Sole & Kale = amazing!!

I may propose to myself after this meal - delicious, easy & healthy!!

Sole & Kale
Ingredients:
1/8 c gluten free all purpose flour
sprinkle of cayenne pepper (optional)
2 Sole wild caught filets (or other flaky wild caught white fish - wild caught is the key here NOT farm raised)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 T organic butter
1 T organic olive oil
1/2 organic lemon, sliced
1/4-1/2 cup white wine (preferably a dryer versus sweeter wine)
1-2 cups organic kale leaves, washed, de-stemmed (stems are very chewy and bitter! This is critical because you can often find kale sold in bags but they have the ribs in them, so I'd recommend the whole leaves and de-stemming and de-ribbing them yourself), and roughly chopped

Directions:
1) Place flour and cayenne pepper on a plate.  Sprinkle salt on the sole filets and then coat in flour/pepper mixture.  Shake to remove excess and set aside.
2) Heat oil and butter in skillet over medium heat.  Add the sliced lemon and cook until lightly browned on each side.  About 2-3 minutes.  *This is my first time cooking with lemons like this and it does add an amazing flavor to the dish.  If all else fails you can use 1-2 T of organic lemon juice and omit this step but use the lemon slices if you can!*
3) Push the lemon to the side.  Cook the sole in batches, if needed, for about 2 minutes per side until flaky and the same color throughout.  Add wine, as needed, to keep a thin layer of liquid in bottom of skillet.  Remove lemon and sole, when cooked through.
4) Add remaining wine and heat until starting to bubble.  Add kale, in batches, if needed, and cook until dark green and wilted, just a minute or two, turning often.
5) Place all on plates and eat immediately!  Enjoy!!

Inspired by Real Simple

Yummy kale saute - a delicious organic GF side dish or snack

A large bunch of Organic whole kale leaves (the stems are bitter so it is best to get the whole leaves so you can remove the stems easily - I then juice the stems - yummy!) You can also use collard greens, mustard greens or any type of greens you desire.

3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced (I usually use 10-15 cloves because I LOVE garlic!!)

juice of one organic lemon (or a tablespoon of organic lemon juice) - this cuts the bitterness of the greens and adds a nice flavor

1/2 cup white wine or organic chicken stock or water

2 tablespoons organic extra virgin olive oil

In a medium sauce pan, heat olive oil.  Add garlic and sauté until just starting to brown (be sure not to burn the garlic but you want to cook it a bit so it isn't too potent).  Add white wine and lemon juice and bring to a simmer (a few bubbles). Wash and break off kale leaves from stems in 2-3 inch pieces.  Add kale and stir frequently until leaves darken in color and become soft.  The longer you cook the kale the less bitter and softer it becomes.  I usually cook the kale for only a few minutes.  ENJOY!!!!!

Winter Squash and Lentils - yummy, hearty, delicious, GF, vegan winter meal

Winter Squash and Lentils  *This recipe requires overnight preparation of the lentils*

Ingredients:
One 3-4 pound winter squash (I used Butternut but you can use Acorn, Pumpkin, Hubbard, or Kabocha)
1 1/2 cup lentils (I used green but any color will work)
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
5 large kale leaves, de-stemmed
1 large onion, chopped small
2 garlic cloves, minced (I used 10-15 cloves because I LOVE garlic)
1/4 cup olive oil
sea salt
freshly cracked black pepper
dash cayenne pepper (optional)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Preparations:
1) Soak lentils overnight (at least 8 hours) in 4 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.  Store in a warm place in your kitchen while soaking.  Rinse the lentil well and allow to drain in a colander or strainer until ready to use.
2) Preheat the oven to 375F. Wash and cut squash in half and remove seeds and membrane.  Cut each half again into long, wide wedges.  Place in roasting pan (I sprayed with olive oil to make it easier to clean afterwards).  Drizzle olive oil on squash and sprinkle sea salt and black pepper on the squash.  Bake in the oven until fork tender and turning golden brown, 30-45 minutes (My butternut squash took an hour and a half!)
3) Chop onions and garlic.  Heat a 2-quart sauce pan over medium heat with a few tablespoons of olive oil.  Sauté the onions until translucent, about 5 minutes.
4) Stir in the garlic.  Cook for a few minutes then add lentils, thyme, cayenne pepper and bay leaf.  Add stock and simmer until the lentils are cooked, about 20-30 minutes.  Stir in kale and allow them to wilt, about 5 minutes.  Taste and season with sea salt and black pepper.
5) When the squash is done, cut the wedges into large triangles and spoon the lentil/kale mixture over the squash and serve warm.
6) ENJOY!!!!!!!!

Dr. Oz Shepard's Pie Recipe (30 day detox diet inspired)

When I think of Shepard's Pie, the first images that come to mind are the greasy tasteless meals I ate at the United States Coast Guard Academy.  So when I saw this recipe included in the Dr. Oz detox diet I was intrigued. This recipe is a far cry from my first experiences and so tasty in fact that I've made it several times.  And yes, you need that much cauliflower!

This dish freezes and reheats well.

Serves 3-4

8 oz organic skinless, boneless chicken breasts, poached, diced
10 cups organic cauliflower florets, steamed soft (YES you need 10 cups - approximately two heads)
2 cups organic broccoli florets, roughly chopped
1 small organic bok choy, roughly chopped (approximately 2 cups)
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons organic virgin coconut oil, divided (more or less as needed)
freshly ground pepper
cayenne pepper (optional but adds nice flavor)

Preheat oven to 400F.  Poach chicken in a medium pot of boiling water for a few minutes.  Remove from boiling water and allow to cool, set aside.  Steam the cauliflower until soft.  Puree cauliflower with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in blender until very smooth, set aside.  In a medium pan sauté the broccoli in 2 teaspoons of coconut oil until lightly browned and starting to soften.  Transfer to a bowl and start to cook the bok choy in the same pan, adding a little more coconut oil if needed, until the bok choy starts to brown.  Transfer to bowl with broccoli.  Dice up the poached chicken and add to the broccoli and bok choy, along with 2 cups of cauliflower puree, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and freshly ground pepper, and cayenne pepper.  Mix together gently.  Transfer to a 2 Qt baking dish, top with remaining cauliflower puree, sprinkle with cayenne pepper, and bake for 20 minutes until hot and bubbly.  Broil for a few minuets after baking to brown the top a bit.  ENJOY!!

Quinoa with Sweet Potato & Mushrooms

Quinoa is an amazing food.  It is considered a grain but is a relative of leafy green vegetables like spinach and swiss chard.  It is the only non-meat food that supplies a complete protein  This means that  it includes all nine essential amino acids and therefore it is a great choice for vegans, vegetarians, and all of us meat eaters that like to have other options.  It is also very rich in magnesium, folate, and phosphorus. AND it's gluten free!!!

You can find this amazing grain at most grocery and health food stores. Be sure to rinse the grain off before you cook it since it is a seed and it has a naturally occurring resin much of which is removed from the processing method but it could cause the quinoa to have a bitter taste. 

Ingredients:
1 cup of Quinoa
2 cups water
1 medium sweet potato, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup of mushrooms, chopped

Cooked quinoa in the background.

1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, diced
2 leaves of swiss chard
2 tablespoons of sesame oil, you can also use olive or another oil you desire
1/2 cup white wine
red pepper flakes, optional, to taste
1 teaspoon sea salt (to aid the boiling process)
1 teaspoon smoked sea salt, optional

Cook quinoa as per instructions on the box.  Ideally you cook 1 cup of quinoa in 2 cups of water or chicken broth for more flavor.  Rinse the quinoa and add to the water.  (I add a pinch of sea salt to the water to speed up the boiling).  Bring the water and quinoa to a boil and cook for about 15-20 minutes.  When the quinoa is finished, there will be little white curls and the grain will be translucent.  

Swiss chard

In a saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the mushrooms, onion and garlic.  Sauté for about 5 minutes.  Add the sweet potato, half the white wine, red pepper, smoked salt and stir.  Cover the sauté pan, reduce the heat to medium low and cook for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft.  Chop the swiss chard leaves, after removing the stems and ribs (they are bitter).  Add the rest of the wine, turn the heat back up to medium and add the swiss chard.  Cook until the leaves become dark green and are soft, about 5-7 minutes.

Spoon vegetable mixture over the quinoa and ENJOY!!

Top 30 healthiest foods!!!!!!!

Time to get your greens on!  Top 13 items are green foods.  I will be researching recipes that include these items for future blog posts.  Stay tuned and be healthy!!