The Twelve Veggies of Christmas

Kid Friendly No Responses »

Dec 202011

First we brought to you the tale of Old McFrancisco had a Farm.

And now my three year old and I bring to you….the Twelve Veggies of Christmas.

Happy Holidays from FCC!

On the first day of Christmas, right from KYV,

A Wonderful Kohlrabi.

The second day of Christmas, right from KYV,

Two Yum Yums and a Wonderful Kohlrabi.

The third day of Christmas, right from KYV,

Three Red Beets, Two Yum Yums and a Wonderful Kohlrabi.

On the fourth day of Christmas, right from KYV,

Four Collard Greens, Three Red Beets, Two Yum Yums and a Wonderful Kohlrabi.

On the fifth day of Christmas, right from KYV,

Five Broccoliiiiiii,

Four Collard Greens, Three Red Beets, Two Yum Yums and a Wonderful Kohlrabi.

On the sixth day of Christmas, right from KYV,

Six Long Green Onions,

Five Broccoliiiiiii,

Four Collard Greens, Three Red Beets, Two Yum Yums and a Wonderful Kohlrabi.

On the seventh day of Christmas, right from KYV,

Seven Chinese Broccoli, Six Long Green Onions,

Five Broccoliiiiiii,

Four Collard Greens, Three Red Beets, Two Yum Yums and a Wonderful Kohlrabi.

On the eighth day of Christmas, right from KYV,

Eight Kale-a-Cooking, Seven Chinese Broccoli, Six Long Green Onions,

Five Broccoliiiiiii,

Four Collard Greens, Three Red Beets, Two Yum Yums and a Wonderful Kohlrabi.

On the ninth day of Christmas, right from KYV,

Nine (water)Melon Radish, Eight Kale-a-Cooking, Seven Chinese Broccoli, Six Long Green Onions,

Five Broccoliiiiiii,

Four Collard Greens, Three Red Beets, Two Yum Yums and a Wonderful Kohlrabi.

On the tenth day of Christmas, right from KYV,

Ten Beans-a-Pickling, Nine (water)Melon Radish, Eight Kale-a-Cooking, Seven Chinese Broccoli, Six Long Green Onions,

Five Broccoliiiiiii,

Four Collard Greens, Three Red Beets, Two Yum Yums and a Wonderful Kohlrabi.

On the eleventh day of Christmas, right from KYV,

Eleven Tender Lettuce, Ten Beans-a-Pickling, Nine (water)Melon Radish, Eight Kale-a-Cooking, Seven Chinese Broccoli, Six Long Green Onions,

Five Broccoliiiiiii,

Four Collard Greens, Three Red Beets, Two Yum Yums and a Wonderful Kohlrabi.

On the twelfth day of Christmas, right from KYV,

twelve Fresh Root Veggies, Eleven Tender Lettuce, Ten Beans-a-Pickling, Nine (water)Melon Radish, Eight Kale-a-Cooking, Seven Chinese Broccoli, Six Long Green Onions,

Five Broccoliiiiiii,

Four Collard Greens, Three Red Beets, Two Yum Yums

and a Wonderful Kohlrabiiiiiiii.

Florida Fall Harvest Soup

Dairy Free, Egg Free, Favorites, Lighter Fare, Soy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian 1 Response »

Dec 042011

Last Thursday was my second CSA pickup and I stayed behind to discuss some workshop ideas with Vivian and Francisco for KYV farm.

As we chatted, Vivian offered me some soup.

It was delicious. A hearty mix of all the veggies we got from our CSA, lentils and barley.

The most surprising ingredient was radishes. They tasted, well, not very radish-y. More like a mild, soft potato-I couldn’t believe it! Normally I’m not a fan so I’m so glad to have found a new way to prepare them.

I cut some fresh herbs from my garden but a mix of dried would work just as well.

My daughter and I shelled some of the pigeon peas. This is really weird but it’s one of my favorite tasks. I can focus on the mindless task of shelling and working on my intention of staying in the present moment, especially through the holidays.

Florida Fall Harvest Soup

Inspired by Vivian Bayona, KYV

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small butternut squash, peeled and chopped (or 2 cups pre-prepared)
1 bunch radishes, chopped
1 handful baby carrots, chopped
2 cups yum yum peppers, chopped (or 1 red bell pepper)
Handful fresh herbs-parsley, culantro and chives
1/4 tsp Tony Chachere’s Cajun Seasoning (or salt)
1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 cup shelled pigeon peas
1/3 cup lentils
1/3 cup barley
6 cups organic vegetable
1 bunch curly kale, de-stemmed and chopped

Directions

1. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in Dutch Oven ;add onions, sauté about 3 to 5 minutes or until translucent; add garlic through fresh ground pepper, cook an additional 5 minutes.

2. Add remaining ingredients except kale, bring to a boil; reduce heat, set cover askew to let steam out, and cook on low 30 minutes. Add kale to pot and cook an additional 5 minutes.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Kale and Pumpkin Cream Sauce

Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Lighter Fare, Low Cal, Soy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian No Responses »

Nov 092011

I learned something really interesting today from my coworker, Sarah. Her son, Jake, did a fabulous presentation on plastic. Have you heard of the Great Garbage Patch? It is this huge garbage mound of plastic in the middle of the ocean that is “roughly the size of Texas, containing approximately 3.5 million tons of trash. Shoes, toys, bags, pacifiers, wrappers, toothbrushes, and bottles too numerous to count are only part of what can be found in this accidental dump floating midway between Hawaii and San Francisco.”

Um WHAT? I followed the link to Plastic Pollution Coalition and found that “Plastic recycling is not a sustainable solution. Most of our plastic waste is landfilled, downcycled, incinerated or exported to other countries. Recycling of plastic is costly and does not stem the production of virgin plastic product.”

Great, so the fact that I reuse my plastic bag for my snack veggies all week and then recycle it doesn’t make any difference. I am proud that I have switched to glass containers for my leftovers and to pack my lunches but I think about how much plastic is on everything and it makes my head spin.

Gum. I buy the three pack of gum. Not only does it come wrapped in plastic but then each pack is also wrapped in plastic. WHY is that? Because gum won’t stay as fresh? Riiight.

Bread. The brown rice bread I buy my daughter is wrapped in plastic and then placed in a plastic bag.

Water Bottles. Cases of water bottles are plastic and then wrapped in plastic.

Plastic bags at the grocery. Don’t you love when they put one toothbrush or pack of gum in it’s own bag? I always refuse and tell them I don’t want to waste the bag.

Precut veggies at the grocery. Come in plastic bags and then are placed in a plastic bag to leave the store.

The list goes on and on.

This makes me feel even better about my farm share. A few months ago I got a spaghetti squash. NOT wrapped in plastic. And it sat on my counter for a few months until I came across a fabulous recipe at Biscuit Batches that I had to make immediately. I split the squash open and it was still perfect. No plastic involved, AND it involves pumpkin. Two of my favorite squashes in one recipe makes me very happy.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Kale and Pumpkin Cream Sauce
Inspired by Biscuit Batches
Serves 6

Gluten and Dairy Free, Vegan

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Spaghetti Squash, cut in half and seeds removed

1 bunch kale, washed, de-stemmed and chopped

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

¼ tsp dried thyme

2 stems fresh rosemary, leaves removed and chopped

¾ cup pureed pumpkin

1 cup plain non-dairy milk (I used coconut milk)

¼ cup nutritional yeast (optional; you can purchase this at health food stores)

¼ tsp pepper

½ tsp salt
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F; place squash, cut side down on a small baking sheet or casserole dish. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. Pour in about ¼ cup water and roast for an hour. Let cool then scoop out the inside and place in a medium bowl.

2. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a pot; add half the onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes; add kale, half the rosemary and half the salt and pepper, sauté until leaves become soft and pliable, about 7 minutes (or cook to desired doneness). Remove from pot and set aside in a separate dish.

3. Heat remaining 1 Tbsp oil in pot; add the remaining onion and sauté about 5 minutes, reduce heat and add garlic, remaining rosemary and thyme; sauté about 1 minutes, add pumpkin puree, milk, nutritional yeast and remaining salt and pepper. Simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Pour over spaghetti squash and toss to coat; top with walnuts. Serve with sautéed kale.

Estimated Nutrition Info

6 Servings (serving size will vary with size of spaghetti squash and amount of kale)
Amount Per Serving

Calories 178.7
Total Fat 9.5 g
Saturated Fat 1.2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3.1 g
Monounsaturated Fat 3.8 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 179.1 mg
Potassium 648.9 mg
Total Carbohydrate 21.4 g
Dietary Fiber 6.8 g
Sugars 5.4 g
Protein 6.8 g

Vitamin A 453.5 %
Vitamin B-12 33.3 %
Vitamin B-6 138.3 %
Vitamin C 99.8 %
Vitamin D 4.2 %
Vitamin E 19.7 %
Calcium 17.0 %
Copper 19.8 %
Folate 24.3 %
Iron 13.4 %
Magnesium 14.9 %
Manganese 47.3 %
Niacin 78.7 %
Pantothenic Acid 8.6 %
Phosphorus 13.6 %
Riboflavin 149.7 %
Selenium 11.1 %
Thiamin 169.6 %
Zinc 10.5 %

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

Fall Panzanella with Kale and Cranberry Walnut Bread

Dairy Free, Dressing, Egg Free, Favorites, Lighter Fare, Quick and Easy, Raw, Salad, Soy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian No Responses »

Oct 072011

Happy Friday

Just a super quick post because I miss ya.

And ‘cause I threw this together for a pot luck at work and I got lots of requests for the recipe.

And ‘cause I’m proud of myself for throwing together a season appropriate recipe that people actually liked that had kale.

I don’t think everyone knew it was kale though. Someone called it kelp.

He said; “Like from Sponge Bob.” “I didn’t think I would like it since I usually eat iceberg lettuce but it was really good.”

I said; “Ha! You just ate KALE.”

And please don’t hate me but I didn’t do the nutrition info on this one. If I get a spare minute I will go back and do it and update the recipe.

XOXO
Dawn

Sorry about the iphone photo. I didn’t make the salad until I was at work!

Fall Panzanella with Kale and Cranberry Walnut Bread

Serves about 10 1 cup servings. This is totally estimated.

Dressing Inspired by Forks Over Knives 3-2-1 dressing
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 large bag pre-cut and washed kale
1/3 red onion, sliced thinly
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1 apple, sliced
1 pear, sliced
½ loaf cranberry walnut bread, sliced, toasted and cut into cubes

Dressing (This will make a bit extra.)
6 Tbsp good quality balsamic vinegar
4 Tbsp coarse ground mustard
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp maple syrup
Sea salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Place kale and onions in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients together. Pour about ¾ of the dressing into the kale and onions and massage about 30 seconds or longer until the kale wilts to desired texture; top with cranberries, walnuts, apple, pear and bread. Put the remaining dressing off to the side for anyone who may want extra.

Crunchy Kale Fattoush

Dairy Free, Dressing, Salad, Soy Free, Vegetarian No Responses »

Sep 122011

I do believe I have discovered the dressing secret of my favorite salad at Mandaloun Mediterranean. It is tart, tangy, sweet perfection and I think I figured it out by accident. On a whim, while at the St Augustine Farmers Market I decided I would make a version of the fattoush salad with the organic kale I had just bought. I got all the fresh herbs I would need, twice-baked my own pita chips for superb crunch, ruby red tomatoes, red onion instead of radish and Forks Over Knives 3-2-1 dressing recipe of 3 Tbsp vinegar, 2 Tbsp mustard and 1 Tbsp sweetener of choice (now my favorite oil-free dressing).

How did I discover the secret of the dressing you ask? (Especially when theirs is laden with so much oil, as restaurants are known to do, and I have failed at my fattoush attempts in the past.)

I decided to try a reduction with the 3-2-1 dressing and when I tasted it, I knew I had hit gold.

It is almost an exact match, but oil free; tart, tangy, sweet and rich. Oh baby it is SOOO good. I was dipping kale leaves in and munching like they were potato chips.

Here is what I did.

Crunchy Kale Fattoush

Salad inspired by Mandaloun Mediterranean and dressing inspired by Forks Over Knives 3-2-1 dressing pp.118

Serves 4-5

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 bunch curly kale, washed and de-stemmed**

1 bunch fresh mint

1 bunch fresh parsley

1 bunch fresh oregano

1/2 red onion

2 large tomatoes, seeded

1 15oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed or about 1 1/5 cups cooked

1 cup pita chips, (bake your own from fresh pita*** or use Stacy’s Pita Chips)

Dressing

6 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

3 Tbsp mustard

1 1/2 Tbsp maple syrup

Directions

1. Heat the vinegar, mustard and syrup in a small pan to just boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring regularly, until reduced by half and has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and cool.

2. Meanwhile, chop kale and set in a large bowl. De-stem and chop mint, parsley and oregano finely and set aside (do not mix in with kale yet). Chop onion and tomato and set with herbs.

3. Once balsamic mixture has cooled, pour over kale and massage in until it begins to wilt a bit; about 30 seconds. Add herbs, onion, tomato and chickpeas; season with salt and pepper, toss salad to mix. Top with pita chips.

**Romaine can be used in place of the spinach; do not massage dressing in first. Add all ingredients together except pita chips and toss to mix. Add pita chips and serve.

***To bake your own pita chips, preheat oven to 250F, cut edges from pita and separate sides. Spray with cooking spray and lay rounds directly on oven racks, start checking at 10 minutes as different areas of the oven may brown faster, remove from oven, break up, season, place on tray and re-bake 3 minutes or until super crunchy. Keep a close eye so they don’t burn.

Nutrition Information
5 Salads (Including 4 oz Stacy Pita Chips)
Amount Per Serving

Calories	281.4
Total Fat	5.7 g
Saturated Fat	0.6 g
Polyunsaturated Fat	0.8 g
Monounsaturated Fat	3.5 g
Cholesterol	0.0 mg
Sodium	483.6 mg
Potassium	618.3 mg
Total Carbohydrate	50.5 g
Dietary Fiber	8.1 g
Sugars	6.4 g
Protein	9.7 g

Vitamin A	446.6 %
Vitamin B-12	0.0 %
Vitamin B-6	30.4 %
Vitamin C	140.5 %
Vitamin D	0.0 %
Vitamin E	7.6 %
Calcium	15.6 %
Copper	20.8 %
Folate	19.5 %
Iron	21.3 %
Magnesium	14.1 %
Manganese	67.4 %
Niacin	6.0 %
Pantothenic Acid	4.3 %
Phosphorus	12.4 %
Riboflavin	9.4 %
Selenium	5.3 %
Thiamin	9.2 %
Zinc	9.7 %
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

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

Dairy Free, Dressing, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Lighter Fare, Low Cal, Quick and Easy, Raw, Salad, Six Ingredients or Less, Vegetarian 19 Responses »

Apr 282011

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 cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp raw honey
2 cloves garlic

Directions

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.
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.

Kale and Kohlrabi Salad with Miso-Tahini Dressing and Step Number Two in Mindful Eating

Dairy Free, Dressing, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Lighter Fare, Low Cal, Raw, Salad, Soy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian 15 Responses »

Apr 082011

The first step in my journey to mindful eating was realizing it is OK to be hungry every now and then. This is a daily struggle for me. The weekends have proved to be extremely hard when it comes to not eating when I’m not hungry. I was going to blame my social engagements last weekend but I know it’s all me.

I drink wine. I eat. Especially chocolate.

During this second week though, I found it much easier to be mindful after having practiced the previous week and realizing I won’t actually die if I’m a little hungry. I will be interested to see how this weekend goes.

This leads me to step number two in this journey.

Step number two is learning even more about my body and what it is trying to tell me. In order to do this I need to eliminate common allergens such as dairy, wheat and tough-to-digest foods like meats for a period. Then, after the detoxification period, as I slowly add the foods back I will know what the effects of each type of food are on my body.

I’ll admit, when my friend Michelle mentioned her detox program starting May 1st, I initially decided not to participate because I didn’t want to give up wine for 21 days. Don’t judge, I know it’s bad.

What changed my mind was waking up at 3AM last Friday night (or technically that is Saturday) not sleeping after a work happy hour. I still got to bed by 9:30 mind you, but after a few glasses of wine I don’t ever sleep well. Add the stress of the week on top of the alcohol I was wide awake with a headache knowing I would have to be up bright and early with a very active 2 year old. Warm milk didn’t even help. It was at that time that I emailed Michelle that I would like to join. I’ve never done a detox and I like trying new things so why not?

The gist of it will be simply clean and whole foods. Fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts and seeds, maybe a few eggs and fish, healthy fats. Sounds like something we have heard of right? A Mediterranean diet!

And this is most definitely NOT a fast because I wouldn’t last two hours on a fast.

Luckily I follow this sort of thing pretty closely so the main changes I will make over three weeks will only be cutting sugar, dairy, meats, alcohol and caffeine. (I found an amazing organic herbal, low acid and caffeine free coffee that I will do a product review on soon!)

I’m now so excited about the detox that I have already started thinking of clean recipe ideas like this Kale and Kohlrabi Salad with Miso Tahini Dressing.

Kale and Kohlrabi Salad with Miso-Tahini Dressing

Estimated 6 (1 1/2 cup) servings

***2 WW Pts Plus

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Dressing

(Note: If you like lots of dressing you might want to double this.)

2 Tbsp tahini

2 tsp miso (I used light)

1 Tbsp agave

1 Tbsp rough chopped ginger

1 clove garlic

2 Tbsp water

Garlic powder, to taste

1 bunch kale

1 orange bell pepper, seeded and sliced

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1 cup chopped, cubed kohlrabi

Directions

1. Mix tahini through water in a small blender and blend until smooth. Pour mixture over kale and massage.

2. Add bell pepper, kohlrabi and green onion. Season with garlic powder.

3. Mix well by hand.

Nutrition Facts
6 Servings
***2 WW Pts Plus
Amount Per Serving

Calories 86.8
Total Fat 3.2 g
Saturated Fat 0.4 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.4 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.0 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 96.1 mg
Potassium 342.7 mg
Total Carbohydrate 13.3 g
Dietary Fiber 3.8 g
Sugars 3.8 g
Protein 3.6 g

Vitamin A 296.4 %
Vitamin C 169.1 %
Copper 14.3 %
Manganese 28.2 %

Kale Salad with Beets, Beet Greens and Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Dairy Free, Dressing, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Quick and Easy, Salad, Soy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian 12 Responses »

Feb 282011

I returned from my camping trip to Savannah around noon yesterday and had just enough time to unload and clean the camper, get some laundry done, make a big salad and get ready for the next day so no camping and culinary adventure photos yet…I hope to have them up tonight or tomorrow. In the mean time here is a simple and super tasty salad.

Today’s Eat. Live. Be. is about portion sizes and how we control them. Here is what I do when it comes to trying to stick with the correct portion of meats, grains or dairy. I don’t limit fresh vegetables or fruits.

1. Use smaller plates. I eat all meals off app size plates.

2. I measure all foods until I am able to estimate by sight.

3. Chopsticks are my best friend because they help me eat slower and I have come to actually prefer it.

4. I bought an electronic food scale for when I happen to bake or need to measure any ingredient out very accurately.

5. When dining out I try to leave half the meal to take home.

What are your tips and tricks for controlling portion sizes?

Kale Salad with Beets, Beet Greens and Apple Cider Vinaigrette
At this point you either love me or are not very happy with me, not one bit. I tend to find people feel about beets like they do about cilantro. They either love them or hate them.

The good news is that I think I’ve converted my mom to the dark side. Or should I say, the dark red side. Waaaahhahahaa.

Ahem. For those of you that are beet haters just put on your earmuffs and I promise the next recipe won’t have beets. Maybe. Or if you like kale just omit the beets and make a bit pot o’ kale. Hey I love kale just as much so I’m not saying a word if you want to go this route.

So here was my deal though. I got some gorgeous kale from my farm and then had just bought some gigantic beets too and then I came across this recipe at Linden Tea; one of my favs. Megi made a winter salad that I had most of the ingredients for so I told her I was definitely going to make it.

This was the recipe that converted my mom.

Kale Salad with Beets, Beet Greens and Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Slightly altered from Linden Tea
**3 WW Pts Plus

6 Servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients
3 large beets, greens reserved and chopped
1 bunch kale, de-stemmed and chopped
Coarse sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Dressing
1 Tbsp agave (or honey)
1/4 apple cider vinegar, I used BRAGG
1 Tbsp whole grain mustard
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Optional Topping: Pine Nuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Clean and wrap beets in foil. Bake directly on rack for 1 hour (be sure to wrap them well with the opening of the foil to the top as they tend to leak); peel, cool and rough chop then add to large bowl. Add beet greens and kale. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Whisk dressing ingredients in a small bowl and pour over kale mixture. Mix well. Add pine nuts if desired.

Nutrition Facts
6 Servings
***3 WW Pts Plus
Amount Per Serving

Calories 105.4
Total Fat 5.0 g
Saturated Fat 0.7 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.6 g
Monounsaturated Fat 3.4 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 133.8 mg
Potassium 535.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate 14.6 g
Dietary Fiber 4.1 g
Sugars 8.3 g
Protein 3.1 g

Vitamin A 260.6 %
Vitamin B-6 8.9 %
Vitamin C 73.3 %
Vitamin E 8.9 %
Calcium 9.6 %
Copper 11.1 %
Folate 18.5 %
Iron 10.2 %
Magnesium 11.2 %
Manganese 32.4 %
Niacin 3.5 %
Pantothenic Acid 1.9 %
Phosphorus 5.7 %
Riboflavin 7.4 %
Selenium 3.2 %
Thiamin 5.5 %
Zinc 3.3 %

Curried Chickpea Stew

Dairy Free, Egg Free, Gluten Free, Low Cal, Vegan, Vegetarian No Responses »

Jan 042011

My original idea for this slow cooker recipe came from Heather at Where’s the Beach. She did a wonderful black eyed pea mixture for the new year. I busted out the crock pot and somehow this recipe is what I ended up with. No idea how I went the curry route but nonetheless it came out delicious and healthy!

Curried Chickpea Stew

About 8 hearty 1 cup servings

***5 WW Pts Plus

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato, chopped

2 small onions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 small squash such as calabaza or acorn, peeled, seeded and cubed

2 cans no salt added garbanzo beans, drained

1 can no salt added fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained

1 bunch kale, rougly chopped

2 bay leaves

1 Tbsp curry powder

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp salt

Fresh ground pepper, to taste

1 tsp tumeric

1 carton low sodium vegetable broth

Directions

1. Add the sweet potato through kale in the slow cooker. Mix the curry through tumeric in a small bowl; sprinkle evenly over vegetable mixture. Pour broth over and mix.

2. Cook on low, 2 to 3 hours or until vegetables are soft.

Nutrition Facts
(This is an average. Amounts will vary with size of veggies)
8 Servings
Amount Per Serving

Calories 196.8
Total Fat 1.5 g
Saturated Fat 0.2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.6 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.2 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 336.9 mg
Potassium 399.5 mg
Total Carbohydrate 39.8 g
Dietary Fiber 6.4 g
Sugars 2.3 g
Protein 10.2 g

Vitamin A 321.8 %
Vitamin B-12 0.0 %
Vitamin B-6 28.2 %
Vitamin C 72.2 %
Vitamin D 0.0 %
Vitamin E 3.9 %
Calcium 9.6 %
Copper 15.7 %
Folate 17.0 %
Iron 11.1 %
Magnesium 10.3 %
Manganese 46.0 %
Niacin 3.6 %
Pantothenic Acid 4.4 %
Phosphorus 10.5 %
Riboflavin 7.2 %
Selenium 4.6 %
Thiamin 6.1 %
Zinc 7.4 %

Sautéed Shrimp and Kale with Toasted Pine Nuts and Feta

BPBD - Before Plant Based Diet 4 Responses »

Jul 062010

I’m working on a recap of my amazing weekend but in the mean time here is a recipe!

This was one of those impromptu meals that came out so well I had to pat myself on the back about what a brilliant chef I am. Just ignore the fact that I am not actually a chef at this time but with this recipe maybe I have a chance! Anyone need a recipe developer or tester?? Hmm??

This particular healthy recipe came about from some organic kale I bought at the farmers market and some fresh shrimp from the supermarket. It tastes so rich with the sauce that is created from the warm aromatic onion and garlic, smooth white wine and bite of vinegar. I also loved the contrast in texture from the slightly chewy, soft sautéed kale and the crunchy toasted pine nuts.

As a round two recipe I added some whole wheat rotini and it worked perfectly to soak up all that deliciousness.

Sautéed Shrimp and Kale with Toasted Pine Nuts and Feta

Serves 4

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed

Greek dressing, to cover shrimp

1 Vidalia onion, chopped

2-3 Tbsp chicken broth or water

2 tsp minced garlic

1 bunch of fresh kale, washed, destemmed and chopped

Dash of semi-dry white wine

Handful of toasted pine nuts

1 tsp red wine vinegar

4 Tbsp feta cheese

Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Place the shrimp in a medium bowl and pour Greek or Italian dressing over, toss to coat.

2. Spray a large, straight sided skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium high heat.

3. Add the onions and cook until soft, about five minutes. Add chicken broth or water as needed to keep onions from sticking. Add the garlic and cook an additional minute.

4. Place the shrimp in the pan and cook for about a minute until first side begins to turn pink. Turn to second side and top with kale. Cover and cook an additional two minutes.

5. Pour a dash of white wine to the pan and stir to combine shrimp and kale mixture. Cook two more minutes.

6. Remove pan from heat and stir in handful of pine nuts and 1 tsp red wine vinegar.

7. Top each serving with 1 Tbsp feta cheese.