winter citrus chicken salad

After a week of feasting at holiday celebrations, we were craving something light and refreshing.  I headed to the grocer with my Food + Wine magazine in hand, and bought the ingredients for Mindy Fox's winter chicken salad.  I followed her recipe, but served the salad over a bed of spinach and added avocado.  It was bursting with flavor and left us feeling satisfied.
*images Megan.Christine

Winter Chicken Salad with Citrus and Celery

INGREDIENTS

1. 7 tender celery ribs, 6 thinly sliced
2. 2 unpeeled smashed garlic cloves
3. 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
4. 3 blood oranges
5. Salt
6. 4 chicken breast halves on the bone (about 12 ounces each)
7. 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
8. 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
9. Freshly ground pepper
10. 2 cups shaved Grana Padano cheese
11. 2/3 cup chopped Marcona almonds

12. DIRECTIONS

    1. In a large saucepan, combine the whole celery rib, garlic and peppercorns with 6 cups of water. Using a peeler, remove the zest from 2 of the oranges and add the zest to the pot. Season lightly with salt and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and simmer over low heat for 16 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the chicken stand for exactly 30 minutes. Remove the chicken and pull the meat from the bones, discarding the skin. Shred the chicken and let cool. Reserve the broth for another use.
    2. Meanwhile, using a sharp knife, peel the oranges, removing all of the bitter white pith. Working over a strainer set over a large bowl, cut in between the membranes to release the sections. Squeeze the juice from the membranes into the bowl. Whisk in the vinegar and oil and season with salt and pepper.
    3. Add the chicken, sliced celery, orange sections and cheese to the bowl and toss well. Mound the salad on a platter, sprinkle with the almonds and serve.

winter jog at seaside

There are those winter days, when the rest of the nation is buried in snow and blasted with arctic chill, when I am quickly reminded why San Diego is so desirable.  With a break from the 'pineapple express' rains, the sun was shining, the water was glistening, and the air was crisp.  I took the pup down to Table Tops at Cardiff's Seaside Beach for a jog.  The moss along the cliff side and reef rocks was florescent green, beaming with brightness.  With only a few surfers coming and going, the only sounds were my feet hitting the sand and the waves washing on shore.

* images Megan.Christine

holiday breakfast

One of my favorite things about the holidays is all the food that comes with celebrating.  For our families, specific recipes are reserved for this season, and it's well worth the yearly wait.  The desserts definitely take center stage, whether it's my Nanny (or now my sister-in-law's) Anise Cookies, Donna's chocolate brittle, or Mom's sugar cookies, everyone has their own favorites.  But for me, I also look forward to Christmas breakfast.  Given my love for the morning meal, and my deep appreciation of the egg - I was lucky this year to get two Christmas breakfasts.
My mother makes breakfast pizza.  With a crispy croissant crust, baked on a pizza pan, topped with eggs, cheese, herbs and canadian bacon.  I have loved this for years and despite its relative simplicity, I refuse to make it on my own any other time during the year.

My fiance's family makes lox & bagels and Phil's Eggs.  The lox is self explanatory, but wildly delicious.  This year they also had a giant fruit salad (grapes, watermelon and berries) that was so sweet and fresh.  Phil's Eggs is a decedent casserole filled with eggs, cheese and sausage that is so addictive.  It's hard not to go back for seconds or thirds.

At both meals, the family got to discussing, what would be our Christmas breakfast tradition?  While we have a few years before we establish our own, my brother and his wife suggested they may make a frittata (with hashbrown, basil, sage, parmesan and prosciutto) - I might have to make my way to their house next year!
* images Megan.Christine

have a seat, a recycled tree

As I clicked through NY Times online this morning, I came across an article in the NY Times Style Magazine "Seasons Seatings" about a collaboration between a gallery, Gallery Libby Sellers, and an up and coming artist, Fabien Capello.  In the spirit of reuse and recycling, the UK based Christmas Tree Project, collects disposed Christmas trees and uses the trunks to create handcrafted stools.  The three legged stools are rustic and chic, and go for $600+ (with a portion of the proceeds going to Woodland Trust, a conservation organization). 
I think this green and savvy idea is fantastic.  As I sit in the sun room beside our tree, still full of aroma and bright needles, my creative wheels start turning for what could be the next phase of this delightful Fir. 

gift giving

With the holidays comes the associated gift giving.  We're bombarded with sale flyers, television commercials, and pop up ads, as everyone and every store will come up with a way to entice and lure you to wanting and needing the "must have items".  And while it's very easy to get caught up in materialism, desiring fancy bobbles and high tech gadgets, I found this year that it's also surprisingly easy to steer yourself away.  I would be fibbing if I said the tree did not explode with gifts or that I stayed away from shopping.  But, the pressure of what to buy or what was inside the package seemed far less important this year.  Seeing our families mix and mingle, watching my niece learn to stand, seeing my best friend's pregnant belly, cooking (and eating) fresh baked scones, snuggling with my Nanny fireside, and laughing into the wee hours in the morning.... those are the best gifts :)  ~happy holidays~

rain, rain.....

It's been raining for days now in Southern California, and it's not forecasted to let up for another couple of days.  While the majority of the country wouldn't find any sympathy for a little wet weather, this may as well be a blizzard for San Diego.  The over saturation leads to flooding, and I swear most people default to hibernation.  I feel off kilter without my daily routines, like walking the dog into the lagoon and soaking in the afternoon sunsets.  My backyard may as well be a pond, and the dog emerged as a swamp monster after we tried to stroll on the lagoon trails.  If only this was snow instead......

*images Megan.Christine

butternut squash salad

In the holiday spirit, I hosted a dinner party for my girlfriends.  With a spread of appetizers and spirits flowing, I wanted to be sure I prepared a light main dish, as it's a must to save room for dessert!  As I found myself reading Issue 2 of Rue Magazine, I came across a recipe for a butternut squash salad.  It sounded healthy, colorful and easy to prepare.  I decided to also add chicken for a blast of protein.  The night was delightful and the meal a hit!

What also made this specific recipe extra special is that it is the creation of friend and nutritionist, Marissa Lippert.  Follow her on blog, Nourish, which also includes a long list of delicious recipes from her kitchen.  Or, catch her pieces in Rue Magazine.

*images Megan.Christine

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Lentils, Goat Cheese, Crispy Shallots & Balsamic Reduction

(pictured above)
Makes 4-6 servings

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped

2 to 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup dried French lentils

4 oz goat cheese (1 small log)

1 shallot, peeled and cut into thin rounds or half-moon shapes

additional extra-virgin olive oil for "frying" the shallots and to coat the salad

6 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

3 cups arugula

Preheat oven to 4oo degrees. Soak lentils for 10 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, toss butternut squash with olive oil and season lightly with salt.

Spread on a cookie sheet or in a roasting pan and roast until soft, about 30-40 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook lentils in salted, boiling water until soft, about 30 minutes.

Heat balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan on medium-low and reduce to about half, about 10-15 minutes.

Pour about 1 inch worth of olive oil into a small-medium heavy pan or skillet (enough oil to cover shallots). Heat oil over medium-high and fry shallots for 3 to 5 minutes until crispy, golden brown. Remove and drain excess oil on a paper towel.

Mix butternut squash with lentils and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper.  Spoon over a bed of arugula in a large serving bowl.  Sprinkle goat cheese over top, garnish with crispy shallot and finish with drizzled balsamic reduction.

lori's homemade cookies

It's common knowledge amongst friends that baking is a challenge for me.  I can cook fantastic, elaborate and involved recipes, but when it comes to baking, I struggle.  I blame it on the exactness of measurements and the patience to roll, knead or blend ingredients.  After my infamous disaster making sugar cookies years ago, I normally shy away from preparing treats in my kitchen, and instead look to the many local bakeries to fill that void.

Recently I was given cookies from Lori's Homemade Cookies (5070 Sante Fe Street Suite A, San Diego).  It was a large, plump and fresh cookie with big chunks of chocolate mixed into an oatmeal dough.  It also came packaged in their signature box (a brown square box), tied with a ribbon with a rectangular printed note.  I appreciated the creative logo, and liked the simplicity in design of the package.  For me, analyzing the outside was just as enjoyable as eating the insides.

cardiff at dusk

it's so peaceful in cardiff as the sun begins to set over the ocean and the day rolls to a close.
sometimes a little inner silence to soak in the sounds and smells serves as a necessary exhale.
for me, its the perfect release after a long day.

anthropologie- stories & shopping

As if I don't already love Anthropologie enough, but this Saturday, the Encinitas store is giving Mom's another excuse to find a way through their doors.  From 10-11am on 4 December, they store is hosting a storytelling circle for the little ones.  While they get cozy and drift off with imagination and delight, Parents are free to wander through the store and shop.  Even though it's only an hour, that's plenty of time for retail therapy!  And to add to the holiday spirit, in conjunction with story-time, Anthropologie is also collecting books to donate to Becky's House.  Becky's House is a San Diego shelter for domestic violence.  They offer a range of programs and services to help protect and empower those in need.