Poached Egg & Kale Salad

Greetings!! Each week I make a batch of quinoa that I use to sprinkle on my salads as a garnish.  I cook it in chicken stock with a garlic clove, freshly grated turmeric and ginger and make sure it's super al dente with a little crunch to it- about 13 minutes total cook time.

I've surprised myself by making another successful 365 days of rotation around the sun and now that I am officially middle aged, it's time to really get serious about being super diligent with my health and diet. It's an uphill battle! But this salad is a terrific way to start the day, enjoy for lunch or dinner with some fresh soup. Since I haven't logged on in ages, thought I'd add this to my recipe bank for future reference.

INGREDIENTS
2 poached eggs
1.5 cups kale, rinsed, dried and "massaged" to soften it
3 tbs cooked quinoa
1 strip of crispy nitrate free bacon- torn
Your favorite vinaigrette
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
Balsamic glaze for drizzling
(options- sliced almonds, tangerine segments, avocado- skies the limit)

Lately on Sundays, along with making quinoa, I have been making homemade chicken stock in the pressure cooker and a batch of either pork or turkey bacon in the oven to keep on hand for quick breakfast or garnishes. I used to hate breakfast as I don't have an appetite in the morning- but I'm forcing myself to have a little bite of protein or something. I find a cup of hot stock or a nibble of breakfast salad has done wonders for my energy levels. That and Whole Foods Vitamin B shot- waaaay better for me than coffee! I feel really fortunate to be alive and well and enjoying life- both the ups and the downs (those make us more aware and teach us lessons on how we can be better people in this world- I have a lot more learning to do) Here's to health and happiness!!

Gluten Free Wild Berry Clafoutis

A friend from work recently delivered a precious baby boy so we made them dinner and as I stopped by our local French restaurant Artisan to pick up a baguette, Chef had just pulled out a stunning looking clafoutis for that night's dinner service. It smelled heavenly and was dotted with fresh strawberries and I've been thinking of it ever since.

So last night I spotted some frozen wild berries in my freezer and thought how about I try my hand at making a gluten free, low glycemic version of that decadent clafoutis from the bistro? It turned out to be pretty fabulous! So I thought I'd add it to my list of things to cook in the future. I've added some tweaks to make it paleo or dairy free as well.

INGREDIENTS
4 large organic eggs
1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
1/2 cup gluten free flour or 1/4 cup coconut flour and 1/4 cup almond flour
1 cup milk (or cococnut milk or almond milk)
2 tablespoons melted butter (or coconut oil)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup berries
2 tbs cream cheese (For added richness)
Dash of sea salt

In a large bowl mix everything but the berries.

Pour in a cast iron skillet or baking dish, sprinkle with berries and bake in a preheated 325 degree oven about 40-50 minutes until just set.

It resembles a souffle on top and flan in the middle and is comforting, tasty and super easy!

Creamy Broccoli Soup

Sophomore year in college I took the funnest job ever as a food delivery girl for a popular Dallas restaurant called "Dalt's Grill" on Lover's Lane and Inwood road. It was basically a Chili's or a TGI Friday's knockoff founded by two guys named Dave and Walt, hence the name Dalt's (terribly imaginative, I know). Almost all my friends worked there and it was a total win for me because I had the freedom to drive around town listening to my favorite techno music while making pretty good tips and scoring some free food after my shift was over. We were a tight knit group and often went out to blow off some steam only to collapse in bed for a few hours before our next shift or class the following morning. How I managed to live off of barely any sleep, cheap wine and Dalt's food is a wonder and testament to the endurance of a young body. And I'm paying for it today. But I wouldn't trade any of our debauchery for one second as it was a glorious time and our last chance to live wild and free before the constraints of adulthood wrapped their vise like grips around our slender throats.

One of my favorite post shift treats was Dalt's broccoli cheese soup. I adored the stuff! Naturally since it contained some overcooked broccoli I assumed it was super healthy so slurped it down with abandon to prepare for the night ahead of partying. (I also had the incorrect assumption that cranberry juice in my vodka made my cocktails healthy, and high carb dishes were the key to staying thin as long as they contained no fat). I miss you 1990s. Ignorance was true bliss.

All that fun living has caught up to me and I must now spend my spare time practicing yoga poses, meditating and eating lots of cruciferous veggies. And not the kind served in a salty, preservative laden processed cheese base either! I've enlightened my appreciation of broccoli soup with a simple and delicious soup made from the freshest ingredients that is every bit as satisfying as that unrefined concoction I devoured at Dalt's.

CREAMY BROCCOLI SOUP

INGREDIENTS
Florets of two organic broccoli crowns
1 cup of fresh organic spinach or kale leaves
3 cups low sodium chicken stock (preferably homemade or organic stock from a box- not a can)
1/4 cup sweet white wine such as a Reisling
1 large carrot, diced
1 small yukon potato, diced (optional but it thickens the soup nicely)
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves roughly chopped garlic
2 tbs butter
1/4 cup cream (this is not a low fat recipe, but a helluva lot healthier than that Dalt's soup!)
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
about 1 tsp sea salt or to taste
1 tsp white pepper

For garnish:
fresh chopped chives & tarragon or chervil

In a 5 quart soup pot I melted 1 tablespoon of butter and softened the onions, carrots and potatoes about 8 minutes over medium heat. I added the wine, herbs and turned up the heat and cooked about 3 minutes until the alcohol has dissipated. Always be sure to cook off the alcohol before adding any stock as you just want the sweetness left over and no raw wine taste.

Then add the stock, cover and cook about 15 minutes to soften the potatoes and carrot. Add the broccoli and spinach or kale, cover and cook another 15 minutes until the broccoli is softened.

Transfer to a blender (invest in a good one such as a vitamix or ninja as they really do a bang up job pureeing soups). Pour it back into your clean soup pot to rewarm, stir in cream and 1 tbs butter. Now please listen to me here: the fat from the butter and cream is what makes this soup taste delicious. You can omit them or maybe even use some half and half, but a cupful of this soup will not send you into the fatosphere, so live a little! Ladle into warmed soup bowls and garnish with fresh herbs and a bit more coarse sea salt. Another charming serving option I discovered on a recent trip to Clark's Oyster Bar is to nestle the herbs in the spoon and serve it alongside the bowl so your guests, or you, can swirl in the fresh herbs. If I weren't gluten free, I'd toast up some fresh croutons to sprinkle on top.

As you can see by my posts, I really love green soups, and while this one may be a little decadent, it's terrifically healthy as well. It's all about living a balanced life. Namaste.

Brussels Sprouts Wrapped in Bacon with Figs

Today's post is all about those cute little cabbages known as Brussels Sprouts. I've always loved Brussels Sprouts (maybe because my mom is from Brussels??) Brussels Sprouts are alot like the Belgians; they're petite, firm and very versatile! The figs at the market have just been so bountiful lately, so I had to throw them in this tasty little recipe. I have been trying hard to up my cruciferous veggie intake lately as I've decided to follow a Paleo diet per my doctor's instructions. Paleo is a good diet to follow for those who like me, are gluten intolerant and have high blood sugar. It's been an adjustment, but I'm already feeling so much better after a short time of following the diet that I think the sacrifice of wheat and gluten and dairy and sugars will be worth it in the long run. So the blog may be taking on a bit of a twist with my recipes soon.
** Just a side note: some Paleo enthusiasts say bacon is not Paleo friendly, while others do? So I'm going to go with the camp that is pro bacon ;-)

 Tasty Little Nuggets!

This side dish is very simple and incredibly tasty too. I simply cut some Brussles sprouts in half, steamed them about 6 minutes, then when they'd cooled I smeared a little goat cheese on them plus a slice of fresh fig, wrapped in apple wood smoked bacon and skewered them like a kabob.

 I grilled them flipping often about 15 minutes until the bacon was crispy. They were delicious! They could also roasted in the oven on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. They taste great re heated in the microwave too, so make a large batch for later use.

Wrapped and Ready...

I've been learning a lot about Paleo cooking from these two great blogs: Practical Paleo and Everyday Paleo

Perfect with chicken kabobs.

Another clever and tasty way to combine Brussels sprouts and bacon is to layer some sprouts which have been cut in half on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum. Sprinkle some roughly chopped garlic on them, fresh pepper and then bake some bacon on a cooling rack on top of them. The bacon fat drips over the sprouts, caramelizing them and making them super tasty. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until bacon and sprouts are crispy.

Drizzle some balsamic and squeeze some lemon and you have yourself the perfect little side dish. Perfect choux de Bruxelles!!