Pupusas

Last night, my husband and I had a wonderful Skype session with his sister.  We set the laptop up in our kitchen so we could talk while I cooked, which was wonderful because it was like we were all making dinner together.  I had decided on a fun, easy recipe that wouldn't take up too much of my attention while I chatted: El Salvadorian Pupusas.
  
Pupusas are little masa dough pockets that are stuffed with a variety of ingredients, then fried and topped with pickled veggies.  I have made these before, and while they are fun to make, they take a little bit of practice to get them just right.  The hardest thing about this recipe is making sure the masa dough is the right consistency.  If it is too dry, it will just fall apart, but if it is too wet, it won't fry up properly.  So, it takes a little practice and experimentation to get just the right consistency.  In this case, I throw out all measuring devices and just go by feel.  The dough should be moist and pliable so they are easy to stuff.

The first time I made these, they were good, but clearly needed improvement.  This time around, I was able to get them nice and crispy on the outside, and the inside was filled with spicy chorizo chicken sausage.  It was a perfect combo.  They were good enough to eat on their own, and they can easily turn into finger foods.  This recipe would actually be wonderful for kids because they are both fun to cook and eat!  

I topped my pupusas off with a super spicy roasted tomato salsa and cabbage salad, but the cookbook recommended making "Curtido" or pickled cabbage and carrots.  I'll provide the recipe below because I think that combination of flavors would be fantastic.  However, you could turn these into little "pupusa nachos" and top them with cheese, beans, tomato, sour cream, and cilantro.  The best thing about this recipe is that the flavors are up to you.  Once you get the masa dough right, you can use any ingredient to stuff them, and have fun with a variety of toppings!

NOTE: Masa flour is inexpensive and keeps for a long time.  It is great to use for making homemade corn tortillas.  Look for it in the International Foods at the grocery!

Pupusas
Adapted from LonelyPlanet's The World's Best Street Food
Makes about 10 pupusas

Masa Dough:

2 cups masa flour (maize flour)
water as needed (I used about 2 cups)
salt to taste (about 1 tsp)
oil for frying

Filling:

1 pound chorizo chicken sausage (in bulk)

Other Filling Options:

cheese
beans
jalapenos
minced, cooked pork, beef or chicken

1. Place masa flour in a bowl and pour in a little water at a time until a moist, pliable dough forms.  Cover with wet paper towel or plastic wrap and set aside.  Heat oven to 400F.

2. In a large skillet, heat oil and saute sausage until fully cooked through.  Set aside to cool.

3.  Divide dough into seperate portions and roll into small balls.  Add more water as needed to keep dough pliable.  With each ball, make an indent in the middle with your thumb and press the outsides open to make a small bowl.  Fill the bowl with about 1 TB of sausage filling, then close the dough around the filling.  Next, press the ball flat with your hands until it is about 1/2" thick.

4. Heat a large skillet (you can use the same one you cooked the sausage in for more flavor!), heat enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan.  Fry pupusas on each side until they are light golden brown.  

When pupusas are done frying, you can either place them on paper towels to drain and eat immediately or place pupusas on a cooling rack on a sheet pan in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes.  I found that baking them allowed the oil to drain and keep them crispy on the outside.  This also keeps the pupusas hot if you are frying them in batches.

5. Serve hot with salsa, cabbage salad, or Curtido or other toppings.

Curtido 
(pulled from The World's Best Street Food)

1/2 green cabbage, shredded
1 carrot, grated
4 cup boiling water
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1 jalapeno or serrano, minced
3 green onions, minced

1. Place the cabbage and carrot in a large bowl. Pour over the boiling water to cover the vegetables and set aside for about five minutes.  Then drain, pressing out the liquid.
2. Return cabbage mixture to the bowl and toss with remaining ingredients.  Cover and chill for a couple of hours or overnight to lightly ferment.

ENJOY!!

"Fruit Water"

It's been really beautiful in Portland lately. I've been spending a lot of time outside, gardening.  My azalea bush out front is covered it hot pink blossoms and our grass grows several inches a day.  But ironically, it is cold and rainy again today.  I wanted to post a really great summer drink tip, but it seems silly when all I want to do with dress in heavy fleece and drink lots of milky rooibos tea.  But, what the hey, I'm going to do it anyway.  Maybe it will tell the weather gods to actually make it warm soon.  
While "food surfing" the intertoobs the other day, I found a post about making homemade vitamin water.  Now, to preface, I think that calling it vitamin water is kind of silly, since I immediately think of the sugar-laden "sports drinks" (no, I'm not opinionated about them or anything).  So, in light of that, I'll just call them "fruit water" though that sounds kinda lame.  I should come up with a better title.
Anyway, that all aside, Fruit Water is such a brilliant, easy idea to spice up your summer drinks.  They are fresh and healthy, and actually do contain the natural vitamins and minerals contained in fruit.  Basically, all Fruit Water is...is water with fruit in it.  Yep.  That it.  I've been hem-hawing (yes, that's a thing) about how to write this blog because, well, who needs to be told that it's kinda cool to put fruit in your water?  Well, I do I guess.
As much as I downplay it, Fruit Water actually has a lot going for it:

1. It's healthy and cheap.
2. You can control how much sugar (if any) is put into it.
3. It looks super pretty in a pitcher.
4. You can easily turn the concept into homemade lemonade or sangria
5. It makes water taste pretty darn great.
6. It helps keep you happily hydrated in warm weather.

Here is my first attempt at Fruit Water.  
NOTE: I used store-bought Limeade (gasp!) because I had some leftover from a party we threw for our friends.  In hindsight, I should have made homemade limeade which would have made our Vodka Limeades that much more pretentious.  But I was being lazy.  As usual.  And it totally destroys my point about controlling sugar content. Oops.  However, it was really delicious.

Strawberry Lime(ade) Water

strawberries
lime juice (or limeade)
water
ice (optional)
sugar or honey (optional)

Add ingredients in a food processor or blender.  Blend until smooth.  Enjoy!

This was my simple take on Fruit Water, but there are so many other options!  You can add in any fruit and through in a dash of fresh herbs or even spices!  You can chop the fruit and leave it whole, like a traditional sangria, or you can blend it until smooth for a smoothie-like consistency.

Here are some yummy combinations that I will have to try:

Blackberry Sage
Mango and Pineapple
Apple Mint
Pineapple Mint
Citrus Combo: orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit
watermelon lime
raspberry ginger mint

Homemade Lemonade: aka Sweet Fruit Water

about 5-6 lemons or limes, juiced
fruit, blended smooth (otional, though I LOVE peach lemonade!) 
water
simple syrup 
fresh herbs (optional)

1. To make the simple syrup, add 1 cup sugar to 1 cup water in a small saucepan and boil until sugar is dissolved.
2. Add fruit, water, and as much simple syrup needed to make it sweet (don't pour the whole batch of simple syrup in at once, hah) into a pitcher.  Stir, serve over ice and enjoy!
NOTE: simple syrup will keep in the fridge for a couple weeks and is great for cocktails, too!

Homemade Sangria

fruit, chopped or pureed (apple and pear are good options)
wine
ice, optional

1. Add into a pitcher, stir and enjoy

NOTE: I really LOVE vermouth sangria.  I buy Gallo sangria which goes for about 6 bucks a bottle.  It comes in extra-dry (which is my favorite) and sweet.  Both are delicious.
For those of you that don't know about vermouth, it is basically wine (usually white) that has been steeped with a variety of spices/herbs.  It has an herbal depth to it that regular wine lacks and can really enhance a cocktail.  It is traditionally used in martinis.


So, yeah, I'm ready for summer!  Time for lying in the sun with an ice cold Fruit Water and a good book! 

How to save a little money....

Food budgeting has been weighing on my mind.  I am always looking for ways to shop more efficiently, but lately, my skills and knowledge have been challenged.  I recently became a volunteer teaching kids how to cook on Monday afternoons.  My volunteer role is to buy all our necessary ingredients at the grocery with a set budget.  At first, I wasn't sure I would like this role (I wanted to be the teacher after all!), but it has already taught me so much.  I have to be honest...I always prided myself on being pretty good grocery shopper.  I buy most of my flours, grains, sugars, and beans in bulk, and I have been able to buy organic produce without going too far over budget.  Yet, ever since I started buying ingredients for the class on a very small budget, I have come to realize that I can do even better.  Since I only have a small amount of money to spend buying groceries for the kid's cooking class, I have had to spend a lot of time at the store measuring, counting, and weighing ingredients in order to come in under budget.  Suddenly, those prices per pound meant something serious.  I have had to be careful about the amounts that I buy: getting too little means that not everyone gets enough, but buying to much means that food is wasted.  I also have to be conscious of all the food choices available: can I buy organic produce even though it might cost a little bit more?  Should I buy fresh or frozen or canned?  If I buy a little more now, could we use it in a later class?

All these questions got me thinking and I realized that I could be doing this in my own life.  I started asking:

1. Does any food go to waste each week?  Am I throwing out produce that I didn't know what to do with or not eating all the leftovers?

2. Am I reaching for unhealthy foods in my pantry because I don't have healthy options available?

3. Am I prepared when I go shopping?  Or am I buying what looks good at the time?

4. Are there items in my pantry that I haven't used, but are still edible? Could I use that instead of buying something new?

I have answered "yes" to all these questions at one time or another.  In the past few months, though, and along with my volunteer budgeting project, I have learned how to start saying "no".  Recently, I have noticed that my fridge isn't full of extraneous produce or very old leftovers.  My pantry is somewhat clutter-free.  I still need a lot of practice, but here are the few tips that I've learned that make food budgeting an easy habit to get into.



1. MENU PLANNING

This has been one of the hardest steps for me, but I think it is the most essential.  In culinary school, we were taught that throwing food in the garbage was basically like taking dollar bills out of your wallet and throwing them in the trash.  That image has stuck strongly in my mind.  And I think that eliminating waste starts before you even set foot in the grocery.  Planning eliminates the chance of buying unnecessary ingredients, and it can also help to steer you away from unhealthy options.  
So, before I even go to the grocery, I like to take a quick look at my cookbooks, or even surf the Internet (tastespotting.com) for ideas and recipes.  Even finding two great recipes that you know you'll be able to cook that week is a good start. I like to look for at least two meat/protein dishes, and also have some salad ideas on hand.  After I have recipes, then I can easily make a comprehensive grocery list.

NOTE: It's great to include amounts on your list, too.  For example, you can put zucchini x3, milk x2, rice 1# (pound).  That way you know exactly what you need.

1.5 CHECK YOUR PANTRY BEFORE YOU GO

This is pretty self-explanatory, but it's a good reminder to look in your pantry/freezer/fridge and see what is still usable.  Maybe if you have an overabundance of rice, for example, you can build your menu around using it up.  Or you just won't have to buy more rice!


2. BUY ONLY WHAT YOU NEED

This is a step that I have only recently implemented.  My volunteer job has taught me that I should literally count how many carrots, apples, or zucchini that I need for a recipe.  There is no need to buy three zucchinis if I only need two.  This might only save you a few cents...but it all adds up!  This is especially important in the bulk section.  You can save a lot of money buying in bulk because many of the ingredients are cheaper, but you can also choose what amount you want, instead of  paying for a large amount in a pre-packaged alternative.  This means using the scales that are so graciously provided, and so often ignored.  I know that I would really load up on bulk items in the past, but I quickly realized that I wasn't saving money...in fact, I was spending more than I really had to.  And some of it would never be used.  It is better to stick to smaller amounts that are actually going to get used.

NOTE: Buying bulk spices is an especially great way to save money, and keep them fresh!

3. DOUBLE THE RECIPE (OR TRIPLE OR QUADRUPLE...)

I like to find recipes that I know we want to eat a lot of, then I try and make enough for two days.  If I make one recipe for dinner one night, there is usually enough for breakfast, lunch, or dinner then next day.  This saves cooking time, and money.
Another great way to use your doubled recipe is to freeze the extra.  Or, for example, if I'm making lasagna, I'll assemble two, bake one, and freeze the other.  That way, I'll have dinner on hand when I need it.

4. SET A SPECIFIC FOOD BUDGET AMOUNT 

This one is probably common sense as well, but a set amount will help buy only what is necessary.  I like to set my budget to a weekly amount and I try my best to stick to it.  I don't always succeed, but I do look over my receipt every week to see where I went over budget.  Could I have bought less of something?  Did I cave in and buy something I shouldn't have?


5. SALES/FLEXIBILITY/COMPROMISE....AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, SHOP SEASONALLY!

Every time I go into the grocery, there is something that trips me up.  If I have a recipe that calls for broccoli, but broccoli is too expensive, I tend to buy it anyway.  I could just leave it out of the recipe, but I have learned that flexibility is good to have in these situations.  Is there another ingredient on sale that I could add in instead?  Maybe cauliflower or Brussels sprouts?  This is where you can get creative and move away from the recipe's guidelines.
One of the major things that helps me not be surprised by prices at the store is to shop seasonally.  If you know what produce (or even meat!) is in season, you are more likely to find it in abundance, and at cheaper prices.  If you Google "seasonal produce" there are tons of charts that are available that show what fruits and veggies are in season when, and in what part of the country.  I printed one out for myself and taped it to my fridge so that I could have a reference when deciding what to cook.

I hope all these tips help.  Many of you are probably conscious of these tips already and could probably teach me a thing or two! Though, I find that repeating them helps me stay focused and prepared.  I find that my shopping trips are super easy and fast, plus once I get home, I know exactly what every bit of food is going to be used for.  And I know for certain that the money I did spent didn't go to waste!

Rockfish Tacos!

Yesterday, I mentioned I had been inspired to make fish tacos after hearing a segment from The Splendid Table.  This radio program is featured every Sunday afternoon on NPR (or OPB...Portland's local station) and explores almost everything you ever wanted to know about food.  A woman called in wanting to know how she could improve on her fish taco recipe, and the answer she got gave me all sorts of ideas. 
A good fish taco starts with the fish itself: what kind of fish will you use?  Will you pan fry it or grill it?  Will you marinate it before cooking or will you create a flavorful batter for it?  Grilling can be healthier than frying, but each cooking method gives you a completely different flavor and texture.

Then comes toppings.  The Splendid Table recommended crema (a Mexican condiment much like creme fraiche or sour cream) for its smooth creaminess, and iceberg lettuce and tomato for crunch. I was surprised that iceberg lettuce was the topping of choice because I prefer shredded cabbage, but it made me think how diverse tacos can be!

For my tacos, I decided to pan-fry them since I don't have a working grill.  Plus, I had one beer left in the fridge...perfect for beer batter!  I also wanted an element of moisture, so I decided upon a cucumber salsa, which also brought in some heat.  Then I topped it with my ever-present shredded cabbage salad.

Was my combination successful?  I think so...however it is just one of many, many things that you can do.  And I'm not sure I can ever successfully recreate my first, glorious experience with fish tacos.  My first ever fish taco was eaten in Encinitas, California when I was on vacation with my family when I was about 16.  We initially went to southern Cali to go to the San Diego Zoo, which was spectacular, but some of my favorite memories were of the tiny little beach towns just north of the big city.  While driving south toward San Diego one day, we saw a huge sign declaring "Fish Tacos $1.99!"  None of us had ever had a fish taco, and since we were right next to the ocean where seafood is freshest, we jumped at the chance to try something new.  As it turns out, the restaurant was new and tiny with an open air porch.  We each ordered a couple of tacos and fruit smoothies and sat down to one of my most memorable lunches.  The fish was incredibly fresh and simply seasoned, and the smoothies cooled off the bright hot day.  I thought: "California life is pretty darn awesome!"  Not only was lunch amazing, but next door was an adorable little bakery that had the best cream-filled chocolate doughnuts I have ever had.  It is safe to say that we spent almost every meal after that at "our little fish taco place" knowing that there would be a chocolate doughnut at the end of it all.

My food sensibilities have expanded greatly since then, and although I love creating new recipes all the time, I know it is simple, classic food like those fish tacos that really speak to people.  They didn't just feed us, they created a whole "California" experience, so when I think of San Diego, I immediately am transported back to that tiny little restaurant in Encinitas.

This recipe, however, is my simple version, made with what I had available in my pantry.  I hope it will inspire you to mix and match as you see fit...and hopefully create some new great food memories!

T.E.A.'s Rockfish Tacos

serves 2 (or about 4 small tacos)

Beer Battered Fried Fish:

10-12oz of rockfish fillets

1/2 cup chickpea flour 

1/4-1/2 cup beer

salt and pepper to taste

pinch of cayenne or paprika (optional)

coconut oil for frying (or other high-heat frying oil)

1.  In a flat bottomed dish, whisk together flour, beer, and seasoning until smooth.  Dry off fish with a paper towel, then coat it well with the batter. 

2.  Heat a skillet on medium high heat until very hot or the oil is just about to smoke.  Place battered fish in pan and fry until golden brown on both sides.

3.  If your fish is very thick (1-2 inches), place fish in a 400F oven for about 10 minutes or until completely cooked through.  It should be white and flaky all the way to the middle, but still moist.  If your fish is thin, pan-frying may cooking it completely, so you can skip putting it in the oven.

You can see my fish was still pink in the middle!

4. Flake fish into bite-sized pieces for tacos and serve hot.

Cucumber salsa

1 large cucumber, small dice

juice of 1 lime

2 jalapenos, seeded and minced

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

salt to taste

1.  Add all ingredients together.  This can be refrigerated beforehand in order to marinate the cucumber.

In hindsight, I would have cut the cucumber even smaller because it would have fit better in the taco.

Fish Tacos:

fried Rockfish

cucumber salsa

shredded cabbage with chopped green onion

small corn tortillas, warmed

1. On a warm tortilla, add hot fish, cucumber salsa, and top with cabbage...and Enjoy!

Rockfish with Olive Tapenade

I decided to buy fish this week on a whim.  I never buy seafood because it is so expensive, but the grocery had these big, meaty Rockfish steaks on sale and I caved in.  I have been a lover of rockfish ever since we went salmon fishing in Canada with my in-laws.  It was one of my favorite trips...three days of sitting on a flat bottomed boat in thick, bright yellow rain gear, salmon fishing polls dragging slowly behind our wake.  We spent most of our time in mellow estuaries near the shore, but we did spend one morning on the open ocean fishing for halibut.  I didn't catch any halibut, but I did catch a rockfish!  We saw two killer whales that came very close to our boat, and even a gray whale (at least we think it was) swim by.  We ate and slept on a floating lodge that was roped the the shore in a small, calm bay.  The food was amazing...best fish and chips I have ever had since the halibut was caught only a few hours before it was cooked.  I caught three salmon and the previously mentioned rockfish.  Our fish was cleaned at filleted on the lodge, then flash frozen and shipped back to us so we could enjoy it at home.
I'm not sure I had ever eaten rockfish, much less known what it was until I caught one myself.  They are actually very beautiful, colorful fish (mine was orange), however, they are also covered in lots of very sharp spines.  This makes them difficult to clean and fillet, but their meat is firm, sweet, and delicious.
The rockfish I found this week was on sale, so I decided to go for it.  I have been wanting to try fish with olive tapenade for sometime now, plus I was listening to The Splendid Table on NPR and they were talking about fish tacos.  I bought a very large fillet that I decided to cut up in order to have enough meat for two dinners.  I am making fish tacos tonight, so I'll have that recipe up tomorrow!
I would have to say that I really liked the concept of this recipe, however, I misjudged the cooking time on my fish, so I ended up overcooking it.  I did not cover the fish when I baked it, but in hindsight, I would have just to keep the fish from drying out.  I haven't cooked fish in so long that I had forgotten what to do with it.
That being said, the olive tapenade is a really nice compliment to this mellow-flavored fish.  You could use any type of fish: halibut, talapia, or even salmon would work well, even though they all have their own unique flavor.

T.E.A.'s Rockfish with Olive Tapenade
makes 2 servings

2  6 oz fillets Rockfish (or salmon, halibut, etc)
non-stick spray or olive oil as needed

Tapenade

1/2 cup black olives, chopped fine
2 TB capers
juice of 1/2 lemon, plus zest of said lemon
1 clove garlic, minced very fine
1 TB fresh parsley, minced
1 TB fresh thyme, minced
salt as needed

Microplanes are awesome for zesting citrus, or creating perfectly minced garlic!

1. Heat oven to 400F.  Oil a baking dish and set in fish fillets.
2. Add all the ingredients, except salt, of the tapenade together in a small bowl.  Divide the tapenade in half and put each portion on top of the fillets.  Pour any remaining liquid from the tapenade in the bottom of the dish.  Sprinkle a little salt on top of the fish.

3. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for about 20 mins (depending on the thickness of your fish...if it is thin, it might not take as long to bake) or until the fish is white and flaky all the way through.

4. Serve immediately.  I served mine with sauteed kale, but this would also be good with rice or even buttered, garlic pasta.

Enjoy! :)

"Noodles"

Hey gang! I'm back after a really wonderful spring break with my hubby!  We had some old friends come visit for a couple days, and a surprise visit from my father-in-law.  We ate lots of great Thai food, and even tried a new Lebanese restaurant.  Although my husband wasn't impressed, I greatly enjoyed their Baba Ganoush (eggplant tahini dip) and the fresh, Mediterranean tastes that remind me of summer.  We had a glorious several days of 75 degree weather here in Portland and on the coast, which we celebrated by going to the beach!  I was so happy with the warm weather and sunshine, and although it has now gone back to cold and rainy, I know it will be warm for good soon.

My desire for summer has brought on the craving for fresh, raw foods, and I found a new spring/summer favorite: Zucchini "noodle" salad!  I'm not sure where I got the idea to make zucchini noodles (probably on the interwebs), but I easily figured out how to do it with my mandolin.  I've been looking for a great noodle substitute for spaghetti, and although there are many good brown rice or even quinoa pastas (my mother-in-law just told me about the quinoa one recently), they are still carbs, and because of that, I am likely to eat way to much of them.  I don't tend to crave sugar, but I crave bread-like products...which is just as bad.  I've been finding more and more research showing how your body turns carbs (bread, pasta, crackers, etc) into glucose (aka sugar), but when your cells saturate with glucose, it is then converted into fat.  Therefore, if you eat lots of carbs, your blood sugar will be high, and you can easily put on the pounds.  Plus, many carb heavy foods are nutrient deficient, so no matter how full you might feel at first, your body is left unsatisfied.

With that in mind, I'm trying to substitute classic carb-y foods with some sort of produce.  This usually takes a bit of creativity or manipulation in the kitchen.  It is hard to recreate the taste and texture of bread or pasta with unusual ingredients, however, I found that zucchini was a really great substitute!  It naturally has a very neutral flavor which goes well with pasta sauce.  The texture of raw zucchini is also great because it has a slight bite, but is tender...much like good al dente pasta.

My first experiment with these noodles was in place of pasta for spaghetti.  I made my favorite rich and salty pasta puttanesca sauce (found here) which paired perfectly with the raw noodles.

My second attempt was even more successful.  I have been loving olives and capers lately, so I paired them with the zucchini noodles, roasted red pepper, and lots of fresh herbs to make a new twist on pasta salad. 

NOTE: I made these "noodles" on my mandolin with a medium julienne blade.  I highly recommend getting a mandolin for your kitchen if you don't already have one because I used mine all the time.  However, you can make these dishes with just a knife!  You could either cut the zucchini into half-moons, or into a small to medium dice.  It all depends on what kind of texture you're looking for.


T.E.A.'s Zucchini "Noodle" Salad
makes about 4 cups

4 medium zucchini, sliced into noodles, or small dice
1 large red bell pepper
1/2 cup green onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup black olives, chopped  (I used kalamata)
2 TB capers
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped (optional...see note)
Extra Virgin olive oil, about 1-2 TB
red wine vinegar, about 1 TB
salt, to taste if needed
non-stick spray
parchment paper

1. Put oven onto broil, or heat to 450F.
2. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet and spray with oil.  Cut the bell pepper in half lengthwise, and take out the seeds and stem.  Lay on the baking sheet, and broil/roast for about 15 mins or until soft and slightly browned.  Let cool, then slice into long, thin strips.

3. In a large bowl, mix together bell pepper strips, zucchini noodles (or dice), olives, capers, and herbs. Toss to combine.
4.  Drizzle on olive oil and vinegar (it may take more or less than I put in the recipe depending on your taste).  Toss to combine.  Taste and add salt if needed.  Mine did not need any salt at all.  I recommend adding a little more vinegar before adding salt to see if that helps the taste.
5. Serve immediately.

NOTE: if you are not going to serve immediately, you can combine the veggies and herbs, but leave off the olive oil/vinegar dressing until right before you are ready to serve.  That will keep all your ingredients fresh and crunchy.
Actually, this salad will keep ok with the dressing, but the basil will likely brown.  Omit the basil if you need to make the salad ahead of time.

ENJOY!