The Cobb Salad

I love the cobb salad. It is one of my favorite meals.  One, because it is really pretty to look at.  Two, because it's a versatile dish that reflects any season, mood, or whatever may be needing to be used up in the refrigerator.  My take on the cobb salad is that it doesn't matter what you put on the salad as long as you make sure it is diced.  Then, lay each of the various components along side one-another and boom! You've got a cobb salad. I was feeeling tropical tonight because mango's were 10 for $10 at publix.  I like using fruit but I make sure to balance this with savory items - avocado, red onion are normally on the top of my list.

Ingredients: 
- Avocado
- Red Bell Pepper (which I chopped up and forgot to put on, oops) 
- Mango
- Red Onion
- Cucumber
- Bag-o-salad (Mix 1 Baby Spinach + 1 Mixed Field Greens) 
- Grilled Chicken, allowed to cool to room temperature (with a ginger curry rub, premixed that my dad gave me once) 

Dressing:
Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette
Peanut Dressing

I like light, tangy dressings.  I usually use a simple cilantro-honey-lime vinaigrette with lime juice, honey, cilantro which I stir and then wisk in olive oil.  I added a few things based off another recipe including minced jalepeno (with seeds), minced garlic, a dash of balsamic, and crush red pepper flakes before wisking in the olive oil. Spicy! Original: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/cilantro-lime-dressing/

The peanut dressing was a Rachel Ray recipe. Eh. Not creamy enough. Not using it again.

Scott's Thoughts: 
1.  Cilantro-lime dressing was better than other versions. (Woot!) 
2.  He didn't really touch the peanut dressing... fail. 
3. Chicken turned out really well, which means i'm starting to learn to grill. 

Thai Shrimp Green Curry

Inspired by Pinterest. Original recipe found on foodnetwork.com by Emeril which can be found at:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/thai-green-curry-shrimp-recipe/index.html

My Adapted Version:
Ingredients: 

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Vegetables: (what was looking good/on-sale at the publix + leftover veggies from last week)
• 1/2 cup-ish Zucchini
• 1/2 cup-ish julienned Red Onions
• 1/2 cup-ish julienned Red Bell Pepper
• 1/2 cup-ish Broccoli 
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced AND/OR ginger/garlic paste (at the Indian grocery, and in my case I use this anytime I think of a semi-decent reason to throw it in there)
• 2 to 4 (heaping) tbsp Thai green curry paste 
• 1 tbsp finely grated lime zest
• Couple good squirts of Thai fish sauce (2 tbsp-ish) 
• 1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk 
• 1 cup bottled clam juice 
• 0.75 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 cup cilantro (calls for thai basil - I normally have cilantro on hand and not basil so that's what I went with... it worked just fine) 
• Dash of salt
• Red pepper flakes 
• Lime slices 

In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, onions, broccoli, bell pepper and dash of salt, cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes [my veggies came out a little soggier than I'd hope and I think it's because my zucchini took longer to cook than the other veggies. Next time I'd throw the zucchini in first for 2-3 min and then the other veggies so they still have some crisp to them]. Add the garlic, garlic-ginger paste and red pepper flakes, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the curry paste, lime zest, and fish sauce, and cook, stirring, for 15 seconds . Add the coconut milk and clam juice and bring to a boil, wisk [to emulsify fattier parts of the coconut milk]. Lower the heat and simmer until thickened, 3 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until pink, about 2 minutes. Stir in cilantro and remove from heat. Ladle over rice and squeeze about 1/2 of a lime on top.

Verdict: I'll make it again.... but, there is definitely room for improvement. 

Total calorie count (ish): 485 calories/serving (winner winner chicken dinner)

Scott's Thoughts: 
1. Cut the vegetables in half to make them easier to manage with a spoon. 
2. Use smaller shrimp. 
3.  He didn't complain about the spiciness. Either I've burned off some tastebuds or he's a little more manly today. 

Welcome!

My name is Natalie.  I am a (almost!) 4th year medical student with an interest in medicine and a passion for food.  This blog is my attempt to share my thoughts, favorite recipes and creative attempts with those out there on the interwebs.

Enjoy!