The New Year is here—we are two weeks in—and already resolutions have been pushed aside because of lack of time, a full social calendar, or because they just aren't that realistic in the first place. My holiday was fun—I loved it—but it is what made me think of a needed resolution or change in my eating plan for January.
I have had a couple of trips to the dirty south (a term of endearment I borrow from songs) in the last 4 weeks. I do love going home—southern fried pork chops, collard greens, corn bread, candied yams and casseroles. Each start with a pound of butter or a tub of mayonnaise—or dropped in an awesome tub of oil and deep fried - and each is too scrumptious to turn down. So I don't even try. And though I enjoy each and every moment and meal—at the end of a week straight—I am not feeling like the epitome of health.
So it is back to the Valley. Back to my real life. Making meals. Loving this time of year. Enjoying the crispness and the snow. I like to hole up here in the winter. Stay in our beautiful hideaway. Keep it local. Eat well. Feel full. This time of year soups equal happiness in my book. And to jump start my feeling good—I am going to try to add salads to my daily routine.
My problem is that I LOVE salads but absolutely HATE to make them. I have good intentions and buy the ingredients—even have everything chopped and stored in seperate containers for easy tossing—but when it comes to doing it . . . Let's just say I'd sooner take those same ingredients and have the best homemade pizza ever.
So, no real resolutions on losing anything or tightening up stuff for me, just a conscience effort to eat some lettuce this January. This all came to me as I was sitting in the Salt Lake city airport bar, having a dark beer and a huge over saturated plate of nachos. Really. Epitome of health.
I flew back in to the Valley on Monday and went straight to Divine Wine in Hailey. I dream about their Caprese salad. I personally like to add bacon on top—as bacon makes everything better in my mind—but this salad is my favorite in the Valley. Excellent mix of flavors, colors, and crunch—the perfect bite is attainable with this one. Gaining momentum on my pledge of salad, I had spring rolls from Taste of Thai. Yes. That counts for me. And yum!
After jump-starting my routine—I have decided to bring it home. And I have a plan. A big pot of soup to stay happily full—and some yummy salads to satisfy my pledge of green. I work down in Hailey and am always looking for some great lunch tips (the whole someone else making it for me thing. . .) so would love to hear from you about your favorites around town. Shoot an email to the magazine or just post a comment on this blog.
Blue Cheese, Cranberry, and Candied Pecan Salad
This salad can be prepped and stored in the fridge for up to 6 hours.
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon honey
2 handfuls of dried cranberries (I like Craisons)
1/2 pound mixed field greens
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 small container of blue cheese
Citrus Vinaigrette Dressing
The dressing can be made a day in advance.
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
Heat oven to 350º. Mix pecans and honey in a shallow baking dish and bake until golden, 8-10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Toss remaining salad ingredients together in a salad bowl. For dressing, combine all ingredients and mix well. Drizzle over salad. To mix this up a bit—omit the tomato and add chopped pear.
Curried Carrot Soup
Can be served hot or cold. Special kitchen gadgets: food processor/blender
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 pounds packaged baby carrots, from produce section
6 cups chicken stock, available on soup aisle
1 tablespoon mild curry paste or 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 piece fresh ginger, 1/4" thick, peeled, cut in half
Coarse salt (I subsititue a cajun spice blend Zatarain's)
sour cream and fresh chives for garnish
Preheat medium sauce pot over medium high heat. Add olive oil, butter, onions and carrots and saute. Add 4 cups of stock, spices, ginger, and about 1 teaspoon of Zatarain's. Boil, cover, and cook for about 12-18 minutes, until the carrots are tender. Process soup in batches until it is fully pureed. Return soup to stove over low heat. Check spices. If soup is too thick, add remaining stock until desired consistency is reached. If I have extra oranges laying around my house—I often squeeze the juice into this soup for an extra layer of flavor. Ladle soup into bowls, top with a dollop of sour cream and some sliced chives, or garnish with anything around the pantry—toasted seeds, nuts, cheese shavings. yum!
