New Salad Recipe Tried

 

I tired another new salad recipe, but we really liked this as a meal itself to be honest.  We love the summer orzo salad we found last year, but this one is a keeper too.  It contains kidney, cannellini, and garbanzo beans.  I do suggest you make it ahead of time, so the beans have time to absorb delish dressing flavors.  I added the fresh herbs upon serving time to avoid them wilting.  I used about  a slightly less cup of about 1/4th, of red onion, but will add more next time.  Red onion is so potent, it's easy to over due it in a salad.

To minimize standing time on my feet (for now anyway), I broke out my new box chopper (bought over a month ago).  I can see why there is a mixed review on these gadgets.  I mean, if you love to cook, slicing and dicing is very thearaputic, but this gadget really sped up the time prepering the salad.

The orignial recipe calls for one red and one green bell pepper.  My husband did the shopping, so I wasn't going to complain about getting a red and yellow one ha ha!  

Imagine your summer grown cucumbers, bell peppers, red onion, fresh herbs from the herb garden (parsely, basil and mint), and a homemade vinagarette.  Delicous.

The orginal recipe is online free, with The Mediterranean Dish.

Note:  The only two things I left out, were the capers (didn't have any), and the 1 teaspoon of sugar in the dressing.  

Tip:  You need a half of a cucumber for the salad, so why not buy an extra cucumber and serve homemade chicken salad on cucumber slices?   You'd use up the other half, and get more sustanence with the meal.  

As for a review on my box chopper, it is not from Amazon. I bought it from a kitchen supply store.  It is built rather nicely, and it came with two different size cutting attachments (these easily remove).  The box unit did not have a mandolin option, as some do.  I most likely will use this for summer salads, but not that often.  It will come in handy.  

New Salad Recipe Tried  © April 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Lavender Syrup

 Have you ever made homemade lavender syrup?  Have you purchased this syrup and used it?  

I was curious, as I thought it would be good in an evening cup of tea.  I was also intrigued with it as a lemonade, but  wasn't so sure about the floral flavor bit.

Note:  I now put a canning label on things I make, and write the expiration date on it vs. the date I made it.  It makes it so much easier to check at a glance than looking over the calender.

I chose to use honey, but the recipe states you can use other options if you prefer.  The recipe and instructions are found online with Detoxinista.

I also did a bit more research, and you can even make the syrup sugar-free, by using monk fruit in place of the honey/sugar/maple syrup.

I also found more recipes with different amounts of honey or suggestions for adding things like vanilla extract.  I will be trying more recipes to find the one we like the best.

If you have tried Traditonal Medicinals tea - Nighty Night, the syrup smells almost exactly like this eveing hot tea (the lavender scent).  I made the syrup specifically to add to this tea for additional benefits.

The results were pretty good.  I also made myself a lemonade (just water and and real lemons squeezed), and used the syrup for the sweetener.  I was skeptical, because I have tasted lavender candy a few years back, and it tasted like soap.

The lavender lemonade was pretty darn good.  Homemade is is the way to go, if you are wanting to try this conconction.

Lavender Syrup  © April 2024 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart