vegetarian

Layered Asian Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing

September 8, 2014 by Erica

Layered Asian Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing | coffeeandquinoa.com

The final wedding countdown is on! 12 days, you guys. TWELVE DAYS.

Nate and I were in Atlanta this weekend at our friends Sara and Anthony’s wedding. Sara and I got engaged right around the same time, and were checking with each other as we planned our weddings to make sure we picked different dates. So all year, I’ve known that we were flying to Atlanta for their wedding, and then ours would be just around the corner. Being there this weekend made our wedding seem SO REAL!

Not to mention the fact that they had the most beautiful wedding ever. It was at her parents’ house (an old horse farm), very Southern rustic, very DIY. It was absolutely perfect, and I can only hope I’ll look half as overjoyed as I walk down the aisle as my lovely friend did! Except I know I’ll look terrified instead. I remember distinctly from my sister’s wedding the feeling of not being able to control my facial muscles as I walked down the aisle because I was so nervous. The chance of that happening at my own wedding is preeeetty much 100%. I will be clinging to my dad for dear life!

Layered Asian Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing | coffeeandquinoa.com

I was crossing my fingers that I’d be going through a quiet spell at work in the weeks leading up to the wedding, to give me a little spare time to take care of last-minute wedding details. Instead, pretty much the opposite is true. Isn’t that always the way things work? Everyone is being super understanding, and I’m trying to stay focused and not take advantage too much. Because of that, easy salads like this are going to be our best friends over the next week or so!

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Cheesy Southwest Pasta Salad + a GIVEAWAY!

September 2, 2014 by Erica

This post is sponsored by Pacific Foods.

I’m looking for ways to extend summertime.

The list I’ve brainstormed so far:

– Keep wearing white pants.

– Move to Arizona.

– Eat nothing but corn and zucchini until January.

– Heat lamps.

…other ideas?

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Heirloom Tomato and Watermelon Salad

August 19, 2014 by Erica

Oh guys, I am beyond predictable. I go on vacation for a week, then I come back and make you salads. Well, I come back and make me salads. And therefore you all get salads, too! So does Nate. Oops.

We just got back on Sunday night from a week on Martha’s Vineyard with my family. I’m usually ready to come back from vacations, but let me tell you, the Vineyard is one place I’ll never be ready to leave. I’m currently in the depths of the post-vacation blues and scheming up ways to retire early… any suggestions?

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Blackberry Basil Smoothies

August 13, 2014 by Erica

It’s been a while since we talked about smoothies on this here blog. To be honest, we never got out of the oatmeal habit this summer. Our AC has been blasting, we’ve been obsessed with almond butter and bananas, and I’ve been wayyy too lazy to wash out the food processor… and yes, I make our smoothies in the food processor! It’s more powerful than our blender, so it wins every time.

So, no smoothies for breakfast (or the blog) recently. But we have had smoothies after long runs on the weekend – second breakfast, I guess you could call it. That was the case with this recipe, which I whipped up after bringing home the equivalent of about $80 in fresh basil from my friends’ garden. Right after making two batches of pesto, and right before making pesto bean dip :) All the basil!

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Cheesy Baked Polenta Fries with Tamarind Ketchup

August 11, 2014 by Erica

Today I’m in the mood for a history lesson. Ketchup – wanna know about it?

First of all, did you know ketchup originated in Asia? I wondered about this when I picked up a bottle of kecap manis for that peanut sauce I love so much. Kecap… is that like ketchup? Well yes, apparently. Ketchup originally referred to a Chinese fermented fish sauce, and was brought back to Europe by sailors in the 17th century. Once in Europe, ketchup wasn’t necessarily fish sauce, but it didn’t necessarily contain tomatoes, either. It was any spiced condiment and could be made out of mushrooms, oysters, walnuts, etc.

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