A Celebration of Good Things - Food Recap

Back in September, I had a "celebration of good things." I wanted to achieve a few things with this rooftop party.

1) To celebrate good news I had recently received. From a good prognosis for my mom, good test results for myself, and just having life look pretty good, I felt it was a good excuse to throw a party.

2) To thank all the great friends I have here in DC who have been so supportive in the past year.

3) To have an excuse to make a ton of food to celebrate and be thankful for the above.

I made a lot of dishes that I promised I would post the links for the recipes. They are all dishes that I have made previously on this blog, many of which have become staples for me when having friends over for food.

And in case you're wondering why I chose to use this photo of me attempting a selfie with a less than happy llama at Machu Picchu? My answer is simply...why not? The picture always makes me smile, and hopefully it will do the same for you.

Here's the recipe rundown. I should give a quick shout out to my friend Nick Evans at www.macheesmo.com, since three of the recipes below are courtesy of his awesome blog.

Sticky Wings - I love this sweet and spicy rub on wings. I'm tempted to use this on bone-in chicken this winter.

Chickpea Orzo Salad - This is a great side dish for a picnic, and I often make it for weekday lunches.

Three Bean Avocado Salad - This works wonderfully as a summertime side dish, especially if you have access to a grill to char the corn, but it could easily be made without smoky, grilly access.

Peach Tomatillo Salsa - Love. This. If you're into canning, this would be a great recipe to try.

Tomato Jam - You should also can this.

Brown Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies - I make these cookies all the damn time and they never disappoint.

So while you shouldn't try to take a selfie with a pissed off llama, you should follow my lead in trying any number of these recipes soon.

Orzo with Chickpea Salad

Summertime in DC means countless of opportunities to picnic outdoors. From the Sunday drum circles in the park near my condo to the outdoor movie nights throughout the city, I regularly have picnic food on the brain. A few weeks back I went to the first Screen on the Green of the season. This annual tradition features four weeks of free movie classics on the National Mall. This year's offering included The Karate Kid, so it was a no brainer that I would attend for some Wax On/Wax Off action.

We had beautiful weather for it and I decided to make one of my favorite picnic side salads, an orzo with chickpea dish. I've posted about this dish before when I first started this blog, but it's so nice I'll post twice. This holds up really well in the heat and makes for a great lunch for work as well. So the next time you are asked to bring a side for a picnic outdoors, consider making this!

Orzo with Chickpea Salad (serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup (2 oz) crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1 (19-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
• 3 TB fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 TB extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 TB cold water
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. bottled minced garlic 

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Combine pasta, onions, cheese, dill, and chickpeas in a large bowl, tossing gently to combine.

Combine juice and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over pasta mixture; toss gently to coat.

The Great Grill Fire of 2014...a PSA and a Recipe Included!

"This grill is on Fi-yah!"

Kids, don't try this at home.

Truer words had never been sung during what I shall now call "The Great Grill Fire of 2014." It was just a regular Sunday family dinner in the neighborhood and with the warm weather, we elected to grill. While the details that lead up to this event are a bit hazy, as you can tell from the photo, things got hot quickly. With black smoke.

Perhaps the grill wasn't completely cleaned before using or maybe it was something else. But two fire extinguishers and a box of baking soda later, the fire finally went out.

Well, at least the roof wasn't on fire. Cue music.

So this is your PSA for Memorial Day weekend. Clean your grill and know where your fire extinguishers are. The more you know. And stuff.

And here's the recipe that I had to modify due to the grill situation. As you can tell, the photo is a bit smoky, as pretty much everything looked after the Great Grill Fire of 2014.

Grilled Zucchini with Walnuts and Gorgonzola Cheese (serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 2 medium zucchini, sliced length-wise
• Small red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
• 2 tsp. olive oil + little extra for basting the vegetables
• 1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 3 TB crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

Directions:

Grill 1/2-inch thick slices of red onion, lightly covered with olive oil, 5 minutes on each side until tender. Remove from grill and then coarsely chop.

Grill zucchini 2 minutes on each side, lightly covered with olive oil.

Combine onion, walnuts, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix together. Spoon walnut mixture evenly over zucchini. Then sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Skillet Asparagus Salad with Goat Cheese

Asparagus is in season as is regular Sunday family dinners. After travels and cleanses and other events that were causing the typical traditional fare to be altered on a regular basis, two weeks ago we were back on target with regular food (no offense, vegans) :)

I love a simple roasted asparagus, but this time around, I wanted to try something a bit different. The result was a great side salad for a big dinner party.

Skillet Asparagus Salad with Goat Cheese (serves 6)

Ingredients:

1 tsp. olive oil

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/8 tsp. salt

1 1/2 pounds asparagus spears, trimmed (about 30 medium spears)

1 cup water

2 tsp. julienne-cut orange rind

1 tsp. julienne-cut lemon rind

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

1 tsp. sugar

1 TB dry white wine

1 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/8 tsp. salt

5 tsp. olive oil

2 cups mixed baby salad greens

2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)

3 TB chopped pecans, toasted

1 TB fresh tarragon leaves

1 tsp. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl; toss to coat. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add one-third of asparagus mixture; cook 4 minutes or until lightly charred and crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan; set aside. Repeat procedure twice with the remaining asparagus mixture.

Place 1 cup water in a microwave-safe measuring cup. Microwave for 2 minutes or until water just boils. Add orange rind; let stand 20 seconds. Drain, reserving rind. Repeat procedure with lemon rind.

Combine orange rind, orange juice, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until juice mixture measures about 3 tablespoons (about 5 minutes). Combine wine, lemon juice, mustard, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk. Gradually add 5 teaspoons oil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in orange juice mixture.

Place 1/3 cup greens on each of six plates. Divide asparagus evenly among salads. Top evenly with cheese, pecans, and tarragon. Stir lemon rind and parsley into orange juice mixture; drizzle dressing over salads.

Clementine Spinach Salad with Sugared Almonds

If you're like me, the winter brings a wealth of citrus into your home. In particular, clementines or tangerines, usually whatever you can buy in a crate or in a big bag. I eat them daily throughout the winter but sometimes I want to do a little more with them than just eat them plain. I came across this great, simple side salad recipe and found what may be my new favorite fruity salad. I may even try making this again with a citrus grilled chicken or fish to add a bit of protein. Enjoy!

Clementine Spinach Salad with Sugared Almonds (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

• Bag of baby spinach
• 4-6 clementines
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 bag of dried cranberries
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1 TB honey
• 1 1/2 TB sugar

      Dressing

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 TB red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• dash of pepper
• 1 tsp. dried parsley
• 2 TB sugar
• dash of Tabasco

Directions:

To make the sugared almonds, melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add almonds, and toast, stirring frequently, until almonds are light brown, about 5 minutes. Toss with sugar, and spread almonds on a plate to cool.

To make the dressing, combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake until combined.

Combine the spinach, oranges, onion and cranberries in a large bowl. Toss with the dressing and sprinkle with almonds. Serve immediately.

Nutty Almond-Sesame Red Quinoa

As I mentioned earlier this month, I have a few friends who decided to go vegan for the month of February. They all continue to do well on their cleanses, and I've tried to be supportive in making vegan dishes this month for our various dinner get-togethers. Quinoa has become a regular fixture as a result, and here is another great quinoa side dish...this time of the red variety!

Nutty Almond-Sesame Red Quinoa (serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 1 2/3 cups water
• 1 cup red quinoa
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
• 2 TB lemon juice
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 2 tsp. dark sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced

Directions:

Bring water and quinoa to boil in a medium saucepan. Once it reaches a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 12 minutes or until quinoa is tender. Drain if necessary.

Stir in almonds, juice, oils, salt and onions. Serve warm.

Vegan Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

I have several friends who are either a week in to a 30-day vegan cleanse, or have elected to go vegan for the month of February. I tip my hat to you. Last week I was asked to bring a vegan side dish to a family dinner, and I found this great recipe online. This had a nice kick to it flavor-wise and is something that I could see making again as a side dish...perhaps to a nice steak. ;)

Vegan Quinoa and Black Bean Salad (serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa 2 cups water 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 limes, juiced 2 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or more to taste 1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes 1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed 1/14 cup chopped fresh cilantro salt and pepper, to taste.

Directions:

Bring quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender and water has been absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Whisk olive oil, lime juice, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, and red pepper flakes together in a bowl.

Combine quinoa, tomatoes, and black beans together in a bowl. Pour dressing over quinoa mixture; toss to coat. Stir in cilantro; season with salt and black pepper. Serve immediately or chill in refrigerator.

Brown Butter Balsamic Roasted Asparagus

I think it is only appropriate to start off this post with an apology, because I've been slacking on posting for the last two weeks. I can blame the holiday madness and while I didn't log on to record all my cooking adventures, I was cooking up a storm over the holidays. I made a few different dishes for my family and have made different dishes for holiday shindigs. So I'll recap these bites over the next week or two to catch up.  The first of which is a simple asparagus side dish that I made for Christmas Eve dinner. And we even served it on my mom's asparagus platter.

Brown Butter Balsamic Roasted Asparagus (serves 8)

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs asparagus spears, trimmed
• Cooking spray
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 TB butter
• 2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tspbalsamic vinegar
• Cracked black pepper
• Grated lemon rind (I used 1/4 tsp)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°.

Arrange asparagus in a single layer on a baking sheet; coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 400° for 12 minutes or until tender.

Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat; cook 3 minutes or until lightly browned, shaking pan occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. Drizzle over asparagus, tossing well to coat. Garnish with cracked pepper and rind, if desired.

Green Beans with Toasted Walnuts and Breadcrumbs

If you're like my mother, at this point you've started the process of going to the grocery store to get what you need to host family for the holidays. The cheeses, the cookies, the ingredients for several group dinners. I'll be helping with some of these efforts when I'm home, of which I will blog about next week.

But for those of you who are trying to figure out side dishes that are traditional, but maybe with a twist, here is a great green bean side dish I made for Thanksgiving. The walnut breadcrumb topping is the best part of this dish, and it's a pleaser for picky eaters.

Green Beans with Toasted Walnuts and Breadcrumbs (serves 8)

Ingredients:

1 cup sliced shallots

2 lbs green beans, trimmed

Cooking spray

2 TB extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

3 (1-ounce) slices French bread baguette

1/4 cup (1 ounce) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

3 TB chopped walnuts, toasted

1 tsp grated lemon rind

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°.

Place shallots and beans in a small roasting pan coated with cooking spray. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil; toss. Sprinkle mixture evenly with salt and sugar; toss to combine. Bake at 425° for 20 minutes or until beans are crisp-tender. Transfer mixture to a serving bowl.

Place bread in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1 1/2 cups. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs to pan; cook 5 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently.

Remove from heat; stir in the cheese and remaining ingredients. Add breadcrumb mixture to beans; toss to combine.

Delicata Squash and Kale

As I mentioned last week, I joined a CSA. I purchased some familiar items, like Bosc Pears and Apple Butter, but I also opted to order a delicate squash. Mainly because it looked pretty. And I'm pretty sure I had tried one recently at the Columbia Heights Farmers Market and enjoyed the flavor. So I went on the hunt for a recipe that included this, and baby kale, which I had also picked up. There were a surprising number of these combinations out there, but I settled on a very simple side dish. It was a nice departure from green beans, which I've been cooking a lot of lately. I imagine any type of acorn squash would work for this dish. I served this alongside broiled salmon.

Delicata Squash and Kale (serves 2 as a side dish)

Ingredients:

1 medium Delicata squashes (about 1 lb) halved lengthwise & seeded

1/2 TB plus 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 TB balsamic vinegar

1 TB honey

3 oz. kale, large stems removed, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 small shallot, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 TB red-wine vinegar

1/2 tsp coarse salt

Freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash into 1/2 inch thick semicircles. Toss with 1/2 tsp olive oil and spread onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake until just tender, about 15-18 minutes. 

Mix together the balsamic vinegar & honey in a small bowl.  Brush some of the mixture onto the squash slices; reserve remaining mixture.  Bake an additional 5 minutes. 

Meanwhile, place kale in a large bowl. Heat remaining tablespoon of oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Add shallot (or red onion) and garlic, and cook until slightly softened, about 4 minutes.

Add red-wine vinegar and remaining vinegar-honey mixture to saucepan, and bring to a boil.

Immediately pour the hot dressing over kale, and sprinkle with salt & season with pepper.  Add squash. 

Cover with plastic wrap, and let stand for 5 minutes.  Toss until kale wilts slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Pomegranate and Spinach Salad

A few weeks back, I was planning a dinner party for two, and since most of the meal was on the heavy side, I wanted a light starter salad. I tapped my go-to "what should I make" resource for when I stopped, Nick of www.macheesmo.com, and he told me to make this salad. I had never worked with pomegranates before, but the instructions in the recipe assured me that it wasn't that tricky to work with. Where I think I struggled most was in deseeding the fruit. I submerged it in a bowl of water, but I think I opted for too shallow of a bowl. This lead to an unflattering splatter of pomegranate juice, staining parts of my kitchen and ironically landing on my knife skills book. I assured my dinner guest that this wasn't in fact the scene of a crime, just my first attempt with pomegranate.

 

The salad was a big hit and I suggest you giving it a shot while pomegranates are still in season.

Pomegranate and Spinach Salad (serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

• 5-6 ounces baby spinach
• 1 pomegranate, seeded
• 6 oz. goat cheese
• 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted

For the Dressing:

• 1  cup raspberries
• 3 TB balsamic vinegar
• 2 TB honey
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Pinch of salt 

Directions:

Add raspberries to a small food processor and pulse a few times. Then add other dressing ingredients and process until mostly smooth.

Seed pomegranate by cutting it into quarters and breaking it apart under cold water. The seeds will sink and the pith will float. This might take some manuevering of the pith and the seeds, but overall it was pretty easy. Just watch for splatter!

Toss greens with a few tablespoons of dressing and coat well. Divide greens between a few plates.

Crumble goat cheese on greens and top with pom seeds and toasted walnuts.

 

Steamed Green Beans with Lemon-Mint Dressing

I've been MIA for awhile. This is mainly due to my Western vacation, where I ate my way through Arizona and San Francisco. I'll be blogging about all those wonderful foods later this week, but here's something to tide you over in the meantime. This simple side dish I made a few weeks before I left and has a great flavor, without the mint overpowering anything.

But first...how happy am I to receive my newest issue of Cooking Light? Pretty damn happy. I don't always mention it on here, but most of what I cook is straight from this magazine, with the occasional modification. I'm a big fan of the holiday double issue and you damn well better believe I'm going to be making that sweet potato and bacon soup on the cover...

 

 

Steamed Green Beans with Lemon-Mint Dressing (serves 4 as a side dish)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb green beans, trimmed
• 2 TB finely chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1 TB minced shallots
• 2 TB fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 TB extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Steam green beans 4 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain.

Combine mint and remaining ingredients in a large bowl, and stir with a whisk. Add green beans to bowl, and toss to coat.

I found these to be best warm, but I think they could be good chilled.

Tomatillo Peach Salsa and Taco Night!

Each week, a group of my friends in the neighborhood get together for an HBO viewing party. Several months ago it was Game of Thrones, the last several weeks have been for True Blood. It's a great excuse to watch some pretty ridiculous shows (let's be honest, True Blood is nutty) and eat some ridiculously good food. My neighbors Aniello and Jay always host since they have a ginormous TV, and a kitchen to die for. Due to some travel conflicts with our hosts, I stepped up to be in charge of this week's offerings. I opted for a Sunday fiesta of sorts, with two types of tacos and some homemade salsa. We had traditional beef tacos, but I also made one of my favorite fish taco recipes, which you can get here.

I have made salsa before, but never like this. My friend Nick at www.macheesmo.com (seriously, I've been turning to his blog on the regular this summer...amazing stuff) posted a great peach salsa recipe last year that I had bookmarked, but peach season passed before I had a chance to make it. But not this time! This was simple and delicious. So go grab some peaches and do it!

Tomatillo Peach Salsa

Ingredients:

• 1 pound tomatillos
• 2 large peaches
• 1 jalapeno pepper
• 1/3 cup red onion, minced
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 lime, juice only
• 2-3 TB cilantro, chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste
  
  

Directions:

Peel the tomatillos and halve them. Sprinkle with salt and roast at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.Let tomatillos cool slightly and puree in a food processor.

Seed jalapeno and chop finely. Also chop red onion and add to tomatillo puree.

For peaches, cut a small "X" on the end of each peach and dip in boiling water for about a minute. Remove peaches and use a paring knife to peel off skin. Dice peaches and add to salsa.

Add minced garlic and cilantro to salsa and season with salt and pepper.

I let it chill int he refrigerator for an hour or so before serving, which I think helped the flavors really meld together. This salsa was hands-down ten times better than the jarred variety we also had. Awesome!

Spinach Artichoke Orzo

I like orzo pasta. It's quick, quite versatile, and is a great addition to a variety of vegetable dishes. Last week, my friend Nick at www.macheesmo.com posted check another orzo recipe I just HAD to try. I altered the ingredients slightly to accommodate what I had on hand, but it turned out alright despite not following his recipe to the letter. However, I still prefer some other orzo dishes I've made in the past. In fact, last week I made my favorite orzo side dish which you can find the recipe for here: http://sack-smallgirlbigappetite.blogspot.com/2012/09/orzo-chickpea-salad.html

But here's the recipe for Spinach Artichoke Orzo. If you're feeling ambitious, make them both and see what you prefer. They are both great for "pack your lunch" workdays.

Spinach Artichoke Orzo (serves 4-5)

Ingredients:

• 10 oz orzo pasta, cooked and rinsed 
• 1/2 red onion, diced 
• 1 bag of spinach, washed well 
• 6 oz marinated artichokes, drained 
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (in oil), diced 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• 2 TB olive oil 
• 3/4 cup shredded Asiago cheese 
• Salt and pepper 

Directions:

Chop onion, sun-dried tomatoes, and artichokes.

In a large skillet, add a drizzle of olive oil and the diced red onion over medium-high heat. Cook for a 3-4 minutes or until onion softens. Season with a pinch of salt.Add artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, and garlic and continue to cook for another minute or two.

Meanwhile, cook the orzo according to package instructions, approximately 9 minutes. Once cooked, drain and rinse with cold water.

Add washed spinach to the skillet. Cook until spinach is wilted, just a minute or two.

Stir in orzo and season with salt and pepper. Stir well to combine.

Serve salad warm or cold with cheese.

Roasted Corn with Manchego and Lime

First things first...I just noticed that this is my 151st blog post since I started doing this in January 2012! Not too shabby!  Secondly, I may have just found my new favorite restaurant in DC...but I'll talk about that later this week. This dish came about as a result of something I ate at that restaurant and while this was pretty good, I'm no professional.

I was making tacos and wanted a side dish that incorporated some of the same ingredients as were in the tacos since I had a bit more than I really needed, including manchego cheese and fresh corn. What resulted is this!

 

Roasted Corn with Manchego and Lime (serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 6 ears of sweet yellow corn, unhusked
• 2 TB extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 TB (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
• Kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 jalapeño, seeded, finely diced
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 lime, cut into 4 wedges
• 1 cup finely grated Manchego cheese
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced chives
• 2 tsp finely grated lime zest  

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°. Roast unhusked corn on a baking sheet, turning occasionally, until heated through and crisp-tender, about 15 minutes. Let cool. Shuck corn and cut kernels from cobs. Discard cobs.

Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add corn kernels and sauté until heated through and light-golden in spots, 5-7 minutes. Add butter; stir until melted.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer corn to a large wide bowl or deep platter; sprinkle jalapeño and crushed red pepper flakes over. Squeeze lime wedges over; sprinkle with cheese, chives, and lime zest.

Red, White, and Blue Potato Salad

God Bless America...and the potato!

This holiday weekend, I granted myself a hall pass on healthy eating. Because seriously, with piles and piles of meat, grilled food, cookies, etc., it would be impossible to stick to any sort of diet. However, I tried to do my part when preparing food for a 4th of July bash at my friends' house. I was given an explicit request to not make something with mayo (or suspended in JELL-O). This was an easy request to fulfill since I too am not a fan of either, but I did want to make something fairly traditional for the holiday. I found this great potato salad recipe that did not call for mayo, but mustard, which is one of my favorite condiments of all time. So I present you the red, white and blue potato salad. Great flavor (especially when you let it sit in the fridge for a bit before serving) and quick side dish to make for your next BBQ. I adapted this recipe from one found on my friend Nick's blog: www.macheesmo.com.

 

Red, White and Blue Potato Salad (serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes, chopped (I opted for a bag of red, white and blue potatoes)  
• 1/2 cup diced red onions   
• 2 stalks celery, diced   
• 2 TB capers   
• 1/4 cup olive oil   
• 1/4 cup stone ground mustard   
• 2 TB honey  
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Chop potatoes into about 1/2 inch pieces and boil in salted water until tender, about 8-10 minutes.

Dice up red onion and celery.

In a separate bowl, whisk together olive oil with mustard and honey.

When potatoes are done, drain well and add to bowl with other veggies. Pour in dressing and stir well to mix.

Add capers and season salad with salt and pepper.

Pear and Gorgonzola Salad

One of the benefits to cooking a lot, as well as eating out often, is I've tried all sorts of flavor combinations. This comes particularly in handy when I'm tasked with coming up with a last minute side dish, with little time to prepare. This happened over the weekend and rather than pick up something pre-made at the grocery store, I drew inspiration from a great salad I've had out. So this isn't so much a recipe as a mention of some great things that go well together in a salad. :)

Pear and Gorgonzola Salad (serves 6)

Ingredients:

• Bag of spinach or spring mix
• 2 Anjou Pears
• Glazed Walnuts
• 1/2 medium red onion
• Gorgonzola cheese (I used most of a small container)
• Champagne Vinaigrette salad dressing

Directions:

Place salad mix in bowl with walnuts and cheese. Slice red onion lengthwise and add to the salad. Peel pears and chopped into small cubes, add to salad. Toss with salad dressing and serve.

Watermelon and Cucumber Salad

Summertime just SCREAMS for watermelon salads. I never understood the appeal of putting salt on watermelon until last year when I made a great watermelon with basil salad, which called for a coarse salt and olive oil. Amazing. And something that I likely make again this summer.

This particular watermelon side dish has a few different elements to it, but involves the same general concept:  salt and sweet is always a winning combo in my playbook. So give this salad a whirl the next time you're asked to bring something light to accompany a heavier summer meal.

Watermelon and Cucumber Salad (serves 6 as side dish)

Ingredients:

• 6 cups watermelon, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup coarsely chopped watercress
• 3/4 cup thinly sliced Vidalia onion
• 1 medium English cucumber, sliced (about 3 cups)
• 2 TB chopped fresh mint
• 2 TB chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 TB fresh lime juice
• 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 2 oz reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)
• Mint sprigs (optional) 

Directions:

Combine watermelon, watercress, onion and cucumber in a large bowl.

Combine mint, cilantro, lime juice and olive oil in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add juice mixture and salt to watermelon mixture; toss gently to coat.

Sprinkle with feta; garnish with mint sprigs, if desired.

Orzo with Artichokes and Pine Nuts

The official start of summer (i.e. warm weather and the ever-present smell of grilled foods) is now here and if you're like me, you're lucky to have friends who host a fair number of BBQs. They truly are synonymous with long holiday weekends and tailgates. Sure, you could bring a bag of chips, or pick up a six-pack of beer, but if you're like me, you use these opportunities to try out a new side dish.

The following recipe covers several bases.

1) It's easy.
2) It's healthy.
3) It uses very basic ingredients, most of which you may have sitting in your cupboard.
4) Did I mention it's easy?

Orzo with Artichokes and Pine Nuts (serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups orzo (10 oz)
• 3 TB pine nuts
• 1 (14-oz) can whole artichoke hearts (not marinated)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 TB red-wine vinegar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tsp finely grated fresh lemon zest

Directions: 
Cook orzo in a 4- to 5-quart pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain in a colander.

While orzo cooks, lightly toast pine nuts in a dry small skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until pale golden, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool 1 minute, then coarsely chop. 

Drain artichoke hearts in a large sieve and rinse well. Pull off leaves from bases of hearts and quarter bases. Rinse leaves and bases well, then drain thoroughly. 

Stir together oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add orzo, pine nuts, artichokes (leaves and bases), parsley, and zest and toss to combine.

Orzo and Spinach Salad

Yesterday I revisited a great tradition from 2012...family dinner with some friends in Southwest DC to watch some of our favorite HBO programming. Family dinners started with True Blood a few years ago when my good friend Drina would whip up awesome Creole and southern dishes. It evolved to the group of us watching other HBO shows, including Big Live, Boardwalk Empire, and others. The group had started to watch Game of Thrones two years ago, and while I was a late adopter to the series, I did score an invite for the season premiere this weekend.

My friend Will made a great chicken and pasta dish, not to mention his first cake. I made a light side dish that turned out pretty flavorful despite its simplicity. I'll be making this one again.

Orzo and Spinach Salad (serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup uncooked orzo
• 2 cups spinach
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in halves
• 1/4 cup feta cheese
• 2 tsp white wine vinegar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:

Cook orzo according to instructions on box.  Drain, and then toss into a bowl with the spinach. Mix thoroughly until the spinach starts to wilt slightly.

Add cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, salt and pepper. Toss together. Add white wine vinegar and mix together. Serve immediately.

Seriously, it's that simple. This is not great the second day, so having leftovers isn't ideal. But this is so tasty, I doubt you'll have much left over. This is great for a summer picnic or to accompany heavier main dishes.