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Appetites and Adventures

Grapefruit Fennel Salad

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Summer is for salads.

Therefore I’m usually craving them in the winter.

We I don’t often remember, but winter has good produce other than squash (not that you’d know if from reading my blog…)!  I love the sweetness of in-season grapefruit on a salad, and the fresh fennel that’s in every grocery store adds a perfect licorice-like crunch to salad bowls.

Armed with these finds, I set out to make myself a giant salad for lunch.  Summer memories, be damned.

Into a giant bowl went all of the fresh veggies I looted from the local farmer’s market.  Citrus-y sweet sectioned grapefruit, a little heat from a serrano pepper, and my favorite – fennel – all played well together.  Accenting those flavors were fresh cilantro and yellow onion.  A crisp cucumber added a nice texture, all salted, peppered, and drizzled with lime juice and olive oil.

The perfect winter citrus salad bowl.

This salad will keep well for a day or two.  On day two I served it atop bulgur I pre-cooked and then mixed liberally with cilantro and lime juice.

Bowl #2 was topped with blueberries… the little extra punch of sweetness turned out of be a delicious idea, FYI.

Grapefruit Fennel Salad

Grapefruit Fennel Salad

  • 1 fennel bulb, sliced thin
  • 1 grapefruit, sectioned
  • 1 cucumber, diced
  • 2 T cilantro, minced
  • 1 serrano pepper, minced
  • 1/4 yellow onion, diced
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 2-3 tsp fresh lime juice
  • S&P, to taste
  • Blueberries (optional)

Mix all ingredients in medium-sized bowl.  Add more oil, lime juice, salt, and pepper to taste.

Optional: serve atop grains or greens – arugula would be fantastic here.

Serves 1-2

***

You could eat this and have a Granola Cookie for dessert.  I’m just sayin’… 😉

Do your salads change in the winter months?

What is your favorite winter produce (other than squashes and sweet potatoes)?

Smoked Almond-Avocado Pesto

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I got to see my baby this weekend!

Relax – I didn’t become the Virgin Mary on you (and that would be the situation at this point).

Remember with my BFF had her baby?  Jackson is now 6 weeks old and SO cute.  Big blue eyes, chunky little cheeks… he doesn’t look like a monkey at all!

 

I took the new parents dinner Friday night and had a great time catching up and hearing all the fun new parent stories.

We had a Whole Foods rotisserie chicken.  I love you, WF… but your rotisserie chicken is ALWAYS dry.

I also made some bulgar and pesto to go with it.

Please ignore the terrible picture.  This is what happens wthen you eat after the sun goes down.

Clearly I can’t make anything too normal… this pesto contained smoked almonds and  avocado!

Who doesn’t love a creamy sauce?

 

Crisco was nice enough to send me 3 of their olive oils to taste.*  I was excited to have the opportunity to use the Extra Virgin variety in this pesto.

It was good – it’s not a $30 bottle of rich, buttery olive oil (oh, how I’m looking forward to Italy!), but it is perfect to mix into items such as this.  It blended well and didn’t fight the other flavors.

A few things to think about when making and dip/sauce:

  • Add the olive oil in slowly with the processor running – this is the trick to getting the smooth, creamy texture
  • Don’t be afraid to taste/adjust the spices –  I like to play with different herbs and heat levels (yes, you should half the jalapeno if you don’t like a little kick 🙂 )
  • Add things in small amounts – you can always increase flavors, but you can’t take them back!

*I received Crisco’s Olive Oil as part of the FoodBuzz Tastemaker Program; however, all opinions are my own!*

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Smoked Almond-Avocado Pesto

  • 1 large bunch basil (~20 leaves)
  • 1/2 avocado
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1/4 C smoked almonds
  • Juice from 1/2 lemon
  • 2 T Crisco Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • S+P, to taste

 

Place all ingredients except the olive oil, salt, and pepper in food processor.  Blend until just combined.  

Slowly add olive oil with processor on low speed.  Adjust flavors, salt and pepper as needed.

Use as a dip or a topping on your favorite grain/pasta/salad.

***

My calf feels so much better… except when I was icing my knees tonight it seized up.  Weird.

Do you have a favorite herb or spice to add to foods?

Has anyone ever had weird calf pain?  Any advice?

 

Mexican Raw Bulgur Bowl

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The “ayes” are in.

By “ayes” I mean the votes I received to my new specs.  I made everyone in the eye store vote (by everyone I mean 6-7 people).  Post-eye store I posted pics my top 3 choices for you guys and then left you in suspense. (Admit it.  You were still wondering about it. 😉 )

This is my serious, glasses-wearing face

Gucci won.  (If they had carried D&G, they probably would have won – yes, I’m like that.)

Speaking of seeing things… (<— most cleaver topic transition ever)

The recipe on my bulgur package caught my eye as I was making my Blueberry-Cilantro Bulgur Salad.  It was for a tabbouleh, but that’s not the interesting part (though it sounds good).  The part that jumped at me was how the bulgur is prepped.

Raw.

Apparently you can soak it for 15 mins and voila – raw bulgur.  I told you it’s like oatmeal!

As such, I made it for breakfast-ish.  Ish because I ate it for breakfast, but many of you would consider this to be a lunch or dinner dish.  To each their own.

Added bonus: it’s NOT hot (like overnight oats!) – perfect after a sweaty morning run!

Mexican Raw Bulgur Bowl

The crunch from the raw bulgur was awesome, especially with the creaminess of the avocado.  Even if you can’t stomach it for breakfast, try it out at lunch.  It’s a great way to add more raw food (and protein!) to your diet. 🙂

Think about it: many people put salsa on their eggs.  You can often find avocado on breakfast sandwiches.  Why wouldn’t you put it on bulgur?

Mexican Raw Bulgur Bowl

Mexican Raw Bulgur Bowl

  • 1/4 C bulgur (uncooked)
  • 1/4 C water
  • 2 T salsa
  • 1/2 avocado, diced
  • 1 T fresh cilantro
  • S+P, to taste

Combine the bulgur and water in a bowl.  Let stand for 15 mins.

Fluff with fork.  Top with salsa, avocado, and cilantro.  Season with salt and pepper as needed.

Enjoy!

***

It’s Friday!!!!!  I can’t even complain about this week – it FLEW by.

Do you think I made the right choice on the glasses?  Don’t tell me if you hate them.

Do you like sweet or savory breakfasts better?

Blueberry Cilantro Bulgur Salad

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Naming recipes is hard.

Better-Than-S’mores Brownies = easy to name.  

Salad with lots of stuff = harder.  Unless I just call it “Salad with Lots of Stuff.”  Hmmmm… the zucchini and the vinaigrette made this one hard.  That’s just too much for one title!

This is my first time working with bulgur.  I really liked it – maybe even better than quinoa.  It seems to have a bit more bite and a nuttier taste, both characteristics I find attractive (though not as attractive as being independently wealthy with a house on the Mediterranean coast).

So why is bulgur a good gain choice?

  • Minimal processing allow it to retain protein and minerals
  • Good source of protein, B vitamins, folate, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus
  • High insoluble fiber content (more than oats, buckwheat, or corn!)
  • Low glycemic index helps to stabilize insulin levels
  • Can be prepared raw (by soaking) or cooked in just 15 mins.
The ingredients may have been too much for one title, they were NOT too much for one recipe!

The crisp zucchini gives this salad a satisfying “crunch” and chili vinaigrette provides a gentle (really) punch at the end of each bite.

Out of zucchini?  Squash or cucumber would also work nicely.

Don’t keep ancho chili powder?  Try paprika or regular chili powder.

No bulgur? *gasp*  Use wild rice, quinoa, or another favorite grain.

This may seem like an odd combo, but trust me.  (Why do I feel  like I type that sentence a lot?!)  

Blueberry Cilantro Bulgur Salad

  • 1 C bulgur (uncooked)
  • 2 T EVOO
  • 2 T rice wine vinegar
  • 1 T nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 tsp ancho chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp coriander
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/3 C fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
  • S+P, to taste
  • 1 C blueberries
  • 1 medium zucchini, diced
  • Lime slices

Prepare bulgur according to package instructions.

In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, nutritional yeast, and spices.  Adjust, adding salt and pepper to taste.  

Toss the cooked bulgar in the vinaigrette.  Fold in the cilantro, blueberries, and zucchini.  Garnish with lime.

Serve hot or cold.

Makes 2 main dishes or 4 sides (approximately 4 cups).

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I’m participating again in Spicie Foodie’s Your Best Recipe this month.  Link over to her site to join up, or check back on July 31st for a round up!

Do you struggle with recipe naming?

How about with recipe making? 🙂

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