More than any other time of the year, this one feels the most chaotic, an endless stream of end-of-year school parties, graduations, field days, ice cream socials, weekend tournaments, and moving-up ceremonies β¦ to high school! π’. When I bump into friends dashing through the grocery store, I get the sense the feeling is shared. Often I leave the house at 3:45 in the afternoon and donβt return till 8, and if I havenβt planned dinner before departing, it will mean Jersey Mikeβs or Chipotle for dinner. It could be worse, but itβs not ideal either. Determined to make it through this week without serving a single dinner in the car, I took some time over the weekend to prep: I made a batch of these slow-cooker chickpeas (no soaking, so good), and I whisked up a batch of this Italian dressing. Twice this week, I prepped the ingredients for a big chopped salad and pulled the dressing from the fridge before heading out for afternoon activities. Upon returning home, I tossed everything together, and dinner was served. It was such a reminder that a little prep goes a long way and more specifically: Is there anything better than having a batch of homemade salad dressing on hand? It feels like such a godsend at the dinner hour. This Italian dressing recipe and the salad pictured above come from my cookbook Pizza Night. The dressing is similar to this 5-Ingredient Greek Salad Dressing recipe in that itβs an emulsion of red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and extra-virgin olive oil but this one also includes some fresh lemon juice, a little oregano, and garlic. Itβs slightly thinner and sharper than the Greek dressing, but still palatable for the youngins. My children, who donβt love very sharp dressings, love this chopped salad. The dressing yields enough for three if not more large salads, which I find satisfying and filling, and everything I want to eat right now. I hope youβll agree.
Dealing with Dough As Temperatures Rise
In Friday's pizza newsletter, I wrote about dealing with dough as temperatures rise. Get the tips here:
More Recipes to Make Right NowβSimplest Slow Cooker Chickpeasβ
βGreek Saladβ
βHomemade Pita Breadβ
βFalafel Burgersβ
βHomemade Roasted Red Peppersβ
βLemon-Blueberry Dutch Babyβ
βChicken Souvlakiβ
β PS: If you're up for a project, it's the perfect time of year to build a sourdough starter from scratch.β In Case You Missed ItLaura Vitale's Whipped Ricotta with Honey + Pistachiosβ Thank YouThank you to all who have ordered Pizza Night.
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Bread enthusiast. Vegetable lover. Omnivore. If the kitchen is your happy place, you're in good company. Let's hang.
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