Leek and Potato Gratin

Last week I stopped by my local organic store and they had beautiful young leeks. I love the taste of leeks, it's sweeter and more delicate than onions. For a more sophisticated and subtle flavor use leeks in your recipes instead of onions. Leeks are full of dirt and sand. To clean them, cut each stalk in 1/4" inch thick slices. The slices will then have to be cleaned in a large bowl of cold water. Once the leeks are in the water, separate each ring from the slices and swish the pieces around in the bowl for a minute or two. Scoop the leeks out of the water. Do not strain or the dirt (which is now in the bottom of your bowl) will return to the leeks.

For the Gratin

2-3 tbsp olive oil

6 small leeks of about 1" inch diameter (or 3 big ones), cleaned and sliced to 1/4 inch thick

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

Approximately 2 cups of bechamel (see recipe below)

1 big Yukon Gold potato, sliced with your mandolin to approx. 1/8 inch thick

1 1/2 big sweet potatoes - sliced with your mandolin to approx. 1/8 inch thick

Homemade bread crumbs, using your favorite country bread (see directions below)

Few dots of butter

Preheat oven to 375 degree.

Heat a large non-stick skillet to medium. Add olive oil. When oil is hot but not smoking, add the leeks. Cook for approximately 3-5 minutes or until wilted. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30-60 seconds. Season with sea salt and pepper. Remove leeks from skillet and set aside. Coat a gratin dish with olive oil. Crush a big garlic clove with the side of your knife, peel it and rub it all over the gratin dish. Spread 1/2 cup of bechamel in the bottom on the gratin dish. Cover the bechamel with one layer of Yukon Gold potatoes, followed by one layer of leeks and one layer of the sweet potatoes. Repeat the same operation, starting with the bechamel, until you are out of ingredients finishing the layers with a very thin coat of bechamel (if it's too thick your bread crumbs will soak up the bechamel and your topping will be soggy). At this point, if you are a cheese lover, you can add some. Sprinkle with your homemade bread crumbs and place a few dots of butter over the top. Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes.

For the Bechamel

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

2 full tbsp flour (I used spelt flour but any other flour will do - try to stick to something whole and not processed)

2 cups of almond milk (but you can also use cow milk if desired)

1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Fresh thyme (leaves from 2-3 sprigs)

Sea salt and Pepper

Heat up a medium size pan over medium heat. Add the oil and butter. When butter is melted add the flour. Cook for 2-3 minutes (do not let the flour burn). Add the milk in a fine stream constantly stirring with a whisk. Do not let the sauce boil, it should be smoking but not boiling (you want it just before the simmering point). If the sauce starts to get thin, stop adding milk and stir until thick again. The sauce is ready when it coats a wooden spoon. Add nutmeg and thyme at the end when all the milk is incorporated to the flour. Season with sea salt and pepper. If your sauce is not thick, it might be because it boiled. Reduce the heat to just below the simmering point. In a small bowl, mix 1 tbsp of flour with 1/4 cup of cold milk. Whisk until smooth and add to your sauce. Stir until sauce gets thick.

For the breadcrumbs

Use 2-3 slices of your favorite country bread. Break into chunks of 2-3 inches. Transfer to your food processor and pulse a few times until your bread is chopped to pea size pieces.

Onion Pie and Garlicky Kale

I have had in mind to do an onion pie for a while. I was browsing through my recipe books and magazines in search of inspiration. I found a few but they were or too long or not healthy enough. So I added a bit of this, removed a bit of that, replaced this with that and...Voila! There it was, my very own onion pie :0). Like Julia Child used to say: The only real stumbling block in cooking is fear of failure. So I say; don't be scared to transform a recipe to your liking. I do it all the time. What are they going to do?? Fire you?? :)

Garlic: it is primordial in the kale recipe (and all recipes actually) that the garlic is added at the end and that it is not browned or burnt or it will loose it's flavor. Cook it on medium-low heat and add it only in the last 30-60 seconds of cooking.

For the Onion pie

Crust
1 1/2 cups of Spelt flour (or whole wheat or even white if you insist)
12 tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

Place flour in food processor. Add butter. Pulse 4-5 times or until mixture resembles bread crumbs. Add egg yolks. Pulse a few times until dough gathers together. Place dough on floured surface and form a ball. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes (but you can also cook it right away if you're in a rush - you just have better results when chilled). Pre-heat oven to 400F. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to line a 10-12 inch cast iron skillet, creating a border with the edges by folding dough over. Bake for 20 minutes, reduce heat to 325F and bake for about 15 minutes more or until the pastry is nice and gold. Remove from oven.

Filling
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 pound yellow onions, finely sliced
2/3 cup light cream
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Celtic salt and fresh ground pepper

Melt butter. Add onions and cook over low heat for 30 minutes. Do not let onions brown (not too much anyways). Mix the cream, eggs, nutmeg and seasonings. Place cooked onions in the baked crust, carefully pour in the egg mixture, and then return the pie to the oven to cook for 25-30 minutes. Server warm or cold.

For the kale
2-3 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp red crushed chili pepper
1 bunch of kale
1-2 tbsp dark balsamic vinegar
1 big garlic clove, minced
Celtic salt and pepper

Heat coconut oil in skillet on medium heat. Add chili pepper, cook for 20 seconds or until oil is flavored. Add kale. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until completely wilted. Add balsamic vinegar, cook until vinegar is evaporated. Add garlic, cook for 30-60 seconds (do not let the garlic brown). Add salt and pepper. Serve with onion pie.

Kale & Red Lentil Soup

If you've been following my blog, you already know that I am a huge fan of kale, and guess what comes with fall? That's right. Kale does. Ye!!
Since nothing compares to a hot bowl of soup during the cold days of fall, and since the Living Tree -my local organic produce supplier - hi Teresa! :0) - received some beautiful fresh kale, I had, had, absolutely had, to make a soup and eat it outside, with the sun shining on my face, all cuddled up under a blanket, sitting on my porch watching the birds and the squirrels getting ready for the cold weather.

2-3 tbsp of olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup of red lentil
1 quart of beef stock (or vegetable stock)
1 bay leave
6-8 baby potatoes, cubed 1/2"-inch
4-5 tomatoes (from can - preferably San Marzano), chopped
1 bunch of kale
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
Celtic salt and pepper

Heat olive oil on medium heat. Sautee onion until transparent, 3-4 minutes. Add lentils, beef stock (or vegetable stock) and bay leave. Cook on medium heat for 15 minutes. Add potatoes and tomatoes. Cook until potatoes are tender. Add kale and cook no more than 2-3 minutes or until wilted. Add garlic and season with salt and pepper.

Belgium Endive, Radishes and Baby Bella Salad

I know, I know, it's been like... for ever and ever, since I last posted a recipe. Not because I didn't want to. It's just how life goes sometimes, little set back that's all. But let me just say that it feels sooo good to be here, in my kitchen, creating a new recipe, taking my pictures and sharing it with you my favorite Mouth Teaser readers.

With this recipe, I feel like, deep down, I'm sadly holding on to the last summer days. The sweetness of the dressing makes the radishes a lot milder and sweeter than what you might think. Great salad with fish, chicken, pork, scrambled tofu or seared tempeh.

Salad

2 Belgium endives, chop crosswise

6-8 Baby Bellas, sliced

6-8 Radishes, sliced

6-8 Cherry tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise

1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds or other seeds or nuts of your choice (almonds would also work quite well)

1 Handful of mix fresh herbs of your choice, I used a mix of fresh parsley, thyme and oregano (careful with the oregano or it will take over)

Celtic Salt

Dressing

2 tblsp fresh lime juice
1 small jalapeno, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 ½ tsp honey or agave syrup
¼ tsp cumin
¼ cup canola oil
Celtic salt (or sea salt) and freshly ground pepper

Mix all salad ingredients in a large bowl. Toss dressing in salad just before serving.

Asian Salad

I have been wanting to post a recipe for the last two weeks but I just didn't have the time. Today I had a day off. Although I was suppose to work on my final assignment (I"m finishing a web design certificate), I decided to give priority to my blog and post a well overdue recipe for you my favorite Mouth Teaser readers, before you start to think that I forgot all about you or that I don't love you anymore :0)

I ate this salad just like this, by itself, nothing else. It was a nice light lunch. It would also be great with grilled chicken or pork for a more substantial meal.

Ingredients

Serves 2

Mix greens or frisee lettuce

1 carrot - julienned

1/2 cucumber - julienned

1 1/2 cup Bean Sprout

Green beans - Approximately 20 - blanched in salted water for 4 minutes and transfered to ice bath to stop cooking.

2 small red baby potatoes - cooked, cooled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

Place mix greens on plates. Mix carrots, cucumbers and bean sprouts and drizzle a bit of the dressing over them, mix to coat. Place over greens. Arrange green beans and baby potatoes on each side of the plates. Sprinkle each salad with toasted pumpkin seeds.

Dressing

Fresh Cilantro

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup

1 1/2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1/4 tsp red crushed chile pepper

Combine all ingredients and mix well.

Lemon and fresh Fennel Salsa

This is a great salsa that works very well with any kind of white fish. It's crispy, sweet, sour, cool, fresh and summery! I dusted some grouper fillets with a mixture of Quinoa flour, lemon zest, freshly grated Pecorino-Romano, salt and pepper and sauteed them in a bit of olive oil until nice and brown. Fish, salsa and a crispy green salad with fresh herbs and a light lemon dressing turned out to be a very simple, yet elegant and satisfying dinner.

Ingredients

• 1/2 small fennel bulb (reserve some of the leaves), cut in half lengthwise, cored and cut in thin slices crosswise
• 2 small lemons, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, and cut again lengthwise to have thin half moons
• 1/2 medium cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded (I like to use a spoon to scrape the seeds) and cut thinly crosswise
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, chopped (with or without seeds)
• 10 big green olives, cut in half lengthwise, than cut thinly lengthwise
• 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
• 2 tbsp of the reserved fennel leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Combine everything in a mixing bowl and marinate for approximately 20 minutes before serving. Oranges would be a nice addition to this salsa, it was actually my original idea but I was out of oranges.

Let me know how you like it!

Addendum for the No Bake Blueberry Pie

Please add 1/2 cup of fresh Blueberries to the list of "Filling ingredients" to blend. You still need the 2 pints of fresh blueberries for the topping. See corrected recipe below.

Since the corrected recipe is not being emailed I thought I would create a new post (this one) to let you know. Voila!

Also see the Note on Coconut Oil (at the end of the original-revised recipe ;0))

Sorry about that people!

Mimi

No Bake Blueberry Pie

Here's why you should try this recipe:

• It's delicious
• It's fast and easy to put together
• It's a no bake recipe. Who needs an oven when it's so hot outside!
• It's all raw, so you have all the vitamins and nutrients
• It's gluten and lactose free
• It's packed with only super healthy ingredients
• It's a 100% guilt free dessert
• Because of the blueberries: In laboratory animal studies, researchers have found that blueberries help protect the brain from oxidative stress and may reduce the effects of age-related conditions such as Alzheimer's disease or dementia. Researchers found that diets rich in blueberries significantly improved both the learning capacity and motor skills of aging animals, making them mentally equivalent to much younger ones.

Crust

1 3/4 cups of almonds

2 tbsp of lemon zest

2 cups of pitted dates

Place almonds and lemon zest in food processor until mixture resemble tiny little peas (you want some crunch). Remove almonds and set aside. Add dates to food processor and pulse until you get a paste like texture. Add almonds mixture to dates and process until well combined. Dust pie dish with flour to prevent dough from sticking (you can also line your pie dish with some plastic wrap if your intention is to serve it on a pretty platter). Press dough in the bottom of your pie dish. I like to use a glass or a cup and use it to press all over the bottom and sides of my dough. The result is a tighter and more even crust. Set dough aside until filling is ready.

Filling

3 cups of Cashews, soaked for 2 hours

1/2 cup of fresh blueberries

1/2 cup of amber agave syrup (maple syrup would also work)

Juice of 3 limes (approximately 1/2 cup - taste and adjust quantity of lime juice to your liking)

3/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil, melted (coconut is a very healthy fat, for more info please read: http://www.coconut-connections.com/res2.htm)

1/4 cup of water (add a little more if your filling is too thick - your filling should be like a thick smoothie)

2 tsp of vanilla extract

2 pints of fresh blueberries for topping, washed

Place everything (except the blueberries for topping) in your food processor (or blender) and mix until very smooth. Place filling in your prepared dough and refrigerate until set (about 3-4 hours but preferably overnight). Top with fresh blueberries just before serving or as soon as filling is set.

You would never think it's an all raw, no cook Blueberry pie. Actually, the people I served it to, thought it was a cheese cake.

Try it, you'll like it!

Note: Do not substitute the coconut oil for another oil. The coconut oil becomes solid when cold (just like butter or shortening) giving the pie it's nice, rich texture.

Shrimp Toast with Poached egg and Spinach

I was visiting the Gourmet website the other day and came across a shrimp toast recipe. I created my own version of it and James and I ate it for a late breakfast/early lunch (well, I guess I could have wrote a Brunch duh!!). I can think of a few people who love this kind of Brunch food so, here it is...

I overcooked my eggs a little, I usually like them a bit runny but it was still delicious!

Serves 4

For the Shrimps

1 pound of deveined, shelved shrimps and roughly chopped

2 scallions, chopped roughly

Zest of 1 lemon

3 tbsp of lemon juice

1 bunch of fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped roughly

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350F

Place everything in food processor until pureed. Lightly toast 4 slices of whole wheat bread. Divide shrimp mixture in 4 and spread over toast (it will be thick, like 1 inch or so). Place on baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes or until shrimps are cooked.

Garnish

1 package of spinach, sauteed in a bit of olive oil in a medium size skillet until just wilted. Squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice over them (the lemony taste goes great with the shrimps), add a bit of salt.

4 poached eggs (or fried eggs if you prefer). Poach eggs in simmering water ( to which you added 2 tbsp of vinegar) for 4 minutes, remove with slotted spoon and transfer to plate.

Hot sauce of your choice

Dash of smoked paprika

To plate

Divide spinach in 4 equal portion and spread over the shrimp toasts. Top with poached (or fried) eggs, a bit of your favorite hot sauce and a dash or two of smoked paprika.

A few slices of avocados would be a nice addition.

Bon appetit!

Green Beans and Cucumber Salad

I love cucumbers in summer time, not only they are fresh and cooling but they are 95% water which makes them very light and low in calories.

Here is a simple salad perfect for a picnic on the beach.

Serves 4 (as a side dish)

For the Salad:
1 pound of green beans, blanched in boiling salted water for 3 minutes, then immediately transferred to an ice bath for cooling and to stop cooking (so you don't want to loose all the nutrients).
1/2 English cucumber, sliced paper thin with your mandolin

Place cooled green beans and cucumber in a large mixing bowl.

For the dressing:
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
Juice of 1 lemon or to taste
1 hand full of fresh mint, chopped
1/2 tsp of red crushed pepper
Celtic salt or any other sea salt

Mix all ingredients, adjust seasoning. Add to mixing bowl with green beans and cucumber. This salad is great with grilled chicken kebabs.

Quiche with asparagus, zucchinis and sundried tomatoes

Yes, you will have to make a pate brise (flaky dough) from scratch for this recipe (all by yourself)...but don't worry, it's really not as complicated as you think. Actually, if you have a food processor it will be done in less than 5 minutes. Promise. If you don't have a food processor, get in your car, drive to the closest store and buy one. Trust me, it's not an expense, it's an investment, it will save you loads of time and make your life so much easier. If your husband complains, tell him it's Mimi's fault ;0)

The trick to have a flaky dough is to have all your ingredients ice cold and not to process the dough too much after you added the water. Measure your flour and stick it in your freezer for 30 minutes prior to making your dough. Cut the butter and drop it in a bowl half way full of water and tons of ice cubes. You want to butter to break in hundreds of tiny pieces when incorporated in the flour, that is how you achieve a flaky dough. If your butter is not cold enough, it will melt and not break. The ice cold water will keep your butter super hard.

Crust

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch cube

In food processor, pulse the flour with the salt. Add diced butter and pulse 3-4 times until you get a sandy/crumbly type mixture. Sprinkle ice cold water (approximately 2-3 tbsp) and pulse until dough comes together (the dough will gather together on one side of the food processor, that's your cue). Do not over process or the dough will be hard. Transfer dough to plastic wrap and press into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least one hour (if you don't have time, it's o.k. to roll it out right away). On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 12 inch round. Transfer to 9-inch pie dish (previously buttered and dusted with flour to prevent the dough from sticking). Press into the pan and trim off any excess. Use scraps to patch any cracks. Prick holes all over bottom with a fork.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake crust until golden about 15 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Reduce oven

temperature to 375°F.

Filling

1 cup 1/2 & 1/2

5 eggs, whisked

1 tsp of fresh nutmeg, grated

Celtic salt and Cayenne pepper

1 shallot (small french onion), chopped

1 small zucchini, cut into 1/4" slices

7-8 asparagus, cut into 2" pieces

1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 cup Alta Dena goat cheese, grated (or other cheese of your preference)

Salt and pepper for seasoning

In medium size bowl, combine 1/2 and 1/2, eggs, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Set aside. Add 2 tbsp olive oil in a medium skillet. Saute shallot over medium heat until transparent. Add zucchinis and asparagus, cook for 3 minutes (I like all my veggies crunchy). Add sundried tomatoes, fresh parsley and season with salt and pepper. Cool 5 minutes. Pour cooled vegetables into your prepared crust. Add 1/2 & 1/2 and egg mixture. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Transfer to pre-heated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until set. Serve with a crispy green salad!

Spaghetti a la Vongole

This is one of my very favorite pasta recipe. I learned it from a wonderful woman who is partly Italian. We used to get together all the time and she was always cooking some fabulous meals, I used to be amazed at how easy cooking was for her. Her dishes all came together in no time and always looking picture perfect and tasting out of this world. She was (and still is - although I don't see her much anymore since we live in different countries) a great source of inspiration to me.

Serves 2

Ingredients
Olive oil - enough to cover the bottom of your skillet plus 2-3 tbsp
4-5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp chile pepper
1-10 oz baby clams
1-14.5oz tomatoes
Fresh parsley
8 oz spinach spaghettis, cooked to directions

Directions
Heat olive oil on medium heat. When oil is hot but not burning (olive oil is sensitive to heat and will become saturated if over heated) add garlic, reduce heat to low and continue to cook for 10 minutes (this will infuse the olive oil with the garlic taste and also it will caramelized the garlic). Remove garlic from oil (keep garlic infused oil in skillet you will need it in a minute) and smash it with the side of the blade of your knife on your chopping board to create a paste, set aside. Strain clams directly over the skillet, set clams aside. Reduce clam broth by 1/2 by simmering for approximately 5 minutes. Puree tomatoes in food processor and add to clam broth. Simmer for 5 minutes to reduce the liquid a bit. Add clams, simmer for an additional 2 minutes. Add garlic paste, fresh parsley and a bit of salt.

Serve over your spinach pastas and enjoy!

Chile Sin (without) Carne

If you love Chilis but would rather skip the meat, you have to try this...And all of you who are telling me you don't have time to cook or that eating healthy is too expensive, well I have an excellent news for you, you won't have to worry your pretty little head about "time" or "cost" with this dish. How much is a can of bean? Even organic it's cheap, so no more excuses...I said no excuse.....talk to the hand!!

Ingredients
2 medium size tomatoes
1/2 large portabella cap
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1 small jalapeno
2 cloves of garlic
1- 15 oz can black beans
1/2 cup olive oil
2-3 tsp cumin powder (to taste)
Celtic salt

Directions
Place tomatoes in your food processor and pulse 2-3 times, until the tomatoes are chopped in small pieces but not pureed, chunks are good! Transfer to large mixing bowl. Pulse portabella cap in food processor 2-3 times until it resemble a minced meat type texture (that is your ground meat). Transfer portabella to mixing bowl with tomatoes. Place jalapeno, cilantro, garlic and olive oil in food processor until minced (not pureed - a bit smaller than chopped). Transfer to mixing bowl with other ingredients. Place 1/4 of the black beans into food processor and this time, do puree it (this will give a nice thick consistency to your chili). Add black bean puree to mixing bowl with the remaining of the whole black beans. Season with cumin and salt. Mix well and serve with corn chips!

Raw Corn Chowder

With summer around the corner, this corn chowder is absolutely perfecttly fresh, crispy and light not to mention extremely quick to put together and of course super delicious! Just what we need right?

Corn Chowder
Serves 4

Chowder
3 cups fresh corn kernels (I figured that 1 corn is almost the equivalent of 1 cup of kernels)
1/2 - ¾ cup walnuts or cachew (not salted)
3/4 extra virgin olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 tsp celtic salt
2 1/2 cups almond/rice milk or water

Chowder Toppings
1 cup corn kernels, reserved from above
1 avocado, chopped in 1/2 inch cubes
1 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
Dash cayenne pepper or chipotle pepper or paprika

From the 3 cups of kernels, reserve 1 cup for dressing the chowder. Put all remaining ingredients in your food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer chowder to bowls and dress with the reserved corn kernels, the avocado cubes, the fresh cilantro and sprinkle with a dash of cayenne peper.

Kale a health superstar!

I love kale and I try to eat it as much as I possibly can.

I was telling a friend of mine the other day that when I'm not cooking it, I simply break a piece and drop it in my smoothie. Guess what she said??? Probably the same thing you are thinking right now.....which is: YOU'RE A FREAK!!

Of course I busted out laughing. I know it sounds totally strange but you know what? Mixed with bananas, strawberries, almond milk and agave syrup you totally don't taste it but you get the benefits...so my dear girlfriend...I am a freak but a healthy one.

Here's what I found on www.whfoods.com on Kale. Read it and you will understand why I include it in my smoothies and who knows, you might even want to give it a try :0)

Sulforaphane, which is formed when cruciferous vegetables such as kale are chopped or chewed, triggers the liver to produce enzymes that detoxify cancer-causing chemicals.

Crucifers' well known cancer-fighting properties are thought to result from their high levels of active phytochemicals called glucosinolates, which our bodies metabolize into powerful anti-carcinogens.

Kale is also rich in flavonoid. Researches proved that women with a diet rich in flavonoid had a 40% reduction in risk of ovarian cancer.

Kale is also a very good source of calcium. 1 cup of kale supplies 93.6 mg of calcium for only 36.4 calories. In contrast, a cup of 2% cow's milk provides 296.7 mg of calcium, but the cost is high: 121.2 calories.

Kale also emerged from our food ranking system as an excellent source of traditional nutrients, including vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and manganese. It is also a very good source of dietary fiber, calcium, copper, vitamin B6, and potassium. This combination of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients makes kale a health superstar!

Sauteed Tofu with Rice Noodles, Portabellos and Kale

For the Tofu: Cut tofu into 1" cubes and saute, on low heat, in olive oil with 2-3 minced garlic cloves for approximately 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cooking garlic on low heat will flavor the oil and give a very good taste to the tofu.

For the Portabellos: Slice thinly, saute in olive oil on low heat for approximately 10 mins, sprinkle with a dash of Celtic salt.

For Rice Noodles: Cook according to package's directions. Rinse over cold running water and drizzle with a bit of sesame oil (so they don't stick). When ready to serve, heat up in a skillet with a bit of coconut oil and sprinkle with some black or brown sesame seeds.

For the Kale: Chop kale into small bites. Cut 1 medium size tomato into 1" cubes. Mix kale and tomatoes. Dress with sesame oil (3 portions of oil for one portion of lime juice), tamari (or Nana Shoyu - 1-2 tbsp - start with one and add slowly), 1 minced garlic clove, fresh ginger (2 tbsp), lime juice and a hand full of cilantro. Marinate 10-15 minutes.

Plating: Place kale salad on bottom of big bowl. Arrange tofu, mushrooms and rice noodles over the kale but not hiding it completely so you see all the nice colors.

Oat Groats with Apples, Pecan nuts and Coconut Oil

Oats the ‘cleansing grain.’ They clean your intestinal tract and your blood as well. Oats contain an fabulous balance of amino acids. It’s proteins are almost in perfect proportion to the body’s needs. High in lysine which is often low in other cereal grains, oats bring a real balance to your protein needs. Oats contain high levels of complex carbohydrates which have been linked to reducing the risk of cancer and the better control of diabetes.

Of course the more processed the oat is the less properties you will have from it. So I say: Go for the "real McCoy", the Oat Groats. I much prefer the texture of the Oat Groats, it's not mushy like the Quick or Old Fasion, it's firm and there is a small crunch under your teeth. I love it.

Rinse oat 2-3 times under fresh running water. Simmer Oat until tender (approximately 40-45 minutes - water/oat proportion is 1 to 1). When cooked, remove from pot (drain extra water if necessary), transfer to bowl. While still hot, add 1 tbsp of coconut oil, chopped apples (or other fruit), chopped pecan (or other), 2 tbsp of agave syrup or non pasteurized honey and sprinkle with Chia Seeds.

This breakfast will keep you going all the way to lunch without feeling the urge to snack.

For my Frenchies: Le "Oat Groat" c'est la graine d'avoine et non le flocon.

Here is what a Kohlrabi looks like

Also in my box of veggies from the CSA was a Kohlrabi bulb. Kohlrabi, which belongs to the cabbage family, is an excellent source of vitamin C and potassium. It is also high in fiber and helps to stabilize blood sugar. It can also be effective against edema, candida and viral conditions.

Kohlrabi and Goat Cheese Omelet

I had no idea how this dish was going to turn out until the very end, until I had my first bite actually. I was pleasantly surprise I must say. The Kohlrabi was crunchy and sweet. I was afraid the goat cheese would be over powering but it wasn't at all. I served it with an organic sour cream that I dressed with some roasted Serrano peppers and lime juice. It was quite satisfying. I will make it again.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups of Kohlrabi, julienned with your mandolin

1/2 red onion, cut in half and sliced thinly

2 garlic cloves, minced

10 slices of Alta Dena Raw Goat Cheese (For the ones who live in Enterprise: you can find it at the Living Tree, for the others: if you can't find it, you can use any other goat cheese, just crumble it instead of slicing it)

5 eggs, slightly beaten and seasoned with Celtic salt and a bit of Cayenne pepper

1/2 cup of flat leave parsley, chopped

1 tbsp of quinoa flour

1 avocado, sliced

Drizzle of Olive Oil

Lime slices and Cilantro leave for decoration

Directions

Turn your oven on and set to Broil.

In a medium size non-stick/oven proof skillet, over medium heat, saute the Kohlrabi in olive or coconut oil, stirring occasionally until it's nice and crispy (it will take a little while, like 10 minutes or so). I tried to get it like a hash brown texture. Actually, you could very well substitute the Kohlrabi with Potatoes if you wanted to. When the Kohlrabi is cooked add the slices of goat cheese. Mix the quinoa flour with the eggs, whip to have an even mixture and pour over the Kohlrabi and Goat Cheese. Continue to cook on the stove for 2 more minutes. Transfer to oven, on the top grill and broil for 1 minute or until puffy and brown. Remove from oven. Let cool for a minute. Place a large plate over the skillet and turn it over the plate so the Kohlrabi is facing up. Garnish with the avocado, lime slices and a few dollop of organic sour cream. Drizzle with a bit of first/cold pressed extra virgin olive oil and a few leaves of cilantro and serve.

In the news

Poached Egg with Swiss Chard, and Sauteed Baby Turnips

I got these beautiful baby turnips in my box of veggies from my local CSA this week and they are just delicious. Here is what I did with them this morning.

First I cut them paper thin with my mandolin, then, I slowly sauteed them in 1 full tbsp of coconut oil and sprinkled them with oregano and a bit of celtic salt. The coconut oil gave them a very nice sweet taste and a crunchy bite which was a nice contrast with the greens and the egg.

I sauteed the swiss chard in olive oil on medium heat and I simply added a bit of apple cider vinegar (like 1 tsp, which evaporates as it cooks leaving a sweet slightly tart taste), I added some freshly ground nutmeg, gave it a dash of cayenne pepper and seasoned it with celtic salt.

I then poached the egg in simmering water (you should have enough water in your pot to cover the egg), to which I added 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar (so the egg would keep it's shape together and not spread in the water) for 3 minutes (I like my egg runny).

To assemble it all. I placed one cup (approximately) of greens in the middle of a plate, put the egg on top, the turnips on one side, sprinkled some first/cold pressed olive oil over the egg and a bit around the plate and sprinkled it all with a bit of paprika for the color.

Kasha with Portabello and Asparagus

This was my express lunch today. I had some Kasha left over from the night before. So all I did really is saute some onions, garlic and portabello mushrooms in 2 tbsp of coconut oil and at the end I added the asparagus, which I sauteed for no more then 30 seconds, then I added my Kasha and a bit of Tamari. It was fast and truly delectable.

Zucchini, Banana and Nutmeg Muffins

Let the muffins roll!!

These were actually more moist and crumblier then the carrot muffins (See recipe previous post). James prefers this recipe, probably because it has more of a cake then a bread texture. Personally, I liked both.

It's basically the same recipe as the carrot muffin. Except for the following modifications:

• Replace coconut oil with 1/2 cup or 1 stick of organic butter
• Replace honey with 1 cup organic sugar cane
• Replace carrot with 1 small grated zucchini (thin 6-7 inches long) and 1 ripe mash banana
• Reduce flour quantity to 1 cup instead of two
• Add 1 tbsp of nutmeg

If you prefer a cake to muffins just bake this recipe in a loaf pan instead of muffin pan and bake it for approximately 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Gluten and dairy free Carrot Muffins

James woke up this morning at 5:00 and he said he was starving to death. Unfortunately, there wasn't much in the fridge and he left for his p.t. (physical training - army language) with a glass of milk mix with 1 tbsp of Chia seeds in his belly. I felt bad for him. So I got up and before he got back to shower and change I came up with this Muffin recipe. Which turned out to be quite tasty and nutritious on top of being gluten and dairy free. After they cooled down I dabbed a bit of Tupelo honey over the top and sprinkle some raw sugar cane.

Ingredients
1 cup almond milk
1 cup rolled oat (old fashion of course)
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup Tupelo honey
1 cup of coconut oil, melted

1 cup of carrot pulp (I used the one from my morning carrot juice - if you don't own a juicer you can finely grade 2 medium size carrots)

2 cups of quinoa flour

3/4 tsp celtic salt

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup dates, chopped
1/2 cup pecan nuts, chopped

Directions
Heat up oven to 350F.
Grease and dust your muffin pan with quinoa flour.
Mix almond milk, oat, egg, honey, coconut oil and carrot pulp. Let stand for 20 minutes. In a separate bowl mix all remaining ingredients. Combine dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Transfer to muffin pan (try to scoop equal amount of batter for each muffin in order to achieve an even baking.)
Bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes up clean. If you would like some kind of icing, I suggest to mix some cream cheese with a bit of maple syrup...that is yummy!!

Sushis

Last night with my class we did some Sushis. Everybody did a fabulous job so I just thought I would show off a little.....:)

Below is the recipe if you feel like trying.

Sushi Rice Recipe
Makes 10 rolls
Ingredients
500 ml Sushi Rice

500 ml Water
Sea salt for seasoning rice

6 tbsp Rice Vinegar (Marukan Gourmet is one of the best sushi rice vinegar-make sure it says gourmet on the bottle. The other one is labeled "genuine brewed" is is pure rice vinegar, the Gourmet one is sweet and sour)

5 tbsp natural sugar

1 tsp of sea salt

Directions
Wash the rice several times until the water runs clear when drained. Let your washed rice strain for 30 minutes. Transfer the rice to your pot, add water and some salt. Turn heat until rice starts to boil hard, cover tightly and simmer on low allowing the rice to steam for 15 minutes. You must leave it covered... no peaking! Remove your pot from the heat and let stand covered for another 15 minutes. Take a wooden spatula and fold the rice to cool it a bit. Be gentle as you do not want to smash the cooked grains.

Mix the vinegar, sugar and salt together in a small saucepan. Heat the mixture until the sugar dissolves, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and let your sushi vinegar cool to room temperature. Put the hot rice into a mixing bowl and add 1/4 of the sushi vinegar solution. Mix with a folding motion so as to not smash your perfect sushi rice. Repeat until all sushi vinegar is used. After mixing, fan the hot rice mixture (you can use a magazine to fan the rice) for about 5 or 6 minutes in order to remove excess moisture and create a glossy shine to your rice. Your rice should have a slight chewiness and be sticky to the touch.

Sushi
Ingredients
1 sheet nori (seaweed

1 cup of sushi Rice
Desired fillings (such as; carrot, zucchini, cucumber, avocado, crabmeat, smoke salmon, tuna, cooked shrimps)
1 recipe Wasabi Sauce
1 recipe Honey-Ginger Sauce
Pickled ginger

Directions
Lay seaweed, shiny side down, on a sushi mat topped with plastic wrap. With damp fingers, spread 1 cup of sushi rice on nori sheet, leaving ½ inch unfilled at far side. Arrange desired vegetables or seafood on the edge closer to you. Roll seaweed into a spiral, rolling around filling toward unfilled edge. Pressing down firmly on your sushi mat to make sure the roll is nice and tight. Continue rolling mat over sushi all the way to the edge. To serve cut each roll in half and each half in 3 pieces. Serve with sauces.

Wasabi Sauce
Ingredients
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tsp wasabi
Directions
In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce and wasabi.

Honey-Ginger Sauce
Ingredients
1/3 cup honey (preferably non pasteurized)
2 tbsp bottled plum sauce
2 tbsp shoyu
1 2-inch long piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly chopped
Directions
Combine all ingredients in small bowl and transfer to serving dish.

Garnishes
The garnishes can be used inside or outside your rolls. If you use it outside the roll, then drizzle some of the ginger mayo first and then sprinkle with toasted Panko/crispy onions/black or white sesame seeds.

Toasted Panko
Heat a medium size skillet on medium. When skillet is hot add 1 tbsp of sesame oil, when oil is hot, place about 1-2 cups (depending on the amount of Maci Rolls you are planning on doing) of Panko in a skillet and cook stirring constantly until nice, crispy and brown.

Crispy onions
Slice onions thinly and sauté on low for about 30-45 mins or until crispy, then chop and transfer to serving dish.

Seasoned Mayonnaise
Mix 1 cup of mayonnaise (preferably homemade) with 1 minced garlic clove, ½ inch of fresh minced ginger, a dash of lemon juice and a hint of sea salt. Add a bit of water if texture is too thick.

Black or white sesame seeds

Just so you know

Don't pass food from one set of chopsticks to another. As part of a Japanese funeral ritual, family members pass bones of the deceased to each other by chopsticks. Passing food from one set of chopsticks to another mimics this ritual, and is therefore considered extremely impolite and offensive. If you must pass something to another person, pick it up, and place it on their dish. They can then pick it up with their own chopsticks.

Salad with left over pork roast and mango salsa

This salad is made with left over pork roast, but you could very well make it with left over chicken or fish. The mango salsa is really what makes this salad special.

I'm not going to give you ingredients or instructions for the salad, just make your own with what you have on hand..all you really need is the recipe for the mango salsa.

Ingredients
1 mango, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 red onion, chopped in small cubes
1/4 of red bell pepper, cut in small cubes
1 hand full of cilantro, chopped
1/2 inch of fresh ginger root, minced
1/2-1 lime, juiced (depending on how you like it)
1 splash of olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions
Mix all ingredients in medium size bowl, toss and serve.

Cucumber, asparagus and mango salad

This recipe would work very well with salmon, pork or chicken. It's very summery and fresh and of course healthy!

Ingredients
1 small cucumber, sliced thinly with a mandolin
10 asparagus, cut into 2 inch pieces
half a corn on the cub, kernels removed
1/2 mango, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
2 tbsp toasted almonds or peanuts

Direction
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, toss dressing (slowly, you might not need the whole thing)over veggies and transfer to serving platter.

Dressing
1/4 cup of Marukan rice vinegar (if you can't find the Marukan rice vinegar, you can use any other brand but you might need to add some natural sugar (agave syrup) - like 1 tbsp- since Marukan is a sweet vinegar generally used to season sushi . Unless you live in a very remote area you shouldn't have any problem finding it.)
2 tbsp of sesame oil
2 tbsp of water
1 tsp crushed chili pepper

I suggest you taste the dressing and adjust the ratio rice vinegar/sesame oil to your liking, depending on how acidic you like your dressing.

What does “Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil” Mean To You?

Hydrogenated vegetable oils (HVO), now referred to as “trans fatty acid” bearers,
went mainstream in the 1920’s with a wonderful new substance, margarine, advertised as
being a beneficial substitute for artery hardening butter. Not only have the butter and
dairy farmers taken a financial hit, but national green group “Sustainable Enterprises’ ”
researchers state that cardiac arrest has been going up ever since (also animal studies
prove cancer from HVOs).

Today, it is almost impossible to go to a supermarket and find a food that does
not contain Hydrogenated vegetable oils or its sweet industrial counterpart, high fructose
corn syrup (HFCS). Both of these substances were created by big industry to promote a
food’s “shelf appeal” and it’s “shelf life.” These industry buzz words unfortunately do
not translate into health promoting foods as you will learn the process of hydrogenation
and refining oils renders them toxic to the human body (read on oils).
Hydrogenation requires the heating of oils in the presence of Raney’s Nickel (50%
nickel, 50% aluminum) at temperatures above 400 degrees F for up to 8 hours. This new
substance not only cannot be properly digested or metabolized, but it depletes our bodies
of mineral and vitamin stores, adds aluminum associated with Alzheimer’s disease and
may even facilitate cancer as animal models have shown. Dr. Erasmus calls these refined
oil products, “protein-less, de-mineralized, de-vitaminized, fiberless, empty calories
which are nutritionally equivalent to refined white sugars (read on soda) and white flour,
which facilitates fatty degenerative diseases such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, kidney
and liver degeneration.”

Some of our best doctors and notable researchers, Christiane Northrup, MD,
Andrew Weil, MD, Mary Enig, PhD, Paul Pitchford, Udo Erasmus, PhD, Hulda Clark,
PhD, ND, just to name a few, believe that these trans fatty acids disrupt immune function
and can even cause cancer. Linda Page ND, in her book, Healthy Healing, (1997) lists
daily consumption of margarine as a contributing factor to essential fatty acid deficiency
which is linked to cell membrane insufficiency, decreased hormone production and nerve
and immune function impairment. Samuel Epstein, MD states that cancer rates are up
40% (children’s brain cancer) t o 200%(multiple myeloma) since the 1950’s due to
innumerable chemical additives in our consumer products.
This one is sneaky though, so you must read your labels even if you think the
food is a natural or healthy food. Even regular olive or corn oils can have trans fatty acids
if they have been refined (read on oils), so again, check those labels and use only
unrefined oils.

In 1999, the FDA proposed that trans fatty acid amounts be added to the
nutrition label on foods. This will at least give the consumer the knowledge of its presence
and have the ability to choose whether or not they want to eat these biologically toxic
substances. Of course, neither the FDA nor the big industries will take these disease
causing substances off the supermarket shelves. Big business has too much money
invested to even think about protecting the health of the nation, but at least the FDA is
hinting that these hydrogenated oils are not healthy to eat. Paul Pitchford stands firmly
that, “refined oils should not be ingested,” period.

Remember, that you should use your strongest political power by making
thoughtful consumer decisions:

If you don’t buy it, they won’t make it!

Shrimps with curry, coconut milk and baby bok choy

Come back tomorrow for the recipe....I have to run or I'll be late for my Cycling class...sorry for the inconvenient......although, I kinna like giving you something to look forward to :)

Two days later...

Sorry about the delay guys, here is the recipe....

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra virgin, organic coconut oil (any other oil will work but the good quality coconut oil gives this dish a very nice fragrant flavor)

1 small onion, chopped

1 pound of raw, deveined, deshelved medium size shrimps

2 tblsp curry powder, or paste

1 cup coconut milk

1 cup of fresh (or canned) tomatoes, chopped

6-8 baby bok choy, cut in half lengthwise and washed

1 hand full of fresh cilantro

1 tbsp agave syrup (or more if desire), optional

Salt & pepper

Directions

Heat large skillet on medium heat. Add coconut oil. When oil is hot (don't let it smoke) add the onions. Sautee onions until transparent. Add shrimps, sautee for 2 minutes. Add curry powder (or paste) and cook until the oil from the curry separates (1-2 minutes not longer). Add coconut milk, cook for 2-3 minutes until coconut milk starts to bubble. Add tomaotes, cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the bok choy and cook for 2 minutes or just until wilted (you want it still crispy not dead). Add fresh cilantro and agave syrup, cook just until heated through, season with salt and pepper and transfer to serving platter.

Japenese Noodles with wakame and roasted sesame oil

Wakame is a seaweed and it's rich in protein, calcium, iodine, magnesium, iron and folate. A lower risk of breast cancer have been reported in japenese women eating a diet high in wakame (kelp). Lignans, which help fight cancer are found in high quantity in wakame and may provide protection against certain cancers.

I saw this recipe last night on TV, I liked the ingredients so I thought I would give it a try and guess what??? It's very good (and super duper fast) so I'm sharing it with you. I did change a few things from the original recipe..(you know me) I added fresh cilantro, extra-virgin and organic coconut oil and replaced their veggies for some greens (which we can never have enough of).

Ingredients

1 bundle of Japanese noodles (or soba noodles)

1 tbsp of coconut oil

2 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp of maple syrup

1 tbsp of Dijon mustard

1/3 cup (full) of wakame seaweed (or other seaweed), soaked in Shoyu (non-pasteurized soy sauce) for 2-3 minutes, drained and chopped

1/2 cup of greens of your choice (kale, mustard, turnip - you can also use raw red and yellow peppers cut in strips)

1 hand full of fresh cilantro

Directions

Boil noodles until just tender, drain and transfer to large bowl, add coconut oil and mix well. Mix all other ingredients in a separate bowl until well combined, add to Japanese noodles, mix well and serve!

Give the gift of pancreatic cancer

I am reading the Live Food Factor by author Susan Schenck. It's about the raw food diet and it's absolutely fascinating. There is tons of infos, studies and testimonials on the raw diet. People with cancer, asthma, allergies, obesity, depression, to name but a few, not only have healed going on a raw diet but they also have more energy, they feel happier, look younger, their mind is sharper, they need less sleep etc.

I have been eating 75% raw myself (breakfast and lunch) and I do see a huge difference in my energy level, my happiness, my PMS, my concentration and my complexion. I'm not quite convince about giving up the animal protein altogether though. Everydoby is different, but sometimes (espacially if I worked out a lot), I really feel like I need it, vegetables, grains and nuts just won't do it, but hey, I'm all for eating tons of raw vegetables and fruits!

The above cartoon is in the book. I thought I would share it with you.

Green Smoothie

I have started to make smoothies a lot for breakfast. I used to drink one huge fresh juice made with 1 cucumber, 1 beet, 2 carrots, 1 apple, some ginger and 1 lemon, followed by loads of fresh fruits but when I workout I need something a little bit heavier then juice and the smoothies are filling this position perfectly. I add some Chia seeds (see my post about Chia seeds) for extra hydration, performance and endurance and I can run 2 marathons in a row...well...o.k. maybe only one :)

I don't have exact quantities for this smoothie, but approximately here is the recipe...you will have to adjust it to your likings.

Ingredients
1/4 pineapple, roughly chopped
1 big banana, cut in 2 inches slices
1 1/2 cups of almond milk
3/4 cup of coconut milk
2 big hand full of fresh cilantro
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1-2 tsp of agave syrup

Directions
Mix everything together in your blender until smooth.

Spring rolls with coconut dipping sauce

Light, crunchy, pretty and delicious, perfect dish to celebrate spring! You can put any kind of veggies you like in the rice wrapper really. Now I'm thinking I should have included some asparagus since it's the season. I love the pretty asparagus tip, it really adds to the design and look of a dish. Anybody that knows me well, will tell you I'm into tasty but also, beautiful foods....that is why my motto is "food for all senses". Oh well, I guess the asparagus will just have to wait now.

If you can't find the rice wrapper you can substitute it with kale, collard or lettuce leaves.

Ingredients
2 rice wrappers, or kale, collard, lettuce leaves
1 cup of sprouts of your choice
1 small carrot, julienned with a mandolin or knife
1 small zucchini, julienned with a mandolin or knife
1/2 red pepper, julienned with a knife
1 hand full of fresh cilantro
1 hand full of fresh basil

Directions
Soak rice wrapper in warm water for approximately 30-45 seconds or until soft (do not leave longer than necessary or it will break). Transfer to work surface. On the side closer to you, approx 1 inch from the edge, add 1/2 of the ingredients, forming a bundle. Fold the piece of wrapper closer to you over the vegetables, bring the sides in and over the wrap and continue rolling. Try to roll it as tight as you can (it will be easier to eat, otherwise it might fall apart when you eat it, I know, it does take some practice). If your wrap is breaking when rolling, soak a second wrapper and double it, leaving the first wrapper on. It will make it sturdier and less breakable. You can also add some chicken or shrimps if you feel like a bit of meat.

Coconut dipping sauce
1/3 cup organic coconut milk
1 tsp sesame oil (or to taste)
1 tbsp of fresh lime juice
1 tbsp of nama shoyu (or to taste) (nama shoyu is a non-pasteurized soy sauce)

1/2 tbsp agave syrup (or to taste)

1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
Dash red crushed chili pepper

Mix everything in your food processor until smooth.

Fennel, asparagus and corn salad

It's asparagus season ye! This dish would make the ideal salad to accompany a nice juicy, tender piece of white fish.

Ingredients

1/2 medium size fennel bulb, sliced thinly with a mandolin

6-8 asparagus, cut into 3 inches pieces

1 corn on the cob, kernels removed

5-6 sun dried tomatoes, sliced

1 avocado, sliced

Dressing

3 parts olive oil

1 part red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

Direction

Place all ingredients on a platter, mix with dressing, marinate 10 minutes.

Tahini Dressing

What I like most about this dressing is it's versatility. It's great on blanched broccoli, sprinkled with black sesame seeds and it's also excellent on grilled chicken.

Ingredients

1/2 cup tahini, well mixed

1/2 cup water

4-5 tbsp of fresh lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp garam masala

2 tbsp of braggs

Directions

Mix all ingredients and serve. If the tahini is bitter add a bit of agave syrup, start with 1/2 a tsp, taste it, add a little more if necessary.

Note: Lemon juice should not be added on pure tahini or it will form a hard ball. Make sure you mix the almond mild/water with the tahini before adding the lemon juice.

Carpaccio of turnip and pear

I was on the phone with my sister Denise the other day and she told me about a fabulous salad she created for some family catering. The way she described it reminded me of a carpaccio which I absolutely love. The turnip cut very thinly with a mandoline will absorb all the juices from the dressing making it ever so tender and delectable. This recipe is definitely one of my favorite raw recipe. It's very elegant as well. Ideal as an appetizer.

Serves 1 as a main meal

Ingredients

1 small young turnip, sliced paper thin with a mandoline or potato peeler if you don't own a mandoline.

3 cups Baby arugula

1 small young pear, sliced paper thin

1/2 cup almonds, soaked over night and pulsed 5-6 times in your food processor or until crumbly (it's not absolutely necessary that they soak over night but they are much more tender and will resemble more of a hard cheese texture rather then a nut)

Olive oil

Lemon juice

Salt and pepper

Instructions

Place one layer of turnips on a plate. Drizzle with olive oil and fresh lemon juice, season with salt and pepper. On top of turnips, add on layer of arugula. On top of arugula add one layer of pears and continue these 4 steps until you have no more ingredients. Let the salad marinate for 5 minutes and serve.

Kale Nicoise

There is two types of green kale. One is the Scotch type and have gray-green and very curled and crumpled leaves and there is the Siberian type which is blue-green and less curled. I find the Siberian to be more tender and not as bitter.

Today my friend Maria asked me what to do with kale and I thought maybe other people were wondering the same. Some recipes on my blog do include kale but I noticed that I don't have any where the main ingredient is actually kale.

Kale is part of the cabbage family, it's full of vitamin K, A, C and it contains, to name only a few, a very generous amount of manganese, fiber, calcium, Omega 3, etc... Studies have proved that eating kale reduces the risk of cancer (especially ovarian cancer), optimize your cells detoxification, lower cataract risk, promote lung health, boost immune system, slow loss of mental function and much more...

Now, you know why I include kale in my recipes as much as I possibly can (it's great in smoothies and in juices)

Ingredients
2-3 tbsp of olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
1 big garlic clove, minced
Dash of crushed pepper
4-5 cups of kale, cleaned and chopped
1 medium tomato, cubed
1 tbsp capers
10 kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
Salt and Pepper

Directions
Heat up olive oil in a medium size skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot but not smoking, add shallot, garlic and crushed pepper and saute for 1-2 minutes or until shallot becomes transparent but not brown. Add kale and saute for 2 minutes or just until it starts wilting. Remove from heat (I just don't like mine to be over cooked, almost in it's raw form, but you can leave it a little longer if you like it more cooked). Add tomatoes, capers, olives, salt and pepper.

Note: if your kale is bitter add a little bit of agave syrup, honey or maple syrup (like a tsp, taste it and add some more if needed)

3 spices chicken thins

I often pound chicken breasts because it cooks in no time and it's becomes more tender. This recipe is great with any saute veggies but also the next day, sliced thinly in a salad.

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 chicken breast, butterflied and pounded as thin as you can without breaking the meat

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp crushed pepper

1 hand full fresh cilantro, chopped

1 medium garlic clove, minced

zest of one lemon, chopped

Direction

Set chicken breast aside. Mix all remaining ingredients in a bowl big enough to hold the pounded chicken breast. Take one chicken breast and press it down in the spice mixture. Repeat with second chicken breast. Heat up a skillet on medium-high heat. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil. When oil is hot but not smoking add the chicken breast. Leave 3 minutes on one side (do not disturb), flip on the other side and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes or until pink as just disappeared. Do not overcook or it will be dry.

Mama chia!!

Have you heard about the Chia seed? This ancient super food was used by Aztecs warriors and Indians. Known as the running seeds, they would eat it on long journeys for energy endurance, and apparently, as little as one full teaspoon was enough for a 24 hr forced march. That is super food alright!

My new friend, John, from the Herb and Spice store in Enterprise, AL told me about it. I'm sure everyone of you came across that little clay animal covered in sprouts...well, that's it! That's the Chia seed..but there is much more to it than the little clay animal covered in sprouts...

Mix 1 part of Chia seeds and 9 parts of water in a bowl and leave it for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes the seeds have melted and transformed into a gelatin, that is due to the solid fiber in the Chia. When you eat the seeds, same thing happens in you stomach. If you are dieting, the Chia seeds are wonderful because if you eat only 2 tblsp it will transform into approximately 1 1/2 cup in your stomach making you feel full.

The gel creates a physical barrier between the carbohydrates and the digestive enzymes that breaks them down, slowing the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar. Therefore, it release sugar in your blood stream in a much more stable manner. For this reason it's a great food for diabetics but also it's hydrophilic properties having the ability to absorb more then 12 times it's weight in water prolong hydration, retains moisture and regulate.

It's also a muscle and tissue builder and an energizer of endurance with extensive hydrating properties. It offers a better assimilation of food that supports and enhanced nutritional absorption and on top of that, it's a great source of Omega-3 & Omega-6 (it's apparently the best source of Omega-3, better then Flax), it's also high in fiber, calcium and protein...

There's a lot more to write about it, but I just wanted to plant a seed, a Chia seed in your mind, so you get curious and Google it.

It's great in shakes, it makes them nice and smooth! An hour before I go to the gym I make a Chia seed shake (the gelatin will keep in your fridge for two weeks). In my blender I put 3/4 cup of Chia gelatin, some almond milk, one banana, 1 tsp of pure vanilla extract, a bit of agave syrup and I'm good to go!!

Exotic carrot salad

Simple and fast, this salad it great on it's own or with any kind of meat or fish

Ingredients
3 carrots, ribboned with a potato peeler and blanched for 30 seconds (for those of you who aren't yet familiar with cooking techniques, blanching means; boiling briefly in salted water to soften the produce and add extra rich color -the salt is responsible for the deep color-. Immediately after the carrots are blanched, transfer them to a bath of ice water so they stop cooking, strain and place on paper towel to dry)
2 tbsp of olive oil
Juice of half a small lemon
1 tsp agave syrup (if you don't have agave syrup you can use: maple syrup, honey, stevia or even white sugar)
1 medium garlic clove, minced
Pinch of Garam Masala powder
Pinch of Coriander powder
Pinch of Cumin powder or seeds
Pinch of red crushed pepper
1/3 cup of almond slivers, toasted on medium heat for approx 2-3 minutes or until they start to turn nice and gold, tossing regularly
1/2 cup fresh flat parsley leaves
Salt and Pepper for seasoning

Direction
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except for the toasted almonds and the fresh parsley and marinate for a little bit (about 10-15 minutes). The almonds and parsley should be added only at the last minute so they don't loose their crunch.

Lentil Salad

This is one of my favorite salad. It's simple, fast and delicious, it's definitely a winner!


Ingredients
2 cups cooked lentils
1/4 cup olive oil
1 big bunch of fresh cilantro
1 medium size garlic clove
1/4 tsp red crushed chili pepper
1 tsp cumin
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper

Directions
Place lentils in a mixing bowl. Add all remaining ingredients in your food processor and pulse 4-5 times until all ingredients are minced, add to lentils, mix well, adjust seasoning and enjoy!

Goat cheese omelet with kale and cilantro pesto

That's what James and I ate this morning for breakfast. I like to stacked the omelet as if they were pancakes.

Ingredients

For the omelet

6 organic eggs, cracked and whipped
3/4 cup grated raw goat cheese such as Alta Dena, my favorite, so yummy
Celtic salt and fresh cracked pepper

For the Pesto

2 cups of cilantro
2 kale leaves
1 medium size tomato
1 medium size garlic clove
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lime (or more depending how much you like it)
Salt and pepper for seasoning

Directions

For the omelet

Set oven temperature on broil and transfer grill to top position.
Heat up oven proof skillet on medium heat. Add a bit of olive oil to skillet and when skillet is hot add the eggs, when eggs are half way cooked (bottom and edges are starting to set but middle is still giggly) add cheese and transfer skillet to oven
until the cheese is nice and brown. That should take only just a minute or two.

For the pesto

Place all ingredients in your food processor until you obtain a pesto consistence. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

For plating

Place 2-3 pieces of omelet on top of each other in the middle of a plate and top with the pesto. Voila!!

Curry, coconut, porto bello mushroom, red cabbage and jicama salad

Not only is cilantro delicious but it also removes heavy metals from the body and you know what's funny? I always thought it smelled like soap ....well, I guess it is some kind of soap in a way, only for the insides!! I invite you to detox yourself with this yummy salad!

Salad
1 big Porto bello mushroom, julienned
1 cup of jicama, julienned
1/2 red pepper, julienned
1 cup of red cabbage, julienned
1 hand full of whole cilantro leaves, stems removed

Dressing
1 tbsp of curry powder
1/4 tsp red crushed chile pepper
1 small garlic clove, minced
3 tbsp of extra virgin, organic coconut oil, melted on very low heat not to destroy the properties and cooled not to cook the other ingredients
1 tbsp of lime juice (or to taste)
1 tbsp of organic agave syrup (or to taste)
Celtic salt and fresh ground pepper

Directions
Mix all the salad ingredients in a bowl. In a second bowl, mix all the dressing ingredients and adjust according to your likings. Marinate a little (like 5-10 minutes) and serve.

The very green salad in a miso broth

This is a variation of the Very Green Salad. Just prepare a miso broth (dissolve 1 tbsp of miso in 2 cups of hot water - the miso shouldn't be boiling though or you will loose all the nice properties) and add 1/2 cup of salad. I also added some turmeric, chipolte pepper and ginger powder to mine, it was yummy delicious! If you are very hungry you can add some rice noodles (cooked) and 1/2 a sliced chicken breast or other meat (also cooked since you don't want to boil the Miso).

Very green salad

Pumpkin seeds are very rich in zinc and therefore offer a great protection against osteoporosis. So ladies, make sure you have your daily portion! I had this salad for lunch today and I thought I would share it with you.

Ingredients

2 kale leaves, rolled and cut thin, like a chifonnade

1/2 portobello mushroom, sliced

2 tbsp of olive oil
1 tbsp of Bragg (if you don't have some you should, it's full of amino acid, get it at your health store)
1 tbsp of red wine vinegar (or to taste)
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 cups of fresh baby spinach
1 cup of broccoli sprouts
1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds
1/2 avocado, sliced

Directions

Place kale and portobello mushrooms in a large bowl, add four following ingredients and mix well, kind of massage the kale and mushrooms with the dressing for 1 minute or so until they start to get soft. Add the baby spinach and the broccoli sprouts. Sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds. Plate and garnish with the avocado slices. Enjoy!

Raw Miso Soup

Did you know that 3 bowls of miso soup a day can reduce your risk of breast cancer by 50%?? I think it's worth a little recipe, don't you? On top of being delicious this soup is extremely healthy and fast to do, what more do you need right?

Ingredients

3 cups of water

1 full tbsp of Miso (the one I used is the red miso from Miso Master Organic)

1 medium size tomato, pulsed 3-4 times in your food processor

1 avocados, cubed

1 small size garlic clove, minced

1/2 medium size zucchini, spaghettied using your mandoline or V-slicer with the julienne blade

1/2 cup of sprouts of your choice

fresh cilantro, for extra flavor and garnishing

Directions

Heat up water in a pot until almost boiling. Remove from heat and add the miso, when the miso is dissolved, add the tomatos, avocados and garlic and stir to combine. Add the zucchini spaghettis. Top with the sprouts and cilantro. I added some Bragg to mine (if you don't have Bragg, soy sauce will do), just a little dash for extra flavor and amino acids...

I told you it was a fast recipe!

Lasagna in the raw

I'm still experimenting with raw food and I must say I LOVE IT!! This little lasagna was absolutely delicious, you must try it!

For the noodles
1 medium size courgette (zucchini), thinly sliced using a mandoline or V-slicer
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Dry oregano

Place the courgette slices in a shallow dish. Drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice and dry oregano. Set aside until ready to assemble.

For the tomato sauce
1 medium size tomato, quartered
1 full table spoon of sundried tomatoes
1 garlic clove
olive oil
Sea salt for seasoning

Place all ingredients in food processor and mix until sauce like texture.

For the ricotta cheese
1 cup of mixed raw nuts (or your own favorite raw nuts)
1/4 cup almond milk
1/2 garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon garam masala (optional)
1 tbsp lemon juice (or to taste)
Sea salt for seasoning

Place all ingredients in food processor and mix until you achieve a ricotta cheese like mixture, you may need to add a bit more almond milk if too thick.

To assemble
Cut the courgette slices to 4 inch pieces. Place two pieces of courgette in the middle of a plate, side to side, forming a square shape. Place 1 tablespoon of the tomato sauce and 1 tablespoon of the ricotta cheese on top of the courgette slices. On top add 3 slices of avocados. On top of the avocados slices place 3 more pieces of courgette slices and repeat with the tomato sauce and the ricotta but this time place on top of sauces a layer of spinach. Continue the operations until you have a full piece of lasagna on your plate, altering between the avocados and the spinach.

Hope you like it!

Pho with seared tofu and kale

Ingredients
Serves 4 persons

4 table spoon of sesame oil
2 garlic gloves, thinly chopped
Approx. 1 inch of chopped fresh ginger root
4 stalks of chopped lemon grass (hard leaves removed, just the pale yellow tender part),
½ teaspoon of crushed chili pepper (optional)
2 X 32 once of chicken stock
Hoisin sauce, approx. 2 table spoon (or to taste)
Soy sauce, approx. 3 table spoon (or to taste)
Lime juice, approx. 3 table spoon (or to taste)
½ lb Pho rice noodles
12 once of tofu, cut into 1 inch cubes and seared in sesame oil with cilantro, garlic, red crushed chile pepper, salt and pepper until nice and gold
2 cups of kale, cut thinly and sauteed with crushed garlic in olive oil for 2-3 minutes or until just wilted.

Garnish with:
Fresh bean sprouts
Fresh Cilantro
Fresh Basil
Green Onions


Directions
Heat sesame oil under medium-low heat; add garlic, ginger, lemon grass and chili pepper. Reduce heat to low and sautéed for approx 10 minutes (you want to flavor the oil and not burn it, so keep the heat low after ingredients are added). Add chicken stock, season with hoisin sauce, soy sauce and lime juice. In a separate pot boil rice noodles according to package instructions or until tender. When noodles are cooked, cool them under cold water, add a little bit of sesame oil and stir so they don’t stick to each other. Set aside. To assemble the soup, place rice noodles in a large soup bowl, put tofu and kale on top, add flavored stock till ¾ full. Garnish with bean sprouts, cilantro, basil, green onions and a piece of lime.

Pate de Campagne

This pate is quite easy to do and it's a great fast lunch or a very fancy appetizer if served in very thin slices with a green salad and a dijon/shallot dressing, my favorite!


Ingredients
3/4 cup Cognac (or any other Brandy)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup minced onion
2 1/2 pounds ground turkey
12 oz bacon (8 to 10 slices), finely chopped, plus 14 bacon slices (for lining pan - optional)
3 garlic cloves, pressed
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons allspice
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 6-ounce piece turkey steak, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick strips
½ cup whole pistachio
½ cup dried cranberries
Coarse sea salt

Preparation
Position grill at lowest position in oven and preheat to 350°F. Boil Cognac until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 1 1/2 minutes. Cool.
Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft and translucent but not brown, about 8 minutes.
Combine ground turkey and chopped bacon in large bowl. Using fork or fingertips, mix together until well blended. Add sautéed onion, garlic, 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, thyme, allspice, pistachios, cranberries and pepper to bowl with turkey mixture and stir until incorporated. Add eggs, cream, and reduced Cognac. Stir until well blended.
Line 9x5x3-inch metal loaf pan with bacon slices, arranging 8 slices across width of pan and 3 slices on each short side of pan and overlapping pan on all sides. Using hands, lightly and evenly press half of meat mixture (about 3 1/4 cups) onto bottom of pan atop bacon slices. Arrange turkey strips over in single layer. Top with remaining meat mixture.
Fold bacon slices over, covering pâté. Cover pan tightly with foil. Place pan in 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan and transfer to oven. Pour boiling water into baking pan to come halfway up sides of loaf pan. Bake pâté until a thermometer inserted through foil into center registers 155°F, about 2 hours 15 minutes.
Remove loaf pan from baking pan and transfer to rimmed baking sheet. Place heavy skillet or 2 to 3 heavy cans atop pâté to weigh down. Chill overnight.

Beet, Carrot and Kale salad

I ended up serving this dish like a wrap. I served 1/4 cup (more or less, depending of the size of the lettuce leave) of the salad in a Boston lettuce leave and ate it like a burrito. It was delicious!

Ingredients

2 large carrots, shredded

1 small beat, shredded

1 cup of cherry tomatoes, sliced

1 leave of kale, chopped

1 avocado, cut in 1/4 inch cubes

1 hand full of fresh cilantro, chopped

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 inch of fresh ginger, minced

1 tsp of chipolte pepper

1/4 cup of olive oil

3 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp soy sauce

Juice of 1 lime

Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper for seasoning

Mix everything together in a large bowl, marinate a little and serve on Boston lettuce leaves to form wraps.

Spaghetti Zucchinis

This is a delicious raw salad. I made a huge bowl full and I couldn't stop eating it, I ate and ate until it was all gone...It's also a very quick recipe if you have a mandolin, if you don't, you should consider investing in one, it makes chopping so much faster.

Ingredients

2 small zucchinis, julienned

1/2 a big portabello mushrooms, julienned

1/2 can of a 15.5 oz organic cubed tomatoes

1 1/2 cup of kale, chopped in very thinly ribbons (like a chiffonnade)

1 medium garlic clove, minced

1 inch of fresh ginger root, minced

Dressing

1/2 cup of olive oil

3 tbsp of sesame oil

3 tbsp of soy sauce

Lime juice, to taste

1 tsp turmeric

Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper for seasonning

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, marinate for 5 minutes and serve!

Buckwheat Pancakes

Quite fast and delicious week-end breakfast.

Makes 6-8 pancakes

Ingredients

3/4 cup buckwheat flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup milk (I used soy milk)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 Tbsp melted butter

Directions

Mix flour and baking soda. Add milk, egg and melted butter, mix until well combined. Rest for approx. 30 minutes.

Heat a medium size skillet on med heat. Add just enough butter so the pancakes won't stick to the skillet (like 1 teaspoon - just once, for the first batch, it won't need it for the remaining). When butter is hot but not smoking pour just enough batter to form a 4-5 inch pancake, repeat the operation until the skillet is full. When the pancakes are starting to have little holes in them, they are ready to flip over. Once you flip the pancakes, it's really fast, like 30 seconds before they are ready. Lift one side and look under, when it's nice and gold they're ready. Repeat until there's no more batter. When all the pancakes are cooked, pour some of the berries on top with a nice maple syrup or wild honey.

For the berry sauce

2 cups frozen organic berries

In a medium size pot, cook the berries on medium-low heat for approximately 5-7 minutes. Set aside until pancakes are ready to serve.

Happy Sunday!

Beet and fig salad

This salad has a really nice combination of flavors as well as textures. Hot, sweet, sour, tender and crunchy is what you will find here. I'm thinking some nice goat cheese would have been a fabulous addition for the taste but also for the contrast of colors. Unfortunately, I was out, but if you have some in your fridge, go ahead and sprinkle a few crumbles...I'm sure it will be good. You can let me know...

Serves 2

Ingredients
1 big fresh beet, boiled until tender and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
3/4 cup, dried mission fig cut in half
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 hand full fresh flat parsley, chopped
2 tablespoon dark balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons of sweet chile sauce
Salt

Directions
Mix everything together and transfer to a serving platter

p.s. you might need to adjust the proportion of balsamic vinegar and chile sauce to your likings. It might be a good idea to mix it in a separate bowl first, start with 2 balsamic for 4 chile sauce and adjust slowly.

Chick peas with collard greens and roasted tomatoes

If you roasted some tomatoes already, then this recipe is really quick to do. You can serve it as a side dish, eat it just like this or with an egg for breakfast.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 medium size garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon red crushed chile pepper
1- 15.5 oz can chickpeas
1 teaspoon of herbes de provence (or others)
1 packed cup of collard green, roughly chopped (or spinach)
1 cup of roasted cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped (or regular size roasted tomatoes chopped in 1 inch cubes)
2 tablespoons of olive tapenade
Salt and pepper

Direction
In a heavy medium size skillet, heat up 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. When oil is hot but not smoking add garlic, chile pepper, chickpeas and herbes de provence. Cook on medium heat for about 2 minutes, add collard green. Cook for 1 minute or until wilted. Add
roasted tomatoes (see previous post for recipe) and olive tapenade. Season with salt and pepper and serve!

Roast them up!!

It's tomato season folks ye!! I am a huge tomato fan. There is two things that money can't buy and they are; love and home grown tomatoes (in my case they come from my local and favorite CSA farm). If you are like me and have a whole lot of tomatoes, I enthusiastically say; Roast them up people!! Tomatoes are all water so they will diminish quite a lot when you are done roasting them.

There is many reasons why you should roast your tomatoes;

• First, it's a great way to preserve them
• They are simply out of this world delicious and sweet with a nice piece of country bread and some goat cheese
• They make the best pasta dish you ever had in your life
• They make an extravagant breakfast if served with poached or fried eggs on a bed of spinach or other greens (see recipe below)
  

...and the list goes on and on... on salads, for quick anti-pastis platter, on a bruschetta with a piece of sopresseta, on a pizzas sprinkled with grated manchego and fresh basil..etc.

Here is how you do it:

Pre-heat your oven to 300F. Cut the tomatoes lengthwise in quarters and put them on a baking sheet in one layer. If you have a lot of tomatoes then use two baking sheets. Sprinkle your tomatoes with olive oil (about 2-3 tbl sp) and minced garlic. Season with salt, pepper and some herbes de provence or other herbs of your choice like basil and oregano. Bake in the oven for 2 hours or until slightly shrivelled at the edge and a bit dry. After they have cool down, transfer them to a Mason glass jar with all their juices and keep in your refrigerator.

If the skin bothers you, here is how you peel tomatoes. Boil a big pot of salted water. Using a sharp knife make a cross shape incision in the bottom of tomatoes. When water is boiling, insert 3-4 tomatoes at the time and boil for 15-20 seconds (not longer, you don't want the tomatoes to start cooking or they will be mushy). Remove them with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge them in an ice bath, just long enough so they cool down, but not too long so they absorb too much water. Now, all you have to do is peel them by pulling down the skin, starting where you did the incision.

Fried egg with chipolte pepper, herbes de provence, baby bella mushroom, dandelion and cherry tomatoes

I have to get ready for my cooking class but I'll tell you about this recipe tomorrow. Although, you can probaby figure it out.

Cous-Cous with kale, lemon basil, corn and toasted pine nuts

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 oz box of cous-cous, cooked according to directions

1 medium size garlic clove, chopped

1 scallion, sliced

1 packed cup kale, chopped

½ cup toasted pine nuts (or almonds)

1 cup corn kernels

½ cup lemon basil (or regular) chopped

Salt and pepper

Directions

Heat large skillet on medium heat. Add 2 tbl sp of extra virgin olive oil. Sautee garlic and scallion for 1 minute. Add kale and corn and cook for 2 minutes add pine nuts, cous-cous and lemon basil and season to taste.

Okras with cherry tomatoes and quenelle of ricotta and basil

Okra has been a revelation for me, really! I didn't think I liked okra but I was wrong, I just didn't know how to prepare them. Teaching for the CSA members forced me to research how to prepare okras in order to reduce it's main characteristic and reason why people don't care for them so much...and that is "the slime".

Of course deep frying them works quite well, but I rather not deep fry too often. Once in a while is fine, as a treat only...so for the rest of the time try this:

Wash and dry okras very well. When cutting them make sure your knife and chopping board are dry as well. Apparently, the contact with moisture will bring the slime out of the okras. When you cook them, place them in your skillet and let them be. Do not disturb them and most importantly do not over cook them. They only take 2-3 minutes that's all! One more thing, the smaller the better. They shouldn't be bigger then your little finger, for tenderness and sliminess..

They are excellent for your joints, espacially raw.

Serves 2

Ingredients
5-6 tblsp extra virgin olive oil, or enough to cover bottom of your skillet
10 medium size garlic cloves, chopped roughly
10 cherry tomatoes, crushed with your fingers
10 small okras, cut in 2 lengthwise
4 tblsp of fresh parsley, chopped
splash of lime juice
Salt and Pepper

Directions
Heat olive in a medium size skillet, when oil is hot but not smoking add garlic. Turn heat to low and roast garlic for 5 minutes so the oil gets infused with the garlic taste. Add the tomates and continue cooking on low for another 5 minutes. Add okras and cook for 3 minutes (okras are a bit like sponges and they will absorb the nice garlic infused olive oil and the tomato juices). Add fresh parsley, splash of lime, salt and pepper to taste.

For the quenelle
Mix 1/4 cup ricotta cheese, 2 tblsp chopped fresh basil, 1 minced medium size garlic clove, salt and pepper to taste. Using a table spoon form an egg shape ball and place on top of okra dish.
The ricotta quenelle is a really nice addition of flavor and texture to this dish.

Serve as a side dish, on pasta or just as is.

Frisee salad with heirloom tomatoes

This is quite a nice summer salad. Fresh, colorful, crispy and light. Serve it with your favorite raw milk cheeses, nice salami and a crispy country bread for the perfect summer lunch/brunch.

Serves 2

Ingredients
1/2 bunch frisee salad, cleaned and chopped bite size
1/2 medium size yellow, purple and orange heirloom tomatoes, chop in 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup of olive oil
1 medium size garlic clove, minced
3 tblsp fresh basil, chopped
1/2 tsp red crushed chile pepper
Salt and pepper

Preparation
In mixing bowl combine; olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, basil, red crushed chile pepper, salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and marinate a little while (10-15 minutes). Transfer frisee to serving platter & top with the tomatoe salad with all the dressing, don't leave any behind, the best part is to soak your bread in the yummie tomates juices.

Grilled vegetable gazpacho with kale

There is nothing better in the summer time then a nice chilled gazpacho! I will be posting the recipe for this great gazpacho very shortly, the reason I can't do it right now is because I'm on my way to my cooking class. Tonight I am going to teach how to make great veggie burgers..
So, come back soon for the gazpacho recipe...Great trick to keep you coming back to my web site hi! hi!

As promised...here is the recipe:

Ingredients

1 cucumber, halved and seeded, (don’t peel it) 1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded 1 yellow bell pepper, cored and seeded
4 medium size tomatoes
1 red onion 1 whole garlic head, cut 1/3 from the top
1 cup of kale, chopped

3 cups tomato juice

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 cup good olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Roughly chop the cucumber, transfer to food processor and pulse a few time until coarsely chopped.
Cut peppers, tomatoes, onions and garlic roughly. Transfer to baking sheet, sprinkle with salt, pepper and fresh thyme and roast at 425 degree for 35-40 minutes or until soft and caramelized. Remove from oven and cool. Puree in small batches in food processor. Transfer to big mixing bowl with cucumber and kale and add all remaining ingredients. Chill and serve with a garlic crouton on top.

Poached egg with smoke salmon and collard greens

This recipe is a real feast. Perfect for a sunny Sunday brunch! Of course the collard greens can be replaced by any greens of your choice like; spinach, kale, mustard green etc..

Serves 2

Ingredients
2 - 1/2 thick slices of pumpernickle bread (or other kind of bread)
2 tbl spoon of butter
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 tbl spoon of fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 packed cups of collard greens, chopped bite size
2 thin slices of smoke salmon
2 eggs
2 tbl spoon of white vinegar
2 slices of provolone, (or other kind of cheese)

Directions
Mix butter, garlic and fresh parsley and spread over the slices of bread. Grill under the broil until nice and brown, approximately 1 minute. Remove bread from oven and set aside. Boil some water in a medium size pot filled to 1/2 it's capacity. When the water is boiling, reduce heat to medium-low so it barely simmers, add vinegar, then the eggs and simmer for 4 minutes. The white will be set but the yolk will still be runny. Remove from water with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add 2 tbl spoon of olive oil to a medium size skillet and sautee onion on medium heat for 2 minutes or until transparent. Add collard greens and sautee for an additional 3-4 minutes or until wilted. Remove from skillet and set aside. To assemble: place the slices of bread on a baking sheet, add on each slice, in this order, collard greens, smoke salmon, poached egg and cheese. Grill under the broil for 2 minutes or until the cheese is nice and brown.

I seasoned the tomatoes with some fresh basil, drizzled with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a dash of salt and pepper.

Tofu sautee in a garlic infused oil with a tomato and fresh herb pistou

Tofu is like mushrooms or eggplants. They are very spongy and kind of tasteless. I like that because you can give them practically any taste that you want and if you add a little salsa, relish or pistou then you could end up with a pretty explosive mouthful.

This low method of cooking the tofu infuses the oil in which the tofu cooks and gives it a nice Mediterranean flavor with the cumin, the sweet roasted garlic and the smoky pepper. The pistou complements the dish perfectly bringing all the flavors together.

Serves 2

For the tofu:

Ingredients

4 - 1/2 inch slices of tofu
Olive oil, enough to cover bottom of a medium size skillet
10 medium size garlic cloves, chopped roughly
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp chipolte pepper
4 tblsp fresh cilantro
Salt

Directions
Heat up medium size skillet on med-low heat. Add olive oil. When oil is hot (but not smoking) add garlic. Reduce heat to low and cook for 1 minute. Add tofu. Sprinkle tofu with half cumin seeds, half chipolte pepper, half the cilantro and a bit of salt. Cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Turn tofu, sprinkle with the other half of cumin, chipolte pepper, cilantro and give it a final dash of salt. Cook for another 10 minutes always on low heat. Raise up the heat to medium and continue cooking tofu for an additional 2 minutes on each side to give it a nice golden, crispy crust.
Transfer to plates, drizzle with the infused olive oil from the pan - don't forget any of the crunchy pieces of sweet garlic, they are delicious-. Serve with a green salad, a wedge of lime and spoonful of pistou (recipe follows)

For the Pistou:

Ingredients
1 loose cup of fresh parsley
1/2 loose cup fresh basil
1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lime (or to taste)
Salt and pepper

Directions
Place all ingredients in food processor and pulse 2-3 times until almost pureed but not quite. I like to keep it a bit chunky.

Ratatouille

In August we are getting all the right vegetables for the best ratatouille ever. Serve it on rice, or on noodles. My favoite way to eat it is as a side dish with a quiche!

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 eggplant
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 medium tomato, chopped roughly (about 1 cup)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves

Directions:
Cut eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, and bell peppers into 1/2-inch dice. In a large heavy skillet cook onion in 1 tablespoon olive oil over moderate heat, stirring, until tender. Add zucchinis, squash, and bell peppers and cook for 3-5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper to taste and cook for an additional 10 minutes. If the tomatoes are evaporating too fast you can always add a bit of chicken or vegetable stock to keep the ratatouille nice and moist.

Collard Green Vichyssoise

I did this recipe last Monday in my cooking class, it was good but a bit too thick. So the next day I added a bit more almond milk to make it thinner and I adjusted the seasoning and it was a lot better.

I revised the recipe and changed the 1/2 cup almond milk to 1 cup.

Ingredients
4 cups collard greens, chopped roughly
3 leeks, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 lb potatoes, cut into ½ inch cubes
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
3 cups vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon packed fresh thyme leaves
1 cup chilled almond milk
Salt and pepper

Directions
Cook leeks in butter in a heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes and garlic cook 1 minute. Add broth, bay leaf, and thyme and simmer, uncovered, until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
Add chopped collard and simmer, uncovered, until collard is tender, about 4 minutes.
Puree soup in batches in a blender (or with a hand mixer) until very smooth.

Vegetables of the week!

I couldn't wait to get some eggplant, so I was sooo happy when I got my box to see that finally the time had come to work with eggplants again ye! We have red peppers too and leeks..I already have tons of ideas of what I'm going to do with them...I'm thinking roasted eggplant and pepper dip, ratatouille, stuffed thin slices of eggplants with ricotta cheese and a nice little tomatoes sauce...babaganough will also be on my list and many more...

Lobster Salad

One thing I really miss about working on yachts (for the ones who don't already know...well yes, I used to work on yachts as a private Chef...seems like centuries ago) is spending the summers in New England and eating fresh lobsters and juicy sweet clams on a bed of linguinis with my dear friend Debby...all fresh from the ocean, I am feeling soooo nostalgic right now..snif.. remembering these good old days...but it only last a few seconds before other memories come rushing through my mind of long, exausting days of work and all of a sudden the nostalgia is gone and I'm quite happy where I am with my freshly caught lobsters from.. well....Sam's..
But hey! all the other ingredients are from our lovely organic farm.

For the Salad:
You can certainly use the vegetables of your choice. Mine had:
2 avocados, sliced
1 cucumbers, cut into ribbons with a potato peeler
2 hard boiled eggs, cut in half
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1/2 zucchini, cut in half and sliced thinly

1 bunch of fresh basil

2 cups of lettuce, cut bite size

Dressing (my favorite ever)

In your food processor, puree:

1 whole shallot

1 tbl sp of Dijon mustard

1/2 cup olive oil

Fresh lemon juice to taste (about 1 part of lemon to 3 parts of oil)

Dash of red crush Chile pepper

Salt and Pepper

Sautee of swiss chard, lots of whole basil leaves,fresh corn, zucchinis and cherry tomatoes

Basil is wonderful but it doesn't last very long. I have done a lot of pestos but recently I have used it not only as a herb but as a green..I sautee the whole leaves, and quite a big bunch of them at once, and add it to other vegetables or just eat it by itself with a bit of minced garlic, crushed chile pepper, lemon zest and soy sauce, it's yummie as a side dish or with jasmine rice. I thought it might be too strong at first but it isn't...it makes the dish very fragrant and flavorful!!

Ingredients
2 scallions, sliced
4 cups of chard, chopped bite size
1 cup of fresh corn kernels
1cup of zucchinis, cut in strings of 3 inches long
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, sliced to 1/4 inch
2 packed cups of whole basil leaves
3 tbl sp of dark balsamic vinegar
2 tbls sp of olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Directions
Heat medium size skillet on medium heat. Add scallions cook until transparent, about 1-2 minutes. Add chard, corn and zucchinis, cook for an additional 2 minutes or until tender. Add tomatoes, whole basil leaves, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and fresh cracked pepper.
Enjoy!

Warm salad of kale with roasted peppers, goat cheese and pain de campagne

I always like to clean my salad plate by wiping a piece of bread on the left over dressing. A piece of bread soaked in balsamic vinegar and olive oil is simply delicious no? That's is what inspired me for this salad.

I used a piece of pain de campagne (I don't know what it is in english..farmer's bread, country bread?) that I had for 2-3 days. It was starting to get a bit hard, that's mainly the reason why I decided to include it in this dish.

Perfect for recycling a piece of bread that's getting a bit tough!!

Ingredients

2-3 cups of kale, chopped

2 shallots, quartered

1 1/2 cup of good stale bread, cut into 1 inch cubes

2 roasted peppers (red, orange or yellow, your choice), each sliced in 8 pieces

1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled

5 tbl sp of olive oil

3 tbl sp of dark balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

Directions

Heat medium size skillet on medium heat. Add 2 tbl sp of olive oil, when oil is hot add onions, sautee 2 minutes or until transparent. Add kale and cook 2-3 minutes or until tender. Add the roasted peppers, balsamic vinegar and remaining 3 tbls sp. olive oil, add bread and toss to coat with the olive oil and the balsamic vinegar, add salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Transfer to serving platter or plates, sprinkle with goat cheese and serve.

Spaghettinis with kale, black olives, capers, roasted garlic and toasted pine nuts

You can substitute the kale with any other greens. However, the collard green might need to cook a little more.

Ingredients
1 lb of spaghettinis (or pastas of you choice)
4 tblsp spoon of olive oil
6-7 big garlic cloves, roughly chopped (it sounds like a lot but when the garlic is nicely roasted it becomes quite mild and sweet)
½ cup of pine nuts
¾ cups of black olives (more or less depending of your preferences)
¼ cup of capers
2 -14 ounces cans of tomatoes, pureed in the food processor
2 full cups of kale, chopped

Directions
In a large skillet, heat olive oil on med-low heat. Add garlic, reduce heat to low. Roast garlic for 10 minutes. Remove garlic – keeping as much as the garlic infused oil as possible - from skillet and set aside to cool. Return skillet to burner and toast pine nuts on medium heat, in the garlic infused olive oil, until nice and brown. Add black olives and capers and sauté 2-3 minutes. While black olives and capers are dancing in the skillet mash the garlic with the side of your knife’s blade until it’s reduced to a puree and add to black olives and capers. Add the tomatoes and cook for approximately 10 minutes, still on medium heat. Add kale and cook 2 minutes. Serve on pastas of your choice. You could also add some zucchinis to this recipe since we have some really nice organic ones from the farm.

Hope you like it!

Kale Dip

Kale dip

4 cups kale leaves
1 large avocado
½ tbs. lemon juice
½ tsp. salt
1 garlic clove, peeled
¼ tsp. curry powder
½ tsp. minced fresh ginger
Dash cayenne pepper
Dash chili powder
Dash cumin

Blend all ingredients in food processor until smooth, and serve.

Scrambled eggs with kale, feta cheese, capers and fresh oregano

This recipe may sound strange to you but if you are a caper and feta cheese lover you have to try this out, it is delicious! For real.... Do not add any salt though, remember the feta cheese and the capers are salty already.

Serves 2-4

Ingredients
2 tbls of extra virgin olive oil
6 egss
2 cups of kale, chopped
2 greed onions, sliced
¼ cup of capers
¼ cups of feta cheese
2 tblsp of fresh oregano or thyme.

Direction
Place a skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tbls of extra virgin olive oil. When oil is hot add the green onions. Cook for 1 minute. Add the capers and cook for 1 minute. Add the kale and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Transfer to plate. Scramble the eggs. When eggs are set add the kale mixture, the feta cheese and the fresh oregano. Serve hot.

Coleslaw with yellow zucchinis, toasted pine nuts, Cherry tomatoes and tons of yummie Cilantro

Who said coleslaw has to be boring???

Serves 4

Ingredients
2 cups of cabbage, cut thinly and in 3-4 inches strips
½ medium size yellow zucchini, cut into ½ inch cubes
½ cup pine nuts, toasted in skillet until nice and brown
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
1 hand full of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 small garlic clove, chopped
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of one lime
Salt and pepper

Directions
Mix 5 first ingredients together in a large bowl. Just before serving add the extra virgin olive oil, the lime juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.