Organized Chica's Asparagus and Bean Salad

About two weeks ago in my "Food to go" post I had promised to share with you the salad I made for friends.  This is an easy, healthy salad that is full of flavor.  It really reminds me of a summer salad because it's so light and fresh but you can make this year round.  Let's just remember how bad I am about measurements, so please forgive me.  This salad really depends on your preference.  If you like a certain ingredient, use more of it, if you don't, use less. Keeping it simple.

You will need the following ingredients:

* the scallions were camera shy...oops!

1. Open your cans of beans, rinse them through a strainer and then toss them into a mixing bowl.  Note: I usually use the Goya brand but Bush's was on sale.

2. Wash and cut your cherry tomatoes in half. Toss in the bowl with the beans.

3. Peel and cut the avocado in bite pieces.  Toss into the bowl. 

4. Cook asparagus until its al dente, toss in a ice bath (seen below) to stop the cooking.  Then remove them from the water and cut them into approximately 2". Toss into the bowl.

5.  Wash and remove the ends of the scallion. Dice it and then toss into bowl.  (Sorry, I was too excited to eat the salad that I forgot to take a picture of the scallions.) 

6.  Pour Organized Chica's Dressing over the salad.  I love this dressing so I pour on alot, you may want less, it's up to you.   Mix all the ingredients with the dressing and voila! 

Yummy Asparagus and Bean Salad.  

Hope you give it a try.  Let us know what you think.

Organized Chica - xox

Organized Chica's Salad Dressing

Hello there! As promised to many of you, I will share with you my dressing recipe.  Let me first start off by saying that I cannot, for the life of me, give a recipe that I created with exact measurements.  I don't know why, but my whole family is like this, my mom, my sister, me...you get the idea.  

I really honestly tried measuring all the ingredients to my dressing but that went out the window as soon as I test tasted the dressing.  I always tweak it at the end.  So all those exact measurements I proudly wrote down while preparing this, are no longer valid.

Enough said! I will do my best to give an idea on how I make my dressing. 

1.  You will need the following ingredients:

* the onion for some reason decided not to make an appearance
during the photoshoot...sorry

2. Place all the ingredients in a food processor following these instructions: 

- Rip a big handful of parsley without the stems from the bunch and wash thoroughly

- Rip another big handful of cilantro without the stems from the bunch and wash thoroughly

- pour in about 3/4 cup of Olive Oil (this will basically be the amount of dressing you will be making)

- cut about 1/4 of an onion 

- squeeze 2 to 3 limes into the processor 

- peel 2 garlic cloves (fresh please! no pre-cut or smashed garlic)

- add salt and pepper to taste

3. Let your food processor rip! (I use the Magic Bullet or NutriBullet) It should take a few seconds really until everything gets processed.  Now taste and tweak it to your liking.  This is why I have a hard time with the measurements.  I sometimes will do more lime juice or more salt.  It depends on how strong the flavors are from the fresh ingredients.  

4. Should look like this (similar to a pesto consistency)

Trust me, it really may not look that appetizing but it's really yummy. You can pour this over your salad, use as marinade or process this mixture with a chunk of Parmesan cheese and pour over your pasta.  

Hope you enjoy it! Let me know how it goes.  

Organized Chica - xox

Food to go!

Hope you all enjoyed your 3 day weekend! It flew by, we had ours packed with different activities.  It was good to spend time with friends and family.  Hope you are all recharged and ready for this short 4 day week!

This weekend was mostly about food! Big surprise right? Those who know us well, know that we love food and food loves us.

This past weekend I provided lunch to dear friends who were in the area and I want to share with you what they were and how I served them.

I can't say enough how much I love these serving trays.  I bought a pack from Sam's Club a few years ago and it has lasted me a while.  I use these containers when I make lunch to go for my friends or my family.  Think about a picnic or maybe a meal for a sick friend.  No worries about not getting your tupperware back! 'Cause we all know what a pain it is to ask for your plastic containers back!

If you noticed on Sunday's menu, I have "Marilyn's Salad with Marilyn's dressing".  Well long story short, among my friends and family, my dressing is, well, how do I say it? Well liked? My friends keep asking me for the recipe.  Therefore I've decided to share with you my dressing and salad recipe in hopes that you can also enjoy it.  I also have no idea what to name them so maybe you can help me because I just keep hearing from my friends, "oh that's Marilyn's dressing".

*Update: Organized Chica's Salad Dressing Recipe found here!

Recipes coming soon!

Yesterday I also made a quick, easy and full of flavor dish, Linguine with Shrimp Scampi,  from one of my favorite cooks, Barefoot Contessa.  I hope you try this out and incorporate this into your family menu for those busy nights.  You will not regret it!

*image is from barefootcontessa.com

Happy Tuesday everyone!!! Tell us how your weekend went.

Organized Chica - xox