often when i'm busy, i find myself relying more on salads as a quick go to meal. most dishes require time for prep, cooking, resting and serving. that is way too many steps when i have twenty minutes at home in between class and my next job. so i keep a few different lettuces, cheeses, nuts and fruit (fresh and dried) on hand to toss together in a bunch of different combinations depending on my mood. if i'm lucky and have extra time, i'll grill up some chicken or shrimp to pop in. you could even throw in some tuna if you had some and wanted an extra protein boost or beans would do the trick for that too. 

but the key to a good salad is the dressing. and vinaigrette's are super easy to make (5 minutes or less) and can be stored on hand for up to a week. i love this one because it uses things i usually have on hand and is delicious with pretty much anything you could put in a salad. 

apple cider vinaigrette
serves: 1 cup
prep: 2 minutes
active time: 1 minute
total time: less than 5 minutes
ingredients: .5 cup good olive oil. .25 c apple cider vinegar. 3 tbs orange juice. 1 tbs honey. 1 tbs dijon mustard. 2 tbs finely minced shallots. 1 tsp salt. .5 tsp pepper. 

in a bowl or small food processor, combine all of your ingredients. 

whisk or blend till well combined. 

if you want a very smooth vinaigrette i recommend blending. if you like it a little lighter with small bits of shallots, i recommend whisking. 

serve or keep in an airtight container for up to a week. 

xo, a

apple cider vinaigrette
serves: 1 cup
prep: 2 minutes
active time: 1 minute
total time: less than 5 minutes
ingredients: .5 cup good olive oil. .25 c apple cider vinegar. 3 tbs orange juice. 1 tbs honey. 1 tbs dijon mustard. 2 tbs finely minced shallots. 1 tsp salt. .5 tsp pepper.
in a bowl or small food processor, combine all of your ingredients.
whisk or blend till well combined. if you want a very smooth vinaigrette i recommend blending. if you like it a little lighter with small bits of shallots, i recommend whisking.
serve or keep in an airtight container for up to a week. 

today, i'm finally starting to crawl out of my post christmas coma. i've been eat, sleep, yoga, repeat for two full days now and i'm starting to feel like a semi normal person again. 

for years now i've been dreaming of my first holiday season feeding people for a living. and while it was so rewarding, good lord was it a grind. totally worth it, but it explains my relentless need to netflix and chill. 

so i'm going to continue to keep it mellow this week. but mellow doesn't mean it can't be delicious. sometimes the simplest things are the tastiest. one of my all time favorite foods is a simple salad with tasty homemade croutons. they are the perfect use for day old bread you couldn't finish and you can keep them on hand for a few days stored in an airtight container. 

seasoned croutons
serves: 4 cups croutons
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 20 minutes
total time: 30 minutes
ingredients: 4 cups day old bread, sliced into 1 inch cubes. 4 tablespoons butter. 3 garlic cloves, minced. 1 tsp dried oregano. 1 tsp dried parsley. 1 tsp dried thyme. .25 cup olive oil. .5 tsp salt. .25 tsp fresh ground pepper.
start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees f. 

while your oven is preheating, place the butter in a large oven safe pan over medium heat. melt the butter and toss in the rest of the ingredients. stir everything together well so all the bread is lightly coated with herbs, butter and olive oil. 

toast the bread in the pan for about 10 minutes, stirring every few until all the bread is lightly toasted. 

transfer the pan to the oven and bake till crispy. about 7-10 minutes. stir every couple of minutes so everything is evenly crisped. 

allow to cool and use as desired. i won't judge you if you eat them all by themselves. 

xo, a

seasoned croutons
serves: 4 cups croutons
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 20 minutes
total time: 30 minutes
ingredients: 4 cups day old bread, sliced into 1 inch cubes. 4 tablespoons butter. 3 garlic cloves, minced. 1 tsp dried oregano. 1 tsp dried parsley. 1 tsp dried thyme. .25 cup olive oil. .5 tsp salt. .25 tsp fresh ground pepper.
start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees f.
while your oven is preheating, place the butter in a large oven safe pan over medium heat. melt the butter and toss in the rest of the ingredients. stir everything together well so all the bread is lightly coated with herbs, butter and olive oil. toast the bread in the pan for about 10 minutes, stirring every few until all the bread is lightly toasted.
transfer the pan to the oven and bake till crispy. about 7-10 minutes. stir every couple of minutes so everything is evenly crisped.
allow to cool and use as desired. i won't judge you if you eat them all by themselves.