tuna + white bean salad

Turns out I was getting sick. I guess in a way it's a good thing, at least I wasn't just being lazy. Going to that Prince vs. Michael dance party Saturday night probably wasn't the best idea. But come on, how could I not? But now all I want to do is whimper and hug something while they tell me a story. Yes, yes I am being a baby about this. Let's move on.


Before any of this went down I made an amazing tuna and white bean salad. I had been craving salt and protein all last week and so found this recipe to put an end to it. I wanted it so badly it made me actually leave the house, get on a bus, and get groceries at Whole Foods. That, and the promise of a meal made entirely on their free samples.

Good tuna is pretty key here, so keep that in mind. Also, keep in mind that I am accepting hugs and stories. My door is open, people.

Tuna and White Bean Salad, adapted from Gourmet  | September 2003 

1 garlic clove
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 (15- to 19-oz) can cannellini or other white beans, drained and rinsed
1 (1-lb) seedless cucumber (usually plastic-wrapped), quartered lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices
3 roma tomatoes, cut into 1 in. pieces
1/2 c. basil, roughly chopped
2 (6-oz) cans tuna packed in oil (preferably olive oil), drained

Mince garlic and mash to a paste with a pinch of salt using a large heavy knife. Whisk together garlic paste, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until combined well. Let stand at room temperature 10 minutes.

Gently toss beans, cucumber, tomatoes, and basil with half of dressing. Transfer to a platter or bowl and arrange tuna on top, breaking up any large pieces with a fork. Drizzle remaining dressing over tuna.

zucchini + snow-pea salad

It finally feels like it might, maybe, at some point, become summer. Good thing I've found just the recipe for it. This salad is delicious and tastes so fresh and crisp- exactly what I want to eat in weather like this. It would be perfect with grilled meat or fish. But that's just an assumption, since I don't have a grill.

I think I may be a wuss when it comes to seasons switching. In the past I'd always blamed it on my hating change, but that's not really a problem anymore, so I'm not sure what it is. All I know is I feel full all the time, lethargic, and lonely. That last one isn't something I feel a lot. I really enjoy being and doing things alone most of the time, but for some reason this time of year makes me antsy and question myself. No good. No good at all. So I guess maybe I'm saying let's hang out.

Zucchini and Snow-Pea Salad

Gourmet  | June 2008

by Melissa Roberts

1 pound zucchini (about 2 medium)
1/2 pound snow peas, trimmed
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar (not seasoned)
1 teaspoon sugar

Very thinly slice zucchini and place in a large sieve set over a bowl. Toss zucchini with 3/4 tsp salt and drain 30 minutes. 

Meanwhile, blanch snow peas in a pot of boiling salted water (2 Tbsp salt for 4 qt water) 1 1/2 minutes. Drain and immediately plunge snow peas into an ice bath to stop cooking. Drain again and pat dry. 

Rinse zucchini under cold running water, then press gently to remove any excess liquid. Pat dry. 

Toast sesame seeds in a dry small skillet over medium heat, shaking skillet occasionally, until golden, about 2 minutes, then cool. 

Stir together remaining ingredients in a large bowl until sugar has dissolved, then toss with vegetables and sesame seeds.

salad with carrot + ginger dressing

I took my own advice and made a lettuce salad with half an avocado, some thinly sliced red onion and plenty of the carrot + ginger dressing from my post last week. It was so good. And I have enough dressing left over to use for a veggie dip tomorrow. Just popped in to brag I guess.

I couldn't get to sleep until around 4am last night. Then woke up at 8:30am. I'm really just barely making it today. Don't you hate those days?

I like you.

detox

I have a small piece of paper hanging in my closet that says, "Just because you can doesn't mean you should." It's one of those things I never seem to learn, something I could always use reminding of. I am, unfortunately, one of those people who thinks moderation is boring. Good food? I will eat it until I'm ill- we know this. Good whiskey? Keep it coming- it's like I've never heard of a hangover (or, maybe worse, an embarrassing drunk text) on the night the drinks are flowing. In short, I am one of those people who could use a detox every now and then.

So that's what I'm doing this week. I am on day five right now, which is a much clearer-headed and positive place to be than the previous days.  This is my first one ever, and I'm using a seven day plan outlined here. Some of the meals are more pleasant than others, but I'm never starving, which is nice. The whole process has taught me a lot about my relationship with food- why I eat when I eat, how certain foods make me feel, etc.

Most of my meals look like the sad picture on the left. However, at least one meal a day has been absolutely delicious. Take my lunch today- a bunch of chopped up vegetables with my new favorite dressing. There's a reason it's in a teacup, it's because I could seriously drink this like a soup I love it so much. Use it as dressing for a lettuce, avocado and red onion salad and you'll be so happy. You can call and thank me later. I'll even let you talk to my liver, since we may actually be friends again after this.

Carrot + Ginger Dressing
1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 large shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh ginger
1 tablespoon sweet white miso
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon roasted sesame seed oil
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons water

Pulse the carrot, shallot and ginger in a blender until finely chopped. Scrape down the sides, add the miso, vinegar and sesame seed oil and whiz together. While the blender is going, slowly drizzle in the grapeseed oil and the water. 

spinach meal #3

I finished the spinach! One of the ways I would eat it was as a salad with creamy dill dressing. It made for an excellent lunch on work days.

1. eat more vegetables

I'm just going to give up on taking the absolute best pictures I can for these 2009 resolutions. I've got a sneaking suspicion it has been more about putting it off than any sort of perfectionist tendencies. So let's just get real and go with these day-old greens in a colander and get on with it.

In conclusion, I HAVE eaten more veggies this year than probably any year since leaving home. The key for me was finding two things I didn't know I liked-- greens and making my own salad dressings. The greens thing was a pleasant surprise that I stumbled into, while the salad dressing was because I'm poor and have a growing fear of preservatives (I really want to decompose at some point).

Regardless of how I came into them, these two have definitely upped my veggie intake. For example, last night I had a green salad with mustard vinaigrette and barley risotto with beans and greens. It was absolutely delicious, by the way.

creamy dill dressing

These past few days I think I've had more salads with my meals than since I went through that salad-for-everything phase in grade school. There are a couple of reasons for this- one is the ridiculously large (yet cheap!) tub of salad mix I found at Costco. But really I've gotten that before and all the good intentions of eating it could not make me pull the container from the back of the fridge. So the real reason must be this creamy dill dressing recipe I found. I'll gladly eat anything if you put mayo on it.

Creamy Dill Dressing
via cooks illustrated, kinda

1/4 c. mayo
1/4 c. plain yogurt
1 clove garlic, minced (I ran out of garlic and used garlic powder, which tasted fine)
1 T. fresh dill (I only had dried dill weed, which I just added to taste)

Mix. Yum.

feta pasta salad redo

balsamic vinegar

oh dear, dear balsamic vinegar. where have you been all my adult grocery-shopping life? how did it take me until last night to find you? let's never part again, shall we?

warm butternut and chickpea salad with tahini dressing

Some days you make dinner, finish eating it, and just want to yell, "I WIN!!" because it tastes so damn good. Come on, you know you've felt it. This recipe made me not only want to yell, I actually raised my fists in the air and cheered for it. So good.

Warm Butternut & Chickpea Salad with Tahini Dressing

via smitten kitchen

For salad:

1 medium butternut squash (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

1 medium garlic clove, minced or pressed

1/2 teaspoons ground allspice (I skip this)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt

One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (1 1/2 cups)

1/4 of a medium red onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

For tahini dressing:

1 medium garlic clove, finely minced with a pinch of salt

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 tablespoons well-stirred tahini

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the butternut squash, garlic, allspice, olive oil, and a few pinches of salt. Toss the squash pieces until evenly coated. Roast them on a baking sheet for 25 minutes, or until soft. Remove from the oven and cool.

Meanwhile, make the tahini dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic and lemon juice. Add the tahini, and whisk to blend. Add the water and olive oil, whisk well, and taste for seasoning. The sauce should have plenty of nutty tahini flavor, but also a little kick of lemon. You will probably need to add more water to thin it out.

To assemble the salad, combine the squash, chickpeas, onion, and cilantro or parsley in a mixing bowl. Either add the tahini dressing to taste, and toss carefully, or you could serve the salad with the dressing on the side. Serve immediately.

messing with dressing

I've decided to start making my own salad dressing. Store bought ones are expensive and are filled with too many things I probably shouldn't put into my body. Yesterday was my first attempt. I minced a shallot and soaked it in some apple cider vinegar. Then I added olive oil, salt, pepper, and some dried thyme and whisked it all together.

Then I made a ridiculous salad. Spinach, walnuts, red onion, (canned) tomatoes, and shaved parmesan.