salad

Winter Sunshine Salad

January 20, 2016 By Courtney West Leave a Comment

No better way to follow up the cakes in the last post than with a salad, right?! It’s all about balance over here on the blog. Gotta have a little green to go with the sweets. To be honest, I went back and forth about whether or not I wanted to share a salad with you since the word itself tends to make people yawn, but then I said screw it and decided to share it anyways. So, salad for everyone!

My tendency lately has been to steer away from raw salads since my body is in winter mode and craving warm foods. But, I still love my greens (and salads!) so I’ve been lightly steaming them to make them more nourishing and digestible. This salad was one of those recipes that just popped into my head one day. I immediately recorded it in a little notebook where I keep other musings and blog ideas and decided to bring it to life today. I think it came about because I was thinking about how delicious the contrast would be between a bed of herby steamed greens and fresh, juicy slices of citrus fruit. The rest of the recipe came together as I stood in the kitchen making it. Sunflower seeds were added for a bit of crunch, goji berries for their lovely hue and delicious sweet-tartness. To elevate the steamed kale a bit of fruity olive oil and apple cider vinegar were added. And voila! A salad is born.

Citrus is happily abundant down here in Texas right now and I can’t help but smile when I see the sunny-hued orbs hanging in trees around town. It takes all I have not to pull over and jump out of my car to pick as many as possible before someone yells at me. I actually picked the grapefruit I used in the salad from my sister’s neighbor’s tree! That’s as local as it gets for me without planting a darn tree in my backyard. So, in honor of the abundance of sunny citrus, I give you the Winter Sunshine Salad. Make it, eat it, then smile and sit back to bask in the rays of the winter sun 🙂

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Fall Panzanella with Turmeric Dijon Dressing

November 7, 2015 By Courtney West 5 Comments

Meticulous actions soothe and comfort me. Maybe that’s why I like baking and cooking so much. It’s akin to free therapy. I get lost in the details and actions like peeling and slicing veggies, measuring and sifting flour, and stirring a pot for hours. My hands aren’t idle. They’re serving a greater purpose. The reward is the delicious and homemade food that I’ve created. All from scratch and made with love. It’s nourishing for both body and soul.

I take more time to eat and savor my food when I’ve gone to the trouble of making it with my own two hands. I want to enjoy every part of it, taste every component, and notice every texture. A meal is infinitely more enjoyable when I’ve made it in my own kitchen. There’s something to be said about enjoying the fruits of your labor. Perhaps that is why Thanksgiving is so enjoyable. It’s a completely homemade meal made by the hands of those you cherish and love.

After several days in a row of working away from home, I was feeling like spending some time in the kitchen. The result is this fall-inspired panzanella (i.e. bread salad) perfect for dropping temperatures and gracing your Thanksgiving table. It has more steps than a typical salad but it is so much worth the effort! Since I am always dissatisfied with store-bought gluten free/vegan bread, I decided to make my own the day before. If you feel like going this route, perhaps try this sage & toasted pecan boule I posted a couple of weeks ago. Or, you could keep it simple on yourself and use some good quality store-bought bread of your choosing. As for the butternut squash, I’ve seen peeled and diced butternut in the freezer section of some grocery stores so that will save you some prep time as well.

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