Angie's
Favorite Substantial Snacks
-
Salads/Sides -
Spinach
Salad w/ Balsamic Vinaigrette:
| This past Holiday
season, our friend Jessica had a get together. It was a potluck
dinner/ gift exchange. Because most of the friends who were
there were high school pals, I felt a strong urge to redeem
myself and prove that I was no longer Bad-Squash-Soup-Inventor/
Falafel-Burner/ She-Who-Cooks-Gross-Foods. I thought I would
bring my newest, most fabulous invention, the spinach and walnut
salad with my very own vinaigrette. In my excitement and haste
(and in my frenzy of trying cook ahead of time, so as to also
prove that I was no longer "She-Who-Is-Always-Late" AKA "The
Shuffle") I added the nuts to the salad while they were still
sizzlin' hot. The result: I showed up perfectly on time, with
a wilted spinach salad. But I swear, it's a really good salad
as long as you let the nuts cool before adding them to the spinach.
|
|
The Salad: |
Crushed walnuts
sunflower seeds or almonds (or your favorite nuts)
Sliced tomatoes
Baby spinach |
| Toast
your favorite nuts in a skillet (add a bit of olive oil if you
like.) Set the nuts aside and let cool. Top a bed of spinach
with the sliced tomatoes and the nuts. Toss with dressing. (See
below.) |
| The
Dressing: |
Equal proportions
of Olive oil and Balsamic Vinegar Salt and pepper, to taste
Mix all ingredients and shake well. The extra can be stored
at room temperature in an airtight container. |
Sweet
Potato Home Fries:
| After many laborious
mornings of waiting for the home fries to bake, grumbling at
one another while our bellies growled at us both, Brek and I
finally wised up and listened to our friends Perry and Stephanie.
We took their tip (and why shouldn't we- Perry is a chef and
Steph is a cooking utensil expert!) on how make quick morning
home fries. The secret: boiling the potatoes before frying or
baking them. |
| You
need: |
Sweet Potatoes
or Yams, diced (we like them with the skins still on)
Salt Olive Oil Optional spices: (Any of these!) Coriander, Seasoned
Salt, Dill, Mustard Powder, Paprika, Cayenne, Black Pepper |
|
Add
the diced potatoes to a pot of boiling water, with a pinch
of salt. While the potatoes cook, pour a bit of olive oil
and spread on the bottom of a glass baking dish or a cookie
sheet. In a separate bowl, add together the spices you wish
to use. When the potatoes are cooked thoroughly, drain the
water out and add potatoes to the baking dish. Pour your spice
mixture over the potatoes and mix so as to coat the potatoes
with spice and oil. Bake at 350 or broil, just until browned.
These are great served with a little plain yogurt, and go
well as a side to breakfast, lunch or dinner!.
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