Another variation of a stir fry

Last night we did another variation of a stir fry in our wok. Usually when we do this it is because we need to use up veggies before they go bad. We had green beans from our CSA box left. I bought some broccoli, bean sprouts, celery and zucchini to go with it. I also added fresh garlic and red onions to it. We top it off with a low-sodium soy sauce.

Summer squash and zucchini



 We had some summer squash in our CSA box and so I bought some zucchini to go with it.

I cut up the veggies into thin slices. We sauteed them in olive oil with some fresh garlic, red onions, fresh basil (which was also in our CSA box) and oregano.

We also had the yellow watermelon from our CSA box too.

Seven side effects of soda

Lemony Creamy Brussels Sprouts & Celery

Lemony Creamy Brussels Sprouts & Celery

On Saturday we used the Brussels Sprouts in our CSA box to make the following:

Lemony Creamy Brussels Sprouts & Celery

http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/2006/12/lemony-creamy-brussels-sprouts-celery.html

Hands-on time: 25 minutes
Time to table: 25 minutes
Serves 8

Well salted water to cover (I used the steamer instead)

1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts (frozen Brussels are decent but I wouldn't recommend for this)2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 tablespoon works too, but 2 is better when there's really a pound of sprouts and a near-pound of celery, thus 8 full servings)

4 ribs celery, trimmed and cut on diagonal 1/4 inch thick (reserve leaves for later)

1/4 teaspoon celery seed (or caraway or dill or perhaps nothing)

1 tablespoon flour

1 cup skim or other milk (don't use fat-free half 'n' half, it creates a gooey mess)

Zest of a lemon (important, don't skip)

Juice of half a lemon

Pepper to tasteBring the water to a boil. Meanwhile, trim ends and remove tough outer leaves and any bruised leaves. With a paring knife, cut an X into the core (this helps heat reach the centers to speed cooking). Drop into boiling water and cook until tender, about 15 minutes (err on side of softness so that sauce can soak in).

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter on MEDIUM until shimmery, stir in the celery and celery seed and cook until celery is beginning to soften. Stir in the flour, smashing any lumpy bits. Slowly (this means starting a tablespoon at a time to start ...) add the milk, stirring continuously. Cook until smooth and thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the zest, lemon juice, pepper to taste, Brussels sprouts and reserved celery leaves.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE

Per Serving: 71 Cal (37% from Fat, 18% from Protein, 45% from Carb); 3 g Protein; 3 g Tot Fat; 2 g Sat Fat; 9 g Carb; 3 g Fiber; NetCarb6; 83 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 57 mg Sodium; 8 mg Cholesterol; Weight Watchers 1 point

TIPS

If you're buying celery for this, look for a stalk with nice celery leaves.
Use plenty of salt in the cooking water (or if you prefer to steam the Brussels sprouts, try this technique) (We don't use any salt or pepper.)

To better soak up the lemony creaminess, cook the sprouts just past al dente, then cut in half.

For a gussied up version, I might stir in a small wad of Gorgonzola or a stinky blue cheese.
To make ahead:

Clean, trim and X the Brussels sprouts, keep cold and covered (if needed, a day before but better a few hours before)

Make the sauce but don't add the lemon juice and zest (a few hours ahead)

Before serving, cook the sprouts, rewarm the sauce, stir in the lemon flavor, combine, season and serve

What to do with fresh basil

Since we got some fresh basil in our veggie box, I thought I'd research on the internet about how to use it. Here's some links to some sites:

How to trim fresh basil: http://www.ehow.com/how_7357700_trim-fresh-basil.html

Chopping fresh basil - http://thefoodgroove.wordpress.com/2009/07/02/chopping-fresh-basil/

And if you prefer a video (sorry about the creeping ad) - http://www.ehow.com/video_2334923_chop-basil.html

http://homecooking.about.com/od/herbsspices1/a/basilcookingtip.htm

http://www.ehow.com/how_2191771_use-fresh-basil.html

Here's one with five things you can do with fresh basil - http://yourhealthista.com/post/932007444/eat-more-basil-5-must-make-recipes-for-fresh-basil

Here's a recipe for making pesto from your fresh basil - http://www.pickyourown.org/pesto.php

And here's a vegan pesto recipe for you:

Vegan Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/vegan-sun-dried-tomato-pesto/detail.aspx

Ingredients

2 cups fresh basil leaves
5 sun-dried tomatoes, softened
3 cloves garlic, crushed1/4 teaspoon salt3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions
1.Place basil, tomatoes, garlic, salt, and nuts in an electric food processor or blender. Puree. Add olive oil slowly, and blend slowly until the mixture is to your desired texture.
Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving  Calories: 227 | Total Fat: 22.7g | Cholesterol: 0mg

I personally plan to use it in as many dishes as I can along with my fresh parsley supply.

Veggies in this week's CSA box



Add caption

 CSA box - basil, cantaloupe, oranges, watermelon, Maui onion, carrots, yellow squash, cherry tomatoes, kale, green beans, Brussels sprouts and bell peppers.

I will use the kale and tomatoes to make a pasta dish with kale, goat cheese, fresh basil, fresh parsley, onions, garlic, olive oil, cherry tomatoes, pesto sauce and whole wheat pasta.

I'm going to do a simple saute with the yellow squash and some zucchini squash I bought last night. I got the recipe from a place we ate at recently, Basically it squash, garlic, olive oil and oregano. I'm going to throw in some fresh parsley, fresh basil and some onions too.

The Brussels sprouts will go in a recipe I posted earlier.

Doug will take care of the fruit.

I eat the carrots in my lunch. Organic carrots still on the stem are the best.

The green beans will be steamed.

Starting to think about what I'm going to do with those Brussels Sprouts

Since the Tanaka Farms blog said we might get Brussels sprouts in our CSA box tomorrow, I'm starting to think about how to prepare them. So I did a little advance work here.

How to Cut Brussels Sprouts

http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/2010/01/how-to-cut-brussels-sprouts.html

And here's a recipe I might try:

http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/2006/12/lemony-creamy-brussels-sprouts-celery.html

Roasted Vegetables

Roasted Vegetables

While we were vacationing at Lake Tahoe we ate at a place called Spindleshanks. They had a dish called butter nut squash raviolis. I had never tried butter nut squash before as far as I knew. I really liked the taste. I used to hate squash growing up as a kid, but now I've developed a liking for it.

I found this recipe on the internet and modified it a bit. My modifications are in red.

Roasted Vegetables

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/roasted-vegetables/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=roasted%20vegetables&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page

1 small butternut squash, cubed
2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed3 4 Yukon Gold red potatoes, cubed
1 large zucchini
1 red onion, quartered

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (I didn't have this.)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary (used the spice instead.)
1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (I used an equal portion of the olive oil instead.)
salt and freshly ground black pepper (We never salt or pepper anything.)

4 cloves of garlic

fresh parsley

oregano spice

celery seed spice

basil spice

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).
2.In a large bowl, combine the squash, red bell peppers, sweet potato, and Yukon Gold potatoes. Separate the red onion quarters into pieces, and add them to the mixture.
3.In a small bowl, stir together thyme, rosemary, garlic, oregano, parsley, basil, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Toss with vegetables until they are coated. Spread evenly on a large roasting pan.

4.Roast for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, stirring every 10 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked through and browned.

finished product

CSA box on Wednesday

This is what MIGHT be in your CSA box for the week of August 20, 2012

Small box might have:
- Mini Yellow Watermelon
- Saticoy Melon
- Swiss Chard
- Carrots
- Basil
- Green Beans
- Squash

Large box might additionally have:
- Brussel Sprouts
- Anaheim Chiles
- Valencia Oranges*
- Tomato: Cherry

I'm looking forward to those brussel sprouts because that's a new item. I have to think about what to do with the chiles.

How to cut and peel a butter nut squash

Butter nut squash

Tonight I'm using the butter nut squash, potatoes and zucchini we bought. I'll post the recipe with photos tomorrow. But I wanted to know how to cut and peel this type of squash so I searched on the internet and found the following:

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_peel_and_cut_a_butternut_squash/

Or maybe you prefer this method:

http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/2009/11/how-to-cut-butternut-squash.html

And this recipe at the end of the last link sounds pretty good:

Toss the squash cubes with a chopped apple and a chopped onion, toss with olive oil, kosher salt and pepper and roast at 400F for about an hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Delicious!

If you prefer a video here's this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXcRFUM2MRg

Kale salad

kale

I had to go to a work related event this weekend so I had to bring a dish to share. I made a kale salad to take.

I bought two batches of red kale at Whole Foods.

I pulled the leaves off the stalks and washed them. It's important to get all the excess water off the leaves so I usually let them drain in the drainer for awhile. You can also squeeze any excess water off as your transferring them to the bowl.

Kale can be a little chewy if you don't massage the leaves in something. So I buy this dressing pictured next. They sell it at Whole Foods and I'm sure other health food stores. It is also gluten free and comes in other flavors too.

I used about half a bottle of the dressing. I poured it into a large bowl with the kale and massage it into the kale. The salad won't need any other dressing after this.

Salad dressing

I let the salad soak up the dressing while I cut up the strawberries. You can put as much fruit and any kind of fruit in it that you want.

I also cut up some sweet grape tomatoes to go in it.

Then I added some dried cranberries and some unsalted almond slivers. You can use any type of nuts you desired.

I can also think of other things you could add such as shredded or shaved carrots or radicchio. I've done that before.

I didn't add cheese to this so that it would work for vegans too. But I have added feta cheese and other types to it.

Below are some more preparation pictures.

 





















Here's some photos of some previous variations that I've made. The main difference was the dressing and the apples rather than strawberries. Mother's Kitchen and Market makes the same salad only with a lemon juice instead of a dressing.

Raw Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake

Raw Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake (From the Savvy Vegetarian:

Total prep & cook time: 30 minutes, not including soaking and freezing

12 Servings

Nutrition Data, 129g Serving: 586 cal, 40g carb, 46g fat, 13mg sodium, 6g fiber, 14g protein, 18g Sugars, low Cholesterol, Sodium. Good source Copper, Manganese. Estimated glycemic load 15

Ingredients for raw cheesecake crust:

•1 1/2 cups hazelnuts or almonds soaked overnight
•1/2 cup medjool dates, pitted and halved (10 – 12 dates)
•1 tsp vanilla
•1/3 cup shredded coconut

Ingredients for raw lemon cashew filling:

•2 1/4 cups cashews soaked overnight
•1 cup coconut cream (1 can coconut milk)
•1/4 cup coconut butter
•1/4 cup lemon juice (1 healthy lemon)
•1/4 cup lime juice (1 good sized lime)
•1 Tbsp lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
•1 tsp vanilla extract (non alcoholic)
•1/3 cup agave syrup
•1 pinch sea salt

Ingredients for blueberry sauce:
•3 pints blueberries
•1/4 cup agave syrup
•1 Tbsp lime juice

Crust Directions:

1.The crust is best made the day before, or at least 3 hours before you start making the filling
2.Drain, rinse and drain hazelnuts or almonds well. With hazelnuts, you need to rub off all the loose bits of skin and rinse them away. Peeling the almonds is optional
3.Add nuts & coconut to food processor and process until crumbly
4.Add dates and vanilla, process until the mixture clumps together
5.Spread the raw crust mix in the pan evenly, pressing down with your fingers or a spatula
6.Cover and freeze the crust in the pan
Filling Directions:
1.Soak cashews 12 hour or overnight
2.Chill 1 can of coconut milk overnight
3.Remove lid from can and separate the coconut cream from the liquid. Save the liquid to add to a smoothie or soup
4.Drain and rinse cashews, add to food processor, process until they turn into a lump of cashew butter
5.Add remaining ingredients and process until smooth
6.Taste and adjust ingredients to suit. E.g. you might need more lemon or lime juice or more agave syrup
7.Spoon the filling over the frozen crust, evening it out on top
8.Cover the pan and freeze the cheesecake for 3 hours or more
Blueberry Sauce Directions:
1.Remove cheesecake from the fridge 1 – 2 hours before serving
2.Prepare the blueberry sauce 1 hour or more ahead and refrigerate
3.Add 1 pint of blueberries to a blender with 1/4 cup agave syrup and 1 Tbsp lime juice
4.Blend until all of the little blueberry bits are ground up and the mixture is smooth
5.Refrigerate until you’re ready to serve the cheesecake
6.Pour blueberry sauce over each serving, and sprinkle with fresh blueberries
http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-recipes/raw-vegan-cheesecake.php

Eggplant

I am going to be using eggplant in a recipe tonight. And I found this interesting website about eggplant.

http://www.bonappetit.com/ideas/eggplant-recipes/search

Although we usually see deep-purple eggplants at the market, the fruit (yes, it's a fruit) takes its name from a white, egg-shaped variety. Eggplants are also available in green, as well as a purple-and-white mix. The subtle, nutty flavor and sponge-like texture allows eggplant to soak up flavors. The most widely available variety is the globe eggplant. It falls apart when cooked, so it's best used in dips and casseroles. White eggplant has a tough skin, making it good for stuffing. The Japanese and Chinese types are long, slender, and just right for grilling or stir-frying.

HOW TO BUY

Eggplant is available year-round, but it's at its best in August and September. Choose an eggplant that is heavy for its size. It should have a fresh cap of leaves, and the skin should be shiny and free of brown spots. Supermarkets typically carry globe and Japanese or Chinese eggplants. Look for other Eastern varieties at Asian markets. Farmers' markets have an even wider selection.
  HOW TO STORE

Keep this fruit in the veggie drawer of your refrigerator and use it within a few days. If stored too long, eggplant becomes bitter.
  HOW TO USE

In the past, eggplant was salted to reduce bitterness. Modern varieties usually aren't bitter (unless they've been stored too long), but this technique is still commonly used to remove excess moisture. To salt an eggplant, slice it, place it on paper towels, and salt evenly. Half an hour later, wipe off any excess salt and use more paper towels to pat the eggplant dry.

Kale Chip Marinara

From Sacred Source Nutrition:

I love kale - in all it's many varieties. I have 4 different kinds of kale growing in the garden right now and they're all so delicious in their own ways. I love to add kale to my smoothies and of course...kale chips are a favorite snack. Try this recipe for kale chip marinara:

http://sacredsourcenutrition.com/kale-chip-marinara/

How many different varieties of kale have you seen?

See the recipe below the photo.

Kale Chip Marinara

How many deli­ciously dif­fer­ent ways can you incor­po­rate kale into your diet? This is a fun recipe to make, espe­cially if you have lots of curly kale that needs to be har­vested out of your gar­den – or a friends gar­den.

Kitchen equip­ment that you will need to make this raw food recipe:

A dehy­dra­tor and a high pow­ered blender, like a Vita-mix or Blendtec.

Raw Kale Chip Mari­nara Recipe:
Mak­ing the Mari­nara Sauce:

Mea­sure into the blender:

4 cups of organic tomatoes
4–5 cloves of gar­lic (add gar­lic to taste, more if you really like garlic)
1.5 cups of organic pit­ted Med­jool dates
7–8 Table­spoons of lemon juice
2 tea­spoons of salt
10 tea­spoons of oregano dried (can also use fresh, in which case add half the amount – 5t)
5 tea­spoons of thyme dried

As a side note: If you like spicy, you can eas­ily make this a spicy kale mari­nara recipe by adding in 1 tea­spoon of cayenne spice, or sim­ply spice to taste)

Mix ingre­di­ents until smooth. Then add in:
  1/2 cup of fresh basil and stems (packed)
Blend again, then as the blender is on, slowly add 1 cup of organic olive oil.  Blend until smooth.

Next, de-stock your kale. The stems end up turn­ing out very hard and crunchy and not very pleas­ant in kale chip recipes. Hold the end of the kale stem and slide your hand down the stock. You should be able to remove the whole kale leaf in one swipe. If you want set aside the stems – they make an excel­lent ingre­di­ent in juicing.

Tear up the kale into smaller pieces with your hands. I rec­om­mend start­ing with a smaller amount of kale pieces in your bowl, add in some mari­nara, and then keep adding in kale pieces and mari­nara as the batch gets big­ger. Really work the kale with your hands, work­ing the mari­nara into all the lit­tle cracks and crevices of the kale.

Place on dehy­dra­tor sheets and place in the dehy­dra­tor on 115 degrees until crispy. Should take at least 10 hours, or overnight in the dehydrator.

Our trip to Whole Foods

Since we were on vacation and didn't get our usual bi-weekly delivery from Tanaka Farms last Wednesday, we took a drive to Whole Foods to pick up some food. I bought a variety of veggies to see what I could come up with for recipes this week.

We bought:

yellow squash
zucchini
butternut squash
eggplant
baby bok choy
carrots
celery
kale
pasta
potatoes
butter lettuce
cucumbers
tomatoes (from Doug's garden)
fresh parsley
fresh garlic
red onion
corn on the cob

I already know where the baby bok choy and kale are going. Doug has some chicken broth to go with the baby bok choy. And we need to use up some goat cheese and tomatoes so they'll go with the kale. The eggplant may go in a baked dish this time. While we were on our trip I had the best yellow squash saute ever. They told me they saute it in olive oil, garlic and oregano. So I plan on adding some onions to the mixture. I'll keep you posted on what we do with all this.

Butternut Squash Ravioli

At Spindleshanks at Lake Tahoe

Last week we took a week vacation and went to Lake Tahoe. We stayed on the North side this time. We didn't get our bi-weekly delivery of vegetables from Tanaka Farms last week. But we did try to find places to eat healthy. This is one dish that I'd have to say was my favorite meal while there. It's a butternut squash ravioli. This was served at Spindleshanks. http://spindleshankstahoe.com/. I couldn't convince them to give me the recipe, but here's there description:

Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli with a Browned Butter Sage Sauce and Candied Pecans

I loved the way they served it. And if you ever get to Tahoe City, CA, I highly recommend eating here. There were so many good places to eat.

I bought some butternut squash this weekend at Whole Foods and I'm going to fix it some way. But after a quick search on the internet I found this recipe here:

Easy Butternut Squash Ravioli - http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easy-butternut-squash-ravioli/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=butternut%20squash&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page

Ingredients

1 cup mashed, cooked butternut squash
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1 egg yolk
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 (16 ounce) package round wonton wrappers
2 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, unpeeled chopped fresh sage to taste
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste

Directions

1.Place cooked squash into a mixing bowl. Add salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir in mascarpone cheese, egg yolk, and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, mixing until the filling is smoothly combined.

2.Place a wonton wrapper onto a working surface. Wet the tip of a finger in water, and run it all along the outer edge of the wonton skin to moisten. Place about 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of the wonton. Fold the wonton in half to make a half-moon shape, and press the edges to seal. Repeat with the remaining wonton wrappers.

3.Place a deep skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in butter and unpeeled clove of garlic. Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil.

4.Drop the filled raviolis into the boiling water, a few at a time, and cook until they float to the top, about 2 minutes. Drain the raviolis, and transfer them to the skillet. Turn the heat under the skillet up to medium-high, and cook just until the raviolis are infused with garlic flavor, about 2 or 3 more minutes. Sprinkle with chopped sage, more black pepper, and extra Parmesan cheese to taste.

I'm still undecided as to how I will fix it, but I'll keep you posted.

This recipe below may be as close to what I had but might be a bit more complicated:

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage-Brown Butter Sauce - http://allrecipes.com/recipe/butternut-squash-ravioli-with-sage-brown-butter-sauce/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=butternut%20squash&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash - halved lengthwise, peeled and seeded
2 teaspoons buttersalt and ground black pepper to taste1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
50 wonton wrappers
1 teaspoon egg white, lightly beaten
Sauce
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup chopped fresh sage leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2.Place the squash cut side up on a baking sheet. Place 1 tablespoon butter in the hollow of each half. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Cover the squash with a sheet of aluminum foil tucking in the edges.
3.Bake squash in preheated oven until tender and easily pierced with a fork, 45 to 65 minutes.
4.Scoop the cooked squash into a bowl, and mash until smooth. Mix in the allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, and Parmesan cheese until well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5.Fill a deep pot with lightly salted water and bring to a boil.
6.To make the ravioli, place a wonton wrapper on a clean, flat surface. Brush edges with the egg white. Place about 1 tablespoon of the squash mixture in the middle of the wonton. Cover with a second wonton wrapper. Repeat with remaining wonton wrappers and squash mixture until all have been used.
7.Drop the ravioli into the boiling water, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until tender. Remove, drain, and keep warm until sauce is prepared.
8.To make the sauce, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the sage. Continue to cook and stir until the sage is crispy but not browned. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place 6 to 8 raviolis on serving plates, and drizzle with sauce.

And here is the last one I found:

Roasted Butternut Squash Ravioli with a Sage Brown Butter Sauce - http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/roasted-butternut-squash-ravioli-with-a-sage-brown-butter-sauce-recipe/index.html

Ingredients
9 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons minced shallots
1 cup roasted butternut squash puree
Salt
Freshly ground white pepper
3 tablespoons heavy cream
3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus 2 ounces
Pinch nutmeg
1 recipe pasta dough, rolled out into wide ribbons, about 1/4-inch thick
12 fresh sage leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
Directions
In a large saute pan, over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the shallots and saute for 1 minute. Add the squash puree and cook until the mixture is slightly dry, about 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the cream and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in 3 tablespoons cheese and nutmeg, to taste. Season with salt and pepper. Cool completely.

Cut the pasta ribbons into 3-inch squares. Place 2 teaspoons of the filling in the center of each pasta square. Bring 1 corner of the square to the other, forming a triangle and seal the pasta completely. Add the pasta to pot of boiling salted water. Cook until al dente, about 2 to 3 minutes or until the pasta floats and is pale in color.

Remove the pasta from the water and drain well. Season the pasta with salt and pepper.

In a large saute pan, melt the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter. Add the sage to the butter and continue to cook until the butter starts to brown. Remove from the heat.

Place some of the pasta in the center of each serving plate. Spoon the butter sauce over the pasta. Sprinkle the 2 ounces of cheese over each plate and garnish with parsley.

Kale & Cucumber Salad with Avocado Tahini Dressing

Kale & Cucumber Salad with Avocado Tahini Dressing

From Savvy Vegetarian

Nutrition Data, 105g Serving: 37 cal, 8g carb, 0g fat, 37mg sodium, 2g fiber, 2g protein, 1g sugar, low saturated fat, Cholesterol, good source Thiamin, Riboflavin, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Very Good Source Dietary Fiber, Vit. A, Vit. C, Vit. K, Vit. B6, Folate, Calcium, Potassium, Copper, Manganese. Estimated glycemic load 3

Ingredients:

•8 – 10 ounces kale, preferably curly green
•1 medium cucumber, quartered lengthwise, seeds cut away, and sliced
•1 cup grated carrot
•1/4 - 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
•2 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced
•Avocado Tahini Dressing as desired

Savvy Veg Preparation Tips:
The oil on hands method is Nava’s preference for massaging kale. She also gives two other methods: sprinkling with sea salt, then rubbing into the leaves, or drizzling olive oil & lemon onto the leaves and massaging.

http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-recipes/kale-cucumber-salad.php

Drinking water

From Sacred Source Nutrition:

I know most people say that we need 8-10 glasses of water a day, but honestly, with the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables I eat - being the predominant part of my diet - I find that an unnecessary amount. There is so much water is fresh fruits and veggies, and green juices and smoothies are also super hydrating. I also like to drink sun teas and coconut water - and I love to get a good workout and sweat...so I think the water recommendation really depends on your diet. How many glasses of water do you think you need a day?

The benefits of eating spinach

From Sacred Source Nutrition:

A lot of people ask me about spinach "Is it okay to eat spinach, Isn't it high in oxalic acid?" Spinach is incredible nutritious, with many health benefits. Would I recommend eating 5 lbs of spinach a day? No, but I would recommend making it apart of the rotation of greens that you currently eat. There is some research suggesting that it's actually better to eat spinach raw, not cooked as many people happen to believe. Different people have food allergies to a wide range of foods. I would bet that there are a lot more people sensitive to peanuts than to spinach. Some people are more sensitive to oxalic acid than others, but if you mix spinach in with your greens, you won't consume enough for it to be any problem and the nutritious benefits are far outweighing the micro amounts of oxalates. This is also good practice to tune into your own body and what it is telling you when you eat spinach. Tune into how you feel after eating a spinach salad. It's really about listening to what your body is telling you, not what informational sources are telling you.

Zucchini Pasta with goat cheese

Zucchini Pasta

Zucchini Pasta with goat cheese

3 or 4 zucchinis or summer squash sliced thinly

5 cloves of fresh garlic

olive oil

desired amount of any type of onion

desired amount of fresh parsley and basil

whole wheat pasta (or any other type you want)

1 large can of no salt added tomato sauce

fresh tomatoes or 1 can or no salt added diced tomatoes

1 or 2 small cans of no salt added tomato paste (depends on how thick you want the sauce)

1 cup of pesto sauce

desired amount of salt-free Italian seasoning spice

1 half log of goat cheese

Boil the water on the stove and add pasta.

Mince or chop the garlic.

Cut the onions, tomatoes, and zucchinis or summer squash.

In a wok or frying pan, add olive oil and brown the garlic, parsley, basil and onions.

Once brown, add the zucchinis or summer squash and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender.

In a bowl mix tomato sauce, cut or diced tomatoes, tomato paste, pesto and goat cheese. Add this to the wok. If you use fresh tomatoes allow enough time to heat the tomatoes. Cook enough to allow the goat cheese to melt.

Add pasta and heat for a couple of minutes. Then serve.

I really like making my own sauce because I can control the amount of sodium in it.

Doug's version of egg salad sandwiches

Egg salad

Doug's version of egg salad sandwiches

INGREDIENTS:

8 eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
1/4 cup chopped green or red onion
cut up bok choy stalks rather than celeryDIRECTIONS:

1.Place egg in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, peel and chop.

2.Place the chopped eggs in a bowl, and stir in the mayonnaise, mustard, bok choy stalks and green onion. Stir and serve on your favorite bread or crackers.