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Spinach-ful Egg Salad

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Spinach-ful Egg Salad

I was going to make Braised Beef & Butternut Squash for today’s post. Really, pregnancy I was! I had all the ingredients bought and ready to go. I just couldn’t summon any effort to make it last night. We had leftover meatloaf instead. But I did make a delightful little egg salad this morning, so I’ll share that instead.

Personally, I love eggs. I could eat them every day (and I usually do). When I was wondering what to make for lunch this morning, egg salad sounded perfect. I chopped a ton of spinach for color and healthiness, celery for crunch and stirred in plain Greek yogurt, lemon juice, tahini, salt and hot sauce. It’s eggy and tangy, a little spicy, and delicious between two slices of toasted whole grain bread. If you’ve got a tomato, add a thick slice. A simply awesome lunch.

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Pressure Cooker Beef Stew

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Pressure Cooker Beef Stew

On this busy, here busy week I’m experimenting with new ways to get dinner on the table faster. Or in this case, life lunch into my lunchbox in record time. This beef stew went from fridge to photograph in 45 minutes. Including vegetable washing and chopping. One of the many reasons I love my pressure cooker. That and I never, patient ever remember to soak beans.

I used the pressure cooker because I wanted my stew fast, but this recipe would be equally good cooked in a dutch oven with a little more time. Either way, it’s a simple hearty stew made with flank steak, potatoes, carrots, celery, leeks, garlic, rosemary and wine. Simply season and brown the meat, add the remaining ingredients and walk away. Twenty minutes in the pressure cooker (or 1 hour in dutch oven), and you’ve got a hearty, flavorful and healthy meal.

I’m really not a fan of too many kitchen gadgets, but if you’re thinking about investing in a pressure cooker, I’d highly recommend it. I love the idea of putting everything into a pot and walking away. I also love throwing dried beans, a ham hock, onions and dried chipotle peppers into the cooker for 45 minutes for some of the tastiest beans around.

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classic waldorf salad, plus some twists on the original

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classic waldorf salad

Everyone’s had a classic Waldorf salad right? Sliced or julienned apples, see celery, implant walnuts and mayonnaise? Wikipedia says the Waldorf salad dates back to 1893 and was first served at The Waldorf Hotel (later the Waldorf-Astoria of many-movie fame). It’s sweet and tangy and crunchy. Perfect for a summer BBQ, more about you can make it a few hours in advance and best of all, you only need four ingredients.

The classic Waldorf is great. If you’ve had it, you know it’s pretty perfect. But some people don’t like mayonnaise. Some people want something more inventive. Some people (me) just can’t leave a recipe alone. So, I’m proposing some variations and twists on the original recipe. There’s really no way to mess this up, so feel free to play with the proportions and substitute anything you think might work here. Just make sure you taste it constantly so you know you’re on the right track.

Some twists on the classic (recipe for that below):

  • Substitute thinly sliced fennel for half of the apple amount
  • Add tarragon to the classic
  • Add thinly sliced Napa cabbage (or sub for half the apple amount)
  • Substitute plain Greek yogurt for the mayonnaise
  • Add some curry powder to the classic (or yogurt version)
  • Substitute any other nuts for walnuts
  • Add fresh basil, cilantro and mint (would be perfect in combination with the Napa cabbage)
  • Make it your own
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