Strawberry Salad and Raspberry Vinaigrette Recipe...Delicious and Light!!

My uncle gave me this pot of strawberry plants from his garden last spring.

I set it down in my little garden, and it literally took off like crazy. It began to grow over the pot's edges, and plants started popping up everywhere.

*One thing to keep in mind when growing strawberries is to not let the berries sit in the dirt because they will rot. Easy solution: lay some pine straw down under and around the leaves of the plant.

I don't have to worry about the birds ever getting these things, because I have two 5 year old boys who snatch and eat them as soon as they get red =)

Some of my favorite lettuce grown from seed...it's called "bronze arrow head".


My good friend, Lori, got me hooked on Strawberry Salads! I have been so eager to use my strawberries and lettuce from the garden. So, tonight,I decided to play around and make my own raspberry vinaigrette...I know I say this a lot, but this was REALLY GOOD!! I was so excited as to how tasty it was that I just had to share it. We invited our neighbors over for dinner, and we devoured it in just a few minutes! =)
Here's the recipe:
Strawberry Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing
mixed greens
strawberries, sliced
feta cheese
handful chopped walnuts or pecans
few slices red onion
Raspberry Vinaigrette:
Whisk ingredients below and store in the fridge in a jar:
1/4-1/2 c. olive oil
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1/4 c. pure apple juice
3oz. raspberry jelly
1/8 c. white sugar (can use a little less)
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
I'm usually not a fan of the strong vinaigrette taste. This kind of masks it a bit with some different flavors.
Here's a tip (see picture below) if you harvest your lettuce in the heat of the day or if it's been in the fridge for a few days and it looks a little limp, throw it in a bowl of ice water for 15 minutes. It revives it and firms it up =)


Looking at this makes me wish I would have made more for tomorrow!

Cooking With Passion....

I tend to live my life "spontaneously". So, naturally, I have to be "in the mood" to cook (thank goodness it's pretty often or my family would starve). My creative juices seem to flow late at night when the house is quiet and the kids are in bed. This is usually when the idea of the perfect meal pops in my head. I "have" to cook it right then and there...never mind the fact that it's 11:30 at night! Seriously, who does this?!
My passion for cooking has grown over the years. I enjoy it so much more now because I have learned what food staples I love to cook with, and I always keep my pantry stocked with them.
Years ago, I planned out every meal down the sides and what type of bread to eat. Not only did it hurt my brain trying to plan the menu, but it made me feel so confined! Cooking became a chore...it was something I had to do, and I had to stick with the menu or the food would go bad! While this way of menu planning might work for some personality types it wasn't "fun" to me so I didn't want to do it!
By having all of your favorite staples along with a vegetable garden, you really don't need to do much planning. Ahhh...now this is my style of cooking!
THE "MUST HAVES" IN MY HOUSE ARE:
chicken broth, pasta sauce (I love Whole Foods sauce!), olive oil, garlic, kosher salt, cracked pepper, milk, breadcrumbs (Italian and panko), pasta, fresh Parmesan cheese, flour, eggs, frozen chicken and beef, and fresh bread.
Tonight I happened to see that my cauliflower from my garden was ready to harvest. Because I had all of my favorite staples stocked in my pantry...I knew I could easily make a meal with it =) I decided to make "Roasted Cauliflower Soup"...it was delicious!! Here's my recipe:

Roasted Cauliflower Soup:
Ingredients
1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
2 tablespoons roasted garlic-flavored
extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1 onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon dry sherry
Parmesan Cheese to top with
Extras I used from the garden:
few sprigs of thyme
few leaves of basil, minced
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (230 degrees C).
Place the cauliflower and garlic in a small roasting pan. Drizzle with oil and season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper; toss to coat.
Roast the cauliflower in the preheated oven stirring every 10 minutes until golden brown and tender, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook and stir until lightly golden brown, about 10 minutes.
Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir to coat. Slowly pour the chicken broth and milk into the pan. Mix with a wire whisk until all of the flour is dissolved. Bring to a boil while stirring continuously until it thickens, then reduce heat to low. Stir in the sherry and the roasted cauliflower. Serve as is, or blend half and recombine with the rest of the soup for a thicker consistency. Top with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
Let me know if you like it!!