Basil Cashew Mayo

I have this habit of leaving my gym bag pockets unzipped.  It's partly because I'm lazy, but it's also partly because I have never had anything fall out so I never had incentive to zip them up.  Well, that was until two weeks ago when I lost my eyeliner.  And since it was a bit pricey, I am sure you can imagine how excited I was when I found it in my yard a few days ago.  Even though it was a bit weathered and the brand name had been rubbed off, it still worked great.

However, this morning upon closer inspection of the weathered brand name, I discovered that this was not actually my eyeliner.  Lesson learned: zip your gym bag and don't use eyeliner you find in your yard. 

Another important lesson I learned this week is how to make amazingly creamy mayo -- without the eggs or added oils!  So let's get to work!

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Southwest Salad with Jalapeno Avocado Lime Dressing

It's time to kick off summer.  It's time to put your hair in a ponytail, pull out the beach towels, and get out in the sun.  It's time for watermelon slices, corn on the cob, and picnics.  I think this also means it's time for picnic foods... easy dishes that you can share with friends and family and quick go-to meals that you can pack for yourself regardless of where you are headed.  No matter what you are up to this summer, this salad fits the bill.  

We start with a hearty bed of fresh greens and top it with corn, ripe tomatoes, black beans, bell peppers, and a spicy-sweet jalapeno avocado lime dressing.  Flax seed crackers are completely optional, but they add a fun crunch and are perfect for easy and healthy snacks (goodbye tortilla chips!).  What are you waiting for?  Make this salad and get out there!

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Sweet & Tangy Mango Salad Dressing

I know that I am a creature of habit.  I like eating the same thing for breakfast every morning.  I like visiting the farmer's market every weekend.  I like going to the gym every day.  I like eating healthy.  I like listening to the same music (hello Cyndi Lauper playlist).  I like wearing the same comfy jeans, the same jewelry, and the same shoes.  And now that my hair just recently got long enough to put it in a ponytail, it's probably going to stay that way until the end of summer.

But sometimes it's important to break those habits.  To try something new for breakfast.  To wear skinny jeans.  To skip the gym and eat cupcakes instead.  And to buy fruit from the grocery store that is completely wrong for your geographic location and climate.  Hello mangos...

This dressing was inspired by the recent mango sale at Whole Foods.  I've been resisting for the past few weeks and finally had to give in and indulge myself.  I have to say that I'm glad I did.  If we never broke our habits life wouldn't be as fun.  And there certainly wouldn't be mango dressing.

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Kale Caesar Salad

I think my apartment is haunted. Some of my things have been showing up in really weird places lately and last night my bathroom light turned on by itself.  I'm not kidding.  I know that you will try and talk me into thinking that I just left the light on accidentally or that maybe my cat somehow learned to flip the switch.  No way Jose.  I'm not convinced.

In my ghost-paranoid sleep I got exactly 2.3 hours of sleep.  It was a bit of a rough night.  In order to keep myself from completely freaking out I decided to stay up the rest of the night and hide out in my kitchen.  Naturally, this led to me trying to figure out what to do with a loaf of day-old bread from the local bakery that was too amazing to toss out. What else can you do with day-old bread at 4 am than make warm, toasty croutons fresh from the oven?  These disappeared a little too quickly for my comfort, but luckily that was my fault and nothing paranormal.

So, my apartment is haunted.  And I learned to make croutons.  What is new in your world?

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Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Thank goodness for spell check.  If it wasn't for spell check, I would never be able to spell words like recommendation, license, disastrous, judgment, and fluorescent.  And don't even get me started on vinaigrette.  You would think that for someone who has to use this word almost daily in their work that I would have learned how to spell it by now.  But no.  Vinegrettte?  Vineagrette??  Vinagarette?!  

How about I just wow you with some pretty pictures instead.

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Green Goddess Salad Dressing

If I was ever entered into a vegan "hot dog" eating contest I would lose.  I would probably make it through one hot dog.  Then maybe half another.  Then I'd get a stomach ache and be voted out.

But, a salad eating contest?  Now that's a different story.
 
A few months ago I came up with this weird idea that I was going to eat a salad every day.  It was the beginning of spring and eating a salad just seemed like an easy way to get more raw, fresh veggies into my diet.  Now three months later, I'm hooked.

Every weekday I eat a salad for lunch and on the weekends, I eat a salad for dinner.  There have definitely been a few days where I missed my daily salad and I felt the difference.

Now, when I say "salad" I'm not talking about the kind of salad that has more fat than a Big Mac.  But, I'm also not talking about the weird "diet" salads with just lettuce and non-fat dressing.  In fact, I think those freak me out more. 

If you're really aiming to make a salad a meal I think it needs to have a few components.  I always make sure that mine have a good balance of fat and protein.  You want your salad dressing to have some fat in there so that you can absorb all of the good nutrients from the greens and vegetables you are eating.  Fat, in moderation, is a friend.

And you can't forget the protein.  I always make sure my salad has a couple of different kinds of beans and on occasion I'll add tempeh or tofu.  This is what will really turn your salad from a side dish to an entree.

For my salad dressing, I usually make a mix of vinegar and olive oil with fresh herbs, but I've been craving something a little creamier and different lately so I decided it was time to make some green goddess dressing.  I've seen lots of different versions of this dressing and it always seems to have a mix of herbs, oil, and lemon juice.  I added some avocado for a creamy texture and played around with different fresh herbs from my garden.  You can easily adapt this to your own version based on the herbs you have on hand.  

Green Goddess Dressing
Serves 2 - 4

Instructions:
1 avocado, skin removed and pitted
3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley
10 basil leaves
1 small sprig of  mint
2 green onions
2 Tablespoons agave
1/4 cup oil
freshly ground black pepper and sea salt to taste

Ingredients:
Add the avocado, apple cider vinegar, water, lemon juice, garlic, herbs, onions, and agave to a food processor or blender.  While the blender or food processor is running, add the oil in a thin stream.  Blend until thoroughly mixed.  Add in salt and pepper to taste.