Spring Into Healthier Eating: Crazy About Kale Book Review

Are you crazy about kale? I am! And so is blogger and cookbook author Hallie Klecker from Daily Bites. Hallie’s newest creating, Crazy About Kale, is a super affordable ebook that highlights 40 gluten-free, dairy-free kale recipes, including smoothies and juices, salads, side dishes, main dishes, and snacks and sweet treats. And while not all of the recipes are vegan, most are, and the ones that are not, are easily veganized. You should definitely check this out!

After picking up some red Russian kale a couple of weeks ago, I couldn’t wait to dig into this book and whip up some tasty new dishes. Red Russian kale is new to me; although we grew some last summer, it didn’t quite grow enough to eat. I wasn’t sure how I’d like it, but after ready Hallie’s review of each of the different varieties of kale (curly, lacinato, and red Russian), and spying some yummy recipes featuring my new find (Although, as Hallie pointed out, the varieties are interchangeable and are really a matter of preference.), I was ready to get creative in the kitchen.

The New Fashioned Potato Salad was super yum (I didn’t include the raisins or currents because sweet and savor together doesn’t do it for me.); the Spanish Style Braised Kale is beckoning to be made, and I can’t wait to whip up a batch of Kale in Almond Cream Sauce. And, the next time I break out the juicer, the Lean & Green Lemonade is at the top of my to-make list!

There are lots more recipes I can’t wait to dig into in Crazy About Kale, and if all of the kale plants we have started actually grow this year, I’ll be able to eat my way through this cookbook 4 our 5 times this summer I can’t wait!

Disclosure: Hallie provided a copy of Crazy About Kale for my review, but the opinions expressed are all mine

 

Juice Fast Fail

I’ve been wanting to do a juice fast forever. Seriously. As long as I can remember, I’ve been wanting to give this a try. So, with a long weekend ahead of me, I planned to begin juicing on Saturday and continue through Sunday. But, we’ve been car shopping, and our Friday adventures led us to Whole Foods, which led me to a fridge full of left-overs that had to be eaten on Saturday, so juicing got pushed back to Sunday. OK. No problem.

Sunday began with a warm, sunny morning – perfect for the orange and cranberry juice I had planned. After a heavy weights workout, I got my juice on.

This juice was 5 pounds of juicing oranges and 1 pound of cranberries. It made about 50 ounces of juice, which I drank throughout the morning.

After breakfast (and second breakfast) and some computer work, Mr M and I took a walk to and through our local park. It was a beautiful day for a couple mile walk. Except…Mr M and I walk at two completely different paces! Everyone I know, except for my husband, complains about how slow I walk. Literally everyone. In sixth grade, my nickname was Turtle. Seriously. But, Mr M walks even slower than I do! I didn’t know this was even possible. After arguing about walking speed for the fist mile, I finally grabbed his hand and drug him around the first half of the second mile. I wonder what the other walkers thought – ha ha!

After a brisk walk (Well, my walk was brisk.), I juiced my lunch.

This time, I juiced six or so stalks of kale (stems and leaves) that I cut from our dwindling garden (Side note: It took all summer to grow the kale. Is that normal?!), 2 cucumbers, 4 ribs of celery, 5 small, green apples, and two lemons (peeled). It was really good!

This batch also made around 50 or so ounces, which I drank in two batches.

After lunch, we ran some errands, which included going to the grocery store. I wasn’t the least bit tempted by anything at the grocery store, but I kept finding good deals and thinking of meals I wanted to make later in the week, and before I knew it, I was home making a giant arugula salad with tons of celery, pumpkin seeds, and hemp hearts. Mmmmm…hemp seeds.

So, I failed. Kind of. My plan was to juice for three days, and I made it through two meals. But, I did figure out my body is happier with some veggies mixed in with the fruits; it’s keeps my blood sugar steadier. I also figured out it’s best for me to get out of the house when I’m juicing. I thought it would be the opposite. Being busy and not surrounded by solid food is a good way to keep my mind off dinner. And snacks. And lunch. And breakfast. And snacks. I really like snacks.

I definitely plan to incorporate more juice into my diet – replacing some of the smoothies with green juice. Typically, I have a smoothie for breakfast and lunch, a fruit snack or two in between, and a giant salad for dinner. I’ve been very happy with that menu, but I think I’d be equally happy with a breakfast smoothie, green juice lunch, and giant salad dinner. And, in a few weeks when I’m on winter break, I’ll try another juice fast. But, I’d like to do a little more research first (I’ve just started researching juice recipes and protocol.), and I think I want to take it one day at a time. I might even do a “lite” fast for a few days  — juice for breakfast and lunch and light food (probably salad) for dinner.

I’d love to hear your experience with juicing!

Ugly V8 Knock Off

It’s ain’t pretty, but it sure is tasty!

I was greeted by a box of left-over produce from our now defunct garden when I can come from participating in a 5K last weekend. (Side note: I am now sick with sinus issues. Maybe mom was right; you CAN catch a cold from the cold! Ha!) The majority of the box was tiny little Roma tomatoes, which Mr. M informed me were to be used to make tomato juice.  Ok. But let’s take it up a notch.

Knock-Off V8 Juice

tomatoes

parsley (stalks are fine)

carrot

celery

lemon (I used one small, peeled)

greens (I used kale)

Juice everything. Strain to assure no pulp. Add seasonings to taste. I added a splash of Bragg’s Aminos.

Sorry for the lack of a recipe. So far, I’ve found juicing is really a personal taste thing. I read a bunch of recipes on the internet before I made this juice, and most also called for watercress and/or spinach, onion, and garlic. I didn’t have any spinach or watercress, and I wasn’t sure how strong the onion and/or garlic flavor would be, so I skipped all of that, and the flavor was really good. I do suggest you go ahead and strain the juice before consuming because the tomato juice can be pretty thick.

Does anyone else make a mess when they juice?!

Gourmet Pate Plate

Why gourmet? Because I went all fancy with my seed spread!

Pumpkin Seed Pate

1 c pumpkin seeds, soaked (I soak mine over night in the fridge)

1 carrot, chopped

2 green onions (whites and greens)

3 kale leaves, stemmed

1/4 c cilantro, chopped

10 green olives, chopped

Seasonings: salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, etc…

Add everything to a food processor and process. Add a drizzle of water if mixture is too dry. Refrigerate to chill mixture and allow flavors to meld. Eat within two or three days.

Options

Creamy: Add 1TBSP EVOO to mix before processing OR Add half of an avocado OR Use a high-speed blender to blend for a creamier texture

Saltier: Add 1 TBSP soy sauce/tamari/nama shoyu/Braggs aminos/coconut amino OR 1 TBSP mild miso (white or brown)

Sweeter: Add more carrot OR Add shredded apple OR Add chopped dried fruit (raisins, currents, cranberries, blueberries, cherries, etc)

Seed-free: Try mushrooms and/or tomatoes (seeded) instead of pumpkin seeds OR Sub soaked almonds, walnuts, or cashews for seeds

Add some tang: Add 1-2 TBSP lemon (juice from 1/2 – 1 lemon) OR Your favorite vinegar (try ACV!)

Use different seeds: Try sunflower seeds or hemp seeds AND/OR add some flax seeds (ground) or chia seeds (whole or ground)

Use different olives: Black or kalamata

Use different herbs: Parsley, watercress, mint mix, rosemary mix, tarragon mix, etc.

Once your pate is ready, so something simple with it, like dip veggies in it or use it as a sandwich spread, or do something fancy with it!

Raw Stuffed Tomatoes

Cut the top off of a medium tomato. Cut into the core forming a cone to remove seeds and pulp. Fill tomato with about 1/4 c of pate. Top with herbs or seasonings of choice.

Raw Pate Wrap

Clean and stem a leaf of your favorite green. (I used Swiss Chard). Assemble your favorite ingredients, lay down a layer or pate first (to help the veggies stick), and roll like a burrito. I used matchstick carrots and avocado.

Raw Spring Rolls

Soften rice paper/spring roll wrappers according to package directions. Lay flat. Assemble favorite ingredients, lay down a lay of pate first (to help veggies stick), and roll like a burrito. I used matchstick carrots and avocado.

Eat your goodies by themselves or assemble a fancy plate for a gourmet raw lunch or dinner. Enjoy!

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I’m sharing this recipe with the readers of…

Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays @ Simply Sugar & Gluten Free

Allergy Free Wednesdays @ Laura’s Gluten Free Pantry

Wellness Weekends @ Diet Dessert and Dogs

Beans & Greens Mushroom Burger

I spend most Sundays in the kitchen. I prep food for the week, plan meals, create recipes, and clean out the fridge. The last part is usually what yields the most interesting creations!

Last week, during my clean-out-the-fridge sweep, I found some mushrooms that didn’t get turned into soup and a half bag of kale pieces that didn’t join their other half in kale chip heaven.  I tossed around the idea of adding the kale to my traditional mushroom soup, but I wasn’t sure how that would turn out, so I came up with something else. Having recently run out of 4 Ingredient Bean Burgers, I decided to turn my fridge finds into burgers for the week. After rummaging through the pantry and the vegetable draw, this is what I came up with.

Beans & Greens Mushroom Burger

14 oz mushroom caps, diced (about 2 cups)

1 med onion, diced (about 1 cup)

3-4 clove garlic, minced (about 2 TBSP, heaping)

2-3 c chopped kale

2 cans beans, rinsed (about 3 cups)

1/2 c nutritional yeast

Seasonings: salt, pepper, garlic powder, etc.

Saute onions and garlic in a splash of water or veggie broth until begin to soften (about 5 minutes). Add mushroom pieces. Continue to saute until mushrooms have cooked down and become soft. Add kale pieces and cover pan to steam/wilt greens. After greens are sufficiently wilted, remove mixture from pan. Set aside. Note: You may have to use a strainer because the veggies tend to give off quite a bit of water.

In a large bowl, add rinsed and drained beans. Puree with a stick blender (or in a food processor or high-powered blender) until mostly smooth. (I like to leave a few pieces for texture and presentation.) Alternately, you can hand mash the beans the with a potato masher. Once beans are mashed, add nutritional yeast, seasonings and cooked veggie mixture. Stir to combine. (If mix is too wet, add additional nutritional yeast or a binder such as quinoa flakes or oats.)

Form 6 large balls from mixture and place on foil or parchment paper lined baking sheet. (Spray foil with cooking spray.) Slightly flatten each ball to desired patty thickness. Bake burgers at 375F for about 45 minutes, or until hold shape when moved and are no longer wet or gooey in the middle.

I used one can each red and white kidney beans.

Mashed beans. Pretty pink!

The mushrooms may seem like a lot before they cook down, but don’t worry; in a few minutes, they’ll shrink to half (or less!) their size.

My First Kale Salad

I did it. I finally made a raw kale salad. And it rocked!

Kale Salad

I don’t know why I’ve been so afraid of raw kale. I don’t mind it in smoothies, and I love kale chips. Wilting it into dishes is good too, so what was my hang-up with the raw thing?? Eh, whatever it was, I’m over it. I’m so over it I ordered an Eat More Kale t-shirt. Seriously. (They’re $25 with free shipping, and it all goes to the one guy who runs the site. Who, incidentally, really needs the cash to fight Chick-fil-A in court because they’re suing him for copyright/trademark infringement. Seriously.)

Before I made my salad, I did some research on my favorite blogs for suggestions. I settled on Angela’s suggestions from Oh She Glows. I combined her message plus wilt and wait method with an avocado dressing recipe from Bredan Brazier that Mama Pea shared. I’ve made this dressing a couple of times, and it’s always turned out great, so I knew I could count on it to wilt my greens. And it did.

Wilting Kale

While my kale was wilting, I chopped my salad veggies, which included carrot, celery, green pepper, radish, green onion, cucumber, tomato, and parsley.

Veggies waiting for their kale and avocado dressing.

A quick toss, and I had dinner. So good!

Vegan MoFo Day 8: Sweet Potato, Kale & Split-Pea Soup

Vegan MoFo Day 8…already! It’s crazy how fast this month is going. Then again, I think October always goes fast because it’s my favorite month of the year…and my birthday month. Woohoo! Par – tay! In a couple of weeks, I’ll begin sharing the 8 Days of Veggie V! with you. Are you getting excited yet?! Hahaha. Oh, if I were only joking

Mr. M and I participated in another 5k this morning. I wish I had a picture to show you, but Mr. M is camera-shy, and I forgot to ask for a solo pic. Plus, I don’t exactly look pretty on event days. I’ve never been able to pull off the headband. Regardless, I was excited to post my fast time ever with 43+ minutes. So ya, in case you haven’t figured it out, I’m still walking/jogging. But, in my defense, I’ve only been running a few months. Fourteen is a few, right?! Hahaha. Again, I wish I were joking.

I love running. As you know, I love my treadmill. I can run for over 2 miles without walking on my treadmill. I even ran on the treadmill at the hotel last weekend when were in Tennessee. (I also spent some quality time with the elliptical machine, which I haven’t done since college.) But running outside is SO much different. It’s a lot more work! I’ve been trying to get out more, but I’m not quite comfortable being out by myself, especially super early in the morning, which is typically when I work out.

To get us ready for the big race (ha ha!), I made a crazy healthy soup last night. Although Mr. M passed on eating any, he did call it vitamin soup, which I kind of liked, but went with the more literal name anyway.

Sweet Potato, Kale & Split-Pea Soup

2 lg sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 lg bunch kale (I like the flat kind)

1 c yellow split-peas*

1 sm onion, diced

1 lg cove garlic, minced

4 c veggie broth

2 – 4 c water

Seasonings to taste (I only used a little salt and a couple cranks of pepper.)

Saute onion and garlic in a little bit of broth until translucent – about 5 minutes – in a large soup pot. Add remaining broth and desired amount of water. Add sweet potatoes, kale, and yellow split-peas. (If using pre-cooked split-peas, add to soup after potatoes are tender). Add seasonings. Bring soup to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until potatoes are tender, kale is wilted, and split-peas are al dente (or heated through if using pre-cooked) – about 20 – 30 minutes.

*Pre-cook the yellow split-peas if you want them well done because the sweet potatoes will fall apart before your split-peas are well done/mushy. Do an internet search for a method that works for you.

Sweet Potato, Kale & Split-Pea Soup

I’m sure a different legume or grain would work great in this soup – or even just the sweet potatoes and kale. I originally went to the pantry for some red lentils, but decided to save them for tonight’s soup (spoiler alert!). The yellow split-peas looked so lonely all by themselves (The red lentils have tons of company from their green and brown cousins), I just had to use some. And I’m glad I did!

I have a lot more recipes to share with you this month, and, in keeping with my birthday month theme, I’m going to share a little bit more about myself and why I decided to dedicate myself to a plant-based way of life. Come back for more MoFo madness!

Recipe Updates & VeganMoFo!

I had a busy weekend tweaking recipes.

I’ve made two updates. One is an update to Cheezy Kale Chips. I took out the oil, and they still turned out great! Plus, the calories are quite a bit less because they are basically fat-free without the oil. Dr. Fuhrman and Dr. Esselstyn would be proud

The second update I made was to my Pumpkin Spice Muffin. They’re so heavy and dense, I wondered if the baking powder or baking soda were doing anything for the recipe. They weren’t. I took both out, and the muffins turned out great! They’re exactly the same with it in, so if you just can’t fathom a muffin without a little chemical reaction goin’ on, use the original recipe. But if you are a minimalist like me, you’ll appreciate the reduction in ingredients – and one less trip to the cupboard!

Finally, VeganMoFo is next month! Whoohoo! I became away of the event a little last year, and since I didn’t have a blog yet, I just followed along the best I could. Wow, what an event! If you want a way to be introduced to a bunch of new vegan blogs and recipes, or if you are just interested increasing your meatless or vegan meals, check out the happenings next month.

VeganMoFo 2011

I can’t decide if I can/want to commit to an entire month of postings, so I have yet to register Veggie V’s Vegan Adventure for the event. Mr. M and I will be out-of-town for a wedding on the first, and I won’t be able to post, and October is my birthday month (more on that soon!), so I might be busy, and and…Sounds like a bunch of excuses, hu?

I’ll decide if I’m going to participate this week (The deadline is this weekend, so I have to decide by then!) and keep you posted.