I might as well warn you now that The Spiced Life has been pretty shrimp crazy lately. I think this is a result of 2 factors: shrimp are super easy, super fast and super light in this hot weather and also I think I am having beach nostalgia. As much as I have gone on…
Som Tom (Thai Green Papaya Salad)
Have you ever tried to write about a food 2 weeks after eating it? It’s difficult. Happily for me, however, this salad is quite memorable as it actually makes my top 5 list of all dishes or foods of all time–and that is including desserts. OK now that you have picked your jaw up off…
Summertime Barley Salad
Summer is an occasionally frustrating time for me, because I love one pot meals. And let’s face it, most one pot meals do not really scream summer. Curries, stews, casseroles… these all heat the kitchen and are heavy in the tummy. Which is why I was completely fascinated by Marcus Samuelsson’s “Staples” chapter in his…
Balsamic Vinaigrette, To Taste, On Greens With Strawberries, Candied Pecans & Goat Cheese
Although this post seems to be about a salad, really it is about the salad dressing. This is ironic, because the dressing is not in the photo, as I took the pictures before dressing the salad. Anyway, anyone can figure out what sounds good to them in a salad, but actually making salad dressing is…
Reflections On Gardening: Green Bean & Cherry Tomato Salad
My garden has started to produce in the last week or so–late, yes, but I planted way late (June). I picked enough string yellow beans (not sure what they are called officially) earlier in the week to make a salad I found in Chez Panisse Vegetables. My kids and I were out in the garden…
Roasted Summer Veggie Salad with Lemon Tomato Herb Vinaigrette
Our regional (I woud say local but I have to drive to Columbus or Cincinnati) used bookstore chain had a big sale last week. And to make matters more tempting, there were different coupons for each day. And I have 2 locations within an easy drive of me (versus Columbus). OY. Serious damage was done….
Chickpeas With Lemon Cumin Dressing & Orange Scented Yogurt on a Bed of Greens
I first saw this salad over at The Recipe Girl a while back, although after bookmarking it, I realized I had the cookbook it came from, Ellie Krieger’s The Food You Crave. It looked wonderful, but I got distracted and forgot about it. The other night when I made my chicken divan, I was low…
Goan Curried Beef With Coconut Milk, Vinegar and Potatoes
Goan Curried Beef With Coconut Milk, Vinegar and Potatoes is an unbelievably easy and delicious twist on meat and potatoes. It whips together in moments, and hours later you have a meal fit for a king. Affiliate links have been used in this post to link to items I am discussing. Do you have any…
Southwestern Sweet Potato Hash Served With Cabbage & Corn Slaw With Cilantro-Orange Dressing
Lunchtime guests always present a dilemma for me. Not an unwelcome dilemma, lest you are reading this and you are one of those guests, but a dilemma nonetheless. I am just not a lunch person. I love breakfast and I love dinner, but lunchtime with its cold options leaves me, well, cold. A lot of…