Spicy Shrimp Stuffed Avocados

Writing about our recent trip to Paris has made me crave some of the foods we enjoyed whilst there. On our first night, after our tour of Montmartre, we were cold and tired and hungry. Luckily, there were dozens of restaurants near our apartment. We chose one at random (I wish I remembered the name), and had a great meal.

But it was our appetizer that really stuck in my brain and just won't get out. It was creamy, a little bit spicy, and absolutely de-lish. Of course I had to recreate it!

Nom nom nom nom nom!

I love avocado anything, so this totally appealed to me. Shrimp salad stuffed inside an avocado? Heck yes! The nice thing is that you could serve this as an appetizer, but it makes a great main dish as well. The Hubs and I ate it for dinner.

I will forewarn you: This recipe is complicated. BUT, you can take some shortcuts that actually make the recipe extremely simple. For example, you can buy your shrimp already cooked. And you can use regular mayonnaise and simply add the spice to it, rather than making your own. So don't be scared, ok?

Ok, let's get this party started!

Cooking the shrimp

We'll begin by cooking the shrimp. If you choose, you can buy your shrimp pre-cooked and skip this step. I think they taste better when you do it yourself, though.

So, add 1 thinly sliced lemon, ½ thinly sliced sweet onion, and 2 tablespoons of Old Bay seasoning to a large pot of water. Bring it to a boil. Allow to boil for 5 minutes, then add 2 pounds of uncooked shrimp with the shells on (cooking with the shells adds extra flavor). Continue to boil for 4-6 minutes, until the shrimp are done. Then immediately plunge the shrimp into an ice bath. This stops the cooking process. You don't want your shrimp to become overcooked and rubbery.

When the shrimp have cooled sufficiently, you can peel them and set them aside for later use.

Next, we'll make our mayo. Again, you could purchase regular mayo and add seasoning to it rather than making your own. But it won't taste quite the same. And this isn't as hard as you think it is, I promise! Here's what you need:

Spicy mayonnaise ingredients 

As usual, I forgot an ingredient in the picture. Whoopsie! (You also need 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce). I highly recommend the use of a food processor for this task. You can make this with an immersion blender as well, or the really brave can whisk by hand. But that adds unnecessary difficulties to your life.

To your food processor add 1 teaspoon of paprika, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, 1 large egg (at room temperature, very important!), 2 egg yolks (also at room temperature), ½ teaspoon dijon mustard, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. Whirl it all around until the mixture is nice and creamy.

Here is my best advice for making mayo… first, make sure your ingredients are as fresh as possible. Don't use old eggs. Second, make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature before you begin. And third, when you begin adding the oil (next step), do it as slowly as possible.

Like, it's ok if this next step takes you 5 minutes or more.

With your food processor whirring away, slowly slowly drizzle in 1 ½ cups of canola oil. Begin by barely dripping the oil into the mixture. If the oil doesn't properly incorporate, then your mayonnaise will break. That is no good, my friends. As you drizzle in the oil, you'll notice your mixture thickening. This is good! Once you've added all of the oil, your mayo will look something like this:

Spicy mayonnaise

Yum! Again, you could always spice up the mayo you already have in your fridge. But once you try this, you'll see how easy it really is and you'll never go back. The depth of flavor is worth it.

You're almost done now… Add 1 cup of the spicy mayo to your shrimp. The mayo actually yields about 1 ¾ cups, so I save the extra and use it on sandwiches during the week. You can also drizzle a bit extra over your dish once it's complete, if you'd like a little more sauce. Also stir in 1 diced bell pepper, 2 stalks of diced celery, and 1 finely minced shallot.

The rest is all assembly. Cut your avocados in half and remove the pits, then gently scoop out the pulp in one piece. I totally should have taken pictures of this process, but I was so excited to eat that I forgot! Luckily, Real Simple has an easy tutorial you can follow.

Fill the hole left by the pit in your avocado with the shrimp salad. Put a big old heaping scoop in there! Sprinkle a little cilantro on top, and serve with a salad on the side. My salad contained some spring mix, grape tomatoes, and radishes. Add a lemon wedge to the plate too.

Mmmmmm….. you're all ready to eat! Slice up your avocado and eat with the salad, squeezing the lemon wedge over the top of everything.

I'm so happy I can take myself back to Paris with just a bite of this dish. As always, the standard recipe is below. I'll be back soon with more tales of our adventures in the City of Lights. Until next time, happy cooking!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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Spicy Shrimp Stuffed Avocados

Ingredients:

For the shrimp:

2  lbs. uncooked shrimp, shell on

1 lemon, thinly sliced

½ sweet onion, sliced

2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning

2 stalks celery, finely diced

1 small shallot, minced

1 red pepper, finely diced

For the spicy mayo: (all ingredients must be at room temperature)

1 teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 chipotle pepper in adobo

1 large egg

2 egg yolks

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

¼ teaspoon salt

2  tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 ½ cups organic canola oil

To serve:

4 avocados

2 pints grape tomatoes

Spring mix

1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges

1 bunch radishes, julienned

4 tablespoons cilantro, for garnish

Directions:

To cook the shrimp: Add 1 lemon (thinly sliced), ½ sweet onion (thinly sliced), and 2 tablespoons of Old Bay seasoning to a large pot of water. Bring water to a rolling boil. Allow to boil 5 minutes, then add the shrimp to the pot. Boil for 4-6 minutes, until the shrimp are done. Remove immediately and plunge into an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Once the shrimp has cooled, peel and set aside for later use.

To make the spicy mayo: Add all the ingredients except the oil to a food processor. Blend until smooth. With the food processor running, very slowly drizzle in the oil. It should take at least 5 minutes to drizzle in all of the oil. If this is done too quickly, then the mayo will not emulsify and it will break. Whir in the food processor until creamy.

For the shrimp salad: Mix the cooked and cooled shrimp with one cup of the spicy mayonnaise (save the remainder of the mayonnaise for use on sandwiches, etc). Stir in the red bell pepper, celery, and shallot. Set aside.

To assemble: Slice the avocados in half and remove the pit. Gently run a spoon around the edges of the avocado and scoop out the pulp in one solid piece. Place on a plate and fill the hole in the avocado with shrimp salad to overflowing. Sprinkle cilantro on top of the shrimp salad. Garnish the plate with a small salad of spring mix, grape tomatoes, and radish. Serve with a lemon wedge (this should be squeezed over the avocado and salad. They should be eaten together). 

Creamy Lemon Parmesan Dressing

With spring turning to summer, I've been searching out recipes that don't require the use of my oven. So far, this means a lot of salads and sandwiches, and crockpot meals. Since I'm also on a quest to make things from scratch, I decided to try my hand at salad dressing. Aaaaaannnnnnnnnd, I had some fresh lemons going bad.

Hence how this lemon parmesan dressing came to be. 

Here's the thing about homemade salad dressings: they're best served fresh, and they don't keep very long in the fridge. Without all the chemicals and preservatives in them, it's not safe to store these in your fridge for more than a day, maybe two. That's why I kept this recipe small. After mixing, this will dress  4-6 salads, depending on size. If you need less, simply halve the recipe. 

The ingredients

I almost always have these ingredients on hand. I like acidic, fresh dressing on my salad. I'm definitely not a ranch dressing person (unlike the Hubs). BUT, even the Hubs liked this, so I figured that made the recipe ready to share with you. 

 Are you ready for how simple this is? Ok. 

Whisk together ½ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, ½ teaspoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, 1 clove finely minced garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. 

Are you good so far? Ok. 

To that mixture, slowly pour in 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, whisking the entire time. Once combined, stir in ⅓ cup finely grated parmesan cheese. 

That's it. Seriously. 

Serve over your favorite salad fixings. Ta da! 

Even the Hubs can make this. I especially like this over a salad of fresh greens with sweet corn, avocado, tomato, green pepper, and chicken. Nom nom nom… 

I'll be back again soon with more summer friendly recipes. Until then, happy cooking! 

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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Hard Rock Chicken Salad

Several years ago, I ate at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square with my pal, Becky. That's right, people… I said years. When it comes to food, I always remember the good stuff.

While there, I chowed down on what I assumed would be a basic chicken salad. Instead, I received a sandwich that has stayed in my memory for so long, I now have to recreate it. Luckily, I was smart enough to take a picture of the menu description, whew! So I had a basic idea of what was needed for this beauty.

The menu description stated, "Poached chicken with celery and green onions, in a light citrus mayo with dijon and dill. Served on a toasted hoagie with spring mix, cranberries, and goat cheese".

I totally got this!

I started with the citrus mayo. Easy peasy, people.

Citrus mayo ingrediente 

Naturally, I forgot one ingredient in the picture above. Pretend there's salt in there, ok?

To make the citrus mayo, mix together ¾ cup mayonnaise with 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice, ½ teaspoon orange zest, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. You could throw in a little lemon zest too, if you wanted. I just like the orange flavor a bit more. Sometimes I zest a little of both.

And that's it! See how simple that was? Now on to the chicken itself.

Start with 3 cups of cooked, diced chicken breast. I poached my chicken in the crockpot, because it is way too hot to turn on my oven right now. You can cook yours any way you like, but I love how moist and juicy poached chicken is.

How to poach chicken in a crockpot

 To your diced chicken, we're going to mix in a few things...

To the chicken, add the citrus mayo, 2 stalks of diced celery, 2 tablespoons minced green onions (just the green part), ¼ cup dried cranberries, and ¼ cup of chopped, honey roasted pecans. Your chicken salad should look a little bit like this:

At this point, chill the salad until you're ready to serve it. When you're ready to make sandwiches, we'll add a few more things.

I really want a sandwich now. Seriously might need to raid my fridge.

So.

Slice your bread roll in half. I prefer a crustier bread roll, definitely not plain sandwich bread. Look for kaiser or onion rolls, or maybe ciabatta bread. Yum. 

Add a little mayo to the top piece of bread. You can also add dijon to the bottom piece, but I found this to be overwhelming. If you want my advice, don't do it. But if you really want to… well, it's your sandwich.

Pile some of the chicken salad on the bottom half of your bread (this should make 4 sandwiches). Sprinkle about 1 ounce of crumbled goat cheese on top, and then about ½ teaspoon of fresh dill. Top with a bit of spring mix and the other side of the bun, and viola! Hard Rock Chicken Salad Sandwich.

Basic, simple, tasty, and perfect for that summer heat. Serve with some fresh fruit or a green salad. Later this week, I'll show you an easy recipe for creamy lemon salad dressing… it would go great with on a side salad for this sandwich!

What are your favorite recipes to beat the heat? Comment below with your favorites, or send me your pins. I love testing out new things.

Until next time, happy cooking!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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or on Pinterest, my newest obsession @ ArmyLifeFromTheWife

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The Standard Form:

Hard Rock Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

3 cups poached chicken, diced

Citrus mayo (recipe below)

2 stalks celery, diced small

2 tablespoons green onion, minced

¼ cup dried cranberries

¼ cup honey roasted pecans, chopped 

4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

2 teaspoons fresh dill (about 2 sprigs)

Spring mix, for garnish

4 rolls, such as Ciabatta or Kaiser

Directions:

Combine the poached chicken with the citrus mayo, celery, green onion, cranberries, and pecans. Stir until well combined. Chill 1 hour before serving.

To serve, slice the bread rolls in half. Spread one side with a thin layer of additional mayo, or Dijon if desired. Mound chicken salad on the bottom half of the bread. Top the salad with 1 oz. crumbled goat cheese, ½  teaspoon of fresh dill, and spring mix. Add top piece of bread. Serve with a green salad.

For the citrus mayo: Combine ¾ cup mayonnaise with 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, 3 tablespoons fresh-squeezed orange juice, ½ teaspoon orange zest, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.  

Guest Post: Roasted Vegetable Couscous

I've been searching for a new guest blogger for a while now, and I finally found a willing participant!

Okaaaaaaaaay.... She may not have been willing at first, but I nagged her into it. Whatever works, people. (Also, if you'd like to guest blog without me nagging you, feel free to email me anytime with your ideas).

So, who is this person, you wonder? Well, she is a new addition to my army family, a fellow spouse. We met late last year as our husbands prepared for a deployment together. I love her approach to life (and the ups and downs of deployment), and I bet you will too.

Several wives in our circle decided to form a weekly dinner group. Each week, one wife will cook a meal and have all of the other wives over to eat, drink, and have fun. The next week is someone else's turn. And so on and so forth.

Hence (love that word!), you prepare dinner only once a month or so, but you enjoy a home-cooked meal every week.

This is totally working out for us. Not only do we enjoy each other's company, but we're all trying new food that we didn't have to cook ourselves. It's a pretty sweet deal.

On Michele's week to cook (our guest blogger), she made us a variation on a pasta salad recipe she discovered. It turned out so good, I snapped a picture with my cell phone before I dug in for seconds:

Later that week, I made the recipe at home, because I couldn't stop thinking about it.

And so did another wife!

Now that you know you can't live without this recipe, here is Michele with her first ever guest post (yay!):

OK, so since my husband left on deployment, I’ve taken the opportunity to make myself useful in the kitchen.  See, around our house, he was the cook.  With him gone, it was either spend a lot of money eating takeout all the time or cook for myself.  

Now, I’m not going to misrepresent myself as a master chef, but I can follow a recipe like a pro!  In fact, scouring the web for recipes is one of my favorite pastimes.  

The hubby is your typical meat and potatoes kind of guy.  

Don’t get me wrong...  The smell of his rib eye steak on the grill always gets my mouth watering.  

However, in an effort to take better care of myself by hitting the gym daily and eating well, I’ve been doing all sorts of research.  I’m leaning more towards vegetarianism and a trend called clean eating.  It focuses on fresh foods and good, lean quality proteins.  

In my travels around the internet I found a recipe for a Roasted Vegetables & Goat Cheese Pasta Salad on the Clean Eating Magazine site.  I liked the idea of a cold pasta salad since our kitchen heats up quickly, but wanted to switch the typical noodles with something else.  

I found the recipe very versatile because I can use any organic vegetables that are in season and make this meal throughout the year.  I modified the recipe to my taste and got to experimenting.  This is how my recipe turned out:

2 cups of uncooked Israeli couscous

1 each of red pepper, yellow pepper, orange pepper, sliced into bite size pieces

1 red onion, sliced into bite size pieces

1 zucchini, sliced into bite size pieces

1 package of cherry tomatoes cut in halves

1 clove of garlic (can be minced or whole)

2 tablespoons (more or less) of extra-virgin olive oil

1 bunch of chopped chives (white & green parts)

½ bunch of fresh parsley

1 bunch of fresh basil

½ cup of white wine vinegar

For serving:

Goat cheese

Feta cheese

Pine nuts, toasted

Pumpkin seeds

Cook the couscous as directed on the package. (Note: There are many different types of couscous , and they will all work for this recipe).

Roast the peppers, red onion, and zucchini in an oven at 350F for about 15 minutes.  I usually put foil on a cookie sheet, spread the veggies out in a single layer and drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper if desired.  Keep an eye on the veggies around 10 minutes in as the cooking times do vary based on the type of vegetable.  Roast them to your desired tenderness.  

Photos courtesy of Army Life

In a blender, combine the garlic, chopped chives, parsley, basil, and white wine vinegar.  As this is mixing, slowly add in the olive oil through the top of the blender and enjoy the smell of that earthy, fresh basil.  I didn’t actually measure out 2 tablespoons of oil, I just added until it got to a consistency I liked.  

Combine the couscous, roasted vegetables, raw cherry tomatoes, and vinaigrette in a large bowl.  To serve, top the salad with soft, crumbled goat cheese or tart feta cheese and the toasted pine nuts or pumpkin seeds and chow down! 

Below are several photos from the various wives who have already tested out this recipe:

Happy cooking, my friends! I hope you enjoyed this guest post by Michele, a fellow spouse and great friend... if you make this recipe, let us know in the comments how yours turned out and what changes you made to suit your tastes.

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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"Cooking" for One

"Cooking" for one.... wondering why the 'cooking' is in quotes? Well, I'll tell ya. Technically, I don't think this recipe counts as official cooking. Sure, it's completely delicious. But something this simple, this easy... it couldn't possibly fall into the 'cooking' category.

Could it?

Well, I'll let you decide for yourself.

When the Hubs is away, mealtime warps into something sad. Cooking for yourself isn't that much fun; I much prefer having company. Most recipes are a 4-serving size... not so bad when there are two of you.  That means a great dinner on Monday, plus a Tuesday of no-cooking while you enjoy the leftovers.

BUT, if you're only cooking for yourself? I get pretty tired of lasagna (or whatever) after the first two days. On Wednesday, that still leaves several days of uneaten lasagna in my fridge. Not cool.

Unfortunately, the military life basically guarantees that, as a spouse, you will spend many nights alone. Those are the breaks, and we all knew what we were getting into. I used to fall back on old standbys for dinner... like Wendy's. Or take-out Chinese. Lean Cuisine. If you're a spouse, you know what I'm talking about! The quick and easy, anything that won't create too many unsightly leftovers in the fridge.

Lucky for you, I've seen the light! There is another way, I promise you. And because I love all y'all invisible internet people, I'm going to let you in on the secret (Woo, my southern is really coming out today!).

The secret is this: Simple, flavorful meals. Ones with small serving sizes, or ones that freeze easily. Today I'm going to share another quickie recipe with you. It's great for lunch or dinner. Plus, you can customize the portion. Just you tonight? No problem, this easily makes one. Having a friend over? No worries! Just as easy to make another.

Drum roll please......

Strawberry Balsamic Chicken Salad Sandwich!

Man, that title is way long. What about Chicken Salad Sandwich? What about Strawberry Chicken Sandwich? How about just Sandwich? Or 'Wich?

I'm obviously having an identity crisis.

Whatever its name, this sandwich is super simple to make. You can be eating in less than 10 minutes if you so choose.

I so choose.

Here are your basic ingredients:

As you can tell, I was quite lazy with the 'chicken salad' part. If you want to make your own chicken salad, go for it! I do that sometimes too. But it's so easy to keep a container on hand, especially if the Hubs is gone. Simple is better for me in those times.

If you like the simple too, you can find this great chicken salad at a Target Superstore. I heart Target Superstores, seriously.

Mmmmmmmm..... it's magically delicious.

Ahem. Ok. Now that I've wiped away a little bit of drool, we can get serious. Start with your rolls, or ciabatta, or whatever bread-type substance you desire. I use club rolls (also from Target, bakery section).

I toast my bread first. You can pop it in your toaster, throw it under the broiler, or toast it in a skillet. I go for the broiler method so my bread only toasts on one side. Super simple... just spray your bread with a little non-stick cooking spray and toss it under the broiler for a few minutes. Keep an eye on it to prevent burning (been there, done that!), and pull it out at your desired level of brownness.

I can't believe I just spent a paragraph explaining how to toast bread. It's been a long day.

From there, build your sandwich! I have a little secret to tell you... before adding your preferred greens (I go for the spring mix or arugula usually), use a teeny, tiny shmear of the chicken salad on one half of the bread. This acts a little like glue, so when your greens are placed on top they don't squish around and out of the bread. Drives me crazy when that happens!

So, shmear of chicken salad. Then your greens. Next, a healthy pile of sliced strawberries...

Say what?! 


You heard me! I don't care how crazy it sounds, I don't care if it's the last thing you would ever put on chicken salad. Trust me. You won't regret it. And if you do happen to regret it (which won't happen!), it's a sandwich, people. Pull off the strawberries, moosh your bread back together, and keep on eating.

Now that we're past the difficult part... add a nice dollop of chicken salad on top of the strawberries. Prepare yourself, because we're about to add another mystery ingredient. The strawberries need a little somethin' somethin' to compliment their deliciousness...

If you've kept up with your reading, you'll know I've used this before. Quite recently, in fact. I also found this at Target, but if there isn't one near you, Amazon also carries this particular balsamic glaze. Or, you can make your own by reducing a bit of balsamic vinegar. For another quickie meal (easily customizable for one), think back to my Watermelon and Arugula Salad. This glaze is so useful!

ANYWHO... onward. Drizzle your sandwich with a bit of glaze (ok, I like a lot!). Top with the other bread half. And... viola!

A fun and creative dinner/lunch for one. Serve with a side of raw vegetables, fruit, or mac-n-cheese if that's your style! I went for some baby black corinth grapes, just because they were so cute and tiny.

What kind of meals do you make when your Hubs is away? More coming soon from my kitchen to yours...

Another Quickie: Watermelon and Arugula Salad

Ever have those days when nothing goes right and everything is a mess? Well, this was that week. The Hubs and I are running in circles, it seems. One car gets fixed, the other breaks down. One bill gets paid, then another pops up (ok, so that's normal!)... but you get my point.

On days (or weeks) like this, you just wanna curl up on the couch, close your eyes, and wish the world away for a while.

I suppose I could do that. But who would walk the dog? Or pay the bills? Or cook dinner? I'd starve to death before anyone (ahem, the Hubs) stepped forward to cook something besides Spaghetti-O's.

From this, I've learned to take my moments of peace where I can get them, and to make them count. Dinner simmering on the stove? Good time for a quick meditation. Walking the dog? This equals a nice conversational interlude with the Hubs.

For those nights when a spare moment is few and far between, I compensate with cutting back on my cook time. Not by making Spaghetti-O's, although I'm sure the Hubs would love it, but by flipping through my stack of go-to, quick and simple meals.

Watermelon and Arugula Salad

This particular salad speaks to me. It's full of greens and fruit, and one of my favorites.... feta cheese. Best of all, you can be eating dinner in about 10 minutes, from start to finish.

The ingredients are basic, and customizable to your taste:

I like arugula as my greens in this dish, because it has a peppery flavor that's a nice contrast to the sweeter fruit. If you like spinach or spring mix instead? Try it out, see which you prefer. I like to encourage experimenting with your cooking. Truly, it's the best way to learn and discover your tastes.

So, if you're like me, start with a base of arugula on your plate. I drizzle with balsamic at the end, but you'll notice a second dressing in the picture above. I've used it here as an example, a way to really make this dish your own. If you prefer, lightly toss the greens with your favorite vinaigrette. I dressed the Hubs' salad with one, and mine with the other. Both were yummily!

Once your plate is covered with an ample amount of greens, add the watermelon. You can buy a knife like the one above in several places, but I found this one at Walmart for about $5. Chop your melon into bite-sized pieces, then distribute over your greens.

In addition to the watermelon, I add blueberries if I have them on hand. If you don't have any handy (or just don't like them), no worries... the salad is delicious with just the watermelon! Do you prefer strawberries instead? Go for it!

A handy tip: don't put too much of any one fruit on your salad... try to remember how many toppings you're adding, and adjust your quantities accordingly. If I put half the watermelon on my salad before adding blueberries, there wouldn't be enough greens to support so much fruit ( a mistake I commonly make).

After the fruit comes the cheese...

Mmmmmm..... I adore feta cheese. This is another staple in our fridge, I almost always have it on hand.  In particular, I prefer the Athenos brand. I've tried others, but the flavor and texture are not the same, at all. Trust me on this. Go get some Athenos today.

Sprinkle the yummy, scrumptious, fantastic cheese over your salad. Try to keep the balance between the fruit and cheese. Feta adds a nice salty note to your salad. It matches well with the sweet and peppery flavors already on your plate.

Naturally, I left one item out of the ingredients picture. I wouldn't be me if I hadn't forgotten, you know this! So, after the greens, and the fruit, and the feta, we need some crunchy. Without the crunchy, this salad is good but it lacks a certain... crunch. I have such a way with words, don't I?

You can use different elements here, depending on your taste. The Hubs and I went for chopped pecans. You could also use walnuts, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, etc. The choice is up to you. Just don't forget The Crunch. Mega important ingredient, people! Don't be like me.

You're almost done now. If you didn't toss your greens earlier, then we need a little dressing. I've been a bit obsessed lately with balsamic reductions. However, I'm not the least bit interested in making them myself. Instead, I found this little beauty which suits all my balsamic needs:

Yum.

Let me just say that again... yum yum yum yum.

This isn't an easy item to find, but my local Target carries it. You can order it here on Amazon, but I paid only half that at the store. So check your local grocery first. If you can't find it at all, or you don't want to pay double for the online item, then you can use a different dressing on your greens or make the reduction yourself. Remember, this recipe is adaptable to you! A balsamic vinaigrette would be just as delicious.

So, simply drizzle your dressing over the salad, and viola! Dinner in 10 minutes. Let's be honest, it probably took longer to read this recipe than it did to actually make the salad!

Pick up that first forkful, close your eyes, and enjoy. The pepper of the arugula and the sweet of the fruit combine in perfect harmony with the salty feta and the tang of balsamic. And don't forget the all-important crunch! Divine.

Happy cooking, my friends. And yes... salad still counts as 'cooking', especially this week.

What are your favorite recipes for those weeks when everything is a mess? I'd love to hear from you!



The Standard Form:


* There are no measurements for this recipe, as all quantities are based on taste *

Watermelon and Arugula Salad

Ingredients:

Arugula greens

Chopped Watermelon

Blueberries

Feta Cheese

Chopped Pecans

Balsamic Glaze

Directions:

Spread the greens evenly over your plate. Top with the chopped watermelon, and then the blueberries. Sprinkle with pecans and feta cheese. Drizzle with balsamic glaze. Enjoy!

Vacation from Vacation

Oh, New York... I miss you already. I miss the sights, the smells, and by golly, I miss the food! I've been traveling for the past several months, so it's a bit hard to keep up my blogging. I'm ashamed. Really, I am.

Ok, not so much. You know me too well for that. It's hard to be ashamed of my slovenly ways when I'm out trotting the globe. From Ireland to Virginia,  from Virginia to Texas, and then Texas to the Caribbean! (oh my!) Life has been one adventure after another for the past several months.

But, at long last, the Hubs and I are back home. While we enjoyed ourselves immensely on this last trip, I need a vacation from vacation, seriously. For the next two weeks, I'll be reorganizing our space, doing the shopping and cleaning, and of course I'll be sorting photos to post here with all the details of my trips. Ireland is next on zee list! (Insert shouts of joy here from my captive audience? Maybe not). Here's a little sneak peak:

Glendalough, Ireland 

As much as I love it, returning home from vacation is always bittersweet. I love our home, and I love being here. Then again, I also love clear blue water and a margarita in my hand... but alas, vacation cannot last forever. And in the time we're away, things have started to pile up. Like laundry. And bills. And a thousand seemingly unimportant things which are suddenly screaming for attention. Not to mention the empty refrigerator, which the Hubs practically considers a sacrilege.

Of course, the last thing I want to do is cook right when we've returned home from a long vacation. But, I also don't want to eat any more takeout. I get enough of that while on vacation. Kinda stuck between a rock and a hard place, right?

Wrong, wrong, wrong. Despite my lack of cooking desire, there are a few dishes which won't overtax my vacation-lulled brain. Soup and salad rank uber-high on this particular list. If you're really not up to any form of cooking, I guess you can just open a can of whatever. OR, you could try out this super simple, super delicious creamy onion soup.

For all my onion hater friends out there? Just picture me sticking my tongue out at you, blowing some raspberries, and then walking away. This always makes me feel better. After that, make some salad sans the soup. I forgive you for your food prejudice, truly.

Creamy onion soup

I love this soup.

Let me just say that again. I LOVE this soup! So does the Hubs, which is always a good thing. It's relatively quick, inexpensive, and hits the spot after a long day. In fact, we love this soup so much, I usually make a double batch and freeze part of it for our next craving.

I'm bringing the final version of the soup here to you. It's been through several reincarnations as I searched for just the right balance of flavors. Now, it is (a) Perfect. (b) Extraordinary. (c) Outrageously good. (d) All of the above.

The answer would be (d) All of the above.

The ingredients needed aren't fancy, and they allow for substitutions if necessary.

Ingredients

When we've just returned from an extended stay away, my first grocery trip is usually short and sweet and to the point. I sweep through produce and dairy, then I'm at the cash registers. I only want enough food to survive our first few days before I make my normal sized haul.

Staples like flour, butter, chicken broth, bacon, and spices are always at my disposal. If you don't already keep certain items on hand, then I have a tip: Keep a package of bacon handy in your freezer. Not only can it stand alone, but it's great with eggs, slapped on a grilled cheese, or makes a quick BLT (plus a zillion other things). Bacon is definitely one of my staple items.

As I breeze through produce, I snag a bag of yellow onions (not the sweet ones, just plain yellow!) and some fresh thyme. You can use dried thyme, no problem. But I especially love fresh herbs when I have them, and since I'm stopping in the produce section anyway.... well, you see my point.

 
These particular herbs are my favorite. The thyme is actually still growing inside a little pot within that package! It doesn't get much fresher than that, unless you're plucking right from your own garden.

After produce, grab some milk or half-n-half, or even heavy cream. This all depends on your taste buds and how many calories you want in your final soup product. The Hubs and I have eaten this soup with all of the choices at different times, and they all work. My only suggestion? If you're using milk, then use whole milk. Anything less seems too runny, and the flavor of the soup suffers a bit. I prefer the whole milk (not as rich as the heavy cream, and way less calories), so that's what we used this time.

Once you get home from that quick grocery stop, your first step is to give your onions (about 4 or 5 of them) a rough chop. Don't get too fancy with your knife work, just make sure the pieces are all fairly similar in size, like this:

Everything else is a breeze from here. Chop five slices of bacon into 1-inch pieces, then add those to your soup pot over medium heat (For my vegetarian friends out there, no worries. You can skip this step and just head on to the next). Let the bacon cook for a bit, but don't let it get crispy, just enough to render the fat. Next, slide your onions into the pot with 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter.

You want to let the onions cook down slowly, becoming nice and soft. This takes about 15-20 minutes.  But it's not hard, I promise! You can do lots of other things while the onions cook, only be sure to give them a quick stir once in a while.

When the onions are translucent and just start to brown, you know they're done. Your pot should look a little something like this (maybe a little more brown, I was quick with the camera):

At this point, you want to turn down the heat to medium-low and add 4 tablespoons of flour into the mix. Stir it around to dissolve. Fair warning: this looks pretty goopy and gross while you're doing it, but it is all good. The flour and butter are going to combine, and this is what will thicken your soup as you add liquid.

Once the flour is all mixed in, you can slowly stir in the chicken broth, 4 cups. I sometimes use a bit more if I need to finish the end of a can, so you don't need to be too exact. If you keep chicken stock on hand that's even better, but I always have cans in the pantry as part of my staples.

Along with the broth, you want to add 1 bay leaf, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon basil, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the fresh thyme, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and a dash of cayenne pepper. Also, add a bit of salt to your taste. Stir the soup well, inhale the aroma, and let it simmer for 25 minutes.

This sounds like a like long time, I know. Especially when you're making 'just home from vacation food'. But, you could consider this a great opportunity to empty your suitcase and start a load of laundry!

Or, you could always crash on the couch and catch up on your favorite DVRed shows.

I went with option #2. Obviously.

Here's what my soup looked like as it simmered:

After your simmer time and an episode of the Real Housewives, remove the bay leaf from your pot. The soup mix should have thickened some by now, and your house should smell heavenly. It's time to stir in either your cream, half-n-half, or whole milk, about 2 cups worth.

It will only take a few minutes for the soup to warm through. Be sure the temperature of your soup is hot before the final step, an addition of cheese. I normally use a mix of Parmesan and Asiago, but either/or is fine. Asiago isn't easy to come by out here, so often times I only use the Parmesan. The most important thing is: Grate the cheese yourself! 

I have a handy dandy rotary grater, like the ones you see at Olive Garden, which are perfect for hard cheeses like Parmesan. Until you've grated for yourself, you can't understand what a huge difference it makes to your cooking. Those pre-shredded bags of cheese are coated with cornstarch to keep them fresher longer. All of those additives really change the flavor and texture of your meals. Trust me here, you won't regret it.

So, once your soup is toasty warm, stir 1 or 1.5 cups of cheese into the mix. Add slowly and taste as you go! Keep stirring until all of the cheese is melted. Give the soup a quick sample and adjust your seasoning as necessary. Then...

Viola! You are ready to eat.

If you're like the Hubs and myself, you won't have any leftovers. Serve with thick, crusty bread for dipping and a side salad.

What are your favorite, I-just-came-home-from-vacation meals? Lately, it feels as if these are the only meals I'm eating. Now that we're home, I'm excited to start cooking again. I'll be bringing you some of my tales from Ireland soon, and hopefully some new recipes to go with it!

Happy cooking!



The Standard Form:
 

 Creamy Onion Soup

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 slices bacon, chopped into 1” pieces

4 large yellow onions (not Vidalia), coarsely chopped

6 tablespoons flour

4 cups chicken broth

½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon basil

Dash cayenne pepper

1 bay leaf

1.5 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

Salt, to taste

2 cups heavy cream, half and half, or whole milk

1 cup Parmesan or Asiago cheese, fresh grated

Directions:

Add the bacon pieces to a soup pot over medium heat. Cook for a few minutes, and allow the fat to render, cooking until almost crisp. Add the onions and butter to the pot, and sauté 10-20 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are transparent and just begin to brown. Scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pot, stirring well.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the flour to the onions. Stir to dissolve.

Stir in the chicken broth, black pepper, paprika, basil, cayenne pepper, bay leaf, fresh thyme, and salt. Stir to combine, and bring to a simmer.

Simmer 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender and the mixture thickens a bit.

Remove the bay leaf from the pot, then stir in the cream/milk. Heat through before adding the Parmesan cheese. Stir to melt.

Taste for seasoning, salt if necessary. Serve with thick pieces of bread for dipping.