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

Chicken, Artichoke & Kalamata Casserole (low carb, gluten free)

Happy new year!  I hope you enjoyed the holidays and that you're off to a healthy 2017.  We stayed home over the boys' winter break, just relaxing, playing, and Ben and I even got to sleep in a few times!

Although the holidays often go hand in hand with overindulgence, I thought I had been pretty good about not veering too far off of my usual eating plan.  Then last week I realized that I was always craving carbs, and my belly just looked and felt way bigger than it should.  Why? Because I had been eating more starches and sugar than usual, which make me so bloated that sometimes I look 5 months pregnant by the end of the day.  This is not normal!

I've been working with a functional diagnostic nutritionist for the last 6 months, and various testing revealed several gut abnormalities, which was not surprising at all.  I have struggled with digestion since I was 9 years old (I'm 40 now), and even though I know how to keep my stomach problems at bay, I've yet to fully heal my gut.  I've made major strides in the last 6 months, though, so I've been able to be a little more liberal with what I eat. Rice, brown rice noodles, gluten free pizza, chocolate Kind bars... these are all yummy treats for me, and once in a while is okay, but I had gotten to the point where I was eating one of them almost every day over the holidays.   And that resulted in a big old bloated belly.

So last week I decided it was time to make a change and kick my carb cravings to the curb.  I committed to doing a very low carb diet for 2 weeks to get rid of the bloat, cravings, and maybe even burn some belly fat (that's where it loves to accumulate on my body). The first 3 or 4 days were not that fun, but now on day 7 I'm feeling pretty good.  I've figured out how much healthy fat, protein, and veggies I need to feel satiated, and unlike the more extreme low carb diets, I am still eating organic berries and a little banana here and there, to keep my energy levels balanced.  I was amazed to see that after a couple of days, my bloating reduced by 50%, and by day 5, my carb cravings had really subsided.  I'm not saying that this is going to be my long term food plan, or that it'll heal my gut, but it's helping me get back to a healthier way of eating.  When the two weeks are up, I'll add in more fruit, low starch veggies like carrots, beets and winter squash, and some high quality extra dark chocolate as a treat.

It has also provided some insight into the extent of my starch intolerance.  I've discovered that I can tolerate moderate amounts of dairy in the form of organic butter and full fat cheese better than I can handle starches like rice and sweet potatoes. This validates my suspicion that I might have SIBO- Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth, which is what makes me so darn bloated when I eat starches.  A healthy small intestine doesn't have a lot of bacteria, but in the case of SIBO, the overgrown bacteria go haywire when you eat starches, and other fermentable carbohydrates.  They start digesting the food before your body gets a chance to, which can result in abdominal bloating, distention, gas, pain, belching, and other IBS symptoms.  I won't know for sure if I have SIBO until I do the testing for it in a month or so, which is my next and possibly most important step in healing my gut.  Is it weird that I can't wait to find out?  I'll keep you posted!

In the meantime, I'll leave you with this absolutely delicious chicken and veggie casserole.  It's creamy and comforting with a little kick, and I could eat it all day long.  I hope you enjoy it!

INGREDIENTS

serves 6

1 medium onion, diced

5-6 cloves garlic, minced

3 1/2 cups finely chopped cauliflower (about half a medium head)

3 tbsp Irish butter

2 small zucchini, cut into 3/4 inch cubes

2 cups cooked chicken thighs, chopped or shredded into bite size pieces

1 cup chopped artichoke hearts, about 8 (I used canned, but frozen works too)

2 cups grated organic white cheddar (I used Kingdom cheddar from Costco)

1/2 cup organic crème fraiche

2 tsp sea salt, more or less to taste

Black pepper to taste

1 cup pitted Kalamata olives, roughly chopped

3/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

10-20 dashes of Tabasco, more or less to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or saucepan over medium low heat, then add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add in the garlic and cauliflower, and 1/2 tsp salt, and continue to sauté until the cauliflower is just fork tender.  Add the zucchini and sauté for another 3 minutes or so.  Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining ingredients.  Give it a taste to check for seasonings, and make any necessary adjustments.  Grease a large casserole dish with butter (ceramic or Pyrex works best), then pour in the chicken and vegetable mixture.  Smooth out the top, then bake for about 30-35 minutes until golden and bubbly.  To keep this dish low carb, serve with a green salad or sauteed greens.  

To make the kale and carrot salad in the photo, follow the recipe for my Lemony Kale & Apple Salad, but use one grated large carrot instead of the apple.  Bon apetit!

Spicy Turkey Boats (paleo)

 We met some friends down at Waikiki a few weeks ago to share a dinner picnic and watch the Friday night fireworks, and these yummy, easy-to-pack turkey boats were my contribution to the spread.  I gathered up ingredients from my fridge and spice cabinet that I thought would go well together, and I have to say that the mix I came up with turned out to be one of my favorite things I've ever made. Bold statement, but it's true!  The citrusy notes of the lemon and coriander pairs nicely with the smokey cumin and bacon, and the ground turkey and kale provides a nutrient dense, mild background that really lets all of the flavors shine.  A final touch of spicy sweet sriracha gives just the right amount of kick, and the whole thing is so tasty that I could eat this for days. We spooned generous portions onto crisp romaine "boats" for a high protein, low carb starter, but it would be equally delicious paired with roasted root vegetables, your favorite gluten free grain, or on top of a salad of leafy greens and chopped crunchy veggies.

INGREDIENTS 

3 tbsp EVOO

1 pound organic ground turkey

1/2 large onion, diced

5 large cloves garlic

1.5 tsp coriander

1 tsp cumin

Zest of one lemon

1.5 tsp Himalayan salt

4 strips bacon cooked crisp then finely chopped

1 tbsp sriracha

Juice of 1.5 lemons (or 1 if it's very juicy)

4 large stalks of curly green kale, ribs removed and leaves chopped small

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Romaine heart leaves, washed and dried

DIRECTIONS 

In a Dutch oven or large skillet, brown the onions in the olive oil over medium heat, stirring frequently.  Add the turkey and garlic and cook until the turkey is no longer pink, breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon so that it crumbles. Add in the coriander, cumin, salt, lemon zest, bacon, and kale, and cook until the kale has completely wilted.  Turn off the heat and stir in the Sriracha, lemon juice and cilantro.  Check for seasoning and add more salt, lemon juice, or Sriracha if needed.  Let the mixture cool a bit before spooning it onto the lettuce boats. Enjoy!

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?