Broccoli and Quinoa Salad with Asian Vinaigrette

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broccoli and quinoa salad on overtime cook

So I know that we've discussed the crazy sources of my recipes a few times before, but we should probably discuss it again today. The idea for this recipe struck late one night. And by late, I don't mean my usual 1-am-still-baking-cookies late. I mean almost asleep kind of late. And for those of you who know me...that's late! So I opened up one eye, opened up the notes app on my iphone, and typed "quinoa + broccoli salad." And it's been in the back of my brain ever since. At first, I was going to go with a traditional broccoli salad type dressing, but with added quinoa. Then I decided to take the flavors in a different direction. I settled on an asian-inspired dressing, and I am thrilled … [Read more...]

Citrus Shallot Salad Dressing

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Citrus Shallot Salad Dressing on OvertimeCook

When it comes to eating food repetitively, I think there are two types of people. Those who are totally fine with it, and those who can't face the same food too often. My parents fall into the first category. They both have a habit of finding a food, cuisine, style of cooking, spice, or some other food they enjoy. Then they cook it. And cook it. And cook it again. And so many more times that people like me want to scream at the sight of the repetition. Personally, I need to vary my food. (I can't imagine you're shocked right now.) And while I definitely have old standby foods that I'll fall back on, I'll almost never eat the same food day after day after day. And when I do, you know that … [Read more...]

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad and a Review and Giveaway of Passover Made Easy

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butternut squash salad onOvertimeCook

I know that nobody really wants to think about the imminent arrival of the Passover holiday, but face it, friends. Passover is coming. The good news is that today I am reviewing a cookbook that aims to make Passover cooking easy. I know, it sounds too good to be true. But this book proves that it can be done! Passover Made Easy is a brand new book, written by the fabulous duo of Leah Schapira (or Fresh & Easy fame) and Victoria Dweck, food editor of a number of top kosher magazines, including the one I write for. The book is a project of CookKosher.Com, and actually features about a third of the recipes by a number of the members, myself included! Leah and Victoria took the recipes, … [Read more...]

Asian Chicken Salad with Peanut Vinaigrette

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Asian Peanut Chicken Salad on OvertimeCook

So who's planning to start the year with some healthy eating? You too? Well I guess we're all in the same boat here. Good news, I've got the most delicious salad I've ever made to share with you today. Y'know how some people say that diet food doesn't taste good? Well. That isn't true. And I'm going to prove it to you as soon as you taste this salad. Let's first step back so I can tell you what it's like to live in my head. It was about 2 in the morning and I was finally drifting off to sleep. Sadly for me, this is the time of day when I often have my best ideas. (Does this happen to anyone else?!) So there I am in bed, and I have this super cool idea. What would happen, I wonder, if I … [Read more...]

Carrot Ginger Salad Dressing

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Carrot Ginger Dressing 1

Here's something you should know about me. I don't really like carrots. Not raw ones anyway. Here's something else I should tell you. I despise ginger. Especially fresh ginger. One more thing. I love carrot-ginger dressing. Seriously love it. Always have. I first tasted this dressing, like many people did, at a local Japanese restaurant. I'm pretty sure the house salad came with the entree. Oddly enough, I remember nothing about the meal but the "free" salad. Maybe that's because my mother is an amazing cook, and has an even better palate. She has this magical way of tasting something at a restaurant, closing her eyes and tasting all of the components, then going home and recreating it. … [Read more...]

Pomegranate and Apple Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

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Pomegranate and Apple Salad 2

    Giveaway Closed! A couple of weeks ago my friend Leah was super nice and stopped by my office with a salad she had picked up for me at a nearby restaurant . (Friends bring you ice cream. Real friends bring you salad. Everyone knows that.) The restaurant had called it a tropical salad. It has lettuce, apple and mango, and a delicious dressing. I immediately began thinking of how I would recreate it. Then the folks over at Pom Wonderful were kind enough to send me a couple of bottles of pomegranate juice, and I immediately knew I would be making the pomegranate version of this salad. Seriously, the pomegranate juice is kinda like magic when making a salad dressing. Now, some … [Read more...]

Citrus Carrot Salad

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Carrot Citrus Salad on Overtime Cook

A while ago, when Borders book stores were about to close their doors, they were blowing out all of their merchandise. Needless to say, I totally stalked the cookbook section, buying a lot more books than I should probably admit to. Most notably, I picked up a copy of Mark Bittman's encyclopedic book, How To Cook Everything. It was only today that I realized that I've never actually made a recipe from it. Don't get me wrong. I read the book (almost) cover to cover. I learned tons and tons from it. I've gotten ideas from it. But today I finally took it down to make a recipe. This is one that intrigued me every time I saw it. I love the combination of carrots, citrus and cumin in this. … [Read more...]

Fruity Salad with Raspberry Zinger Vinaigrette

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Fruity Salad with Raspberry Zinger Vinaigrette

There are lots of things I love about food blogging. I've mentioned some of my favorites before. But there are other, quieter and more private perks that I love too. Take today. It was a real quiet day today. I woke up late, took my time getting ready, then went to the grocery store and wondered the aisles somewhat aimlessly as I tried to decide what I'd cook today. I know, I know, that's the kind of luxury that comes with being somewhat unattached. It's also the kind of luxury that I get to validate as work. Blog work, ya know. It's all in the name of sharing great recipes with my imaginary friends at the other end of the computer. Ahem. Back to this salad. So when I finally settled on … [Read more...]

Black Bean, Corn and Mango Quinoa Salad

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Quinoa Salad 2

Have you ever known that you had to do something, but you kept putting it off because you assumed it would be unpleasant? Then you finally bite the bullet and the task you were dreading turns out to be no big deal at all, or even, at best, a positive experience? For example, last week at work, a purchase order landed on my desk. I was super busy at the time. I glanced at it briefly and recognized it as coming from a rather problematic account of mine. I decided to get other stuff done meanwhile, and deal with the problem order when I had a few minutes. It sat on my desk over the weekend, and finally I got to it. I completed the order and sent a confirmation of it to my contact there, Ryan. … [Read more...]

Basil Potato Salad

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basil-potato-salad-1

Are you sick of hearing about Passover/Pesach yet? Well bad news folks, Passover is not for another week, so y0u've got another two weeks of hearing about my Passover cooking. On the other hand, if you think it's bad, imagine what kind of separation anxiety I am feeling for my best friend, er, I mean my Kitchen Aid. I've been searching the web for interesting Passover recipe ideas, and I definitely am not coming up short. There's a plethora of recipes out there, each one out-doing the next in terms of creativity and non-passover-like qualities. But I think the best Passover recipes are the simple things, the ones you can make by default, because they happen not to contain any grains. (Such … [Read more...]