Summer Fresh Salad

Well it’s been awhile since I managed to get together for a post, mainly I have just been forgetting to take pictures of my latest kitchen creations; but it’s also been a busy summer and too hot to stand over the oven! No excuses though, I better start getting my act together! I’ll be posting more regularly again and will try hard not to have such a long break!

It’s been very hot here in Calgary, and we’ve been living on BBQ and salads for the better part of the summer. This is one of my favourites and a regular rotation on our menu. The dressing is light and tangy with a slight sweetness from the rice wine vinegar and the honey. It’s very versatile and goes well with most salads that I make, but I particularly love it with this combination. The tartness of the kale pairs beautifully with the sweetness of the dressing, and the cucumber and tomatoes add the perfect amount of juiciness. This salad is perfect for a quick and easy side to any meal you are making, but goes particularly well with barbequed Greek chicken kabobs (check back soon for that recipe!!)

Summer Fresh Salad

Time:

Prep time: 5 minutes // Yields: 4 - 6 servings

Ingredients:

½ head romaine, washed and torn into bite size pieces

4 Lg Kale leafs, washed and torn into bit size pieces

1 lg carrot, grated

Handful of cherry tomatoes, halved

¼ cucumber, diced

2 green onions, diced

Feta to garnish

For the dressing:

1/8 c. olive oil

1/8 c. balsamic vinegar

1 TBSP rice wine vinegar

1 tsp honey

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large measure cup, combine all the dressing ingredients and whisk vigorously with a fork until well mixed. Set aside.

Mix Lettuce and Kale in a large salad bowl, and pour in desired amount of dressing and fold until all the greens are covered.

Add carrot, tomato, cucumber and green onion to the bowl and gently toss.

Crumble feta over top and serve.

Optional: Try topping this salad with toasted sunflower seeds or chopped walnuts to add more texture and flavour!

It really is that easy! So, what are your favourite ingredients to add to your salads?

Coconut Rice

One of my favourite things about eating out a Thai restaurant is the piping hot pot of coconut rice that you can order! No matter how full I am, I always seem to go back for another spoonful of it! So when I made my Hoisin Pork Lettuce Wraps for dinner, I just knew that I had to re-create my favourite restaurant side at home! This coconut rice recipe might be one of the tastiest and easiest side dishes I've ever made, it’s truly as easy as cooking rice but the coconut milk gives it such a creamy texture and delicious flavour! It goes great with any Asian or Thai inspired meals that you make and is such a nice break from regular rice. I usually serve brown rice with dinner, but this is one of the times you’ll want to use jasmine rice! It really compliments the flavour of coconut.

 {Fluff it with a fork, and let it stand for 5 minutes}

 

I made a double batch of both and we ate it for lunches the next day as a simple rice dish! One of the nice things about this rice dish is that you don’t need any butter or soy sauce (or your favourite rice dressing) because the flavour is so full and vibrant! And the smell as it cooks is heavenly, that light air of coconut and rice, it's a treat for your nose!

Coconut Rice

This rice is so creamy and delicious that you might just want to skip the main course and eat it all on its own!

Time:

Prep Time: 5 minutes // Cook Time: 20 minutes // Yields: 4 - 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 cups uncooked jasmine rice, rinsed
• 1 1/4 cup water
• 1 400 ml can of coconut milk
• Pinch of salt

Directions:

• Add all ingredients to a medium sized sauce pot, bring to a boil over high heat then reduce to low, cover and let simmer until rice is fully cooked and liquid is dissolved, stirring occasionally to avoid burning on the bottom, for 15 – 20 minutes. 
• Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Garnish with finely chopped green onions. 

*One thing to note, is that the coconut milk tends to make the rice burn a bit on the bottom, so make sure you stir it really well and then let it simmer on very low, stirring occasionally throughout cooking time.