Pamela, Author at Pamela Salzman

Dinner Planner: Week of May 30th

Happy Memorial Day weekend! I hope you are having a relaxing few days and that you can take some time off. We’re heading into barbecue season, which is good and bad. It’s good because it’s so nice to cook outside and entertain in a relaxed fashion. It also means the weather is more pleasant. But what’s not great about grilling can be found in this post here. Read up on how to reduce your carcinogens when you grill.

Memorial Day: We’re going to a friend’s house for a BBQ and they always make several kinds of burgers. Here are a few good ones.

Tuesday: Slow-roasted Copper River Salmon (if you see this salmon, splurge! It’s only in season for a very short time and it’s amazing!,) zesty potato skewers, sautéed spinach with garlic and a squeeze of lemon at the end

Wednesday: Lemon-herb grilled chicken, grilled broccolini with parmesan breadcrumbs, cauli rice

Thursday: Wheat berry and roasted veggie salad with lemon-basil dressing, feta, pine nuts (I’m taking this recipe and subbing wheat berries for orzo – although you could use brown rice, barley, farro or quinoa- and using my lemon-basil dressing from the bottom of this recipe)

Friday: Ottolenghi clementine chicken(you can sub oranges if you can’t find clementines), turmeric rice, honey-lemon green beans

Saturday lunch: Veggie sandwiches with hummus

Sunday: Chickpea soccas (they’re like flatbreads made out of chickpeas flour)with mixed greens, vinaigrette and a fried egg

Here’s what you can do ahead, if you need to.

Sunday

Make all dressings and vinaigrettes

Wash all herbs and

Wednesday

Prep green beans

Make hummus

Chopped grilled vegetable salad recipe

Sometimes, a little freshening up is in order. I put this chopped grilled vegetable salad on my weekly dinner planner and when I pulled the image for it, I cringed a little. The photo did not do it justice at all. This salad is one of my absolute favorites and one that I posted almost 5 years ago. In all fairness to me, I didn’t even know how to use a camera when I started this blog, and although I am still no photography expert, I think my images have improved since 2011. So I thought I would pull this post from the archives and give it a facelift, especially on the eve of Memorial Day weekend when you might be inclined to make a fantastic, crowd-pleasing salad such as this one.

Zesty Potato Skewers Recipe

I am obsessing over these zingy little skewers! I have been teaching them all month in my classes and I always look forward to the end of every lesson when I can snag a stick of hot potatoes. Someone asked me once, “what is it about food on a stick that people love?” I think they’re just fun and easy and skewers feel like a party is happening. The potato party is made by the tasty Dijon-based marinade that coats each little spud. Potatoes on their own can be a tad bland, but add Dijon, garlic, crushed red pepper and lemon juice and you’ve tons of flavor. I know you’re going to love these.

Weekly Dinner Planner: Week of May 23rd

Do you think of Memorial Day Weekend as the unofficial start of summer? If so, dust off the grill and get out those beach towels because summer is right in front of you! In this week’s dinner planner, I’ve included some of my favorite early summer recipes. I am also thinking about switching the Saturday dinner for a lunch idea since I actually don’t cook on Saturday nights unless we have people over. It’s my one meal off! But I do make lunch on Saturday and Sunday so I thought I could make a suggestion every week for a lunch idea. Let me know what you think!

Five Friday Favorites 05.20.16

Happy Friday, friends! If you have kids in school, I hope you are surviving these last weeks before summer. My May cooking classes have been so fun and delicious! You know how much I love chatting with my students and hearing about what they’re cooking (and not cooking.) Friday Favorites came about because someone would ask me in class about where I bought something or which product I preferred. And many people suggested I start a blogpost about all those “favorites.” Here it is! These are the things we’ve been talking about in my classes the last two weeks.

Chalkboard Jar Labels

I saw these fantastic labels in my friend Nancy’s kitchen. She’s the one who always introduces me to the greatest gadgets and products that all of a sudden I can’t live without. LA people, I’ll let you know when she launches her organizing business. She’s going to be HUGE! Anyway, I saw these chalkboard labels on all of her jars in her perfectly organized and magazine-worthy pantry and fridge and I was instantly smitten. They are stickers that you write on like a chalkboard! Is that not the cutest thing ever?! They labels come with a pen that wipes off easily with a little water. That means that these are reusable and so are the containers on which you stick them. I am a big fan of transferring certain pantry items to glass containers for several reasons. The main one being that I don’t like certain foods stored in plastic for a long period of time, so I transfer a lot into glass as soon as I can. Glass jars with lids keep things fresher for longer than bags with rubber bands. Also, having my pantry items in jars makes for easy visibility and are great for setting up a quick “toppings bar” for smoothie bowls or oatmeal. I wouldn’t necessarily call my family super food experts, so it’s nice to have the not-so-obvious toppings labeled such as white chia seeds, mulberries, or brazil nuts. Plus, they look adorable! These labels are available on Amazon with free prime shipping!

Environmental Working Group (EWG) App

The Environmental Working Group is one of the few research companies which I actually trust. In a Friday Favorites post from awhile back, I highlighted the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep website, which is a site where you can find the rating of beauty products according to the toxicity (or lack thereof) of their ingredients and packaging. This is a website that I have used for years as well as the regular EWG website to make better decisions about choosing more healthful and sustainable products. The company has now released an app that I am really excited about. It includes a scanning device that allows you to scan whatever product you want to learn more about and it will automatically give you the rating. I think it’s so much more useful to be able to quickly research products while you are in a store, ready to purchase. It is really easy to use and it’s FREE!

OXO Cherry Pitter

Did you do a happy dance at the sight of the first cherries? I did! In Southern California, cherries have been available at every market for the last couple of weeks. I love cherries in desserts, salads, or just as a snack out of the fridge. I am teaching a quinoa salad this month that has cherries, arugula, celery and almonds and it has been a huge hit. One of the tools that has saved me a lot of time when I am prepping for the class is this cherry pitter. While you can get pitted frozen or dried cherries, when it comes to fresh there is no way to avoid the inevitable pit. I can quickly get through pitting loads of cherries with this tool, and it also works with olives as well. (Although, pitted olives are much more widely available, so I try and get those when I can). I have a cherry pitter from 10 years ago and although it’s very good quality and still going strong, it sprays cherry juice every time I pit a cherry.

OXO makes a great one that I used in one of my student’s houses this month. I like how it has a “splatter shield” that keeps the juice from spraying and staining! It is available on Amazon as well as Williams Sonoma, Target, and Bed Bath and Beyond.

Lola Sabbia “Cody” Wedges

I am on my feet most of the day every day either teaching cooking classes, cooking for my family and/or testing recipes. This activity requires proper footwear to support my back and my feet. Have you ever worn the wrong shoes while cooking all day for a dinner party or Thanksgiving? Ugh. Not such a great feeling in your legs and back, right? Even before I started cooking full-time, I always wore good, supportive shoes in the kitchen. They weren’t always chic, but function reigns over fashion when it comes to my lower back!

People are always asking me what shoes I recommend or, more commonly, what are on my feet that moment. My favorite shoes for cooking, especially in the warmer months, are these Lola Sabbia shoes made by Eric Michael which I have in several colors. One of my cooking class assistants bought a pair and never works without them and several of my students have bought them as well. I need shoes with a little lift in the heel to support my back and they need to be comfortable overall. I also would prefer if they weren’t ugly, which these are not. 😉

The style I have shown here, the Cody, is my favorite. It has two wide adjustable velcro straps. If your feet are very narrow like mine, these are not going to be great walking shoes for you because they may be wide and the velcro strap can only go so far. I walk to the stove and back and that’s the extent of it and when I take my dog for a walk in these, they feel just a little too big. But again, I have very narrow feet. Otherwise, I find these shoes to be very breathable, with no “break in” period and very lightweight. I have only worn them for cooking which is an all-day affair most of the time, but again, I cannot vouch for these shoes as a “walking” shoe. There is a version with a lower heel, as well. I bought mine at Euro Comfort Footwear in Beverly Hills and at Gigi Shoes in the Manhattan Village Mall, for my local readers. Otherwise, you can find them on Amazon and Zappos. They’re definitely not cheap, at about $89 a pair, but I have had mine for years and years and they are still just as comfortable, although a little stained from cooking. 🙂

Mica Organics Turmeric Extract

Whatever you decide to eat, an anti-inflammatory diet is the way to go. You can take it across the spectrum from Vegan to Paleo and back again, but at the end of the day what you should really be focusing on are foods that discourage inflammation in the body. Whenever I tell people that, they immediately want to know what foods are the most anti-inflammatory to the body, and I usually start the list with “turmeric and ginger”. Both of these roots have really been in the spotlight lately, but I have been incorporating both of these (in fresh or dried form) into my cooking for years. You can find recipes for turmeric rice, turmeric latte, a paella made with turmeric and a few delicious stews.

Whereas fresh turmeric is best, I don’t always have fresh turmeric on hand. I recently discovered this turmeric extract from Omica Organics and have been loving it in my tea, warm almond milk or just plain warm water. Curcumin, one of the active constituents of turmeric, has been shown to have strong anti-inflammatory effects. Omica uses a water-soluble, real extract — not reconstituted from synthesized powder. This is a great substitute if you struggle with getting regular turmeric into your diet. It is a around $30 for 52 servings so it is comparable to other daily supplements. This tonic is available on the Omica website, as well as Amazon with free shipping!

Have a great weekend!

Quinoa with Toasted Coconut and Lime recipe

Where was quinoa 10 years ago? Not on most people’s radar, that’s for sure. I taught a recipe with quinoa in a cooking class 8 years ago and everyone was skeptical. They were sold on it’s health benefits (high in protein, low in fat, full of antioxidants), but not the flavor. Nutty? Soapy?

“I can’t get into quinoa. I’ve tried. We even cooked it with chicken stock. Not into it,” I remember someone saying. We’ve come a long way with quinoa. When you see it sold in Costco and Target, you know it has gone mainstream. I hope many of you have embraced quinoa and figured out ways to enjoy it. I always used to tell people who are new to quinoa to take their favorite orzo or couscous recipes and swap quinoa. This would be a major nutritional upgrade and I think a more interesting flavor.

But I’m the first to admit I don’t love plain quinoa eaten out of a bowl with no seasonings, no add-ins. Rice, yes. But quinoa has a unique flavor that needs a little support. The texture is so fantastic though. Bouncy, springy, light! I love it. I make a big batch every other week and stir-fry it a la Italian Fried Rice, or stir in some almond milk and fruit for a sweet breakfast, sprinkle it into pancake batter and add it to salads for a bouncy boost of protein.

I try to teach a great quinoa recipe at least two or three times each year. This is one I shared in my classes many years ago and it’s one of the simpler quinoa recipes I’ve taught. It’s always nice to have those back-pocket recipes that are healthy, tasty and don’t use too many ingredients or that you can adapt easily.

I could eat this quinoa with toasted coconut and grilled scallions on its own for lunch or with a piece of roasted salmon or chicken on top. It is perfection with the Thai Steak Salad, which I have also adapted with salmon and chicken. Mr. Picky, who definitely prefers pasta over quinoa, will eat this with extra toasted coconut and a couple of crushed tortilla chips. Whatever it takes is my motto! For those of you with more sophisticated palates, check out the notes at the bottom of the recipe for some additional suggestions. I highly recommend something spicy!

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Quinoa with Toasted Coconut and Lime

Author: Pamela

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa, rinsed*
1 ¾ cups water
pinch of sea salt plus ¾ teaspoon
1 bunch scallions
3 Tablespoons unrefined, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil + more for drizzling onions
½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (if you love lime, add some zest, too!)
3 Tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
optional: half a jalapeño, seeded and grilled with the green onions, finely chopped

Instructions

Preheat a grill over medium heat.
Bring quinoa, water and a pinch of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover, lower to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed. Turn heat off and allow to sit, covered for 5-10 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl.
Drizzle some oil on the green onions coating them lightly. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Grill for a minute on each side or until lightly charred and tender. Coarsely chop and set aside.
In a medium skillet over medium heat, toast the coconut flakes, stirring constantly, until golden. They will crisp up off the heat. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together oil, lime juice, cilantro and salt. Add to cooked quinoa with green onions and toasted coconut. Toss to combine and taste for seasoning. Feel free to add an extra squeeze of lime, if desired.

Notes

This can also be made with rice, but cooking times and water ratios must be adjusted.
This is a basic recipe to which I sometimes add avocado or grilled chopped jalapeño or mango. Sometimes I add mint along with the cilantro if I have it.

Dinner Planner: Week of May 16th

Holy moly, the end of the school year is upon us and doesn’t it feel like there are so many events being crammed in at the last minute? It’s such a busy time of year and it’s flying by. Speaking of flying by, my younger daughter had her prom this weekend and I. JUST. CAN’T. BELIEVE. IT. Fun, exciting, wonderful, but life goes by really quickly. My older daughter is home from college for the summer and we have been super busy in the kitchen. She wants to learn how to cook practical things, so I showed her how to make cauli-rice, roast sweet potatoes, grill salmon, make salad dressing, wash produce, hold a knife, and more. And that was all in three days! She’s going to be a pro by the time she goes back to school. 🙂

News flash for everyone who doesn’t live in Southern California: locally grown stone fruits have made it into our farmers markets and grocery stores! I bought peaches, apricots, and nectarines this week and although they’re small, it means summer is coming and that’s a reason for me to do a happy dance! I’m sure they’ll be coming to you very soon.

Leftover Smoothie Popsicles

This is not so much a recipe as an idea which I LOVE! My kids make a lot of smoothies for both breakfast and after school snacks. And even though they can all blend up a tasty and nutritious smoothie on their own, Mr. Picky is the master. My older daughter has offered him cash on multiple occasions to make her an acai bowl or his famous Pina Colada smoothie. Sometimes his eyes are bigger than his stomach, he makes a bit too much and we end up with some leftovers. Usually the leftovers aren’t enough to make a whole portion for the next day, so one day I started pouring the leftover smoothies into popsicle molds and freezing them. I think you know where this story is headed.