Your New Go-To Side: Kale Caesar Salad

July 8, 2015 Marja Germans Gard

It was at a small gourmet marketplace near me that I first discovered the kale Caesar salad. I was dubious about it at first- while I love kale, I've typically found Caesar salad to be heavy and soggy. Despite my reservations, I tried it and was promptly addicted- the kale leaves are sturdy enough to hold up to the dressing, and their bitterness provide a beautiful counterpoint to the dressing's creaminess. Soon enough, I was making any excuse to head over to said marketplace, much to the chagrin of my wallet. I finally decided to try to replicate the salad for myself. I'm super satisfied with the results and hope you are too.

Ingredients

For salad:
Approximately 20 oz. curly kale, washed, patted dry, and tough stems removed
Croutons (you can make your own, I'm lazy so I buy them)
hunk of good Parmesano Reggiano cheese

For dressing (adapted from www.marthastewart.com ):
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4-5 anchovy fillets
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (more if needed)

Note: Martha's recipe calls for salt- my experience is that the anchovies and Parmesan make the salad salty enough without the added salt, but I would recommend making the dressing and adjusting it to your taste. I also added an extra teaspoon of lemon juice since I like a lot of acid in my salad dressings. Again, I would tinker with the proportions to your liking.

Directions:

Dump all dressing ingredients except the olive oil into a powerful blender. Blend until a puree forms. Continue to blend with the motor on low and drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture is emulsified. Taste the dressing on a piece of kale and add more olive oil if the flavors are too intense. If adding more olive oil, blend again to re-emulsify.

Place the well-dried kale in a large salad bowl. Add the dressing in stages, tossing until the leaves are well coated but not overdressed (you may not need all the dressing). Add the croutons and, using a vegetable peeler, create thin curls of Peccorino Romano to top the salad. Enjoy!

Healthy & Quick One Pan Meals

May 27, 2015 Samantha Barsky

As busy people, we are always trying to find a shortcut to making dinner, at least I am! I follow Jessica Flanigan of AIP Lifestyle (AIP stands for autoimmune protocol - it is a way of eating for people suffering from autoimmune conditions) on social media, and she starting posting about these one dish dish Paleo meals she was making on Instagram. You can find all of them here. And if you aren't Paleo or whatever, don't worry, you'll love these anyway. The beauty of these dishes is also that you can modify to whatever you have in your refrigerator/pantry.

This one was the first one I made, and let me tell you - I was hooked! So delicious, flavorful, easy (and easy to clean up!), AND, I had leftovers!

1 purple sweet potato with orange zest 1 1/2 cups each mushrooms and onions (on the bottom)Two chicken breasts wrapped with baconRomanesco (that's the green stuff - like a mix between broccoli and cauliflower), more baconSalt and olive oil… — 1 purple sweet potato with orange zest
1 1/2 cups each mushrooms and onions (on the bottom)
Two chicken breasts wrapped with bacon
Romanesco (that's the green stuff - like a mix between broccoli and cauliflower), more bacon
Salt and olive oil
Bake at 350 covered 40 min then uncovered 375 for 20 min

2 cups greens on the bottom2 chicken breasts wrapped with bacon1 -2 cups chopped butternut squashChopped mushroomsSalt and olive oilTop with chopped, fresh rosemaryBake at 350 covered 40 min then uncovered 375 for 20 min — 2 cups greens on the bottom
2 chicken breasts wrapped with bacon
1 -2 cups chopped butternut squash
Chopped mushrooms
Salt and olive oil
Top with chopped, fresh rosemary
Bake at 350 covered 40 min then uncovered 375 for 20 min

1-2 cups brussels sprouts1-2 purple sweet potatoes, peeled and choppedRomanesco chopped1 ham steak, cubedLemon slicesSalt and olive oilTopped with fresh, chopped rosemaryBake at 350 covered for 35 min then uncovered for 25 min — 1-2 cups brussels sprouts
1-2 purple sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
Romanesco chopped
1 ham steak, cubed
Lemon slices
Salt and olive oil
Topped with fresh, chopped rosemary
Bake at 350 covered for 35 min then uncovered for 25 min

3 cups baby spinach/greens and 4 strips bacon in food processorMix the greens with 1 lb of grass fed beefToss 2 cups purple sweet potato and summer squash with 6 sprigs of thyme, zest of lemon and olive oil1/2 to whole head of romanescoBak… — 3 cups baby spinach/greens and 4 strips bacon in food processor
Mix the greens with 1 lb of grass fed beef
Toss 2 cups purple sweet potato and summer squash with 6 sprigs of thyme, zest of lemon and olive oil
1/2 to whole head of romanesco
Bake uncovered at 375 for 40 minutes

In the Kitchen - Sausage Stuffed Butternut Squash

December 1, 2014 Samantha Barsky

Squash is abundant and delicious this time of year. Sometimes though, I like to eat it as a main course, so, I concocted this recipe based off of this recipe.

1 butternut squash, cut in halves
1/2 lb. spicy Italian chicken sausage
1/2 lg. onion, chopped
1/2 bell pepper (any color), chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 c. chopped parsley

Place squash cut side down in greased shallow baking pan. Bake in 350°F oven 40 minutes until squash is easily pierced. Fry sausage removed from casings until brown and crumbly. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic and saute until onions are soft. Stir in parsley. Remove from heat. Turn squash cut side up and scoop out seeds (or you can remove seeds before cooking). With a fork mash squash in the skin. Spoon sausage mixture over squash. Replace in oven and bake another 15 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Serves 2.

A couple of notes: if you are vegetarian, omit the sausage and add more veggies! If you don't like spicy, use sweet Italian sausage. If you want a sweet n spicy combo, roast the squash with some maple syrup or brown sugar. I also added some herbs de provence, so don't be afraid to use more spices.