Barley Salad

My friend from Montana sent me a package with barley. I did not make the connection that it is the equivalent of Italian farro, which I love. I cooked it in water until tender but al dente. I was left with a lot.

barley salad
This is a cold dish. You can add or remove any ingredients.

One cup of cold cooked barley
Half chopped green pepper
Half chopped red pepper
1/4 red onion
Shredded carrots
Mix lettuce
A spoon of sunflower seed toasted

dressing
Olive oil, mustard, garlic minced, half lemon, vinegar, salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, sprinkle with the dressing and serve cold- done!!

Spring Salad

I made this incredible and super fast salad. I used organic fresh arugula from my garden. It grows so fast I need to find ways to use it. It is bitter so I paired it with corn and broad beans. Delicious.

Spring Salad
Fresh big arugula leaves
Half bag of frozen corn with broad beans
One small can of organic mushrooms
Two tomatoes
One can tuna in olive oil
Olive oil, salt and pepper

Now, I hate can tuna in water. It is disgusting. We only have can tuna in oil in Italy. The frozen corn and flat beans, I found at my supermarket. When it comes to corn always buy organic. I actually don’t like corn, never did. This the only one I like and only in salads. Most corn in USA is GMO or genetically modified organism. Independent research from the FDA and Monsanto, this latter produces gmos has indicated possible side effects for the health of the population and the environment. You can easily google the issue at stake. Anyway, since the FDA does not mandate gmo labeling it is hard to have a choice in terms of buying products like corn, or everything actually unless it is organic. The moral of the story is that I don’t eat corn unless it is organic and in a salad.

Sorry I got carried away…. Mix all ingredients together and enjoy cold with a fresh lemonade!!!

Also for those who were wondering whether I lost those cookies pounds from xmast, the answer is yes. I lost 4 pounds for an average of one pound each month. I think I hit a point during my work out and healthy diet in which i achieved a balance. I can eat like a pig again without having to worry. I think for me was definitely being more active since my diet has always being healthy. It is also true I eat pasta at least twice during a meal. I still do that. Ahahah

Salad World

I had a super busy and long week. But before I get into that I just want to share my passion for good salads and good dressings. Whenever I get invited to someone’s house I like to bring something fresh and green. I have noticed that we tend to bring heavy dishes like casseroles or desserts and you end up filling up with sugars and fats. So for that reason and because it takes no time I always bring a salad – a magic salad. I have to admit my friend Sophie got me into salads because she is vegetarian. For Thanksgiving she made this amazing everything salad. Here it’s my take.

Feta cheese (one block)

shredded carrots

lettuce (whatever you like)

sunflowers or pumpink seeds

dried cherry or cranberries

grapefruit (one diced)

green pepper (diced)

red onion (optional – less than half)

fresh mushroom (small package)

tomatoes (one big one)

Avocado (diced -one)

Olives (one big spoon diced)

(pretty much anything that you like)

Dressing (This is my own creation from yesterday)

Olive oil (extravergine – 1/3 cup); orange juice (half cup); 2 lemons; (1 table spoon mustard- the one made in France- can’t remember the name now); Balsamic Vinegar (2 tablespoons); salt and pepper. Mix all ingredients together and then mix with the salad.

I always, always use mustard for my dressing. Sometimes I just mix it with vinegar, without the orange juice. It’s a very healthy and light version of traditional dressing.

You can see now how great it looked on the table of the party. Every year we get invited to this fab Rattle Snake party. You might wonder what it is….There is a festival in Cairo Georgia, where for one day you get to chase rattle snakes….I usually just go to the after party organized by some friends where we just eat and drink and engage in delightful conversations.