evolution carrot salad

evolution carrot salad, originally uploaded by riptideredsf.

This came about during a late afternoon attack on my "Recipes to Make" binder. I've had this one buried for a while, photo-copied a year or so ago, from a library lend of "Jamie's Food Revolution".

This was another recipe thatcamethisclose to being tossed. I like carrots okay...usually as more of a supporting role in a dish...and as I perused the character-less black and white, low-quality copy, I was just not seeing it's appeal, until I realized: wasn't there an almost full bag of carrots sprouting in the bottom of the vegetable bin last time I looked? as well as a half-empty bag of clearance cabbage, and I seem to recall buying mint and cilantro for something I didn't make. So that's how this evolved.
Jamie Oliver calls it an Evolution Salad because it's fine in a very simple state but evolves by the addition of say...nuts, cheese or fruit.

Can I just say how much I adore Jamie Oliver?

My access to food television is pretty much non-existent so my familiarity with Jamie Oliver was "...is that the Naked Chef guy?", until last year when I picked up "Oliver's Twist" from the library. I was an instant fan. Could he be any cuter? Of course I totally dig the British accent and goofy lingo not to mention his excitement and passion. He tears through a recipe like he's just run off the soccer field, dashed by his apartment for a quick knosh and he's back out the door to meet up with his mates at the pub. Quick and casual. Simple and affordable. Engaging and charming. He's got it all. Goofy footballer and marketing genius-gazillionare.

 

So, this carrot salad was amazingly tasty and came together in minutes.

 

Evolution Carrot Salad

slightly adapted from Jamie Oliver

5 medium carrots peeled and shredded

8 oz. shredded red cabbage

chopped mint

chopped cilantro

6 T. olive oil

2 T. lemon juice

2 T. dijon mustard

1 t. balsamic vinegar

2 t. agave nectar

crumbled blue cheese

salt

pepper

Combine all of the vegetables and herbs in a bowl. In jar with a tight fitting lid (I save jam jars for this), combine all of the dressing ingredients and shake it like crazy until everything is emulsified (smooth & creamy). Pour it over the carrot mix and toss.

 

It wasn't until after I made this that I realized why I had copied the recipe to begin with. It's really pretty in color. I'm inspired again to revisit Jamie's Food Revolution because I do love pretty pictures, simple, amusing instructions and really really good food.

Breakfast and Cabbage Rolls

Cabbage Rolls, originally uploaded by riptideredsf.

...so good I finished them off for breakfast the next day. I just had no idea that cabbage rolls could be so good. Here's how this little scenario went down:
Last weekend I was riding along with my friend who I affectionately refer to as my Test Kitchen Dummy. He started talking about stuffed cabbage...someone had told him about making it or something or other..."It sounded really good" he said.
I wasn't really following the core of his commentary because suddenly I'm haunted by images of my mothers corned beef and cabbage and my deeply-seeded adversity to the whole salty soggy mess. Whenever I watch cabbage being cooked on TV the "blech factor" kicks in and I turn off. I adore cole slaw but cooked cabbage, other than hidden inside a pot-sticker? No thank you.

"...not that that's a hint at all..." he says. Oh! Who's the dummy in this scenario? I then remember how I made it my mission to try to keep an open mind in the kitchen, paying special attention when it comes to preparing a vegetable I'm trying to re-visit in an enlighted way...those vegetables I hated as a kid and thought I hated as an adult. Eggplant. All things in the squash family. Brussels sprouts. Cauliflower...

Anyhoo, I googled away the entire evening, immersed in images and recipes and cultural traditions of cabbages stuffed and rolled through-out the world. I returned to google images and passed my curser over the very first image and much to my delight, it turned out to be Smitten Kitchen's recipe. I know I should have gone there first, but how can I procrastinate when I'm suddenly inspired to get dressed and go the store and start cooking at 11:00 at night because Smitten inspires me so.
These cabbage rolls were really, really, really good.
I tweaked this recipe the teensiest bit by adding garlic to the sauteeing onions, after testing a tiny cooked patty of the meat mixture I just couldn't resist adding a big blob of my fresh-off-the-plane-from-Paris Dijon mustard from Hediard into my meat mixture. I also remembered I had just bought a bunch of fresh tarragon so I chopped up about a tablespoon and squished that in.
My go-to recipe for tomato sauce comes from 101 Cookbooks. This Five Minute Tomato Sauce is unbeatable, because you can spice it up a notch or two by just adding more red pepper flakes.
TKD: "those cabbage rolls were off the hook!" and he's no doubt gleefully conjuring up his next little kitchen challenge.