Salami Salad with Crispy Chickpeas

The fall air has a touch of crispness and so does my salad!

It's light and lemony, 

savory and slightly salty, 

and every bite has a creamy crunch.

A quick, easy lunch I always look forward to.

A bed of arugula, tossed with lemon and olive oil, 

then topped with thin sliced salami and crunchy chickpeas. 

It looks like fall in a bowl...

and I think it compliments my new bracelet and boots!

Salami Salad with Crispy Chickpeas

salad for one

1 can chickpeas or garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed and dried

2 Tablespoons olive oil

Heat oil in a small skillet, add chickpeas and saute at medium high, until crisp and golden, about 10 minutes.

Drain and cool on a paper towel while you assemble the salad

Toss 3 cups of  arugula with the juice of half a lemon and about 1 Tablespoon of olive oil.  Top with thin cut strips of salami and chickpeas.

Taco Tuesday's BFF - Arugula Salad with Cumin Lime Dressing

If you follow me on Instagram, 

you know how we look forward to Taco Tuesday every week.

I thought it was high time I introduced you to the newest companion to our weekly fiesta...

Arugula Salad with Cumin Lime Dressing

Light, bright and when topped with crispy tortilla strips and crumbled Cotija cheese

it's the perfect taco-night sidekick.

Viva Taco Tuesday!

Arugula Salad with Cumin Lime Dressing
5 oz. arugula
1/4 cup crumbled Cotija cheese
crispy fried tortilla strips for topping - I usually use 5 small corn tortillas
(cut tortillas into thin strips and fry in hot vegetable oil until lightly browned)

For dressing:
whisk together 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, 6 tablespoons olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Toss arugula with dressing then top with cheese and tortilla strips

Labor Day Leftover Corn Salad

Labor Day is bittersweet for me.

It is never easy to see Summer officially come to an end.

We had a fabulous long weekend at the beach.

Tons of sun, laughs, friends and FOOD.

So when life gives you Labor Day Leftovers ...

Make a bright colorful salad and try to savor the last bite of summer!

Our leftover salad consisted of...

kernels from 4 ears of cooked corn

4 grilled chicken breasts cubed

4 ounces arugula

5 small tomatoes, diced

6 ounces of cubed Manchego cheese

I tossed it all together...

and drizzled it with a lemony-garlic dressing:

5 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar

2 finely chopped garlic cloves

7 Tablespoons oil

Well, we hung onto Summer as long as we could...

bring it on Fall!

also on Carolyn's Homework, Marvelous Mondays, 2 cup tuesdays, Oh my creative, I've Gotta Create, Bloom Designs, Tidy Mom, Sunday Showcase

The AP App...Arugula + Polenta

I have a confession.

Most people that knew me before I was married call me AP.

I just can't seem to shake it and I still love it.

In honor of my favorite nickname,

I introduce my favorite new appetizer...

Arugula on Polenta!

I don't know what it is about arugula,

combined with lemon,
I could eat it all day...

but topped onto crispy polenta rounds and burrata cheese,

I think it is my favorite snack of all...

I cut rounds of polenta

 as thin as I could

(about half an hour in the freezer helped a lot to get a good thin cut)

and sauteed them in a hot pan with a little olive oil, until crisp.

Be careful not to turn them until the edges are starting to turn brown.

To assemble:

Mix Arugula, fresh squeezed lemon, olive oil and a dash of salt

(I just eyeball it, I tend to like it a little more on the lemony side)

Then slice burrata cheese and place on cooled crispy polenta and top with arugula mixture...

Enjoy,

you can call me AP too!

also on Homework, Project Inspired, Ginger Jamboree, 2 cup Tuesday, Whimsy Wednesday, Someday Crafts, 2 girls and a link party, I gotta create, Tidy Mom, Shabby Nest, Monday Funday, Marvelous Mondays, Under the Table and Dreaming