Tag Archives: basil

Easy & Healthy Salad Recipes

You have all heard me say that salads are not considered lunch in my book. I don’t think they are filling, while I have had some tasty salads with chicken/meat in it I still don’t like salads to have any sort of animal meat, and in all honesty I feel like salads are deceiving. When I say “deceiving” I mean they can be so fattening! You hear someone say “I’m eating a salad” (as their meal) many will assume that they are one of those people that are conscious about healthy eating. But that’s such a lie! If I eat a salad every day, while at the same time stuff my face with the same foods I’m already consuming, will that make me shed a few pounds? Hmmm — probably not.

But, I am truly not a salad hater. I think salads can be very healthy and be loaded with flavor. While I won’t eat a salad as an entire meal, I will enjoy one in addition to something else I am gobbling down.

My most recent salad fetishes include what I like to call my “Greece, Meet Capri” salad and my “Wally the Goat”. I’m strange, I know. I make up strange names, but who cares — it’s just me creating these fabulous salads. After you read below how to make these salads of mine, you’ll agree that they are both fairly healthy and they were created off of inspiration of other salads I adore.

My father and I chatting with a local in Anacapri, Italy.

My father and I chatting with a local in Anacapri, Italy.

Greece, Meet Capri

I am totally my father’s daughter — I love olives! So naturally, I’m happy to throw them into my salad. Oh, wait, there’s already a salad that does that!? Actually, the salad I have created is a spin off of a Greek Salad; I love the combination of flavors, the color and of course the healthy ingredients are a plus! But, I am not a fan of thick salad dressing. It makes me feel like I have ruined my salad — turning it from a healthy snack or side dish to a fatty one, and who would want that? I have also come to love cooking & baking with lemons. Lemon juice, lemon zest — you name it, I love it. I was actually inspired by the world of lemons when I went to Capri with my family back in 2010. The citrus flavor can be used in recipes in countless ways — there’s also nothing unhealthy about it!

Close to Capri, in Pompeii, you'll see tons of drink stands that rely on their citrus!

Close to Capri, in Pompeii, you’ll see tons of drink stands that rely on their citrus!

What You Will Need:

  •  Romaine Lettuce
  • Red Onions
  • Kalamata Olives
  • Tomatoes (cherry or vine)
  • Feta Cheese
  • Sweet Peppers (or spicy, if you’d like!)

For the Dressing:

  • Olive Oil
  • Lemon Zest

Directions:

  • Everyone has a different preference as to how much of what ingredients they would like to use, so please feel free to throw in lots of tomatoes if they are your favorite (or lots of olives, I love those!)
  • Chop up the lettuce
  • Slice a few (or a lot) slices of red onion
  • Slice a tomato or multiple cherry tomatoes
  • Throw the ingredients into a bowl including the olives!
  • Crumble the feta cheese over top
  • Combine a cup of olive oil and 1 zested lemon into a bowl or salad dressing shaker if you have one, once shaken add over top of the salad and toss the salad!
My lovely "Greece, Meet Capri" salad!

My lovely “Greece, Meet Capri” salad!

Wally The Goat

I will admit, lots of folks out there may not be a fan of some of the overwhelming flavors of many of the ingredients in the first salad. Which is why I depend on my “Wally The Goat” recipe, which I have been making for years! It’s actually probably the first salad I ever fell in love with eating. Years may have gone by, but I still to this very day love every bite of this salad! A few years ago, I was trying to get a family friend’s child to taste-test this salad; the little girl asked me what the name of the salad was but I didn’t have an answer for her. So, I told her if she tried the salad, she could name it! We settled on “Wally The Goat” because two main ingredients are goat cheese and walnuts. What a smart (and cute) cookie she was!

What You Will Need:

  • Fresh “Spring Mix” of greens (or Spinach if you prefer — I like to take turns with these)
  • Chopped Walnuts
  • Plain Goat Cheese
  • Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
  • Dried Cranberries

Directions:

  • Toss the Spring Mix, chopped walnuts, crumbled goat cheese, and dried cranberries
  • Add the dressing and toss well
  • BOOM! YOU’RE DONE! Stuff your face, and love the salad as much as I do!
A view from the Viceroy in Anguilla!

A view from the Viceroy in Anguilla!

Want to go a little crazy? Try this wicked fabulous salad I had once at The Hearst Tower cafeteria as an intern at Food Network Magazine. I later had it when I traveled to Anguilla for a vacation with my boyfriend. Who knows what it’s called, but I guarantee that several people reading this will think it sounds nasty — I promise you, it is not! So, for the sake of naming all of the salads in my life strange names… I’d love to hear from you — WHAT SHOULD I CALL THIS SALAD!? Tell me below in a comment!

 

What You Will Need:

  • Cubed Watermelon
  • Kosher Salt
  • Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
  • Crumbled Goat Cheese
  • Chopped Basil (optional)

Directions:

  • Pour the cubed watermelon on a plate
  • Sprinkle lightly with some Kosher salt
  • Sprinkle with goat cheese
  • Drizzle with Balsamic Vinaigrette (or, for a more intense taste, just drizzle *lightly* some balsamic vinegar. I love this!)
  • Add some chopped basil for some extra flavor — not necessary though!

I hope everyone enjoys some of my favorite salad recipes! I promise, next time I make these, I will take more photos to share them with you!

Masa 14 in Washington DC

This past weekend I left the Big Apple and ventured down to Washington DC to visit friends — Brittany and Curtis. I can’t believe the two of them are moving all the way to the West Coast, so this was my last chance to see the two before they head off to LA.

Brittany is a big foodie just like me — I always look forward to her visits here in New York City because we always end up exploring the city and wining and dining. So, naturally I knew that Brittany had a restaurant or two in mind for my trip down to DC.

The night I arrived we went to Masa 14 — a Latin-Asian fusion restaurant with the perfect tapas servings. I can’t tell you how much I love tapas, it allows you to not only sample a little bit of everything but it also bonds everyone at the table because you are sharing the same food. Tapas is the perfect way to bring a group together.

We really chowed down — so get ready for lots of pictures (and I’ll be sure to keep the explanations short and brief).

food at masa 14

Lets start with the crispy shrimp — served with chipotle aioli, sesame, scallion and masago. The texture was perfect, exactly what you look for when you order crispy shrimp. And just take a look at this plate — it’s full of color, and when you see color I can guarantee you that the flavors will be bold!

flatbread recipe

There was a lovely selection of flatbreads so it was tough to pick which one would be best. We ended up going with the Wild Mushroom Flatbread that’s served with Oaxaca cheese, red pepper and avocado. The bread turned out perfectly crisp on the bottom and the avocado’s texture balanced out the bread’s crispiness.

best fried okra

The fried okra was actually the first thing that we ordered and it was gone in about 45 seconds once it hit the table. Perfectly fried means it was nice and crispy on the outside and flavorful on the inside. The dipping sauce made with ginger, basil, garlic and chilies added the perfect spice to the mild-fried okra. This is a must order dish if you go to Masa 14!

You might think that the last thing you should order from a Latin-Asian fusion restaurant is french fries — but you’d be a fool not to here! The fries were potatoey just the way I like them (I hate when fries are thin and crispy and there’s no soft potato left in them). They were served with one heck of a dipping sauce made with chimichurri, garlic and a lime aioli dipping sauce. This lime aioli dipping sauce has inspired me to experiment in my kitchen — I’m determined to recreate this! The lime brings such a refreshing taste to the fried potato.

Another winner on the menu was the Mole Dusted Tenderloin Medallion that was served with mustard potatoes that added a beautiful spice to the plate and mixed in with the potatoes were some edamame. The meat was placed on top of a cilantro-mint chutney — this was the highlight! I have never had such an amazing sauce on beef before. It wasn’t “rich” the way every other meat sauce typically is, it was light and fresh.

Another must-order is the crispy crab won ton rolls that are stuffed with cream cheese, corn, mushroom, shiso, truffle, and spicy ponzu. Need I say more? I think the ingredients do all the talking! I would have been happy to continue ordering these crispy won ton rolls all night long. Any one who eats at this restaurants MUST order these!

meatballs with beef and pork

I don’t usually eat pork, but I decided that one big bite of it wouldn’t hurt. We ordered the Angus Beef and Pork Meatballs. Perfectly moist and drowned in a delicious sauce, these meatballs were spicy and cooked beautifully. Served with cotija cheese, scallion and smoked tomato yuzu sauce, it makes me want to get into the kitchen at home to try to recreate these using all beef. But, I have a funny feeling I could never beat the recipe from Masa 14.

Overall our experience was unbelievable. Not only was every single plate we ordered perfectly prepared, but the service was fantastic and the ambiance was exactly what you’re looking for for a Friday night dinner. The restaurant was packed the moment we walked in at 8:15 — our reservation was for 9 but the host was so accommodating she sat us right away! When I go back to DC, I would love to eat out at this restaurant again — although I know the experience would never be the same without Brittany and Curtis.

Grilled Cheese with Lemon Pesto

There are so many things that I miss about the warm summer months… one thing is the food. I can never get enough of the cheap in season fruits and veggies that are sold at various grocery stores and farmer’s markets. One of my favorite herbs that is really only in season in the summer time is basil. I can do so many fabulous things with basil! I actually make a killer pesto! My pesto ingredients include: pine nuts, basil, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and parmigiano reggiano cheese. This week I was able to snag a nice sized container of pesto for $3 (I felt like I won the lotto, kind of). But my excitement still hasn’t died down from the thrill of finding this fresh basil. The other night I decided to make some pesto and for kicks I threw into my recipe a bit of lemon zest. The lemon zest actually added a sweet/sour kick to the sauce.

Now that I have a basic pesto made and put into an air tight container to keep it from spoiling, I have so many things I am looking forward to cooking up over the next week or so. There are so many things you can use pesto in/on: bruschetta, caprese salad, grilled cheese, pasta, salads, gnocchi, ravioli, and it even makes a fabulous marinade for chicken! The best part about pesto is, just a little bit of the sauce goes a long way. Seriously, never use too much pesto on something because 1. you don’t want to waste your cherished pesto, and 2. the flavors will be very overwhelming.

My boyfriend claims he doesn’t like pesto. But, recently I decided to sneak some into an appetizer I made for us. Instead of using basil leaves on a simple yet delicious caprese salad — I used pesto. I swear, the pinenuts do so much for pesto and it does so much for the flavors in a caprese salad made of bufala mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes, and pesto sauce. So, I snuck it in on him and he loved it! I actually never told him that I used pesto and when pesto came up in a conversation over dinner with some friends he had to say to everyone “I hate pesto” and I looked at him and said, but you’ve eaten it before and you never complained. He turned right to me and said “WHEN!?” and “WHERE!?” … I am such a sneaky girlfriend.

So after making this lemon pesto at 10:30 at night, I had to eat some of it! But how? I didn’t want to cook up an entire dish of pasta, I just wanted a near-midnight snack. So, I lightly buttered some bread on one side of each slice (lightly buttered people, we don’t want to get type 2 diabetes like poor ol’ Paula Deen), put them on a skillet, but a very light layer of pesto on one side of one of the slices, laid down some very basic american cheese, and toasted up a grilled cheese. The resulted flavors were spectacular! It was such a fabulous savory snack I have had in so long!

fun grilled cheese recipes

A Lemon Pesto Grilled Cheese Sandwich, made in 15 minutes or less!

It’s really true, just a bit of pesto goes a long way!

Note: when making grilled cheese, as I said above only use a little bit of butter to butter one side of each slice of bread (the side that goes on the pan). I have found that butter really is better to use than olive oil because you want that crispy breaded texture and you want your cheese to melt inside. I have found that if I spray my bread with a bit of olive oil, my bread turns that perfect golden brown way too fast and the bread burns before the cheese melts.

how to make a grilled cheese

Perfect golden brown grilled cheese bread.

The Filling Station in The Chelsea Market

Chelsea Market WaterfallMy very good friend from PSU came to visit me the day before Thanksgiving and I was so happy to be able to spend some time with her. She’s a smart cookie — she’s getting her Doctorate at Penn State… She’s been a Penn Stater since the beginning — it’s where she did her undergrad (with me) as well as her graduate degree. So it’s nice when she is able to take some time to hang out with friends and enjoy some time to herself. She loves going to the Chelsea Market when she comes into the city (and of course, I love it too)… So naturally we headed right to Chelsea Market when she arrived. We both got some holiday goodies and we even ate dinner at the Green Table — a restaurant in the market.

A new discovery made in the Chelsea Market was a stand/shop called The Filling Station. This stand has different types of salts (just like my favorite store called The Meadow in the West Village) as well as many different types of olive oil. There are tons of olive oils that are flavored, so my friend Leah and I took a sample of a few and discovered this one flavor called Tuscan Herb. We both loved this so much because you would never need to season your olive oil or buy fancy bread ever again because this oil is seasoned with some of the best herbs… rosemary, oregano, basil, and of course some garlic are what make the oil so flavorful. I actually bought a bottle of this for my dad for Christmas. There isn’t anything better than having a nice glass of wine with a tasty snack. I can see him dipping some classic Italian style bread into this Tuscan Herb olive oil!

Stay tuned for more on our food adventures in the Chelsea Market before we left for Thanksgiving! (More to come this week!)

Going Green For the Holidays


The headline might be a bit deceiving… I’m not “going green” as in I’ll be digging through my trash to properly sort my garbage to recycle every single little item. Rather I am falling in love with a color that is associated with recycling as well as with Christmas. Green.

Green is such a magnificent color — I automatically think of life when I think of green. Lately, I’ve been obsessed with avocados and artichokes. This actually might be an understatement. When I say “obsessed” I mean I have been eating so many avocados lately I have been sneaking them into my salads, my sandwiches, my pasta, and on my snacks. This green vegetable is always in my kitchen. But I’ve also been falling in love with artichoke decor that has been around for years. I love the green ceramic artichokes you can buy from Williams-Sonoma. What’s even better is the inexpensive Artichoke Centerpiece from Target — this is something anyone could use to add excitement to their kitchen counter or dining room table. And when it comes to chopping up some fruits and veggies, what’s better than having a cutting board and strainer all in one? Check out this kitchen tool from Uncommon Goods! And okay, I’ve let my avocado obsession get extreme, but I just couldn’t help myself… another fun and playful kitchen tool is this salt and pepper shaker in the form of an avocado. Another great find from Uncommon Goods.

If I really want to go green (and I do, I really do) I could add this brilliant Herb Keeper to my kitchen. It would be nice to keep rosemary and basil fresh for a longer period of time… but I would also love to keep some catnip handy for Hudson. But now that he has discovered how to climb to all great heights in my apartment, there’s no way I could hide his catnip from him. This herb keeper fits on a refrigerator door, so now I know I can keep my herbs and treats for Hudson safe.

Lunch in Venice, Italy

Venice was our last destination we visited in Italy. By the time we got there I think we were all pretty exhausted! We arrived in the late afternoon, had dinner in Venice, we then had a full day to explore the city, then the following day we flew home to the U.S.

While in Venice our meals were pretty simple just because we were getting so tired and because we really had no idea where to eat. So of course we ate the typical go-to foods: caprese salads, pizzas, and paninis.

During our full day the weather started out very chilly. I was actually wearing long pants, a sweater, and a scarf! Luckily the weather warmed up later in the day and we were able to sit comfortably in a small piazza to have lunch. We were so hungry we ordered right away and stuffed our faces! Here’s our late afternoon lunch in Venice: salami and cheese panini, cheese pizza, and a caprese salad…