Kale Cranberry Pine Nut Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

Salad:

1 bunch of fresh kale

1 cup chopped dried cranberries

1/2 cup roasted pine nuts

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Sea salt and black pepper

Remove the hard stem off kale leaves and finely chopped. Combine all the ingredients in a large salad bowl. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Keep chilled.

Vinaigrette:

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper

Blend lemon zest, juice, and mustard to combine. With the blender running. drizzle in olive oil until vinaigrette is thick and creamy. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Drizzle some over chilled salad and serve immediately with the rest of the dressing on the side.

What's Your Favorite Way to Eat Fresh Summer Tomatoes?

The Amazing Kale

Graffiti Eggplant Sweet Potato Avocado Salad with Creamy Dill Dressing

Dressing:

1 cup plain Greek yogurt 

Small handful fresh chopped dill 

1/2 teaspoon yellow curry powder 

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Blend until smooth. Keep refrigerated.

Salad:

4 graffiti eggplant

1 large sweet potato 

1 large avocado 

1/2 small red onion thinly sliced 

Extra virgin olive oil 

Sea salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Peel and cut sweet potato into large chunks. Cut eggplant into thick discs. Coat sweet potato and eggplant in plenty of extra virgin olive oil. Season generously with sea salt and black pepper.Arrange in a single layer and bake until cooked (about 20 minutes) turning over halfway during co o king.

Peel and cut avocado into large chunks. Remove veggies from the oven and arrange according to the picture on a large serving plate. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil and creamy dressing over the top with fresh dill. Serve warm.

Rice and Vegetable Bowl

2 cups cooked basmati rice

1 cup cooked pinto beans

1 cup cooked diced sweet potato

1 large shallot, diced

2 large garlic cloves, chopped

Handful fresh parsley chopped

Handful cherry tomatoes

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper

In a deep sided skillet on high heat, cover the bottom with extra virgin olive. When hot, add shallot, tomatoes, garlic, and parsley. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Sauté until soft (about 2 to 4 minutes). Add rice, beans, and sweet and toss well to combine. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Drizzle extra olive oil over the top to serve. Garnish with fresh herbs.

Gluten Free Vegetable Tart

Crust:

2 cups all purpose gluten free flour blend

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 teaspoon sea salt

8 tablespoons chopped cold grass fed salted butter

1 large egg, room temperature

5 tablespoons ice cold water, more as needed

Combine all the dry ingredients in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. 

Add butter and mix on medium speed until crumbles form. Add the egg to combine. Add water gradually and continue mixing until the dough detaches from the bowl and forms a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.

Preheat oven to 375 F

Roll dough on a lightly floured surface. Transfer into a 9" greased tart pan. Press dough up the sides and trim off excess. Line dough with parchment paper and add pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes, remove pie weights and bake a further 15 or until the crust is crispy and lightly browned. Let the crust cool completely.

Filling:

1 small purple eggplant

1 cup cherry tomatoes

1 cup crispy onion bits

3 large eggs

1 cup cream

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Handful freshly chopped parsley

Sea salt and black pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 F

Slice eggplant into very thin slices. Whisk eggs and cream. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Scatter eggplant over the bottom of the crust, followed by tomatoes and crispy onion bits. Sprinkle parsley and parmesan cheese over the top followed by the egg mixture.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the custard is set and vegetables are cooked. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the top. Garnish with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese to serve.

Pear Fennel Salad with Lemon Maple Vinaigrette

Vinaigrette:

1 tablespoon French mustard 

1 large lemon, juiced 

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup 

1 cup extra virgin olive oil 

1 tablespoon chopped fennel fronds 

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Blend all the ingredients until smooth and creamy. Keep refrigerated.

Salad:

1 fresh fennel bulb, slice into thin strips 

2 large ripe Anjou pears, slice into thin strips 

1 large shallot, slice into strips 

2 fennel stalks with fronds, slice into thin strips

Toss pears, shallot, and fennel to combine. Arrange in a large serving platter with fresh slices of sourdough baguette around the edges.Drizzle a generous amount of vinaigrette over the top and serve immediately.

Smoked Paprika Garlic Lamb

Lamb:

1 lb grass fed lamb, cut into large chunks 

2 tablespoons tomato paste 

2 tablespoons smoked paprika 

6 large garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped 

1 large lemon, juice 

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Combine the first 6 ingredients. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.Add 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to a large deep sided skillet on high heat. When hot, arrange lamb chunks in a single layer and cook for 2 minutes on the first side. Turn them over and cook a further 2 minutes.

Serve them hot on a bed of sauteed eggplants.

Sauteed Eggplant:

2 large eggplants, cut into large chunks 

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive 

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Add olive oil to a large pan. When hot saute eggplants, turning them over occasionally until they are done (about 3 to 4 minutes). Season to your taste with sea salt and black pepper.

Happy Quinoa Year!

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk - January 6th, 2013

The holiday season has left everyone with a lack of energy. Happy, but tired. Too much partying or just too much emotion? The good news is that this year has been declared the international year of quinoa by the FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations). This famous Peruvian superfood has the power to nurture us well into the new year.

2012 was a good year for Peruvian cuisine, it's starting to get the recognition it deserves. You see, we eat dishes that not only fill our bellies but also our soul. Like superheroes, these ingredients have special powers. Maca, the Andean root, gives you a boost of energy. 'Kausac', a potato dish, literally means 'life' - and that's what it gives us. Kiwicha's grain flies through space as part of NASA's astronaut menu. And this year Huayllabambana, a new Peruvian superhero, was discovered - this super seed can produce oil which is 66% Omega 3.

Red, purple and gold carpets of quinoa flowers today drift happily from side to side high up in the Andes. Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) was an Inca treasure. Each year the Incan emperor would ceremonially plant the first seeds of the season, digging into the soil with his golden spade. Quinoa was hugely valuable in the Inca trade system and during the solstice priests would offer vessels filled with quinoa to the ancient Inca sun God, Inti. The Spanish, unaware of it's rich properties, replaced it with other cereals in their diet. Despite that, Andean people have protected the tradition that surrounds this crop allowing present and future generations to enrich themselves with quinoa. So we're glad the Spanish didn't find the gold after all!

Known as the 'mother grain' for its balanced nutritional value, it has a high quality protein, high fibre content, minerals and plenty of vitamins. If compared to other similar grains in its category, then quinoa wins hands down; its power is impressive. Take for example its iron content, it has twice the amount that beans have and three times more than rice. It's considered to be a gluten free cereal, so its flour is a perfect solution for coeliac diets.

Read More

Gluten Free Sage Sweet Potato Spaghetti

1/2 packet spaghetti

1 large sweet potato, cut into bite size chunks

3 small garlic cloves, minced

1 cup white pearl onions

Handful fresh sage, chopped

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil on medium high heat. Season generously with salt. Add spaghetti and cook until al dente (about 8 minutes - don't over cook!). Drain and put back in the pot. Drizzle about three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Add minced garlic and half the sage. Toss to combine. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. Keep warm.

Pre heat oven to 500 F.

In a large baking sheet toss sweet potato, half the fresh sage, and white pearl onions in a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Roast for about 10 to 15 minutes or until brown and cooked.

In a large serving platter. Combine spaghetti and veggies. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. Drizzle extra olive oil all over the top and garnish with fresh sage.

Gluten Free Cheesy Roasted Garlic Tomato Mushroom Pasta

Veggies:

1 cup cherry tomatoes (cut in half)

3 chopped garlic cloves

1 cup chopped cremini mushrooms

1  chopped white onion

Preheat oven to 400 F

Drizzle extra virgin olive oil generously over the veggies. Season with sea salt, black pepper, and fresh chopped parsley.  Bake 15 minutes or until soft. Set aside.

Pasta:

1 packet gluten-free gemelli pasta

2 cups grated aged cheddar cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 cups cream

Fresh parsley

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper

1 cup vegetable broth (optional)

Cook pasta according to instructions on the package. Drain.

Preheat oven to 350 F

Combine all the ingredients in a large Dutch Oven or similar. Add one cup of vegetable broth is the mixture if too thick (should be watery). Sprinkle extra cheese over the top. Drizzle with olive oil. Cover and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until cheese has melted and the sauce has thickened. Remove lid and broil for 5 to 10 minutes or until cheese is crispy and brown on top.

Serve warm with fresh basil pesto on the side (optional)

Sweet Potato Green Bean Pearl Couscous Salad

2/3 cups pearl couscous

1 large sweet potato, remove skin, cut into small cubes

1 cut chopped fresh green beans

2 tablespoons dried cranberries

1/4 cup roasted walnuts

1 small white onion, chopped

Sea salt and black pepper

5 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil

3 cups vegetable broth

Saute sweet potato, onions, and green beans in two tablespoons of olive oil to cook. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Boil couscous in vegetable broth for 10 to 12 minutes until al dente. Drain excess liquid.  Combine all the ingredients. Drizzle olive oil over the top to serve.

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

1 cup fresh orange juice

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 cup fresh cranberry sauce

1/2 cup ice

1 tablespoon raw honey

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cloves

Blend until smooth.  Enjoy!

Chicken Bean Veggie Stew

8 pieces boneless, skinless, chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces

1 cup white Navy beans

1 large carrot, cut into bite size pieces

1 large red potato, peel and cut into bite size pieces

1 red onion, cut into bite size pieces

2 large garlic cloves, crushed

Handful fresh parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped

1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper

4 cups water

1/4 cup good drinking dry white wine

2 tablespoons organic chicken bouillon paste

Preheat oven to 350 F

Add all the ingredients into a large casserole dish. Lightly seasoned with sea salt and black pepper. Close and bake for three hours.

To serve, drizzle extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice over the top with fresh parsley.

Vanilla Berry Smoothie

1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt 

1 cup frozen mixed berries

1 cup fresh pineapple

1 cup almond milk

1 cup fresh orange juice

1 cup ice

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1 scoop vanilla protein powder (Bluebonnet Whey Isolate French Vanilla) 

Blend all the ingredients until smooth.  Enjoy!

Creamy Mushroom and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

6 yellow peppers

1 lb cremini mushrooms, sliced

2 cups cooked quinoa

1 small white onion, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped finely

1 tablespoon fresh parsley

2 tablespoons cream cheese

Sea salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F

In a deep-sided skillet, add olive oil on medium to high heat. Saute onions and mushrooms until soft (about 7 minutes). Add lemon juice, fresh herbs and cream cream. Mix well to combine. Season with sea salt and black pepper.

Cut off stems and remove seeds from inside peppers. Stuff the peppers half full with cooked quinoa. Fill to the top with mushrooms. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the top. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Bake for 20 minutes.

Garnish with fresh herbs and sliced tomatoes to serve.

Gluten Free Avocado Pesto Pasta Salad

1 packet rice penne pasta 

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half 

1 large ripe avocado, peel and dice 

1/2 small red onion, chopped 

1 large lemon, juiced 

1/4 cup sliced almonds 

4 tablespoons fresh pesto 

Sea salt and black pepper

Cook pasta according to the instructions on the packet.

Drain the pasta and add to the rest of the ingredients. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Mix well to combine and serve at room temperature.

Gluten Free Chicken Mushroom Pasta

2 cups cooked pasta
1 cup cooked chicken, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 cup cremini mushrooms, chopped
1 small white onion, chopped
1/4 cup sliced almonds
Handful fresh basil, shredded
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper

Add three tablespoons of olive oil to a pan on high heat. When hot, add onions and garlic. Saute until soft (about 3 minutes). Add mushrooms and tomatoes, saute a further 3 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients. Season to your taste with salt and black pepper. Toss to combine.

Serve hot with extra olive oil drizzle over the top. Garnish with fresh herbs.

Roasted Balsamic Peppers

5 large red peppers

3 garlic cloves, crushed

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (plus extra)

Good quality balsamic vinegar

Fresh herbs of your choice for garnish

Sea salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 F

Place peppers on a large baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Toss in garlic. Season with salt and black pepper. Roast for 30 minutes or until caramelized.

Arrange on a serving platter. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the top. Garnish with fresh herbs. Serve warm.

Quinoa with Butternut Squash and Mushrooms

2 cups cooked Quinoa

2 cups cooked, chopped butternut squash

2 cups cooked, sliced cremini mushrooms

1 small onion, chopped

3 garlic clove, crushed

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and black pepper

Add enough oil to cover the bottom of a large skillet. When hot, saute onion and garlic until softened. Add vegetables and quinoa to heat through. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Drizzle extra olive oil and fresh herbs over the top. Serve hot.