I love this salad and have made it for multiple potlucks and parties. The dressing is what makes the salad. It is creamy and garlicy and wonderful!
I make it both with chickpeas and without. I often cut up the veggies the night before and make the dressing right before the event. Since the dressing is avocado base it does turn a little gray after 24 hours. Leftovers still taste good!
The weather is so nice here in Chicago. I have many seedlings coming up in my garden. Today while checking the seeds I planted I enjoyed a bowl of Peas Salad leftover from our Easter dinner.
It’s Earth Day and I am reflecting on the the things I do each day of the year to be kind to mother earth….
reusable shopping bags
reusable containers when taking a lunch
bring my own travel mug for coffee
reusable water bottles
cloth napkins
There is always more I want to do
sign up for food scrape recycling
reusable produce bags
use rags more than paper towels
I’m sure both lists are longer. I hope you are able to find some way to boost your help of mother earth this year.
Life seems to get busier with every season. Everyone says “enjoy it the kids will be out of the house before you know it.” Part of enjoying the time is not stressing over dinner. Easier said than done with so much going on and so many foods to avoid, I had read that pasta in a pressure cooker was easy. I was skeptical but it turned out really well.
I browned the ground beef on the stove instead of using the sauté mode of the pressure cooker. I just find it easier. You could definitely do this the day before or earlier in the day.
I still feel new to the world of pressure cookers. I haven’t been wow’d by everything I’ve made and there are a few recipes that I am hoping to improve upon.
I love watching the show British Bake Off. I have watched every season multiple times (Except the last one which I just finished, but will rewatch soon.) The show always gives me ideas and makes me think, I can do that! It also make me think, I can’t do that! When they made Angel Food Cake for the technical I thought…that seems like it would be easy to make gluten-free.
I like to make this cake at least once a month. I use boxed egg whites I buy at Aldi. Each box I can make an Angel Food Cake and a batch of Chewy Chocolate Meringue Cookies.
There are a few tricks to this recipe. First, the egg whites need to be at room temperature. Second DO NOT grease the tube pan! Third cool the cake upside down on a rack in the pan. I now have two tube pans because I kept forgetting and spraying the pan! Now I just get the second one out and use it.
I don’t decorate this cake. Because decorating is not my strength in the kitchen. I eat it with some berries and sometimes with a scoop of SoDelicious CocoWhip. I hope you enjoy this cake as much as I do.
In the food processor pulse together rice flour, tapioca starch, corn starch and powder sugar. Process for at least 30 seconds and sift into a bowl.
Place the granulated sugar into the food processor and pulse a few times.
Pour egg whites into mixer bowl and add the cream of tartar. Mix with the whisk attachment at a medium speed until bubbles form. (Only a few seconds)
Add the vanilla, and increase the speed to high. Start adding the pulsed granulated sugar a spoonful at a time. Continue to whip on high speed until stiff peaks.
Fold in the flour/powder sugar mixture.
Pour into an uncreased tube pan.
Bake for 45 minutes.
Remove from the oven and immediately turn upside down in pan on a cooking rack.
Once completely cool use a spatula to help remove the cake from the pan.
We are expected to get a snow storm over the weekend and that means SOUP!
I hope to have both pressure cookers going most of the weekend making Chicken Bone Broth and a vegan version with just herbs and veggies.
Besides shoveling I will enjoy some of my January 2019 Wish List there will be lots of hot chocolate, fires in the fireplace, and a walk in the snow.
I am simplifying my holiday decorations and plan to spend some of this long weekend going through some of the Christmas and Valentines decorations. Today I am dropping off a load of things I have already sorted and decided to donate. Then off to a grocery store or two to pick up the ingredients for the multiple batches of soup.
I have started buying dried beans and making them in my pressure cooker. For the black beans for the quinoa soup I put about 2 cups of beans in the pressure cooker and covered them with water about two inches above the beans. I then cooked them for 25 minutes on high pressure. I let it depressurize for 30 minutes then spooned then out into mason jars and covered them with the cooking liquid.
Making the Chili helped me check one thing off my January 2019 Wish List. And the rest of the black beans will be made into brownies!
I’m starting my morning with a hygge moment. I added some Penzys Hot Chocolate to my coffee this morning.
One of my goals for 2018 was to start drinking coffee black. I accomplished this pretty early in the year and it wasn’t too hard for me. I still get a nondairy latte sometimes when I go out for coffee, but at home I always have black coffee.
Today is National Brownie Day! And I may be making Brownies later, but I am finishing up these yummy soft cookies I made the other night.
I usually top them with Candy Cane bits, but they have been hard to find this season. I could try to break up some candy Canes, but the last time I did that it was not pretty.
I use chocolate chunks in these cookies, but they would be just as good with chips. The teaspoon of peppermint oil gives it a nice holiday taste. I have made these at other times of the year and left the peppermint out and they are just as good.
One of my goals for this winter is to add more Hygge to my life. To slow down and enjoy the holiday season. To be thankful for my snuggly cats and the warm blankets. To listen to Christmas music and turn the lights on on my tree whenever I am home. Some coffee and the soft cookies were a great Hygge addition to today.
In the bowl of a mixer cream together butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and peppermint extract
In a separate bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt
Add dry ingredients slowly to running mixer until combined. The batter will be extremely thick.
Mix in chocolate chunks
Using a medium scoop or a large soup spoon make 2 inch diameter cookie balls and place on silpat lined cookie sheet. I only had room for about 8 cookies per sheet
IF adding candy cane bits sprinkle them over the top. You may need to add some pressure to get them to stick.
Bake for 12 minutes
Cool before moving to a rack to cool all the way. Although we enjoy them hot and melty and often reheat them in the microwave!
Tomato Soup and grilled cheese was one of my favorite lunches (and sometimes dinner) as a child. And something I still like to make for my family even though I can’t partake anymore.
Tomatoes are readily available year round and are easy to grow in a garden or pot on your patio. I alway grow tomatoes in my garden even now that I can’t eat them. A garden doesn’t feel complete without at least a few tomato plants.
I have been making Tomato Soup by roasting the vegetables for a few years now and it is alway good. I’ve used every type of tomato and many combinations of herbs. Roasting everything together in the oven gives the vegetables a nice depth of flavor.
Enjoy this soup with some toast, grilled cheese or the current favorite in my house hold quesadillas.
Cygnet Organizing 