A couple weeks ago, I finally perfected and posted my Baked Vanilla Bean Donut recipe. It was a good year or more in the making. A couple weeks later Laura, from Sweet Treats, adapted the recipe and turned them into mini donut waffles. How cute are these little gems!? Pure genius if you ask me. So of course I had to make them. And I thought donuts were cute. I think waffle-style may have them beat. [Side note, I typically cook my donuts at a high heat. These guys cook much faster on a medium-low setting for about half the time it takes to cook a waffle. If When you give these a whirl, be sure to test a small amount before cooking the whole batch. Every waffle iron is a bit different.]
—Melissa
Today I’m excited to have Jessica from green tea and kimchi here on Mint to share three of her favorite summer salad recipes. Jessica is a food blogger and brand new mom, who just made the move from Korea back home to the US. (As a side note, be sure to check out this post on recycling some of your old clothing into baby items. Brilliant!) Thanks Jessica!
—Ellie
Life as a new mom can certainly be enough to change one’s cooking style. Since my son made his way into our world earlier this spring, I have had the pleasure of cooking up a family meal here and there but certainly not as often as I did pre-baby. Now that the little one and i are getting to understand each other better and settling into more of a routine, I’m finding myself in the kitchen more and more and it feels great to be back!
Still, time is precious so a simple vibrant salad seems to make its way to my table most days. And with the weather warming up, crisp summer salads are just what my body craves. I’ve been experimenting with a monochromatic scheme and have quite enjoyed the splash of color on my plate this season. Here are a few of my recent favorites…
PAPAYA CARROT SALAD
a handful of baby spinach
a handful of arugula
a carrot or two
a 2 inch round of papaya, seeds removed
a handful of strawberries
a scallion
Layer the spinach and arugula on a plate. Scrub the carrots and slice into ribbons, using a vegetable peeler. Layer on top of the greens. Slice the papaya and strawberries as thinly as possible and add to the salad. Sprinkle some finely chopped scallions on top and drizzle with citrus vinaigrette.
CITRUS VINAIGRETTE | combine all ingredients together and adjust to taste
a quarter cup of olive oil
juice of half an orange
juice of half a lemon
a clove of garlic, minced
>a tablespoon of stone ground mustard
a tablespoon of honey
a dash of sea salt + fresh cracked pepper
——–
RUSTIC GREEN SALAD
a handful of baby spinach
a handful of arugula
a half cup of sweet peas, fresh or frozen
a half a zucchini, sliced into half inch rounds
olive oil
sea salt
a handful of pickled grape leaves (optional)
a stalk of celery, finely chopped
Layer the spinach and arugula on a plate. In a small pan, heat the peas with just a splash of water on low for 2-3 minutes, until water has evaporated. Set on top of the greens. In the same pan, saute the zucchini in just a bit of olive oil (too much will result in soggy zucchini) and a generous sprinkling of salt, until lightly browned. layer over the greens. Add a few grape leaves and a bit of celery and top with creamy cilantro avocado dressing.
CREAMY CILANTRO AVOCADO DRESSING | combine all ingredients together and adjust to taste
a half cup of olive oil
a quarter cup of apple cider vinegar
a clove of garlic, minced
half an avocado, mashed
a handful of cilantro leaves, finely chopped
a dash of sea salt + fresh cracked pepper
——–
POMEGRANATE BEET SALAD
a handful of spring greens
a handful of arugula
half a beet, scrubbed well
a quarter of a red onion
a few red radishes of any variety
kalamata olives, pits removed and sliced in half
pomegranate seeds
a few leaves of fresh basil (optional)
Layer the spinach and arugula on a plate. slice the beet, onion and radishes as thinly as possible, layering over the greens. Sprinkle the olives and pomegranate seeds over top (and basil leaves, if using) and drizzle with pomegranate vinaigrette.
POMEGRANATE VINAIGRETTE | combine all ingredients together and adjust to taste
a quarter cup of olive oil
a quarter cup of balsamic vinegar
a splash of pomegranate juice
a dash of sea salt + fresh cracked pepper
—Jessica
I’ve just recently gotten to know Ashley from Edible Perspective. She’s another sweet blogger from Colorado. I think I’m naturally drawn to those Coloradans (Oh Ladycakes, Happyolks, Half Baked Harvest). If I’m not moving there myself next summer, I may just cry. In the meantime, I’m living vicariously through their beautiful blogs. Ashley keeps it seasonal, fresh, healthy, and always delicious. I’m also a little smitten with her latest bathroom reno. She’s a true renaissance woman.
—Melissa
What is your best memory in the kitchen (current or past)?
I have to mention two, but I’ll keep them quick! 1 – During the summer when I was growing up my dad would haul in gigantic zucchini from our garden and my mom and I would get busy baking zucchini bread. Loaf after loaf after loaf. We made it all summer long and passed out the loaves to family + friends. The best was when we would add chocolate chips to the batter! The time in the kitchen with my mom was always treasured. 2 – I absolutely love cooking brunch or dinner for family and friends. I find it so relaxing to sit around the table and enjoy homemade food with my favorite people. A little wine never hurts, either!
Whats the best thing about your kitchen?
We really maximized storage + counter space in our kitchen when we gutted the entire thing two years ago. It’s 10×12 in size–so not huge–but there is plenty of room for two people to work at the same time without knocking elbows, and extra tall cabinets and deep storage drawers maximize every inch of space. I definitely need it with my ever-growing collection of plates + bowls for food photography!
What is your favorite meal to prepare?
I don’t know if I have an all-time favorite meal to prepare but one recipe I’ve been making nonstop lately is a lemon, olive oil, and roasted garlic pasta with spinach, lentils, and sun-dried tomatoes. It’s simple + satisfying and you can add whatever vegetables are in season. Asparagus + kale have been my favorite additions!
What does your dream kitchen look like?
I really love our kitchen now but sometimes imagine larger windows allowing for more natural light to pour into the room. I’ve also always wanted to have an island in the kitchen where people can sit, chat, and eat while I cook. As far as the style goes I love clean lines, subway tile backsplash, white cabinets, butcher block counters, and single-basin sinks.
What 3 guests would you like to have around your dinner table?
Heidi Swanson : Mindy Kaling : Aubrey Plaza – An eclectic group that would lead to delicious food and a lot of laughs.
I recently secured a popsicle mold after eyeing them for several summers in a row. Now I’m slowly collecting recipes before the inaugural freeze. Being a sucker for all things striped, a layer of coconut milk is a must. What next—a layer of mango, blood orange, kiwi, strawberry, or cherry? Good thing my popsicle mold is supposed to freeze in less than 5 minutes. I have a lot of flavors to try after being inspired by Oh Joy! and Pink Patisserie. Do you have a favorite popsicle recipe?
—Melissa
Every time I see an ad for the Food & Wine classic in Aspen (it’s in June!), I picture myself nibbling amuse-bouche, wine in hand, chatting with Tom Colicchio. I think after I’ve stuffed myself silly, I’ll head back to the Hotel Jerome for a little R&R. The hotel, which was originally built in 1889, re-opened in December of last year after extensive renovations and a redesign by Todd-Avery Lenahan.
Check in for around $350.
—Melissa
