"winter" green salad {tampa food photographer}

i'm smitten with this salad. i've gotta admit, i thought collard greens for a salad was odd (not to mention kale, cabbage, and so on...), but the combination of the variety of greens and vegetables and this amazing dressing adds up to delightful. it's called "winter salad," but i'm thinking spring and summer are calling for this as well. (mmm... gonna go make us some...) 

 did i intrigue your taste buds?  tempt your appetite?  find the recipe here.

you're welcome.  :)

"refreshing sweet and spicy jicama salad" {vegan recipe}

i. love. jicama. so does he:

 in case you're wondering, even though it has a crunchy, sweet, and starchy flavor profile, it's low in calories, high in fiber, and contains vitamin C and lots of other nutrients! 

i'm not gonna lie - before it's prepared, it's big and ugly and brown, and it's a pain in the neck to peel.  but once you get through that rough, tough, inedible skin, you find a yum-town crunchy snack that is delicious with almond butter slathered on it, and oh-so-good julienned as a slaw.

let's be honest - i used the food processor to get mine all slivered, but it tasted perfectly delicious without all the painstaking labor.  so there.

this recipe was shared by lindsey-lou at allrecipes.com.  it's a hot & spicy, but bright and juicy, jicama salad.

i paired it with a chipotle pork tenderloin, but i think it would be really good topped with southwestern grilled chicken as a main-dish salad, as well.

my sweet e. added some lime zest and the zest from the orange, and that really made the dish!

always use fresh citrus juice when you can.  more nutritious and much yummier.

love me some fresh cilantro.

toss... and enjoy!

let us know if you try this dish.  whatcha think?

famous greek salads {tampa food photographer}

There's a lovely little Greek place not far from our house, and we visited today to feature them for the column we write for a local family magazine. I thoroughly enjoyed the hummus and tzatziki sauces, and the Greek Salad was to-die-for. I tried Souvlaki for the first time, and it's going on the menu for next week... it's that good. I'm thinking I'll try this recipe, because it looks lonely and needs to be featured! I also splurged and tried both the baklava and the baklava cheesecake (I know, right?!), and I think I'll ask my baking son to try his hand at the iconic Greek dessert; he picked out this one. 

Here are the samplings we had today at Clearwater's Famous Greek Salads. We'll post updates when we make our own!! 

pita points with tzatziki and hummus (and in the background, the best spanakopita i've had...):

it's funny when you're raising kids with somewhat-sophisticated-palates.  Little took a "look" at the menu and declared solemnly, "i think i'll start with the soup."  and, well, he did.

 avgolemono - Greek lemon soup:

sister samples the soup for Little (and declares she could eat it every day)...

blow...

really, what's better than a chopped Greek salad with gyro meat?

what's on your menu next?  trying any ethnic foods or recipes that are new to you?

irish cabbage (allrecipes dot com UK!)

i'm a little late posting, but we made this dish in honor of our irish (we have a few!) roots during march.

it's part of our awesome journey with allrecipes.com, and we were invited to visit the UK allrecipes site (yep, there is one!).  although the cabbage and bacon are a good mix, the nutmeg (oh, how i love nutmeg, especially fresh grated, as here!)... seemed to somehow bring out a metallic taste with the vinegar and cabbage combination.  next time, i'll either leave out the nutmeg (gasp!) or try braising this baby down into caramelly-cabbage-deliciousness.  hhmmm... maybe it needs to be irish month again!

(in case you'd like to make this dish, head on over to the UK allrecipes.com for irish cabbage!)

thai-indian fusion chicken soup {paleo soup recipe}

we all battled a nasty cold a few weeks back and i was craving something warming with lots of healing ginger, garlic, and onions.  this concoction grew out of a love for the spices and after i posted a teaser to my facebook page, i was obliged to share the recipe!  enjoy.  :)

Thai-Indian Fusion Chicken Soup

Angela Sackett - March 2012

Ingredients:

3- 4 chicken breasts, cubed

4 stalks celery

Large onion

Three large carrots

Three garlic cloves

One inch ginger, grated

1 carton cherry tomatoes

1 Tbsp olive or coconut oil

Tsp garam masala

Tsp cumin

Tsp coriander

Seasoning blend

Tbsp chili garlic sauce

1 can light coconut milk

32 oz chicken broth

1/4 cup lime juice

2 Tbsp dried coconut

1 lime, quartered

Directions:

Sautee chicken in oil, seasoning to taste.  When cooked through, set aside.  Chop celery, carrots, and onion, and add to pan once chicken has been removed.  Sautee until onion and celery begin to turn translucent, adding garlic and ginger after 3-4 minutes.  Stir in garam masala, cumin, coriander, and seasoning blend and add cherry tomatoes, using the back of a wooden spoon or spatula to "pop" approximately half of the tomatoes; add the chicken back in.  Stir in chili sauce, coconut milk, broth, and lime juice.  Simmer 10-15 minutes and serve in bowls sprinkled with coconut.  Serve with lime quarters so juice can be added to taste.

(Disclaimer: I'm attempting to use my iPhone more for photos, but i won't lie, i'm not the best iPhone shooter.  add to that, this isn't the prettiest dish, and the photos don't sell it.  but trust me on this: if you make it, you'll love it.  it's rich and spicy, hearty and delicious.  leave me a comment and tell me you agree!  :)  )

you know you want some!

enjoy!