Right Here, Right Now Summer Salad with Parmesan Vinaigrette

Summer and salads go hand in hand. So when summer ends does it mean we should stop eating salad? No way Pablo! (I’m tired of saying “no way” to Jose so I thought Pablo would be a nice way to change things up). We should actually eat more salad! We need all the vitamins we can get before we start living off ho-ho’s and popcorn in front of the T.V during the winter months.

Salad can often be a double-edged sword in terms of its health benefits. We all know the leafy greens and vegetables are great for our bodies! An easy way to spoil the party is going overboard with the dressing. It’ll combine with all the fatty stuff in the ho-hos and popcorn. The end result is your pants will feel like they’ve shrunk two sizes. Believe me it’s not the pants. Stick with a salad such as this with its leafy greens and light vinaigrette and you can't go wrong!

Cook With Style Tuesday - Smoothies

Q. I love smoothies. What's the key to making a good one?

A. Smoothies are awesome! They taste great and are full of minerals and vitamins. Plus you can whip them up as quickly as a 90-second Ramones’ tune.

The beauty is no recipe is required. Nice!!! Just keep these 3 main elements of a smoothie in mind and you’ll never go wrong.

First you’ll want something sweet. Fresh fruit or berries are always a good choice. You can also use honey to can crank up the sweetness factor.

Next we don’t want our smoothie to be as thick as ice cream so a liquid is required. Any type of fruit juice works. Milk from a mooing cow or soy milk can also be used.

Finally a smoothie requires something to thicken it up and make it….well…smooth. A banana, yogurt or even crushed ice can do the trick.

Don't be shy to add some additional touches so its flavor fits your style. It could be a touch of vanilla, a few pinches of nutmeg or allspice or even some type of liqueur. Malibu rum anyone?

Here are 3 you can try.

Mango Pineapple Smoothie

Orange-Almond Smoothie

Raspberry Banana Smoothie

Do you have a smooth cooking question? Send your e-mail to brent@cookapalooza.com or tweet it to @kitchenroadie

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Brent Garell
The Kitchen Roadie
brent@cookapalooza.com

A Pork Stir-Fry that’s Looking Out for # 1…That’s You!

If you’re:

• Craving something spicy, salty, sweet, savory and sour
• Watching your weight
• Short on time
• Not getting enough veggies
• A person who feasts with their eyes

OR

• Interested in covering all the bases at once

Then go with a stir-fry! This Pork and Peanut Stir-Fry with carrots, beans and bright red bell peppers just might do the trick.

Cook With Style Tuesday - Light & Fluffy Scrambled Eggs Every Time

Q. How do I make scrambled eggs that are light and fluffy?


A. Listen to Wham! songs while cooking them! Oh sorry, that will make you like and fluffy, not the eggs.

As for the eggs, I follow my mother’s advice. She, like most, recognizes that runny scrambled eggs lack style. She kindly relayed this fail-safe approach to me and it works like a charm!

When making the egg batter, use 1 tbsp of milk for every egg. Beat with a fork and lightly season with salt and pepper. I also like to stir in a few chopped chives.

Now here is where you’ll have to muster up one of the biggest attributes of cooking style and that is patience.

When cooking the eggs, think of the song "Low" by Flo Rida. You're going to want to set the heat...nice and low. Cook them over medium-low heat and let them slowly come together. Yes it takes longer than your usual high-heat-cook-em-fast approach but your patience will pay off and you’ll end up with light and fluffy eggs every time!

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Brent Garell
The Kitchen Roadie
brent@cookapalooza.com

Marinated Tuna Steak - Lively Up Ya Taste Buds Mon!

I think I’m fairly safe in presuming most people have heard a Bob Marley song. Maybe it’s “No Woman No Cry”, “Stir it Up” or one of his many other hits. But have you ever heard his song “Lively Up Yourself” (a song he regularly used to begin most of his concerts) or “Kaya”. If you haven’t, I’m not surprised. Both are fantastic Bob Marley offerings but I have yet to hear them played on popular radio stations.

I think the same thing happens with tuna. Many people can claim to have had canned tuna but they may have never tried a tuna steak? I could include myself in that category until very recently. I had seen tuna steaks cooked on TV many times but had never tried preparing them for myself.

Thankfully I took a chance and bought some at the grocery store. I figured they would go well with the marinade I had posted this past Tuesday (minus the green onions). Turns out they did and now I wonder why I had never tried them before because I have definitely been missing out!