What do I do?: Fridge raid: salad edition

Mornin'!

This will be my last post until next week since I am headed to DC tomorrow-wish me luck! I will come back full of food and wine stories I'm sure. I made an epic salad yesterday after a good workout with Jillian Michaels and wrote a list of things to discuss with you today.

oils & vinegars
textures
skin on/what to peel?
herbs
pickling
chop size
what can dogs eat?

Let's start with oils & vinegars

This is pretty much what we always have on hand and I am extremely lucky to have such a selection available for use since my dad LOVES high quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Becky just gave him some really nice ones for his birthday.

Here's the best tip for using oil; use cheaper and less flavorful oil to cook with. Use the higher quality olive oils to dress salads, finish (a before serving drizzle) dishes, to dip bread in, and make "no cook" sauces like for pasta. The best value extra virgin olive oil is the Kirkland brand from Costco, it tastes great and is affordable. I use canola oil a lot because it has a more neutral flavor and a ton of recipes call for it. I also use toasted sesame oil, but be careful, it is very strong!!! I only use a teaspoon or so for flavor in Asian cooking and then supplement with canola.

I mainly use vinegars in "no cook" recipes, to marinate, to finish, or dress a salad, etc. Sometimes I will reduce balsamic vinegar by half to make a syrupy consistency and drizzle that on proteins or vegetables. The flavor gets sweeter and more intense. Rice wine vinegar is great in dipping sauces for fresh spring rolls, dumplings, and marinades. Apple cider vinegar is a popular marinade for pork and is also said to have cleansing, detoxifying effects. Red and white wine vinegar are always in the pantry and I love to make pickles with them. I always keep glass jars to make pickles and dressings. This is my favorite quick pickle recipe, which I use for everything from ramps (baby leeks-available in the spring) to cauliflower. My oldest friend Beth, who owns Bistro Les Gras with her husband Daniel, makes a quick pickle with onions, who told me about it and now I'm addicted :) I didn't have any fresh dill so I used dried, which is stronger than fresh so be careful. I also used a blend of red and white wine vinegar. After all the ingredients are in the jar I screw the top on and shake it up like a mad woman so the sugar and salt dissolve.

A 5-6" pickling cuke sliced in 1/4-1/2" pieces

Add 1 Tbs sugar to 2 Tbs salt (for a smaller jar use tsp)

Cover 3/4 with vinegar of your choice, then fill w/ water

I like to cut everything in the salad bite size so it's easy and comfortable to eat and I like to have an assortment of textures and flavors. When I use carrots I like to give the peels to my dogs although if they are organic or fresh out of the ground, you don't have to peel them just wash them. The skin typically has the most fiber, like in potatoes and sweet potatoes. If I do eat the skin of any fruit or vegetable I typically buy organic. The main things I feed to my dogs while I'm cooking are apples, carrots, and sweet potatoes. I always google foods that are ok and not ok for them to eat.

Now onto the salad! I open the fridge and see what's in there that I can throw in. Carrots, radishes, cucumbers, pitted kalamata olives (I always have these on hand), marinated artichoke hearts (I prefer the canned in water), green peppers, red leaf lettuce from Outlook Farm (the pork mecca), tomatoes, avocado, and basil, which adds a nice burst of flavor. Instead of making a formal dressing, I sprinkle salt and pepper over the top and drizzle extra virgin olive oil and good balsamic vinegar over the top. It works in a pinch and is still delicious. I have also attached a video of how to cut an avocado - I have just finished working out and it's probably not the best angle, but it's the real me and I do it because I know you'll appreciate what I am talking about ;)