17 Aug 2015

This Week in the Charming South Kitchen

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Banana Pudding Cheesecake

Two things are driving my menu this week:

1.  My mister is working long hours and needs foods that he can eat at his desk, probably 2 meals each day.  That means I get to eat a lot of my salads alone – but I need to make meals that can keep him full for those long 12 hours days.

2.  I’m trying to do better about making a meal plan and sticking with it so my boys don’t eat so many chicken nuggets and french fries.  If I have quick dinners already prepared for when I walk in the door with them then I will be less tempted to eat fast food because it is quick.

Homemade take on Panera’s kale caesar salad (I love this!)

PW’s Panzanella salad with roasted salmon on it

Vanilla Almond Cupcakes for a photo shoot tomorrow

Thai Chicken Curry

Fish Tacos (featuring TJ’s fish nuggets and homemade lime crema and broccoli slaw)

 

5 Oct 2014

Weekend Link Love

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We have had a busy but low-key weekend and here’s to a quiet afternoon editing photos, baking, and getting ready for a Fellowship meal with our church family.

Here are some things that might make you happy.

This plate of Pumpkin French Toast – and by the way, I love Tracy’s use of shadows in her photo.  It makes you definitely feel like you are in the room, about to devour that bread encased in fried egg and sugar!

I adore the rustic-ness of this fall salad and her use of the pie plate as a salad plate.

On the quickly coming chilly mornings when none of us want to get out of bed and we all wish we could stay in our pajamas curled up watching movies or reading a thick novel that are coming…this pumpkin oatmeal will be made in The Charming South Kitchen.

 

 

28 Aug 2014

Vanilla Lime Watermelon Salad

by | posted in: food, The Charming South Kitchen, vegan, vegetarian | 0

Vanilla Lime Watermelon Salad

And summer is slowly coming to an end.  Zoo Atlanta is less crowded during the day.  More school buses are always on the streets around town.  Malls are less jam packed with kids.

School may have started, but summer fruits are still thriving.  This past weekend I went over to Alabama to visit with some family and I got treated to two farm-grown watermelons.  One had yellow flesh and one had the typical red flesh.  Both were beautiful and sweet.

So, I paired them both with some balsamic and olive oil!  What?  That doesn’t go with watermelon.  It does if you have some specialty balsamic and olive oil from Oli & Ve in Roswell.  I paired this for a tasting there and knew that I would be purchasing both.  That tasted amazing together.

Print
Vanilla Lime Watermelon Salad
Author: 
Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: Fruit Salad
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2
 
Fresh summer fruit that is simply dressed - perfect.
Ingredients
  • 1 cup yellow flesh watermelon, cubed and seeded
  • 1 cup red flesh watermelon, cubed and seeded
  • 2 tsp vanilla balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tsp persian lime olive oil
  • salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Put watermelon in a bowl. Combine the oil and vinegar together. Drizzle over top of the fruit. Season with salt and pepper. Eat!
  2. I like this served room temperature. Would be a great side dish to a pork or tacos or fish
 

10 Jan 2014

Italian Bean Saute with a Fried Egg

by | posted in: food, Uncategorized | 0
Print
Italian Bean Saute with a Fried Egg
Author: 
Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: Italian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 1
 
Easy lunch salad that is fresh and healthy
Ingredients
  • evoo
  • ½ red pepper
  • ½ green pepper
  • 1 green onion
  • ½ cup drained cannellini beans
  • ¼ cup matchstick carrots
  • 1 egg
  • 1 T grated parmesan cheese
  • Dressing: http://www.shutterbean.com/2013/country-italian-salad/
Instructions
  1. Saute veggies in evoo - add garlic if you would like
  2. Set aside
  3. Fry egg with salt and pepper
  4. Mix dressing according to Shutterbean directions
  5. Plate it up: saute, egg, dressing, cheese
  6. Enjoy!
I really think I may have created the perfect little salad for lunch. Fresh veggies, protein, wonderful vinaigrette. Perfectly filling and deliciously light.
Serves one

Italian Saute w Fried Egg

2 Jan 2014

Cold Soba Salad with Red Chili Salmon

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Asian Soba Salad

I absolutely love trying new foods.  I had never had soba noodles before so this was a new experience for both my husband and me.  It was a delicious recipe that I tweaked over from Laura at Blogging Over Thyme and she had sweet comments to say about the photos too!

So, be adventurous in this new year – eat this salad!

And, this is not a sponsored post from Gourmet Gardens, but I absolutely love their bottles spices.  So easy to use and tasty.  And as a cooking mom, who doesn’t need convenience!

Print
Cold Soba Salad with Red Chili Salmon
Author: 
Recipe type: Main Dish
Cuisine: Asian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
Delightful noodle salad with salmon
Ingredients
  • 1 pkg soba noodles (Japanese Buckwheat Noodles)
  • 2 T sesame oil
  • 2 T reduced sodium soy sauce
  • 1 T sugar
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves
  • 8 green onions, sliced thin
  • ½ cup chopped, dry roasted peanuts
  • 4 4 oz frozen wild caught salmon fillets
  • 1 tsp gourmet gardens chunky garlic
  • 1 tsp gourmet gardens ginger
  • 1 tsp gourmet gardens red chili
  • 1 T coconut oil
Instructions
  1. Heat water to boil for noodles and cook according to pkg instructions.
  2. Rinse under cold water.
  3. Combine sauce and whisk together.
  4. Pour over noodles.
  5. Add onions and cilantro.
  6. Let chill for at least 30 minutes
  7. Heat coconut oil in separate pan.
  8. Add spices and heat for a few seconds.
  9. Cook salmon in pan until done.
  10. Plate and top with more onions, cilantro, and peanuts.
Next time I will add snow peas or carrots.  Something to give the noodles more oomph!

25 May 2010

Taste of Pizza: Brixx

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I love thin crust pizza.  I love whole wheat crust.  I love non-greasy pizza and ones with delicious toppings.  And I love salads.

The Brixx salad was simple and delicious: greens, goat cheese (I could eat this by the log), pistachios and croutons.  Their housemade balsamic – man I would love the recipe for that.  Fresh cracked pepper – fococcia (didn’t like that bc it was cold).  Hmmm.

We shared a 10 inch whole wheat crust 1/2 pizza.  The crust was perfectly thin and not too crispy so that it busted in your hands.  BBQ chicken was the waitress’s favorite recommendation and is usually a favorite of mine.  It was good – just nothing special.  The other half was pear and gorgonzola.  Subtle, slightly sweet, love the walnuts on it.  Sauteed onions were simply delicious.  Good choice.

Brixx.  Would go again.  Not the world’s best pizza.  But, good for a chain.  Salad was good.  Can I honestly get a recipe for that dressing?

6 May 2010

Taste of Raleigh: Hot Point Cafe

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If you want a nice change from Panera – go here. (Picture taken with my phone – sorry for the quality.)
I really wasn’t planning on eating out today for lunch, but I wanted a quiet(er) place for lunch and didn’t want to sit in my apt by myself. So, I had looked at this place online and went hunting in North Hills. Found it.
This is a trendier Panera. Same price (about) for what you get. I actually think you get more on the salads. The soups were smaller and not a wide variety. Sandwiches looked good, but Panera’s are bigger. They also had meals for dinner – but they were definitely higher (to fit the North Hills market) and they also served a wknd brunch.
I enjoyed the quiet – slightly busy and I was there from 1130-145. Not bad at all. I just enjoyed the warmth and breeze as I sat outside.
I had the small Greek salad and a refillable unsweet tea for $7.22. As you can see from the picture, they don’t skimp on the small. There was TONS of feta, black olives, artichokes, greens, roasted red peppers, cuks, and raw mashrooms. It also came with a triangle of their sun dried tomato focaccia bread (good flavor, but a little dry). I asked for the balsamic vinegar on the side – so good. It was sweeter than most.
So – if you are looking for a place that isn’t as busy (maybe a place to meet with a girlfriend and sit for hours) – there you go…
30 Apr 2010

Couscous Chicken Salad with Vegetables (2010.16)

by | posted in: Vegetables | 0

I really like couscous and I like chicken and I like vegetables. Thought this would be good. That’s about it – it was good.

Here you go:
This is from Easy Summer Meals (Cooking Light)

1 1/2 cup water
1 T evoo
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup couscous (uncooked)
1 yellow pepper, diced
1/2 finely chopped zuk
1/2 cup chopped mushroom
1 1/2 cup chopped chicken (I cooked mine and saved the broth for some soup I am going to make this wknd)
1/2 cup diced carrots
3 green onions, chopped
3 T dried currants
1 T dried chopped mint (or fresh)
pepper

Dressing:
1 cup plain ff yogurt
3 T lemon juice
1 T honey (less because it was really sweet, or Agave nectar)
1 T apple cider vinegar (or what you have)

Chop all veggies. Chop chicken. Cook couscous according to directions. Mix up dressing. Combine all. Best served over mixed greens for a light lunch.
1 1/2 cups: 368 cal, 8 fat, 4 fiber
15 Apr 2010

California Waldorf Salad: from Moosewood

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Well, here was my first recipe from the 100$ for 1.50 cookbook. I like it ok- just wouldn’t serve it for dinner (which is what I’m doing).

3 large apples, chopped (I used 1 large golden delicious and 2 medium pink ladies, skin on)
juice of 2 lemons, divided
2 tangerines (I would use mandarin oranges next time – no seeding)
2 stalks celery (I used 2 instead of 1)
1/4 cup dried currants
1/2 cup cashews (I didn’t toast them)

Dressing: (sweeter than I thought, would use less honey next time)
1 cup plain ff yogurt
1 small avocado (maybe the world’s perfect food)
zest of half lemon
3 T honey (I used orange blossom)

Toss apple mixture with juice of one of the lemons.
Mix dressing and other lemon juice in a blender till smooth.
Mix together gently.
Serve over mixed greens.

I would serve this for a brunch in the summer. Pretty and light and sweet. Would be good paired with muffins.
8 Mar 2010

Mexican Salad

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My best friend from high school, most times when I visit her in TN, makes this wonderful salad that I LOVE! This time we didn’t have it, but I did at least walk away with the recipe. Enjoy!

1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup ranch dressing
1/4 cup salsa
cheese to your liking
tortilla chips to your liking
2 heads romaine lettuce
grilled chicken

Mix ranch dressing and salsa. Toss the corn, beans, cheese, and lettuce.
Grill chicken (or you can leave this out to have a vegetarian salad).
Add broken tortilla chips right before you serve it.
Toss salad with dressing and chips. Cut up grilled chicken on top of the salad. Serve with more tortilla chips, avocado, and more salsa (or ranch) if desired.

THIS IS SO GOOD!