pear and brie salad with raspberry vinaigrette

turning on the food network and looking at blogs on google reader is becoming increasingly hard to do when one is trying not to eat flour or sugar and sees nothing but brioche broadcasted at every turn! Lord, help me!

but i'm doin' alright... and making some pretty good salads over here, some may say.

there's something really delicious about brie and pear. i'd like to eat brie baked in pastry but i refrained on this one. and jazzed it up with a homemade raspberry vinaigrette. tasty! here in our little guest house, i didn't have any raspberry jam or preserves, so i made my own little portion. but you could definitely use a pre-made jam!

break over. back to practicing. if you're in austin sunday and want to hear a pretty sweet mass and some incredible singing, come see G and i perform at the long center! more info can be found for this concert here.

pear and brie salad

for 2

fresh arugula

1 pear, sliced thin

a few slices of brie, room temperature is best

a handful of crushed walnuts

raspberry vinaigrette

2 tbs balsamic vinegar

1 tbs olive oil

1 tbs raspberry jam

or if you're like me and find your pantry without jam... put a handful of raspberries (6-10) with a teaspoon of honey and two tablespoons of water in a sauce pan and reduce on medium-high until a jam-like consistency is reached (should make about one tablespoon.)

curry roasted cauliflower

hello from victoria, texas!

G and i are playing in the victoria bach festival this week with performances here and back in austin. although we are traveling so much this summer, it looks like each place i will be will have a kitchen! PHEW! not having any idea what our lodging would be like here, i was pleasantly surprised to find a lovely little kitchen in our guest house for the week. it is always an adventure to use different kitchen utensils! it builds character, i'd say.

to add to the confusion that is our lives right now, i am also throwing in some dietary changes. G can do what he likes since i won't be with him the whole summer. but i find that every time i have the chance to actually think about eating, i am always convicted about the habits i form when i am busy. not to mention the fact that although i am in remission from colitis, it could always come back. so it's time to check in with my health and do a little detox. don't worry, if you see a butter-ridden recipe or two over the next six weeks, i promise i'm not the one eating it!! (maybe you should hold me accountable...)

here's a very simple, healthy cauliflower recipe. a delightful side to a main dish or a zesty addition to a salad. i roasted mine but you could definitely grill it in a jiffy!

curry roasted cauliflower

one head of cauliflower, washed and sliced thin

2 tbs olive oil

1 tbs curry powder

juice of one lemon

1 tsp course salt

- preheat oven to 425. combine all ingredients to coat evenly and spread into a 9x13. roast for 25 minutes or until bits of the cauliflower really begin to brown and caramelize!