Simple Salad Dressing

I found this gem while looking for coupons in Whole Foods "Whole Deal" coupon booklet (that they conveniently only have AFTER the checkout, so you have to really try to get coupons for your current visit).

Ingredients
1 clove garlic or small shallot, finely chopped (I used garlic, because that's what I had on hand, but will use a shallot next time I can get my hands on one)
1 teaspoon 365 Everyday Value Organic Dijon Mustard 1/4 cup white or red wine vinegar  (I used red wine, but may try apple cider next time)


1/2 cup 365 Everyday Value Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh herbs (chives, chervil, parsley or dill) (dried works in a pinch, but fresh is better)
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 


Method
Put garlic or shallot into a bowl with mustard. 


Whisk in vinegar, and then oil. 

Stir in herbs and season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Find the original recipe and variations here.

Veggie Pesto Panini

I saw a recipe in Vegetarian Times, but I wasn't a fan of many of the ingredients - mayo, olive tapenade, and others. But I liked the basic idea. So I rummaged through the fridge to see what I could find, and I came up with a splendidly yummy sandwich!



Ingredients
Fresh asiago bread
1 can chickpeas, mashed
1 large golden beet, thinly sliced
1 large granny smith apple, thinly sliced
Swiss cheese
Basil pesto
Arugula

1. Spread the chickpeas on slices of bread. Top with slices of beet, apple, and cheese.
2. Spread a small amount of pesto on the cheese and top with arugula.
3. Make the sandwich and heat on a small grill or panini press, or in a pan with a small amount of oil.

Mmmmmm....

Wine of the Week - First Drop 2009 Half & Half Shiraz-Monastrell

This week's wine is a 50/50 blend of Shiraz and Monastrell from the Barossa Valley of Australia.
On the nose, there's strawberry and cheese funk, as well as something earthy - a little like broccoli.
Nice and acidic on the tongue.  Earthiness carries over from the nose and ends up tasting a little like tree bark. Also some spice, in particular nutmeg.  I detected a little bit of green olive too.
Definitely recommended.
14.5% alcohol

Blueberry Raspberry Flax Maple Steel Cut Oats

The name literally says it all. This recipe makes enough for 4 servings, so you can have extra in the fridge for later in the week. I like to make it ahead of time, since it takes 30+ minutes. If you do, 2 minutes in the microwave is all it takes to have a hot breakfast. You can use any kind of milk you'd like, or only water

Ingredients:
1 cup steel cut oats
2 cups almond milk
2 cups water
1 cup blueberries
1 cup raspberries
3 Tablespoons maple syrup
2 Tablespoons ground flax seeds

Put everything in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Then simmer for 25-30 minutes. If your flax seeds are raw, you can add them after the oats are cooked to get all of the flaxy goodness out of them. If they're toasted, add them whenever.

Orange-glazed beets

Thumbing through my BHG cookbook, I came across this recipe and realize I've never made anything with golden beets before! I love beets, so it's time to start!



Ingredients
4 golden beets
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp shredded orange peel (see my instructions here!)
1 cup orange juice

1. Drop beets in a pot of boiling water - don't peel them first! Boil for about 25 minutes.
2. In a small pot, melt butter, then mix in sugar and cornstarch, then orange peel and juice.
3. Remove beets from water and slip off the skin. Slice, and drown in in the sugar mix.

I served this with my Apple rice salad.