Blood Orange and Meyer Lemon Salad with Sherry Vinegar

Winter in California means one thing to me: citrus season. Well, okay, two things: a respite from the blazing heat of the valley, and citrus season.

But really, the two go hand in hand. For so much of my life I associated citrus with hot weather. Sweet and tangy, refreshing lemons, limes and oranges make their way into so many summer beverages and ice pops. But I was shocked my first winter in Los Angeles, when the farmer's market began to overflow with dozens of types of citrus near the end of January and into February. I literally had no idea that there were so many types of tangerines, or oranges, and even grapefruit, in existence.

Thai Kale Salad and a 2016 life update

My in-laws (yes, in-laws! Officially!) are in town this week, and though we've been busy running around town with them, I finally have some down time this morning. With the new year here I thought it would be a good time to make a blog update, and to share a recipe that's healthy and yummy enough to be worthy of my first blog post of 2016.

As you may have noticed (in-laws, people!), I am now married! We had a ceremony in Maine in early October, and our little hometown couldn't have been a better location. The leaves were changing, the air was crisp, and our friends and families really made the experience a dream for us.

Jeweled Millet with Mixed Herb Salad and Citrus-Basil Viniagrette

I've been on a blogging hiatus since November. I was working two jobs (and still am, but with reduced hours), trying to craft as many Christmas presents as humanly possible while working 60+ hours a week, and honestly my cooking was reduced to whatever was fast and cheap. There was much pasta and red sauce, and veggie delight subs from Subway, to be had. It was not a blog-worthy or particularly fun time!

But happily I can say, after a rejuvenating vacation in New England, I'm back and so thrilled to be in the kitchen again. And honestly, to be in California! Divine, locally grown produce year round ... ample sunshine ... no salty slush to ruin your shoes every time you leave the house ... Of course I do always miss the snow and autumn and the beauty of New England, but I'm learning to appreciate Southern California as well!

Vegan Herbed Orzo Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

Nothing in the world reminds me of my first winter in California so much as the smell of meyer lemon. I had read about meyer lemons but never tasted, or even seen, one until I moved here. For the first few months after we moved, with basically just a car full of clothes and Nate's computer, I would endlessly scroll through Craigslist's "free" section to see if there was anything we could use. One day, someone listed meyer lemons, fresh from their own tree.

Vegan Lentil and Black Rice Chopped Salad

Yum. I think a lot of vegans get asked if all we eat is salads. Well...um...it's not ALL I eat!! 

The fact is that when you want a healthy vegan lunch, sometimes the simplest thing to do is chop up whatever's in the fridge, toss it with a quick homemade dressing, and have at it. But this is no ordinary garden salad!

Easy Asian Sesame Slaw

This Easy Asian Sesame Slaw is a crisp and tangy side that pairs perfectly with a heaver main dish on a hot day. It's really simple to make, too, and the leftovers make a great lunch the next day. 

Cantaloupe Fruit Salad with Mint, Lime, and Honey

 These luscious, juicy cantaloupe spheres would have been impossible for me to make before last night...when I finally acquired a melon baller! I feel like melon ballers have gone out of style, but I told Nate that I would definitely use it if we got it. So, last night I balled and froze half of a cantaloupe to use for cocktail making tonight, and this morning I woke up and balled the second half for this light, refreshing breakfast fruit salad.

Persian Tomato and Cucumber Salad (Shirazi)

This salad couldn't be simpler or more refreshing. It's quite tangy from the lemon, and the cucumber and tomato are cool and crisp — the perfect antidote to a hot summer's day.

Asparagus and Red Corn Salad

My friend Dave came over for dinner on Saturday. I didn't want to use the oven at all, so I decided to make a couple of cold sides to accompany a main dish that could be cooked on the stove top.

Hungarian Pepper, Paprika Chicken, Orzo and Romaine Salad

Sometimes it's just too hot to turn on the oven. In my probably-fire-code-violating apartment that doesn't have a vent over the stove, it's too hot to turn on the oven, or use the stove top for more than 20 minutes, for most of the summer.

I end up making a lot of salads for dinner, but they can get boring after a while. So, when I got back from my vacation and saw that Nate had gotten a bag of brightly colored, sweet Hungarian peppers from the Farmer's Market, I was excited. After some extensive web searching I found a recipe that seemed promising. I had to turn on my grill pan and boil some orzo, but other than that there was no cooking involved. I even skipped the side of toasted baguette that the original recipe includes, because even the toaster oven is too much to handle when it's hot out (or...in). 

The result was a tangy, filling, and interesting salad that satisfied my hunger pangs, taste buds, and imagination. What more could a girl ask for?

Hungarian Pepper, Paprika Chicken, Orzo and Romaine Salad

Recipe from the LA Times

Chicken tenders are rubbed with garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper, then grilled. When the chicken tenders are done, take them off the grill pan and add the peppers, cooking until they are crisp-tender and have some grill marks. Squeeze half a lemon over the chicken and peppers and set them in the fridge to chill.

The orzo is cooked with sauteed onions and chicken broth until tender. Drain and drizzle with some white wine vinegar. Let chill, then toss with a head of chopped Romaine lettuce. I added about 1 T olive oil and the juice from 1 half of a lemon to the lemon/orzo mixture. 

Make a bed of the lettuce/orzo mixture, then layer the chicken, peppers, and a sliced tomato on top. 

The result is tasty, healthy, refreshing, and best of all - COLD!