“One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.” Luciano Pavarotti
“Those who think they have no time for healthy eating will sooner or later have to find time for illness.” ~ modified from Edward Stanley
Tis the season for salads! Welcome Summer! Even here in Maui, where it always feels like summer during the day, we have growing seasons for our locally grown fruits and vegetables. Truth be told, we eat salads all year long, and did even in the depths {and despair} of cold, rainy Pacific Northwest winters {paired with something hot and hearty, of course}. The fresh flavors and textures of salads, created from myriad ingredients, including vegetables, fruits, herbs and grains cannot be beat. Salads need not be complicated to be delicious. They can be as simple as arugula with thinly sliced onion, salt, pepper, fresh lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil. This is one of my favorite flavor combinations. Today’s lunch salad was not only gorgeous, it was a gastronomic delight! Select whatever greens you like, but I think it is best with a tender lettuce like red leaf, Manoa, butter or some other soft variety. Once you cut the fruit off the mango, use your impeccably clean hands to squeeze the pit, because it will release a lot of delicious juice that will become part of the dressing; I hold it over my salad and squeeze until it has given up all it has to give. It is impossible to cut every bit of flesh off of a mango, so this is my way of getting every last bit of goodness from this tasty fruit.
Salad of Greens, Mangoes, Tomatoes, Purslane and Steak
Salad greens, washed and spun dry {your choice}
Green onions, thinly sliced
Tomatoes, diced
Mangoes, diced
Steak, cut into bite size pieces
Cilantro leaves, fronds & blossoms Purslane clusters
Champagne vinegar, or other mild white vinegar {white wine, unseasoned rice}
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Put greens in a bowl and top with onions, tomatoes & their juices, mangoes and steak. Top with a few purslane clusters and cilantro leaves, fronds & blossoms. Season salad with salt and pepper. Squeeze the mango pit over the salad to release all the juice you can. Drizzle with champagne vinegar and extra virgin olive oil to taste. Enjoy!
Notes:
If you don’t have green onions, a sweet onion like Maui, Vidalia, Walla Walla Sweet, etc. would be delicious.
Add any protein you want, or none at all. Chicken, salmon or shrimp would all be nice.
I used cilantro fronds & blossoms because I have one overachieving plant that has outgrown all the others, which are too small to harvest, and I am trying to use the whole plant. Use whatever you have. Mint and/or basil would be fabulous!
If you don’t have purslane in your garden, try to get some from the farmers’ market. If you see little black seeds around the leaves, lucky you! Plant those seeds and grow your own purslane, which is what I did. It is doing quite well, thank you very much.
Papaya would also be good in this salad, but you won’t have any juice like with mango.
Cilantro-don’t forget to use the fronds and blossoms; they are pretty & delicious!
Purslane is easy to grow. In fact, you may have some in your yard, as it is considered a weed {a healthy weed}.
Welcome to Refrigerator Confidential Day #7 & #8, the final post of this up close and personal look at our refrigerator. I hope you have enjoyed reading about the kinds of foods we like to buy at the farmers’ market, and how we manage to eat all or most of it by the end of the week. It is always a challenge, and does require a fair amount of effort from us, but this is how we like to eat. . .it is our lifestyle, and we wouldn’t trade it for any other way.
Friday’s Meals with Recipes:
Breakfast
Me- Oatmeal with Granny Smith Apples {recipe & photos on Refrigerator Confidential Day #5} Green Tea Freshly Pressed Ginger Kombucha My husband- Peanut Butter & Arugula Wrap on a Whole Grain Tortilla
Whole Grain Tortilla with Peanut Butter, Lemon Juice & Arugula
Layers of russet potato, zucchini, eggplant & seasoned ground beef topped with feta cheese & creamy Bechamel sauce with Pickled Beets
Our friend Molly dropped off a delicious Grilled Eggplant Moussaka yesterday, which I promptly put in the oven for our lunch. I have never made moussaka, and I’m not sure that I have ever eaten it before, so I have nothing with which to compare it. Comparisons are unnecessary though, because it was outstanding. Molly has a business called Maui Go To Girl {“consider it done“}. If you are a busy person who could use some assistance with meals, errands, moving, event planning and much, much more, please check out her website at www.mauigotogirl.com. Her services are many and I can assure you that you are in good hands with Molly {food-wise and otherwise}!
Dinner
We went to Milagros in Paia, where you can find one of the best Maui happy hour prices we know of {$3.00 beer and margaritas-no food discount}. We filed our taxes yesterday, so decided to go out and celebrate with Kalua Pork Nachos-yum! After we came home, we had popcorn while we watched episode 2 of season 1 of Twin Peaks. We didn’t watch it when it first came out, so we are catching up on popular culture. While it was a tasty eating day, it wasn’t stellar in terms of vegetable consumption-definitely not up to our usual standards. It’s what you do 95% of the time that matters, according to us. . . you have to be able to eat some not-so-healthy for you foods every now and again.
Peanut Butter & Arugula Wrap on a Whole Grain Tortilla
1 whole grain tortilla {we use organic sprouted wheat tortillas}
Peanut butter of your choice {I can’t imagine not choosy crunchy.}
Arugula-lots of it
Fresh lemon juice
Salt & pepper
Spread tortilla with as much peanut butter as you want, and top with lots of arugula. Squeeze a little fresh lemon juice over the arugula and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. You could also drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil over the arugula. It’s always a good thing to have something juicy on a wrap, otherwise they can be dry.
Here is what’s left from last Saturday’s purchases. Not bad. We consider the carrots, celery, cabbages and kabocha squash to be staples, meaning we don’t necessarily don’t intend to eat them all during the week. Imagine adding all that to what we’ve already eaten! So really, what’s left are 2 green onions, a half a green pepper, 2 jalapeños and a bit of kale. We’d call this a successful eating week! We only ate out twice-last Saturday night at Nuka {mmmm!} and yesterday at Milagros, so that was helpful.
It’s Saturday again & we have started the cycle all over again!
Here’s the foundation of another week of great eating!
Isn’t this organic red leaf lettuce gorgeous?
A Bundle of Beautiful Baby Romaine Lettuces
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I hope your farmers’ markets are open or opening very soon! Go out and get yourself some delectable fresh produce for your health and good eating.
Welcome to Refrigerator Confidential Day #6! The refrigerator is not looking bare, because the bags of produce have been replaced by glass storage containers full of prepared food, which is a good thing. Sometimes it does look bare by the end of the week, but that is only when we manage to eat everything. It’s all good!
Thursday’s Meals with Recipes:
Breakfast
Oatmeal with Granny Smith Apples {recipe & photos on Refrigerator Confidential Day #5}
Green Tea
Freshly Pressed Ginger Kombucha
Lunch Sandwich of Gruyere Cheese & Plenty of Arugula on Whole Grain Bread
Grapefruit Slices
Dinner {Huge} Plate Salad of Mediterranean Flavors with Fresh Oregano Vinaigrette
Sandwich of Gruyere and Plenty of Arugula
Sliced Grapefruit
Sandwich of Gruyere Cheese & Plenty of Arugula on Whole Grain Bread
This is my husband’s creation, and he says that you cannot have too much arugula on this sandwich. It is a very tasty sandwich! Cheese sandwiches were my favorite as a kid, but they were just American cheese and mayonnaise on white bread; not nearly as sophisticated as this sandwich. I imagine most kids would not be too keen on arugula’s bitterness. Bitter greens are good for you, so eat your bitter greens. . .on a cheese sandwich!
2 pieces of your favorite bread {we used Dave’s Killer Bread}
Gruyere cheese, thinly sliced
Arugula. . .lots
Mayonnaise
Salt & freshly ground pepper
Put cheese on 1 piece of bread {as much as you like}. Top with a big pile of arugula & sprinkle with a little salt and freshly ground pepper. Spread mayonnaise on the other slice of bread & close up your sandwich. Cut in a way that makes you happy & eat.
Welcome to Refrigerator Confidential Day #5! We are not running out of food yet, nor ideas for using what’s left. I think we are doing a good job this week getting through most of the produce we bought last Saturday.
Wednesday’s Meals with Recipes:
Breakfast
Oatmeal with Granny Smith Apples
Green Tea
Freshly Pressed Ginger Kombucha
Lunch
Quesadilla with Gruyere, Green Peppers, Jalapeños & Swiss Chard
*1/3 cup regular oatmeal {not instant or quick cooking}
Scant 2/3 cup milk of your choice {or you can use water}
Pinch sea salt
1/2 Granny Smith apple, or other apple variety of your choice, diced small {you can leave the peel on if you wish}
Put the oatmeal, milk, salt and apple in a microwave safe bowl. The bowl should hold 2-3 cups so that the oatmeal doesn’t boil up and over the edge in the microwave. Cook, uncovered, on high for 1 minute, stir, cook for another minute, stir, and then cook for about 1 more minute. Take out and let stand for a few minutes, for the oats to absorb the milk. Top with whatever you like on your oatmeal. I tried roasted peanuts & a small plop of peanut butter & thought it was pretty tasty.
*I use 1/3 cup oatmeal for 1 serving for me. My husband likes a larger serving, so for him I use 1/2 cup oatmeal and a scant 1 cup milk.
Snip any thorns off of the leaves, slice off the top third of the artichoke and trim the stem so the artichoke can stand upright, removing as little as possible from the base. Rinse the artichokes well, pulling the leaves apart to get out any dirt or critters. If they are large, you can cut them in half lengthwise, so they will better fit into your steamer. Rub the cut sides with a lemon to prevent browning.
Put your lovely artichokes into the steamer basket over boiling water. Cook for 30-40 minutes, or until a leaf pulls out easily when tugged. Serve immediately, with melted butter, mayonnaise or Lemon Aioli. If you want to serve the artichokes cold, drop them in an ice bath to stop the cooking, then drain on a kitchen towel in the refrigerator until until ready to serve.
Lemon Aioli
About 2/3 cup mayonnaise {homemade or store bought}
1 clove garlic, mashed into a paste with kosher salt or put through a garlic press
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste {I put more pepper than one would think prudent; it can take quite a bit.}
Fresh lemon juice to taste
Mix all ingredients & chill if not serving immediately.
Relish Plate
Put whatever you want on your relish plate! We have green onions, pickled beets & sauerkraut.
Welcome to Day #4 of Refrigerator Confidential! I’m not sure if you noticed, but we can sure tell that the fridge has more room to move around. Even though it’s great to have a well-stocked refrigerator, it is fun to “eat it down” and look forward to starting all over again on Saturday.
Tuesday’s Meals with Recipes:
Breakfast
Me- leftover baked potato from yesterday’s lunch, 1/2 grapefruit, Breakfast “Borscht”
My husband- same as the last 2 days {plain yogurt, nuts, dried fruit, local honey}
Lunch
Roasted Carrot Soup
Ryvita Crackers with Organic Cultured Butter
I was going to blend up a frozen banana and some plain yogurt to make a banana lassi {although I don’t think you would use frozen fruit in a lassi}, and then it occurred to me that pickled beets and yogurt would be a good combination {think chilled beet borscht with a dollop of sour cream top}. Mine would be kind of a speedy version of chilled beet borscht. A big spoonful of pickled beets, with a creamy cloud of plain yogurt swirled in, and a sprinkle of dill and voila, “borscht”! I tasted it, and thought that some capers would add a nice punch of flavor, and indeed they did. I love capers! Actually, I just learned on the Splendid Table podcast last week that capers are more properly called caper buds, because they are the bud of the caper flower {from the caper plant} before it opens. When the flower drops off, what is left is a caper berry, which looks like a giant caper bud. I have never tried caper berries, but I hear that they are not quite as pungent as the caper buds. Had I not eaten the baked potato, I would have enjoyed my yogurt with a buttered Ryvita {a buttered Ryvita is always good}.
Roasted Carrot Soup adapted from Vegetable Soups from Deborah Madison’s Kitchen
This is another of my favorite soup recipes from Vegetable Soups from Deborah Madison’s Kitchen . I think I have mentioned before that it is my favorite soup cookbook, and Madison is my favorite cookbook author.
1 pound carrots, cut into chunks
2 small potatoes, cut into chunks
1 large onion, cut into chunks
5 garlic cloves, peeled
2-4 tbsp olive oil {I used 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil}
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 hefty thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf {I used 2}
*1 quart vegetable stock or water
1/2 cup light cream {I used 2% milk, and the soup was delicious. I don’t think I’ve ever made it with cream.}
2-3 tbsp creme fraiche or sour cream, stirred with a fork until loosened {I used plain yogurt, but would use one of the other choices if I had them on hand.}
Fresh minced parsley or chives
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F {I used 375 degrees F.}. Toss the vegetables with the olive oil and season with 1/2 tsp salt and some pepper. Put them in a large baking dish sprayed with pan spray for easy cleanup {I used a 9″x13″ Pyrex baking dish.}, along with the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Roast until tender and glazed, about 1 hour, turning them 2-3 times.
Transfer the vegetables to a soup pot, add stock or water and bring to the boil. Simmer until the carrots are soft, about 20″, then puree until smooth. An immersion blender is a great tool for this-very quick and easy. Return the puree to the pot {if you used a blender}, taste for salt, and season with pepper. Stir in the cream or milk.
Ladle the soup into bowls, swirl in a spoonful of creme fraiche, sour cream or yogurt into each, top with minced parsley and serve piping hot. Delicious and super healthy!
Makes about 4 servings {6 cups}.
*I used to make homemade vegetable stock for soup until I read Deborah Madison say that if you have great vegetables, you can use water in lieu of stock. So unless a soup calls for a specific stock {i.e. red stock for tortilla soup, mushroom stock, etc.}, I use water and the soup is great. I do not care for store bought vegetable stock.
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We had a tasty little wine and cheese pupu {appetizer} while waiting for our Orange and Molokai Purple Sweet Potato Fries to roast.
Orange and Molokai Purple Sweet Potato Fries
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Roasted Orange and Molokai Purple Sweet Potatoes
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Make sure you have a rack positioned on the bottom of your oven.
3 potatoes will fill up a half-sheet pan-use 2 pans if you want more fries
Cut potatoes so they are approximately the same size; you can cut them into any shape you want {slices, wedges, French fries…}. Place potatoes on a sheet pan that has been lined with foil, sprayed with pan spray {they will stick if you don’t} and drizzled with olive oil. Season with kosher or sea salt, freshly ground pepper and red pepper flakes. The red pepper flakes add a great spicy counterpoint to the sweetness of the potatoes; I wouldn’t leave them out, but if you aren’t a fan of spicy, by all means don’t use them. I love spicy!!
Roast the potatoes on the bottom oven rack until they are browned and starting to get crispy, stirring occasionally. They will be tender in about 20 minutes, but leave them in longer so they will brown and crisp up. The purple potatoes can get dried out if you leave them in too long, so keep an eye on them after 20 minutes or so.
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Steamed Beet Greens
Fresh beet greens {1 pound will serve 2-4 people}
Extra virgin olive oil
Butter
Sea salt & freshly ground pepper
Sherry vinegar or lemon juice
Wash greens well, making sure water is clear, as beet greens can be quite dirty. Discard any tough stems {or cut small & sauté} and roughly chop the greens. Spin them mostly dry, but leave some water clinging to the leaves for steaming. Put greens in a pot large enough to hold them, cover and cook over medium high heat until tender, 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally so they do not burn or stick. When the greens are tender, season with a little butter, olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground pepper. If desired, sprinkle with a bit of sherry vinegar or lemon juice.
Welcome to Day #3 of Refrigerator Confidential! This week, you are up close and personal with our refrigerator. You can see what we buy at the Saturday Upcountry Farmers Market, and how we prepare it during the week. It’s kind of a game for us {a very tasty game I might add}, and the goal is to eat all or most of the food by Friday, and end up with lots of empty bags to fill up at the market on Saturday. Sometimes we are successful, and sometimes we don’t do so well. The refrigerator’s Friday appearance has to do with how many times we eat out during the week {restaurants, beach BBQs, etc.}, as well as how motivated we are to take the time to wash the greens, broccoli, etc. and cook them. Sometimes it’s easier to throw a salad together, with the already washed lettuce, than to wash and steam the broccoli; I think you know what I mean.
Monday’s Meals:
Breakfast
Me- The little bit of chili and brown rice that was leftover from yesterday
My husband- Nancy’s Low-fat Plain Yogurt with local honey, dried Maui pineapple, dried Maui apple bananas & coconut flakes, roasted peanuts & walnuts
Freshly Pressed Ginger Kombucha {1 bottle is almost gone already!}
Green tea
Lunch
Gerald’s Eggs with Red Peppers & Parmesan {these eggs are a kind of open-face omelette/frittata that Gerald made up~really good}
Baked potato with butter {we shared a potato}
Caesar Salad
Avocado
Dinner
I worked tonight, so we didn’t eat the same thing. We usually do, but it did’t work out this time because there was only 1 piece of Chicken Cacciatore left…for me!
Me- Chicken Cacciatore, broccoli & 1/2 grapefruit {and a piece of chocolate~ Lindt Dark Chocolate with Black Currants!!!}
My husband- sandwich on Dave’s Killer Bread {sometimes we will break down & buy a loaf of bread, if we run out of homemade bread…we like Dave’s} with Gruyere cheese, lots of arugula and mayonnaise {he said it was really good}, broccoli
Welcome to Day #2 of Refrigerator Confidential! This week, I’m taking you inside our refrigerator so you can see what we buy at the Saturday Upcountry Farmers Market, and what we do with it throughout the week. It’s kind of a game for us {a very tasty game I might add}, and the goal is to eat all or most of the food by Friday, and end up with lots of empty bags to fill up at the market on Saturday. Sometimes we are successful, and sometimes we don’t do so well.
Yesterday I told you in words and pictures what we bought at the market. I didn’t say anything about what else was in the refrigerator. We had {not an exhaustive list, by any means}:
leftover homemade chili
leftover brown rice
cooked broccoli
homemade mustard vinaigrette
beets, which I cooked and pickled yesterday
Sunday’s Meals with links to recipes:
Breakfast Me- Nancy’s Low-fat Plain Yogurt with olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin; broccoli with a drizzle of mustard vinaigrette
My husband- Nancy’s Low-fat Plain Yogurt with local honey, dried Maui pineapple, dried Maui apple bananas & coconut flakes, roasted peanuts & walnuts
Freshly Pressed Ginger Kombucha {1 bottle is almost half gone already!}
Green tea
Lunch
Leftover chili & brown rice {they’re almost gone!}
Salad of kale, arugula, pickled beets, Maui onion, Wakame & Ginger Sauerkraut Salad with mustard vinaigrette
Broccoli with olive oil, lemon, salt, pepper, Parmesan and toasted sliced almonds
Dinner Baked salmon with mayonnaise and Sweet Ginger Chili sauce {similar to Thai sweet chili sauce, but with healthier ingredients} Caesar salad with homemade croutons and avocado
Pickled Beets
4 fresh beets, scrubbed and steamed until tender {about 45 minutes for medium size beets}
Onion, sliced {as much as you like, or none}
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp whole peppercorns
2 small bay leaves {or 1 large}
When beets are tender when pierced with a knife, let them cool until you can handle them comfortably. Peel off the skins, and cut them into whatever shape you like. Put them into a container with a tight lid, so you can turn them upside down to distribute the pickling liquid. If you are using onions, layer them in with the beets. I usually use a quart mason jar. In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring them to the boil, stirring to ensure that the sugar gets dissolved. Pour over beets and onions. There will not be enough liquid to cover your beets, so turn the container upside down occasionally, and shake to distribute the liquid. They will get tastier as they marinate longer.
“You probably don’t want to look in the crisper drawer.” Amanda Freitag Chef and owner of Empire Diner
Welcome to my refrigerator! I must admit right from the start that I “tidied up” a bit before I let you in. I’m pretty sure that you would probably do the same, if you were planning to invite me in. My husband and I cook many/most of our meals together, but I am the Curator of the Refrigerator. I know what goes in, and its approximate location. The biggest haul that goes into the refrigerator comes from the Saturday farmers market, and I find a home for all of it-no easy feat to be sure. My husband goes to the market very early on Saturday mornings, while I go for a nice long walk, during which time I listen to the Splendid Table podcast on my phone. If you haven’t heard the Splendid Table, I highly recommend that you check it out here. Anyway, back to our refrigerator. This week, I would like to show you what our refrigerator looks like, from its early Saturday morning sparseness to bulging at the seams later Saturday morning, then during the week as we eat our way through all the delicious fruits and vegetables, which come mostly from the Upcountry Farmers Market.
I should say that the way we eat requires time and effort…time and effort that we are willing to put into procuring, preparing and eating delicious food. In no way do I expect that anyone else should necessarily follow our path, because I know that not everyone has the time, desire or knowledge to cook this way. This is what I love to do, and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to spend my time this way.
EARLY SATURDAY MORNING
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SATURDAY MID-DAY: Fresh Produce from Upcountry Farmers Market
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From the market today: 3 bunches green onions, 1 head romaine lettuce, 1 bunch kale, 1 dozen eggs, gardenias, red ginger, 5 beets, 2 white potatoes, 12 apple bananas, purple cabbage, 3 bunches arugula, 1 bunch Swiss chard, 4 jalapeños, 3 green peppers, 1 red pepper, cauliflower, 2 broccolis, 1 bunch celery, 2 artichokes, 1 kabocha squash, 2 bottles of Freshly Pressed Ginger Kombucha
SATURDAY MID-DAY: Into the Refrigerator!
SATURDAY AFTERNOON: Everything in its place!
Check out this article from New York Times Magazine about what 11 top New York chefs have in their refrigerators.
Mark Menjivar wrote a book about what’s in others’ refrigerators; it’s kind of fun to take a peek! Check it out here.
“If you’re busy, never cook for one meal; always cook for two or three. Put it in the freezer, but it doesn’t have to encore in the same form.” Lynne Rossetto Kasper
Kula Black Raspberries
Who knew? Not me. I had no idea that some nice farmer is growing black raspberries, on Maui, for our eating pleasure {in November!!!}. My husband purchased these beauties at the Upcountry Farmers Market. What a pleasant surprise!
Luscious Fresh Berries
Black Raspberries with Cream & Powdered Sugar
We love fresh berries with a dribble of heavy organic cream and a flurry of powdered
sugar. . .pure bliss.
Unlike other easier to eat berries, cranberries elicit strong opinions from those who either love them or loathe them. We happen to enjoy cranberries, and have a few favorite ways to use them. I should say that I am talking about fresh cranberries, not the dried ones. We do like dried cranberries, but they are not the same healthy powerhouse as the fresh variety.
Fresh Cranberries
Once the berries are dried, the sugar and calorie content skyrocket. Fresh berries are only available a few months of the year, so if you want them year round, you will need to buy them now and squirrel them away for another day. We like to rinse fresh cranberries in a colander, blot them dry and then put them on a parchment-lined sheet pan for a short stint in the freezer; this will prevent them from freezing into a solid block of cranberries, which will not be user friendly. If you do not have parchment paper, a flexible cutting board works well, but I do not recommend using waxed paper, as it tears easily from being wet and it will be harder to remove the frozen berries. Once the berries are frozen, pop them into a freezer bag and enjoy them whenever you like, in breads, cookies, hot cereal, smoothies or relish.
Ready for the freezer!
One of our favorite cranberry recipes is for fresh cranberry orange relish. We also like cooked cranberry relish, but this is what we make most often. We have significantly reduced the sugar for our tastes, but you can certainly adjust it for yours. I enjoy this relish the most on plain yogurt {yum!} with big pieces of walnuts. It is also good to have a spoonful on a green salad, or with any traditional cranberry-friendly foods.
Cranberry Orange Relish
Fresh Cranberry Orange Relish
adapted from Superfoods Rx.: Fourteen Foods that will Change Your Life {Steven Pratt, M.D. and Kathy Matthews}
12 ounces fresh or *frozen cranberries, rinsed and drained
1 unpeeled orange {preferably organic}, washed, cut into eighths and seeded
1/3 cup sugar {the original recipe calls for 3/4 cup}
Put the cranberries, orange slices and sugar into a food processor. Process until everything is evenly chopped. Chill until ready to eat. *If you use frozen cranberries, partially thaw them before processing, or you will end up with a big cranberry orange ice ball.
The relish gets better as it sits and the flavors mingle.
Makes about 3 cups
Kale Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette
We enjoyed several kale salads last week, all of them with cranberry vinaigrette. The tart-sweet of the vinaigrette pairs perfectly with kale’s bitterness and the creaminess of fresh goat cheese. A few other ingredients make this salad a winner. Not to mention the fact that the dressing is a gorgeous hue of creamy cranberry pink. It looks kind of like raspberry gelato. I apologize for the lack of photo-we ate all the dressing.
Kale Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette I made several versions of this salad recently, this being the most elaborate with the addition of canned tuna.You can put in whatever you like, but I think the most important additions are the goat cheese {for creaminess} & the toasted walnuts {pair excellently with the goat cheese and cranberries, and for a toasty CRUNCH}.
Kale, enough for 2 salads, washed, dried well & torn into bite-size pieces
Thinly sliced sweet onion {or red}
1 avocado
1 can tuna {we use Wild Planet}; optional Fuyu persimmon, washed and thinly sliced {I don’t peel them, but you can if you like.}
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
Toasted walnuts
Fresh goat cheese, crumbled
Cranberry Vinaigrette {recipe below}
Put the kale into 2 bowls and dribble with enough dressing to moisten. Top with onion, avocado, tuna {if using}, tomatoes, crumbled goat cheese and walnuts. Put a ring of persimmon slices around the edge of the bowl. Add a grind of salt & pepper then top with dressing.
2 servings
Cranberry Vinaigrette 2/3 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (or tangerine juice)
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Combine cranberries, sugar, and vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook about 5-10 minutes, or until the cranberries pop. Remove from the heat and let cool. Pour cooled cranberry mixture into a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Add the mustard and orange juice and blend. With the motor running, stream in the olive oil. Season dressing with salt and pepper.
Makes about 2 cups dressing
Did you know that. . .
Fresh cranberries:
* are low in calories {44/cup}
* are high in fiber
* are low in sugar
* aid in the prevention of urinary tract infections {UTIs} by preventing bacteria from sticking to the urinary tract lining
* are high in phenols which are plant chemicals known to be highly protective against many health problems {i.e. toxic to cancer tumor cells}
* helps to prevent bacterial adhesion to teeth and the stomach lining, preventing dental plaque and ulcers, respectively
Information from: The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth {Jonny Bowden, Ph. D., C.N.S.}
“Fermented foods help people stay healthy,” Sandor Katz author of New York Times best-selling book “The Art of Fermentation.”
Before we get to the heart of the matter of cultured foods, here is a photo of yesterday’s sky. I was at the pool and the sky was so beautiful I had to take a picture. The picture doesn’t do it justice, but you get the idea.
My husband and I do a good job of learning about what constitutes a healthy lifestyle in terms of eating and exercise, and then we implement what we have learned to the best of our abilities. Our latest foray into healthy eating is fermented {cultured} foods. Please understand that in no way do I consider myself an expert on cultured foods; I am far from an expert, and know just enough to be dangerous. We have been eating cultured foods for years, because we enjoy them, but have intentionally added more into our diet because of the health benefits. Here are some of our favorite cultured foods, all of which we buy at Mana Foods, for those of you on Maui: ~ Yogurt– Nancy’s Yogurt {contains 11 different culture strains} has been a staple for more than a decade. ~ Sauerkraut and Fermented Pickles- We have recently started purchasing sauerkraut that is raw and unpasteurized, so that the beneficial microbes are available to us. One of our favorite brands is Sonoma Brinery. Farmhouse Culture makes fantastic sauerkraut as well. I LOVE their Smoked Jalapeno Kraut; I don’t find it at all smoky, but perfectly spicy! My husband prefers the Ginger Beet flavor, which I also like, but not as much as the Smoked Jalapeno. Both of these companies offer excellent products that are reasonably priced. If you want sauerkraut, these are a must try! ~ Kombucha– We drink a little kombucha most days. Our kombucha comes from Maui Kombucha. ~ GoodBelly Probiotic Drink– This is a delicious nondairy nectar-like drink. My favorite flavor is Mango. If you sign up for their Goodbelly Challenge, they will email you some coupons! ~ Sour Cream- We often spoon a bit of cultured sour cream on our quesadillas. Sour cream is always a yummy addition to a spicy dish. ~ Tempeh– Tempeh is a fermented soy product from Indonesia. Our current favorite way to eat tempeh is seasoned with freshly ground salt and pepper and sautéed in a bit of coconut oil until golden brown. Eat with ketchup and you have something that resembles French fries. A heavy drizzle of Sriracha Sauce is a great addition, if you like a little mouth burn, like I do. We also make a delicious sandwich that we call a “TLT” meaning Tomato, Lettuce and Tempeh. It is fantastic on toasted ciabatta bread. Our tempeh is in the freezer until we are ready to eat it, and then it thaws very quickly. ~ Miso- I like kale salad with Outstanding Miso Sesame Dressing. There is also miso soup, which is delicious!
Here are a few of the cultured foods we’ve enjoyed in the last few days:
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Tempeh Sautéed in Organic Coconut Oil
Slice tempeh into approximately 1/2 inch slices. Spray skillet {we use cast iron} with pan spray, then melt about 1 tbsp. of coconut oil. When the oil is hot, add the tempeh slices. Season with freshly ground salt and pepper to taste. Sauté, turning occasionally, until golden brown. Serve hot with ketchup and Sriracha Sauce, or whatever you like.
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Yogurt with Pineapple, Peach and Cranberry Preserves
Put some yogurt in a bowl, and top with homemade preserves, and your choice of any or all of the following toppings: unsweetened coconut, maple syrup {the real stuff please, preferably Grade B}, good quality honey, cinnamon, cacao nibs, nuts, hemp seeds, ground flax seeds, Buckwheat Chia Crunch or anything else you’d like.
Pineapple, Peach and Cranberry Preserves
**This is really more of a guideline than a specific recipe. You can adjust everything to your taste, including changing the fruits to what you have available.
1 Maui Gold pineapple
1 quart chunked fresh or frozen peaches
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cinnamon stick
approximately 1 tbsp. good quality honey
Juice of 1/2 a juicy lemon
Grind of salt
Get a Maui Gold pineapple if you can {we buy ours at Costco, maybe Mainland Costco sells them also-I think they do}, otherwise a “regular” fresh pineapple will do. Cut up the pineapple into chunks {see previous pineapple blog post}. Put all of the pineapple chunks into a wide-mouthed saucepan {for better evaporation of the liquid}. Add 1 quart of peach chunks {we used the peaches we froze in August} and 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries. You can certainly use a different berry if you are not a cranberry fan, but you can’t really identify them as cranberries as far as taste goes . Squeeze half a lemon and add the juice, and then throw in a cinnamon stick and a grind of salt. Spoon in some good quality honey to taste. We used about 1 tbsp. Bring to a boil, and then turn down the heat and simmer on low until thickened. The timing will depend on how juicy your fruit is. The preserves will thicken as they cool.
These preserves are meant to be made and eaten within a week or so; they are not preserved, so will not keep.
These preserves also taste great with one of our new favorite breads, from 101 Cookbooks. I have made several of her bread recipes, and we have loved them all.
Photo from 101 Cookbooks
Easy Little Bread from 101 Cookbooks 1 1/4 cups / 300 ml warm water (105-115F)
2 teaspoons active dry yeast (one packet)
1 tablespoon runny honey
1 cup / 4.5 oz / 125 g unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup / 5 oz / 140 g whole wheat flour
1 cup / 3.5 oz / 100 g rolled oats (not instant oats)
1 1/2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted, for brushing
In a medium bowl, sprinkle the yeast onto the warm water and stir until the yeast dissolves. Stir in the honey and set aside for a few minutes, until the yeast blooms and swells a bit – 5 – 10 minutes.
In the meantime, mix the flours, oats, and salt in a large bowl. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir very well.
Brush an 8-cup loaf pan {9″x5″} generously with some of the melted butter. Turn the dough into the tin, cover with a clean, slightly damp cloth, and set in a warm place for 30 minutes, to rise.
Preheat the oven to 350F / 180C, with a rack in the middle. When ready, bake the bread for 35-40 minutes, until golden and pulling away from the sides of the pan. I finish things up by leaving the bread under the broiler for just a heartbeat – to give the top a bit deeper color. Remove from oven, and turn the bread out of the pan quickly. Let it cool on a rack so it doesn’t steam in the pan. Serve warm, slathered with butter.
“One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.” Luciano Pavarotti
“One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.” Luciano Pavarotti
“One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.” Luciano Pavarotti
“One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.” Luciano Pavarotti
“One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.” Luciano Pavarotti
“One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.” Luciano Pavarotti
“One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.” Luciano Pavarotti
“One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.” Luciano Pavarotti
“One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.” Luciano Pavarotti
Maui Girl Cooks 