Cookie and Kate

Fresh Mint Dressing

August 15, 2018 8 Comments

Meet my latest salad dressing obsession! This mint dressing is as refreshing as they get. It’s made with freshly squeezed lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, and lots of fresh mint. Honey, Dijon mustard and garlic round out the flavors and make it irresistible.

This dressing is delicious on salads, of course, and I’ve listed some salad ingredients that play especially well with mint dressing below.

This “dressing” is also a fresh and lightly creamy sauce. I bet it would be delicious on orzo salad, in a pita sandwich, or on cooked fish, if you’re a fish eater. I’m eager to hear how you put it to use.

One of my favorite local salads includes a mint dressing that I love (the chisaya mama at The Mixx, which is made with kale, arugula, quinoa, fennel, radish and Parmesan).

I finally developed one of my own for a fattoush salad recipe that I’ll be sharing on Friday. It’s so good that I decided it deserves its own post.

Homemade salad dressings, as a whole, taste infinitely better than the stale store-bought options. This one tastes particularly fresh since it’s loaded with fresh mint!

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Fresh Herbed Avocado Salad

August 13, 2018 18 Comments

This avocado salad is for you if:

You’re craving avocado salad.
You have a surplus of avocados (lucky you).
You’re sick of avocado toast and guacamole (is this a thing? surely not).

This salad features ripe avocado slices covered in a fresh lime dressing, topped generously with a contrasting crisp-and-crunchy blend of chopped radish, green onion, jalapeño, and herbs.

I can’t get enough of that garden-fresh combination lately, and it perfectly balances the rich, creamy avocados in this salad.

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Heirloom Caprese Salad with Burrata

August 11, 2018 16 Comments

This summer is the summer of heirloom tomatoes. Ripe, juicy heirloom tomatoes in all shades of red, yellow and orange. My friends have gifted me a few from their gardens this summer, and they’re so perfect when sliced and sprinkled with a little olive oil and flaky salt.

I couldn’t walk by the overflowing bins at Whole Foods one more time without stocking up and making something big and bold out of those gorgeous tomatoes. What better than a classic Caprese salad, made with the simplest of ingredients?

Traditional Caprese salads are made with slices of tomato, mozzarella, sprinkled generously with basil, salt and pepper, finished with a drizzle of olive oil.

Caprese salad literally means “salad of Capri,” an Italian island in the Mediterranean. I can’t confirm that it actually originated there, but it is Italian and it is delicious.

A well-made Caprese salad will make a statement at your summer parties, but it’s easy and simple enough to enjoy on a regular weeknight.

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25 Fresh Recipes to Make Before Summer Ends

August 7, 2018 13 Comments

I’m trying to embrace every long summer day before they’re all gone. Let’s hit the pool and the farmers’ markets and make the most of these hot-weather days.

To that end, I’ve rounded up twenty-five salads, main dishes, sides and desserts featuring ripe summer produce. Hurry and make these fresh summer recipes while you still can!

I struggled to keep this list at a reasonable number, so be sure to check out my full summer archives and summer recipes Pinterest board for even more summer recipes. I’ll be back with more new recipes later this week!

1) Double Tomato Pesto Spaghetti with Zucchini Noodles

“Made this for dinner tonight… so delicious! I took a shortcut and bought my zucchini already spiralized at Whole Foods. The sauce is amazing, so flavorful! I’m excited to have some of it leftover to eat during the week :)” – Halley

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Avocado Toast (Plus Tips & Variations)

August 4, 2018 202 Comments

We’re going back to basics this summer, so let’s talk about avocado toast! Creamy avocado spread onto well-toasted bread is one of my favorite quick meals. Actually, it’s one of my favorite meals in general. It’s so delicious, I’d call it one of life’s simplest pleasures.

As usual, I have some strong opinions on what makes the best avocado toast. So today, I thought I’d share my basic recipe, with my best tips and favorite variations.

If you are a stranger to avocado toast, you’ve been missing out and we must remedy this situation immediately.

If you’re well-familiar with the joy of avocado toast, I hope you find some helpful tips and some fun new ways to change up your toast. Onward!

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What to Cook This August

July 31, 2018 41 Comments

August is coming to you one day early! Summer is slipping by far too fast. Farmers’ markets are exploding with goodness this month, and fortunately, much of the produce growing now doesn’t need much cooking, if at all. Now’s the time to savor a ripe peach over the sink.

On the home front, I just got back from a relaxing family reunion in Colorado, and I just moved from one apartment to another within my building.

While my new place is all sparkly clean, I shared a home tour on Instagram. I got some repeat questions so I made this page with links to where I got everything. If you love home tours like I do, I hope you get a kick out of it.

Links lately: