Strange But Good: Roasted Grape & Kabocha Kale Salad

January 3, 2014 By Laura

Luck and wealth are good things to start 2014 with.

We certainly ate like lucky wealthy people on New Years Eve.

This salad would be good at any time, but it’s ingredients make it especially good for NYE. Grapes for luck and greens for wealth. We also had the black-eyed pea hummus. This year should be extra lucky!

The part that may be strange is that I roasted the grapes in this salad. You know how blueberries warmed from oatmeal burst in your mouth? How decadent and sweet and juicy they are? Roasted grapes are like that, but better because they’re bigger. (Insert dirty joke here.)

When roasted, grapes become even more delicious. Their sugars caramelize a bit, the skin softens, and the native sweetness shines. The thick, savory balsamic and rosemary balances the sweetness perfectly. Make this once and you’ll never be satisfied with dried fruit on a salad again.

The thick, jammy juice that forms during roasting is the perfect thing to use as a dressing. Combined with olive oil, vinegar, and garlic, it makes a fabulous warm coat for the kale.

Salads are so easy to make larger or smaller, so below is hardly a recipe. There are no measurements for anything besides the dressing. Even that is just equal parts oil and vinegar, so you can adjust that up or down to suit your needs.

You don’t even have to bother with the salad if you aren’t feeling it. Just pop some grapes in the oven and you’ll have a simple, decadent snack in 15 mins or less.

Roasted Grape and Kabocha Kale Salad

Grapes
Fresh rosemary
Aged balsamic vinegar
Kabocha squash (or other winter squash)
Shallot, diced
Olive oil
Kale
1/4 C olive oil
1/4 C champagne vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
Reserved juices from roasted grapes
Salt & pepper, to toast
Grated Parmesan (optional)

Preheat oven to 450.

Toss grapes on a foil lined pan with vinegar and rosemary. On a second pan, toss kabocha with shallots and a bit of olive oil. Roast each for 15 mins, stirring occasionally. The skin of the grapes should be slightly crisp but the inside still soft. Note: the kabocha may take longer.

Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Strain excess grape juice into a small bowl to reserve for dressing.

Add oil to small skillet and allow to warm over med heat. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant (about 1 min). Stir in grape juices and champagne vinegar, cooking 2-3 mins longer to allow dressing to thicken a bit.

Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Taste, adding salt and pepper to preference.

Place kale in large salad bowl. Pour warm dressing over the kale and massage the greens to soften. Add grapes, kabocha, and fresh parmesan (if using).

Enjoy!

How have you enjoyed making co-workers, friends, or family stare with strange but good creations this week? The link up rules can be found here or by clicking on “Strange But Good” in the menu bar above. In short, I want to see what concoctions have earned you weird looks from co-workers, family and friends! Post your Strange But Good creations, grab the logo below for your blog, and link up here.

Remember to use #strangebutgood in any Tweets and Instagrams of your creations. 🙂

***

I’m thinking I need to do these for breakfast on a biscuit or coffee cake thing…

What is your favorite salad topping?

Have you ever had roasted grapes?

Top 13 in 2013

January 1, 2014 By Laura

You guys like dessert.

I guess that’s why we get along?

Happy New Year!!!

As I looked back at the top posts of 2013, I knew there would be a lot of sweeter dishes. But whoa. Of the top 13 2013 posts, 6 were sweet recipes. What I didn’t realize was that the Work It Out posts are popular too! I’ll do a better job to writing more of those in 2014 – I’ve been pushing it at the gym, but slacking on the writing.

Thank you to everyone for all of the visits, comments, and many, many laughs in 2013. I’ve loved getting to know so many awesome people this year, and look forward to continuing these relationships for years to come.

Enough much! Here’s the lucky (top) 13 to start out ’14…

Top 13 in 2013…

Read More »

Food Hangovers and Slutty Cake

December 18, 2013 By Laura

Atlanta is a food mecca.

It really has become like a mini San Francisco!

This is the food portion of Sarah’s weekend visit… my favorite part! There’s nothing more fun than watching a friend enjoy a meal. Don’t get me wrong – I love to eat it too, but sharing something you love so much with a good friend makes the experience that much better.

So does the fact that Sarah created an image for the extravaganza:

Friday began with a dinner with Sarah and Heather at Cardamom Hill, my favorite Indian spot. The food is inspired by Chef Asha Gomez’s native cuisine from Kerala, but bring in a Southern influence.

We ordered a few starters: Bhajia (sweet potato and onion fritters served with tamarind sauce), Egg Appam (rice & coconut crepe with a poached egg and chili grilled shrimp), and green beans in a spicy garlic-onion masala.

Then we moved on to dinner. First was an Indian take on the classic Shrimp and Grits: spicy Kerala-curried shrimp over grits with leeks, ginger and roasted peppers. The second dish was a red snapper fillet seasoned with a masala paste over a roasted in a banana leaf. It is topped with a coconut milk curry and served with basmati rice and cardamom-scented sweet potatoes.

It’s all as good as it sounds. One thing I love about Asha is that she doesn’t tame her spices to cater to an “American” palette. Each dish had the perfect level of heat – enough to feel it, but not so much that it over took the flavor of the dish.

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Saturday morning we were slightly suffering from food hangovers, so I served Sarah my special morning “cocktail.” I swear it has magical powers. This, plus some eggs and fruit, fueled one helluva glute day!

After glute camp, protein shakes, the epic grocery trip, coffee, and a trip to Kroger (another grocery store), we – once again – did the stereotypical “blogger” thing for a snack: hummus, veggies, and summer rolls.

Sarah Instagrammed while I took a picture of her taking a picture of our foods. Also note the kabocha on the side. 😉

For dinner, I took her to Decatur. It is one of my favorite parts of Atlanta, and is home to one of the best restaurants in the city, Cakes & Ale.

I’ve,eaten here before, but I swear it gets better every time. This was no exception. In fact, our meal here was one of the best meals I’ve had in recent memory in Atlanta. Thus, it will be known as…

We elected to sit at the bar, which I typically find to be the best seat in the house. A good bartender knows everything about the restaurant – from menu to cocktails – and will often let you sample things.

Evan at Cakes & Ale is a good bartender. He started us off well with a gin drink for Sarah and his take on a Manhattan for me.

This most excellent bartender surprised us with a small gift – Arancini with citrus and fennel pollen! This is one of my favorite dished there. Imagine a cheese stick, but as a rice ball with fun spices. We also ordered the butternut squash “hummus” with naan, pomegranate, cilantro, and za’atar to start. I thought my butternut hummus was good… but the impossibly smooth, whipped quality of this pseudo-hummus stole me heart.

Our mains were a roasted cauliflower and shell beans with turnips, carrots, arugula, feta, and poached egg and a Striped Bass with creamed savoy cabbage, roasted fennel salsa, smoked beets, black trumpet mushrooms. The smoked beets deserve a paragraph of them own. I’ll save you the pontificating and just say that they were go good that upon first bite Sarah and I both paused in stunned silence.

Just when we thought things couldn’t get better, the bartender sold us on dessert. It was a hazelnut Bavarian cake with praline bavarian mousse, vanilla sauce, and topped with a nougatine.

That sounds wonderful, but his personal description is what sealed the deal for me. He called it “slutty cake.”

It was the best kind of slutty. Rich, decadent, cream-filled… silky smooth…

I need a cold shower jut remembering it, so this will conclude What I Ate with Sarah. Check out all the link ups here. And check out Sarah’s recaps here and here.

***

Don’t forget click here to enter the giveaway for the Holiday Sampler box from Sizzlefish. Win 1 for you and 1 to gift!

Have you ever had a food hangover? The struggle is real!

What is the best meal you’ve had at a restaurant?

Sriracha. The New Pumpkin.

December 11, 2013 By Laura

I’m ahead of the “trendy” curve.

This is a first.

According to this article, sriracha may be the new pumpkin. Many of you saw the chips. They have now gone so far as to turn it into a vodka flavor.

Why does EVERYTHING good need to be turned into vodka? I like a good drink, and I admit that a sriracha Bloody Mary sounds good… but PB&J? Really?

The point was going to be that I like sriracha before it was cool. Before the pumpkin obsession. Before even the bacon obsession. So there. ~~Pass me a pumpkin-bacon-sriracha martini.~~

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This WIAW felt like it was going to be “meh” after a rushed food prep. Looking back it didn’t turn out too badly. I’m pressed for time, but having quick proteins has helped – on busy weeks I rely on no-salt deli turkey and rotisserie chicken. With a few simple flavor adds, semi-homemade tastes pretty good! Read on for my eats, and then check out Jenn’s blog for everyone else delicious creations!…

Portland is Delicious

December 9, 2013 By Laura

Portland, it’s a good think you’re tasty.

And sunny. Yes, I said sunny.

A belly full of warm food and a sunny, blue sky is the only way I survived this arctic weekend. My little sister, Alli, moved to Portland a few years ago and I hadn’t had the occasion to visit. Apparently they hit record lows the couple of days I finally decided to pop in. It was so cold my teeth hurt.

This was my view coming in:

The snow did melt, and the sun came out to stay! The first order of business was to eat. Alli collected me from the airport and we went right to Tasty ‘n Sons where we ordered everything #yolkporn we could find….

Insta-Mallow + WIAW

December 4, 2013 By Laura

Instagram is everywhere.

No judgment – I’m 100% addicted.

There is a printing company in the UK, Boomf, that has developed an app allowing Instragrammers to print their images onto marshmallows.

So you can take a picture of your food, print it onto another food, and eat it. Would that be considered leftovers?

The service isn’t available in the U.S. yet. They’re trying to work out how to get it through customs.

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I didn’t eat any marshmallows for WIAW, but still managed some good stuff. I’m out of town the rest of the week, so this is one of those “eat everything in the fridge” days. Read on for my eats, and then check out Jenn’s blog for everyone else delicious creations!

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Breakfast:

As always, the day began with my apple cider morning cocktail. Still searching for a new amino powder I like…

Breakfast was a little random. A delicious banana-peanut butter fluff wrap, heated in the microwave. The peanut butter fluff was a mix of peanut flour (from iHerb – use discount code USO924 for $5-10 off your order!), vanilla protein powder, cinnamon, vanilla, and Stevia. With a side of turkey because it was going to go bad.

Mid-Morning Snack:

I am oddly addicted to this Matcha bar found at Whole Foods. It’s almost buttery with its healthy fats! Really good pre-workout fuel with a side of almonds.

Lunch:

Shredded rotisserie chicken (naked from Whole Paycheck) mixed with kale and a really random “dressing.” It was the end of a cottage cheese container, mashed avocado, nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic power, and pepper. I mixed it up the night before and used half here and half in the next snack.

I discovered the toaster at work, so I’ve been loving hot Ezekial sesame toast. Today’s was slathered my favorite Roots spinach hummus (also a Whole Foods find).

Mid-Afternoon Snack:

The other half of the afore-mentioned cottage cheese mix was used in a turkey salad with broccoli slaw. I’m pretty surprised and how good the cottage cheese mix was, now that I think about it. I wish we had a toaster oven at work so I could crisp it up…

And then I had a pity party. I’m getting a cold. Extra water, green tea… and a Snickers should fix it, right?

Dinner:

Dinner was rotisserie chicken tossed with BBQ sauce, with a side of roasted mushrooms and crisped kale.

I turned my roasted buttercup squash into dessert, tossing it in a sauce of peanut flour, cinnamon, Stevia, and almond milk. And chocolate chips.

Dessert:

Pumpkin-Zucchini Bread Batter was my midnight snack. It was another “use all the foods” creation that turned out better than expected! I love using protein powder in these – it really lends to the batter consistency.

Pumpkin Zucchini Bread Batter

1/2 C shredded zucchini
1/2 C Greek yogurt
1/4 C Pumpkin purée
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder (I use Growing Naturals rice protein)

Mix everything together and top as desired. I went with a cocoa powder sauce, popcorn, and cacao nibs.

***

I’m headed to San Francisco for work, and then to Portland to see my sister for the weekend. Any good Portland restaurant recs?

What would you like to print your Instagram pics on? I want Insta-bacon!

What is the strangest clean-out-the-fridge dish you’ve ever made?

Thanks for Bacon + Easy Cranberry Kale Salad

December 1, 2013 By Laura

I spoke too soon.

I’ve often said I need a 5 second delay on my mouth.

This Thanksgiving I ate turkey, and I liked it. My uncle brought the most deliciously moist (yeah, I said it) smoked turkey. So partially I take back what I said about not liking Thanksgiving food. I still passed on the green bean casserole and the stuffing.

First let’s back up. I headed to my mom’s house on Thanksgiving morning to drive the family to my grandparents house in north GA for the festivities. They said they were ready to go, but when I got there only the dog, Honey, was ready.

We finally did get on the road and made it the party without incident (I did have to swerve to miss a kitten in the middle of the road).

The good thing about being late everywhere is that everything is ready when you arrive. We had quite the spread! The turkey didn’t fit on the counter so it’s off to the side, along with a table this size filled with desserts. I’m lucky my whole family likes food as much as I do!

After pre-gaming with cheese crackers, I stacked round 1 with my kale salad, turkey, mac ‘n cheese, sweet potato souffle, pumpkin beer bread (recipe coming!), and had a side of my grandmother’s turnips and ham and a glass of rosé wine I brought back from Napa.

Round 2 looked about the same, but with a deviled egg someone had forgotten in the fridge. 😉

There was PLENTY of dessert too… I brought 4 different desserts, so I’m going to be sharing some fun sweet recipes just in time for Christmas. Yes, I use Thanksgiving to test desserts for Christmas parties.

Today’s sweet treat is from Gabby’s recipe for a gluten-free Apple-Bacon Crisp. I followed her recipe, but added a twist… where she sautes the apples in the bacon pan, I also added 2 tablespoons of whiskey.

The whiskey I used, Balcones Baby Blue, was a smooth addition. The blue corn whiskey from Texas is one of my favorites with its slightly sweet vanilla-caramel taste and notes of candied citrus and baking spices. My other modification was to use hazelnuts in the topping. The rich taste played well with the coconut flour.

It. Was. Awesome. I am thankful for Gabby and her #strangebutgood bacon idea. I scooped it on to my dessert plate with glee.

The leftover whiskey was great to have on hand for the weekend, too. I went to the Tech–UGA game with my cousin and friends Kathleen and Matt. We were all smiles at the tailgate and the first half of the game.

Then the second half happened, and we realized Tech is as bad at football as we feared. ~~It’s a good thing they’re smart.~~

Kathleen and I, pre-loss

Whiskey is a good wound heal-er. 😉

If you’re like me, you need a ~~very short~~ break from the heavy food, so today I’m also sharing the easiest kale salad you’ll ever have. It’s simply dressed, and you can make it the night before. It’s pretty marvelous.

This was my healthy contribution to Thanksgiving, but kale salads are also one of my favorite things to make during my weekly food prep. Their hearty leaves only get more delicious as they soften in the dressing and the flavor soaks in.

This dressing is light, but doesn’t lack in flavor. It is zesty and garlicky with a little heat on the end. If you really like it hot, add red pepper flakes to the top. I did.

Cranberry Kale Salad

2 medium bunches destemmed kale, finely chopped
3 large garlic cloves
Juice from 1 lemon
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne
1-2 handfuls dried sweetened cranberries, for garnish
Parmigiano Reggiano, to taste (omit if dairy-free)

In a mini food processor, process the garlic, lemon, oil, marjoram, pepper, and cayenne until smooth. Taste and adjust flavors, if needed.

Pour the dressing onto the kale and massage it into the kale with your hands. Allow to soften in fridge at least 30 mins, or overnight.

Just before serving, top with cranberries and cheese.

***

I’ve been craving greens after the brown fest that is Thanksgiving!

What was the best dish from your weekend?

Are you punctual, or are you the last to arrive? I’m trying to get better… but it hasn’t taken yet.

A Relaxing Weekend

November 25, 2013 By Laura

This weekend was relaxing.

My version of relaxing… which is active relaxed.

This was the first weekend in a long time where I didn’t HAVE to do anything productive. I still did lots of things, but it was nice to not have a set agenda.

Friday night I had an impromptu dinner with my mom at local Italian restaurant Double Zero. We had a great time catching up and eating. I hadn’t seen her since my competition!

My favorite dish was the grilled octopus with pancetta hash, asparagus puree, and citrus vinaigrette, but the lamb farro was a close second. It was a smoke and braise lamb shoulder with apricots, figs, fresh ricotta, and a poached egg. Next to all that the beet salad was underwhelming.

This next morning I woke up ravenous, so I threw together some quick pancakes. I am not the Pancake Queen, so I was surprised when they turned out to be quite good!

I posted this Almond-Chocolate Pancake recipe here. The topping was the icing on the (pan)cake. I used Lorann Oils Irish Cream flavor in it!

Then it was off to the gym for a glute workout with some of my teammates. I normally workout solo and forgot how much fun it is to have a gym morning with friends!

After the workout we stood around talking about food (of course), and my friend Rachael revealed she hadn’t been to Whole Foods before! I suggested a post-workout trip and off we went. 2 hours later, we were full of samples and hot bar boxes and Rachael learned why we lovingly call it “Whole Paycheck.” She Instagrammed her finds – have you ever tried any of these items? Black bean pasta and no-salt mustard are awesome!

Saturday night I had a friend date with Kat. I’ve been looking forward to catching up with her for weeks! We talked and laughed for hours. You know those friends who just “get” you? That’s Kat.

We ate at the bar at Kimball House. Their cocktail program is incredible! Their take on a Manhattan used cola bitters – coolest thing ever! The food was ok… I’d go back for a pre-dinner drink or a nightcap.

Their take on a Manhattan with cola bitters, sautéed mushroom salad, and beef tartar

I took an “artsy” shot! Sort of:

Sunday was a beautiful day in Atlanta. It was sunny and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky! I decided to go for a run and enjoy the weather… as soon as I stepped outside I realized that – despite the sun – it was in the 30s. About a mile into it I thawed out and enjoyed myself.

I love the trees with the red leaves. They look like they’re on fire!

When I returned I had a lot to do in the kitchen. All fun creations! It was kombucha-brewing day. I have been brewing my own for over a year now. It’s really easy, especially if you have a starter kit (you need a “mother” called a scoby). Mine was from Brooklyn Kombucha, but you could also beg a friend who brews for a scoby.

This week’s flavors are cranberry-ginger-lemon and blackberry-lemon-mint.

I also did some baking for the Sunday evening end of season party at my training gym, House of Payne. I’ll share my #strangebugood brownie recipe next week. 😉

This is what happens when a bunch of competitors get together for a post-season party. It’s ok… we’re bulking…

There were plenty of green veggies, clean sweet potato casseroles, and protein. That pic just wasn’t as much fun.

I am so thankful to have found Steve and his gym. This group of competitors is top-notch. Everyone is kind and always willing to lend a hand. They are funny, genuine people who I am proud to be associated with.

Linking up to Katie’s MIMM again – I’d say this “relaxing” weekend was pretty marvelous!

***

I’m 100% enjoying food freedom again. Bulking season is my favorite.

When was the last time you had an agenda-free weekend?

Have you been to Whole Foods? Do you remember your first time?

Strange But Good: Roasted Grape & Kabocha Kale Salad

Roasted Grape and Kabocha Kale Salad

Top 13 in 2013

Happy New Year!!!

Top 13 in 2013…

Read More »

Food Hangovers and Slutty Cake

Sriracha. The New Pumpkin.

Portland is Delicious

Insta-Mallow + WIAW

Breakfast:

Mid-Morning Snack:

Lunch:

Mid-Afternoon Snack:

Dinner:

Dessert:

Pumpkin Zucchini Bread Batter

Thanks for Bacon + Easy Cranberry Kale Salad

Cranberry Kale Salad

A Relaxing Weekend

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Affiliate Links: This site is monetized through the use of affiliate links. This means that if you were to make a purchase through one of these links, Sprint 2 the Table would receive a small percentage of the sale price. Thanks for your support!

Roasted Grape and Kabocha Kale Salad

Happy New Year!!!

Top 13 in 2013… Read More »

Breakfast:

Mid-Morning Snack:

Lunch:

Mid-Afternoon Snack:

Dinner:

Dessert:

Pumpkin Zucchini Bread Batter

Cranberry Kale Salad

Follow Me!

Popular Posts

Affiliate Links: This site is monetized through the use of affiliate links. This means that if you were to make a purchase through one of these links, Sprint 2 the Table would receive a small percentage of the sale price. Thanks for your support!

Top 13 in 2013…

Read More »