Awesome Chicken Salad

A while back I decided to make a chicken salad to bring as a part of a lovely Thanksgiving dinner. I figured I could technically follow a recipe or just put in whatever I wanted and top it with mayo.  There are of course many variations but here is the best that I’ve had:

–          CHICKEN (I used fillets b/c they’re easiest to cook and cut…)

–          CUCUMBER (this is a MUST)

–          ONIONS (slightly cooked)

–          ALMONDS (best when cut into halves or fourths)

–          RAISINS (or CRANBERRIES)

–          Salt, DILL (b/c it is amazing with the cucumber…)

–          Bowtie PASTA (b/c bowtie is fun! I also make this salad without the pasta)

–          MAYONAISE (cover it! Do it! Don’t be afraid!)

This dish is AMAZING because you make a TON and have easy (and delicious) leftovers, it is great for summer and it can be eaten by itself or as a sandwich!

Thank me later!

Salmon with Warm Lentil Salad (thanks Real Simple!)

The other day I went through an old Real Simple magazine (aren’t they amazing?) and I saw a recipe for “Salmon with Warm Lentil Salad” – the picture and the description sounded amazing, so I decided to try it. (And lemme just say, I’m still pattin’ myself on the back for this one.)

Salmon:     In an olive-oiled-pyrex I put the two fillets. Then I salt-and-peppered them, added a little WHITE WINE and more olive oil on top then put them in the oven until they were “done”.

Warn Lentil Salad (mine was cold):   Real Simple Recipe (with my alterations) – serves 4

Ingredients:

–          1 cup green LENTILS, rinsed SALT and BLACK PEPPER (I used a jar of already-made Lentils with no salt and no pepper)

–          2 tablespoons of OLIVE OIL

–          2 tablespoons of red-wine vinegar

–          2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard

–          ¼ cup red onion, chopped (I used green onion the first time I made this b/c it’s                      milder… definitely a good choice!)

–          ½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsely (I didn’t use any… mainly b/c I forgot)

–          1 bunch arugula, torn (about 4 cups) (I used a mix of arugula & canon – canónigos                in Spanish – it is like straight up bunny food)

–          1 lemon, cut into wedges (I did not get fancy with any lemons… just wasn’t feelin’ it             for the salmon or the lentil salad)

Directions:

–          Combine the vinegar, mustard, onion, parsley, about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper (I just tossed some in, no clue if it was ¼ or not…) and stir it up.

–          Add the lentils and arugula to the vinaigrette and toss to combine. Serve with salmon and lemon wedges.

Because in Spain lunch is enormous, and I had time on Saturday, I also accompanied “violet rice” – from Laos (look how fancy I am!) with the salmon and lentils.  I added some HONEY to the rice before I served it and also added a teeeeny tawny little QUAIL EGG on top!

 

Not only is this salad and meal muy delicioso, it is super healthy for you, reeeediculously easy, looks fancy and is great for every season. Plus you can combine it with whatever you want – the possibilities are endless!

Crazy Curry Carrot Mix

My friend Norma made a GREAT Curry Carrot mix-dealio. It was made as an appetizer to put on fresh bread and I thought it was amaaaazing, so I decided to try it myself!  However, I kinda sorta forgot the recipe details of what she told me so I decided to invent 🙂

Here’s how my version goes:

–          Boil CARROTS (after peeling them)

• Once they are soft, take them out, let them cool

–          Chop the carrots into small pieces

–          Put the chopped, soft carrot into a big pan, that already has plenty o’ OLIVE OIL heated

–          Start by mixing it around, coating it all in the oil

–          Add SUGAR, SALT, FRESH PARSELY, CURRY POWDER and keep stirring

I keep adding the oil, curry, sugar and parsley until I get the consistency, color ad taste that I’m in the mood for.

Why it is awesome:

You can put this Curry Carrot on top of BREAD as an appetizer or on top of RICE, make some grilled chicken to go with and it makes for a delicious meal!

OPIONS:

You could also…

–          only add a LITTLE SUGAR if you don’t  it too be sweet

–           add a bit of GINGER or RAISINS and it would also be delish!

Oops…

arrgh. I knew I wouldn’t be very good at this blogging thing… sorry for duping everyone. (Heh heh?)

I have lots of posts I have been working on, new recipes, interesting ideas and many, many inventions!

Here we go! (again!)

– Heather

Tosta con Tomate

… or Toast with Tomato

In most every Spanish café, when you go to order your “mid-morning” coffee you can order “una tosta con tomate”. What is it exactly? Blended (or grated) tomato on toast with a bit of olive olive and salt! Heavenly.

I have been talking about getting a blender (or one of those blender wand thingys) mainly to blend tomato (and do pesto and sauces…). My friend Norma suggested grating the tomato like her mom does! Genius!

This morning I decided to go for it. It turned out even better than i had imagined!!!! (PS I did buy a toaster yesterday, so yay!)

However, next time instead of sandwich bread I want to use fresh baguette bread… hea-veh-hen 🙂

Tomato-Asparagus Pasta

Today for lunch I had to get creative because we need to go to the grocery store stat. This is what happened (in order):
– boiled pasta
– made sauce:
– olive oil
– garlic
– onion
– white wine
– asparagus
– salt
– tomato sauce
– splash of balsamic vinegar

And lunch is served!

About Trout

On Saturday I made trout for the first time. Jesús and I had gone to Carrefour (our supermarket -it’s BIG, like “American big” – I mean it’s 2 freeeking stories!) and bought trout. Here, at the “fish stand”, evvvverything comes straight-out-the-ocean… It’s allll whole fish (minus the salmon) – like somet things are still living… on the display ice!  Anyhoo, for 1€ each, we bought 2 whole trout.

The lady behind the counter asked if we wanted it cleaned – I assumed this meant taking allllllll the insides out (and heads and tails)… But, to my surprise, when I opened the bag to make the trout, the heads and spiiiiiine were still inside! EEEW, EEW, EEEW.  Fun fact about Heather:  I like fish when they are swimming free in water and I like eating them – but everything in between “gives me the willies” (mom-ism).  Ahhhhh so gross!

TGIJesús. Jesús hears a frantic “OH MY GOD AH! HEADS!” And comes into the kitchen… And chops the heads off like a pro. Whew! Then I opened them – spines still inside. EW again. But J leaves me to do the rest “you arrre the chef, right?”.  So now, am I suppose to cook with spines? No… what do I do??? How do I take them out?? Answer: YOUTUBE.  After a quick lesson, I ripped those babies out and NOW begins the deliciosoooo recipe:

I put the butterflied” (youtube taught me that one) trout in an already olive-oiled “pyrex” – (a thick glass deep dish pan). Then its:

– salt

– black pepper

– chili flakes (super mild, but you could get fancy and spicy)

– lemon juice

– garlic (chopped up into small pieces)

– olive oil

– fresh parsely

Put them opened in the oven on “super duper hot” for a couple minutes and then take ’em out, close ’em up, and cook ’em for another few minutes.  Voila!  Delicious!!

If you have any Trout ideas,send ’em my way! I am now all about trout, no doubts.

Waking Up

When I was younger, my mom and dad tried many different methods to try to get me out of bed in the morning. There was the “slow, but consistent” method: come in earlier than necessary to give me the “1st” wake up, then every 5minutes (then 3, then 1…) For more “wake up Heather”s. But, I’d end up going baaaack to sleep and they’d end up yelling by my last “WAKE UP Heatherrrrr!”. Then there was the “lights on/super abrupt” method: which is what it sounds like- and I fought back… physically and violently. And then there was the… “Spray (Cold) Water Bottle” method: I still cringe. Mom’s brilliant idea was to come in once to warn me and the second to attack with COLD water. This worked but… Mom… I still get angry thinking about it. Ah!

Today, I have to get up at 7 or … 6 (!). However, I do have an easier time getting up… Why? First i actually fricken love my job, and second: HONEY WAFFLE COOKIES.

I’d seen them around before but it wasn’t until my friend, Norma, brought these amaaazing cookies back from Belgium that I really realized how amazing they are.

Luckily, I didnt have to travel to Belgium for them… Norma found some in Madrid in a small gourmet shop in Madrid ctr (“Deli” by Plaza de Colón).

“Honey Waffle cookies” are … HEAVEN. They are big round waffle cookies stuck together by honey. You place one on top of a hot cup of your favorite tea, which melts the honey… Then when its nice and gooey, you take a sip of tea and bite o’ cookie – toasted on the outside, gooey, sweet on the inside. Ohh Emmm Geeee

As I said, this is pretty much why when I hear my alarm I think, “yay! It’s tea and (honeywaffle)cookie time!” And get up in a hurry!! (Mom, mayyyybe you shoulda bribed me with cookies and now WATERBOTTLEATTACKS! Don’t worry, I still love you…)

Now go on and try it!

Let’s see how long I keep this up…

This is my last attempt at a blog… if I don’t keep THIS one up then I will just accept the fact that it isn’t for me! So, here goes nothin’.

This blog is mainly to record my culinary creations (not gonna lie, I invent random but deliiiiicious food!) and my rather eventful Madrilenian life! I have called it “Happy Heather” not only because its easy to remember, but also because it is the one word that perfectly describes me 🙂 happy.