Archive | Side Dishes RSS feed for this section

Asparagus Salad w/Shallots, Pine Nuts & Cheese

May 13, 2013

Photo by Cathy Nelson Arkle

Warmer weather is finally approaching and with it comes delightful spring vegetables. One of my favorites is asparagus: it’s stylish, bright and addictive.

There are so many simple ways to cook asparagus, and today’s recipe won’t heat up your kitchen or take much of your time. It is also perfect for a picnic or potluck as it travels well.

I took this delectable “Raw Asparagus Salad with Shallots, Pine Nuts & Cheese” to my monthly LA Food Blogger’s Meet-Up. This month’s theme was salads, and what a fabulous array of spring inspired dishes we had. Here are just a few.
Check back for a link up to all the salad recipes.

Jicama SaladFBLA salad meetingMaura Hernandez of The Other Side of the Tortilla made Ensalada Xec (Mayan citrus salad ) & Ericka Sanchez of Nibbles and Feasts made Melon Salad with Coconut Milk.

FBLA meetingJudy Lyness of Two Broads Abroad created this gorgeous Thai Beef Salad Continue Reading →

Read full story · Comments { 8 }

Animal Cracker Soup

April 13, 2013

photo by cathy nelson arkle
In honor of National Animal Cracker Day (April 18th) I decided to use creative license to craft a recipe from one of my favorite childhood classic songs, “Animal Crackers in My Soup” sung by Shirley Temple in the 1935 film Curly Top.

barnum-animal-crackers box

If this movie was before our time, most of us remember the Barnum animal crackers from our childhood, which are alive and well, with 40 million circus train boxes sold each year.  Long gone are the days that a box sold for just 5 cents back in 1902. Today a box costs around $1.25. Continue Reading →

Read full story · Comments { 13 }

Deviled Green Eggs and Ham

April 2, 2013

Deviled Green Eggs & Ham cathy nelson arkle

Today’s recipe is inspired by one of my all time favorite books “Green Eggs & Ham” by Dr. Seuss. I love Sam-I-am’s persistence in getting his friend to taste something so different and odd.  “They are so good, so good, you see!”

sam-i-am-dr-seuss“You do not like them.
So you say.
Try them! Try them!
And you may.
Try them and you may, I say.”

And in the end… Sam-I-am’s friend was grateful for having tried them.

“I do so like
green eggs and ham!
Thank you!
Thank you,
Sam-I-am.”

Inspired by this book and its’ motivating lesson, I am revisiting foods that I thought I didn’t like to give them a second chance.  I challenge you to do the same.  (And maybe some day you will thank me as well!)

Continue Reading →

Read full story · Comments { 18 }

Killer Kale, A Cat Tale…

January 29, 2013

cathy nelson arkle

I have a confession. My cat, Dante, likes kale better than I do.  I am trying to take his lead and eat more of it.  So when I find a recipe that makes kale tasty, I get a little excited, even if I have to fight my cat for the green stuff.

Maybe Dante knows that kale has one of the highest levels of antioxidants of any vegetable. Its richness shines in: antioxidant nutrients, anti-inflammatory nutrients, and anti-cancer nutrients. This should up the ante for eating more kale.

As for Dante… here is the kale tale. Continue Reading →

Read full story · Comments { 25 }

Easy Eggplant with a Simple Sauce

January 22, 2013

cathy nelson arkle

Now that the holidays are over and I have cooked my fill of complex and fattening recipes, I am taking a break to cook simple and healthy foods. Today’s inspiration comes from one of my favorite chef/teacher/cookbook authors, Susan Herrmann Loomis. Her roasted eggplant with fresh local cheese recipe fits the bill. While I was at her school in Normandy I had the privilege of watching her “throw” this dish together for dinner.

Photo by Cathy Nelson Arkle

Some of my favorite meals she made were very simple. They were as easy as finding a vegetable, picking some herbs from her garden, and a dash of this or that. She works with such grace and flair it makes me believe I can cook with such style someday. Continue Reading →

Read full story · Comments { 8 }