SNOWED IN: Cherries & Wheatgrass Smoothie

Today we woke up to SNOW!  It changed the usual routine for the three of us but it sure is pretty and reminds me of home.  A little hike and then came home to make a quick smoothie with what I had in the freezer and refrigerator.  Today's creation is using frozen organic dark cherries... my favorite!
Here you go...

Ingredients:

1 heaping cup of frozen Organic Frozen Cherries

1 scoop organic wheatgrass

3/4 cup organic cherry juice (no sweeteners added)

1 banana

1 tablespoon flax oil

1 cup kale (I used purple, that's what I had)

6-8 drops Stevia drops

I decorated the top with Maraschino Cherries and Kale

Method:

Blend all ingredients in a Vita-mix mixer on high, poor in a jar or glass of your choice and get that wheatgrass in!

Food and Drinks should make us feel Pretty...Yum-o!

 

Crock Pot Chick-pea Soup with Kale

The Vegan thing is NOT as easy as it seems!  There are tons of recipes for vegan, vegetarian, and those that follow different diets, ect.  But, what I have found most helpful for me, while trying to be vegan, is making up recipes using ingredients I like verses trying to follow the food trends.  Let's face it, we still need to live our lives, having a specific diet can become difficult for everyone around us if we let it!  So... I have come up with another recipe I feel is a real winner and healthy to boot!  With this recipe you could easily add diced chicken for those who would like it...enjoy!

1 large Vidalia sweet onion, diced
4 tablespoons, olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
6 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup red wine
1 tablespoon Italian parsley, chopped
3 cans chick-peas
2 parsnips, peeled & sliced into 1/4 inch disks
2 tablespoons kale, sliced, per bowl of soup
Salt & Pepper to taste

Method

1) In a saute pan add 2 tablespoons olive oil and onions, saute until light gold in color, 5-8 minutes.  Place in Crock pot and deglaze the pan with the wine.  Place the wine (about 1 1/2 tablespoons) in the crock pot as well.
2) Next, add the other 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pan and saute the garlic, about 2 minutes, add this to the crock pot.
3) Add the chick peas, parsnips, vegetable broth and parsley to the crock pot and turn on high heat for 6 hours.
4) Before serving add sliced kale to the soup and salt and pepper to taste! Yummy!

Printable Version

In case you are wondering what vegetable broth to use, here is what I use and like!

Lacinato Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing

Trying to make more dishes using kale these days.  Kale is a cruciferous vegetable and can be used in anyway suitable for spinach.  Of course, it tastes different!  Kale has a mild cabbagey flavor and ranges in color from a deep green, blue green to green with a hint of purple.  Kale also is more popular with the northern Europeans which could explain there lower levels of cholesterol.  This explains my LOVE for this vegetable.  Not to mention it contains folic acid, calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C.  WOW ...a low calorie powerhouse! 

1/2 bunch lacinato kale, washed and torn into bite size pieces
1 tablespoon Tahini
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 slices of lemon, for serving


Method

1) Arrange torn Kale on two serving plates.
2) In a seperate bowl, mix together, tahini, canola oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt and pepper.
3) Divide the dressing over the kale on both plates.
4) Sprinkle the sesame seeds on both salads and top with a slice of lemon on both.
5) Serve with extra salt and pepper and enjoy!

Serves 2

In this photo you can see how beautiful the salad is up close.  This will clean out your intestines!

 Printable Version

Kale & Sweet Potato Soup

We all want to boost are immune system, so why not try a bowl of soup that can help us do just that.  This was really easy to make and tasty too!  I really hope you try this one, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 small yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 cups vegetable broth
1 bunch dinosaur kale, chopped
2 tablespoons Italian parsley
Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
Salt & Pepper to taste

METHOD:

1)  Saute onions and garlic in olive oil over medium-high heat.  Use a pot that can contain all the above ingredients, 5 minutes.
2)  Next, add sweet potatoes and vegetable broth and boil in the pot until the sweet potatoes are tender.  Add the kale to the soup just long enough to get bright green, 2 minutes.
3)  Take the soup off the stove, add the parsley, and puree in a blender or Cuisinart until smooth.
4)  Serve with toasted sesame seeds and season with salt and pepper to your liking.

This was really good and very easy!