How I Build My Salads

I love salads because they are the perfect food for any meal,  except maybe breakfast, are extremely easy to make, and work for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Sometimes people get turned away from salads because it lacks protein or it doesn't taste good. But these problems are relatively easy to solve with good ingredient selection. So here are my tips to build a really good salad.

1. Pick a theme. Ask yourself the question what do I want my salad to taste like? If you are looking for a salad that is more traditional try for something like a Caesar salad or if you are looking to switch things up gear your ingredients towards maybe an Asian salad with sesame seeds and nuts. And then depending on your theme pick a dressing
2. Mix up your greens. If you are anything like me then you get bored of eating the same things over and over again. That is why I recommend mixing and matching up greens. For example, if you are planning out some meals, one day you might use romaine lettuce and the next you might use iceberg lettuce. Better yet double up on the greens, do a combination of lettuce and spinach or two different types of lettuce or throw some arugula in there. The differing textures and tastes of each leafy green not only allows for the taste to not get repetitive but also also allows you to change the way in looks in the bowl.
3. Add some extra veggies. Do not limit yourself to just leafy greens in terms of veggies. Add a burst of color and flavor by throwing in some halved-cherry tomatoes. Add in some olives for some sourness and literally any other vegetable, they all have some combination that makes them taste amazing.
4. Pick a protein. This is what is going to give your salad the needed sustenance to fill you up. For this I definitely recommend picking a protein that does not have much flavor on its own so it can slot into basically any salad. Grilled chicken or chickpeas are great examples of this because they both take on the flavors of their surroundings effectively.
5. Pick something crunchy and hard. This is meant to give your mouth another break from the potential monotony of eating a plain salad. In a more traditionally caesar salad stick with some garlic and butter croutons, and in a more Asian salad pick wonton strips or something along those lines.
6. Finally pick some mix-ins. You want something that will complement the rest of the ingredients without stealing the show. I think for an Asian inspired salad consider adding some toasted sesame seeds or for a Caesar salad consider adding some parmesan shavings.

For this salad here is opted to theme it towards an Asian style. I have a combination of red romaine and iceberg lettuce, there are some wonton strips on top, Asian dressing, and some sesame seeds and cashew nuts hanging out in the bottom.

Ratatouille

This recipe for Ratatouille is pretty easy, the only difficulty comes from the mis en place, or the French word for set up. There are a lot of vegetables that need to be sliced before you can start cooking, but as always the end result is absolutely delicious.

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cooking Time: 60 minutes

Total Time: 100 minutes

Ingredients

Sauce

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes

Vegetables

• 2 zucchinis
• 6 roma tomatoes
• 2 yellow squash
• 2 eggplants
• Make sure each vegetable is similar in diameter

Herb Topping

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

Sauce

1. Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch (30-cm) oven-safe pan over medium-high heat.
2. Sauté the onion, garlic, and bell peppers until soft, about 10 minutes.
3. Season with salt and pepper, then add the crushed tomatoes. Stir until the ingredients are fully incorporated.
4. Remove from heat, then add the basil. Stir once more, then smooth the surface of the sauce with a spatula.

Vegetables and Herb Mix

1. While the sauce is cooking down, slice the veggies into 1/16 to 1/8 inch slices, the smaller the better. I recommend using a mandolin on the smallest setting to get consistently sized slices.
2. Place each in separate plates or bowls so you can begin stacking.
3. Combine all of the ingredients of the herb mixture and combine throughly.

Final Assembly

1. Now that everything else has been completed it is time to begin stacking. Create a pattern (for example tomato, eggplant, squash, and zucchini) and begin layering the vegetables in the shape of the pan. Continue stacking until all of the veggies have been placed or the pan has been filled.
2. Cover with tinfoil and place in an oven preheated to 375 for approximately 40 minutes. After the 40 minutes remove from the oven and remove the foil. Drizzle the herb mixture on top and place back in the oven for another 20 minutes. Serve straight out of the oven.

Classic Red Sauce with a Twist (of Lemon)

This is my go-to red sauce for any pasta dish. It provides lots of tomato flavor, a little bit of spice, and beats anything that comes from a jar from the supermarket. It can be made in advance, creates enough sauce for about 1 lb. of pasta, and can be stored in the refrigerator for about 1 week, making this the perfect ingredient in weekday meal prep.

Prep Time: 15

Cooking Time: 40

Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 half diced red onion
• 3 cloves of minced garlic
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh, torn basil
• Splash of lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (optional)

Cooking the Sauce

1. Puree the whole tomatoes to a smooth consistency in a food processor or with an immersion blender. Personally I prefer a sauce that is a little chunkier and more rustic which is broken down with a spoon, that way when you are eating that pasta there is more overall texture. Additionally, when you bite into a chuck of tomato there is a little burst of flavor and moisture that complements any pasta dish.
2. Begin to heat the olive oil over medium to high heat in a large saucepan. Once it gets nice and hot add the onions and sauté 5 to 6 minutes, at which point they should be relatively soft. Now add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, allowing for the color to change and extra flavor to develop. If you want to add some heat to the sauce add about 1 to 2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes with the garlic.
3. Once the garlic and onions have been sweated off, add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer about 30 minutes. Check back every five minutes or so to check on the consistency of the sauce and to make sure nothing is burning or sticking to the pan. You are aiming for a consistency that's not too wet or too dry, such that it still clings to the pasta, but this really comes down to preference. 
4. Add the basil and remove from the heat. Toss with just-cooked pasta and a splash of lemon juice.

Today I Made: Candied Orange Peels

Last week I made this delicious orange pudding, and I thought that it would go really well with some bitter-sweet candied orange peels. I built this recipe by looking at others from several online blogs to see what type of techniques other people are using. It works pretty well on its own, but it can become overpowering, so I suggest eating it combined with something to mellow it out like my orange pudding. There are also plenty of customization options, like adding chocolate to the tips or cutting the orange peels into weird and different shapes.

Ingredients

• 2 orange peels
• 4 cups of sugar, separated
• 3 cups of water

Preparation

1. Cut the orange peel into 4 vertical manageable segments. From each segment of the peel completely cut away all of the pith because it results in a very bitter orange. Cut each of the segments into 1 quarter inch wide strips. 
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and drop the orange strips in for about 15 minutes. By this time the peels should have softened up. Remove the pot from the stove and thoroughly rinse the peels, draining several times.
3. Bring 3 cups sugar and all the water to boil in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add in the boiled orange peels. Once the water is boiling again, reduce the heat to a simmer and let the peels simmer for 45 minutes. Try not the take the peels off the gas too early or the texture may become weird in the center.
4. After the peels have been taken off the gas, place them on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with the sugar until it is completely coated, making sure to separate the strips. Let these dry out for about 1 to 2 days before enjoying. This can be made ahead and stored for 1 month in the freezer. 

Orange Pudding

This is my go-to recipe anytime I need to make a dessert for a crowd on a time limit. The great orange flavor combined with the bouncy texture of jello and cottage cheese combined with the bite of walnuts results in a dessert fit for all ages.

Ingredients

• 1 6 ounce box of orange Jello
• 8 ounces of homemade whipped cream or Cool Whip
• 8 ounces cottage cheese
• 12 ounces of mandarin oranges
• 1 cup of walnuts, halved 

Preparation

1. Prepare the Jello as per the instructions on the box using the quick set method. Once mixed allow the mixture to cool slightly before moving on to the next step.
2. In a large bowl, combine the whipped cream with the cottage cheese. Once those two are combined add in the cooled Jello and giving it one more mix. 
3. Place the whole bowl in the fridge for about 15 minutes, but DO NOT let it set completely. Remove the bowl from the fridge and mix in about 3 quarters of the walnuts and all of the mandarin oranges. By adding the mix-ins after the pudding has begin to set allows for them to remain suspended rather than sink straight to the bottom.
4. After letting it set up in the fridge for about 3 hours, remove from the fridge and begin placing in bowls to serve. Top with the leftover walnuts and Enjoy!

Mint Detox Juice

Ingredients

• 3 quarters cup mint leaves
• 1 quarter cup cilantro leaves
• 1 green chili, chopped
• 1 half inch pieces of ginger, peeled
• Juice of 1 lime
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon chaat masala powder
• 1 quarter teaspoon black salt
• Salt to taste
• 4 cups ice water

Special Materials

• High Power Blender or Food Processor
• Large Metal Strainer

Cooking

1. Place about half of each ingredient into the blender including water and ice cubes, the colder the water the better because if the blender gets too hot then the juice will taste bitter and unpleasant.
2. Begin pulsing on short cycles remaining careful not to keep the blender on for too long in one go. If it begins to get to hot add some more ice cubes and continue.
3. After blending for about a minute total, take it off the stand and strain the water out. You should be left with a thick, dark green pulp, this contains all of the ingredients from the start and there is still a bunch of flavor in there. So repeat this process max two times more or until the pulp is a light green at which point most of the flavor is out of the pulp.
4. At this point taste the juice. Depending on the flavor of the liquid you have adjust the ingredients for the next blend. For example, if the strained juice is spicy enough for you, skip the chili for the next blend. This step is crucial because of the fact that you are using fresh produce which varies in flavor or spice level, now you have more control.
5. Once both batches have been strained make sure to taste again and adjust the salt accordingly. Place in some bottles and it can be stored for about 3 to 4 days in the fridge. When you look at it the next day do not be alarmed if the water and the mint leaves have separated, just give it a stir and you will be good to go.

Enjoy!