(May 2018) Note: This is an updated version of a “healthy Caesar dressing” recipe I posted way back in 2013. The dressing recipe is essentially the same, and changes have been noted in the recipe at the bottom!
There’s a restaurant in Reno called Campo that makes a kale salad and, not even kidding, it makes me crave kale salads. It’s lemony, garlicky, and topped with crispy parmesan and a poached egg. I think about it a lot and have considered going there just for a kale salad and their caramel budino, but I don’t want to be judged by the servers, even though I think kale + caramel pudding is the epitome of balance. I guess you could call the salad “famous” by Reno standards, and the original owner of the restaurant was even nice enough to post the full recipe online. Continue reading “Kale Salad with Greek Yogurt Caesar Dressing”
Clearly, I’ve been having a moment with BLTs lately. This is the second BLT-related post in the past month, which some may claim is incredulous, but I think is completely justified since bacon + bread + in-season tomatoes = heaven. Also, can we take a moment to literally laugh out loud, because in that same Basic BLT post, I went on and on and on about how there are just some foods, such as BLTs, that should be left alone (I believe the direct quote was “BLTs should be BLTs and nothing more”) and then I turn around and turn a classic into a salad. Blasphemy. Who gave me this kind of power?
To make up for my intense hypocrisy, I may even forgive you if you decide to say, put something like turkey on your BLT, which I still believe is just a club sandwich, so if you’re going to get that far, you might as well add some good swiss to the mix. However, I do ask that you maintain your dignity while doing so. If I happen to come across a BLT utilizing ridiculous ingredients such curry powder or sauerkraut as an act of outright defiance against my Rule of Simplicity, we’ll have a problem here, people.
Since it’s Labor Day weekend a.k.a. probably the last BBQ weekend of the year (at least for us colder cities), I thought I’d share this salad recipe, which goes perfectly with Tri-tip and grilled corn, burgers, or brats. It only takes about 15 minutes to mix up, which leaves you plenty of time to enjoy your last late-night patio session of the summer before the fall creeps in. I’m already starting to miss summer and the fresh food that comes along with it, but I can’t wait to share some wonderful fall-inspired recipes that I’ve been testing lately. I hope you love pie, spices, and savory food straight out of the oven, because there’s plenty of that making its way to my little corner of the internet. Also, probably some good sweater and Tahoe pics, since you know I love sharing my fun trips and outfits with you all ♥ Stay tuned for more!
I hope you have an amazing Labor Day weekend with your friends and family!
XO Sara Lynn
*Song of the Day: Life Itself by Glass Animals
The other day while browsing Instagram, I came across a Food52 post about their new app (Not)Recipes. Basically, the premise of the app is that it is a place for cooks to share recipes, without measurements, that they make up on the spot when they’re too busy to bother with a super complicated list of ingredients and 100 steps until completion. A.K.A. My perfect dream app (which is saying a lot, because to be honest I’m not huge on having a bunch of apps on my phone). I immediately decided on my (not) recipe, put on my Lumineers CD, and got to work melding potatoes and cheese together in cute, tiny ramekins. Then I went to download the app, but damn it, my ancient, Mesozoic era iPhone (an iPhone 5, but whatever..) wouldn’t let me download the thing, because it’s too outdated (thanks Apple!). Plus, there’s no iPad version. Wah-wah. I was sorta bummed, because I cook without recipes all the time, but I guess not all hope is lost, because really, the whole point of writing a blog is that I can share whatever recipes I want, even if they’re not necessarily recipes. (P.S. definitely not saying anything bad about Food52 or Apple! I’m a big fan of both, although I wouldn’t mind if they made a version of the (Not)Recipe app for oldie-iPhones :-))
When I think of meals made without recipes, I think of potatoes au gratin. While this may not necessarily be a meal to most people, I have definitely eaten my fair share of potatoes au gratin for dinner on Sundays after long days of work and studying. Plus, I’m pretty convinced that if you add bacon, it qualifies as a meal (probably). However, I’m always a fan of potatoes au gratin as a side dish too. Essentially, cheesy potatoes are always a good idea.
With Easter around the corner, I was also hoping to post a nice Easter-y recipe. In my family, Easter always involves potatoes + cheese, and since I was already planning on making potatoes au gratin for my failed (Not)Recipes submission, it seemed like fate, or at the very least, convenient. Potatoes au gratin are perfect for Easter Sunday, but you could also add leftover ham as an easy weeknight meal. Definitely not a healthy dinner route, but sometimes potatoes, cheese, and ham are necessary for getting through life.
Growing up, my family always celebrated Easter with a nice brunch or dinner, and the Easter bunny left my brother and I presents on the bench on our front porch. We almost always got a VHS tape, new shoes, and some Easter candy in our baskets. Sometimes we would get a small toy to play with, and I distinctly remember getting a lime green Skip-It one year. My parents recently decided to move back to their hometown of Reno in the next couple of months, and today I found out that they accepted an offer on my childhood home. The sale is incredibly bittersweet, since my parents will be much closer, but I also will be losing the home that gave me the best childhood memories, such as hunting for Easter eggs or playing with my new Skip-It. Today has been kind of sad, but I know that I will always fondly remember cheesy potatoes on Easter, opening Christmas presents with my little brother, Thanksgiving family dinners, and all the amazing memories I had growing up with my friends and family in that home.
Thanks to Potatoes Au Gratin for the nostalgia!
*Note: When I made this recipe, I just threw all the ingredients together, but in the recipe I included some approximate measurements from potatoes I have made in the past. For this recipe, I used thyme and cheddar cheese, but the recipe can be adapted to use whatever ingredients you want.
Happy Easter!
XO SaraLynn.
*Song of the Day: Flowers in Your Hair by The Lumineers
Hello all 🙂
I was on a mini hiatus which I feel awful about but it has been a crazy, crazy few weeks. And it’s only getting crazier from here on out.
First off, I have finals all this week and next week. Then my graduation ceremony. Then my graduation party. Then moving. And then college. Plus everything in between. AHH!
Only two more months and I’ll be laying on a beach in Hawaii…
But until then, I have to keep up with my normal daily life. Eating right, working out, etc. etc. Sigh.
Luckily, it hasn’t been too difficult to eat right some of the creations I’ve been coming up with lately. Seriously, I’m on a roll. Expect some awesome recipes when I get around to blogging them (again, hiatus, sorry).
But first, I’ll start off with my four bean salad.
This salad was perfect alongside grilled chicken and asparagus for dinner and then a turkey and pepper jack sandwich the next day. It pretty much goes with everything summer-y. Which is awesome because I am in the summer mood! Seriously, how many more days of school?
The reason I chose 4 beans instead of the traditional 3 is simple. The beans were on sale 4 for $5. And I used cannellini and navy beans in place of green beans just because I like the taste better.
I’m quite complex aren’t I?
Ingredients:
1 can kidney beans
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can cannellini beans
1 can navy beans
1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
3-4 Tbs. olive oil
1 1/2 Tbs. honey
2 tsp. dried dill (you can replace with fresh)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. parsley
1/4 tsp. ceyenne pepper
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. dill pickle juice (optional, but highly recommended)
Drain and rinse the beans in a colander. Mix together in a big salad bowl.
Whisk together the remaining ingredients. Pour over beans and mix together.
You can serve it immediately or after a day or two. I like to let it marinate the beans for a day before I eat it because it makes it so much more flavorful!
It’s quite possibly the easiest recipe and it tastes so good! You could also add onion, celery, or whatever else you want.
Let me know what you all think of this recipe!
XOXO Sara
