FoodFash

Adventure Begins in the Kitchen

Cucumber & Cilantro Chicken Salad

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Cucumber Chicken Salad

Have you ever been such a busy bee that when you came home from the grocery store you realized, not only did you forget something, but you brought home another thing that already had fair representation in the fridge?  Like cilantro. I’ve purchased cilantro three times  in less than a week.  Not good.

Cubed Chicken Breast

Luckily my roommate’s gym schedule is about an hour behind my yoga schedule. And since we both go to the grocery store on a daily basis {I wish I was joking}, I knew he could pick up that onion that slipped my mind.  And as far as the boat loads of cilantro?  I’d just whip up a batch of super summery chicken salad and pretend the overstock was all on purpose.

Chicken Salad Ingredients

And then I’d be thankful.  Because chicken salad with cukes, red onions, cilantro, lime, and homemade mayo is such a darn good combo.  Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of cayenne pepper and man oh man, you’ve got yourself something special.

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Spicy Broccoli & Leek Soup

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Broccoli and Leek Soup

After making this recipe, my friend Molly and I wondered if we could use it as a formula for other veggie soups.  Asparagus and broccoli came to mind first and they’ve been stuck in my head ever since.  So today when I was at Wheatsville Co-op {becoming an owner!} and saw a beautiful bunch of broccoli, I decided to give it a go.

Almond Slivers 1

I modified a couple things about the recipe to make life a little more simple.  Like using 4 cups of broth instead of 3.  Since broth is packaged in a 4-cup container, you were always left with a cup of broth in your fridge that never found a home.

Broccoli and Leeks

Beyond quantity, I added a complimentary veggie, more nuts, more lemon, and more spices.  The addition of cayenne pepper gave the soup a welcomed kick.  And the drizzle of olive oil gave the soup a little complexity that made it feel restaurant worthy.

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Hummus Deviled Eggs

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Hummus Deviled Eggs

After reading one of the many things you’re doing wrong lists out there, I had to try peeling boiled eggs the right way.  I started with Martha Stewart’s instructions on how to make perfect hard-boiled eggs. And then finished by placing the boiled eggs in a large bowl filled with ice water and one teaspoon of baking soda.

Baking Soda for Boiled Eggs

Let me just tell ya, this was the least stressful egg peeling that’s ever gone on in my kitchen.  From this point forward, I’m a baking soda believer.

Hard Boiled Eggs

And then I went on to experiment with the ever so classic deviled egg.  Truth be told, I had some 365 light mayo in my fridge that tasted like poison and I needed an alternative.  Hummus seemed like the logical route.  This recipe needs some tweaking, but I’ll give you the ingredients and measurement starting points to get going.

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Chilly Night Chili

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Turkey & Zucchini Chili

I don’t recall it ever being this freezing in Austin before.  Feels like 26, forecasts of snow flurries – how this Florida girl is going to make it until spring, I don’t know. Puffer jackets and bowls of chili?  Is that how people do it?

Sauteed Veggies for Chili

I whipped out an old FoodFash chili recipe and added zucchini for extra heartiness. Zucchini should really be in everything.  And I sort of put it in everything: like this, this, and this.

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