I love Arugula!

I really do not know what to call this salad because i just invented it.  it's pretty simple to make but it tastes so good.  i did not miss the cheese shavings nor the nuts i usually put in my salads to make them more tasty.

here's how i made it:

1. wash 3 oz. of baby romaine lettuce and about 1 oz arugula in running water.  pat dry with paper towels.
2. in a big bowl, put in 1 tsp of red raspberry preserves [i used the smucker's brand], 1 tsp of extra virgin olive oil, and the juice of 1/4 of a lemon.  blend well.
3. drop in the lettuce and arugula and with clean hands, coat the leaves with the dressing.
4. serve with slices of mango or any fruit of your choice.

you can pair this salad with chicken[in this case, rotisserie chicken], fish or any meat dish of your choice to make a light meal.

serves: 1

Brazilian Rice Salad

This, i learned from Cendi, a friend and great adviser in my younger years. We even became colleagues for a time and we used to eat lunch together whenever we could. When i tasted this dish, i instantly fell in love with it. I'm a rice-person and it was a nice change to the usual fried rice i prepare on lazy days.

the really interesting thing about it is the fact that you eat it cold, straight from the ref.

Ingredients:

cold rice
cheese cubes
sliced black olives
ham bits
mayonaisse or any salad dressing
diced carrots
green peas
a pinch of salt
a dash of pepper

procedure: mix all ingredients together until everything is evenly distributed and coated with the mayo or dressing

and by the way, i don't really know what this recipe's name is, i just call it that because Cendi said her brazilian friend taught her how to make it.

my version of potato salad

this is especially for my friend Faith. i hope you're not a pure vegan, if you are then leave out the eggs, cream, and mayo. Kaso, di ko na alam anong magiging lasa nito.

i love potatoes. anyway you cook them, i'll surely enjoy them. i was super hungry a while ago since i only took brunch and i remembered that i had left over boiled potatoes sitting in the ref.

so, i decided to make potato salad out of all the available ingredients i had. and again i was able to come up with a no fuss, no mess recipe that you can prepare in a jiffy.

plus you do not need to cook all but three of the ingredients. all you need is a big bowl, a serving spoon, your all around knife, and a vegetable-dedicated chopping board.

the trick is to not over mix it so you don't end up with goop. so start with all the solid ingredients first. chop the following into big chunks and scoop them into the bowl in no particular order: 2 large potatoes, 1/2 of a large capsicum, a handful of blanched green beans, 2 hardboiled eggs, 3 small pickled onions and a palmful of pickled baby cucumbers, if you have them [if not, then substitute with fresh ones]. then add 1 scoop of black olives, 2 cloves garlic -finely chopped, add a dash of salt, a dash of pepper, a dash each of dried tarragon, oregano and basil, a few drops of tabasco [if you want added zing], 2 big dollops of mayo[use the serving spoon], and about 1/4 cup cream. then slowly mix by folding in the ingredients together. voila! you're done.

because my potatoes were already cold, i didn't have to put the salad in the ref and wait for it to get cold.

it turned out really yummy, it had a bit of tartness because my pickles were not the sweet kind, it was creamy and not at all oily like when you only use mayo.

next to the fact that it's good, hearty and filling, the best part of this recipe is that you get a quick, yummy, healthy meal in 20 minutes tops!

enjoy!

p.s. this preparation is good for 2-3 people.