30 April 2011

Pilsner + Pork = Perfection

I had something today that I rarely have anymore- time.  Time to clean the house.  Time to do laundry.  Time to grocery shop.  And most importantly, time to cook.  I even squeezed in a yoga workout and a trip to one of my favorite local ice cream shops.  It was a fabulous day. 


The Hubs was busy tutoring students all day for their upcoming AP Exam so I had the house to myself...for almost 7 hours.  These days are very rare and I treasure them.  I'm an incredibly independent person and so "alone time" has always been very important to me.  It also meant that I had time to attempt an all-day recipe. 

06 April 2011

Yum.

I have one word to describe this "sandwich":  Yummy


photo: The Hubs

They are amazingly easy to make and almost too pretty to eat.  Almost.  Slices of panko-crusted eggplant serve as the 'bread' for these tomato, basil and chevre sandwiches.  Genius!  They are perfect for a lunch with the girls or as a light dinner when paired with a green salad and a glass of wine.   

I'm forever in my cooking gal pal's debt for choosing this recipe for us to try last summer.  We used standard eggplants then, but tonight I used baby eggplants and  loved how much more manageable it made the sandwiches.  One more tip: season every step of the way and don't forget to sprinkle the hot slices with salt as soon as they come out of the pan. 

Enjoy!

04 April 2011

Spring Salad

I was so ready for spring to arrive this year.  I have enjoyed the clear, warm afternoons spent on the back porch after work recently.  I have adored the way springtime foods seem to awaken my palate after a winter of creamy and heavy foods.  There's nothing like the perfect salad this time of year to remind you what fresh tastes like.

photo: The Hubs

Although the grilled pork chops weren't bad, the real star of tonight's show was the Asian Citrus Salad.  Very simple: some arugula, spinach, dill, cilantro, & parsley, some thinly sliced red onion, a few blanched sugar snap peas, an orange and a handful of roasted cashews.  It was tossed with a simple vinaigrette made with the juice from the orange, a grated clove of garlic, a spoonful of orange marmalade, a splash of soy sauce, a couple of splashes of rice vinegar, some olive oil, salt and white pepper. 

Crisp, clean and perfect.