Brittany's PantryStrawberry-Avocado Salad W/Honey Lime Vinaigrette
Brittany wrote this on 24 February 2012
avocado, gluten-free, honey, lime, romaine, strawberries, vegetarian
I had this recipe in mind to share with you from the beginning of this blogs creation and for reasons I don’t quite understand, I just have never gotten around to it. My bad.
Please don’t judge the recipe by the simple picture above. The lettuce combo I happened to have in my fridge tasted fine, but didn’t quite photograph the way I wanted it to. A little too…random. Also, I was on the phone when I made this and was trying to take pictures before my last little bit of light disappeared, reposition the avocados and strawberries to be more visible (they like to stay on the bottom of the salad), and not drop the phone I had wedged in between my shoulder and my ear. The end result was that I wished I had picked different lettuce and my camera and my phone both got covered with vinaigrette.
But enough excuses! The reason I simply must post this here is quite obvious. It is outrageously good. I cannot stress this enough! It is refreshing and tangy and creamy and sweet and…*sigh* I dream about this salad when strawberries are an elusive treat during the winter. The only reason I have them now is because after frowning in disappointment at the plethora of fruit imported from Chile that seemed to have taken over the produce department of my local supermarket (Ugh!) I came across a huge display of strawberries just in from Florida. Not exactly local, but at least from this country. So I gave in and bought them. Grrr-they are so good! And with the chicken I grilled and a huge pile of potato salad, it was like summer on a plate.
The beauty of this recipe is in its simplicity. I keep thinking I need to add something more, but then I make it again and convince myself it is perfect the way it is. The simple vinaigrette is tangy and the strawberries are sweet and the avocado is creamy and buttery-gaaaah! So good! So when you make this and fall in love with it, I apologize in advance for taking so long to get it out to you. I’ll make it up to you by posting a super cute, super easy breakfast treat next. Deal? Deal.
Strawberry & Avocado Salad W/ Honey Lime Vinaigrette
I usually serve this salad as a side to…well…just about everything. But with plain grilled chicken sliced over top it becomes a great lunch or light supper. With a wedge of whole grain bread on the side you have a meal that is healthy and just about perfect.
1 pint strawberries, rinsed, hulled and cut into quarters
2 avocados, cubed
1 bag of romaine lettuce (or spinach or iceberg or spring mix-whatever you like!)
Vinaigrette:
1 T honey
1 T fresh lime juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
1/3 c olive oil
Whisk all the ingredients for the vinaigrette in the bottom of the bowl you are going to serve the salad in. This saves you from having to dirty another bowl but of course, you can whisk it in whatever you want! Just before serving add in the lettuce, fruit, and avocado. Gently toss together and serve immediately.
Buttermilk Brownies
Brittany wrote this on 22 February 2012 buttermilk, chocolate, cocoa
For a couple of weeks now, I have been in a kind of ‘brownie mood’. This is a bit odd for me. I really like brownies and if you look through my recipe archive you will find a ridiculously high number of recipes there for me to try. But when it comes down to it, they are kind of rich for me. A good chocolate cake? More my style. My chocolate needs to be broken up by something. Something like….whipped cream or peanut butter or carmel or marshmallow. Something! Lately though, I have been after the texture of brownies. The chewy, dense kind of brownie. I made a batch for the Super Bowl and while they tasted great, the texture was crumbly and annoying; not worthy of passing on to all of you. So I kept paging through my recipes, still looking for that chewy, gooey brownie. Or at least one I could modify to be that way.
I failed. Miserably. What I ended up making were these buttermilk brownies-the opposite of what I was originally looking for. The first batch I made were so good, I turned around and made a second one so that I would know if they were reliable or not (the method is kind of weird) and, in turn, be able to post about them here. All thoughts of dense and chewy were gone! This is one of those recipes that I know I will be making for a dozen different reasons in the future. These are most definitely cake-like. If you are a lover of a soft, moist brownie, I have found the perfect one. What cemented it for me was the taste. They are sweet, but not really all that rich. And while I don’t usually frost my brownies, these need it. Of course, now that my husband has confessed to me (after more than 10 years of marriage and not saying a word) that he actually prefers his brownies frosted, I need to make it up to him!
I mentioned above that the method for this recipe is kind of odd. Somehow, they still turn out fantastic though. I know this is the first of many brownie recipes that I will post here so please don’t take this version as some kind of ultimate ‘brownie recipe to end all brownie recipes’! There are so many different kinds of them out there-all of them just as good-that there is plenty of room for a version to go with every occasion and every mood. I am very much looking forward to my next testing session. Maybe carmel brownies next…
Buttermilk Brownies
Adapted from BHG
You will notice below in the instructions for these brownies that this recipe can be baked in either a 9X13 inch pan or an 11 X14 inch glass Pyrex pan. I have tried both, and although they turn out excellent either way, the bigger pan bakes up much better. Use the large one if you have it.
2 c flour
2 c sugar
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
Combine the above ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt together:
1 c water
1 c (2 sticks) butter
1/3 c cocoa powder
Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until smooth. Bring the mixture just to a boil and then pour into the dry ingredients with the mixer on very low. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and mix again until everything is incorporated. With the speed on low again, slowly add:
1/2 c buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
Mix until incorporated. Add, one at a time:
2 eggs
Mix and scrape the bowl if necessary. Turn the speed up as high as you can without making a mess of your kitchen (this is only about medium for mine) and beat the batter for 1 minute. Batter will be very thin! Pour the batter into a greased 11X14 inch glass Pyrex dish or 9X13 inch pan. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean or with a crumb or two attached. During the last 10 minutes of baking, make the Chocolate Buttermilk Frosting.
Chocolate Buttermilk Frosting
In a medium saucepan (I just use the one from earlier in the recipe), melt together:
1/4 c butter
3 T cocoa powder
3 T buttermilk
Whisking constantly, bring the mixture just to a bubble! Remove it from the heat and add 2 1/4 c of powdered sugar, whisking vigorously until smooth. I add it in a bit at a time so I don’t make a huge mess. Once it is whisked smooth, spread it over the hot brownies you just took out of the oven, smoothing to cover the whole pan. Cool completel to room temp.
Lemon Potatoes
Brittany wrote this on 19 February 2012 chicken broth, gluten-free, lemon, potatoes, vegetarian
I just realized that this is the second potato recipe I have posted in a week. But hey! Its all good! Everyone loves a potato, right? Besides. St Patty’s Day is coming up and I wanted to post lots of potato recipes for you and-oh who am I kidding??!! Not really. I just love potatoes and make them a lot…
And these are definitely a good potato. Small baby reds, simmered in chicken broth and lemon juice and pepper. It makes for a very easy, velvety-almost buttery, even though there is no butter-side dish that goes with just about everything. This dish is best made when baby reds are just coming out of the garden, but since citrus is in full season right now I like to make them whenever I can. Since they are healthy too, I often pair them with rich dishes to help balance out the meal. No matter how you look at it, they are handy to have up your sleeve; either for a crowd or just a weeknight!
Lemon Potatoes
Adapted loosely from Giada
This recipe generally calls for the use of baby red potatoes because they hold up so well when boiled. If you absolutely must, you can use plain old russets cut into smaller chunks, but they kind of fall apart. A good boiling potato is best.
8 red potatoes, rinsed and cut in half (or quarters if they are big)
1 can chicken broth
2 T olive oil
salt and pepper
2 T fresh lemon juice
Zest of 1/2 lemon
Place all ingredients-minus the lemon zest-in a large saucepan and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Drain and dump into a serving bowl. Give the potatoes an extra drizzle of olive oil and add the lemon zest. Toss together. Taste for seasoning.
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Then you’ve come to the right place! I’m Brittany, and I share tested, trusted recipes you’ll love. I prepare & photograph food, obsess over the perfect recipe, and enjoy grins of delight when I serve up something awesome. Enjoy!
