Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese and a Citrus Vinaigrette: Part of a Well Balanced Wardrobe

This salad really should be part of one of my "Stolen Idea" posts because I stole the idea! Duh. Well, at least it's my modified version, so perhaps it's a partial steal! Regardless it's delish and a great accompaniment to any meal. My friend DJ and his wife Angela had me over last week to meet their beautiful daughter, Lila (3 months old) and also cooked for me! A treat on both accounts. Which is why I will dedicate this post to my friend and his magic salad......

DJ's Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese and a Citrus Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

Arugula (I buy Olivia's Organic from Whole Foods)

Goat Cheese - a mild variety in log form

Walnut pieces

Beets (LOVE BEETS brand from Whole Foods, they are pre-made and so easy)

For the Dressing:

1/2 cup orange juice (or 2 oranges squeezed)

2-3 small shallots, peeled and diced

1 tablespoon EVOO, plus 1/4 cup EVOO

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/8 teaspoon of sea salt

Directions:

For the dressing:
Dice your shallots. Saute until transparent in the 1 tablespoon of EVOO over medium-high heat. Set aside off of the heat. In another saucepan, bring the orange juice to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the juice by about half, or until it thickens. Set aside to cool. Once cooled, combine in the Cuisinart with OJ, red wine vinegar, and salt. Mix until well-blended. With the Cuisinart running, slowly add the olive oil and emulsify! Set aside.

For the salad:

Ahhh the goat cheese! Roll the goat cheese into balls about the size of a large truffle. Place your nuts onto a plate. Take your goat cheese balls and press down until a little "patty" forms and the nuts get stuck into the cheese. Do this to all sides and don't skimp. Set aside. Take your pre-packaged beets and slice them. WARNING: they will turn your fingers pink, so be prepared with a good hand-soap to do a little scrubbing afterward! Assemble your arugula on a plate, add the beets and put the goat cheese bites of heaven on the side. Drizzle (don't douse!) with the Citrus Vinaigrette. Serve it up!

I have eaten this salad with a chicken dish and also as a compliment to homemade pizza. It's versatile and for those people who love goat cheese the nuts really kick it up a notch. Additionally, the light citrus flavor of the dressing cuts the bitterness of the arugula and enhances the taste of the beets. As usual it's all about the components marrying together and complimenting each other!

This will be a perfect and quick salad to bring to that special Labor Day BBQ!

xoxo,

kiki

Stolen Idea: Pura Vida

Bryce (my husband) and I took our honeymoon in beautiful Costa Rica where the locals all greet and say good bye with the same words.....Pura Vida or "Pure Life" or "Life is Pure". It's such a romantic, simple way of looking at the day to day. Recently I was reminded of this when looking at Lucky Magazine. It mentioned these fantastic (and super affordable at $5 a pop) bracelets called Pura Vida Bracelets. Not only do these look ridiculously cute, but your purchase is also going toward a truly philanthropic cause.....every single one of these woven beauties that is sold 1% goes toward the Surfrider Foundation. These guys are helping to clean up the ocean one piece of trash at a time. Additionally, Pura Vida Bracelets helps support local Costa Rican artisans by supplying a job, food, clothing, and shelter for as many as they can! The more we help this great organization grow the more our oceans will be pristine and we will be able to provide Costa Ricans with a better future!

Stacked w/ leather bracelets, I have two Pura Vida bracelets on. One has cool little beads, and the other is just crazy fun colors intertwined and held together with a little "P" charm. They come in one size and adjust accordingly.....

I ordered a couple extras as giveaways - these two helped support a breast cancer foundation.

We spent the last couple days before the hurricane on the boat - the calm before the storm as they say - and it was lovely. As you wear the PV bracelets in the ocean, the pool, or the shower, they just look better and conform nicer to the wrist......

I even got Bryce to wear one! I love it!

Good luck to all those riding out IRENE....

xoxo and Pura Vida,

kiki

Fave Things: My Weekend

Salt island, CT. Our friend Chet's beautiful old wooden Chris Craft that his dad and brother built by hand. GORGEOUS.....as was the Long Island Sound - refreshing and the perfect cure for a hang over.......
Taking an antique ladder and converting it into my own little scarf paradise. Not only does it look pretty, but now I can easily see/sift through my most prized accessory......

my new kelly green bangle - it channels a mod sort of retro vibe, but also has a cool, calm Palm Beach feel. it's from my fave little costume jewelry spot called Sequin.


An unexpected pop of color....my pedicure on Friday was speedy because it was on my lunch break and I picked a color in haste.....luckily, although completely out of my norm I kinda love the color.....bright hot pink - very 80's of me! The name is Essie Bermuda Shorts....

The view from our boat of Saybrook Point, CT, near my hometown of Old Lyme, CT. I could get so used to this life.....don't end summer!!

Hope y'all had a great weekend!

xoxo

kiki

Panzanella: Part of a Well Balanced Wardrobe

I ran home from work tonight. I do it a couple times a week....it's approximately 9-10 miles and by the time I reach the front door I am exhausted and STARVING. I figured that tonight my husband would have started dinner. Unfortunately I was wrong and given the fact that I haven't grocery shopped this week (I know...gasp!) I knew that our fridge was spotty. I am decent at improvising on the quick (even though I was suffering from runner's brain = cloudy, incoherent thoughts). After looking thru the pantry and fridge and gaining an understanding of our low inventory, I knew what needed to be done.....

...tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, cucumbers, green bell pepper and a hearty baguette (in the freezer) were all waiting for me to create. I knew we had fresh basil in the garden and of course plenty of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. All ingredients for.......PANZANELLA!!! I love the way this salad is quick, easy, and covers all things "recovery" to re-energize my body after a long run - protein, carbs, and yummy fresh veggies that will help with muscle repair. Also this is a great last minute dinner or side to your dinner that you can use as a spring board for much more - add shrimp or canned tuna in oil....olives...different herbs.....other veggies! It's truly a "kitchen sink" kind of dish! So as I always say - MAKE IT YOUR OWN!




Kiki's Quick Panzanella:


(serves two)


1 large cucumber (or a couple small ones)


Grape Tomatoes or cherry ones (we pulled a couple out of our garden tonight, yum!)


1 Green Bell Pepper


Basil - a healthy handful


Mozzarella balls, quartered


1/2 a baguette, baked in the oven until nice and crispy ( I always buy these, cut them in half and freeze it - so quick to thaw and its accessible in a pinch)


Sea Salt/Pepper to taste


EVOO/Balsamic Vinegar


Directions: slice and quarter the cucumber, same with the tomatoes (enough so you equal parts of each). Cut the green bell pepper and throw that in the mix too. Chop the basil, toss in. Add the mozzarella balls. Pull the bread out of the oven and cube it. Don't forget the crumbs too - they add texture and who doesn't like them?? A couple nice turns on the ground sea salt and pepper. Mix all of the ingredients until you have a well rounded assortment. Pour olive oil all over, probably about 2 tablespoons (?) and same with Balsamic (except a little less). Mix again. Add a little more salt/pepper. Taste. Add a little more of the EVOO and Balsamic until the bread has soaked up all the goodness and is a little soft on the inside, but still crusty on the outside. YUM. Serve in a bowl with a BIG TALL GLASS OF WATER (or wine if you didn't' run 10 miles like I did - haha).




I had to include pictures of my two sous-chefs (Milly on the left and Barley on the right)....well let's face it the only reason they were right by my side is because they love tomatoes more than I do!!! Don't worry - they didn't go hungry!

xoxo,

kiki

Deal with Stress in Style

the week before I left for Palm Beach was stressful and I had several large presentations and lots to get done before I left for a full 5 days....I had no option but to dress up for one of the presentations as we were pitching an outside client.....but in the thick Boston August heat, what was a girl to do? I would be running around like crazy, so I knew I had to be comfortable, but I also knew I couldn't sacrifice style in this situation. who has perfected the art of comfortable fashion? Miss Diane Von Furstenberg!! I scored this DVF silk dress at Cusp (a Neiman Marcus branch) on super duper sale (for $113, marked down from $325).....it's sexy, but understated, beautiful, but easy, and a bright plum color, yet has potential to be a "little black dress" given its versatility. Hugs the body just so and hangs in all the right places.....

The yellow gold of my "K" monogram necklace made the dress look rich and royal.....

The hair is also easy.....side parted, I took two thick strands and twisted together, combined into a low side bun and voila - instantly chic and effortless hair. Props to my Hearts On Fire Transcend double halo earrings too - they truly completed my outfit.

xoxo

kiki

A Few of My Favorite Things: Palm Beach Vacation

Waking up early with my husband to watch the sunrise over the warm aqua colored Atlantic ocean.......

Eating my way through vacation....particularly in love with the Cool and Creamy Macaroni salad from Cooks Country.......


Putting on a bathing suit every morning instead of real clothes.........

Loving these Mexican faceless women..... they have a 60's bohemian flare that I want NOW.....

Tinto de Verano - the drink of the summer and the equivalent of my "water" for the past week...take a glass of ice, Cab Sav, splash of 7Up, lemons and limes, stir and enjoy..........

how can you not love star fish? the shelf above our Palm Beach bed......

the house my in-laws rented was Palm Beach chic and beautiful....a mix of elegant and casual with unlikely combinations of tropical and preppy...........monkeys everywhere!

my niece Katie and I bonded the whole trip....she lives in LA and I am already having withdrawal...I miss her giggles.....

Just being goofy.....that's what vacation is all about......

I heart you, vaca. Come back soon and xoxo,

kiki

Asparagi Verdi: Part of a Well Balanced Wardrobe

Ohhhh Asparagi Verdi how I love thee! Short and sweet tonight, guys! You have to try this quick and easy recipe for Asparagi Verdi. I had it at a lovely little Italian bottega in NYC on 59th between 5th and Madison on the upper east side (Bottega del Vino). Pure delight! I figured that this must be quick and easy to throw together, so tonight I did just that! I had already hard boiled some eggs on Monday night in preparation for the week, so this literally took all of 2 minutes to put on a plate and get in my belly! My husband truly enjoyed it too, although he added some balsamic vinegar about mid-way through....which is fine! I encourage you to take this to great heights and use what I have done as a basis of a clean, simple, beautiful salad. Also, tomatoes are at the peak of ripeness, so take advantage of this time.....and use them as much as possible!

kiki's Asparagi Verdi:

(serves 2, easy enough to adapt to more)

Asparagus (one bundle)

2 Tomatoes (preferably yummy heirloom ones cut in 4 wedges per plate, but as seen above I only had grape - I am a big believer in using what you have in your kitchen!)

2 hard boiled eggs

Olive Oil (don't skimp here! This is one of the most important staples in your kitchen, so spend the $$ and buy a good one!)

Sea Salt crushed

Cracked Pepper

Directions: Flash steam your asparagus and I really mean just that. You want these guys crisp and fresh with full gorgeous natural flavor. When done, run immediately under cold water to stop the cooking process. Put aside. Cut your tomatoes (whatever kind you are using). Put aside. Drizzle olive oil on your individual plate. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper. Put your tomatoes on the side of the plate. Add your asparagus in a "fiber" pattern across from your tomatoes. Carefully slice your egg width wise and lay over the top of your veggies. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle (to your liking) with sea salt and pepper. Just remember, get one piece of each in every bite - you will notice the balance and life that they give one another. Serve w/ a hearty baguette and your fave bottle of wine!!! Eat and enjoy a well balanced wardrobe.

YUM.

xoxo,

kiki

Current Obsession: Accessories

18k rose gold over sized Nixon watch accessorized with my grandmother's link bracelet and leather twisties....

My Bostonian three-stone diamond engagement ring, Hearts On Fire Five-Stone band, separated by a fun 18k rose gold diamond studded band.... switching it up from the normal routine by adding a whimsical pop of color....no one ever said you can't play with your symbol of love - Make it your own!
Mixing Metal types.....love it!

Julia Collection Monogram pendant with my grandmother's turtle pendant.....worn two ways: long and short with layers....

Indian Summer - yes please! This scarf will transition me into fall.... gorgeous Aztec print with vibrant red and blues, toned down with neutrals....

I scored this Mili Designs pareo/scarf from Swirl....I love how gauzy and soft it is!

Fish tailing my way through the hot months.....what a great comeback this little diddy made! It's a look that makes me happy, and, as an added bonus, it keeps me cool from the humid Boston days....

xoxo,

kiki