Leftover Love - Warm Beet Salad with Chicken and Goat Cheese

What to do with leftover roast chicken? Why! Make a kick-ass salad!

I have become completely addicted to roasted beets. Plus, they are in season most of the time, they keep well, their easy to prepare, healthy and cheap. Perfecto!

This salad is really very simple. Roast the beets for about 20 minutes - depending on the size.

I added mixed greens, spinach, sliced roasted chicken breast, goat cheese, pomegranate seeds, sliced almonds and fresh ground pepper.

Easy and awesome.

Take it Easy - Warm Avocado with Prawns

Bonjour from bed!
After an insanely busy two weeks I have finally found time to eat the avocado sitting in my fridge. Trust me, I was pretty excited.Now, I was going to make my fabulous guacamole, but that would require me making my fabulous nachos, and that seemed a bit to involved for me today. So instead, I threw this together for a quick snack. The warm avocado with the spicy shrimp is awesome, try adding quinoa to this, it would be great.

Never Say Never - Seared Scallops with Pink Grapefuit

"I will never eat grapefruit" These words have crossed my lips more times then I care to count. I hate the stuff, it's sour and tart. Why would anyone want to eat that, especially when you can eat so many other wonderful things. People have tried to convince me that I should give it another go. What can I say, I'm a willful soul. Plus, I hate the stuff - right?
Wrong.
I made this tonight and I have reevaluated my opinion.

Don't Run or Burn - Maple Dressing

I know what you're thinking.

"Don't run or burn"? What the heck does that have to do with salad dressing??

Well, it's not a long story, but certainly an entertaining one.

Mom and George were down in small-town Minnesota for the 4th of July, George was wearing a CN Rail hat and traded with a local woman who took a fancy to it. The hat he got in exchange is American beyond words. I love it. And plan to steal it when he's not looking.

Not that the hat story has much to do with maple dressing, but it was on this trip that my mom discovered it and she swears it's the best salad she has ever had. I found this in a 2002 edition of Bon Appetite magazine,. I have paired with the spinach, apple slices, strawberries and pecans, but try it with whatever takes your fancy.

Summer Salad Series - I Left (my heart in) San Francisco

 Salads inspired by songs?
Maybe... But mainly I love music. I love food. Why not marry them? Even if only briefly.
I was in San Francisco a few years ago and nearly died of over indulgence from all the crab cakes I ate. It would have been so worth it. This recipe makes six cakes, and serves as more of a larger appetizer then a true side. But I've never had any complaints regarding that. Plus, it's totally easy to put together when company arrives, since it can be made pretty much ahead of time.

Summer Salad Series - Florida Sunshine

This salad came into being while I was rocking out to one of my favourite obscure indie bands, As Fast As. They have the most awesome song called, wait for it, Florida Sunshine (ha - you didn't see that one coming did you). I wont torture you with a rendition myself (Google it yourself, it's fantastic) but it's everything this salad is, punchy, catchy and little fresh. 

Summer Salad Series - Mango, Prawn & Avocado

It's finally summer! Time to bring out the salads!
This one is great as a meal or as a side.