Warm Spinach Salad with Shrimp and Beans

The Christmas season is here and I'm really trying to stop eating all the cookies that are brought into the lab. Gah! So much temptation and so little space in my jeans :( I've been trying to incorporate more veggies and warm salads into my meals because who wants to eat cold salads in the winter everyday? This dish is also great for potlucks and can be served on a huge platter. Fill up on salads first and then touch the sinful desserts later (this advice is always lost on me...)

Let's do a boozy myth buster for the holidays!
MYTH: Alcohol Kills Brain Cells
FACT: NO it doesn't! Whatever your parents told you or what you learned in high school is a lie. But, before you bring on the kegstands, know that alcohol does many other things that could injure your brain. Although, it clearly doesn't wipe out neurons or brain cells, booze does reduce your ability to remember. Recall those moments when you woke up on the bathroom floor? Or being drunk and have no perception of depth, direction and advice? hahaha... Author Braum says:

Research shows... [Alcohol] disrupts the cellular machinery most widely believed to underlie our ability to form new memories.

Also, binge drinking can lead to decrease in breathing (heavy boozy breath) that can starve the brain and of course, making you do stupid things, like drinking and driving. So remember kids, drink responsibly and moderately.

Taken from my holiday reading...Buzz: The Science and Lore of Alcohol and Caffeine by Stephen Braum

Warm Spinach Salad with Shrimp and Beans
Adapted from Food and Wine
Serves 4

Ingredients
1/2 pound spinach blend (7 cups)
1 pound shelled and deveined shrimp
Garlic Salt + Pepper (or regular salt)
2 tsp Crushed red pepper
One 15-ounce can white beans, drained

1/4 cup olive oil
1 small red onion diced
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar

1. Divide spinach onto 4 plates or spread on a large platter. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet, season shrimp with salt and pepper and cook until just white through.
2. Add beans, season with more pepper, chili flakes and salt if needed and toss until heated through. (2 minutes). Scrape the shrimp and beans onto the spinach.
3. In same skillet, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil, cook red onion until softened and then whisk in the mustard, vinegar, and 1/4 cup of olive oil.
4. Pour over salad and serve with freshly cracked pepper.

Roasted Beets Feta Salad

Oops...I've been a little lazy and haven't updated in a while. My good friend/roommate/labmate came down from LA and we went kayaking. It has been almost 100 degrees!! (I can't believe I just used Fahrenheit) And now I have awful shorts tan, farmer's tan and my shoulders are aching. Whine whine whine.

Here's a recipe for a healthy salad for the start of summer!

Why Aren't Bald Men Extinct?
I guess some women find it attractive? But, I sure as hell don't (haha kidding not really). We all have hair because it is useful - it protects us from the sun, gives us a little bit of warmth and most importantly hair is sexy. So why is it that male pattern baldness is successfully passed on?

Usually by age 30, a quarter of men start to lose their hair starting around the temples (Wolverine look), then on top of the head (Santa Claus look) and finally to total retreat (Dick Cheney look). Research suggest that baldness might have some survival advantage because it signals dominance and status. When bald men are angry, they could appear to have red domes (think alarm bells), which could signify dominance (what?!). Other studies say women see bald men as more mature and less aggressive. But then they also see them as older and less attractive :(

Anyhoo, whether you fancy a man with hair or no hair is really up to you. But if you prefer hairy burly men look for the pattern baldness trait on their mother's side.

Roasted Beets and Feta Salad

Ingredients
1 bunch beets and beet greens
1 medium onion (red or white)
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup crumbled Feta
Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 425F
Roast beets in a baking dish and cover with foil. Takes about 1 hour until it is soft. Cut off the ends and the skins should peel right off.

Slice onions across the grains so you get rings. Chop up the beet greens into 2 inch pieces.







In a frying pan, heat up some olive oil and place your onions on top. Let it brown in either side (about 3 mins). Set that aside.


Fry up the beet greens also for about 3-4 mins until soft. Add salt and pepper

Slice the beets and arrange on a platter. Arrange the onions and beet greens a over the beets. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Whisk together 2 tbsp of good extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Drizzle over the onions and beets. Crumble feta over and serve.