as a cook, i often find myself OVER complicating things. there is a fine line between what is enough to make something really delicious, and what will push a dish over the edge into the realm of TOO much. sometimes, i have to remind myself that simple is best. in life and in the kitchen. 

so this week, i'm working on simplifying. work has picked up in a major way and no longer am i desperate to take any job that comes my way. it is a great feeling, but now is the time to start editing. and i started with this salad. 

sometimes, you don't need a whole bunch of stuff to make a big impact. these spiced pistachios are zesty and meaty with out adding any meat to your simple salad. creamy goat cheese, crisp mixed greens and a delicious vinaigrette make this simple salad a satisfying meal. 

spiced pistachio & goat cheese salad
serves: 2
prep time: 15 minutes (if your pistachios are not already made, less if you have some on hand) active time: 4 minutes
total time: 20 minutes
ingredients: 4 cups mixed greens. .5 cup spiced pistachios. .25 cup crumbled goat cheese. .25 cup good olive oil. 2 tbs lemon juice. 1 tsp brown sugar. 1 tsp whole grain mustard. .5 tsp kosher salt. .25 tsp fresh ground pepper. 

start by combining the mixed greens, goat cheese and pistachios in a large bowl. 

then in a smaller bowl, combine the oil, lemon juice, mustard, brown sugar, salt and pepper. 

whisk until the mixture is well combined.

drizzle the dressing over the salad. 

toss well to combine and serve. 

xo, a

spiced pistachio & goat cheese salad
serves: 2
prep time: 15 minutes (if your pistachios are not already made, less if you have some on hand) active time: 4 minutes
total time: 20 minutes
ingredients: 4 cups mixed greens. .5 cup spiced pistachios. .25 cup crumbled goat cheese. .25 cup good olive oil. 2 tbs lemon juice. 1 tsp brown sugar. 1 tsp whole grain mustard. .5 tsp kosher salt. .25 tsp fresh ground pepper. start by combining the mixed greens, goat cheese and pistachios in a large bowl. then in a smaller bowl, combine the oil, lemon juice, mustard, brown sugar, salt and pepper. whisk until the mixture is well combined. drizzle the dressing over the salad. toss well to combine and serve. 

i was hunting through old posts for a recipe i needed and i stumbled upon some vintage angela ramblings. it was some longwinded monologue on the fact that wesley and i are in a constant battle over style vs function. 

it got me to laughing about how nothing has really changed, and our garden has become as big of a battle ground as our kitchen. i'm all about introducing colors and flowers into the garden so that our eyes are as pleased as our pallets. but wesley only wants things in the garden that we can eat. 

well i found a solution to our conflict. lots of edible flowers. i get my florals, he gets his function. the only downfall is that we have way more nasturtiums than i know what to do with. so i'm getting creative. btw this is ONE of my areas with nasturtiums AFTER i harvested it. 

wes has been raving about a few of the dishes at his new job and all of them seem so beautifully simple. so i took that idea to the nasturtiums. and the results were delightfully bright, spicy and crisp.

nasturtium & crispy shallot salad
serves: 2
prep time: 15 minutes
cook time: 5 minutes
total time: 20 minutes
ingredients: 4 cups chopped nasturtium leaves. 2 cups nasturtium flowers. 1 shallot, sliced thin. .25 cup + 2 tbs olive oil. 3 tbs lemon juice. 2 tbs soy sauce. 2 garlic cloves, so finely minced they become a paste. 1 tbs brown sugar. .5 tsp kosher salt. .25 tsp pepper.

start by combining the leaves and flowers in a salad bowl and setting it aside. 

to make the dressing, combine .25 cup olive oil, lemon juice, soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar and pepper in a medium bowl and whisk until well combined. 

set it aside with the greens. heat your remaining oil in medium pan. 

season the shallots with the salt and add the shallots to the very hot oil. 

you will know the oil is hot enough when you test one shallot and it sizzles the second it hits the pan. fry up the shallots till golden brown and crispy. about 5 minutes. 

remove them from the pan to a paper towel to remove any excess oil. 

drizzle your salad with the dressing and toss well.

top with crispy shallot and serve. 

xo, a

nasturtium & crispy shallot salad
serves: 2
prep time: 15 minutes
cook time: 5 minutes
total time: 20 minutes
ingredients: 4 cups chopped nasturtium leaves. 2 cups nasturtium flowers. 1 shallot, sliced thin. .25 cup + 2 tbs olive oil. 3 tbs lemon juice. 2 tbs soy sauce. 2 garlic cloves, so finely minced they become a paste. 1 tbs brown sugar. .5 tsp kosher salt. .25 tsp pepper.
start by combining the leaves and flowers in a salad bowl and setting it aside. to make the dressing, combine .25 cup olive oil, lemon juice, soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar and pepper in a medium bowl and whisk until well combined. set it aside with the greens. heat your remaining oil in medium pan. season the shallots with the salt and add the shallots to the very hot oil. you will know the oil is hot enough when you test one shallot and it sizzles the second it hits the pan. fry up the shallots till golden brown and crispy. about 5 minutes.remove them from the pan to a paper towel to remove any excess oil. drizzle your salad with the dressing and toss well. top with crispy shallot and serve.