Easy, peasy! Just wash and freeze some organic blueberries. Or grapes. Keep in freezer and snack on frozen ones, or sprinkle with a touch of maple syrup and cinnamon for a cool dessert. Enjoy!
Tag: grain-free
BLT Salad
Love Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwiches? This is a great way to enjoy that same great flavor, without the fattening bread–and with the addition of lots of green veggies, plus avocado!
Ingredients
Romaine, leaf lettuce, baby greens, supergreens, spinach, etc
Cherry tomatoes, sliced in half, or 1-2 larger tomatoes, chopped
4-6 slices natural bacon, cooked and chopped up
Avocado, chopped
Raw blue or goat cheese, optional
Extra virgin olive oil and apple cider or balsamic vinegar
Directions
Cook bacon ahead of time, chop. Clean and chop vegetables and lettuce. Assemble with generous amounts of bacon and avocado.
Add dressing before serving and garnish with cheese if desired.
Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes with Peaches
Pumpkin is great any time of the year–dont just wait until Thanksgiving. These delicious pancakes are made with pure buckwheat flour, ground flax and vitamin A rich organic pumpkin. Buckwheat is not made from a grain, it is from a seed, so it is low glycemic and anti-inflammatory. Plus–in Colorado, we have these amazing peaches grown in Palisade, Colorado and they are the sweetest, freshest, juiciest peaches I’ve ever had!
Ingredients (all measurements approximate)
1 can organic pumpkin puree
1/2 cup pure buckwheat flour (not buckwheat pancake ‘mix’, this has wheat flour in it.
1/2 cup ground flax seed
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp of baking soda or baking powder
pinch of sea salt
pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon
water or almond/flax/coconut milk to thin batter if needed
Directions
In a big bowl, add dry ingredients and mix. Add eggs, vanilla, and liquid to thin to a medium batter. Heat up large flat pan and add tbsp or so of butter. Drop batter in pan to make small pancakes. Flip when pancakes have dry bubbles around edges. Garnish with fresh peaches or berries, grass fed butter and a drizzle of real maple syrup. Enjoy!
Southwest Veggie Scramble
Delicious, easy to throw together, superhealthy breakfast!
This one doesn’t really take any specific ingredients, just pull out a few veggies you have in the fridge and get scrambling!
Ingredients
handful of kaleasparagus
mushrooms
onion
red pepper
tomato
Sriracha sauce or salsa
sprinkle of cumin
2-4 eggs, whipped with fork
Sliced avocado
Cheese if desired
Directions
Chop up veggies and add to large pan (except tomatoes) with 1 Tbsp butter. Over medium high heat, stir and cook till tender. Add eggs, tomatoes and cumin, cook till done. Garnish with sliced avocado, salsa or sriracha. Enjoy!
Fresh Cucumber and Tomato Salad
Cucumbers are not the sexy new superfood but they are pretty awesome in their own right! They are a great source of conventional nutrition like vitamin C and vitamin A, and they contain a great source of manganese and antioxidants, including a substance called cucurbitacins. Cucurbitacins actually block cancer cell development and along with the lycopene in the tomatoes, this is a power-packed salad. Add some tuna to it for a complete meal!
Ingredients
3 fresh tomatoes, chopped
3-4 small cucumbers, sliced
1 sweet onion, sliced
Fresh oregano, thyme, or basil chopped
1 tsp raw sugar
2-3 Tbsp virgin olive oil
Lemon juice or 1 Tbsp apple cider or balsamic vinegar
sea salt and pepper
Can of Albacore tuna, optional
Directions
Chop up veggies and mix with dressing. Tastes better if prepared ahead of time and allowed to soak up flavors.
Coconut Flour Pancakes
These are delicious served with fresh fruit or used as a grain-free ‘muffin’ to hold your eggs. My favorite way is to use these and make a healthier version of an Egg McMuffin. Simply make the pancakes and freeze or refrigerate, heat in toaster or pan and add a piece of natural ham or canadian bacon, an egg and some greens. Breakfast on the go!
Ingredients
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1/3 – 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 2 tbsp organic, cold-pressed coconut oil
• 3 eggs
• 1-2 tbsp honey
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Maple syrup to taste
• Grass-fed butter for cooking (Kerrygold and Anchor are my favorite brands)
Directions
Thoroughly mix the eggs,coconut and honey together. Add coconut milk and vanilla extract. Add coconut flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix, but not too much! Melt a dab of butter in your skillet and then using a measuring cup, add a little batter to the pan. I recommend figuring out how many pancakes you’d like to make beforehand so that you can use an appropriately sized cup or ladle. This recipe should yield around 8 or so pancakes.
*The lecithin contained in the egg yolks gives you the texture of the pancakes, so if you’re not happy with the overall consistency then I would recommend adjusting the egg quantity before anything else.
Cleansing Artichoke Soup
I absolute LOVE this soup! It’s perfect for spring and full of great greens as well as the cleansing quality of artichokes. It’s not that complicated and easy to vary depending on your ingredients on hand. The key of course is the artichokes, leeks and potatoes.
Artichokes are members of the thistle family and we are eating the flower. They are very high in fiber, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, and chromium and manganese. Artichokes contain cynarin and silymarin, which are excellent for the liver, kidneys, and stimulating bile secretion. Cynarin was actually used as a cholesterol lowering drug at one time and it can decrease cholesterol dramitically. And because artichokes are good for detoxing the liver they are great for hangovers!
Different greens work in this soup: sorrel, chard, spinach, beet greens, butter lettuce, etc.
Ingredients
2 medium to large artichokes
1 cup water with lemon juice added
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 leeks, sliced, white part only
4 garlic cloves
2 small red potatoes, quartered
Several leaves of greens
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
sea salt
5-6 cups water
1 cup frozen baby peas
Garnishes
Extra virgin olive oil
Parmigiana Cheese
Fresh ground pepper
Directions
Break off all outer leaves at the stem. Slice off the top of the remaining leaves about 2/3 of the way down. Cut the artichokes in quarters and remove the fuzzy centers with a spoon, leaving the hearts intact. Drop them into the lemon water as you work, so they do not turn dark.
Warm the olive oil in another large pan, and add leeks, artichokes, garlic, potatoes, greens and salt. Add 1/2 cup water and stew for a few minutes. Add peas and rest of ingredients and simmer partially covered for 20 minutes till artichokes are tender. Cool and blend in blender in batches. Garnish with olive oil and cheese and pepper.
Jerk Chicken (or Pork) with Pineapple/Mango Salsa
(photo courtesy http://healthyandgourmet.blogspot.com)
This is the perfect time of year to enjoy grilling outside and this is the epitomy of a refreshing, delicious summer dish. The jerk seasoning on the chicken (or pork) sets off the cool, sweet taste of the pineapple salsa perfectly. This chicken is best on the grill, but you can also make it on the stovetop as well–preferably in a cast iron skillet. Jerk seasoning is a spicy, sweet seasoning from the Caribbean. It can be found as either a wet or dry rub, but I prefer the dry rub. I make my own mix, but its generally easy to find in the store already mixed up.
Ingredients
2-4 lbs boneless, skinless breasts, or thighs or pork loins or pork chops
Jerk seasoning (recipe below)
Salsa
Pineapple and/or mango, chopped in small chunks
1/2 red onion
2-3 cloves garlic
1 small red or green jalepeno pepper, ribs and seeds removed and minced
fresh lime juice to taste
Directions
Heat grill to medium heat, brush grates with oil to prevent sticking. Coat chicken in jerk seasoning, and grill. Turn one or two times. The jerk seasoning with will burn because there is sugar in it, so try not to let it get totally charred, but a nice bit carmelized brown is great.
Meanwhile, chop and mix up fruit salsa. Serve with a generous dollop of fruit salsa on top. Sweet potatoes round out this dinner perfectly!
Garden Fresh Gazpacho
Gazpacho is the perfect soup of summer. Refreshingly cool on a hot summer day, this classic Spanish soup combines the best of summers most nutrient rich vegetables. This soup is always best when you can use locally grown and picked at their peak vegetables. Not only will they be bursting with nutrients, but also bursting with flavor. You just can’t do justice to this soup with store bought veggies picked way before they are naturally ripe! And did you know, organic tomatoes contain three time the cancer fighting lycopene that conventional tomatoes contain? And lycopene is one of those foods that is absorbed better when eaten with a fat, so add some yummy avocado to your gazpacho to top it off!
Ingredients
4-6 ripe tomatoes, quartered
1 red onion, quartered
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped in large pieces
2-3 stalks celery, chopped in large pieces
2 carrots, chopped roughly
1 sweet red bell pepper, quartered
2-4 cloves of garlic minced
2 Tbsp fresh parsley
1 tsp cumin
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1/4 cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp raw sugar or honey
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
2-4 cups V-8, tomato juice or the healthy organic equivelent
Handful cilantro
Avocado sliced
1 cup medium shrimp, cooked (optional)
Directions
Combine all ingredients, with only about half the tomato juice in blender, and blend at low speed, leaving soup chunky. Add all ingredients, and mix. Refrigerate or serve with cilantro and sliced avocado. Makes great leftovers too!
Curried Sweet Potato Soup
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This soup has a rich and exotic taste that satisfies and warms your soul. Sweet potatoes contain numerous significant and surprising health benefits. The super nutrients that these root veggies contain include antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, and blood sugar regulating substances. The bright orange flesh contains beta carotene, which is converted into vitamin A with the addition of some fat. Including healthy fats maximizes your body’s ability to absorb and convert beta carotene into usable vitamin A.
The phytonutrients in sweet potatoes also help with digestive tract problems and add healthy fiber. And don’t forget the power-packed spices–curry powder, coriander, cardamom, and turmeric have massive health benefits ranging from anti-aging, brain health to cancer protection and arthritis prevention.
Ingredients
4 cups sweet potatoes, cubed
1 medium sweet onion, chopped2 celery stalks, chopped
1/4″ fresh ginger, minced
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp turmeric
Sea salt
Pinch of cayenne
5 cups vegetable stock
1 cup almond, flax, or coconut milk
1 Tbsp coconut oil or butter
1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
Directions
Heat coconut oil or butter in large pot and saute onions and celery until tender and translucent. Add minced garlic and saute briefly. Add remaining ingredients and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 30 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender. After soup has cooled sufficiently, place in blender and puree in batches till smooth. If too thick add more stock or water. Sprinkle with roasted pumpkin seeds.
Chimichurri Steak
(Recipe and photo courtesy Chef Ted Wood)
I love the simplicity of a great chimchurri. It truly brings out the flavor of meat in so many dishes! Chimichurri is a staple of South American food, especially Argentinian dishes. This version uses fresh parsley, onion, garlic, oil, vinegar, and a little bit of chili pepper. The dominant flavor of the onion will make or break this dish, so use a sweeter onion if you can. If not, just cut back a bit.
Eating just two Tablespoons of parsley actually promotes better carbohydrate metabolism. It is also very anti-inflammatory, strengthens the immune system, fights heart disease, strokes, and atherosclerosis–not to mention bad breath! The vitamin K in parsley is also great for bones and helps the body make an important fat that protects the myelin sheaths around our nerves and nervous system.
You can also substitute fresh cilantro instead of–or in addition to the parsley, which also has huge health benefits as well.
Ingredients
Grass fed steak–flank, skirt steak, tri-tip, ribeye, etc.
5 large garlic cloves
1/4 to 1/2 red onion
1 cup parsley leaves
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
sea salt, red pepper flakes
Directions
Finely mince the garlic, onion and parsley. Stir in wine vinegar and olive oil, season with salt and red pepper.
Grill steak over medium high heat until medium rare. Thinly slice on diagnonal and serve with a generous amount of chimichurri sauce. Enjoy!
Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
Quinoa is a seed, not a grain and it is packed full of nutrients, including lots of protein. Quinoa is gluten free, and a great low glycemic vegetarian source of protein as well as being rich in manganese, magnesium, calcium, copper, iron, phosphorus, vitamin E, and B vitamins. Quinoa’s protein provides all essential amino acids, making it idea for meatless meals.
Quinoa typically comes in the white version, but there are also red and black versions. My favorite is a mixture of all three. The red and black types take slightly longer to cook but add a delicious texture and nuttier taste.
This recipe is delicious as a meatless meal or you can add ground beef or chicken or cheese, for heartier appetites. Either way, you will be sure to enjoy!
Ingredients
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 lb grass fed beef, chicken or turkey (optional)4 red, yellow or green pepper, sliced in half, with seeds and center removed
1 medium red onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small zucchini, diced
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
1-2 tsp dried or fresh oregano
1-2 tsp dried or fresh basil
1 small can of organic chopped tomatoes or 3 fresh chopped tomatoes
Hot pepper flakes or dash of hot sauce
sea salt
Fresh chopped parsely
Grass fed cheese (optional)
Directions
Heat oven to 350 F. Wash peppers, removes stems and seed, and cut in half. Place in small baking dish with sides. (The idea is to have the peppers sort of packed in to help prevent them from collapsing.)
Cook meat in pan–when mostly done, add onion, garlic, zucchini, mushrooms, oregano, basil, salt and pepper flakes. If doing meatless version, just cook veggies in pan about 5-6 minutes till tender. Add tomatoes and quinoa and cook till liquid is absorbed.
Spoon mixture into peppers and bake in oven, covered in foil for about 20 minutes. Remove foil and cook for another 10 minutes or so. If adding cheese, add in the last few minutes and cook till just melted. Sprinkle with parsley and enjoy!
Asian Chicken Salad
This yummy Asian inspired salad include the delicate flavor of napa cabbage, as well as other healthy cabbages and cruciferous vegetables. Cabbage contains compounds that make it naturally fat burning, and napa boasts the highest concentration of folate. Folate is extremely important for healthy pregnancies and for infants, for red blood cells and to prevent anemia.
Cabbage is big on cancer prevention. Nearly 500 studies have looked at this family of vegetables and their outstanding cancer destroying properties. The glucosinolates are the primary ingredient with the anti-cancer benefits. These are converted into compounds that prevent a variety of cancers including: bladder cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, and prostate cancer. So eat an extra helping of this cancer fighting salad!
Salad
2-4 boneless, skinless cooked chicken breasts or thighs, sliced thinly2-3 Napa cabbage sliced thinly
1/2 cup red cabbage, sliced thinly
1 small sweet red bell pepper, sliced in thin strips
4-6 green onions, chopped or sliced in 2″ strips
2 carrots, grated or cut in matchstick slices
1/2 lb fresh snow peas, cut in thin slices on diagonal
Big handful cilantro, chopped
1-2 cups mung bean sprouts
1/2 cup slivered almonds
Dressing
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar (seasoned from Trader Joe’s is great)
Juice of fresh lime
1 Tbsp honey
1/4 cup olive oil, or avocado oil
1 tsp sesame oil
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger root
Slice all veggies thinly and place in large salad bowl. Chop or shred chicken using two forks. Whisk dressing together, making sure honey is blended in well. Add chicken and almonds and pour dressing over all. Great leftovers too!
Easy Teriyaki Chicken Satay
Most any cut of chicken works for this–the best is chicken breasts or thighs, but this marinade also works great on many types of meat. Meat can be marinated for as little as 1-2 hours, or overnight for more flavor. Marinades not only add flavor but can prevent some of the carcinogenic compounds from forming when meat is grilled.
Marinades are fun and easy once you get a basic formula down. This one is my stand-by formula. You can always make variables of this by adding more herbs, spices, etc. All you need is an oil, flavor (soy, teriyaki, etc), an acid (lemon, lime, orange juice, balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, etc), a touch of sweetness (honey, brown sugar, molasses, maple syrup), and then seasonings (garlic, ginger, herbs, salt and pepper). The sky is the limit!
Chicken
2-3 lbs of boneless skinless breasts or thighs
Bamboo skewers, soaked in water for a couple hours
Marinade
1 cup gluten free soy sauce
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp honey or brown sugar
Juice of one fresh lemon or lime
Splash of orange juice or fresh orange juice
1 Tbsp fresh ground ginger root
Fresh ground black pepper or pinch of cayenne or hot sauce like Tabasco
4 chopped fresh garlic cloves
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Direction
If using skewers, slice chicken in smaller slices that will fit on skewers. Mix marinade ingredients in a large shallow glass dish. Place chicken in dish and be sure all pieces are covered. Thread chicken on skewers and grill over medium heat on grill or in oven on a baking sheet at 375 F for 12-18 minutes. Turn to brown all sides. Serve with satay sauce (recipe below) or grilled fresh pineapple.
Satay sauce
1/2 cup peanut butter, sunflower butter or cashew butter. Add 2 Tbsp boiling hot water and mix with a fork till well blended. Add a squeeze of lemon juice, grated ginger, and a touch of honey or sugar. Mix well.
Healthy Cobb Salad
A healthier, more up to date version of the classic Cobb salad. Definitely heart enough for a meal in itself. You can always vary the ingredients according to what you have on hand, and the brighter and more colorful, the better!
The addition of watercress and arugula add a great taste sensation plus the added benefits of cruciferous vegetables, which they are both a part of. Watercress and arugula both contain 8X the calcium as regular iceberg lettuce. Watercress is also a stimulant, a diuretic, an expectorant, and a digestive aid. Due to its high iodine content, watercress is good for the thyroid gland as well. Good thyroid function = higher metabolism = a better fat burning lean body.
Salad
3-4 Hard boiled eggs, shelled and quartered
1 cup organic cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
6 slices of natural bacon, cooked, and chopped up
4 cups watercress, arugula, baby greens, chard, etc.
1/4 cup thin sliced radishes
1/4 cup grass fed extra sharp cheddar, crumbled-optional
1 lb. medium sized shrimp or chicken, cooked
Dressing
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1-2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp dijon mustard or mustard powder
Chopped fresh herbs
1/2 tsp maple syrup
Arrange all ingredients on plate or shallow bowl. Drizzle with dressing, fresh herbs, sea salt and pepper. Enjoy!
Fresh Strawberry Pie and Grain-Free Crust
The best tasting pie comes from locally grown strawberries at the height of the berry season, which for most of us is early spring and summer. You can find berries in the grocery store virtually year ’round, but the taste is generally missing.
Conventional strawberries are some of the most highly sprayed crops with pesticides–in fact, they usually top the list of the Environmental Working Group’s ‘Dirty Dozen’ every year. So always be sure to buy organic, and if you can, buy local. There is a HUGE difference in taste and freshness–and these berries are picked when ripe, so they are at the height of taste.
Strawberries, like other berries are a great source of a type of antioxidants called ‘phenols’. These unique antioxidants make them hart healthy, caner preventative, and anti-inflammatory, all in one sweet little juicy package.
Crust
1 1/2 cup finely crushed organic almonds* or almond meal (you can purchase this at many stores)3Tbsp melted coconut oil or grass fed butter
2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
Pinch of sea salt
Preheat oven to 350 F. Melt coconut oil or butter on stove till liquid. Add maple syrup, crushed almonds. Use fingertips or another pie pan to shape crust evenly into a glass pie pan. Bake 8-10 minutes. Set aside or refrigerate.
*Almonds can be crushed in food processor or in plastic bag with rolling pin.
Filling
2 pints of fresh strawberries, sliced in half
1 1/2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted 1/2 cup shredded coconut-optional
2-4 tbsp of (full fat) coconut milk (from can)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Stevia or raw honey to taste
Mix ingredients together and pour into crust. Chill for 1-2 hours, until filling is firm.
You can make REAL whipped cream to go with this by whipping a half pint of heavy cream until peaks form. Add a touch of stevia and vanilla.
Halibut with Grilled Peaches
Peaches come into season in July and here in Colorado, Palisade peaches show up in my little natural foods market, and OMG, they are absolutely delicious!! If you can get some good local peaches, I highly recommend this! For the fish I chose a hunk of fresh halibut, but any firm, mild flavored fish you can grill is great. I do recommend the halibut though…
Ingredients (No worries, you don’t have to measure!)
1 lb, more or less fresh halibut, thickly cut
Fresh peaches, especially the ‘non cling’ type, sliced thickly
Meyer lemon
Grass fed butter
Sea Salt and pepper
Cayenne pepper
Directions
Melt butter in small pan and brush over fish. Add salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat on grill for 3-5 minutes per side, dont overcook and remember fish cooks a little more even after you remove from heat. Slice peaches in thick slices, carefully removing from pit. Sprinkle with a small amount of cayenne pepper. When you flip over the fish, add peaches to grill and grill for about 2 minutes or so per side. Serve fish with meyer lemon squeezed over it (meyer lemon has a more mellow, sweeter taste than regular lemon). Top with grilled peaches and serve. Mmm-mmm!
Maya Beach Chopped Salad
I was in Belize between Christmas and New Year’s and my favorite place was Maya Beach. We stayed at a wonderful cottage at a lovely resort with a fantastic restaurant on the beach. My very favorite dish there was their “Chopped Salad”. I think I actually ordered it at least 5 times or more!! It was awesome! (Of course, sitting in an outdoor restaurant on the beach in the middle of winter didn’t hurt a bit either!)
Here is my rendition of the Maya Beach Chopped Salad:
Ingredients (No need to measure, just add in whatever amounts you want)
Roma tomatoes
Red bell pepper
Tomatillos
English cucumber
Celery
Sweet vidalia onion
Jicama
Snow peas
Black Beans
Parsley or cilantro
Fresh lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil
Touch of honey
Sea salt and pepper
Directions
Chop all veggies
Sliver Jicama
Mix equal parts lemon juice and olive oil, add a touch of honey to taste, stir into salad.
Makes a great light vegetarian meal or side dish. Enjoy!
Garbanzo, quinoa, veggie salad
Another delicious summer salad that doesnt really need a recipe. You can experiment with ingredients and use what you have, add some dressing and viola! A hearty salad that can be eaten as a main course, or a filling sidedish. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Radishes, quartered and sliced
2-4 green onions, sliced or red onion, chopped
1/2 Red or green bell pepper, chopped
1 small tomato, chopped
1/2 cucumber, chopped
1/2 avocado, chopped
Cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup or so cooked quinoa
1 can garbanzo beans
Dressing
1-2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
juice of one lemon
tiny drizzle of honey or maple syrup (1/2 teaspoon)
Directions
Add to veggies and mix
Tomato and Kale Ragout with Black Bean Pasta
I just found this black bean pasta at Trader Joe’s today and wanted to try it. Unlike regular or even gluten free pasta made of rice, the bean pasta is purely black beans. Period. I am not a fan of eating grains for many reasons, but the black beans are much healthier. Great fiber, high in protein, grain free, less starchy, low glycemic, great tasting and lots more interesting! The black bean pasta makes for a heartier pasta, so team it up with something equally hearty.
This ragout is a delicious homemade, easy sauce (no measuring) that you can throw into a pan while the pasta is cooking and dinner is ready in minutes. I added some natural Italian chicken sausage and it was satisfying and absolutely delicious!
Ingredients (can vary)
1/2 bag of black bean pasta (more or less depending on quantities)1/4 large red onion, chopped roughly
3-4 large leaves of dinosaur, baby or other kale
2-3 fresh tomatoes, chopped or 1 8oz can fire roasted tomatoes
2-4 garlic cloves, smashed with knife and chopped
1-2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 or 2 natural chicken sausages, sliced
Sea salt, pepper
fresh basil, oregano, rosemary, etc.
Directions
Add water to pot, boil and add pasta, cooking according to directions. Set timer so pasta is al dente, and not over done. It turns to mush if overcooked. When done, drain, stir in 1 Tbsp olive oil and set aside.
Chop onion and garlic and cook in pan with olive oil. Add chicken sausage and cook 3 minutes. Add kale, cook 2-3 minutes till tender, add tomatoes and seasoning, cook an additional 3 minutes or so. Serve over black bean pasta, adding grated Parmigiana if desired. Serves 2-4.
Chili Rubbed Steak with Radish Salsa
photo courtesy Kalyn Denny, kalynskitchen.com
Chili Rubbed Steak with Radish Salsa
You won’t believe how good this is! Heating up the spices beforehand brings out the full fragrant sweet flavor of these super powered spices and the accompanying radish salsa is a refreshing change.
Radishes are full of nutrition, including vitamin C, folate, potassium, and trace minerals. Eating radishes can lower blood sugar, blood pressure, ease digestion, support healthy liver function, and help to prevent cancer. Radishes are a delicious, spicy, peppery snack too!
Use grass fed beef for all the great benefits of the healthy meat. Grass fed meat contains healthy fats including omega 3 fats that lower inflammation and protect your heart, and CLA which helps to burn fat. The best cut of meat for this recipe is flank steak. Be sure not to overcook the steak. When it is done, thinly slice it on the diagonal for the most tender bites.
Steak Ingredients
2 lbs grass fed flank or skirt steak
2 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sugar
¼ cup olive oil
Juice of one freshly squeezed lime
Directions for Steak
In a skillet, add cumin, chili, cinnamon, garlic over medium heat for 20-30 seconds, stirring until spices become very fragrant. Remove from heat immediately—spices burn easily!
In a shallow glass bowl, combine spices with extra virgin olive oil, lime juice and sugar. Add meat, turn to coat both sides, cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
Heat grill to medium high heat and grill meat for 10-15 minutes per side, depending on thickness. Meat should be brown outside, but pink and juicy inside. Remove from heat and let sit for a few minutes, then slice thinly on diagonal and serve with a generous serving of radish salsa. Serves 4.
Salsa Ingredients
8-10 medium sized radishes, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
½ small red onion, minced
A handful of cilantro, chopped
2-3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
Juice of one lime
Hot pepper flakes
Sea salt
Directions for Salsa
Chop radishes and tomatoes into small pieces, mince cilantro, red onion and garlic, and mix together. Add lime juice and seasonings. Serve with steak.