the talking kitchen

food photo day 119

lafig — Mon, 28 May 2012 00:04:19 +0000

time for grillin’

time to clean that darn grill

{tip} take 1/2 onion and rub it along both sides of the grate

grill onward!

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strawberry vinaigrette

lafig — Sun, 27 May 2012 19:45:16 +0000

Not gonna lie, living in Southern California has it’s perks: the ocean, the beach, good music, cool concert venues, fresh produce and the most unbelievable weather. Seriously. Rain is rare, clouds disappear by noon everyday, and 70 and sunny is the norm.

Slight problem though… I’m not quite sure when the seasons change. Is it still Spring, or has Summer landed?

Dates, let alone days of the week, are too much for me to bother with. I’m going with summer.

Yeah, it’s summatime.

What up summer, meet strawberry vinaigrette.

She’s unique and tangy, down for a good (yet totally responsible) time and won’t excuse herself for always wearing bright pink. ‘Cause sometimes if you look good in bright pink (or any color) than you should def flaunt that color. Lesson #79845 from my momma.

Strawberries sure know how to flaunt their color, adding excitement to any dish – which makes it a perfect food to bring to impress at a summer cookout. Strawberry helps you make friends.

“Don’t act like you’re not impressed.” – Will Ferrrel, Anchorman hahaha…. sorry had to.

We had a cookout with friends on Friday, the first of the summer and it totally sparked the urge for more. Can we grill everyday? Besides the possibility of our neighbors hating us, is that too much carcinogen exposure? ‘Cause I could eat anything and everything grilled.

I got salad duty and was happy to experiment with this new recipe. Usually, I enjoy (and entire case of) strawberries in their pure state, ’cause they’re freakin’ awesome that way. But sometimes ya gotta mix things up.

And even though it’s not that far out there, this dressing’s a big step for a former no-fruit-in-my-salad-please girl.

I want to like fruit in my salad, really, I do.. it’s just too cold and mushy for me. And while I’m looking to change that dislike, I’ll enjoy this spectacular strawberry dressing on all things green and grilled.

We enjoyed it over baby spinach, almonds, cucumber, jicama and almond coated goat cheese balls, I loved it. I think others did too.

Can’t wait for our grill tomorrow! What are you up to? Let’s be sure to take time to think of why we really celebrate Memorial Day and give thanks to all the men and women who have fought and are still fighting for our freedom.

Do you like fruit on your salads? What’s your favorite salad combo?

strawberry vinaigrette

by The Talking Kitchen

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients (about 1 cup)

1 1/3 c. strawberries, quartered
1/2 small shallot (~1 Tbsp chopped)
3-4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (the goooood stuff)
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (~1 lemon)
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp Himalayan Pink salt (substitute: sea salt)

Instructions

Put everything into a blender, or food processor, or use a hand immersion blender in a plastic bowl, and blend until pureed.

Store in airtight container and enjoy within 5 days for maximum freshness.

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wheat berry jicama purslane salad

lafig — Fri, 25 May 2012 15:48:36 +0000

I talk myself out of eating-out quite often… as in, it’s almost a daily occurrence. Not good if you ask me. Actually, as a food blogger, I think it’s downright embarrassing.

It’s just.. I uh.. Well, there’s this..

I’m lazy. and tired. and just want to veg out when I get home from work.

Anybody with me?

Well, I’ve got a dish for you.

Sure it takes a little prep work – no fear, it’s not on your behalf, the water does all the soaking.

Then there’s about 50 minutes of boiling and simmering the berries – enter: time to veg out – after that it’s smooth (assembling) sailing.

This was my second attempt cooking hard red wheat berries; my first success. Last time, somebody forgot the VERY IMPORTANT STEP of soaking the berries. {NOTE} YOU MUST SOAK THE BERRIES.

Or don’t use berries, this salad would be equally delicious with quinoa, couscous, bulgar or any other wheat grain.

The herb lemon dressing has an identical twin named Greek dressing, who I introduced to you just the other day. I used the other 1/4 cup to flavor this sucker. ‘Twas a splendid idea if I don’t say so myself.

Purslane (new fav!) and jicama add vibrant color and much needed crunch.

I like red onions, or onions in general, because they give any dish a kick… as long as you don’t use too much.. no need for a punch in the face.

The warm berries really mellowed out the onions, and afterwards I wasn’t left with dragon-onion-breath, so that’s always a good sign for a repeat meal. If onions scare you off, try green onions for a lesser but equally delectable flavor, shallots are good too, but they can be a bit pungent raw.

Either way, this salad is great at any temperature, and totally adaptable, making it perfect for a to-go meal this summer.

I can picture it now… me, a book, the beach and wheat berry jicama purslane salad. A spritzer might be on call too.

Happy Friday!

*~* I also updated my Homemade Deodorant recipe a tad. Just an extra simple step to fight off stench! *~*

Have you tried natural deodorants before? Any luck?

What are you looking forward to this summer?

wheat berry jicama purslane salad

by The Talking Kitchen

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients (4-6 servings)

1 c. hard red wheat berry, soaked overnight in 3.5 c. water. Then boiled with new water in a 3:1 water to berry ratio. I added 2 garlic cloves and 1 tsp salt to the boiling berries, turned the heat to low and simmered for about 50-60 minutes. I tasted them a few times until they were to my tenderness liking, then drained the excess water and added it to a serving/storage bowl. {Substitute: quinoa, couscous, bulgar, or any other grain)
1/4 small red onion, finely chopped {Substitute: green onion, shallot)
1/4 jicama, peel removed, chopped into matchsticks, 1/2-1 inch long
1/4 c. purslane leaves, whole
1/4 c. lemon herb dressing
2-3 Tbsp queso fresco, crumbled (optional) {Substitute: feta}

Instructions

If making hard red wheat berries, they MUST BE SOAKED OVERNIGHT in at least a ratio of 3:1 water to berries.

Start by making the grain, for the hard red wheat berries,

While the berries are cooking, chop up your ingredients, I used onion, jicama, and purslane (no chopping required,) but this dish would be amazing with just about anything. Tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, bell peppers, mushrooms… you get the idea. I like the onion and dressings as simple constants, but you can adjust accordingly.

Once the berries are cooked, throw everything together in a bowl, mix. Pour over the dressing and toss.

Enjoy with a crumble of queso fresco or feta, or not, at any temperature you’d like.

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food photo day 118

lafig — Fri, 25 May 2012 01:29:53 +0000

Tip of the day:

Use a wine opener to safely remove avocado pits.

Simply insert tip and twist.

No more whacking aimlessly with sharp knifes!

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chocolate mint cookies

lafig — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:26:42 +0000

I like chocolate.

I like mint.

I like cookies.

They like each other.

I whipped up a batch of these in between ~~blinding~~ trying to catch a glimpse – and a much safer shot with my camera – of the Ring of Fire eclipse that happened the other day.

We went out too early to see anything… came back in and within 3 minutes a dough had magically appeared.

Cookie dough no less, bursting with a mint perfume and sporadic cacao nibs.

The dark chocolate drizzle was an afterthought and a mighty tasty one at that.

I went overboard on a few. Whoops. Other’s became sandwiches. All tasted delicious.

And were gone the next day before I could take some non – Instagram shots of them.

Well, he left two. So thoughtful.

Want a cookie without sifting, eggs or hassle… but with minty chocolatey goodness?

Of course you do!

Did you see the eclipse?

chocolate mint cookies

by The Talking Kitchen

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25-30 mins

Recipe look familiar? It’s a simplified version of my lavender mint cookies, I can’t decide which I like better!

Ingredients (20 cookies)

Dry Ingredients

1 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1/8 tsp sea salt

Wet Ingredients

1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp vanilla
2-2.5 tsp fresh mint, finely chopped
2 tsp cacao nibs (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prep a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Next, in a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugars together until thoroughly combined. Next add the vanilla and mint, incorporate into the wet mixture.

In a separate bowl sift together the dry ingredients, then add it 1/2 cup at a time to the wet mix, then add the cacao nibs. I used a hand mixer but a spatula works too, just remember you don’t want to overwork the dough.

Once the dough is formed take about 1/2 tablespoon amount and roll in into a ball with your hands, place on baking sheet and press down. The cookies don’t really rise so make them the thickness you want to eat them… or keep them as balls.

Bake cookies for about 30 minutes, until lightly golden around the edges. Cool on a cookie rack.

While cookies are baking, melt the chocolate over a double boiler which is just a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water. The water in the pot shouldn’t go past 1/2 way, and should be at least 2 inches from the bottom of the bowl. In the bowl, place the chocolate, then leave it for a few minutes until it starts melting, stir, let it melt more, and stir again.

Drizzle cooled cookies with melted dark chocolate or make chocolate nib cookie sandwiches.

Enjoy!

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food photo day 117

lafig — Wed, 23 May 2012 21:41:47 +0000

Meet Purslane.

She contains more omega-3 fatty acids than any other leafy green, plus loads of vitamin A, C, B vitamins and antioxidants called betaxanthins that have antimutegenic properties.

Basically she’s da bomb.

And tastes good too! Enjoy her in smoothies, raw in salads or as a beautiful healthful garnish.

I’ve got a half day today, so I’m spending it trying out new recipes. Can’t wait!

Happy Wednesday!

What are you up to?

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