FoodFash

Adventure Begins in the Kitchen

Fall Inspired Chicken Salad

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Until tonight, I always thought of chicken salad as a spring/summer thing. A thing filled with cool, crisp veggies that begs to be paired with sunshine and lemonade. A thing that you replace with chili during the cooler months.

But tonight, even though it’s been a tad on the cool side here in Austin, I wasn’t quite ready to trade in chicken salad for chili. In fact, I was fully prepared to make the summeriest of salads. It was then that I stared into my box of bites and came up with a combo that was way more fall appropriate than anything I would have come up with on my own.

I chopped up two chicken breasts (that I had boiled the night before) and a handful of pistachios and dried cherries. I mixed them together with a tablespoon or two of Vegenaise. And then I added a little bit of fall magic in the form of ground nutmeg (about 1/2 teaspoon).

To top it off, I placed a few scoops of the chicken salad in a roasted and cooled acorn squash half and sealed the fall flavor deal. The nutmeg tied the flavors of the pistachios, cherries, and squash together in a way that made so much sense. And best of all, this salad was hearty without being heavy, which left me feeling the good kind of full.

 

App In The Kitchen

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A few weeks ago, I attended a launch party for a new app called Cooking Planit where they demonstrated how technology could guide you through the kitchen.  The concept seemed great… For other people.  You know, because I’m a pen/paper/Evernote type of gal.  I recipe scheme and mix and, when I’m not, I love picking a good cookbook off the shelf, folding open the pages, and inevitably smearing ingredients on said good cookbook pages.

But this week has been different.  I’m coming off of a weekend move, a week of travel, a weekend of Austin City Limits, and have only a few days before hop on a plane again.  So as much as I love paper and spilling on paper, I don’t have much time for it right now.  Sorry paper.

But what I did have time for today, was thawing a hunk of halibut before heading to work.  And then in between tasks at my desk, firing up the Cooking Planit app and searching for halibut.  And finding a recipe that would only require a mad dash from the produce department to the self-checkout line at Whole Foods.  And then, mindlessly making dinner with plenty of time for cleanup before the timer buzzed.

Cooking Planit’s Baked Halibut with Cilantro Vinaigrette was a delish spin on fish that I’d definitely make again.  Knowing that I’m weird about things tasting oily, I added only two tablespoons of olive oil and couldn’t have been happier with the consistency.  The cilantro and parsley gave this meal a solid dose of vibrantly fresh flavor.  And, well, red pepper flakes always secure a win in my book.

As far as the app goes, it couldn’t have been easier.  There was no losing your place and having to skim through the recipe only to find that you missed a step.  And even more importantly, each step was straight forward and simply put.  Cooking Planit will certainly be a tool of choice when I’m just not in the mood for paper.  And I have a feeling this app could also teach me a thing or two about cooking multiple dishes for a large dinner party.

A Cozy Goodbye

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Our last morning in Tacoma, we decided a little do-over was necessary. Holly and I hailed a cab, grabbed two additional co-workers, Corey and Julie, and headed to Caffe Dei. We walked through some misty, gray chill and into the warmth of coffee shop goodness.

Caffee Dei is a vegan-friendly shop with a similarly as sweet of a coffee machine as Austin’s Houndstooth Coffee. Julie and I ordered super-sized Americanos and Corey and Julie went with mochas that were almost too beautiful to drink. We munched on breakfast muffins and cinnamon rolls and mmmmm’d in total disbelief that they were vegan.

The vegan sausage sammy on homemade sourdough and mushroom gravy continued the mmmmmm’s. It was the perfect savory start to a gloomy Pacific Northwest day. And after we all had clean plates and empty cups, the only option for our group was to order a second round of warmth and goodies and continue our conversation. Caffee Dei was the absolute best spot we could have chosen to spend our last hours in Tacoma!

Root Slaw

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Tonight, while standing halfway between produce and the salad bar at Whole Foods, I performed a literal cost-benefit analysis. Chopping matchstick carrots and beets seemed like a lot of work for an exhausted chickadee who is expecting company the next day. A lot.

I took the lazy route and headed straight towards the salad bar. Perhaps it was also the smart route because I’m in dire need of a Global-esque knife and would have probably lost a finger tip or two had I attempted matchsticking on my own. But the salad bar beets and carrots only set me back about three bucks, making it the smartest of routes. Being pleasantly surprised about a lower than expected Whole Foods purchase was a total first.

FoodFash Root Salad (yields 2 servings)

1/2 cup matchstick carrots

1/2 cup matchstick beets

2 tablespoons tahini

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

juice of 1/2 lemon

Gently mix tahini and one tablespoon of water in a small bowl. When combined, add the second tablespoon of water and stir again. Add the apple cider vinegar and lemon juice, gently stir, and pour on top of carrots and beets. Mix well (or in my case, shake well in the salad bar container) and serve.

This dish was completely inspired by my favorite salad bar combo. The slight sweetness of the root veggies paired nicely with the nuttiness of the tahini and the tang of the vinegar. Thankfully it was delish, because I devoured every last bite in a last-ditch effort to give my body a break between a super long vacation and my upcoming culinary adventures with my long-time foodie friend.