Green Salad with Candied Almonds, Avocado, And A Blueberry Lemon Vinaigrette

We need fresh, we need green, we need color.

We need salad.  

The other night I made Megan's birthday dinner which consisted of pizza and salad. The pizza was pizza and everyone loved it and ate it, but what surprised me was how everyone was really into the salad. A big ass bowl or fresh greens with onions and I think carrots and cabbage and some cranberries I pulled form the freezer and candies almonds. Simple and not fussy, and everyone was just so happy to eat it. I felt like a salad genus and now I am full on into making fun awesome spring salads. (I have to keep reminding myself that yes, it is indeed spring. So what we got snow yesterday, it will melt, right???? ) 

So I bring to you a a bowl of fresh crispy spring greens with crunch and bite and creaminess and flavor. A salad that will bring you joy and satisfaction and maybe even anticipation for your next salad adventure. Not to mention a salad that looks so dang pretty. 

Get into the green. You will be as happy as a rabbit in a garden. 

The stuff. Greens, red onion, an avocado, almonds, blueberries, and a lemon. Also need some maple syrup, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and salt and pepper. 

A couple teaspoons of maple  go in with the almonds. Really toss make sure they are all coated.

Place the almonds into a hot skillet cook for about 5-7 minutes or until the maple has become sticky and the almonds no longer raw. 

When they are done, dump them onto a piece of parchment to cool. Don worry if they clung a little, you can break them apart once they are hard. 

Easy ass dressing. Blueberries. juice from the lemon, olive oil, vinegar, a tiny splash of maple, and a good pinch or pepper. 

Blended then done. Taste and season with salt if needed. 

Avocado gets cut into small chunks and the onion get s thinly sliced.

It's all ready, so now make a salad

And now eat a salad. 

-C

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Green Salad With Candied Almonds, Avocado, And A Blueberry Lemon Vinaigrette

Makes 2-3  salads 

• 1/4 pound greens ( I used spring mix but mesclun mix or spinach is good too) 
• 1/2  red onion
• 1 avocado

For the Almonds 

• 1/3 cup raw halved or slivered almonds
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup 

For the Blueberry lemon Vinaigrette 

• 1/3 cup blueberries (I used  frozen)
• 1 lemon
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 2 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup
• pinch or salt
• pinch or pepper

To make the  candied almonds, preheat a skillet to on medium heat on top of the stove. Place almonds into a small bowl and drizzle with maple syrup. Stir to coat. When the pan is hot, dump the maple covered almond into it and spread them out. Cook for a 3 minutes, then give a stir and cook for a 3 or so more minutes or until the maple has evaporated and the almonds are starting to brown. Dump the almonds directly onto a piece of parchment paper to cool and hardened. Do worry if they stick together a bit, you can break them apart after. 

To make the vinaigrette, place the berries into a jar (if using stick blender) or blender with the juice of the lemon, olive oil, vinegar, maple, and a pinch of pepper Blend until smooth. Taste then add a very small pinch of salt or more to taste. 

For salad. Thinly slice the onion and dice the avocado. Place greens into bowl(s) and toss with onions and avocado. Top with  candied almonds and drizzle all over with the vinaigrette. Grab a fork and eat.

Any left over dressing will last in fridge for about a week and left over almonds will be good for.a few weeks in a airtight container.   

Lemon Fennel soda Bread

Would you believe me that I totally forgot that it is St Patricks day and that this bread was in no way inspired by that? Well it's true. What inspired this soda bread was the Great British Bake Off which I am currently watching over again. (yes, over again but it is just such a good show and makes me feel like I can bake anything.)

 I make fresh bread just about every day, but I  mostly use my sourdough culture or if I am running low on time, yeast, but I never think about making a loaf of a savory quick bread. When I think quick bread or soda bread, my mind goes to bananas or berries, or anything sweet. After seeing all the contestants making all sorts of crazy stuffed and flavored savory breads I was all like, "why don't I ever do that?" So I did, all high on inspiration (every time I watch the show I feel the need to bake). I basically opened the spice drawer and grabbed a jar which was fennel, then figured lemon is a fine right pair so lemon fennel it was to be and yeah. I wanted to go a little more crazy (like they did on the show) and add a ribbon or pesto or chunks of some veggies or beans or whatever but this was good for the moment and good it was indeed.

And the smell of this bread.... The hole house filled up with the scent that I could only describe as amazingly lovely. It made me think of  gardens full of spring flower blooms, a clothes line full of sun bleach white linen, or the feeling of soft warn dirt  under your feet for the first time after a long winter. I swear I am not high. It just smelled so very good. 

After it was baked and cooled, but still slightly warm I cut into it and gave the mr a piece. The first piece the mr liked, the second he ate with mozzarella cheese which did not go well with him, but after that found that he really likes it with peanut butter, or plan, with a bit of butter. What that means is that you should just make it and eat it however you suits you because a quick savory bread is always a good choice when a choice is needed. And your house will smell amazing too. 

The stuff. White and wheat flours, baking soda and baking powder, salt, fennel, soy milk, lemons, honey, and oil. 

All the dry, the fennel and the lemon zest into big bowl. 

Lemon juice, oil, and Haney got mixed together with the milk. Let this mixture sit for about 5 minutes so the lemon sours the milk a bit. 

Wet into dry and mix around with a fork until combined. Dump onto a floured surface and form a ball. 

Take the dough and place it on a lightly floured baking sheet then take a knife or dough scraper and give the dough a big deep X. Get about half an to an inch deep. 

And Ito the oven it goes. 

Just a mere 4o minutes later you have a crisp and golden loaf that smells like springtime and loveliness.

Give it a little time to cool down but grab a slice when it's still a bit warm and eat it up. If you have butter to jam or honey on hand, it's not necessary but welcomed. 

-C

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Lemon Fennel Soda Bread

Makes 1 loaf

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup soy milk
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest 
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoon honey or maple syrup

Preheat oven to 375

In a large bowl mix together the flours, baking soda and powder, salt, fennel, and the lemon zest. In a separate bowl or jar, mix together the milk, lemon juice, honey or maple, and oil. Let sit for 3-5 minutes so the milk gets a chance to lightly sour. 

Dump wet mixture into dry and mix around until  incorporated. Dump dough onto a floured surface and form a ball then place dough onto a lightly flour baking sheet and either with a knife or dough scrapper, score the top with a x about an inch deep. Place into oven and bake for  40-45 minutes or until a nice deep golden brown and a tater stuck into the loaf comes out clean. 

Remove from oven and let cool on a rack.

Cut into it while it's a tad but warm and serve naked or with butter and honey or whatever you want. 

Bread keeps for 2-3 days or is good to be frozen sliced up. 

Zucchini Coconut Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Zucchini time!!! I don't know about you but my stock is starting to creep up into the dozens and I think I can safely say that by this time next week I will have enough zucchini to last me until winter. But I am zucchini hoarder and you probably are not. So if you got any zuck hat needs a home, send them my way. The more zucchini the merrier.

A afternoon of work lost to the rain (again...What the Fuck!)  but I just called it an opportunity to get some paperwork done and bake. It was an unusually cool day as well so the oven on was kind of a welcomed addition. Hanging out in the kitchen with music and the oven on is a great afternoon so I took the rain with little complaint. What to bake? Well in goes like this. I ask the mr what he would like and if I say ok (just have to make sure I've got the ingredients) I get to making it but add some zucchini to it.  That goes for everything, savory or sweet. During zucchini season it's in EVERYTHING! So he wanted cookies, and zucchini cookies are what he got.

These cookies are not weird. They are nice and soft and chewy like a good oatmeal cookie should be. Zucchini adds that little something you didn't know you wanted but are glad it's there and the coconut and chocolate chips round them out. These cookies are just right, just ask the mr. I have had to hide them on him so he doesn't eat them all.

The stuff. Flour in the bowl with salt and baking soda. Rolled oats, cinnamon and shredded coconut. Brown sugar, coconut oil, shredded zucchini and chocolate chips. All the cookie stuff.

How cookies are made. Coconut oil and sugar get creamed together. The shredded zucchini is added and mixed into that. Then in goes the dry. That get all mixed together and last, but no least, add in the chocolate chips.

Cookies dough.

Scooped into balls that were given a little pat so to cook more evenly and getting ready to take the trip to the oven.

Pulled from the oven and set to cool o a rack. Look at all the pretty green speckles.

Now they are just waiting for a mouth to eat them.

What better way to spend a rainy afternoon with all the zucchini?

Happy Weekend. Stay dry.

-C

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Zucchini Coconut Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 2 dozen

• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup old fashion rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 cups soft (nit melted) coconut oil)
• 1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350

Grab a large bowl and mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, coconut, and oats. In another large bowl, mix together the sugar and coconut oil until all the sugar and oil have combined and is nice and smooth. Add in the zucchini and mix then dump in the dry stuff. Mix until fully incorporated. Add in the chocolate chips and mix those in until ever bit of the dough has got some.

And now scoop the dough onto a baking sheet. I used a scoop so all my cookies are the same size but spoons work.  Once all the balls of dough are on the sheet, give each ball a little smoosh just so it doesn't have a high dome. Then into the oven they go. 10-13 minutes or until the sides are golden brown, Remove and let cool for a minutes on the sheet then transfer to a cooling rack. They are fragile at first but will stiffen up once they cool.

Once cooled ea what you would like and store the rest in a airtight cookie jar or freeze.

Rhubarb Poppyseed Cake

First rhubarb of the season!!! The patch in my backyard is large and wild and I am about to be swimming in humongo pink stalks of the stuff within the week. There will be rhubarb in everything.

Last year we ended up eating so much rhubarb. I didn't really have much of a game plan for it, I just ended up sticking it in everything and for the most part, it worked out great. Cakes, pies, salads, and soups. Rhubarb can find a place in anything. But for the first rhubarb of the season, I wanted to make something that was all about the rhubarb without too many other flavors to contend with.  And I wanted to make something pretty. Rhubarb cake with poppyseeds Sweet and tangy with a little earthiness, great texture, and color. A spring celebration cake if you will and made me very happy.

The mr and my sister were very much pleased with how this cake came out. (It was gone pretty much gone the next day) A cake win for sure and a good start to rhubarb in everything season.

The stuff. Rhubarb and poppyseeds. for all the flavor. Then you need flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar, oil (I used coconut but I think any oil would be fine) soy milk, vanilla and a little apple cider vinegar.

Once you get the oven going, chop 2-3 stalks of rhubarb into small pieces about 1/4 inch thick until you have 1 1/2 cups. Take another stalk and cut lengthwise into thin strips for the top of the cake.

In a small bowl mix the oil, sugar, and vanilla together. Add the vinegar to the soy milk.

Whisk together all the dry, add in the poppyseeds then mix in the chopped up rhubarb to coat each piece.

The wet mixture goes into the dry along with the soy milk. Everything mixed until just combined.

Dump the mixture into a well greased pan, level off and sprinkle the top with poppyseeds . Take the thinly sliced rhubarb you reserves and lay on top any way that looks nice to you, giving in a little press into the batter so it stays put.

Now into the hot oven it goes.

And after a time in the oven you get yourself this gem of a cake.

Cooled a bit and ready for eating. A piece or two celebrate.

Rhubarb season has begun. Start it off right with cake!

-C

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Rhubarb Poppyseed Cake

Makes a 9x9 square cake

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
•  5 tablespoons poppyseeds
• 3-4 large stalks of rhubarb (1 1/2 cups chopped and a little extra for top)
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup soy milk

Preheat oven to 350

Chop rhubarb into 1/4 inch chunks until you have 1 1/2 cups. Extra stalk and slice lengthwise into 4 thin strips and set aside.

In a large bowl whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and 3 tablespoons poppyseeds. In a smaller bowl mix together the sugar, oil, and vanilla extract until completely combined.  Add vinegar to soy milk. Toss the chopped rhubarb into the dry mixture and coat the rhubarb pieces. Dump the wet mixture into the dry and add in the milk. Stir together until just combined.

Dump batter into a well greased 9x9 baking pan and level off. Sprinkle the top with remaining 2 tablespoons poppyseeds then lay the thinly cut rhubarb on top anyway you think looks good to you.

Stick the cake into the oven and bake for about 45-50 minutes or until the cake tester(or fork) stuck in the middle comes out clean.

Remove, let cool, then eat at your own pace.

Creamy Walnut Dressing

I picked up out last winter farm share this week which makes me sad just thinking about it. Where am I going to get my food?  Luckily it's only like 3 weeks until the summer share starts so I think I will survive.

At the last pick up we got the usual roots, cabbage,and greens, but we got a bunch of spring greens. 3 lbs of them and I was just all smiles and glee. I legitimately get super excited when there is a large quantity of fresh spring greens in my fridge. Greens make me happy. And of course I share my green wealth with the mr. (I am so nice) He is not thae biggest fan of just handfuls of greens to the mouth for dinner so I figured a nice dressing to dress up those greens and any other veggies was something I could do. And I just so happen to have bought a giant bag of walnuts and walnuts go great with everything so yeah. And it's really freaking good.

The stuff. Walnuts, oil(I used avocado but walnut or olive oil would be great) a lemon, a little honey, and salt and pepper. Also probably going to need a little water.

Stuff goes into blender and gets blended until creamy. This dressing starts off really thick and can be left thick or a little bit of water can be added to thin it out. Up to you.

Poured into a jar and that's that.

Creamy walnut dressing.

Not just a salad dressing. You can eat it with anything and everything. I was dipping carrots and apple slices in it and the mr was dipping his pizza in it cause that's how we roll.

-C

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Creamy Walnut Dressing

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

• 1 cup toasted walnuts
• 1/4 cup of oil. (I used avocado but olive or walnut would be good)
• 1 lemon
•  Teaspoon or two of salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon honey or agave
• Water

Place walnuts, juice of lemon, honey or agave, and a pinch of salt and pepper into a blender or food processor. pulse to break up nuts then turn on and stream in oil. Blend until smooth, adding a few tablespoons of water to thin out as needed. This is a thick dressing so you can add as much water as you like to thin it out, just do it slowly. When blended, taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. . Pour into a jar.  Stick in the fridge when not in use. Will last a couple of weeks if you don't eat it all.