Pineapple Avocado Salsa

• 1 pineapple, cored, and diced into small pieces
• 2 avocados
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 red onion
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• juice from 2 limes
• fresh cilantro

Combine all ingredients and let chill for at least 30 minutes to mix flavors.

Mahi Mahi Tacos

• 1 pkg frozen Mahi Mahi pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 red onion, minced
• olive oil
• almond flour (for dusting)
• Romaine lettuce leaves

Heat olive oil over medium heat, adding garlic and red onion until fragrant. Then add in Mahi Mahi pieces, cooking for approx 5-8 minutes or until cooked through. Dust with almond flour for a “fried” taste if desired. Place a few Mahi Mahi pieces on pieces of romaine lettuce (other big leaf lettuce works well too). Then top with salsa. ENJOY!

I added jalapeno for more flavor, but the lime and chipotle seasoning made me think “I should add jalapeno to this!!” I was not sure how the apple would work with the jalapeno, but it turned out delicious!!! Day 2 of a 21 “clean eating challenge and this hit the spot after a tough workout. Plus, it was a super quick meal to make. I added some steamed broccoli and fresh fruit to make it a complete meal!

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, diced into 1 inch pieces
• olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 red onion, minced
• 1-2 jalapenos, minced (depending on the hotness level you want)
• 1 fuji apple, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 3 tbsp natural, unsweetened applesauce
• chipotle seasoning (I found an all natural chipotle rub that I use)
• 1 lime, juiced

Directions:

• Saute chicken, seasoned with salt and pepper, in 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat, cooking until browned.
• While the chicken is cooking, mince and dice up the garlic, onion, jalapeno, and apple.

• In a separate pan, saute garlic, onion, and jalapeno until fragrant, then add to chicken.
• Mix together applesauce, lime juice, chipotle seasoning and add to pan with chicken and diced apples.
• Cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently until mixed through and warm.

ENJOY

All joking aside, times of stress and insanity shouldn’t leave one missing out on the good things in life, like good food. I am ashamed to admit that a lot of bananas saw us through this move. We also had to step back from Fresh Connect for a bit because we never knew where we would be from week-to-week. The upheaval did force us to look for other sources of good, local food. We took advantage of our new and closer proximity to farmers’ markets (Overland Park has them on Wednesdays and Saturdays, a boon to harried mothers who miss one day or the other), and honestly, a visit from my mom and her obsession with Whole Foods got us through the rest of our transition. I know, I know, but let me tell you, my little mama living in her small-town food desert thinks the big WF is THE BOMB. It made her happy to provide something that was easy for a city-unfamiliar 67-year-old lady to find (all in one place). That said, she didn’t make any salads or salad dressing, which is what this post is about.

SALAD!
SALAD!
Really, Salad DRESSING.

It’s the season, and you’ve been eating a bit of salad, I imagine…or haven’t you?  I used to avoid salads because of society’s intention to make it a health food.  I don’t disparage health, but I am suspicious of things approached merely for that benefit.  I find many healthful foods and good taste often go hand in hand. That said, the “delicate leaves lightly seasoned and dressed” never really seemed terribly special to me. And then I discovered cobb salads and everything in between and thought, hey, chopping up my favorite veggies into similarly sized pieces (a texture “must” with chopped salads), adding some chickpeas and fresh corn and a creamy dressing…salad, where have you been all my life?  Quick and easy to make, crunchy, fresh and satisfying, these sorts of chopped salads pulled us through from the beginning of home sale right to closing.

I would post a recipe for the salad, but as you can see, your favorite summer vegetables work best, all chopped or cut into similarly-sized pieces.  Toss in a good amount of your favorite herbs, drained beans (favas and chickpea are my favorite) and drizzle on a terrific dressing.  I love creamy dressings, and those are the dressings I will share with you here.

A few notes on our allium friends, Garlic and Onion–I find whenever garlic is called for, slicing the clove in half and removing any little bit of green sprout keeps any associated “bitter garlic” flavor down.  You can also use this little tip (America’s Test Kitchen) and blanch the garlic in boiling water for 30 seconds.  It always seems like a good idea, but I rarely do it. When I use onion in a salad or in a dressing, I like to chop it up, put it in a sieve and rinse under cold water for 30 seconds, just to take the bite off.

1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup sour cream
1 garlic clove, mashed with a few pinches of salt (I scrape my knife against the chopping board to smear the garlic into the salt)
pinch of pepper
1 T chopped parsley or cilantro
1 T chopped chives, or to taste (we like lots, and use the scapes when available)
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 T lime juice

extra sour cream or mayo (reserve and add if your mix is too thin)

Mix mix mix, whisk whisk whisk and add more mayo or sour cream to thicken, if necessary. Eat on salad, drizzle on steak, make a thick version to use with chips.

Avocado Dressing, inspired by Rick Bayless, Mexican Everyday
Is it cheating if I tell you to just take the above Ranch Dressing and blend in two well-ripened avocados? Yes? Okay, here’s another version, but just so you know, you have permission to do the above and it is delicious on crunchy romaine, tomatoes and red onion, or on turkey sandwiches.

1/4 cup canola or rapeseed oil
1/4 cup olive oil
3 T lime juice
1 clove garlic, peeled
1/2 cup mayo
1 T Worcestershire Sauce (I don’t add this, I use yellow miso to taste)
1 avocado
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped (original recipe calls for 1/2 cup)
3/4 tsp salt
cold water to thin to desired consistency

I process this all in a blender, but a food processor or immersion blender in a tall canning jar (a favorite method of mine–just blend and store!) works just as well. This also tastes good on turkey sandwiches, and I’ve read about people using it on boiled red potatoes–I reluctantly approved and tried not to hold it against them.

Feta Dressing, inspired by the Joy of Cooking and David Lebovitz
This is sort of embarrassing, but I ordered some Wiebe feta cheese around March and we used it all up…in early June. I wouldn’t do this with a soft cheese, or even a hard cheddar, but feta cheese is brined (salt-soaked) and it passed the “husband taste-test” (you know you do this) so BAM. Into a dressing.

4 ounces feta, crumbled
2 T red wine vinegar
1 t finely-chopped oregano (I used dill and it was delicious)
2 tablespoons flavorful olive oil
5 tablespoons water
salt and freshly-ground black pepper
2 T finely chopped red onion, reserve this

Blend the first 5 ingredients (you can do this in a blender/processor or go the patient route and mash/whisk by hand), taste. David warns that the feta absorbs liquids and that you may need to add more oil and water to thin to the desired consistency. I additionally recommend you find the consistency you want, first, then season with salt and pepper. Stir the red onion in at the end and let the entire concoction sit in the fridge for 20 minutes to mull. The texture of this dressing is particularly good in chopped salads, and works well with salads that include a starchy vegetable component, like beans or corn.

A couple weeks ago the cherry tree in our front yard looked like this!

I didn’t plant the tree, and I’m not familiar with cherry recipes, but I knew I had to make something delicious with these beauties. So I did some research and ended up making a SCRUMPTIOUS cherry crisp.

I love crisps! Traditionally, they remind me of the fall. (Apple crisps, pears crisps etc). But this fresh new twist with cherries made it delightful for a hot summer day!

Let’s get started! Here’s what you’ll need!

First, preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Start out by washing your cherries, of course.

Then, with a cherry/olive pitter remove the pits. WARNING the juice from the cherries is extremely bright red, and will splatter EVERYWHERE! Be sure to lay out a towel of some sort.

Combine the pitted cherries with 1 1/2 Cups white sugar, and 4 Tablespoons of flour.

And mix together like so.

Set aside.

In a separate bowl combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup oats, a cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup butter, and 1/2 cup shortening.

Using a small casserole dish place the oat mixture on top of the cherry mixture.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until golden and bubbly…or until it looks like this!

And there you have it folks! Easy as pie, but it’s not a pie!

So do me a favor, go make this. But before you do, go make some homemade ice cream so it will be ready by the time the crisp is out of the oven. Ahhh Heaven!!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound sausage (I used mild Italian turkey sausage)
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 head cabbage, thinly sliced into strips
• 2-3 carrots, thinly sliced
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 red onion
• paprika, salt, and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Cook sausage in pan until cook thorough. Remove from pan.
• Add coconut oil to pan, adding onions and garlic, cooking for about 3-5 minutes until slightly browned.
• Add cabbage and carrots, cooking for 5-10 minutes until cabbage starts to soften a bit and becomes “noodley”
• Add in seasonings to your liking after 1-2 minutes.
• Add sausage back into the pan and stir, mixing well.

Eggplant & Zucchini Frittata

2 Japanese Eggplant or 1 small Eggplant, diced
1 Zucchini, diced
1 small onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
12 eggs
½ cup soymilk
1 Tbl dried thyme
Salt & pepper, to taste
Salsa or marinara sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Heat oil in a medium, oven-safe skillet. Sauté eggplant, zucchini, onions and garlic until soft.  Crack all the eggs in a separate bowl. Add the soymilk, thyme and salt & pepper to taste. Whisk. Add eggs to the skillet. Cook for a few minutes, lifting up the edges of the eggs to allow uncooked eggs to come into contact with the heated skillet surface. Once most of the egg is cooked but the very middle, put the whole skillet in the oven. Cook until all the egg is cooked, 5 to 10 minutes. Check every few minutes. Serve with salsa or marinara sauce.

Slow-Cooker Marinara Sauce

Tomatoes, peeled & diced – this is a good use of “ugly” tomatoes… just cut off the bad bits.

Herbs – per pound of tomatoes
Salt – about ½ tsp per pound
Sugar – about ½ tsp per pound
Basil, Sage & Oregano – 1-2 Tbl fresh or 1-2 tsp dried per pound

Boil hot water… score the bottoms of your tomatoes and dip in the boiling water for 20-30 seconds to loosen the skins.  Peel and quarter the tomatoes.  Squeeze each quartered section to get rid of most of the seeds and excess juice. Don’t get hyper about getting every seed unless you REALLY want to.  Dice up the quartered sections and throw in a slow-cooker.  Choose a size that works for the amount of tomatoes you have.  I usually just do 2-3 pounds at a time… whatever I can get ugly and cheap at the farmer’s market.  Toss in the salt, basil, sage, oregano and, really, any other herbs you feel like, turn the slow cooker on slow and leave it.  About an hour before dinner/serving, I like to take the lid off and turn it to high to cook off some excess liquid.

Tilapia with Dill-Grapefruit Mayonnaise

1 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbl chopped fresh dill
2 tsp grapefruit zest
3 Tbl fresh grapefruit or lemon juice
Salt & black pepper, to taste

4 Tilapia fillets
Oil
Grapefruit slices (cut across into circles)

In a small bowl, mix together the mayo, dill, zest, juice & salt & pepper.  Cover and chill. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Spray or brush with oil.  Spray or brush the fish fillets with oil and set on the parchment paper.  Top each with a slice of grapefruit.  Bake until fish flakes easily with fork, 8 to 10 minutes.  Serve with mayonnaise.

I love spinach artichoke dip, but once again NOT paleo So why not substitute the bad stuff (dairy, cheese, etc) with a good protein source like chicken and make it a meal! That’s where the inspiration for this dish came from. Plus it’s a quick and easy recipe for those nights you do not have a lot of time, but need a tasty meal! ENJOY!

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced -and/or- garlic powder
• 2-3 green onions, diced into small pieces
• 2 chicken breasts, diced into 1 inch cubes
• 1-2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 can quartered artichokes, drained, rinsed, and cut into small pieces
• 1 roma tomato, diced
• 2 large handfuls of spinach

Directions:

• Add oil, garlic, and green onion to pan over medium heat and saute garlic until brown
• Add chicken and garlic powder if you choose, cooking for about 5 minutes until chicken starts to brown

• Add dijon mustard (for creamy texture) and finish cooking chicken

• Add artichokes, cooking for a few more minutes
• Add spinach to pan along with tomatoes, stir and cover with lid, wilting spinach for a few minutes
• Remove lid and continue stirring until mixed through

One statement…this turned out DELICIOUS!!!!  My roommate gave it a two thumbs up and she is currently a Paleo skeptic…I’m still trying to convince her…maybe a few more delicious meals…

So this happened from a few things in the fridge that needed to be used put into use. (NOTE: I still don’t really use actual measurements, so most are guesses)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb lean ground turkey
• 5-6 garlic cloves, minced (I love garlic)
• 1/4 red onion, chopped
• a few carrots, chopped
• a few handfuls fresh baby spinach
• olive oil
• cumin
• chili powder
• large portobello mushrooms
• tomato
• lettuce
• guacamole

(garlic, onion, carrots, spinach, tomatoes, and lettuce all came from Fresh Connect!!!!)

Directions:

• chop onion, garlic, and carrots
• place veggies  in large pan over medium low heat with baby spinach and drizzle a small amount of olive oil, stirring frequently until veggies are soft and spinach is wilted

• while the veggies are cooking, mix ground turkey (or other ground meat of your choice) with chili powder, cumin, and pepper.
• let veggies cool briefly when finished cooking, then add to turkey, mixing well.
• form into patties…I made 4 larger ones and 1 small for my roomie
• brown patties on each side, making sure to cook through

• after patties are finished cooking, add portobello mushrooms, adding a little bit of oil if necessary, and cool a few minutes on each side until slight softened and browned.

• Add your own condiments. I used what I had on hand, tomatoes, guac, and lettuce.  In honor of the new BK Whopper Bar in Power & Light (can I just throw in a gag for overprocessed burgers?) I made a mini burger bar for my roommate

ENJOY!!!!

This is one of my new go-to breakfast meals, especially on Sundays when I teach TurboKick in the late morning because it keeps me satisfied through class, not too heavy, but very filling! And it’s relatively quick to make! This is a recipe out of Robb Wolf’s “The Paleo Solution” that I tweaked just a little bit. Even though it doesn’t look too pretty, it is DE-LICIOUS! It kind of reminds me of french toast, minus the bread

Ingredients:

• 1 small peach, diced into small pieces
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 tbsp pecans, chopped
• 2-3 eggs
• 1-2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce

Directions:

• Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat and then add diced peaches and chopped pecans. Stir fry for 3-5 minutes or until the peaches soften.
• Meanwhile, crack eggs into bowl and add applesauce and cinnamon, beat well.
• Add egg mixture to skillet, let the eggs set on bottom, then flip. The eggs will be down when golden brown.

ENJOY!

So what can a Paleo breakfast do for you? Eating breakfast gives you a head start to the day, boosting your metabolism, giving you more energy throughout the day, and making you feel fuller until lunch. Making it Paleo gives you an extra umph to jump start your day by getting a good amount of protein that is typically missing in a traditional breakfast as well as a good  amount of good carbs for fiber and to replenish glycogen stores and fiber. A paleo breakfast can look like a traditional egg and bacon breakfast or it can be leftover pork chops from the night before. At first it is hard to get out the traditional breakfast mindset, but be sure to get a high amount of protein from chicken, meat, fish, or eggs to help you feel satisfied longer as well as some fat, think avocados or nuts. Also be sure to get carbs from fruit or protein to replenish glycogen stores that were lost overnight. Filling these stores will help you to have more energy during the day and to use when it comes time to your workout.

Almond Coconut Blueberry Pancakes

(NOTE: Adapted from Everyday Paleo. My version makes about 6 medium pancakes, double or triple the recipe and freeze the extra pancakes for a quick breakfast!)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond flour
• ¼ cup finely shredded coconut
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup coconut milk
• ¼ cup natural unsweetened applesauce
• ½ to 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• 3 tbsp cinnamon
• Coconut oil

Directions:

• Mix all ingredients together except oil.
• Heat griddle or pan over medium heat with oil, thinly coating surface
• Use a ¼ measuring cup to spoon batter onto skillet, cooking about 4-5 minutes on each side until browned and slightly crispy.
• Top with extra blueberries and/or cinnamon to your liking.