Tag Archives: kale

Beans & Greens

26 Friday Jul 2013

Posted by in appetizer, beans, gluten-free, salad, seasonal

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Food:

Beans & Greens– serves 6-8

2 c. dry beans (I used Adzuki beans I get at the farmers market, Borski Farms)

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeds remove and diced (farmers market)

1/2 c. parsley, chopped (my garden)

1/4- 1/2 c. cilantro, chopped (farmers market)

1 purple onion, chopped (farmers market)

3 lemons, zest and juice

a couple of garlic cloves, chopped (farmers market, Borski Farms)

lots of greens, kale and swiss chard, chopped (farmers market, Borski Farms)

olive oil

Celtic salt and pepper

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Directions:

For the beans:

1. Place the dry beans in a large bowl and cover with water, soak overnight. Drain, rinse and place beans in a larger pot. Cover with water again, maybe one inch above the beans. Turn stove to high, when the beans come to a boil let them boil for five minutes skimming off the foam. Add a piece of kombu (Kombu is a sea vegetable that adds minerals and helps tenderize the beans and reduces their gas effect!), place the lid on the pot and turn the temperature to medium-low and simmer until done. Check at 45 minutes, and then every 10 minutes till they are tender but not mushy.

2. When done, drain and set aside until ready to use.

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For the greens:

1. In a large bowl, add the lemon juice and lemon zest and six turns of olive oil. Next add the cucumber, onion, and herbs. Toss. Add greens, toss again. Then add the beans, toss one more time and adjust seasoning. EAT!

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A few ways to EAT:

1. Spoon some into your favorite wrap with some good quality cheese, tomatoes and avocado.

2. Pair with your favorite rice, preferably wild or brown rice and season with tamari (soy sauce), sesame oil and a squeeze of lime.

3. Top with a poached egg, drizzle with olive oil and your favorite seasoning.

Love:

There is a saying in Italian that goes “Quanta Basta!”, “a little of this, a little of that!”. Beans & Greens is just that, you can make this dish to suit your taste buds, it is just a blue print, a road map to other meals. I packaged mine all up in lunch containers, topped it with tomatoes, avocado and extra drizzle of olive oil and a slice of lemon. It would also be great left in a big bowl in the fridge and then eaten each night for dinner the ways I have listed above. It is hearty but light and is perfect in this hot weather, whip up a batch and add “Quanta Basta”. Happy Summer y’all.

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Stuffed Acorn Squash

27 Sunday Jan 2013

Posted by in Events, seasonal, Side dish

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Food:

Stuffed Acorn Squash serves 5-10

5 acorn squash, cut in half seeds removed

1 lb. local grass-fed beef (I buy Lau Family Farms)

1/2- 3/4 lb mushrooms of choice, chopped (I used shiitake)

1 large onion, chopped

1 c. celery, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 bunch of kale or swiss chard, stems removed and leaves chopped

1 T. each rosemary, thyme and sage, chopped

1 c. cooked brown rice, millet, wild rice or non-glutinous grain of choice

3/4 c. parsley, chopped and divided

1/2 c. pecorino or parmesan cheese, grated

2 T. ghee

salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees. Place the prepared acorn squash cut side down on a parchment lined baking sheet. Place the squash in the oven and bake for 30 min. Take baked squash out of the oven and set aside. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees.

2. Place a large saute pan on the stove top over medium heat , add the ghee and when melted add the mushrooms and begin to saute. Don’t touch the mushrooms for a minute or so to give them time to brown. Next add the onions, celery and garlic and begin to saute with the mushrooms, salt and pepper the veggies just a bit. Saute for 5-7 minutes.

3. Next add the beef, use a potato masher to incorporate the meat into the veggies, season with a little more salt and pepper. When the beef is just about cooked, another 5-10 minutes add the rosemary, sage and thyme. Stir to combine.

4. Pull the beef and veggie mixture off the heat and add 1/2 c. chopped parsley, cooked brown rice and chopped kale, stir well to combine all the ingredients.

5. Scoop the mixture into the acorn halves, in a separate bowl combine 1/4 c. remaining parsley and cheese, season lightly. Spoon this mixture over the stuffed acorn squash (there will most likely be extra filling, save for a snack). Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the cheese has melted and began to brown and the mixture is warmed through. Serve hot with a drizzle of good quality olive oil. ENJOY!

Nutrition:

Grass-fed beef: http://www.laufamilyfarm.com/why-grass-fed/

Shiitake Mushrooms: These meaty flavorful mushrooms contain a substance called eritadenine, which encourages body tissues to utilize cholesterol and lower the amount circulating in the blood. Shiitake also have antiviral and anti-cancer effects.

Acorn Squash: Acorn squash is an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C and beta-carotene. It is also a very good source of thiamin, vitamin B6, potassium, magnesium,and manganese, and a good source of iron. It is a great seasonal choice in place of traditional bell peppers which are a late summer crop.

Love:

I made these bad boys for my Holistic Nutrition class last weekend. I wanted to show my students what eating a more plant-based Holistic diet looked like. We started with Raw Oatmeal made with Homemade Almond Milk and served it with local Drake Family Farm Goat Yogurt, our lunch item was Lentil Stew w/Kabocha squash and for dinner we had these Stuffed Acorn Squash. When people hear the word plant-based they think vegan or vegetarian, but to me it means whole foods in the natural state that are local and seasonal, not processed packaged foods. I live by a 90-10 rule, 90% of my diet consist of plant foods, this includes beans, legumes, grains, rice, nuts and seeds, and lots of fresh fruits and veggies, the other 10% leaves room for local, sustainable QUALITY animal foods, this includes local beef and chicken on occasion, wild fish, yogurt and cheese. It’s not the quantity but the quality of the choices we make, this is what Holistic Nutrition is all about. I hope you enjoy this recipe, my students sure did!

Pork and Beans- Thank You Italy

01 Tuesday Jan 2013

Posted by in beans, seasonal

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Love:

At the request of my sweet husband I’m going to start this post in the ‘love’ department. The idea for this recipe has been swimming around in my head since we got back from Italy. We were in Italy to attend the Slow Food International Conference Terre Madre, as I was chosen to be a USA Delegate at this years Conference. The mission of Slow Food and Terre Madre is good, clean and fair food for all, something I try to practice on a daily basis in my kitchen. While in Italy I was surrounded by great food but I was missing the plant-based diet I’m used to eating at home, and I was just missing home. Towards the end of our trip while in Florence we stumbled upon this family style hole in the wall restaurant. At the bottom at their menu listed “sides” I found white beans in tomato sauce and braised kale, I thought I had died and gone to Italy food heaven. Needless to say they were a great choice and I haven’t forgotten those dishes since I’ve been home. Fast forward just a bit to the week before Christmas, I had put together the grocery list for the upcoming weekend events and the Christmas Eve breakfast I was hosting. We always have Christmas morning at my in-laws and for some reason I totally forgot about Christmas night! I was not about to go back to the grocery store so I started to take inventory of my pantry and refrigerator and realized I had all the makings of this dish, I couldn’t have been happier. I found dried beans, my own canned tomatoes, leftover Clifford Farm bacon (from a dish I had made for a party earlier in the weekend), kale, farro, herbs a and just enough vodka for my Pasta alla Vodka sauce. Lucky us, this dish was warm, comforting and felt like home. This dish just might be a new Christmas dinner tradition for us. ENJOY!

Food:

For the sauce-

I used my previous recipe for Pasta alla Vodka

After you have gotten all the ingredients together and they begin to simmer, add the cooked white beans and let the beans simmer in the sauce while it thickens.

For the beans-

1. Place 1 1/2c. dry white beans (also called northern beans) in a bowl and cover with water over night at least 12 hours.

2. The next day drain the beans, place the beans in a large pot and cover with just enough water to cover. Turn on high, when the beans come to a boil- boil for 5 minutes with the lid off and skim off any foam. After that 5 minutes turn the heat down to low, place the lid on and simmer for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours.

3. Keep checking on the beans by spooning out a few, if they smash easily with your thumb they are done. Let cool and drain. Can be used right away or refrigerated up to a week. Check out my other recipe for cooked beans here.

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Putting it all together-

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Cooked farro (I wanted to make creamy polenta but didn’t have any, lucky for me I brought farro back from Italy).

Laddle the Pork and Beans over the farro, drizzle with olive oil, a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and top with Kale Chips.

Nutrition:

I believe eating a plant-based diet is essential to our over all health. Eating this way forces you to have a varied diet of non-glutenious grains, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruits. Meat and dairy only playing a small part, and hopefully those items are sustainable, local and organic. EAT MORE PLANTS in 2013.

Raw Hummus & Goji Berry Lemonade

02 Monday Jul 2012

Posted by in appetizer, Drinks, vegan

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Food:

Raw Hummus- serves 8, 1/2 c. portions

2 c. raw sunflower seeds, soaked overnight, drain

2/3 c. raw tahini

2/3 c. olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

3-4 lemons, zest and juiced (you want to taste the lemon)

1 tsp. salt, more if needed to taste

fresh ground pepper, to taste

-Toppings-

fresh chopped tomatoes

chopped fresh onion, white or purple

oil cured olives, chopped (I buy mine at Tony Caputo’s)

-Serve with-

Fresh collard green leaves, kale leaves, cabbage leaves or romaine leaves

Directions:

1. Place the soaked, drained sunflower seeds in the food processor along with the raw tahini, garlic, zest and juice of lemons. Turn on and begin to process, drizzle in the olive oil while the motor is running.

2. Stop, scrape down sides add salt and pepper and process again. Taste for seasoning. Add more salt and pepper if needed and or more fresh lemon juice.

3. Store in an airtight container until ready to serve. Top with fresh tomatoes, chopped onion and oil cured olives. Serve with fresh collard greens, kale leaves, cabbage leaves or romaine leaves.

Love:

There is a place here in town called Omar’s Rawtopia, it is the only raw restaurant in Salt Lake. When you eat at Omar’s you know the food is of the highest quality and the preparation is nothing short of a labor of love. His hummus plate is one of my favorite dishes, and even though I love going to Omar’s it is much more cost-effective for me to recreate this dish at home. This raw hummus wrapped in collards is what Master William and I have had for lunch for the last two weeks, the temperature outside has been in the high 90’s! To hot to eat anything but raw food! The contrast of the sweet tomatoes with the salty olives and raw onions mixed with the creamy raw humus all wrapped up in a collard green is like heaven in your mouth. This dish is light and you don’t feel bogged down after eating it, it is perfect for this hot weather and even though Omar does it better, my version is a compliment to him and his wonderful place. ENJOY!

Goji Berry Lemonade- serves 2

4 T. dried goji berries (I buy mine in the bulk section of Whole Foods)

3 c. water, divided

1 inch fresh ginger, peeled

1/4-1/2 c. fresh mint leaves

juice of one lemon

stevia and honey to taste

2 mason or kerr jars with lids (I use the pint size)

1. Place 2 T. goji berries in each jar, pour 1 1/2 c. water into each jar. Place the lid on the jars and put in the fridge for 1 hour or overnight.

2. Pour the contents of each jar (goji berries and water) into a blender, throw in fresh peeled ginger, fresh mint leaves, 20 drops of stevia and tsp. raw honey and the juice of one lemon. Turn the blender on high and process for 1 minute.

3. I like the strain mine through fine mesh strainer but you don’t have to. Press all the liquid through the strainer. Pour the mixture between the two jars and serve immediately with a fresh slice of lemon.

Love:

I found this recipe month’s ago on one of my favorite blog’s, My New Roots, and have been waiting for the right time to make it. Well, considering that everyday for the last two weeks the temp outside nearly got to 100 degrees NOW was the perfect time to try out the Goji berry lemonade. This drink is so refreshing, the fresh mint cools you off, the ginger is the perfect amount of spice, the tang of the lemon and the sweetness of the goji berries and honey make this the perfect summer mocktail. I think we have had one everyday for the last two weeks! I even made it to take to one of our out-door concerts last Monday night at Red Butte Gardens. This yummy drink goes perfect with anything but has been perfect with my Raw Hummus. ENJOY!

Nutrition:

In an effort to spend more time out doors this summer and spend precious time with family and friends (which is important for our health) I might lay off this part on a few post . What I will say is that summer time is the perfect time to add more raw food to your diet, they are lighter, your body needs those enzymes and everything is at its peak- why not enjoy food in its natural state. Trust me you body will thank me and your skin will glow. Happy Summer Y’All!

Super Smoothie- Recovery Spa Week

05 Monday Mar 2012

Posted by in breakfast

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Food:

Power Smoothie- Serves 2

1/2c. chopped kale

1/2c. chopped spinach

1/2c. parsley leaves

10 chunks of pineapple (about 1/2c-3/4c)

1 inch ginger, peeled and chopped

1/2c. frozen organic blueberries

1c. coconut water

1/2c. water

*optional add ins*

2 tsp. bee pollen

2 squirts, marine phytoplankton

2 tsp. maca powder

Directions: 

Everything goes into the blender, blend until mixed well. Divide between two glasses Serve immediately!

Nutrition:

Kale- Kale is beneficial to the digestive and nervous system and is a rich source of various atni-cancer chemicals.

Spinach– A super source of antioxidant and cancer antagonists, containing about four times as much beta-carotene and three times more lutein then broccoli.

Parsley– A blood builder and purifier. Helps release retained water from the body.

Ginger– Ginger is a great tonic for the digestive tract, it stimulates digestion and keeps the intestinal muscles toned. Acts as an anti-inflammatory.

Pineapple– Helps detox the body, an anti-inflammatory. The greatest value lies in its digestive power, which closely resembles that of human  gastric juices.

Blueberries– Blueberries contain silicon which helps protect the pancreas, also has anti-viral activity.

Love:

I have fallen in love with smoothies again, I say that because smoothies used to be a HUGE of our diet but they were loosing their appeal after years of having them. Now days we start our days with raw oatmeal (during the week) or hot steel-cut oats, 10 grain and our newest amaranth porridge (on the weekends). But a couple of weeks ago I started to mix up some fun new creations, as well as this week wanting to cleanse our systems and shake things up a bit. This recipe is adapted from whole living’s 28 day challenge. Smoothies are a great way to get an abundance of vitamins, minerals and a big chunk of veggies/fruit servings in one sitting-yay! Enjoy!

What’s Cookin’

26 Sunday Feb 2012

Posted by in beans, breakfast, DIY, quinoa, salad, seasonal, Side dish, vegan

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Love:

You know what I love about blogging? Other blogs! Do you ever wish you could live in someone elses kitchen? Well, I do. That’s what I get from other blogs, they do the work and I look fabulous. My hope is that I do that for all of you.

So have fun seeing what I have been busy in the kitchen whipping up, and thanks for the other blogs I follow for inspiring me to get in the kitchen keep cookin’.

Food:

Lentil Meatballs

 I found this fun recipe on Pinterest, which lead me to this great new blog Sprouted Kitchen. These Lentil Meatballs were easy to whip up, and there was also a recipe for a Lemon Pesto to go with them (I switched parsley for basil and walnuts for pine nuts). Billy loved these. They were what was for lunch last week.

Quinoa Spinach Bake

 I thought I had a pic of the finished project, sorry. I found this great recipe on Whole Living. I love all things quinoa, it is so versatile. I thought this Quinoa Spinach Bake would be great with the Lentil Meatballs and I was right. I chopped up some fresh spinach, tossed in the Lentil Meatballs, topped it with the Quinoa Bake and finished it off with the Lemon Pesto. Voila! Lunch was fantastic.

Banana Walnut Pancakes (I call them love pancakes)

 Raw Slaw w/Tahani Dressing

Homemade Goat Milk Ricotta

Raw Cashew Dreamcake

All four of these recipes came from the same blog, My New Roots! I know, I know a little obsessed, but I don’t care. The creator of this blog is into Holistic eating, living, being, cooking just like me! I have to say that I hope my food is as awesome to y’all as hers is to me.

The Pancakes are vegan, gluten-free and are made with walnut flour. We have made them two weeks in row-yum! New favorite.

The Raw Slaw is great for this time of year, all the ingredients are seasonal (bonus). We had it last Monday for Soup and Salad Night. I strive to have a balance between raw and cooked foods in my diet and this salad is perfect for that. Not to mention that it is fabulous to look at!

Homemade Goat Milk Ricotta was too easy to make and went perfect with my Roasted Bell Pepper Tempanade for Oscar night on the couch. This recipe will definitely make another appearance in my kitchen, so good. I made my own cheese!!! Bonus: I got to use local Drake Family Farms Goat Milk.

Raw Cashew Dreamcake, you had me at hello. A raw dessert that taste like cheesecake? Sorry people this one is a no brainer, and the bonus is that I got to use honey from my buddy Dean’s bees and local raspberries that I had in the freezer.

Thanks for the blog love. Enjoy!

Vegetable Minestrone

15 Tuesday Nov 2011

Posted by in soup, vegan

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I LOVE SOUP! I think soup is the perfect meal for lunch, well really anytime but especially during the cold months when you need just a little hug of warm soup in the middle of the day. Last week I made Lentil Stew (recipe is on the blog) but this week I went for Vegetable Minestrone. I appreciate the protein coming from the white beans (that I made instead of buying canned… I swear their easy) and the abundance of vegetables, also bean and veggie soups are good to your waistline, at this time of year that’s a blessing in my book. Enjoy!

-Vegetable Minestrone-

1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
4 carrots, diced
2 zucchini, diced
1/2 c. leafy celery tops, chopped
3-4 c. cooked white beans (you can use 2 14oz. cans of cannellini beans, making your own is an extra step but worth it)
1 jar of my canned tomatoes, crushed up with your hands (you can use 28oz can of whole tomatoes, I like the Eden brand)
1 bunch of kale, chopped
2-3 c. savoy cabbage, chopped (savoy cabbage is milder in flavor and texture than your traditional green cabbage)
1 quart veggie stock
1 1/2 c. water
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
*optional- Parmesan or Romano cheese rind

-Directions-

1. Start by heating some olive oil in a big soup pot over medium heat, when you can smell the oil add the onions and start to saute. Saute for just a few minutes and add the carrots, celery and garlic. Saute for just another few minutes (maybe 5 minutes). Season with salt and pepper.
2. Next add the zucchini and season well with salt and pepper, toss around and saute until the zucchini starts to soften just a bit, maybe another 5 minutes. Next add the tomatoes, broth, beans and rind if using, bring this mixture to a boil and reduce back to medium heat. Simmer for 20 minutes.
3. The last 5 minutes add the kale and cabbage, stir in until it starts to wilt, add the water and top with the lid and let simmer for those last few minutes. Remove the lid and taste for salt and pepper- add more if needed.
4. Serve hot with a drizzle of olive oil, grated cheese and a slice of bread, or divide into lunch containers for the week.

Day 5 Juicing

22 Friday Jul 2011

Posted by in Drinks

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The picture above is the Hummus Platter from Omar’s Rawtopia where we ate our first meal since Sunday, last nights dinner was a flavor explosion in my mouth. Even though this week has been a challenge I believe it was a worthy experiment for the two of us to do together. We juiced for breakfast this morning and are talking about splitting something for lunch along with a green juice and then having dinner. When bringing food back into the body it is important to take it slow and eat simple clean whole foods. Thanks you to all of our friends who called and checked in with us this week, it really meant alot to us. Also I want to say how proud I am of Billy, he has never done anything like this before and what is great about this is now I think juicing will be part of his life. As his wife and a Holistic Nutrition Educator this makes me very happy. Much Love, B

-Breakfast Blend-

Kale
Pineapple
Beets
Ginger

Day 4 Juicing

21 Thursday Jul 2011

Posted by in Drinks

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We are doing well, yesterday was definitely the hardest day for both of us. So today we have a new plan, we are juicing for breakfast and lunch and going to dinner at Omar’s Living Cuisine (the only raw restaurant in SL). I think this will be the plan for today and tomorrow so that we can slowly reintroduce food into our systems. I have to say I am looking forward to dinner tonight. YAY for food.

-Breakfast Blend-

Kale
Carrots
Cucumber
Lemon
Watermelon