today marks the ten week countdown to this little nugget’s tentative arrival date. it still cracks me up that she is due on a tuesday. although, if she is anything like her mother she will be no doubt be a little bit late.

i’m getting bigger, days are getting warmer, and i’m looking for food that is lighter, but still filling. this salad is one of those great meal salads. all the individual players bring their own, bright early summer vibe to the table, and a bite with everything together is DEVINE.

this bread crumb chicken is delicious on top of this salad, but would be great all on it’s own too. store bought bread crumbs are great, but blending up these seasoned croutons will take it to the next level.

strawberry & mixed green salad + bread crumb chicken

serves: 4

prep time: 10 minutes

active time: 10 minutes

total time: 20 minutes

ingredients: 8 cups mixed greens (i used a blend of arugula & romaine hearts for a crunchy, peppery blend). edible flower petals optional. 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced. 1 cup chopped strawberries. .25 cup gorgonzola cheese. .25 cup chopped pistachios. 1 lb chicken tenders (they are perfect because they cook up quick enough that your bread crumb crust wont burn and your chicken will be perfect). .5 cup dijon mustard. .5 cup bread crumbs (either extra croutons blended up or prepared from the grocery store). .5 cup olive oil. .25 cup balsamic vinegar. 1 tbs lemon juice. 1 tbs honey. 1 minced garlic clove. 1 tbs kosher salt. 1 tsp freshly ground pepper.

start by combining all but two tbs of the olive oil, the vinegar, the lemon juice, 1 tbs of the dijon, the honey, garlic, 1 tsp of the salt and half the pepper.

whisk everything together to make your vinaigrette and set it aside.

then season your chicken with the remaining salt and pepper (both sides) and then slather the remaining mustard on the chicken.

make sure all of it is lightly covered. coat the chicken tenders in the bread crumbs and set aside.

heat the remaining olive oil in a large nonstick pan over medium high heat. when the olive oil is hot (shiny but not smoking) add in the chicken. cook until the breading is golden brown on both sides. about 6 minutes total. flipping just once. set the chicken aside to cool and rest before slicing.

combine the greens, edible flowers if you are using, celery, strawberries, and gorgonzola together and toss well. sprinkle the pistachios over the top.

slice the chicken tenders into thin slices so they don’t need to be cut with a fork and place them on top of the salad. drizzle with your vinaigrette.

serve and enjoy.

xo, a

strawberry & mixed green salad + bread crumb chicken

serves: 4

prep time: 10 minutes

active time: 10 minutes

total time: 20 minutes

ingredients: 8 cups mixed greens (i used a blend of arugula & romaine hearts for a crunchy, peppery blend). edible flower petals optional. 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced. 1 cup chopped strawberries. .25 cup gorgonzola cheese. .25 cup chopped pistachios. 1 lb chicken tenders (they are perfect because they cook up quick enough that your bread crumb crust wont burn and your chicken will be perfect). .5 cup dijon mustard. .5 cup bread crumbs (either extra croutons blended up or prepared from the grocery store). .5 cup olive oil. .25 cup balsamic vinegar. 1 tbs lemon juice. 1 tbs honey. 1 minced garlic clove. 1 tbs kosher salt. 1 tsp freshly ground pepper.

start by combining all but two tbs of the olive oil, the vinegar, the lemon juice, 1 tbs of the dijon, the honey, garlic, 1 tsp of the salt and half the pepper. whisk everything together to make your vinaigrette and set it aside. then season your chicken with the remaining salt and pepper (both sides) and then slather the remaining mustard on the chicken. make sure all of it is lightly covered. coat the chicken tenders in the bread crumbs and set aside. heat the remaining olive oil in a large nonstick pan over medium high heat. when the olive oil is hot (shiny but not smoking) add in the chicken. cook until the breading is golden brown on both sides. about 6 minutes total. flipping just once. set the chicken aside to cool and rest before slicing. combine the greens, edible flowers if you are using, celery, strawberries, and gorgonzola together and toss well. sprinkle the pistachios over the top. slice the chicken tenders into thin slices so they don’t need to be cut with a fork and place them on top of the salad. drizzle with your vinaigrette. serve and enjoy.

today is a very special day. yes, fig and arugula bruschetta is pretty freaking fantastic, but that is not the only reason that today is special. september nineteenth so happens to be my lovely husband's birthday. and today, we celebrated the way any good, hard working man and his wife should. by lounging about, relaxing and watching day long football coverage as we prepare for our head to head fantasy football battle this week. 

it is our seventh year of celebrating birthdays together and it is hard for me to believe how much has changed. when we met, he had a crazy roommate who inexplicably made wes's french press vanish and i lived with my parents. he worked a regular old nine to five job at a construction company that sold concrete and i was a customer service coordinator for a surf company. 

the first night we met, i gave him a long lecture about how he should be doing something that he loved, not just a job. i didn't then realize i was also talking to myself. and more than that, i had no idea that what we loved would end up being making food together. and yesterday, to ring in another year of wesley, we enjoyed this sweet and tangy bruschetta dish in our tiny garden with a crisp glass of wine and our cat by our side. this dish is a true celebration. 

fig + arugula bruschetta
serves: 2 as a snack or 4 as an appetizer
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 10 minutes
total time: 15 minutes
ingredients: 5 black figs, cut into eighths. 1 small shallot, thinly sliced. .25 cup arugula, roughly chopped. 1 garlic clove, minced. 1 tbs olive oil. juice of 1 lemon. 1 tsp kosher salt. 12 .5 inch thick cut baguette slices. 1 tsp balsamic glaze. 

start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees f. if you are using a toaster oven instead, just set it to lightly toast. 

combine the juice of the lemon, the shallots and half the salt in a small bowl. 

in a medium bowl, combine the figs, remaining salt, garlic and the arugula and set aside. 

then, toast your bread in the oven for 5-7 minutes till lightly toasted. 

after your bread has toasted, add the shallots and any remaining lemon juice to the fig mixture.

add in the olive oil and lightly toss. 

top each piece of bread with a healthy scoop of fig mixture. 

place the bruschetta on a serving platter and drizzle with balsamic glaze. 

serve and enjoy. 

xo, a

fig + arugula bruschetta
serves: 2 as a snack or 4 as an appetizer
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 10 minutes
total time: 15 minutes
ingredients: 5 black figs, cut into eighths. 1 small shallot, thinly sliced. .25 cup arugula, roughly chopped. 1 garlic clove, minced. 1 tbs olive oil. juice of 1 lemon. 1 tsp kosher salt. 12 .5 inch thick cut baguette slices. 1 tsp balsamic glaze.
start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees f. if you are using a toaster oven instead, just set it to lightly toast. combine the juice of the lemon, the shallots and half the salt in a small bowl. in a medium bowl, combine the figs, remaining salt, garlic and the arugula and set aside. then, toast your bread in the oven for 5-7 minutes till lightly toasted. after your bread has toasted, add the shallots and any remaining lemon juice to the fig mixture. add in the olive oil and lightly toss. top each piece of bread with a healthy scoop of fig mixture. place the bruschetta on a serving platter and drizzle with balsamic glaze. serve and enjoy.