Kale Salad with Radishes, Grapefruit and Candied Pepitas

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This is called Kale Salad, but it should be called Candied Pepitas Salad. Those nutty and sweet little devils make this salad really come together. In fact, I wouldn't make it without them. They are that essential to it, at least for me.  Make a double batch and then serve some more on the side.

Now, let's talk about the other ingredients. Kale, the curly kind, is a unique green. On its own, it is tough, and that's why it can stand up in soups, stews, and longer cooking times. What about raw in salads? I talked about massaging the leaves when I shared Kale Salad with Creamy Poblano Dressing. It really helps to tenderize the leaves. If you just toss the torn leaves with the vinaigrette, you will be chewing on crumpled rubber, which is not good eats.  Giving the greens a good massage will soften them and take a bit of the edge off.

Hopefully, you still have a red grapefruit on hand after making the Rise and Shine Juice. Unlike some salad recipes that call for you to cut the fleshy segments between the membranes to make supremes, this recipe has you cut the fruit into slices, keeping the membranes intact.  In keeping just that little bit of membrane, your body will absorb the vitamin C even more. The radishes lend a nice peppery note that balances nicely with the candied pepitas. Did I talk about how sweet and good those pepitas are? 😉

This salad can be served as a light lunch or a side dish to various dishes. We particularly like it with brown butter scallops or sauteed salmon (more on those recipes later).

I almost forgot about another essential ingredient! Cardamom! It is used in the candied pepitas and the vinaigrette. It is not subtle in flavor, and it has a lovely aroma. There is an almost ginger-like taste and essence to it. It can be used in sweet and savory recipes. If you don't use cardamom and are wondering what to do with the rest of the jar, I have linked a few sweets below! Happy cooking!

Butterscotch Spiral Coffee Cake

(with step-by-step pictures)

Spiced Apple Coffee Cake

Spiced Pumpkin Angel Biscuits

Sticky Coconut Pecan Spice Cake

Pumpkin Yeast Bread

Homemade Apple Butter

Spanish Tuna and White Bean Salad with Marcona Almonds

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Remember when I was talking about the word 'salad' in THIS post?  Well, here is another delicious salad.  But the funny thing about this salad, it is served as a dip.  Does your brain hurt right now? Whether you serve it as a dip with pita chips or as a salad (on a bed of lightly dressed mixed greens is nice), it is quite tasty and quick to prepare. 

If you haven't tried or heard of Marcona almonds, you are in for a treat.  They are Spanish almonds that have become increasingly popular over the last couple years.  They are flatter in shape, a little sweeter and much softer in texture than regular California almonds, so please do not substitute.  They can easily be found at most grocery stores or gourmet food shops.

Here's a fun food fact and another etymology tidbit for you.  The word 'almond' is derived from the Ancient Greek word 'amygdala', the almond shaped portion of the brain. Now does your brain hurt?😜

Chicken and Rice Soup with Shiitake Mushrooms, Ginger and Scallions

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I have shared my roast chicken, the beautiful stock and now, I give you the holy grail of chicken soup!! I kid you not. This bowl has a little bit of everything to provide comfort at anytime of the year and cold-fighting remedies which is perfect for this "sniffly-snuffy-I don't feel so good" time of year. So let's have a chat because I don't think you can see all the goodness in this photo.

There are onions (yellow and scallion), mushrooms, ginger, garlic, chicken stock, soy sauce (low-sodium), chicken, rice and cilantro.  Ok, so what? Well, that means there are plenty of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties going on that help with digestion and fight bad things in your body. There is also fiber and protein. And if you really have the tummy troubles, there is sodium from the stock (or broth) and soy sauce (just a little and it's low-sodium) which our bodies need to retain fluids if we are losing them.  Did you know that soy sauce is also anti-allergenic? Serve it warm and steamy and those vitamin and mineral enriched vapors will help clear those clogged airways.  If you really want to take home remedy to the next level (that is if your tummy is in good shape), be daring and add a bit of Sambal Oelek. That hot Thai chili garlic paste will clear up just about anything!

Let's move on to Make it for you, make it your own. (Maybe I should include that kind of paragraph in each post🤔). First, you'll see it quite frequently in my recipes that if vegetable or canola oil is called for, I usually substitute with Safflower oil because it is high in antioxidants and vitamin E. Next, the original recipe called for four ounces of Shiitake mushrooms, but I can find a five ounce container at my local store that is pre-sliced. Who wants to pay more for stems that you are not going to use? I added garlic because I love it and it's good for you. I also added the soy sauce because I wanted to enhance a bit more of that umami flavor that the mushrooms were providing. The rice was in the original recipe, but I think you could sub it for some broken noodles, like soba noodles, or you can just leave the healthy starch out all together, but it does provide some body. The Sambal Oelek was also my addition, but I kind of have an iron stomach and will put some sort  of heat in just about anything. Ok, not Cheerios😉. Lastly, If you are one of those individuals who thinks cilantro tastes like soap or you just don't care for it, just omit it.

I hope this recipe finds you all healthy and well with strength to get in the kitchen to make this soup! If you are under the weather, pass this recipe on to a neighbor, friend or loved one as a "get well soon" hint. 

Kale Salad with Creamy Poblano Dressing

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Growing up in a Southern household, we certainly enjoyed our fair share of greens, but they were most certainly not served up like this recipe.  Our greens were simmered, almost until surrender, in a pot of broth and a smoked ham hock.  Delicious as they were (and still are), they were completely depleted of texture and essential nutrients. I still enjoy a pot of greens and its likker, but I also like to enjoy the taste, texture and nutrient value of fresh kale. 

This beautiful bowl of health came to me via Chicago Magazine a while back.  The developer was chef John Manion of La Sirena Clandestina.  The restaurant has since closed, so am I ever glad I have this recipe to share with you.  Chef Manion developed this dressing as a nod to green goddess dressing with a Latin spin and boy did he ever nail it!

The base of the dressing is made with blackened poblano peppers, avocado, and garlic. Yum! They are blended together with egg yolk, Dijon, buttermilk, and oil for an incredibly creamy dressing.  I like to thin the dressing with a little bit of water, but you can make it as is of to your own desired consistency.  The one thing that I did change was to dial back on the oil, so it doesn't emulsify into a green mayonnaise.  This bold dressing holds up very well to the somewhat tough kale leaves.  Having said that, one trick I like to use when working with fresh kale, is to massage the dressing into the kale with your hands.  This helps break down the leaf fibers making them more tender.  Toss in some sliced jalapeños, radishes, pepitas, cilantro and a sprinkle of grated Cotija and this will become your new favorite kale salad with just one bite.  Ok, you'll probably be "bowled" over by the taste of the dressing before you even get to the kale.)  There will be some leftover dressing, but be thankful.  It is delicious as a dip, as a sandwich or burger spread, or even as a dressing over potatoes.

Serve as a light lunch, as side salad, or add in some protein like shrimp or chicken to make it a loaded meal.  Enjoy!

Antipasto Pasta Salad

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So yeah...I kind of vanished from the food blogging radar once again.  I'll spare you the details of a nasty fall that I had at the end of May. It left me pretty banged up and bruised from my knees down. And by bruised, I mean a severe bone contusion in my right knee that left me immobile for a couple weeks until I had to push through the pain and gimp around The University of Missouri on crutches for Jack's freshman orientation.  Less than two weeks later, I was hobbling around the streets of Nashville to visit Vanderbilt University for Emma.  Since then,  I've been home, resting and recovering as much as I can before I have to leave for another road trip tomorrow.  Mabelle's U13 soccer team won their Midwest Regional soccer tournament and we are off to Indianapolis to watch them compete for The National Cup⚽️🏆. Woohoo! So as you can read, it has been a painful, but proud two months of not blogging.  Ok, that was a couple of details😉.

On to the food...pasta salad.  It's the quintessential summer bowl of goodness that can be made in advance to feed a large crowd all at once or to feed a busy family in shifts because everyone is constantly coming and going.  I swear one these days I am going to have revolving doors installed in the front and back of the house! Like most pasta salad recipes, the ingredients are flexible.  For instance, the original recipe called for 8-ounces each of sopressata and hot capicola (actually they called for salami, but we prefer hot capicola), however I only use 4-ounces of each because I think that is enough cured meat flavor.  I also dial back on the sharp provolone, but then toss in some fresh mozzarella pearls because my family loves that creamy texture. I even add quartered artichoke hearts and a little oregano to bulk up the finished product and flavor.  But the one step in the recipe that is definitely a keeper and really makes it stand out is when the mushrooms are sautéed in part of the vinaigrette.  They become tender and deeply marinated in those antipasto flavors.  Having said that, "Make it for you, make it your own."  Happy cooking!

Tossed Greens with Strawberries, Avocado, Bacon, and Soft-Boiled Eggs

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Guess what?  The snow and ice have completely melted. Spring is FINALLY here!  Woohoo--doing a happy dance...doing a happy dance!  Two of the first things I have to get my hands on are fresh chives from my garden (can you believe that they made it through that blasted winter?) and sweet spring strawberries at the market.  They both come into play in this deeply flavored, sweet and savory salad.

It is perfect for a spring luncheon with friends or as a light Friday night dinner like my husband and I enjoyed it.  The greens are dressed with a delightful maple-balsamic dressing.  Just please use the good stuff and not the flavored high fructose corn syrup kind.  I'm talking about 100% pure maple syrup (I use Grade B from Trader Joe's). The salad is then topped with strawberries and avocado.  The original didn't call for bacon, but hello, there are eggs and maple syrup in there, so you just gotta have some bacon too☺.  Now about those eggs.  I like mine on the "soft centered-just barely set-little bit of runny" side. That creamy, golden center mixed in with the sweet dressing--yumm.  You could also poach them.  But if that is not your thing, you can certainly hard-boil them and slice them for the salad.  Remember--"make it for you, make it your own".