't know about you, but I need to be spoken to at least 5 minutes after being seated.

Anyway, I decided to order the Buttermilk Fried Chicken Salad and Andy got some behemoth of a burger.  I find that ordering a salad with some chicken is always a safe bet.  Well, almost always.  This is what I was served.

Can anybody find the chicken in there?  That was my first response.  If I knew I would be getting skimped on the chicken, I wouldn't have ordered it.  I don't know, maybe I'm just high maintenance, but when chicken comes before salad in the title, I expect to have a decent amount of it.  I knew after looking at this that I would definitely be recreating it.  And definitely doing a damn fine job of it.

Moral of the story?  Stick to Hooters.  There's usually an even man to woman ratio, the food is better, and unfortunately also, the girls are a tad more attractive - if you're into that sort of thing =)




So let's get to this amazing salad... the one that I made.

Ingredients:

Fried Chicken:
Adapted from Simply Recipes


2 large chicken breasts, each cut in half
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 onion, sliced
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, divided
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
salt and pepper
2 cups vegetable oil

Salad:


2-3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 navel orange, peeled and sliced
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
ranch dressing, optional

In a medium bowl, combine the buttermilk, onion, parsley, thyme, tarragon, paprika, and 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper.  Mix together and submerge chicken breasts.  Cover and let sit in fridge for about 8 hours (I put mine together in the morning before work and it was perfect timing).

Remove chicken from buttermilk and set aside on a plate.

In a shallow dish, combine flour, garlic powder, onion powder, remaining 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper.  Mix well.

Dredge chicken in flour mixture and coat well.  Set aside.

In a large cast iron skillet, heat the vegetable oil under medium high heat.  You'll know it's hot enough when a bit of flour sizzles quickly when added.

Add 2 chicken breast halves at a time and fry for about 7-9 minutes per side, or until cooked through.  Place cooked chicken on paper towel-lined plate and cover with foil.  Repeat with remaining 2 chicken breast halves.

To assemble the salad, combine the romaine lettuce, tomato, and navel orange.  Toss well.  Slice up chicken and place atop lettuce.  Drizzle ranch (I know, I should have made my own, but honestly, I have this ridiculously large tub of ranch in my fridge - a Sam's Club purchase, of course - that is in need of being used) over salad and enjoy!

So what do you guys think?  Which salad would you rather have?  

Now this is what I call a proper Buttermilk Chicken Salad.  This is a proper amount of chicken.  And the plate was just so colorful and vibrant, I couldn't help but smile the entire time I was eating it.  Enjoy your Wednesday guys!  And if you haven't checked it out yet, I've got the first giveaway on the blog here.

Palermo Viejo: 1st Restaurant Review!

Andy and I eat out once a week.  Fridays, usually.  It's just our way of having a "date night," but at the same time, allowing us to not do the cooking, for once.  We need a break sometimes, right?

And we don't just eat out anywhere.  We like to test our palettes with something delicious, preferably supporting the local restaurants!  Olive Garden and O'Charley's just don't do it for this girl (it's just my inner food snob, I guess!, but I look at it as, I can make most of those dishes at chain restaurants, and I can make them better... so why waste the money?)

On my birthday, Mallory, one of the pharmacists I work with, made the kind gesture of getting me a gift card to a restaurant Andy and I had been wanting to go to for quite some time - the Argentinian restaurant, Palermo Viejo.  We were not disappointed.  And you'll definitely have to excuse the poor photos - I wasn't about to bring my bulky Nikon with me, and so the cell phone would have to do!  I really need to invest in a pocket digital!  Maybe Christmas??

We had made reservations and our table was not quite ready when we got there, so we sat at the bar for a drink.  The atmosphere was definitely great, the interior design was beautiful - I would have never guessed it would have been that nice inside from the outside of the restaurant!

The bartender quickly attended to our orders - I ordered a Sweaty Betty. (quite possibly my new favorite beer!)  It's a blonde ale from the Denver Brewing Company and it was delicious.  Now, only if I can find it in town somewhere!  And Andy had his drink of choice - whiskey with a splash of ginger ale.

Delicious!

The wooden menus were a nice touch!

Our table was ready within a few minutes and we happily made our way to a table in front of the open kitchen.  I absolutely love open kitchens in restaurants.  It gives the diner a chance to see what goes on and with an open fire grill... it was quite entertaining!

The pre-birthday boy!

Love open kitchens!

 We ordered an appetizer of quesos which was a cheese plate that included Reggianito, Sharp Cheddar, Port Salut, Havarti, Gorgonzola, Grapes, and Olives.  It was definitely different from our normal appetizer choices, but the cheeses were definitely delicious!  We also had some delicious fresh bread, and the butter served along with it, was fresh, soft, and delicious!

Gotta love a cheese plate

While perusing the menu, we couldn't decide what we wanted, so we decided to get the La Completa - a shared dinner which included 2 pieces, each, of Housemade Chorizo, Short Ribs, Flank Steak, Sweet Breads, Chicken Breasts, Pork Tenderloin, and Fries.  They were out of Short Ribs, so we received an extra two pieces of flank steak as a replacement.  With the exception of the chorizo being a little bit on the dry side, for my taste anyway, everything was delicious.  The meat was juicy, I LOVED the sweetbreads (if you look past what they actually are, you'll love them too!), and the authentic chimichurri served alongside the meal was fantastic!

That was a TON of meat!  Love how they presented it on a mini grill too!

A TON of fries

Even got a simply delicious salad!

So after using our $40 gift card from Mal (thanks pal!), our total came to about $36.  So around $75-80 for 2 drinks, an appetizer, and a large entree (we had tons of leftovers!), that's not too bad in my book!  If you're in the Louisville area or know anyone that is... I highly suggest Palermo!

Rating: 4.5/5

Pineapple Chicken "Salad"

So happy it's Friday!  This is kind of a late Friday post, but it's been a hectic week!

I'm going to post the recipe first, and do a little bit of talking towards the end.  I must warn you... the end is a personal story.  Something that I've kept to myself for far too long.  And I really hope you read past the recipe, because it's me being vulnerable.  It's me being emotional.  And it's not something I do very often.

Ingredients:

Chicken:

2  chicken breasts
salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups lettuce, chopped

Glaze:

1 cup apple cider
1/2 cup frozen pineapple
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon soy sauce
 

 

Preheat oven to 400 F.

In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, cayenne, and baking powder.  Rub mixture on chicken breasts.  

 

Heat large skillet under medium high heat and add olive oil.  Add breasts to pan, cooking for about 5-7 minutes per side.  Finish in oven for about 8-10 minutes, or until white throughout.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan under medium high heat, add pineapple and apple cider.  Bring to a boil and add brown sugar and soy sauce.

Combine the corn starch and water and mix into a slurry.  Add to saucepan and bring to a boil.  Simmer for about 2 minutes and set aside.

Divide lettuce among 2 plates.  Top lettuce with chicken and spoon sauce over.  

 

This was simplicity at it's finest.  At first, I didn't think it was "complicated" enough.  I pretty much call this a "salad" because I didn't really have anything to make an actual side salad with.  And I didn't have any side dishes I could whip up very quickly, so I just decided to serve the chicken on a bed of lettuce.  But then Andy reminded me that things don't need to be complicated all the time.  Sometimes simple is just enough.  And he's right... this was a great simple meal!  Enjoy!

And now comes the part of this post where I really open up to you.  If you don't like emotional stories, or even sad ones... I don't suggest you read on.  But I hope that most of you do, because I don't open up like this very often, but I think this is something that I need to get off my chest.

First and foremost... I'd really like to thank you guys for letting me be a little "sappy" and sentimental this week on Tuesday's and Thursday's posts.  If you know me, I'm not one to be like that... at all.  I'm not a very outwardly "emotional" person.  But this week in November is always different.  I didn't think I'd be ready, or willing for that matter, to talk about this, but just allow me to be vulnerable, just once more.

6 years ago, on November 13, 2004... I lost one of my best friends.  Josh.  Josh was my boyfriend at the time.  We'd met eachother during our freshman year at college.  He was a musician, and I was a girl who had a fancy for musicians.  We fell in love and moved to Florida together, on a random whim after our first year of college.  It was the craziest thing I had ever done.  Leaving home, leaving all I knew, to be with someone and let him follow his dreams.  We were happy.  

Josh loved the ocean.  We would go to the beach almost every day.  To have the sun hit our faces and to let the waves crash into us.  It was our "paradise".  That November, my best friend Nick, came to visit us.  It had been 4 months since I'd seen any of my friends from back home, and it was awesome that Nick came  down to hang out.  

I had to work on November 13th, and so while I was working, Nick and Josh decided to go to a different beach, one farther down the strip and popular for it's "larger" waves.  I was about halfway through my shift, and I remember calling our apartment and no one answering.  At first, I thought nothing of it, but after 4 or 5 calls, and still no answer, I didn't know what to think.  I remember distantly hearing sirens while I was at work, and didn't think anything of them either, because we had a hospital that was nearby and sirens were normal.  But shortly after these, my friend Nick came frantically through the store where I worked with bloodshot eyes, just saying "Peggy, I'm sorry."  My heart immediately sank, and I didn't know what was going on.  He just kept saying we needed to go to the hospital.  That we needed to go.  I rushed out of work and sped to the hospital.  I prayed to God that Josh would be okay.  That this was just some freak accident that ended happily.  

Nick explained to me on our car ride that they were at the beach, in the ocean.  They had gone farther out than planned, and not knowing that the waves were especially strong that day, Josh had been taken under by a rip current.  It was too strong for him to get out of.  

Fortunately, a surfer named John Lane, had heard Nick's yelling for help and came to bring Josh's body back to shore.  After calling 911 and trying to perform CPR, they did all they could do to save him, but it was just too late.  They had rushed him to the hospital, but the doctors said that he'd already been gone.  

This was truly the worst day of my life.  I was 19 years old and I lost the one person that meant the most to me.  I was angry.  I had never lost someone... not even a grandparent.  This was something I believed I would never have to go through, and I did.  

It's been 6 years, and I don't think I've ever expressed this much emotion about this traumatic event.  It's hard for me to talk about it, but I feel it's easier to write.  It's a weight lifted off my shoulders, but I know it's something I will never forget.  I'm a person that believes that "things happen for a reason" and I believe that if Josh had not made an impact in my life, I wouldn't have ever stepped foot into the music store that Andy works at, and would never have met him.  I don't know.  It's a hard thing to deal with, but I know Josh would have wanted me to be happy.  And I believe I truly am.  

So today, I remember Joshua Allen Scurlock, and I'm glad you've let me open up to you.  That you've listened to my words.  Thank you.

Fried Green Tomato Salad w/ Lump Crab & Remoulade Dressing

 Happy Friday everyone!  Hope everyone has had a good week and that you've got some good plans for Halloween weekend! 

We don't really know what we'll be doing quite yet.  A guy from my softball team is having a Halloween party tonight, but I've got to work until 9:30 tonight so I don't know if I'll feel up to going (and I don't really have a costume, so if I go, I may just end up wearing my scrubs!)  And tomorrow, we may just get dinner with friends and play board games.  Lame, huh?  I don't know, the older I get, the more just staying in and playing simple games sounds more fun than anything!

So when I was telling Andy our dinners for the week last Saturday, when I got to telling him that we'd be having a "Fried Green Tomato Salad," he seemed less than enthused.  So that just gave me more motivation to make it out of this world and delicious from the get-go.  Hope you guys enjoy this one!

Ingredients:
Adapted from Closet Cooking's recipe
 

Fried Green Tomatoes:

2 green tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup corn flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup corn meal
olive oil for frying

Season the tomato slices with salt and pepper.

Mix the flour, cayenne pepper, and paprika in a shallow dish.  Dredge the tomatoes slices in the flour, then dip them in the egg, and finally dredge them in the corn meal.

Add enough oil to a large skillet to coat the pan.  Heat under high heat and add tomato slices.  Cook for about 2 minutes per side or until tomatoes are golden brown.  Let dry on paper-towel lined plate.

Remoulade Dressing:

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon horseradish sauce
1 small clove garlic, minced
juice from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon capers
1 green onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon sriracha 

Place all ingredients in a deep bowl or tupperware and blend with an immersion blender until you reach desired consistency (I like it pretty smooth).

Salad:

2 cups spinach
6 sliced fried green tomatoes
1/2 lb. lump crab meat
remoulade dressing (optional... but HIGHLY recommended)

 Divide the spinach among two plates. Top with the tomato slices.  Add desired amount of lump crab meat and drizzle on remoulade dressing.

The first thing that came out of Andy's mouth after his first bite - "Wow, I never thought this would actually be good."  And my response to that... "Did you ever doubt me?"  And I knew it was a success.  It really was THAT good.  It will turn non-believers into believers.  And you could definitely make it vegetarian by not adding the crab meat and utilizing other vegetables, of course!  Enjoy the weekend guys and be safe!

Fried Chicken Spinach Salad

Phew that weekend just flew by, didn't it?!  It seems like there's never enough time to catch up!  But here Monday is, again, without fail.  It's been a hectic day, that's for sure.  The one thing that put a smile on my face, is that the local radio station I listen to on the way home, 91.9 WFPK, played a song from a band that Andy used to be in, Clyde.  I was mad at Andy today, for Lord knows what (something trivial I'm sure), but I couldn't help but smile when I heard the song playing.  Of course, I am no longer mad, and realize it was stupid to be mad in the first place.

Anyway, I've got a fancy for salads lately, and adding fried chicken strips is just the icing on the cake for me (of course, you could definitely be healthier than I, and go with grilled chicken strips, but there's no fun in that, now is there)


Ingredients:
Adapted from How Sweet It Is Blog - Roasted Apple, Pecan, and Chicken Spinach Salad

Fried Chicken Spinach Salad

 2 cups baby spinach
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
1 apple, chopped
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 ounce pecans
2 chicken thighs, deboned
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet under high heat, add vegetable oil. 

On a small plate, combine the flour, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and salt & pepper.  Dredge chicken thighs in flour mixture, shaking off excess. 

Add thighs to skillet and fry for about 5-7 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through.  Let rest on a cutting board for about 5 minutes. Slice chicken into small pieces and set aside.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 F.

Sprinkle apples with cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Spread in an even layer on baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes, or until caramelized.

Combine spinach, chicken, pecans, cucumbers, and apples together. Top with dressing (recipe below). 

Apple Cider Vinaigrette 


1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients together and whisk well. Top salads with desired amount of dressing.

Black Bean Corn Salad

Well, school started this week. My head is going to be buried in Molecular Biology, Developmental Biology, and Spanish for the next 4 months. Let's go through a breakdown on my first impression of each class:


Molecular Biology: That just sounds scary, but it's only a 200-level course. Mostly dealings with DNA and that jazz. We took a little pre-test on the first day and it was strenuous on my brain, but I feel I did pretty good on it... not that it counts for anything. And let me just vent here... I understand some student may have children and that's all well and fine with me... but to bring your newborn child to class? That's what the campus has a day care for. The baby was kind of distracting, but we'll see if it's present next class too, and if it is... expect a rant on Friday.


Developmental Biology: The development of creatures, or embryo development if you want to get all technical. Seems interesting enough and everyone I've talked to that's already had the class has the same response... it's a lot of fun, but a lot of stuff to study. Fun + Lots of stuff to study... does not sound fun at all... does it? No, I didn't think so. But so far, not too shabby.


Spanish: The dreaded foreign language requirement. I find it funny that while I was an Accounting Major, foreign language was not required. However, now that I'm a Biology Major, I have to have 2 semesters worth! I think Spanish would be more beneficial in the business world? Don't you think? Either way, I feel like a 3 year old, having to "Repita! Repita!" every little second. Not to mention we do this online homework that requires us to record how we say certain words/phrases... talk about feeling stupid and recording myself speak... good thing I do this while Andy is not home, because he would just sit and laugh at me the whole time.

Anyway, so there's my fall semester rant. It's really not as bad as I make it out to be, but I like complaining and forcing people to listen. But I guess I'll get to the recipe... that's what you're really here for anyway...


Ingredients:

1 can seasoned black beans
3 ears of corn, steamed & kernels cut off of cob
1 small onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
5 small cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 jalapeno, minced
juice from 1 lemon
small handful fresh cilantro, chopped
1/8 to 1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Basically, in a large bowl, combine black beans, corn, onion, garlic, cherry tomatoes, jalapeno, and lemon juice. Stir until well combined. Fold in cilantro.

Drizzle with olive oil, to your own preference, and season with salt and pepper.

This was one of those quick summer time dishes that's ready in no time. I put this on practically anything, from topping bratwursts or hotdogs, to serving as a filling for empanadas. You can even eat it all by itself as a side dish to any meal! And it definitely saves you from turning on an oven or stove because there's not cooking required! Just fresh summer ingredients that go well together! Enjoy!


Oh and check out our CSA goodies...


1 lb. of heirloom tomatoes
1 lb. of green beans
1 cantaloupe
2 lbs. pears
2 hot peppers
2 sweet peppers
1 loaf of french bread