Tasty Kale Salad with Balsamic Vinegar & Sweet Potato

Nom Nom Nom! So, I had a bunch of kale in my refrigerator and I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do with it. In the past I’ve had kale steamed with 2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar and some black pepper. While this is good, I wanted something a little more interesting. So, I tried the recipe below with a few twists of my own!  This salad is a must try: it tantalizes the senses with a wonderful combination of the sweet and savoury. This salad is also low in calories, high in nutrient content, and therefore relatively guilt-free. If it tastes great and is easy on the waist line, I’m all in!

INGREDIENTS

·         1-2 tablespoons butter

·         I medium onion, diced

·         1 red pepper, chopped

·         I sweet potato, cubed

·         4 cups kale

·         4 cloves of  garlic, minced

·         1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

·         ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

·         salt and pepper to taste

Shredded kale leaves

Chopped red peppers

INSTRUCTIONS

1.     Boil the sweet potatoes until soft. Then remove and set aside. In the meantime, melt one - two tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Then, add the onions and garlic; saute for several minutes until onions are clear.

2.     Add the kale, peppers and balsamic vinegar. Saute until the kale is darker green (before the leaves wilt!). Turn off the heat and serve with Parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Made from Scratch Thai-Syle Curried Chicken

Don't want to mess with preservatives and fillers from prepared Thai sauces? Here is a way to avoid that!

Ingredients:

2 lbs chicken breast

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 stalk scallion, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tsp grated ginger

1 large tomato, chopped

1 yellow sweet (Holland) pepper, sliced

1 small napa cabbage, chopped

1 tbsp of curry powder 

1 tsp of tumeric

2 cups coconut milk

1 tsp oyster sauce

½ tsp corn starch

1 tbsp pepper jelly or mango chutney

1 small chile pepper, crushed

2 tbsp coconut oil

1/2 cup water

Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

Cut the chicken into thin 1-inch slices. Season with salt and pepper. Chop the scallion, garlic, ginger and onions and combine the same with the sliced chicken. Set aside. Heat the coconut oil until hot. Lower the flame. Add the turmeric, curry and crushed chile pepper. Stir together until fragrant. Take care not to burn the mixture, or else the meal will taste burnt. Add the chicken, along with the combined ingredients and stir into the curry mixture for 2 minutes. Add the water. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the coconut milk, oyster sauce, pepper jelly/mango chutney. Cook for another 10-15 minutes. Then, add the sliced Holland peppers, chopped tomato and the Napa cabbage. Turn heat down to low and simmer for 3 minutes. Mix the cornstarch with some hot water to thicken the sauce. Serve with steamed rice.

Enjoy!

Hearty Lentil Soup

There’s nothing like a bowl of some good, hearty soup when it’s cold out. I love soup, and after red peas soup, lentil soup is my favourite.

Ingredients: 

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 medium sized tomatoes, chopped

4 carrots, chopped

2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth

3 stalks celery, chopped

3 pegs of garlic

1 teaspoon ground cloves

3 sprigs thyme

1 stalk scallion, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

4 stalks parsley, chopped
1 small dried chile pepper

1 tsp grated ginger

1 tsp salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander 

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 

1/2 teaspoon grains of paradise (ground)

Directions:

Saute the salt, onion, ginger, scallion, garlic, parsley, thyme, pepper, carrots and celery in hot olive oil. Next, add the broth, tomatoes, lentils and seasonings. Bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat and cover, cooking for about 40 minutes. You may blend for a puree – like consistency. I did not blend mine.

Stir Fry Shrimp

I love this dish because it is so easy to make. And tasty! Plus, it is healthy as well. Can’t go wrong there. 

So, this is one way to make this yummy dish:

• 1 tablespoon oil

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons Chinese cooking wine

• 1/4 cup water

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1/4 tsp sesame oil

• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped or grated ginger

• 1 cup diced onion

• 1 stalk escallion

• 1 cup sliced carrot

• 1/2 teaspoon japones chile pepper or one sliced habanero pepper (without seeds)

• 24 large shrimp, shelled and deveined

• Approx. 2 cups of mixed vegetables

• Add corn starch to thicken sauce if desired

Add the oil to the pot. Then add the black pepper, cumin, sesame oil, the onions, scallions, peppers, garlic and ginger to the pot. Stir for one minute. Add the shrimp and carrots and stir for another two minutes. Add the soy sauce and cooking wine. Cook for about 3 minutes. Add the carrots and mixed vegetables. Place heat on low. Add the water at this point. If you desire a thicker sauce, mix the cornstarch with the water in a cup, then add to the pot. Cook for another minute. Serve over white or brown rice.