Kale Salad with Sprouted White Beans, Sundried Tomatoes and Honey-Garlic Vinaigrette

The countdown to my Detox is ON!  Only a few more days and I will be fully meat, dairy, wheat, alcohol, caffeine and sugar free for three weeks.    

What the heck are you thinking?  You ask.

I can’t wait to see how I feel.  Quality of life is what it is all about.  I’ve never done anything like this in all my years of various diets and exercise. When I was offered the chance to do this, right off the bat I was thinking, no wine, no way.  But then the more I thought about it, the more interested I was to see how much better I would feel not being hung over on the weekends.  Well, at least for three weekends.

Then I thought about how some people are constantly complaining about how terrible they feel and I look down at lunch; a double whopper with cheese, chicken nuggets, a large fry and a big ol’ diet coke.  Or a frozen dinner filled made with tons of salt and unrecognizable ingredients and, of course, the ever present diet coke.  Hey, I’m not saying I never have a diet soda but I practice moderation and that is my hope for people; that we learn how to eat healthy foods in general and indulge occasionally.  I love how Michael Pollan said eat all the junk food you want, but make it yourself from scratch.  I can attest that this works because we made our own potato chips for the Easter cookout with some of the potatoes I got from the farm and it was a several hour process to make what would equal one bag.  We won’t be eating chips again any time soon!  Let’s stop complaining about how we feel and take responsibility for our health.  The biggest problem I have run into when I try to talk to people about what is in the food we eat is that they just don’t WANT to know because then they would be forced to be aware.  Then, in the very next breath, tell me how overweight they are or how their knees continue to go out on them, tired, lethargic and so on.  ARGH! 

When it comes down to it all I can do is lead by example and talk about how amazing I feel. 

I began changing up my diet a bit over the last few weeks so I wouldn’t have to go cold turkey.  The plan I will be following actually has a step down for caffeine (aka my coffee in the morning) but I decided to be proactive and give it up early. I was so happy to find teeccino and have decided my favorite is the chocolate mint version.  I have added ground flax seed, a swig of apple cider vinegar, and my own touch, a teaspoon of cayenne pepper.  YEOWZA! That will jumpstart your morning!

Additionally I have begun trying new things such as sprouting grains and beans and making Portobello mushroom sandwiches (recipe to follow) as well as stockpiling “Detox” recipes for ideas but I really would like to just begin trusting my instinct more.  I have been doing this for the past few weeks and have been really pleased with the recipes I have come up with.

Speaking of the bean sprouts, this leads me to my recipe.  This is not necessary for you to do, you can simply use a can of beans, but it has been so much fun watching the sprouts grow and is such an easy process.   If you are interested in sprouting anything yourself, I suggest going to Sproutpeople.org.  So far I have sprouted quinoa, oat groats and white beans and found that the beans really still need to be cooked a bit.  I simply steamed them until they were soft enough to suit my taste, I drained them and let them cool and then added them to a kale salad.  Greens are one of the things specified to eat every day on the Detox in some form or another.  There are so many varieties this should be easy but kale is my favorite.  The sundried tomatoes add a lovely tang that compliments the sweet honey and aromatic garlic of the dressing.

Have you ever tried a Detox? What did it involve?  How did you feel? 
How about fasting?  How did you feel?  My dad mentioned that he used to fast but I am just not at that point. 

I love hearing your thoughts!  Have a FABULOUS Thursday.

Kale Salad with Sprouted White Beans, Sundried Tomatoes and Honey-Garlic Vinaigrette

About 8 1-cup Servings (results will vary with amount of kale)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 bunch kale, stems removed and torn into bite size pieces
¼ cup sweet onion
6 un-sulphured sun dried tomatoes, soaked in water to soften
1 cup dry white beans, sprouted and steamed (or 1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed)
1 plum tomato, sliced
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
¼ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

Dressing
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp honey
2 cloves garlic

Directions

1. Add kale to a large bowl; whisk the dressing ingredients in a smaller bowl.  Season the kale with salt and lots of fresh ground pepper.  Pour dressing over and massage into kale for about 2 minutes until kale begins to wilt.
2. Chop sundried tomatoes and add to bowl; add white beans, toss mixture well and re-season if necessary.  Top with pine nuts.

Nutrition Facts

8 Servings
Amount Per Serving


Calories 196.8
Total Fat 10.4 g
Saturated Fat 1.3 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2.7 g
Monounsaturated Fat 5.8 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 72.7 mg
Potassium 516.4 mg
Total Carbohydrate 23.0 g
Dietary Fiber 4.6 g
Sugars 6.5 g
Protein 6.3 g


Vitamin A 221.6 %
Vitamin B-6 8.8 %
Vitamin C 57.5 %
Vitamin E 4.2 %
Calcium 10.1 %
Copper 16.7 %
Folate 11.9 %
Iron 15.2 %
Magnesium 14.2 %
Manganese 52.3 %
Niacin 4.0 %
Pantothenic Acid 1.9 %
Phosphorus 10.3 %
Riboflavin 5.7 %
Selenium 2.6 %
Thiamin 8.0 %
Zinc 7.4 %


*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Caribbean Black Bean Potato Salad with Avocado and Honey Lime Vinaigrette for our Easter Celebration

 Easter Morning the Bunny had arrived and we donned our Easter Attire.

The celebration that day was at our neighbor's house; Uncle Walter and Aunty Sherry.

Basket is ready and primed for Maximum Egg Huntage.

And they're off!

WHO will get the golden egg?

....it will remain a mystery for all time.

We got a bit hung up on the first egg. 

Yes there is candy in there but you're supposed to keep hunting.

Hubby Chris and Walter firing up the grill.

Daisy getting a nice belly rub.

Enjoying a fabulous gluten, dairy and egg free cupcake from Cookie Momsters.

Newlyweds Matt and Kathryn (remember I posted about their wedding in January?)

A spot of fishing was done on the dock.

You all catchin' us some dinner?

 And overall a good time was had by all enjoying food, family and friends.

My contribution to Easter consisted of, you guessed it. Potatoes.  

But oh no, I couldn't do the standard mayo based potato salad.  I got a little crazy with my taters and made a Caribbean potato salad.  I thought it was very original if I do say so.

This salad is perfect for hot summer days as it is eaten cold or room temp and is vinaigrette based.  A honey lime vinaigrette to be precise.  With cumin, thyme, coriander and cayenne for a spicy kick.  Sweet raisins, creamy avocado and flavorful cubanelle peppers round out the dish.  The potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, sweet onions and green onions were all from my csa at KYV Farm.

 

Caribbean Black Bean Potato Salad with Avocado and Honey Lime Vinaigrette

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

6 medium potatoes, any color, chopped

1 can Caribbean black beans, Eden Organic, drained and rinsed

2 Cubanelle peppers, seeded and chopped

2 Roma tomatoes, chopped

1 sweet onion, chopped

1 avocado, chopped

1/3 cup green onion

¼ cup golden raisins

Handful fresh cilantro, chopped

Dressing

Juice of 2 limes

2 Tbsp honey

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic

Dash each of cumin, thyme, coriander, cayenne

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste


Directions

1. Heat a large pot of water to a rolling boil,  add a tsp salt to the water, drop potatoes in; cook until softened, about 15-20 minutes depending on size of chop.  Drain and cool.
2. Whisk dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
3. Add cooled potatoes through cilantro to a large bowl. Pour dressing ingredients over.  Mix gently; taste and adjust salt and pepper as necessary.

Nutrition Facts

Entire Recipe

Calories 2,742.1

Total Fat 97.3 g

Saturated Fat 13.5 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 10.5 g

Monounsaturated Fat 65.6 g

Cholesterol 0.0 mg

Sodium 294.6 mg

Potassium 9,098.5 mg

Total Carbohydrate 430.0 g

Dietary Fiber 80.1 g

Sugars 77.7 g

Protein 68.6 g

Nutrition Facts
For Estimated 10 1/2 cup Servings

Calories 274.2

Total Fat 9.7 g

Saturated Fat 1.3 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1.1 g

Monounsaturated Fat 6.6 g

Cholesterol 0.0mg

Sodium 29.5 mg

Potassium 909.8 mg

Total Carbohydrate 43 g

Dietary Fiber 8 g

Sugars 7.7 g

Protein 6.9 g

Coconut-Banana Buckwheat Waffles served with Hazelnut Agave

Just a super quick post today to say hello.  I hope you had a wonderful Easter!

As a special breakfast over the weekend I made a variation of my blueberry buckwheat waffle recipe.  Remember this one?

Gluten, dairy and egg free!

 This version came out really flavorful and moist from the coconut and ripe banana folded right into the batter.  It brought tropical vacations with warm breezes and swaying palm trees to mind.

I hope you love it as much as we did!

 Coconut-Banana Buckwheat Waffles 

Serves 4 (4 sections per serving)

Gluten, dairy, egg free and SO easy

Printable Recipe

Ingredients


1 1/2 cups buckwheat flour
1 Tbsp ground flax seed
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp shredded un-sweet coconut
1 1/2 cups coconut water (or coconut milk or any liquid)
3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1 ripe banana, sliced
4 Tbsp hazelnut agave, optional


Directions


1. Mix all dry ingredients, flour through shredded coconut with a whisk.


2. Add in the wet ingredients and whisk until just combined.  Additional liquid may need to be added to thin mixture.  Fold bananas gently into mixture.


3. Spray your waffle iron well with cooking spray and pour about 3/4 cup mixture until the wells are filled.  Close the lid of the waffle iron until waffles are cooked through.  Serve each serving with 1 Tbsp hazelnut agave if desired.

***Please note that what I designate as “allergy free” is my attempt at gluten, egg, dairy, soy, peanut and cod fish free which are the allergies my daughter has. I am not a doctor or registered dietitian.

Nutrition Facts

4 Servings
**8 WW Pts Plus (without agave)
Amount Per Serving


Calories 318.0
Total Fat 17.1 g
Saturated Fat 13.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.7 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.8 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 370.4 mg
Potassium 629.3 mg
Total Carbohydrate 36.5 g
Dietary Fiber 9.3 g
Sugars 9.1 g
Protein 7.1 g

Summer Tortellini Salad with Mustard-Honey Vinaigrette for the Farm Potluck

 Yesterday my mom, my daughter and I attended a potluck at the farm we joined for the farm share. The skies were blue and it was dry and hot.  When we pulled around the bend we saw the wide open expanse of fields busting with various crops we started to get excited. So much of our lives are spent closed in; at work, school, in the car, at home, especially our home where we live under old oak trees, that when we get around large open spaces it can be a bit liberating.

 

And of course once my daughter saw the bounce house she was eager to get out of the car, get those shoes off and get to jumping.  I'll confess that I caved and had to partake in a bit of jumping myself!

My mom enjoyed some water the shade next to the bounce house.  Hi mom!

Ok.  No more playing around.  It was time to get down to work.  It was potato pulling time.

I walked over, grabbed a box and looked down.  What the heck was I supposed to do?  I am embarrassed to say, before yesterday, I didn't know what the tops of potatoes looked like.  My dad never grew them in the garden growing up so it was alien to me.  They pretty much looked like....plants.  I never would have guessed there were potatoes under there.  I asked a little girl covered in dust next to me what to do.  She said just grab the leaves and pull and then dig around underneath.

My first attempts pulled one of my nails back; ouch!  But hey, I already had my hands in the dirt so it was full steam ahead.  I pulled the first plant with potatoes and dirt clinging to the roots; I pulled those potatoes off and then dug, and sure enough my hands found the round and firm potatoes. Success!

My daughter came over to help place the potatoes in the box.  She had no trouble getting into the dirt with her hands and feet.  Next thing I knew she was covered, head to toe with two blue eyes peering out from under her blonde mop.

I kept going until I got two whole boxes.  Fingerling, purple, Yukon gold and new potatoes.

Now...what am I going to do with all these potatoes?  I see potato salad, hash browns, soup, roasted potatoes and, after tasting another member's contribution to the pot luck, Spanish Tortilla!  Simply egg, potato, olive oil, salt and pepper.  I can't wait to try it as hers was delicious.

After working in the field for about 30 minutes I gained a new appreciation for farm workers.  It is not easy work.  I was tired.  I can't imagine working, bent over in the beating sun, no sounds other than the quiet chatting of fellow workers, pulling the same crop for hours, sweating and covered in the soft dirt.  And here I sit all day in a cubicle, in a chair, working on a computer.  There is a refrigerator to keep my lunch cold, restrooms at my leisure, a microwave and kitchen.  I can't imagine being this physical all day.

To all the farmers out there and everyone that works in a field to feed us on these small, non-industrial farms.  Thank you.

After my 30 minutes of work I was hungry.  Time for the pot luck.

Most of the dishes featured fresh ingredients straight from the farm.  There were tomato salads, cabbage salads, roasted vegetables and casseroles.

Even a cabbage dish made into a sweet dessert with raisins!  Whoever made that please let me know what it was because it was delicious.  I couldn't believe it was made with cabbage!

We sat on chairs under an umbrella, spread a towel out and enjoyed the food.

 It was a fabulous event and I think everyone had a great time.  What a wonderful way of teaching people where their food comes from and giving hands on experience of what it is like to harvest food.

Summer Tortellini Salad with Mustard-Honey Vinaigrette was my contribution to the potluck.  Fresh, sweet and cool.  Perfect for a summer picnic.  I used the veggies we had picked earlier in the day...it doesn't get much fresher than that! 

Summer Tortellini Salad with Honey Lemon Vinaigrette

Makes 16 generous cups

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

42 oz package tortellini, cooked to package directions (I used Barilla Three Cheese Tortellini)

5 cucumbers, chopped

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1 large sweet onion, chopped

3/4 cup chopped green onion

1 cup feta cheese

Dressing

Juice of 1 lemon

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp whole grain mustard

2 Tbsp honey

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper, plus more to suit taste

Directions

1. Add tortellini through feta to a large bowl. Whisk dressing ingredients in a small bowl; pour over salad mixture.  Toss gently to coat. 

Nutrition Facts
16 generous cup Servings
**9 WW Pts Plus per generous cup as meal portion, 
(Use 1/2 cup as side dish portion)

Calories 345.3

Total Fat 14.4 g

Saturated Fat 5.0 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1.1 g

Monounsaturated Fat 7.0 g

Cholesterol 39.6 mg

Sodium 459.1 mg

Potassium 295.4 mg

Total Carbohydrate 42.8 g

Dietary Fiber 2.8 g

Sugars 2.9 g

Protein 12.5 g

Calcium 17.9 %

Folate 19.2 %

Phosphorus 22.1 %

Riboflavin 20.5 %

Selenium 28.7 %

Thiamin 19.5 %

Italian Summer Squash Canoes with Farm Fresh Egg and Quinoa

Ahh, quiet.  On the way home from work I rarely call anyone, listen to any music or talk shows. 

 What do I do during this time? Think about recipes, of course!

 On today's drive I was thinking detox meals and something light as I had a big lunch at my favorite Mandaloun Mediterranean.  Damn them for now having a $9.99 buffet.  Oh the soft pita, the smooth hummus, the creamy lentil soup, the....

Focus Dawn.  We're talking about squash here.

Ahem!  I was thinking either summer squash or a bok choy stir fry since I got both from my CSA and also where I could fit eggs into the mix.  During the detox I can have eggs, some tofu, nuts, seeds and beans for some of the proteins.  Way back when, I had done a sweet potato and egg dish that turned out really well and the shape of the squash reminded me of this.  The squash would be perfect for the same idea, I thought. Additionally, I had some cooked quinoa on hand so I added that as another great protein source. 

When I got home after my hair cut and washing my car I fired up the toaster oven. I love using it when the weather is warmer for heating smaller items and not over heating the kitchen. 

This dish is quick and easy and would be really fun for kids (of all ages) or would even make a great appetizer.  I loved the rich eggs, the flavorful bit of char from broiling the squash and the aromatic Italian seasonings.  Enjoy!

Italian Summer Squash Canoes with Farm Fresh Egg and Quinoa

Serves 1 (2 canoes)

**5 WW Pts Plus

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 summer squash, halved lengthwise

2 eggs, preferably free range organic

1/4 cup cooked quinoa

Italian seasoning and garlic powder, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat broiler.  Spray both sides of each squash with canola or olive oil spray, season with Italian seasoning and garlic powder.

2. Place quash on a foil lined pan cut side down under broiler for about 8 minutes or until a bit softened. Turn squash over, scoop out seeds and flesh enough to make a canoe shape; crack an egg into each canoe and sprinkle more seasonings.  Broil an additional 8 minutes or until whites are just firm.  Top with 1/8 cup quinoa each.

Nutrition Facts

1 Serving
**5 WW Pts Plus
Amount Per Serving (2 canoes)


Calories 175.1
Total Fat 8.3 g
Saturated Fat 2.3 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.6 g
Monounsaturated Fat 3.0 g
Cholesterol 273.8 mg
Sodium 106.9 mg
Potassium 443.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate 13.8 g
Dietary Fiber 2.3 g
Sugars 4.0 g
Protein 12.6 g

Vitamin A 13.6 %

Vitamin B-12 11.8 %
Vitamin B-6 22.9 %
Vitamin C 34.3 %
Vitamin D 14.8 %
Vitamin E 0.7 %
Calcium 5.0 %
Copper 3.2 %
Folate 17.4 %
Iron 13.8 %
Magnesium 5.4 %
Manganese 11.1 %
Niacin 3.0 %
Pantothenic Acid 1.8 %
Phosphorus 30.3 %
Riboflavin 46.3 %
Selenium 1.9 %
Thiamin 4.6 %
Zinc 8.7 %


*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
 
Or per each canoe
**2 WW Pts Plus
Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving


Calories 87.6
Total Fat 4.2 g
Saturated Fat 1.1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.8 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.5 g
Cholesterol 136.9 mg
Sodium 53.5 mg
Potassium 221.8 mg
Total Carbohydrate 6.9 g
Dietary Fiber 1.2 g
Sugars 2.0 g
Protein 6.3 g

Pickled Radishes Two Ways (Daikon and Watermelon Radish)

Watermelon Radish

Recently we made a salad with shrimp on the grill and I whipped up some balsamic vinaigrette. I had sliced up some of my fresh watermelon radish I got from my csa but I have never been never a huge radish fan so I was trying to figure out something creative to do with them rather than use them raw on a salad.  On a whim I placed them in the left over dressing and when I took them out the next day to taste them they were delicious, tasting mostly like the dressing and still had a nice firmness.  I checked Epicurious for a pickled radish recipe to get general ideas on the measurements and sure enough there it was! A pickled daikon with ginger; so my recipe is inspired by that and the watermelon radish recipe is my own creation.  Apple cider vinegar is so very good for you that I thought why not use it to make a bit sweeter recipe.

This is another project to have your kids help with. I sliced the radish on a mandolin and my daughter layered them in jars, poured each ingredient into the bowl for the vinegar mixture, mixed it up and then helped me pour it over the radish.  She really loved the cider vinegar with honey and salt so I made a little cup for her of it with a bit of water, sans salt. Never would have pictured a two year old liking cider vinegar that much but I guess she takes after her mama.

I think next time I will use more vinegar just because I like my pickled veggies REALLY vinegar-y but overall they taste great on salads and I have been wrapping them up in rolled turkey slices as a snack for work. 

 Pickled Watermelon Radish in Apple Cider Vinegar and Sweet Honey

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Thinly sliced watermelon radish to fill a medium jar

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar, I used Bragg

1 cup water

2 Tbsp honey or agave nectar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dry mustard

Directions

1. Place the radish in a medium air tight jar; mix vinegar through mustard in a small bowl; pour over radishes.  Refrigerate and use on sandwiches, salads or whatever!

Ginger Spiced Pickled Daikon Radish

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Thinly sliced daikon radish to fill a medium jar

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1 cup water

1 tsp salt

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 Tbsp agave

Thinly sliced fresh ginger, to taste

Directions

1. Place the radish in a medium air tight jar; mix vinegar through agave in a small bowl; pour over radishes.  Top with fresh ginger. Refrigerate and use on sandwiches, salads or whatever!