the week of the iPhone | margarita salad

I know what you’re thinking.

Margherita salad toppings.

Mozzarella, basil, tomatoes…

Nope!

I’m talking about margaritas, like the ones you drink!

While you won’t be getting drunk off of this salad it still holds that refreshing, limey, sweet + salty flavor you are familiar with.

In hopes of taking images that were sharper today, I downloaded a new-to-me camera app called Camera+.  It has an image stabilization feature plus loads of other effects + editing tools.  It can basically take the place of the camera app that comes automatically on your iPhone.  You can even shoot in burst mode to capture quick movement.  This app cost $.99 and is definitely worth checking out.  The 2 lime photos above were sharper than most of my close-ups have been the past few days.

The trickiest part of editing the photos is that I can never seem to get the coloring just right.  Even playing with the white balance, it sometimes turns out a bit off.  In the next two photos below my surface is quite blue when it should be a bit grayer, but all of the other colors look accurate.

This summer salad will put all other summer salads to shame.  While loading veggies on a salad is my typical setup, fruit is such a refreshing change of pace.  Topped with a slightly creamy lime vinaigrette, almonds for crunch, and a little lime infused salt + sugar.

Behind the scenes photo setup.

Print this!

Margarita Salad 

vegan, gluten-free // yields approximately 3/4 cup dressing

• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons limeade juice
• 5 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons honey/agave
• 1/2 teaspoon lime zest
• 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon avocado
• 1/4 teaspoon salt + 1/4 tsp pure cane sugar + 1T lime zest
• lettuce/strawberries/peaches/raspberries/almonds

1. Rinse + pat dry your lettuce + fruit.  Slice fruit into bite sized pieces and chop the lettuce.
2. Add the olive oil, limeade, fresh lime juice, honey or agave, lime zest, 1/4 tsp salt, and avocado in a blender and blend until smooth.
3. Taste and add more salt if desired.
4. In a small bowl mix the 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp cane sugar, and 1 Tbsp lime zest with your fingers.
5. Assemble salad, pour desired amount of dressing on, and top with a few sprinkles of the zest mixture.

notes: Lemonade would be fine to sub in if you don’t have limeade, but make sure to still use limes for the fresh juice. 

Chickpeas + avocado would be great toppings to make this a full meal.

One nice thing about editing on the iPhone is that I can do it outside [in a shaded area].  We had an usual thunderstorm around 6pm, so instead of working in my office I took the dogs outside and we sat on the porch.  It was a nice little cool down for all of us.  The house is h.o.t.!

I’ve actually noticed that it takes me longer to edit photos on my phone in comparison to editing my dSLR photos in Lightroom. 

Watch out for a recipe featuring roasted red pepper sauce next week!

Hope you all have a fabulous + relaxing weekend.

Ashley

lemon dill pasta salad

An un-Italian flavored pasta salad?

Pasta salad with no olives?

A veggie-heavy pasta salad?

Pasta salad not dripping in oil?

Yes, yes, yes, and yes.

My intention for this dish was to put a twist on the classic Italian veggie pasta salad everyone grew up eating.  I seem to have a think for lemon + dill right now, so I figured I would go with it.

I wanted to create a lighter dish packed with flavor and loaded with fresh vegetables.  Something that makes you come back for 2nd’s+ 3rd’s.  A dish that is great for a crowd, or to pack for your lunch all week.

To make the sauce thick + creamy I used avocado alongside extra virgin olive oil.  Avocado in dressing is my new favorite trick.  So much creaminess + chock-full of healthy fats. 

It’s Friday.

You’ve had a long week.

So let’s get right down to business.

Print this!

Lemon Dill Pasta Salad

serves 6-8

• 8oz pasta of choice
• 3.5 cups broccoli, chopped
• 2 cups asparagus, ends trimmed + chopped
• 1.5 cups zucchini, sliced + chopped in half
• 1 large red/orange/yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1/3 cup red onion, minced
• 1/2 cup sunflower/pepita/hemp seeds

Lemon Dill Dressing [use ~3/4 of the dressing]

• 1 avocado
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2.5 teaspoons garlic, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt + more to top
• 1/2 cup dill, loosely packed
• 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon maple syrup/honey
• black pepper

1. Chop + prep all ingredients.  Also get a large pot of water boiling for the pasta and a pot of boiling water set up to steam the vegetables.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions, then rinse with cold water until chilled.  [I used GF quinoa veggie curls – new favorite!]
3. While the pasta is cooking, steam the broccoli + asparagus for 3 minutes, then add in the zucchini for 2 more minutes.  Be careful not to over-steam the veggies.  You want them crunchy.
4. Remove and rinse with cold water, then place in a large bowl filled with water and ice [ice bath] until chilled.
5. Drain the water very well and combine with the pasta, tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, and seeds.  I used a mix of 5T sunflower seeds and 3T hemp seeds.
6. In a blender/magic bullet/food processor/etc. add all of the dressing ingredients and process until smooth.  Scrape the sides of the container if necessary.
7. Adjust the salt/pepper/lemon if desired.  I added a hefty amount of pepper.
8. Starting with 3/4 of the dressing, combine it with the pasta + veggies until well coated.  Add more if desired.  I reserved the rest and stored it in the fridge.
9. Taste and add more salt + pepper.  I added about 1/4-1/2t more salt and a lot more pepper.  Adjust to your liking.
10. Chill in the fridge before serving and store in a sealed container in the fridge for about 3 days.

notes:  If you don’t like dill, you can definitely sub another herb like basil.  You will most likely need to adjust the amount.

You can add your favorite protein to make this a full meal, or serve it as a side dish.  I pressed a block of tofu, cubed it, then tossed it with lemon juice, a little oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  No cooking needed, I just threw it right in!  Also delicious with feta and/or goat cheese on top.

Enjoy the weekend!

Ashley

p.s.  Hi from Kenna and all 3 of her bones…silly dog.