Kale!

Rory and I have never had Kale before today. Recently we were discussing how important leafy green vegetables are and while at Whole Foods, I decided to try something new. I turned to my trusty inspirational blog (www.elanaspantry.com) and found this scrumptious looking recipe for chicken with cherries and kale. (click here for the original recipe) Let's just say that kale will be making a more regular appearance in our diet.

Chicken with Cherries and Kale
1 ½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp onion, finely chopped

2 tsp minced garlic
1 cup fresh cherries, seeded and cut into quarters
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 bunch kale, chiffonade
celtic sea salt and pepper to taste

1. Rinse the chicken breast and pat dry
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then add onion and garlic and saute for one minute
3. Add cherries and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add balsamic vinegar, then stir in mustard and kale
5. Cover and cook over low heat 4-5 minutes, until kale is just wilted, stirring occasionally
6. In another large skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat
7. Add chicken cutlets to the pan and sprinkle them with salt and pepper
8. Cook 4-5 minutes on each side, until outside is browned and chicken is cooked through
9. Transfer chicken to pan containing cherry sauce and kale
10. Allow to marinate over low heat for 2-3 minutes so that chicken absorbs some of the sauce
11. Serve

Gluten Free Menu

I just found out, courtesy of Robb Wolf, that both Chilis and Outback have gluten free menus! Thought I'd pass the word along. :)

*adding to the list... PF Chang's and The Melting Pot!

Coconut Pancakes

I made these for my Mom while she was visiting for my daughter's first birthday and she approved! (So did Rory and ROBO!) This is my version of one I found awhile back on MDA.

Coconut Pancakes

1 can coconut milk

1/2 c almond flour

1/3 c shredded coconut

1 tsp baking soda

pinch of sea salt (optional)

1 tbsp vanilla

5 eggs

Coconut oil

Whisk together all ingredients in a large bowl. Add a little coconut oil to a skillet and cook over medium heat.

I cook mine one large pancake at a time (like a crepe). Pour enough batter (~1/2 c) into the skillet to cover the bottom with a thin layer of the batter. Let cook for 3-5 minutes then carefully flip and cook the other side. The pancakes should be set before flipping and are done when they are a nice golden color.

These are very tasty but do require a bit of time in the morning if you make the whole batch. I suggest having 2 skillets going at the same time.

Spicy Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Recently I said I would focus on the many wonderful uses of eggs, but this was too good to pass up. I found the 'original' recipe on the New York Times site, but swapped cauliflower in the form of caulirice for the quinoa.

1 head of cauliflower made into caulirice (See bottom of this post)

2 cups diced cucumber

1 small red onion, minced

salt to taste

2 cups finely diced tomatoes

1 to 2 jalapeño or serrano peppers (to taste), seeded and finely chopped

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

2 tbsp red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar

3 tbsp olive oil

1 avocado, sliced (for garnish)

1. Place the finely diced cucumber in a colander, and sprinkle with salt. Toss and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Rinse the cucumber with cold water, and drain on paper towels. Place onion in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit for five minutes, then drain, rinse with cold water and drain on paper towels.

2. Combine the tomatoes, chiles, cilantro, vinegar, lime juice and olive oil in a bowl. Add the cucumber and onion, season to taste with salt, and add the caulirice and cilantro. Toss together.

3. Serve garnished with sliced avocado.

Happy Birthday to Rory!

My husband's birthday is today...

Happy birthday to the most wonderful man I know.

Egg and Broccoli Bake with Hollandaise Sauce

Going with the Hollandaise Sauce recipe I recently posted, I made this egg dish for Rory and ROBO. Both loved it!

1 head broccoli, cut into small florets

1/4 c diced onion

10-11 eggs

pinch of salt

fresh ground pepper

1-2 oz shredded swiss cheese

1. Steam broccoli.

2. Saute onions in a skillet with a little oil until mostly cooked.

3. Whisk all ingredients together.

4. Pour into an oiled 9in round cake pan.

5. Bake, covered, at 350 for 30-40 minutes (middle should be set).

Serve cut into wedges drizzled with Hollandaise sauce. Yum!

The incredible, edible egg!

If you eat like we do, then you eat a lot of eggs. If you are like my brother, you eat them and never get tired of them. Rory, on the other hand, can only handle so many scrambled eggs before he gets a little bored. Eggs do not have to be boring... ever. I promise. The next few posts will focus on eggs and some of the many ways they can be used.

Hollandaise Sauce

1/2 c grapeseed oil

1/2 c butter

5 egg yolks

2 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice

pinch of salt

fresh ground pepper

1. Melt butter and combine with oil.

2. In a blender, combine yolks, vinegar, salt and pepper. Pulse a few times then blend on a medium speed for 30 seconds.

3. Make sure oil/butter mixture is hot then with the blender running, slowly drizzle it into the yolk mixture.

4. Serve immediately. (If you must reheat it, do so carefully as it is easy to break the emulsion or cook the eggs. Better over the stove than in the microwave. Extra can get stored in a mason jar in the fridge.)

This makes about 1.5 cups.

Try it over roasted asparagus or steak. You can also make this using only oil if dairy isn't your thing.