This little button popped up on my birthday the other day and it was the icing on the cake.
{ Photos of my real little cakelet to follow on a later post. }
The timing was perfect, after all, what kind of world is this,
if a girl can’t win on her birthday?
Unlike the last competition, this was a juried competition,
so I could only throw my blog into the ring and wait.
It’s been a long few months..
mostly because I couldn’t change anything on
my blog’s design until the competition ended.
Now I’m free to play around with my blog’s colors and layout again,
which always makes Smidge happy!
I’m thinking green might be fun direction to go in..
Well.. rumor has it Smidge has been eating way too many sweets,
Just to set the trainer record straight, I only sample my baking
then give away most of it… well, 99% 95% 90% of it.
{ and my freezer stash has recently been raided and devoured by teenaged boys }
Our family does eat healthy most nights (except when I’m burning
a store-bought deli-pizza because I am too lazy busy to pay attention).
This is one of our newest and most favorite salads,
not only because of the combination of ingredients, the texture,
and the acerbic zing of lemon on your tongue.
Mostly…
I just love the spring sugar snap pea colors…
{ you would too if you had -14°C to enjoy for days on end }
- 2 cups frozen edamame beans
- 2 cups sugar snap peas
- 2 cups orchiette pasta (shells can be substituted)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 200 g Bocconcini Pearls (fresh mozzarella pearls), drained
- 1 generous handful baby spinach leaves
- 2 green onions, diced
- 2 tbsp fresh mint, diced
- 1 mango, cubed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- 1 lemon (Meyer if you have them)
- kosher salt
- cracked black pepper
- Fill a large pot with salted water and bring to a boil. Add the edamame beans and cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Half-way through, add in the sugar-snap peas since they only take a minute or so to cook. Once vegetables are tender but still have a crunch, remove to a colander with a slotted spoon, reserving the water.
- Bring the water in the pot back to a boil and add the 2 cups orchiette pasta. Cook until al dente, about 10 minutes (less if using fresh orchiette). Drain the pasta without rinsing and then plot it all into a large glass serving dish or bowl.
- Drizzle 2 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tbsp of white balsamic vinegar, and garlic. Toss to coat then leave it all to cool to room temperature.
- Once the pasta has cooled, toss in the edamame and sugar snap peas. Then add the Bocconcini pearls, spinach leaves, green onions, mint and mango. Toss to coat with the additional 2 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar. Squeeze the lemon over the salad and toss one final time. Season to taste with kosher salt and cracked black pepper.
- Serve at once.
p.s. Although no one had to vote for Just a Smidgen in this competition, I wanted to thank my followers for always being so inspiring and supportive.. your friendship means the world to me! xx
I posted a “congratulation message” on your Facebook page, but just to make sure you see it: CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! Awesome job!
This salad is quite unique, I love everything about it – mango is such a cool addition. I might try to make a version using farro, as a friend of mine brought a 5 pound bag for me and I want to put it to good use.
I think green is a nice base color for your next design… go for it! 😉
I think farro would be a lovely switch out for quinoa.. I’ve got a huge bag of quinoa from Costco that needs using up first:) Thanks always for your messages, Sally!
Congratulations on your awards, what a wonderful birthday gift!!!!!
Love your new design, both the color and the layout.
My kind of salad, great idea with the addition of mango.
Thank you, Norma, it was a great surprise! I sure enjoy changing my blog, probably too much someone would say, but it’s too much fun not to:) xx
Happy birthday and congrats on your blog award!
Thank you!
Massive congratulations on the well deserved award and on your birthday..am doing a one man (or woman) mexican wave for you right now! Beautiful salad, just seeing those vibrant colours makes me feel full of energy 🙂
Haha, thanks Chica.. waving right back at ya’!
Oh, this salad looks yummy! I’ve been staring at a bag of edamame in my freezer– now I have plan. Wonderful news of the award and you birthday–congratulations on both.
Thanks so much, Alice. If you try this salad, I hope you like it as much as we did. xx
Great looking salad with wondrous ingredients. Green’s good – it makes me think of spring and that’s good for me and my mind.
I love green, emerald green is the color for 2013 I hear. But reds and oranges won me over this time:D
Whoo Hoo! Congratulations Smidge!! You’re on fire 🙂 Loving this salad too! I too have had my hand in the candy jar one too many times and trying desperately to keep my hand out of it. LOL! Lots of kale and veggies in my house at the moment. And Ranger Craig just brought me a lovely fresh kale/beet/carrot juice. I think I’ll have a breakfast cookie with this. Wishing you a delicious day.
Haha, yes, that candy jar AND the cookie jar need a lock in my house! Thanks so much:D
I hope you kick some major tail in this competition, my friend!
I never seem to be nominated or even hear of these things, but I’m glad to see you have a shot at getting some much-deserved recognition!
Well.. there are many categories, you should look into it another year:)
Ah, thank you, Barb, something that looks great, and I can eat without feeling guilt !!!
Paul
No guilt here, I promise!
Congratulations! Nice salad too 🙂
Thanks:D
Great spoons!
They were my neighbors, I think about her every time I use them.. she’s moved away and I don’t often see her.
Congrats Barbara, very cool! Your blog is quite lovely, I haven’t changed mine since the beginning!
What a great salad for such bone chilling temperatures! Gorgeous colours.
I find it fun, digital photos and such are interesting for me.. almost as much as food, but not quite:D
Happy Birthday my friend and BIG congratulations 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
A big thank you:D
Congratulations to one of my favourite ladies, and belated birthday wishes, Smidge. This is one blog that whenever I catch it in my reader, I can’t resist visiting.
It’s difficult to be everywhere on the blog reader.. I always appreciate you stopping in! xx
Congratulations. You are my talented and amazing friend. Enjoy the feelings associated with your honor. How was your weekend?
Sharon
Sent from my iPhone
Thanks, sweetie:D It was a great escape, warm temperatures, great x-country and wonderful food.. xx
That really is too cold. If we have a day of +14C it makes the news because it’s just so cold. Love your green salad – it really does look not only good for you but inviting too xx
I really must get over to your country one day! So much traveling that needs to be done! xx
I am loving the new layout!! And this salad looks delicious, you can NEVER eat too many sweets..but eating too few greens in indeed possible! 😉
You’re a sweetie yourself!! I love that philosophy! xx
Sprightly! 🙂
Thanks, Kathryn.. it’s lovely having you pop in:D xx
Smidge, that looks perfectly healthy and delicious, and just such a gorgeous colour! Congratulations on your win, and a belated happy birthday! xx
Thanks so much Celia! xx
This would be a perfect accompaniment to my new Cross-Trainer. Which, incidentally, I need because I too swore I would give away 99.9% of what I cooked, but the decimal place slipped.
Hahaha.. that darn decimal, I was never good at Math!!
Huge congratulations on your award Barbara – very well deserved. LOVE your blog design, and green is my favorite color. This salad looks absolutely fab, with all that beautiful green goodness. Love the edamame/mango combination.
I will have to incorporate more green next time.. at least there are green leaves in my photo:D xx
Congratulations Barbara! (And happy belated birthday) the salad looks and sound delicious 🙂
Thanks Giovanna.. It was a happy one:)
Congratulations! That is a lovely bright salad to brighten a winter day.
I know you love the color green.. just thinking of your garden makes me love the color green more:D Thanks so much!
This reminds me about the salad I had in Seattle – it was wonderful, edamame beans I will have problems with … but I’m sure I can use another green bean. So I put this on file until the sun comes out and salads goes on the menu again. Congratulations to the award … and your Valentine cake will get it’s post this week. Fantastic cake .. take everything back that it was too sweet, the next day is was PERFECT!
Hey, no worries, Viveka.. it was an Ina Garten recipe.. everything she makes is “fully loaded” with butter and sugar. Reducing the sugar is not a bad idea at all! xx
I use a lot of sugar in cooking – specially my sauces …
Cakes I can’t eat if too sweet – but it came out perfect the next day and I made an other for mum this morning.
Today I posted your cake .. and put some romantic music to.
Ooh, how very exciting – congratulations on the very well deserved award Smidge! Your salad looks good enough to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
🙂 Mandy xo
Well.. maybe with a little egg right in the middle it would be good for breakfast:D
YUM! and something that won’t leave me feeling guilty!!
It’s tough to find recipes that are guilt-free and appealing, isn’t it? I’m finding more and more on different food bloggers sites though. xx
We’re definitely going to have to try this. Baby Lady loves edamame and sugar snap peas. I love the brightness the mint gives the salad an the sweetness and tropical flavor of the mango. Pinning it now for later use. 🙂
I hope Baby Lady loves it as much as we did.. if not, I know you would be able to tweak it to her perfection:D
I’ve never done anything with edamame – despite living surrounded by soybean fields! You, as always, inspire me.
I don’t usually either.. we typically buy the packaged edamame from Costco and steam the packages for snacks. Thanks for your compliments, Gretchen! xx
Well how many ways can I say congratulations! Happy Birthday, and how absolutely tremendous to be honored for your creativity. I’m really delighted for you. Your blog is a gorgeous place for a reader and follower to luxuriate. Poetry, art, fabulous photography and the best food and stories! I love to visit, and I’m truly delighted to see you’ve been acknowledged! And this salad sounds just wonderful to me! It feels springlike—and yes, green! Don’t eliminate the roses on your banner too soon though! They are so lovely! oxo
You always know just the right words, I feel so blessed to have connected to writers like you. I love those roses, too! They were my birthday bouquet:D xx
That indeed looks healthy, we love edamame here
Glad to hear it:D
Hi Smidge ! Sorry for the hiatus – I was in the US for work for the last three weeks and am really in need of non-meeting food, or rich (and large portions of) American fare. I am a firm believer of “when in Rome”, but I do need a break (both from tastebuds and from waistline !) from burgers and fried food.
SO, this is a WONDERFUL inspiration for me to go and make yummy salads for my meals – thank you !
No worries, Carolyn, I hope you had some fun while you were in the US?? I look forward to reading more posts from you now! xx
Belated happiest of birthdays Barbara and a big shout out and congratulations on the wonderful award! Soooooo well deserved!!!!
Hey, Thanks Danny!!
Congratulations! Well deserved.
xxx
Such wonderful news, Barb! Congratulations and belated happy birthday wishes, too! Love your banner photo. The roses are stunning, as are the rest of the photos that follow within the post. And then there’s the actual salad. It sounds delicious, a mix of tasty ingredients of varying textures with a simple dressing. This is a real treat!
Thanks so much, John. I wondered if you’d like those roses.. I also wondered if you have ones like that in your garden?? You’ve so many varieties, I couldn’t remember. Glad you liked this post:)
No, Barb, I don’t have any that special over here. You’d know if I did. I would have featured it in post after post. 🙂
Congratulations, Barb! You are so deserving!! By the way, I love the Mark Twain quote. He could not have been more right!
Isn’t it true?! Lol, it’s just not fair:D
Well done! So much more rewarding to win. A juried competition! I will make this salad for Dave without the mango which he doesn’t like 🙂
Thanks, Tandy.. I’d love to know what changes you make.. then I could try this salad a new way:) xx
Congrats on the award Smidge! Well-deserved!!! And happy belated birthday. 🙂 I hope it was a memorable one and that you have an amazing year to come. I’m not much of a fan of peas, but sugar snap peas I actually do enjoy. I bet this salad would go over well at our table. And I’m with you – the color would be welcome right now. Love the beautiful rose up top as well. Very happy.
I think the color craving comes from our winter.. it does seem to drag on sometimes. The roses do make me happy:) xx
Congratulations Barbara on your much deserved recognition. I love your light and healthy salad and I kknow we all give about 90, well at least 50 pecent away and the teenagers inhale the rest. Loving the look of your new site always so fun to come and see new things. Take care, BAM
Thanks so much Bam.. you’re right about the teenagers. Congrats, by the way, on your new blog.. I can’t wait to see it!! It’s very exciting!! xx
Congratulations on this award! How wonderful!! I’m loving this salad…healthy and beautiful too. I haven’t used white balsamic vinegar much, so thank you for a nice recipe with which to try it again.
Thanks:) I think we’re both cooking pretty healthy these days! Just wait ’til Valentine’s Day, lol, that’s when my good intentions go right out the window! xx
Congrats on the award! you so deserve it! love the new colours on your page.
hmm this edamamae and snap pea salad looks like a lovely meal for one. So easy to put together too! I should really get down to some healthy eating myself!
I love the new rose header, Smidge! How lovely. And I adore everything about this salad – the freshness, the colors, and the crunch! x
I want this salad badly! Can you think of an alternative to the edamame as I am allergic to soy 🙁 I do not think one can ever eat too many sweets so long as they can still crawl out of bed in the morning. Cheers Barbara!
Wow, my friend, you are indeed the bee’s knees! 🙂 What a string of well-deserved accolades and awards! I told you a long time ago (not to do an I-told-you-so ….. ok I told you so) there was to be no stopping you! You’re headed to the heights dear Smidge, and you belong there! This recipe sounds to-die-for though I don’t like that expression and can’t imagine why I used it! 🙂 It sounds rather like one of those things to live for and to savor. Good salads are like that. A big and joyous Whoop! for you, Barb! Couldn’t be happier!
First, congrats and happy belated birthday, Smidge! The bright green of this salad just drew me in. I love edamame and the thought of it with mango is making my mouth water! BTW, love the new tweaks to the blog. The rose banner is gorgeous! You’re getting ready to bust out of winter, aren’t you? lol!
Love the green and the promise of spring it conveys! This salad looks like a winner to me! And, of course, your beautiful blog is a winner too. Congratulations on this well-deserved honour. You’re one of my blogging role models!
Barbara, how did I miss this? Oh yes, I have been overdoing the sweets too. And like you I really only taste and give the rest away. Congratulations on your awards, well deserved! Your blog is phenomenal on all levels. What a wonderful birthday gift!! This green salad looks delicious and refreshing! I absolutely love sugar snap peas and with all the rest of the ingredients it has to over the top delicious!!
I saw the title of this post and straight away saved it to my favourites. I love Endeme, the only time I’ve had them from fresh is when I tried to grow them (not very successfully I might add!) but I can get them frozen and so this WILL be ade. Thank you x
I would love to live in a place where I could even consider growing them, lol! Mine were frozen.. alas, they shall probably always be frozen:) But they still tasted great! xx
This salad looks so fresh and healthy and delicious! You have a beautiful blog!