Buffalo Chicken Salad

Time is a precious commodity these days.  Dinner this week was prepped while wearing my three week old son in his Ergo carrier.  I managed to get Salsa Chicken done for Monday night and then got started on Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken. 

These are both great recipes for anyone who is strapped for time- minimal ingredients and practically no hands on time means that dinner is ready before 9 pm.  Heck, you might even get to eat it with two hands if you're lucky (and the baby is asleep).  

The original recipe called for lettuce wraps, but I figured salads were an easy one-handed option.  

The night before, I defrosted chicken in the crock pot insert with chopped onion and chicken broth.  Love Crock Pots with removable inserts.  Makes it so much easier to get a head start when you don't have to refrigerate your entire Crock Pot.  Who has room for that in their fridge??

Cooked on high for 4 hours.

Then shred your chicken into small pieces using two forks.

Bust out the Buffalo sauce and douse the chicken liberally.  I used 3/4 cup, but feel free to adjust to your own taste.

Stir it together and cook on low for another 30 minutes.

Pile it high on chopped romaine and top with other veggies and cheese of your choice.  The feta in this picture is a bit misleading- it was...shall we say...funky, so it was actually removed before consumption.  Mommy brain fart- pretty sure that feta was months+ old.  Oops. 

Enjoy!  This turned out to be a super healthy and hearty meal.  This chicken would also be phenomenal on a pizza, in a pita, or even added to an omelet.  The possibilities are endless if you love Buffalo sauce!

Summer Pasta Salad

I have a confession to make.

Last year, I did not go to a single farmer's market.

I know! For shame! It was a weird summer- I started a new job and just didn't have a spare minute. I should've found one on the weekends to go to, but I was lame and didn't. Boo to that.

This summer is better! I've been to a few (Hingham has a great one- shout out to Freitas Farm for stellar blueberries and excellent customer service) and the husband has hit our town's farmer's market a few times. He even made blueberry jam (best.husband.ever).

Flashback to the 4th of July- Stowe, Vermont has an especially vibrant farmer's market that has more than just raw veggies.

Steamed veggie dumpling, bean dumpling, and a shrimp eggroll.

Fresh ice cream!

Maple cone!

Not sure what this guy was selling, but you can see the resemblance between Arthur and his sign.

With all the goodies, whipping up a satisfying pasta salad at our campsite was a breeze.

Start a pot of water on your Coleman stove and bring it to a boil. Add one pound of rotini. You could also use farfalle- I think bite-size pasta is a better choice for a pasta salad. Makes it easier to eat!


Start with fresh from the ground radishes- dirt included! Just give them a good wash. Don't they remind you of the Mandrakes from Harry Potter? Nerd alert!


Slice them thinly and add to a large bowl.


Wash your fresh basil and rip it into small pieces. Add to the radishes.

Wash and chop your fresh zucchini- add it to the pasta in the last 2-3 minutes of cooking- cooks them just enough but keeps them crunchy.

Chop up some cheddar. Funny story- I bought this at home and drove it all the way back to Vermont for this dish. Some serious food miles for such a small piece of cheese.

Here, in spirit, is some red onion. Chop it up and add to the bowl o' veggies.

Once the pasta and zucchini is cooked, drain it and put it back in the hot pan. Add the radishes, basil, red onion, and cheddar to the pasta and zucchini and toss to coat. The cheese will melt slightly and coat everything. Instant dressing!


Serve alongside some foccacia and dig in!

Summer Pasta Salad

1 pound short pasta- whatever makes your skirt fly up
2-3 cups chopped fresh summer veg- experiment with squash, peas, beets, tomato- whatever looks good at the farmers market. Note- not all of these veggies will need to cook with the pasta.
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 large bunch of fresh basil, ripped
8 oz. cheese- other option include goat, feta, Gouda, Gruyere, Swiss
salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add a handful of salt and toss in pasta.

While the pasta cooks, chop up veggies. For any veggies that need slight cooking, add them to the pasta in the last 2-3 minutes of boiling. Once pasta and veggies are al dente, drain and return to the hot pot. Do not return pan to heat.

Add other veggies, herbs, and cheese to the pasta/veggie mixture in the hot pot. Toss to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with olive oil, if you have some on hand.

Simple Saturdays Quinoa Salad

Simple Saturdays will feature easy to make, easy to eat recipes. For the first Simple Saturday post, get ready to whip up a tasty vegetarian dish.


For dinner last night, I served this delicious quinoa salad alongside some roasted sweet potatoes. They are SO good they deserve their own post, so look for that later.

While working on the quinoa salad and sweet potatoes, I added the vegetable peelings to my compost bin. We transfer this bin into the larger one outside where we make our own dirt! How cool is that??

This is what the compost bin looks like when you bump it off the counter. See all the items you can compost! I spy: coffee grounds and filter, eggshells, and sweet potato peelings. Makes great dirt and an even better mess on your kitchen floor!

I spent last week visiting my home state of Texas and enjoying all the pork products and salt the Lone Star State has to offer! Cream gravy atop a fluffy biscuit beside crisp, thick bacon is enjoyed by cowboys and cowgirls alike.

After a week of indulgence and conservative politics, nothing restores your sense of virtue and liberal self-righteousness better than a hearty vegetarian meal. To enhance the granola vibe, turn on some Jack Johnson, slide into your Birkenstocks, and embrace your inner dirty hippie.

Quinoa Salad

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
2 small bell peppers, diced
2-3 oz. goat cheese
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 a lemon
2 tbsp chives, chopped finely
salt & pepper to taste

In a fine mesh strainer, rinse the quinoa thoroughly. Combine quinoa and water in a medium saucepan. Cover and bring to a rolling boil. Then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook 15-20 minutes until the water is absorbed.

While quinoa is cooking, dice up the bell peppers and crumble the goat cheese in a bowl. Once the quinoa is done, put it on top of the bell pepper and goat cheese. Drizzle the quinoa with olive and squeeze the lemon juice on top. Add in chives and toss to combine. The heat of the quinoa will melt the goat cheese and create a creamy dressing for the quinoa and peppers. Season with salt and pepper to taste. You won't need much as the goat cheese, olive oil, and lemon juice add lots of flavor.