Nutty Tabouli & Raspberries

Here's my version of a fresh parley salad...

Nutty Tabouli with Raspberries

Salad:

• 1 large bunch parsley
• 1/2 small bunch cilantro 
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 cup hemp seeds
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/4 cup yellow onion, small dice
• 1 cup fresh raspberries

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/3 cup walnut oil
• 2 T olive oil
• 1/4 t sea salt
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• splash of maple syrup
• salt and white pepper, to taste

Make the salad:  Chop the parley and cilantro.  Add tomatoes, hemp seeds, walnuts and onions.  Mix thoroughly.

In a small (1-cup) food processor or blender, combine all of the ingredients and blend until smooth.  Pour over the salad, toss gently to mix well.  Serve salad with raspberries on top.

I will be serving this with a raw tomato basil soup and mint iced green tea.

Dessert:  Healthy Truffles!  Also a raw dish!

Memorial Day! Chicken Noodle Soup

Today was a nice relaxing day!  Worked out in the yard, made tacos for lunch, traveled into the mountains in the afternoon, made homemade Chicken Noodle soup for dinner and chilling out with my family tonight.  I love days like these!

Rick and I in Idaho Springs CO

Chicken Noodle Soup

1/4 cup onions, diced
1 T grapeseed oil
6 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine, Chardonnay
1/2 t dried thyme
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of cayenne
salt and white pepper to taste
1 pound chicken, 1" cubes
1/4 cup shredded carrots
2 handfuls of noodles
1/4 cup parsley, chopped

Saute onions in oil until translucent.  Add chicken stock and white wine and bring to a low simmer.  Add  thyme, nutmeg, cayenne, S&P and chicken.  Simmer until chicken is cooked through.  Add carrots and noodles.  Cook until noodles are done.  Add parsley just before serving.

Serves 6

Dirty Dozen/Clean 15

According to the Environmental Working Group it's best to buy only organic from this list due to the high amount of pesticides found in these foods...

DIRTY DOZEN

1. Celery
2. Peaches
3. Strawberries
4. Apples
5. Blueberries
6. Nectarines
7. Bell Peppers
8. Spinach
9. Cherries
10. Kale/Collard Greens
11. Potatoes
12. Grapes (Imported)

Clean 15 (Lowest in pesticides)

1. Onions
2. Avocado
3. Sweet Corn
4. Pineapple
5. Mangos
6. Sweet Peas
7. Asparagus
8. Kiwi
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Cantaloupe
12. Watermelon
13. Grapefruit
14. Sweet Potato
15. Honeydew Melon

Be sure to download the App for your phone so you'll have this handy reference guide when shopping at the market.

Simple Nutty Oatmeal

No time for breakfast?  This recipe will definitely change that attitude!  If you've got 5 minutes and a microwave this is for you!

Simple Nutty Oatmeal

1/4 cup rolled oats, Bob's Red Mill
1/2 cup Almond Mylk**, or store bought will work too
2 T walnuts, chopped
1/2 t cinnamon
splash of maple syrup

In a bowl add rolled oats and almond mylk.  Microwave on 60% for 2 1/2 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients and serve.  Serves 1.

**If you make your own milk, be sure you strain the nut meat for this recipe, otherwise, you will have a thick porridge like consistency.

Blueberry Yogurt Fruit Dip

Need a quick fruit dip?  Try this one.  Takes all of 3 minutes to prepare!

Blueberry Yogurt Fruit Dip

2 containers organic blueberry greek yogurt
1 t cinnamon
2 T hemp seeds

Stir all ingredients together and serve.

Makes 12 oz.

Saying "Thank You" through food!!!

Today 4 really nice college guys moved my oldest daughter into her new apartment.  So to say "thank you" I provided food.  After all, college guys gotta eat, right?  But I had to sneak in my "healthy" version of a cookout!!!  It worked!

I served...

Grass Fed Beef Hamburgers on Whole Wheat Buns
Organic Hot Dogs on Whole Wheat Buns
Broccoli and Baby Carrots with Avo-Hummus
Organic Blue Corn and Yellow Chips with Salsa Fresca
Sliced Watermelon
Grapes with Blueberry Yogurt Dip
Strawberries
Healthy Truffles
Blue Sky Sodas

It was funny because Ryan said he didn't like hummus but the Avo-Hummus was almost devoured!  Haha!  See, kids can eat healthy and don't even realize it!

Strawberry, Banana & Mango Smoothie

Smoothies are a quick and easy nutritious drink anytime of the day.

• 1 cup Mighty Mango by Naked Juice
• 1 banana
• 5-6 strawberries
• 1/2 bag of frozen tropical fruit by Whole Foods 365 brand (contains bananas, strawberries, mangos, and pineapple)
• 1 T agave nectar (optional)

• Place all ingredients into a blender (or Vitamix) and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Unsweetened Walnut Mylk

Unsweetened Walnut Mylk will be the perfect base for my Broccoli Walnut Soup!

I'm already soaking the nuts in the fridge right now!

Unsweetened Walnut Mylk

1 cup chopped walnuts, soaked for 2-3 hours (longer for whole walnuts)
4 cups filtered water


Drain and rinse walnuts.  Add walnuts and 4 cups filtered water in a Vitamix or blender.  Blend until smooth.  Strain through a fine strainer, cheese cloth or nut bag.  I use a strainer due to convenience.  Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.  However, if you're making soup or adding it to your morning oatmeal it'll be gone in no time!  

Walnuts is a good source of Omega 3s!  The Standard American Diet (aka SAD) is usually deficient in Omega 3s and too heavy on the Omega 6s.  Omega 3s reduces inflammation in the body and can aid in proper brain function.  Check out this link for more benefits for increasing your Omega 3s.

Tip for what to do with the nut meat...place is in a dehydrator until all the moisture is gone.  Place the walnut pieces in a food processor and process until a fine flour is achieved!  Wah-lah!  Walnut flour!!!

Almond "Mylk" is SOOOO simple to make!

No need to buy the boxed "mylks" any longer!  Make your own dairy free organic mylk in a matter of minutes.

Almond "Mylk"

1 cup organic whole almonds, soaked overnight
4 cups filtered water
1-2 T honey or agave
1/2 t almond extract

In a bowl of water soak the almonds in the fridge overnight.  In the morning, drain and rinse almonds.

Place almonds in the blender with 4 cups filtered water, honey and almond extract.  Blend until smooth.

It's your preference whether or not you choose to strain the mylk or not.  If you choose to strain it, strain through a couple of layers of cheesecloth to catch the nut meat.

Refrigerate for up to 3 days.  Makes 1 quart.

Kale Salad Filled Peppers with Raw Broccoli Salad

This Kale Salad was such a hit with my family a few weeks ago that I decided to fill it into peppers.  Very tasty!

Kale Salad Filled Peppers

Serves 6

1/3 cup sesame oil
2 T tamari
1 bunch kale, chopped
3/4 cup coconut
3/4 cup walnuts
1/2 cup edamame
2 cups cooked brown rice
6 multi-colored bell peppers
1 cup chicken stock

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a jar add sesame oil and tamari.  Place lid on jar and shake until well blended.

In a bowl add kale coconut walnuts and edamame.  Drizzle 2/3'rds of oil and tamari and toss gently.  Place kale onto a sheet pan.  Roast in oven for 15 minutes.

Add kale mixture to cooked rice.  Add the remaining of the oil and tamari dressing.  Toss gently.

Slice tops off of the peppers and remove seeds and membranes.   Add kale mixture to the inside of each pepper.  Place the tops back on loosely.  Place stuffed peppers into a casserole dish and pour about 1 cup of chicken stock in the bottom of the dish.  Cover with parchment paper and then another layer of aluminum foil.  Bake for 40 minutes.  Uncover and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until peppers are tender and filling is hot.

Serve hot.

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Gingerbread Spiced Pancakes - adapted from Sunday's posting...

Today I adapted the Honey Spiced Almond Pancakes and added molasses and hemp seeds.  Also, had to wing it a bit.  Only had 1 T of maple syrup but mixed it with raw honey and about a dime's worth of molasses.  TASTY!!!

You could make these up ahead of time and freeze them.  Pop each in the toaster for a quick and easy breakfast.  Be sure to use whole wheat pastry flour and not the regular whole wheat flour.  I find it makes fluffier pancakes.  Next I'm testing a gluten free using either coconut flour or almond flour.

Centro Boulder = YUMMY!!!

Today my husband and I took a drive in the beautiful Rocky Mountains and ended up shopping along Pearl Street in Boulder.  We were hungry and decided to eat at Centro.  I highly recommend this place!!!  Be sure to get the Avocado Salsa with Crab and the Sopa Azteca!  We will definitely visit this restaurant again!!!

Centro Latin Kitchen in Boulder

The Avocado Salsa recipe would be something like this...

Fresh Avocados, large chunks
Pico de Gallo, fresh
Lime juice
Olive Oil
Cilantro and possibly some fresh basil
S&P to taste
Fresh Crab on top

It's a wonderful chunky salsa that is served with Tortilla Chips with Lime and Salt.

Spiced Honey Almond Pancakes with Maple Syrup and Apples

Start your day right with this SUPER easy pancake recipe!

Spiced Honey Almond Pancakes with Maple Syrup and Apples

Serves 4  (10 minutes)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 T apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 T honey 
• 3/4 t baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t cinnamon
• 1/4 t ginger
• 1/8 t cloves
• 1 egg
• 1 T butter, melted
• 1 T butter for cooking pancakes

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine almond milk and apple cider vinegar in a medium mixing bowl and set aside to "sour". 
2. Combine flour, honey, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in a mixing bowl.
3. Whisk egg and butter into "soured" milk.  Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are gone.  
4. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and melt 1 T butter.  Using a gravy ladle, pour batter onto the skillet to about a 3" size pancake.  Cook until bubbles appear on the surface.  Gently flip with a spatula and cook until browned on the other side.
5. Serve with warm maple syrup, toasted almonds and sliced apples.

Kitchen is all painted and ready to cook!

So the new fridge led to new paint colors, 3 to be exact, and curtains.  Now that the kitchen is all cleaned up I'm ready to get cooking again!!!!!

Blue and Green Simple Salad

This is a super simple salad that's sure to please!  Most recipes are described by the ingredients but this time I felt it would be fun to colorize it.  Blue and green just go together like grass and sky.  The parmesan represents the clouds in the sky.  Look to nature for your next culinary inspiration!

Blue and Green Simple Salad

2 cups romaine greens, chopped
1 zucchini, halved and sliced
1/2 cucumber, diced
1 small container blueberries
1/4 cup shaved parmesan cheese

In a bowl, mix all ingredients together.  Add a drizzle of your favorite vinaigrette.

Miso Marinade for Seafood

Last night I decided to marinate some salmon.  Baked it and served it over a Mache salad with a citrus shallot sauce and garnished it with almonds and orange supremes.  It was pretty tasty!  Sorry...no leftovers were available.

Here's the recipe for the marinade.  You can use it for any type of seafood or chicken.  I would recommend marinating the seafood for about 1 hour.  Chicken would take a bit longer.

Miso Marinade

1/2 cup white wine (I used Sauv. Blanc)
2 T dried chives, fresh would be recommended but I only had dried on hand
1 T white miso
1 T tamari or soy sauce
2 T almond butter
1 T peeled and minced fresh ginger

In a shallow baking dish, whisk together all ingredients.  Add fish to the marinade and turn to coat.  Cover and plate in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours, turning the fish occasionally.

Grill or bake fish.  Garnish with fresh herbs and toasted sliced almonds.

Adapted from The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook

Frittata for Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner

Frittata's are so easy to make.  I usually make one once or twice a week.  This recipe serves two or maybe just one if you're really hungry!

If you're making one for breakfast, go ahead and prep the night before to keep things super simple the next morning.  Prep time is only 5 minutes so don't stress over it.

For lunch, it's perfect with a small salad and fruit (as shown).  Dinner?  Add some blueberry sausage from Whole Foods to complement the dish if you gotta have your meat.

Zucchini, Sweet Potato and Mushroom Frittata

Preheat oven to broil.

Saute in an 8" skillet...
1 T butter
1/2 shallot, sliced

add just until fragrant (20 seconds)...
1 clove garlic, minced

In a mixing bowl, whisk...
4 eggs

add to eggs...
1/3 cup zucchini, grated
1/3 cup sweet potato, grated
2 button mushrooms, rough chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 T fresh herbs, (basil or thyme works well)

Add egg mixture to skillet, stir gently just until set.  Grate about 2 T Gruyere cheese on top and put just under the broiler.  Broil for about 5 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve immediately.

Today I served this with a small Mache salad and fresh red raspberries.

Serves 2

Herbed Pork Tenderloin is so easy to make!!!

This recipe is super simple!  Give it a try!

1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed
salt and pepper
1 cup chopped fresh herbs, choose a variety from sage, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, mint...the sky's the limit here!  Be creative
2 T olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Trim silver-skin and extra fat off of the pork tenderloin.  Chop herbs.  Season pork with salt and pepper and roll into herbs so the pork it totally coated with the herbs.  Massaging helps.

In an oven proof pan heat heat oil over medium heat.  Lightly brown pork but be careful not to burn the herbs.  Medium to medium low heat is critical here!  Once you have a nice golden pork place the pan in the oven to finish cooking.  Bake for 20 minutes or until the internal temp reaches 165.

Remove from oven and place pork on a cutting board.  Cover with parchment paper and then a towel to let the meat rest for about 10 minutes.

Slice on the bias and serve with your favorite sauce.  Goes great with Cranberry Orange with Caramelized Shallot Sauce.

Orange Walnut Vinaigrette reinvented...

Refer to yesterday's post for the Orange Walnut Vinaigrette but use it for a chicken marinade instead of salad dressing.  Add a few sliced oranges on the grill with the chicken and you've repurposed the vinaigrette.  Most marinades in the stores contains high fructose corn syrup.  That's one ingredient that I simply won't tolerate in my kitchen!!!

Orange Walnut Vinaigrette

I went hiking in the mountains with my middle daughter, Melanie, today.  As we were hiking back down the mountain she mentioned that she was hungry and began planning dinner.  I knew I had salad greens in the fridge and then decided to make my own vinaigrette with oranges and walnut oil.  So when we returned home the plan was executed.  Here is the recipe:

Orange Walnut Vinaigrette

Juice of 1 fresh squeezed orange (about 2-3 oz)
4-5 oz walnut oil
1 T maple syrup
1 T fresh thyme, chopped
Salt and White Pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a jar with a lid.  Shake until well mixed.  Serve.  Keeps in the fridge for 1 week.

Drizzle vinaigrette over your favorite greens, add 1 T hemp seeds and shaved parmesan cheese.  YUM!

This is a mild vinaigrette, if you prefer it to be more acidic add a splash of raw apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar.
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Bonus:  Pics from my hike today!  I LOVE hiking in the Rockies!!!  We hiked 5 miles today!

Banana Molasses Muffins

I gotta give proper credit for this recipe to Anjas Food 4 Thought Blog!  I'm attending a party tomorrow morning and this is what I'm taking.  It's a healthier alternative to the mainstream muffin.  THEY ARE YUMMY and family approved!!!

Cranberry Orange Sauce with Caramelized Shallots

Here is the recipe I used for my final exam yesterday.

• 1 1/2 T butter
• 1 shallot -- thinly sliced
• 1 T balsamic vinegar
• 2 T minced fresh rosemary
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup orange juice, fresh squeezed
• zest of 1 orange
• 10 oz frozen cranberries
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 T maple syrup
• 1/4 t pepper

Melt the butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Add the shallots and cook for about three minutes, until translucent. Add 1 tablespoon of the balsamic vinegar and the rosemary, and cook until caramelized.
This takes about 10-15 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the berries have burst and sauce is thickened, about 20-30 more minutes. Cool to room temperature and serve. Can be made in advance and refrigerated, but bring back to room temperature before serving.

Final Exam

Today was my final exam.  The criteria was to prepare a protein, grain, sauce and veggie dish which may include a salad.  We were also to demonstrate to the Chef 4 different kind of knife cuts, plate and serve the Chef in 2 hours.  I finished 20 minutes early!!!

My menu consisted of...

• Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin
• Cranberry Orange w/Caramelized Shallot Sauce
• Brown Rice Pilaf with Basil and Toasted Walnuts
• Apple Mint Salad dressed with a Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette

This was the dish I served to Chef Lynda

This was what I served to my classmates.

Kale Salad

Kale Salad w/Coconut Chicken

Tonight I made the Kale Salad from Heidi Swanson's new cookbook "Super Natural Every Day".  I HIGHLY recommend this recipe.  I added toasted walnuts and coconut chicken for a complete meal but it's totally optional.  

I was testing out this recipe for our graduation.  We're making about 10 hors d'oeuvres and thought we would stuff mushrooms with this salad and top it with a little parmesan cheese.  Broiled to perfection!

Did you know that Kale is one of the most nutrient dense veggies on the planet!  Check out this web site for more details...

http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=38

Today's Lunch!

Today I had leftovers for lunch.  Broccoli Almond Soup with Fruit and Honey Spiced Walnuts!  YUM!!!

Graduation!

Graduation is almost here!  Next Wednesday I will be a Certified Natural Foods Chef!  The journey the last 16 weeks has been simply amazing and life transforming.  Three items you WON'T find in my kitchen are white flour, white sugar and hydrogenated oils.  YUK!

It is my goal to post my journey as a new chef along with recipes that I test in my kitchen.  I strive to cook nutrient dense foods bursting with flavor.  I'm hoping I can keep up with this blog daily!!!