feast (for) yr eyes...

my favorite salad.

this salad has been the star of my latest dinner parties. so simple. so refreshing. perfect for summer. which, i'm assured, will make it to wisconsin. eventually. 

a labor of love. the ingredients to my favorite salad.

you can check out my first post ("for starters") if you want the basic gist of how to do it yrself. 

a lunchbox lunch, sans the lunchbox.

simple. vegan. delicious. a "turkey" sando, w/ Trader Joe's reduced fat mayo (which is dairy-free), mustard, lettuce, and cucumber on multi-grain. Vegan Slaw = broccoli slaw (prepackaged makes it easy. but, you can chop up some broccoli, red cabbage, and carrots, if yr feeling ambitious), cranberries, walnuts, pinch of raw sugar, pinch of salt n peppa, dash of white balsamic vinegar, and a dollop of TJ's reduced fat mayo. Sweet Potato Chips. everything on this plate came from Stanley's, which is located in Chicago, and is one of my favorite places for super cheap, yet quality produce.

 

the "everything but the kitchen sink" salad.

from my fridge: red seedless grapes, baby yellow peppers, and green lettuce. from my freezer: grilled "chicken" strips. from my cupboard: spice house's jamaican jerk seasoning (for the "chicken"), "bacon" bits, and fried onions. for the dressing: green goddess herbs (also from the spice house), white balsamic, olive oil, and a little TJ's reduced fat mayo- all mixed together... dressing needs some work, i'm not gonna lie. but, this salad isn't destined for top chef, it's utilitarian in nature- fill yr belly & clean out yr fridge.

crunchy southern eats.
 i titled this photo, crunchy southern eats, because my latest tryst to chicago reintroduced some long lost lingo back into my vocabulary. for example, crunchy, as in hippie, as in vegetarian. so, my latest dinner was southern veg (an oxymoron of sorts, i'm aware). and, it featured these rock stars: bbq tempeh, ginger-sweet potato mash, brussel sprouts and pea shoots (lightly sauteed in olive oil, finished with lemon juice, and a a pinch of cumin and garlic seasoning). 

red peppers in a white bowl.

my next dinner will feature these bad boys, as stuffed peppers. stay tuned.