A Little Hot, A Little Cold May 4, 2012
Posted by cirellih in Food, Health, Lunch.Tags: baby greens, Carrots, Couscous, Peppers, Salad, TGIF, Tomatoes
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I really appreciate my neighborhood. I love that it’s residential with lots of trees, parks and trails nearby. I enjoy the fact that we have a library and shopping center across the street. And I particularly like that the shopping center includes a grocery store.
One of the greatest purchases that I can make in said grocery store is in the produce section. There is a bulk bin of salad greens and baby spinach. I love that I can purchase the perfect amount of flavorful greens for a salad. I don’t always manage to eat a whole head of lettuce before it goes bad, so this is the perfect solution for me.
Recently, I have been on a couscous kick. In salads, I find it particularly delicious to have warm couscous on a bed of cool baby greens. Add in some carrots, peppers, and tomatoes… you’ve got yourself a fantastic salad!
Doesn’t this just scream summer? So refreshing and comforting at the same time. The couscous is garlic and olive oil flavored, so I sprinkled a small amount of olive oil, salt, and pepper over the lettuce for a cohesive flavor.
Happy Friday, everyone!
Time for Change January 18, 2012
Posted by cirellih in Dinner, Food, Lunch.Tags: leftovers, Salad, Turkey Cabbage Soup
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I don’t mind eating leftovers. I enjoy having ready-made lunches that I can just heat and eat. I thought that eating the same thing several days in a row was something that didn’t phase me.
There is a limit.
Remember soup week? It seems like it has become soup month. I love turkey cabbage soup as much as the next gal. Soups loaded with vegetable goodness make my day! Big fan of hearty soups right here! But working on the same pot of soups for lunch everyday can grow a bit weary… just a bit.
So, with great happiness I present to you (drum roll please) the last of the turkey soup. I repeat THE LAST OF THE TURKEY SOUP!!!
You have served me well, dear turkey cabbage soup, your goodness warmed me on many a cold day. Your vegetables filled me with wholesome nutrients. Your smell delighted my nose, and brought a smile to my face.
That being said, although you were a most welcome house guest, I look forward to our time apart. See you next winter!
Make New Friends, But Keep the Old September 16, 2011
Posted by cirellih in Dinner, Food, Friends, Movie.Tags: Corn on the Cob, Dinner and a Movie, Salad, Sweet Potato Fries, Turkey Burger
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My dear friend, Lindsay, finally managed to escape the clutches of Gross Anatomy to visit Boulder for a dinner and a movie night! We decided to go with an end of summer theme for dinner… think turkey burgers, corn on the cob, sweet potato fries, and a side salad.
Lindsay whipped up some magic spices into the ground turkey, so I’m not actually sure what ended up into the patties. All I am confident of is that there were onions and… wait for it… brie. That’s right, brie. Let me tell you, these beauties were FANTASTIC.
Chris grilled them to perfection. Just the right amount of char. Mmmm, my mouth is watering just thinking about them!
I kept myself busy by shucking corn and chopping veggies. We even added in some of my home grown tomatoes- they are the teeny, tiny ones in the picture.
We ended up watching Ocean’s 11… definitely an oldie, but goodie. How can you not love a cast that includes George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Julia Robert? Definitely a great way to spend a great evening with a great friend!
Toppings Make Everything Taste Better August 20, 2011
Posted by cirellih in Food, Lunch.Tags: Artichokes, Mozzarella, Olives, Roasted Red Pepper, Salad
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One of the things that I miss most about college is the cafeteria. This is probably not the case for most people… I’ve heard horror stories about “dorm food”. Schools that only offer fast food choices, your typical pizza and chicken tenders fare.
This was not the case at Dickinson College. I loved the cafeteria! There were so many choices every night:
Two hot meals
One vegan hot meal
A meal from the grill
Two soups
And my favorite: the salad bar
Salad at home is always a bore to make. In my salads, I like to have lots of different toppings, but I dislike cleaning and chopping all the veggies. I want cucumbers, peppers, carrots, celery, peas, olives, artichokes, beets, cheese, couscous, pasta, tuna, etc., but I don’t want anything to go to waste later in the week.
That’s the obvious reason as to why I appreciate salad bars so much! Everything is chopped! There are so many choices! I can put as much or as little of any ingredient on my salad! It’s exactly what I want, when I want it.
Today, I decided to go to my local King Soopers grocery store to stop by their salad bar. Now, this isn’t a typical salad bar, but it has a selection of Mediterranean salads and veggies. I nabbed some spring greens from the produce section ($.54!) and then filled my to go cup with lots of Med goodness. For my salad I chose: three types of olives, artichoke hearts, roasted red pepper, baby mozzarella, wheat berry salad, and tabbouleh. Fantastic!
Doesn’t that make you want to dive in??? I love the different textures that all of the toppings provide. The red pepper went so well with all of the other items, hurray! Definitely a wonderful lunchtime feast.
In Need of a Little Green July 18, 2011
Posted by cirellih in Food, Health, Lunch.Tags: Lunch, Salad
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As we are approaching the end of my second year of AmeriCorps service, stress levels are a little more elevated that usual. I am not one who likes goodbyes. I don’t love change. Obviously, this is strange coming from someone who has lived in five different cities in the last five years. This year, it’s almost worse. I won’t be the one moving, so I’ll stay in one place while everyone else moves around me. Oh well, I’m sure everything will turn out well in the end.
In order to combat the stress levels, I decided on a salad. There is something about salad that calms me down. It must be all the vitamins!
Although it might not look it, this, quite possibly, might be the most delicious salad ever! It combines so many wonderful elements: carrots, cucumbers, radishes, kalamata olives, avocados, black beans couscous and chicken.
I love having lots of veggies in a salad, but the warm couscous put it to a whole new level! Definitely a wonderful addition to any salad, and most welcome on my plate. The best part is being able to use up leftovers… definitely a must in my house!
Healthy Heath 