you guys. there has been a major development in my life that is a complete game changer. wes put up my hammock that i registered for when we were getting married. yes, you read that correctly. i registered for a hammock. no, it is not the functional camping kind. it is a hot pink, yellow and blue hammock with fringe and it fits perfectly in our little secret garden on the side of our house. i've always been one of those weirdos who would never leave their bed if they didn't have to, so the hammock is pretty much the best thing that has ever happened to me. it's heating up in socal, things in the garden are blooming, and i'm currently working on my computer cradled by the love of my hammock. i'm in heaven.

and now that our side yard is getting more sun, plants are starting to produce. we are changing over our raised bed and we needed to pull the last of the winter carrots. some cucumbers and asian ingredients were the perfect compliment. sorry east coast, it may be snowing out there but it is beautiful in costa mesa and i'm looking for light and bright. and this salad delivered.

in a medium bowl, combine your cucumber, carrots and green onion. season with salt and set aside.

in a small bowl, combine the vinegar, lime juice, sesame oil, and sugar.

whisk till completely combined.

pour over the cucumber carrot mixture and mix well to combine. place the salad in the fridge for an hour for it them to chill and pickle. stir every 10 to 15 minutes so that all the veggies are equally pickled.

when you are ready to eat, divide your salad among four plates, laying the veggies in an even layer.

spoon some of the reserved dressing over the salad.

sprinkle with sesame seeds.

serve cool.

xo, a

pickled cucumber & carrot salad
serves: 4
prep time: 10 minutes
active time: 5 minutes
inactive time: 1 hour to over night
total time: 1 hour 15 minutes
ingredients: 1 large english cucumber, thinly sliced (about 3 cups). 1 cup thinly sliced heirloom carrots (you can use whatever carrot you have). 1 green onion, chopped. .25 cup rice vinegar. 1 tbs sesame oil. 1 tbs lime juice. 1 tsp white sugar. .5 tsp salt. 1tbs sesame seeds. in a medium bowl, combine your cucumber, carrots and green onion. season with salt and set aside. in a small bowl, combine the vinegar, lime juice, sesame oil, and sugar. whisk till completely combined. pour over the cucumber carrot mixture and mix well to combine. place the salad in the fridge for an hour for it them to chill and pickle. stir every 10 to 15 minutes so that all the veggies are equally pickled. when you are ready to eat, divide your salad among four plates, laying the veggies in an even layer. spoon some of the reserved dressing over the salad. sprinkle with sesame seeds. serve cool.

carrots, cucumber, kosher salt, lime, lime juice, summer food, salad, rice vinegar, side dish, eatAngela SamuelsMarch 14, 2017lime, lime juice, sesame seeds, sesame oil, rice vinegar, cucumber, carrots, green onions, scallions, asian food, sugar, salad, summer saladComment

turkey bolognese

the last couple days in socal have been raining and i freaking love it. LOVE IT. the last two days were spent at home, fireplace blazing and lots of action in the kitchen.

wes had to work all weekend, so i asked him what he wanted for dinner. no surprise, i got the same answer i usually get from my VERY italian husband. bolognese of course.

since the rain was coming down, there was no way i was leaving the house for additional ingredients so i decided to adjust for what i had in the house. and thank goodness i did. this version is much lighter in fat, but is very full in flavor. perfect for a rainy day, or a just because we want to day.

turkey bolognese
serves: 6
prep time: 15 minutes
cook time: 1 hour
total time: 1 hour 15 minutes
ingredients: 1 lb ground turkey. 2 slices thick cut bacon, chopped. 1 onion, diced. 2 celery stalks, diced. 2 carrots, diced. 5 garlic cloves, minced. 1 tsp fresh oregano, finely chopped. 2 tbs + 1 tsp basil, finely chopped. 1 tsp dried thyme. 1 c white wine. .25 c tomato paste. 32 oz can crushed tomatoes (if you only have whole, you can crush them yourself). 1.5 c milk. 1 tbs salt. .5 tbs pepper. 1 lb your favorite pasta. grated parmesan for serving.

start by crisping your bacon pieces in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. about 15 minutes. stir occasionally to break the pieces away from one another and all sides brown.

when the bacon is crispy and browned, add in the onion, carrots and celery. season with a few pinches of salt and a bit of pepper and cook over medium heat until onions are translucent. stir every couple minutes. about 5-7 minutes.

push all your veggies to the sides of the pot. pat the turkey dry, season with half your remaining salt and pepper and add to the pot. cook until browned, breaking it up and stirring every couple minutes. about 7-10 minutes. as the turkey browns, work your veggies back into the mixture.

stir in the thyme, oregano, 1 tsp of the basil and the garlic. cook until the garlic is fragrant. about 1 minute.

when the garlic is fragrant, pour in the wine. cook until almost all the liquid has evaporated, stirring every couple minutes. about 5-7 minutes.

stir in the tomato paste until everything is lightly coated. season with remaining salt and pepper and pour in the tomatoes. stir well to combine.

simmer until the liquid from the tomatoes has reduced slightly. about 10-15 minutes.

while your tomatoes are simmering, heat a large pot of salted water over high heat until boiling. when your tomatoes have simmered, pour in the milk. stir well to combine and bring the bolognese back up to a simmer. once the sauce simmers, reduce the heat to low just to keep it warm.

cook your pasta per the instructions. when your pasta is al dente, strain and pour right into your sauce. stir well to coat the noodles.
serve pasta topped with fresh parmesan and basil.

xo, a

tart by crisping your bacon pieces in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. about 15 minutes. stir occasionally to break the pieces away from one another and all sides brown.
when the bacon is crispy and browned, add in the onion, carrots and celery. season with a few pinches of salt and a bit of pepper and cook over medium heat until onions are translucent. stir every couple minutes. about 5-7 minutes.
push all your veggies to the sides of the pot. pat the turkey dry, season with half your remaining salt and pepper and add to the pot. cook until browned, breaking it up and stirring every couple minutes. about 7-10 minutes. as the turkey browns, work your veggies back into the mixture. stir in the thyme, oregano, 1 tsp of the basil and the garlic. cook until the garlic is fragrant. about 1 minute.

when the garlic is fragrant, pour in the wine. cook until almost all the liquid has evaporated, stirring every couple minutes. about 5-7 minutes.

stir in the tomato paste until everything is lightly coated. season with remaining salt and pepper and pour in the tomatoes. stir well to combine. simmer until the liquid from the tomatoes has reduced slightly. about 10-15 minutes.
while your tomatoes are simmering, heat a large pot of salted water over high heat until boiling.
when your tomatoes have simmered, pour in the milk. stir well to combine and bring the bolognese back up to a simmer. once the sauce simmers, reduce the heat to low just to keep it warm.
cook your pasta per the instructions. when your pasta is al dente, strain and pour right into your sauce. stir well to coat the noodles.
serve pasta topped with fresh parmesan and basil.

bacon, basil, fresh herbs, garlic, herbs, italian, italian seasoning, main dish, onions, oregano, pasta, sauce, milk, carrots, celery, tomato, white wine, eat, Baking sodaAngela SamuelsOctober 25, 2016italian, oregano, thyme, basil, turkey, carrot, onion, celery, bolognese, sauce, dinner, garlic, tomato, milk, pastaComment

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