Perfect Balsamic Vinaigrette (gluten free, vegan)

One of my favorite ways to make sure that I get enough veggies everyday is by keeping a big box of pre-washed salad greens in my fridge (arugula and baby kale are our go-to’s) along with a jar of yummy homemade dressing. I made this (perfect) balsamic vinaigrette last week and I have been loving it drizzled over a bed of greens, chopped cucumber, red bell peppers, fresh cilantro (my favorite) and organic turkey. Sometimes I throw some organic Kingdom white cheddar on there too if I’m feeling bold (I buy it at Costco). This dressing is tangy, slightly sweet and whips up in the blender in a matter of seconds. Enjoy it on both raw and cooked veggies, tossed with garbanzos and fresh herbs, or as a marinade for meat or tofu.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 clove garlic

1/4 tsp Himalayan pink salt

1 tsp fresh lemon zest

5 turns of the pepper mill 

DIRECTIONS

Place all ingredients into the blender and process until completely smooth. Store in a tightly covered glass jar in the fridge.

Garlicky Chickpeas with Artichokes & Greens (gluten free, dairy free)

I’ve been making a version of this dish for many years, and what goes into it often depends on my mood and truthfully, whatever ingredients I have on hand. Before we had kids Ben and I would eat it over pasta with lots of freshly grated parmesan, and then we ditched the cheese and pasta and it became our favorite thing to take to the beach when we moved to Hawaii. Lately It’s been one of my go-to dishes for potlucks, and a couple of weekends ago I think it reached a new level when I was making it to take to a friend’s house and discovered that I only had one can of chickpeas (gasp!). So I tossed in quartered artichoke hearts and I have to say that the addition of those liver-healthy nuggets inspired some pretty amazing mouth-sounds from the hostess. True to form I used kale as my greens and added plenty of chopped up bacon, but you can use any hearty green or even spinach and omit the bacon to make this 100% plant based. I usually employ canned organic chickpeas for this recipe because it’s often a last minute deal, but feel free to use homemade beans instead. Either way, I hope you try it and love it!

INGREDIENTS:

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

One 14 oz can garbanzo beans rinsed and drained (go for organic and look for a BPA free can) or about 2 cups cooked

4 large cloves garlic, minced

Zest of one lemon

1/4 -1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (to taste)

2-3 big handfuls chopped kale, collards, or spinach

6-8 slices of nitrate & nitrite free bacon, cooked until crispy and chopped (omit for plant based)

1 14 oz can artichoke hearts, water drained and hearts quartered

1/4 cup each of chopped fresh cilantro and fresh parsley

Juice of one lemon

1/2 tsp-1 tsp Himalayan pink salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in the garbanzo beans and the garlic and cook for about 5 minutes until the garlic is fragrant but not burned.

Add the lemon zest, red pepper flakes, and chopped greens and saute until the greens have wilted.

Stir in the artichoke hearts and bacon and toss gently to combine, allowing the artichoke hearts to warm through. Turn off the heat.

Add the fresh herbs, lemon juice, and salt to taste. Toss gently to combine and do a taste test. Add more extra virgin olive oil if it’s too tart or too dry. Adjust the salt or red pepper flakes if you want more of a punch. This recipe is really delicious and packs a ton of flavor, so if you’re not feeling it then make whatever alterations you need to really love it! Serve warm or at room temperature.

Grannies, Beets & Lacinato Kale Salad (vegan, paleo)

One of my favorite things about the summer season is getting together with family and friends, and all of the delicious food that goes along with it!  I love having a few go-to salads in my back pocket for picnics and barbeques that I know I can execute perfectly, even at the last minute.  This Beet, Kale, and Granny Smith Apple Salad features crisp, fresh flavors that are just perfect for a hot summer day.  Roasting the beets really brings out their sweetness, and my tangy Honey Mustard Dressing ties everything together into perfect harmony.  You can easily make this ahead of time by prepping each component separately a day or two in advance, and then just toss everything together right before serving.

INGREDIENTS:

Honey Mustard Dressing:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 tbsp Dijon or stone ground mustard

3 tsp honey

1/4 tsp salt- more or less to taste

5 turns of the pepper mill

1/2 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender, or whisk by hand, and set aside.  This dressing can be made several days in advance, and stored in an airtight container or mason jar in the fridge.

For the salad:

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, for roasting the beets

1/4 tsp sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 large or 2 small red beets, peeled and thinly sliced into 1/4 inch thick half rounds

1 large Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into 1 inch cubes

1 bunch of Lacinato kale or green curly kale, ribs removed

1/4 cup Honey Mustard Dressing

Start by tossing your sliced beets in the extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and a little freshly ground black pepper.  Make sure each piece is well coated, then arrange the beets in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  If you are using a large beet, you may want to cut the half moons into quarters, so that the pieces aren't too big. Roast the beets at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until fork-tender.  Remove from the oven, and let cool while you prepare the rest of your ingredients.

Whether you are using Lacinato kale, or regular curly kale, you’ll want to first rinse the leaves well, checking for any little critters that might be hiding on the back of the stalks.  Shake off the excess water, then remove the tough ribs.  Discard the ribs, roughly the chop the leaves into bite sized pieces, and place the cut kale in a large mixing bowl.  If you have a lot of excess water left on the kale, you can pass it through a salad spinner or use a clean kitchen towel or paper towels to remove the water.

Drizzle the kale with 1/4 cup of your prepared dressing, then get your hands in there and gently massage the leaves to break down the tough fibers.  Add in the chopped apple, toss to combine, then add in the cooled roasted beets, and toss again, making sure that the beets and apples are well coated with the dressing.  You can add more dressing to the mix if necessary.

Do a taste test, and add more dressing, lemon juice, or seasoning if needed.  Enjoy immediately, or cover tightly, and store in the fridge for later.  If you want to make this salad a day ahead of time, I recommend tossing the cut apples in a little bit of lemon juice to prevent them from browning.  To preserve the crispness of the kale and the apples, I would prep and store each component separately, then assemble the salad right before serving, to prevent the kale from getting soggy.

I hope you love this salad as much as I do!

With Aloha,

Fauzia

Wilted Kale with Orange & Ginger (paleo)

A dear friend of mine invited us over to her place yesterday for a lovely day-after-Thanksgiving get together.  Nikhil and Felix are good buddies with her two girls, so it turned out to be a fun playdate for the kids, and a relaxing afternoon for us adults. I had bought kale at the farmers market on Tuesday knowing that I wanted to make a hearty green salad for Friday's meal, but I was undecided about the specifics.  This warm, citrusy salad is what I threw together at the last minute as my offering to the table, and I thought that it turned out pretty tasty!  Oranges are back in season again, and they come together nicely with fresh ginger, golden onions, and a sprinkling of crispy bacon to create a fragrant kale dish that is both a little sweet and a little savory.

INGREDIENTS:

1 large bunch of kale

2 tbsp virgin coconut oil

1/3 cup thinly sliced yellow or white onion (shallots would work well too)

1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (you can also use mandarins or clementines)

1 tsp orange zest

2 1/2 tsp crushed ginger

1/4 cup chopped crispy bacon

sea salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Start off by cooking your bacon.  I already had some chopped bacon leftover from our Thanksgiving meal on Thursday, so I just threw that into my mix.  If you are starting from scratch, you'll need about 3 strips of bacon.  After the bacon is cooked, cooled, and chopped, prepare your kale by first washing it, then remove the tough stems from each stalk and roughly chop the leaves. Heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and add the onions to the pan.  Add a pinch of of salt to the onions, then saute until they are lightly browned.

Place the kale in the skillet, and drizzle another tablespoon of coconut oil and about 1/4 teaspoon of salt over the top.

It'll seem cumbersome in the skillet at first, but as the kale starts to wilt down, it'll get easier to stir.  Add in the fresh orange juice, orange zest, crushed ginger, and chopped bacon and give it a good stir. Once everything is incorporated and the kale is just wilted, remove it from the heat and do a taste test.  You can add more salt and even more orange juice or ginger to your liking.

I hope you enjoy this warming, wintery dish!

Lemony Kale & Apple Salad (vegan, paleo)

I am on a mission to eat more vegetables everyday.  Last year I met a registered dietician who told me that he eats ten servings of fresh fruits and vegetables each day.  Ten servings!  I'm not saying that I think we all need to consume that much produce every single day, but it did get me thinking about what I'm really eating on a daily basis.  While I try to get ample veggies into my diet (I read here that a good rule of thumb is to try to fill half your plate with fruit or vegetables at each meal), I'm not sure if this always happens.  It's pretty easy to just reach for a piece of fruit, but my goal is to consume more dark, leafy greens like collards, mustard greens, bok choy, chard, watercress, arugula, and kale.  I've found that the more greens I eat each day, the better I feel.  I have more energy, I crave less sugar, and my mood seems more mellow overall.  I got together with some friends over the weekend, and we ended up having a conversation about how kale is going to save the world (there's actually a t-shirt that makes this claim!).  Needless to say, my friends and I are kale fanatics, and rightfully so.  For starters, it's delicious sauteed with garlic, cooked into soups, baked into lasagna, blended into smoothies, marinated in salads, roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper, and oven-crisped to make kid-friendly kale chips.  And of course we've all heard about the magnificent health benefits of kale (you can read about these benefits here and here).  I have many kale recipes to share with you, but I thought that this simple, refreshing, easy-to-prepare salad is a great start.  Make a batch, keep it in your fridge, and snack on it throughout the day as a yummy way to get more fresh fruits and veggies into your life.

INGREDIENTS:

1 large bunch of kale (any variety will work, although I prefer green curly kale or Lacinato)

2 1/2 cups diced Fuji apple (about 2 small apples, or 1 1/2 large)

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

the zest of one lemon

1/2 tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste (I used 15 turns of my pepper mill. Omit for AIP)

Note: Whenever possible, I like to buy organically grown kale and apples to avoid the pesticides used on conventional varieties.

DIRECTIONS:

Wash your kale well to remove residual dirt, sand, and all of the little critters that love kale as much as we do.  I do this by rinsing each stalk individually front and back, and then I shake off the excess water.  You can also place your kale in a large bowl, fill it with cold water, then agitate the kale with your hands to loosen any debris.  Repeat this 3 times.  Drain the excess water from your washed kale  by giving it a few good shakes in a colander, or you can use a large salad spinner.

Remove the tough stems from your kale, roughly chop the leaves, and place them in a large mixing bowl.

You can easily "zip" the leaves from the stem by holding the stalk upside down, then grasp the end of the stem with one hand and use your other hand to pull the leaves down, separating them from the stem.

This is how much kale I got after removing the stems, and chopping the leaves with a large knife- around 8 cups.

Prepare your dressing by whisking together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper, and then pour this mixture over your kale.

Use your hands to give it all a good mix, then massage the kale leaves to help break down the tough fibers.  The volume of the kale will shrink considerably after doing this.

Add in the diced apple, mix again, and do a taste check for seasonings.

Make any necessary adjustments, then store your salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days (although I doubt it'll last that long!).

As you can probably tell, this is one of my favorite ways to eat kale.  What is yours?