greens Archives - JoyFoodly

My 5 Favorite Pantry Meals for the Busy Family

With the right pantry staples, you can make weeknight dinners a breeze. In my home, it’s not about fancy chef meals during a busy work week, but it’s about creating dishes that are packed with flavor and require very little time. These are my five favorite pantry meals and my chef tips for how to stock your pantry with the staples and fresh organic ingredients needed to make cooking easier.

MONDAY (go meatless!): Late Summer Eggplant and Tomato Pizza

Make Monday your meat free meal with a family favorite, pizza night. It’s late summer, and in our family we’re eating lots of Chinese and fairytale eggplant (hint: these varieties cook fast!) and tomatoes. The key with this pizza recipe is that with our ricotta base, you can really add any sauteed vegetable you love to the topping, more cheese and some fresh herbs. It literally takes 20 minutes to make!

Organic vegetables and fresh herbs: eggplant (fairytale or Chinese variety), tomatoes, basil
Pantry staples: frozen pizza crust, ricotta cheese, onions
Chef tip: saute the eggplant with onion and finish with a glug of balsamic vinegar
Variation: on another night, try cumin roasted sweet potato and some fresh arugula on top of your ricotta base and throw in some goat cheese on top!

To make our sweet-n-spicy eggplant and tomato pizza, see the recipe below, and for more inspiration on how to build a pantry pizza, don’t miss our recent post for loads of ideas.

TUESDAY: The Perfect 15 Minute Orange Curry Chicken and Spiced Roasted Veggies

If you talk to my husband, he’ll tell you that we always build our fastest meals around which veggies can we roast and which organic lean protein can we cook quickly! If you’re like me, I’ve eaten one too many sad dried chicken breasts to last me a lifetime. This method, inspired by Jacques Pepin, is sure fire and works every time. Watch my video to see just how easy moist chicken breasts can be!

Organic vegetables and fresh herbs: sweet potatoes, broccolini, thyme
Pantry staples: curry powder, cumin, aleppo pepper, olive oil, sriracha, mayo
Chef tip: roast the veggies on the same pan for faster clean-up and be sure to let your chicken rest for 5 minutes before you slice into it to maintain that moisture!
Variation: use the same method to cook the chicken but use lemon, rosemary, and garlic as your seasoning and throw in some canned artichokes while the chicken is cooking. This makes an amazing sauce and complete dish when served over quick cooking polenta.

To make this meal, check out our detailed recipe below.

WEDNESDAY: Roasted Fall Squash and Mozzarella Quesadillas

It’s hump day, and let’s face it, some weeks it’s all we can do to get through the day! But with my roasted fall squash quesadillas, you’ll be smiling in no time, and for the parents it may just be the excuse you need for a mid-week Margarita. Cheers!

Organic vegetables and fresh herbs: acorn squash, green onions, cilantro
Pantry staples: salsa, quesadilla wraps, mozzarella cheese
Chef tip: the minute you walk in the door, preheat the oven. It will take 5 minutes to cut open an acorn squash and scoop out the seeds. Get it roasting while you do other things. That will make the assembly so much faster when you’re ready to eat!
Variation: use pre-cut butternut squash and boil it for 10-12 minutes, drain, and smash. Add some canned organic black beans for a little extra protein in this veggie quesadilla!

To make our fall squash and mozzarella quesadilla and my amazing avocado sauce, check out our post.

THURSDAY: Best of Fall Potato and Leek Quiche

This quiche is the ultimate no-brainer. We use our favorite GF frozen pie crust from Whole Foods Market, and each season we change the veggies that go in but keep the egg, cheese, and spice ratios the same. Crack those eggs, crumble that cheese, and do a quick saute and you’re ready to pop this quiche in the oven and forget about having to make dinner for the next 45 minutes. It’s so easy, you could technically put your kiddos in charge of making it (with a little adult supervision of course)!

Organic vegetables and fresh herbs: leeks, potatoes, and spinach
Pantry staples: eggs, garlic salt, cheddar cheese, and frozen pie crust
Chef tip: if you don’t have leeks, use onions! This quiche is a great day two morning breakfast or lunch with a quick reheat in the microwave. We like to serve a simple green salad on the side.
Variation: substitute bok choy for the spinach and mix it up by adding half cheddar/half feta to the mix and a dash of worcestershire sauce to your veggie saute!

To make our Best of Fall Leek and Potato quiche recipe, check out our detailed recipe below.

FRIDAY: Baked Turkey Meatballs Over Penne with my 15-minute Tomato Sauce

My moist and meaty florentine turkey meatballs are beyond delicious. I created these little gems for a teen class I was teaching in New York years ago. Trust me, the teenaged boys liked them and so does everyone I serve them to! Over the weekend, my husband and I love to take leftovers and make them into day two pita burgers with all kinds of Greek fixings. Make this your Friday night family treat!

Organic vegetables and fresh herbs: spinach, parsley, thyme
Pantry staples: pureed boxed Italian tomatoes, onion, garlic, dried pasta, ketchup, bread crumbs, eggs
Chef tip: add a simple green salad with my homemade vinaigrette to the meal
Variation: instead of putting spinach and parsley in your turkey meatballs, go with a spicy Mediterranean vibe and add harissa paste and mint. Grill them like burgers, and serve them on pita bread with cucumbers and feta cheese!

To make my moist and meaty florentine baked turkey meatballs with my simple 15 minute tomato sauce and to see how we love to play with this recipe for a variation of a Greek themed pita burger meal, check out our posts on the joyful blog!

Sweet and Spicy Eggplant Tomato Pizza

2015-08-04 19:11:25

Serves 4

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Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

20 min

Total Time

35 min

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

20 min

Total Time

35 min

Ingredients

Eggplant, Chinese variety, 2 medium
Onion (yellow), 1
Ricotta cheese, 1 cup
Olive oil, 3 TBS (divided)
Salt, 1 1/4 tsp (divided)
Black pepper, ¼ tsp
Garlic powder, 1 tsp
Balsamic vinegar, 2 TBS
Tomatoes, 1-2
Hot chili flakes, 1/2 tsp
Pizza crust (We use Udi’s frozen gluten free crust), 2 crusts in 1 package
Basil (fresh), 1 small bunch
Goat cheese, plain, about ½ cup

Prep

Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach. Wash all fresh ingredients.
Preheat an oven to 500F. This will ensure a nice crispy crust on your pizza dough.
Cut off the tips of the eggplant. Then cut them into halves and then into a small dice. Note: for Chinese or Japanese varieties of eggplant, you do not need to peel them or salt them before cooking.
Dice the onion.
Season the ricotta with ¼ teaspoon salt and black pepper.

Cook

Sauté diced onion in 2 tablespoons olive oil on medium-high heat for about three minutes.
Add the diced eggplant, plus 1 additional tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and the garlic powder. Continue sautéing on medium-high heat for another two minutes.
Add 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar to the mixture. Scrape up any brown bits that have formed on the bottom of the pan with your spoon as the eggplant absorbs the vinegar. This technique is called “deglazing” the pan. Cook another few minutes on low heat.
Spread ricotta onto the pizza crusts.
Top with crumbled goat cheese, then the sautéed eggplant and onion, and lastly slices of tomato and torn basil leaves on top. Sprinkle hot pepper flakes as desired.
Bake at 500F for 10 minutes. You can rotate the pizza midway through cooking. Enjoy served with more fresh basil on top.

Note on substitutions

we recommend you use the smaller Japanese or Chinese eggplant in this dish, as they do not require pre-salting and have a milder, sweeter taste.

How to add protein

this pizza is a perfect meal as is. The ricotta provides protein and it’s very filling. However, if you wanted to add some extra protein, ground turkey or ground pork sautéed with olive oil, salt and pepper, could be a nice extra along with the other toppings.

JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

The Perfect 15 Minute Orange Curry Chicken and Spiced Roasted Veggies

2015-08-04 19:14:16

Serves 4

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Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

15 min

Total Time

30 min

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

15 min

Total Time

30 min

Ingredients

Organic boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 4
Sweet potatoes, 2
Broccolini, 1 bunch (or 2-3 stalks/person)
Olive oil, as needed
Salt, as needed
Curry Powder, ½ tsp
Cumin, ½ tsp
Orange, 1
Fresh thyme, 1 bunch
Aleppo pepper, ½ tsp

Prep

Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach. Wash all fresh ingredients.
Preheat oven to 425F.
Take your chicken breasts out of the refrigerator and set aside while you get your other ingredients prepped.
On both sides: dry off raw chicken breasts with paper towels, sprinkle with a pinch of salt (about ¼ teaspoon each) and curry powder and drizzle a small amount of olive oil onto both sides of chicken.
Juice the orange.
Cut sweet potatoes into french fry slices (with the skin on). Lightly drizzle with olive oil, salt and cumin powder and place on the cookie sheet you’ll use to roast them.
If broccolini is bigger, you can cut each stalk in half. If it’s on the small and skinny side, just toss them with a good drizzle of olive oil in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and aleppo pepper and place on the cookie sheet you’ll use to roast them.

Cook

Put the vegetables into the oven to roast at 425F for 15 minutes. You may want to cook the broccolini just a little short of 15 minutes (around 12 minutes), but the french fries will need the full 15 minutes. While the vegetables are roasting, we’ll sear our chicken breasts.
Get out an aluminum sauté pan and turn your flame on medium high heat (no oil in pan).
Place the chicken breasts down (rounded side down) in hot pan. If you wiggle them a little when you put them in the pan, they will keep it from sticking. Do NOT touch it for 3 minutes.
Flip chicken over in pan; turn heat on low; add juice of the orange and place thyme branches on top of chicken; cover with lid and set timer for 12 minutes to cook on low.
When the 12-minute timer buzzes, take off the lid, remove chicken and let rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting or serving.
While the chicken is resting, don’t waste the delicious juices that have gathered in the pan into the orange juice. Turn the heat on high and let that sauce reduce down by about ½. Now you have the perfect pan sauce to drizzle on top of your chicken!
Serve your perfectly moist chicken with your delicious roasted vegetables. We love to make a sriracha mayonnaise dipping sauce for our sweet potato fries!

JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

Best of Fall Leek and Potato Quiche

2015-09-08 20:36:21

Serves 4

Note on substitutions: If you don’t have cheddar, use swiss, jack, or gruyere cheese. If you don’t want to use a pie crust, you can also pour this into a pyrex dish and bake at the same rate and it will be delicious! This is a great dinner or breakfast. Next day, just reheat a piece in the microwave.

Save Recipe

Prep Time

25 min

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr 25 min

Prep Time

25 min

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr 25 min

Ingredients

pie crust (gluten free), 1
leeks, 2 medium
olive oil, 3 TBS (divided)
potato (Yukon Gold), 1 large
spinach, 2 cups
salt, 1 tsp
cheddar cheese (white, sharp), 7-8 oz
eggs, 6
garlic powder, 1/4 tsp
black pepper, 1/4 tsp

Prep

Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach.
Wash all produce. Be sure to clean leeks thoroughly to remove dirt. The best way to do this is to first cut and set aside the dark green tops, then cut from the root up through the length of the leek and under a stream of running water, peel back the layers with your fingers and let the water wash out the dirt.
Preheat oven to 350F.
Remove pie crust from freezer. Let come to room temperature.
Cut leeks into thin half moon slices.
Cut the potato into quarters, then slice into thin pieces.
Grate the cheddar cheese. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, crack and beat eggs. Stir in salt, pepper, garlic powder, and grated cheese.

Cook

In a preheated skillet, saute potatoes in 2 tablespoons olive oil for 7 minutes over medium high heat.
Add the leeks and spinach, plus 1 more tablespoon olive oil, and cook another 2-3 minutes, or until spinach has wilted and leeks have softened.
Let this mixture cool slightly.
In a bowl, mix the egg and cheese mixture with the cooked veggies.
Transfer to the pie crust.
Bake uncovered for 40 minutes at 350F.

JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

The Rise of Gluten Free Romance

Jun 22 by Chef Hollie Greene Leave a Comment

Sadie is the founder of Bread SRSLY in San Francisco. She is also my friend and someone I look up to as a small business entrepreneur who is passionate about her product and her customers. I first met Sadie at a local chefs’ meet-up here in San Francisco, but I’ll never forget when I first heard of her amazing gluten free sourdough bread from three moms on twitter. They told me I HAD to buy some that day, and I did. And I’ve been buying her bread ever since. Don’t miss Sadie’s discount offer below just for our Joyfoodly community and share it out to your followers!

-Chef Hollie

I’ve always worked with my hands. In college, I joined a team of students who were designing a massive Rube Goldberg machine – you know, the funny chain reactions that start with a cat pouncing on a mouse and end with a robot serving you toast. I was completely smitten with one of the project leaders, Jesse, who soon graduated and moved home to San Francisco. In fact, I was so smitten that in 2009, I followed Jesse to San Francisco. I was determined to win his heart!

Unfortunately, the feeling was not mutual. But that didn’t stop me. If college had taught me anything, it was this: if you bake it, they will come. Jesse had just gone gluten-free, so I got to work experimenting with new ingredients: sorghum flour, sweet rice and buckwheat to name a few. Many of my attempts ended up in the compost, but when one came out well, I would ask Jesse to come try it. A few months later, I learned that I was pretty seriously gluten-intolerant myself!

I redoubled my efforts in the kitchen, focusing on making the perfect loaf of gluten-free bread. And after many, many recipes, in August 2011, I had my first bread day. Friends came over in the evening to pick up their purchases, and to sweeten the deal, I began to deliver loaves on my bicycle. A few months later I was biking late into the night delivering orders.

What began as an effort to win Jesse’s heart quickly turned into something much, much more. Word spread. Friends told friends, who told colleagues, who told neighborhood groups, who told reporters, and on March 13th, 2012, a writeup in Daily Candy SF catapulted Bread SRSLY into a full-time business. With tons of help from some amazing friends, I began to send loaves out into the world week after week. And, all deliveries were made by ladies on bikes. Most weeks I biked 100 miles delivering my bread. And as for Jesse? Eventually my baking paid off, he helped me build my own cargo bike to cart my larger orders around town, and we’ve been together ever since.

We’re no longer in my Cole Valley kitchen, where I started in 2011. Now, we bake out of Ledbetter Bake Shop‘s kitchen in the Dogpatch’s American Industrial Center. Our bread has brought sandwiches, fancy toast creations, Thanksgiving stuffing and the tasty tang of sourdough back into the lives of gluten-free folks across the country, and we couldn’t be prouder. Our customers are the reason we love what we do.

One of the greatest things about our bread is that it can be used in all kinds of recipes! One of our favorite things to make with our bread are golden, toasty croutons. They’re perfect for any salad. Hope you enjoy this recipe!

Sadie Scheffer: Baker, cyclist and owner of the San Francisco-based gluten-free sourdough bread company, Bread SRSLY.

Bread SRSLY has kindly provided us with a promo code for 10% off orders for their gluten-free bread. If you’re in their shipping region (the continental US), use the promo code JOYFUL2015

One of the easiest ways you can get a yummy green on the dinner table each night is to make a simple salad with your kids. I’ve yet to meet a child that didn’t love a good basic lettuce salad. Sadie’s croutons are the perfect crunchy topping to make your summer salads even more delicious. And if you find that you tend to get into a salad rut, as I do, have fun exploring different greens and toppings in our guest post by Michelle on how to Build Your Own Salad that’s rockin’!

Growing Yard Art – A Gardening Primer

Jun 15 by Chef Hollie Greene Leave a Comment

I’ve yet to meet a child that didn’t love to dig in the dirt for fresh vegetables. It doesn’t take much to get started with a small home garden. This week, I’m thrilled to have a guest post by Susan Huff of The Soulful Seed With heartfelt love for home gardening and a career helping families and communities make this a reality, Susan brings a loving and easy approach to help you get your first home garden started this summer. Thank you, Susan!

When we eat food, we have the opportunity to begin a relationship with food, paying attention to what fuels our bodies and satisfies our soul. It can also provide an even deeper experience with the earth, the climate, the location and the space we live in. It all begins with a garden! Few things are more satisfying than growing food you can eat. Regardless of where you live, or even the space you have, there is always an opportunity to develop a deeper relationship with food and health when you start a home garden.

Gardening is popping up everywhere. Co-ops, community gardens, school plots, and even social media, like these fun suggestions for kid friendly gardening, provide ample examples of how easily YOU too can do it. Yet, many see the term “home garden” and feel it is a project only done with success by those with tons of experience or someone to teach them step by step in person. Gardening is an art form, and should be treated as such! The canvas the colors and the medium are all about your preferences and your enjoyment! Any art project can seem daunting if you feel it has to be perfect or it should be done a certain way.

The truth is that gardens are a direct reflection of you – a personal statement about what you love to eat, what you enjoy planting, and how much you want to develop that relationship with your diet and your connection with its process.

There are thousands of plants we can choose from and hundreds of ways to practice the art of gardening. I want to share a few ideas on how to get started simply, easily and without stress. Your spot, plot , or plan should feel positive, should be fun, and most of all, it should help you bring about good lessons to help create more of what you want!

Fresh veggies are about the most favorite things in my life- be it a cherry tomato, a clipping of basil, or a handful of arugula -nothing brings me more joy than walking out the door at the end of the day and bringing in a part of my meal that’s fresh and homegrown by ME!! Let’s begin by picking a few things that grow well in most every part of the country(watch your temps to see what works best for you). These four are a great beginning for the home gardener:

Cherry tomatoes
Radishes
Greens (pick a variety you love!) and
At least two herbs–I love thyme and sage

Just be sure to use good soil – possibly a mix of gardening soil and peat – available at all garden stores – rather than potting soil or top soil which can make the process more difficult. Remember, a good rule of thumb is that less is more! Now, you are on your way to success.

The road to beginner’s success is to use raised beds or container gardening. I have a few tips to get you started:

Start small: 4’x 6’ is way better than 40 x 60 I can promise you!
With just a few clay pots, you’re ready to begin. Add a few rocks in the bottom of the pots for good draining. I even love using wine corks–they are the bomb for this!
Most greens are best planted from starts you can get at most any garden center.
Radishes are always planted by seed and are the fastest to grow -yea they will be here in 28 days just in time to keep you from giving up!
Tomatoes can take the longest – so this is the time to learn about nature and her plan – patience and acceptance are the most promising lessons that come from gardening.
Another rule of thumb that will help is to plant the seed as deep as the seed is big and you will be fine – and don’t forget to water the soil well prior to planting anything!

Make sure you put your home garden in a place you have to trip over to get into your car! This way you will keep an eye on it and remember it needs care just like YOU. Begin with plants you love to eat; why grow a ton of squash if you don’t really enjoy it? I try to grow what I love, what is hard to find in the organic section, and what is best cut fresh – like butter lettuce!!! Remember this is an act of love- make it your canvas, make it fun, make it your meditation on what fuels your body. Food is a gift and if we treat it as such we are satiated with much more than just taste or even flavor. This is love – from our garden to our heart! What better way to say “I love you” to your body, health, and planet than to have a home garden! Ready set – BEGIN! I can’t wait to hear about your first sprout and how big your smile was!

Be well, eat well,

-Susan Huff

Susan Huff is an organic gardener, a chef and a slow food follower. For thirty years, Susan has been gardening and educating communities to design and create their own gardens.

In addition to her gardening pursuits, Susan has created three cafes, appeared in multiple television spots, and published several articles in Florida Gardening Magazine.

Strawberry Kissed Chicken Spinach Salad

May 19 by Chef Hollie Greene 1 Comment

JoyFoodly has recently partnered with Whole Foods Market in Northern California to help families gets more seasonal fruits and vegetables into their diets. The ‘Now in Season’ program at Whole Foods will feature one seasonal produce pick every month, and JoyFoodly is creating fun family recipes with those fruits and veggies. This month strawberries are in season, and we’re diving into their sweet berry flavors on a savory salad your whole family will love.

What is your all time favorite salad you order when eating out? Does it have just the right balance of sweet and savory notes and gives you that crunchy comfort food feel? Is it so satisfying that the bacon burger sitting on your friend’s plate doesn’t even cross your mind? With strawberries at their peak of juicy sweetness, I’m honoring their perfection in this restaurant quality salad that you can make for your family at home.

What I adore about this salad is that it truly hits all the pleasure notes and is so easy to assemble. The creamy and tangy goat cheese balances the sweet strawberry vinaigrette. The perfectly moist chicken breasts add that filling, meaty flavor packed in their lean protein package. And as a Southern raised chef, I of course had to throw in some crunchy pecans.

To get started on the salad we included a short technique video that shows how to make a perfectly moist chicken breast every time. Once you taste the strawberry vinaigrette you may want to use the leftovers to top all sorts of foods, especially our homemade Buttermilk Parmesan Baked Crispy Chicken Fingers!

Make sure you check out our last video on how to prep strawberries!

Strawberry Kissed Spinach Pecan Salad with our Best-Ever Moist Chicken

2014-05-17 23:38:24

Serves 4

topped with Strawberry Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

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Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

25 min

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

25 min

Salad Ingredients

Strawberries (fresh), 16 oz. container
Pecans, 1 cup
Spinach, 6 cups (or 1 bag)
Goat Cheese, plain, 5 oz
Chicken breasts, skinless, boneless, 2
Olive oil, 1-2 tablespoons
Salt, 1-2 teaspoons

Sweet Strawberry Vinaigrette

Champagne vinegar, 2 TBS
Agave, 3 TBS
Strawberries, 1 cup (approximately 4 large strawberries from the 16 oz container)
Dijon mustard, 1 tsp
Poppy seeds, 1/2 tsp
Salt, ¼ tsp
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, ¼ cup

Prep

Take 5 minutes to get out all your ingredients, measuring and cooking equipment needed, and place them on a cookie sheet within easy reach.
Take your chicken breasts out of the refrigerator and set aside while you get your other ingredients prepped.
Make the salad dressing: measure the strawberry vinaigrette ingredients, place them in a blender and pulse until combined.
Wash and cut the remaining strawberries into any size you like (slice, quarter, etc).
Wash and dry spinach.
Crumble goat cheese and set aside.

Cook

Use our 6 step method for perfectly seared chicken breasts. Substitution note: a fast substitution would be to use the breast meat from a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken!
On both sides: dry off raw chicken breasts with paper towels, sprinkle with a pinch of salt (about 1 teaspoon each) and drizzle a small amount of olive oil onto both sides of chicken (about 1 tablespoon each).
Juice 2 lemons: about ½ cup liquid.
Get out an aluminum sauté pan and turn your flame on medium high heat (no oil in pan).
Place the chicken breast down (rounded side down) in hot pan. If you wiggle it a little when you put it in the pan, it will keep it from sticking. Do NOT touch it for 3 minutes.
Flip chicken over in pan; turn heat on low; add your liquid and place thyme branches on top of chicken; cover with lid and set timer for 12 minutes to cook on low.
When the 12-minute timer buzzes, take off the lid, remove chicken and let rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting or serving.
Layer your salad jars in the order you like, alternating the fruit, spinach, chicken, goat cheese and pecans.
Enjoy each salad jar with a few tablespoons of strawberry vinaigrette. Save the rest of the dressing for another salad night! It’s so good you’ll want to put it on everything.
If you are not using jars, just mix all ingredients in a bowl and drizzle with dressing just before serving.

TASTY TIP…for a simple pan sauce

While your chicken is resting, turn the heat back up on high to reduce the leftover liquid in the pan. After it has reduced down to a thicker consistency, turn the heat on low and whisk in a tablespoon of butter and a pinch of black pepper. Check for seasoning. Enjoy over slices of your moist chicken breasts!

How to cut your moist chicken to make it tender

The best way to cut any meat is against its natural grain. This will help the meat melt in your mouth!

Liquid + spice options to inspire your own creative concoctions

Juice and zest of 1-2 oranges and a pinch of curry powder
Juice and zest of 1-2 lemons and fresh rosemary
Juice and zest of 1-2 limes and a pinch of cumin powder
½ cup of white wine with some fresh thyme

JoyFoodly http://www.joyfoodly.com/

Build An Arugula Salad

May 16 by Michelle Venetucci Harvey Leave a Comment

I often fall into a salad rut. It’s easy for salads to get boring. But let me give you a little tip: it’s also easy to get really creative with those salad ingredients. Boring salads be gone!

I love arugula for a lot of reasons. Some people aren’t sure about the peppery taste of arugula, but I find that the right dressing really mellows it out, and the hardy flavor helps it stand up well to heartier salad ingredients like roasted squash, nuts, pomegranate seeds, and avocados. And that dark green color really makes for a beautiful salad!

There’s a great arugula salad in JoyFoodly’s online kitchen learning lab, the Joyful 12, which is good enough to convert any salad skeptic. After making it a few times I got inspired to change it up with what I have on hand, using arugula as a base. I wanted to share some of my combinations, but you can use these basic principles to build your own salad any day of the week!

The Dressing

For most arugula salads, I love using a basic dressing made up of olive oil, champagne vinegar, dijon mustard, lemon juice, and some minced shallots for an extra level of flavor. A fun alternative is a cumin lime vinaigrette, which pairs great with most of these salad toppings. For tips on creating your own dressing, see Chef Hollie’s recent post on salad dressings!

Add Texture

Think of fruits and veggies that have a texture you like. Avocados are always a nice addition to any salad (or any meal, am I right?), and in the winter I think persimmons add a nice flavor and texture to a salad.

Add Crunch

Not all salads have to be “light”. It’s nice to really feel like you’re eating something substantial. I often add ingredients that give the salad some crunch, like pomegranate seeds, pumpkin seeds, or even nuts.

Try Roasting

Arugula salads go great with roasted root veggies like sweet potatoes or fingerlings. Just slice them up, lightly coat in olive oil and a dash of salt (feel free to throw in some cumin or curry powder!), and roast in the oven on high heat (400 – 450F) until you like the texture! It’s always important to use a pan with low sides so that the heat can actually reach the veggies evenly. I love slicing and roasting delicata squash when it’s in season, which forms pretty yellow half-moons that look great (and taste even better!) in the salad.

Or Fruit!

Does fruit on a salad seem weird to you? Get rid of that thought right now! Fruit is a great addition to salad, both for all the great textures and flavors it can offer. I like to add apples for some crunch, or stone fruit like nectarines for the sweetness and texture. Dried fruits are also easy additions to keep around the kitchen. I even like adding mango every once in a while – can’t go wrong there!

Make Your Own Salad Dressing

May 14 by Chef Hollie Greene 1 Comment

When I was 19 I lived with a French family that made their salad dressing every night. I was amazed by how easy it was and so incredibly delicious, and the cool thing was that once you knew the basic vinaigrette recipe, you could play with all kinds of versions. It really inspired me to adopt this practice, and I hope your family has fun trying out homemade dressings. You’ll feel good knowing exactly what’s going into them and your taste buds will thank you!

When making my own salad dressing, I often build on a very basic set of ingredients and then taste-test to see what other flavors would go best with my salad. I can throw together a great dressing in under 3 minutes – and then keep leftovers in the fridge!

There are a lot of directions you can take salad dressing, but all you really need to know are the basic building blocks. In just a few minutes you can become a salad dressing pro! For a basic oil and vinegar dressing, here’s how I start adding ingredients:

The Ratio

The basic vinaigrette ratio is 3-to-1: 3 parts oil, 1 part vinegar. This is just a baseline, so make sure you keep tasting it and adjusting. If you add some citrus like a lime, you may want to add more oil, or if you want it to have a stronger vinegar flavor, add more vinegar!

Oil and Vinegar

Oil and vinegar form a great base for a classic salad dressing. I like using olive oil and balsamic vinegar, which has a complex flavor. If you feel like balsamic would be too strong, I often use champagne vinegar or even red wine vinegar. you can also play around with the oil you use. I use olive oil mostly, but when I want to have a nutty or heartier taste in a winter salad, I use a walnut or hazelnut oil, and when I want a sweeter dressing like a champagne poppy seed vinaigrette, I use vegetable oil instead of olive oil, which gives a more delicate and neutral flavor. Start with the basic 3-to-1 ratio and then taste for yourself and decide!

Emulsifier

You know how oil and vinegar separate when combined? They don’t mix! If you put that on a salad, it will coat the salad with oil and leave a sad puddle of vinegar at the base of your bowl. An emulsifier is something you add to your dressing to help the two ingredients combine properly, and it helps stabilize the mixture. My favorite salad dressing emulsifiers are honey and dijon mustard, but garlic, tomato paste, cream, and egg yolks are all emulsifiers. They taste great too, so think about which ones work best for your salad. If you want to learn more about emulsifiers, there’s a great breakdown of emulsifiers and salad dressings over at Serious Eats.

Salt and Pepper

Don’t be afraid to salt your food! Salt can help bring out all the dressing’s flavors, and the more you enjoy your salad, the more you’ll want to make it again next time. Taste, season, and taste again! Sometimes chefs even add a pinch of salt to their salad greens right before eating.

Flavors!

Here’s where things get really fun. What kinds of flavors would taste good with your salad? My go-to addition is always a squeeze of citrus, but you can add spices, fresh herbs, poppy seeds, or other vinegars. I am especially fond of minced shallots to give my dressing an extra savory taste!

Dry Your Salad

Water and salad dressing generally don’t mix. Once you’ve got a great dressing it’s important to help it stick to your greens, which is why I always air dry or spin the salad greens well after washing.

Making your own dressing is a great way to start thinking about flavors in your food. I like to ask kids what ingredients they’d like to add to dressing, and have them taste-test by dipping a leafy green into the mixture. Dipping your salad ingredients into a dressing is the best way to taste it, since it helps you understand how the dressing will actually taste on your salad! Kids also love measuring ingredients into a mason jar and shaking it until it’s completely mixed.

Sweet Beet Arugula Salad with Candied Walnuts

Nov 6 by Chef Hollie Greene Leave a Comment

Our sweet beet salad has it all: sweet and crunchy candied walnuts, savory earthy beets, and creamy blue cheese. Now that doesn’t sound like the sad, metallic tasting beets I grew up on! Join us in our four week countdown to Turkey day. Each week, we’re serving up some of our favorite savory and sweet veggie loving side dishes to make your Turkey dinner shine on the 27th. To start, we have a salad that will satisfy every family member’s taste buds. Say goodbye to those canned beets and hello to a new Turkey Day treat.

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Technique Timeout: Family Friendly Measure-n-Shake Salad Dressing

Oct 7 by Chef Hollie Greene Leave a Comment

Put down that grocery store dressing. It’s loaded with stuff you and I can’t even pronounce! Instead, get a good old fashioned mason jar, measure out these simple pantry ingredients, and ask your child to help you make this sweet and tangy salad dressing to show your butter lettuce some love tonight! You’ll feel great serving this dressing to your family any night of the week.

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Summer Fresh Vietnamese Rolls

Jul 3 by Chef Hollie Greene 1 Comment

The weather may be hot this summer, just like it is in Vietnam, but these little rolls pack a fresh and light punch that you can take on the go! You just won’t believe it until you see it but kids absolutely adore this recipe. They get to pick from a variety of really healthy, colorful and crunchy stuffings, and the sauce is not only nut free but also vegan. I love the sauce so much I put it inside the roll and add a little dollop after each bite!

We hope this fun, family friendly recipe becomes a part of your summertime favorites whether it’s for a 4th of July BBQ or just some good old fashioned family fun on the weekends.

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