While in Winthrop, WA, we had a wonderful chef, Jo. They made this salad for lunch one day. So easy and so delicious, just plain straight out of the bowl or as a dip with tortilla chips. I had it for a subsequent meal or two as the crowd's only vegetarian.
Guacamole Salad:
INGREDIENTS:
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and 1/2-inch diced
1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained (or 1/2 cup dry black beans, soaked and cooked)
1/2 cup small-diced red onion
2 T. mince jalapeno peppers, seeded (2 small peppers)
1/2 t. freshly grated lime zest
1/4 C. freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes)
1/4 C. olive oil
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 t. minced garlic
1/4 t. ground cayenne pepper
2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled and 1/2-inch diced
PREPARATION:
Add the tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, red onion, jalapeno peppers and lime zest to a large bowl. Whisk together lime juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic and cayenne pepper and pour over the vegetables. Toss well. Just before you serve the salad, fold in the avocados. Check the seasoning and serve at room temperature.
***I'm not completely sure where the recipe came from since it was a photocopy given to me. But it is from a book and I see "Barefoot Contessa" in the introduction paragraph to the recipe.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Saturday, May 7, 2011
My first time to Seattle
With all the traveling I do, it's hard to believe that I've never been to Seattle. I think I've visited or passed through every other notable large city in America (except Philadelphia and New Orleans are still on the list). But Seattle, I had yet to get there until this past week. Now I didn't get to see much of it but I got a taste and that taste will draw me back (hopefully soon!).
I flew out with some radio folks and friends from Centricity Music for a radio event in Winthrop, WA. We had the opportunity to retreat to the mountains for a few days to hear new music from downhere, Jason Gray and Aaron Shust. A fun time in a breaktaking environment.
We flew back into Seattle from Winthrop on Thursday and were not scheduled to fly back to Nashville until Friday. So Thursday afternoon/evening we had the chance to drive into downtown for lunch and to look around a bit.
I guess when you only have a few hours and you've never been to Seattle before, it seems best to hit the Pike Place Market. Seems like the one touristy thing to do. So we did.
We ventured down for lunch and landed at the Athenian Inn at Pike Place. My friend Jen thought it was the place where they filmed the scene with Tom Hanks and Rob Reiner for Sleepless in Seattle. She was right. When you walk in the door to the host stand, there to the right are the counter and stools and the two stools on the corner are marked with plaques. And yes, I did snap a picture on my phone.
My vegetarian eats there: The veggie sandwich with hummus, avocado, lettuce, tomato and sprouts on toasted wheat bread.
After lunch, we just wandered through the market. We saw the fish counter where they throw the fish. It was a fish being thrown -- mildly entertaining.
Then of course, we had to stop by the Pike Place Starbucks. It was a pilgrimage of sorts for this former Starbucks barista. It wasn't much to look at and the coffee tasted the same but if you're there, you gotta go.
They have a system here. One barista forms a line near the door and directs customers to open cash stations to place orders and pay. Then you wait at the bar for your drink. All the mugs and such on the shelves are for display only; to purchase you point at the one you want from a sheet at the register and they have them boxed up in back already waiting for you. There are no tables here; you don't hang out. You come in, get your drink and/or your souvenir, and you continue on your way. Even though the traffic must be something fierce while you're open, at least you don't have a front of house to clean and customers to kick out at closing time every day. And no drive thru. I'd take that.
So that was my first trip to Seattle. I texted my friend Leslie, "Why have we not come here together?" Neither of us had an answer. Some day, soon hopefully.
I flew out with some radio folks and friends from Centricity Music for a radio event in Winthrop, WA. We had the opportunity to retreat to the mountains for a few days to hear new music from downhere, Jason Gray and Aaron Shust. A fun time in a breaktaking environment.
We flew back into Seattle from Winthrop on Thursday and were not scheduled to fly back to Nashville until Friday. So Thursday afternoon/evening we had the chance to drive into downtown for lunch and to look around a bit.
I guess when you only have a few hours and you've never been to Seattle before, it seems best to hit the Pike Place Market. Seems like the one touristy thing to do. So we did.
 |
| Pike Place Market |
 |
| It says, "Tom Hanks Sat Here / Sleepless in Seattle." |
After lunch, we just wandered through the market. We saw the fish counter where they throw the fish. It was a fish being thrown -- mildly entertaining.
Then of course, we had to stop by the Pike Place Starbucks. It was a pilgrimage of sorts for this former Starbucks barista. It wasn't much to look at and the coffee tasted the same but if you're there, you gotta go.
 |
| Ta-dah! First Starbucks Store |
So that was my first trip to Seattle. I texted my friend Leslie, "Why have we not come here together?" Neither of us had an answer. Some day, soon hopefully.
Mujaddarah -- Or Spiced Lentils and Rice
I found this recipe via Epicurious. It just sounded easy and good. And it was both!
Mujaddarah (spiced lentils and rice):
INGREDIENTS:
¼ c olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 t cumin seeds
Sea salt
1 ⅓ c dried green lentils
2 bay leaves
¾ c basmati rice
Leaves from a small bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped
PREPARATION:
Heat the oil in a skillet set over medium heat. Add the onions, cumin, and a generous pinch of salt. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until soft and golden brown. Remove from heat.
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add lentils and bay leaves, reduce the heat to a medium simmer, and cook for 15 minutes. Add rice and stir; cook for 15–20 minutes, until both the lentils and rice are tender. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl.
Stir in half of the onion mixture and the cilantro. Return the pan with the remaining onion mixture to high heat and cook until dark golden brown and crispy. Spoon the crispy onion mixture over the lentils, and serve hot.
***I used quinoa instead of rice, because I didn't have any rice on hand. And I used cumin powder instead of cumin seeds, again because I didn't have the seeds on hand. Still good!
Mujaddarah (spiced lentils and rice):
INGREDIENTS:
¼ c olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 t cumin seeds
Sea salt
1 ⅓ c dried green lentils
2 bay leaves
¾ c basmati rice
Leaves from a small bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped
PREPARATION:
Heat the oil in a skillet set over medium heat. Add the onions, cumin, and a generous pinch of salt. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until soft and golden brown. Remove from heat.
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add lentils and bay leaves, reduce the heat to a medium simmer, and cook for 15 minutes. Add rice and stir; cook for 15–20 minutes, until both the lentils and rice are tender. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl.
Stir in half of the onion mixture and the cilantro. Return the pan with the remaining onion mixture to high heat and cook until dark golden brown and crispy. Spoon the crispy onion mixture over the lentils, and serve hot.
***I used quinoa instead of rice, because I didn't have any rice on hand. And I used cumin powder instead of cumin seeds, again because I didn't have the seeds on hand. Still good!
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Another way to enjoy oatmeal
Always looking for a new way to make my oatmeal, I recently discovered a love of savory oatmeal. But I found a recipe via Epicurious this week for the exact opposite: something sweet. This recipe is very much like a chocolate no-bake cookie in a bowl.
Chocolate, PB and Banana Oats
INGREDIENTS:
1 C. milk (or non-dairy version)
½ C. old fashioned oats
4 t. cocoa powder
1 t. peanut butter
1 banana, mashed
2 t. brown sugar
PREPARATION:
Mix the milk and oats, and cook as usual. Add remaining four ingredients, and mix thoroughly.
***I used almond milk and Bob's Red Mill Quick Cooking Oats -- delicious!
Found the recipe here.
Chocolate, PB and Banana Oats
INGREDIENTS:
1 C. milk (or non-dairy version)
½ C. old fashioned oats
4 t. cocoa powder
1 t. peanut butter
1 banana, mashed
2 t. brown sugar
PREPARATION:
Mix the milk and oats, and cook as usual. Add remaining four ingredients, and mix thoroughly.
***I used almond milk and Bob's Red Mill Quick Cooking Oats -- delicious!
Found the recipe here.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
He's Running For Research! In Dublin, No Less
My boss Jim at All Access Nashville is a survivor of stage 4 non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and now runs marathons with Team In Training to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society research.
He's running a marathon in Dublin, Ireland in October and has a goal to raise $25,000 for research. All donations go toward research, not his trip.
If you can help, visit his fundraising page here.
He's running a marathon in Dublin, Ireland in October and has a goal to raise $25,000 for research. All donations go toward research, not his trip.
If you can help, visit his fundraising page here.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Choose Enterprise. They'll Pick You Up.
I often use Enterprise Rental Cars when I travel. Best customer service and experience with competitive rates. Have never had a problem until yesterday when I had a not-so-great experience with a local office here in Nashville. After making a reservation online on Monday, I called the office to schedule a "We'll Pick You Up" ride. All was set, or so I thought.
Tuesday noon rolled around. 12:15. No pick-up. So I called and they had no record of the scheduled pick-up. And the courtesy car was out on another pick-up. It would be an hour before they could be there. Which is when I needed to be on the road to Knoxville.
So, that office called another local office (equidistant to my house but further from I-40 East). That office had a car for my reservation and could pick me up. Nice. But they arrived shortly after 1 p.m. so the change of office probably didn't matter at that point.
After getting to the second location, I had another wait until a rep could pull up my reservation. Oye. Clock ticking to my drop-dead time of 1:30 to be on the road. The rep got the paperwork processed, took me to the car and found that it was dirty. She didn't want to give me a dirty car (nice!) but the car she did give me had only a half tank of gas. What a comedy of errors! I made it to Knoxville (barely) on the half tank and made it in time, thankfully.
I returned the car this morning and when the rep Melissa Mink (who wasn't there yesterday) asked about my experience, I explained what all happened. She took 50 percent off my rental fee straightaway. It was the perfect resolution to my trouble the day before without my even having to ask for it. Way to go! I feel like I can continue to sing their praises.
Also, the Twitter feed @enterprisecares also responded quickly to a tweet I made about the missing pick-up and asked for information regarding the reservation. I emailed the information before I left to return the car this morning. I "tweeted" about good experience as I was leaving the office and they replied to the email quickly saying that they saw things had been resolved. My faith has been restored in the customer service of Enterprise...except in the Donelson, TN office.
Tuesday noon rolled around. 12:15. No pick-up. So I called and they had no record of the scheduled pick-up. And the courtesy car was out on another pick-up. It would be an hour before they could be there. Which is when I needed to be on the road to Knoxville.
So, that office called another local office (equidistant to my house but further from I-40 East). That office had a car for my reservation and could pick me up. Nice. But they arrived shortly after 1 p.m. so the change of office probably didn't matter at that point.
After getting to the second location, I had another wait until a rep could pull up my reservation. Oye. Clock ticking to my drop-dead time of 1:30 to be on the road. The rep got the paperwork processed, took me to the car and found that it was dirty. She didn't want to give me a dirty car (nice!) but the car she did give me had only a half tank of gas. What a comedy of errors! I made it to Knoxville (barely) on the half tank and made it in time, thankfully.
I returned the car this morning and when the rep Melissa Mink (who wasn't there yesterday) asked about my experience, I explained what all happened. She took 50 percent off my rental fee straightaway. It was the perfect resolution to my trouble the day before without my even having to ask for it. Way to go! I feel like I can continue to sing their praises.
Also, the Twitter feed @enterprisecares also responded quickly to a tweet I made about the missing pick-up and asked for information regarding the reservation. I emailed the information before I left to return the car this morning. I "tweeted" about good experience as I was leaving the office and they replied to the email quickly saying that they saw things had been resolved. My faith has been restored in the customer service of Enterprise...except in the Donelson, TN office.
Monday, April 4, 2011
A New Way to Enjoy Oatmeal
OK, I haven't tried this yet (tomorrow morning!) but I hear it's an amazing way to make your oatmeal. Not sweet but savory - with an egg on top! Yes, please!
Savory Oatmeal:
(The recipe comes from this blog. She's a food photographer, too, so there are some real nice pictures to see as well.)
INGREDIENTS:
steel cut oats or rolled oats
olive oil
flaky sea salt
cracked pepper
aged sharp cheddar
additional toppings, poached or sunny-side up egg, sauteed veggies, or other savory ingredients to taste
PREPARATION:
Follow directions for making oats. I normally bring 2 cups of water to a raging boil, add 1 cup of steel cut oats and lower heat to low. Cook slowly for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Oats are done when they are soft unless you prefer them more al dente.
Dish the oatmeal into bowls. The remaining ingredients are to your liking.
I start with the olive oil, add a 1/2 a tablespoon, maybe a pinch of salt, a few twists of crack pepper, and a shaving of cheese. Mix it all together and taste. Maybe add a little more oil, a pinch more of salt, pepper and cheese…mix…taste…I find that I add as I go with this dish.
Savory Oatmeal:
(The recipe comes from this blog. She's a food photographer, too, so there are some real nice pictures to see as well.)
INGREDIENTS:
steel cut oats or rolled oats
olive oil
flaky sea salt
cracked pepper
aged sharp cheddar
additional toppings, poached or sunny-side up egg, sauteed veggies, or other savory ingredients to taste
Follow directions for making oats. I normally bring 2 cups of water to a raging boil, add 1 cup of steel cut oats and lower heat to low. Cook slowly for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Oats are done when they are soft unless you prefer them more al dente.
Dish the oatmeal into bowls. The remaining ingredients are to your liking.
I start with the olive oil, add a 1/2 a tablespoon, maybe a pinch of salt, a few twists of crack pepper, and a shaving of cheese. Mix it all together and taste. Maybe add a little more oil, a pinch more of salt, pepper and cheese…mix…taste…I find that I add as I go with this dish.
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