Man what a week I have had! I hop a flight back to NYC tomorrow, and could not be happier! I have a guest appearance on the mydamnchannel live show promoting my new web series, Status Kill, then a chef gig in the Hamptons over the weekend! Oh and I met this new girl–we had two dates in one week, that’s pretty good right? One was a night bike ride and the other was a home cooked dinner by moi.
I guess the birthday of mine a month away is bringing in some growth!? Go figure. Anywho, she’s pescatarian with vegan tendencies. I did meet her in my sister’s spot, a vegan eatery, so there is hope. But the voice in my head is saying remember Ayinde, no “trying to convert.” That was a big mistake from the last relationship.
So we shall see. We both are leaving town this week to head back our respective corners of the planet, so again, we shall see. But from a culinary perspective, this woman has more dietary restrictions than I do, so I had to cook with no acids (lemon, lime, vinegar), no soy sauce, wheat, or any other good stuff. So I was really challenging myself. I came up with this as the starter and I think it makes a good salad. Anyway here it is:
Summer Date Night Salad with Broccoli, Ginger and Blueberries
Serves 2
¼ cup safflower or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon ginger peeled and sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
15 leaves of fresh spanked* basil
2 cups broccoli flowettes
½ cup blueberries
sea salt
Step one:
* take basil, lay it on the palm of your hand and smack it hard. This releases the oils in the basil and impresses the person watching you.
In a medium skillet over medium high heat, heat oil until hot and shimmering, add ginger, garlic, basil.
Step two:
Add broccoli and sprinkle a bit of salt over the broccoli. Sauté on medium for about 3-4 minutes until broccoli is soft and bright green. Add blueberries. Serve by itself or over rice or quinoa.
So what do you serve on date night?
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