Raw Kale and Avacado Salad

This is such a fresh salad and so good for you.  If you haven't already incorporated kale into your diet you should! This salad is bright in color and perfect for spring and summer. You can use any oil you want and you can top it with other nuts if you prefer, but always keep the oil and lemon because they make the kale softer and easier to digest.  

                              Raw Kale and Avocado Salad

Ingredients: 

1 bunch of Kale

 2 tbsp Flax Oil

1 tsp Himalayan Sea Salt

1 Avocado

 1/4 cup Sun-dried Tomatoes

 Juice from 1/2 a Lemon

2 tbsp of Flax Seed 

So start off with a head of kale (I used the curly variety) and clean and dry it.  Cut it into small bite sized pieces and set in a large bowl, throw away the stems. Next add 2 tablespoons of your desired oil.  I personally used flax oil but you can use olive oil, hempseed oil, or any other oil you have on hand. Then add 1 teaspoon of sea salt and mix in by hand.  This is where the fun part is.....this is a very tactile recipe, use your hands to really massage the oil into the kale.  Get it all covered and then set it aside.  Next use 1/2 to a full avocado, you can cube it and add it or do what I did and just add it to the kale and massage it in like the oil.  Now just toss in the sun-dried tomatoes, lemon juice and sprinkle on the flax seed.  You can also add green onion, olives or other veggies if you'd like. 

Cilantro and Lime Hummus

Howdy all and Happy St. Patrick's Day! In honor of this awesome Irish holiday you can enjoy this healthy green dip instead of slamming a bunch of green beers. We are gluten free in the Emery house most of the time so we served this hummus with corn tortilla chips instead of pita chips.  This is  REALLY good with brown rice bread toasted and spread with a little ghee.  Also you could substitute guacamole with this ( I can't image why anyone would!!! But I'm sure there's a valid reason as to why someone wouldn't eat avocados.)  This is a great protein source for picky kids (which both of mine DEVOURED this) and also for vegetarians.  Cilantro has natural chelation properties which removes heavy metals from your system so that's also a big plus in detoxing. It was funny how I came up with this one.  I made a more traditional hummus the other day and it was gone the same day.  So I decided to make more and a double batch this time.  I was throwing my ingredients together and realized that my two cans of  beans were garbanzo and white kidney and also I had no lemon but only lime oops.  I just so happened to buy fresh cilantro that day so I thought what the heck, why not! That's one of the biggest joys of cooking for me is that you can substitute and wing it!


                            Cilantro and Lime Hummus 


2 cans white beans either garbanzo or white kidney

1/4 cup lime juice or more to taste

1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil

1 bunch of fresh cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

 4-6 cloves fresh garlic

1 white onion finely diced

So for this you will need a food processor, blender or magic bullet to blend the ingredients.  It is better to use fresh beans but I'm a stay at home mom of two toddlers and I allow myself a few short cuts here and there and beans are one of them.  Try to use all organic ingredients if you can.  In your blender add the beans, reserve some of the liquid so that if your blender is struggling you can add a little liquid.  Wash and separate the cilantro leaves and add about 1/2 cup or a little more to the beans.   Make sure to save some leaves for garnish.  Pulse the beans into a paste and add liquid as need also add the garlic and slowly add the olive oil while you blend until you get the desired creamy texture. Add more liquid or water slowly if your blender isn't happy.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Dice up your onion and chop the remaining cilantro leave about a 1/4 cup or less. Mix the onion and cilantro together and give it a squeeze of lime from any leftover juice.  Chill the hummus for about 30 min and garnish with the pico de gallo.   Have fun with this versatile dip.  I think I'm going to make it a new St. Patrick's Day tradition :)

Spicy Mediterranean Southern Greens

Tonight's adventure was UH-mazing!!! I started with a bag of greens from Trader Joe's and it just sorta took off from there.  I even got Micah (my soon to be 5 year old) to take 3 huge bites of it! I offered him a piece of chocolate if he ate it, and he did, an even trade if you ask me! Bevyn (my uber picky 3 year old), not so much. I did slip pureed cauliflower in his noodles though mwahahahaha! 

So this is pretty kicked up and spicy.  Adjust to your personal taste of heat, also I'm so bad about measuring so when I put in spice measurements its an estimate..  The lime and goat cheese are essential! They help with cooling the heat and mesh all the flavors together.  Some of you may be cringing at the goat cheese, I did too. Honestly I was only going to put it on the plate that I took a picture of and then give it to my Mother in Law.  I don't really like goat cheese or feta or any of those pungent cheeses, but for some reason it was calling to me like the dish would be missing something without it....weird.  I decided to try it with the cheese though and I'm SO glad I did! It is creamy and melts in your mouth.  You can't even taste the funny after taste that goat cheese usually has.  So don't cheat yourself out of the goat cheese :)

                                           

                                                Spicy Mediterranean Southern Greens

One whole bag of Southern Greens (mustard, collards, turnip, spinach) about 1 lb raw.

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (slice and marinated in 1/4 cup your favorite oil)

2 cloves garlic, minced 

Handful of toasted pepitos

1/2 cup sliced black olives

1 large beefsteak tomato cut into strips

1-2 limes 

1/4 cup goat cheese or less

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

Salt and Pepper to taste

1/2 tsp dried red pepper seeds/flakes

1/2 tsp curry

 1 tsp cumin

1 tsp (more or less depending on your tolerance) of cayenne

Combine oil, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, garlic and spices and marinate for a few minutes.  In a large skillet heat about 2 tsp or more of ghee or oil.  Add the tomato mixture and cook at medium to medium high heat for about 5 min.  Add sliced tomatoes and cook about 2 more minutes.  Add greens and broth and continue to cook off med to med high heat with the lid on for about 25 to 30 more min stirring occasionally and smelling the deliciousness that's coming out of the skillet! About 10 minutes in squirt the juice of a lime (about 2 tbsp) into the leaves while cooking and then squirt them again with fresh lime as you eat.  Lime juice will break down the fibers in the greens making them easier to digest and the lime is just a phenomenal  blend of flavors with this dish . Just before serving toss in the pepitos and garnish with goat cheese and a few lime wedges.  You can serve alone or as a main dish with some brown rice pasta and chicken.  For the chicken I just cooked them in a skillet with ghee, salt, pepper and garlic. I garnished them with fresh basil and diced tomato.  I will probably skip the basil and tomato next time I have chicken with these greens and go for something more astringent. 

Hope you guys enjoy this as much as I did. I really went out of my comfort zone here and I think it really paid off. 

Raw Fennel Salad with Grapefruit and Pistachio

This recipe I got from a friend while having lunch over at her house.  This is a great Tri-Doshic meal! My three year old wanted nothing to do with it, of course but my not-so picky (soon to be) 5 year old ate some with a drowning of ranch.  You can have this all by itself  for lunch or for dinner we had Carrot Ginger Soup (I took a short cut here and used Trader Joe's pre-made) and some fresh baked bread with ghee. 

  Anyone who has spent time with me in the kitchen knows that I don't use recipes, with the exception of baking, but even then I change things.  I can't help it, I cook from the heart! So I will do my best to give you the recipes and if your anything like me you might say "hmmm think I'll throw in some lemon juice instead or maybe add this...."  I encourage you to do so, you know your body and also your Dosha so pacify it accordingly.

                          Raw Fennel Salad with Grapefruit and Pistachio

2 fennel bulbs (save some leaves to chop and toss in)

1 grapefruit

2 handfuls of pistachios

1 small cucumber

1/2 cup caramelized onions

1 tablespoon your favorite oil

1 tablespoon your favorite vinegar (lemon is also good) 

1.   Chop fennel into bite sized pieces and place in a large salad bowl.  Set aside the leaves. 

2.  Peel and cube grapefruit and cucumber, add to the salad bowl.

3.  Toss in pistachios, oil and vinegar and top with caramelized onions.  

4.  ENJOY!!!!