Best Fruit Salad You've Ever Had

3 ingredients. Plums. Nectarines. Mint.  Done.

Poor little fruits, waiting to be munched.

I'm sure it would be tasty with a glass of that Moscato too...

Juicy, red plums!!! How did I miss out on these as a child?

Stone Fruit Salad
(serves 1-2 people)
2 sliced red plums
2 sliced white nectarines
Fresh mint leaves (I used 2 sprigs)

Toss together and let sit for a few minutes, allowing the mint leaves to soften and melt their flavors into your fruit.  Then voila! You are on your way to enjoying a surprisingly, amazing fruit salad.

So I will admit, I am not sure if these are red or black plums. I have been buying ripe plums whenever I can find them at the farmer's market or at Sprouts. I was enjoying ones with red flesh inside and the next week, suddenly the same plums were yellow inside. I asked the guys at the market and at the store, some said they didn't know why they varied and one guy told me the organic red plums were red inside, while non-organic was yellow. I thought black plums were red inside so then I was reeeeeally confused.   If anyone knows the answer to the plum mystery, any help is appreciated! But either way, find some juicy plums - I just like the color these add. 

I guess you could add in strawberries, peaches or other stone fruit.

        Now go to the market, buy some plums and nectarines and indulge in summer's sweets.

Cheers,
Belle 

Cumin-Lime Pasta Salad

      Whipped this little bad boy up today for lunch. Pasta salad is a favorite of mine on a hot day. I gave it a little mexican flair and ta-da, new flavors and reinvented salad.  Perfect for a picnic, a warm summer evening or heck...whenever you want to eat it!

Cumin-Lime Pasta Salad

Salad
1 package Corn Penne Pasta (you can use any pasta, I was giving the gluten-free, corn pasta a try)
1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 tomato, chopped or sliced
6-8 mini bell peppers, sliced
1 avocado, half cubed and half sliced
1 ear of corn, grilled and kernels cut off (this was my vision, I didn't make it to the store for corn)
Crumbled cotija cheese 

Cumin-Lime Dressing
1/2 extra virgin olive oil
2 limes, zested & juiced
1 tbsp agave/honey
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
Salt & Pepper

  

While the pasta is cooking, chop, drain and prep salad ingredients

 

Then work on the dressing - add oil & cumin in a bowl

 

Zest & juice your limes,  add 1 Tbsp agave

 

Whisk ingredients together and add chili powder, salt & pepper to taste

Toss it all together. Serve with sliced avocado and crumbled cotija on top. yummo!

Super easy and light for a summer meal.

Cheers, 

Belle

Three Cheers for Kale!

        After returning from an indulgent weekend in Austin, all I could think about was cooking for myself. We could have eaten worse but after eating out a few times, I begin to crave my own kitchen.   Monday, I went straight to the market and picked up a TON of fresh produce. Beets, kale, spinach, avocados, grapefruit, fresh carrots, radishes, green beans... the list went on.
        Only last year did I venture to eat kale.  Since then I've made kale chips, tossed into a smoothie & added kale into pasta. But still it was minimal amounts. I've been really wanting to try some new and made-up kale recipes and now was the time.   Got myself fresh curly kale from the farmer's market & went to work.

First cheer!

Strawberry-Kale Smoothie
(serves 1)

1 cup almond milk
1-2 kale leaves, stems removed
1 cup frozen/fresh strawberries
1/2 banana
1 scoop protein powder (optional)

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Add more ice if you like your smoothies thick, or leave without ice for more of a juice-like consistency. I like to trick myself that I am drinking a milkshake, so I usually use frozen bananas also. A quick & easy way to incorporate more greens into your diet.

You wouldn't even know there was kale in here!

Second Cheer!!

Kale Grapefruit Salad
(serves 2)

2-3 kale leaves, stems removed
1 grapefruit, segmented (How to Supreme/Segment Grapefruit)
1 avocado
Sliced almonds
Apple Cider Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Rinse kale leaves & tear from stems, pat dry with towel.  Drizzle a little Apple Cider Vinaigrette on kale leave and massage onto leaves.  Let leaves rest in refrigerator for 15-30 minutes, kale will become soft in hands and less stiff. While leaves are resting, cut grapefruit segments and avocado into chunks. Once ready, toss kale, avocado, grapefruit and sliced almonds together.  The grapefruit and avocado complement each other so well, while balancing the kale.  I have made it three more times this week, once with apples and once with mangoes. I think its a new favorite!

Apple Cider Vinaigrette

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp agave or honey
Salt & Pepper

Blend or shake up in a jar and enjoy a light & refreshing dressing. I've had mine in the fridge all week and have been using it on more kale salads, chopped beets and tossed with cold pasta even.


Third Cheer!!!

Kale and Goat Cheese Pizza

1 lb pizza dough  @ room temperature (homemade or I used Trader Joe's whole wheat)
1 bunch of kale, leaves removed from stems
3 T extra virgin olive oil (1 T reserved for kale)
4 ounces goat cheese
1/2 white or yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Fresh ground pepper

optional additions:
1 cup chopped spinach
1/2 c shredded mozzarella
1/2 c grated parmesan cheese
Red pepper flakes



So this option might not be the healthiest use of kale but hey, if I am going to eat pizza... I should add something good to it right?  I made a tasty but dried out goat cheese pizza last week and wanted to give it a shot again.  This time, I added a little more EVOO into the veggies and kept the same amount on the dough.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Meanwhile:
With your dough at room temperature, use hands or rolling pin to stretch it out to desired thickness (about 1/4 inch).  Spread 1 T evoo onto dough and cook in ready oven 3-4 minutes just to get the crust set and a little bubbly.

Slice onions and chop garlic, carmelize both in 1/2 T evoo in a pan to get nice and juicy! I found this created great moisture, whereas sometimes a raw onion on no-sauce pizza is just dry.

While the onions are getting down and funky, pour 1/2 T EVOO onto torn kale leaves and massage the oil until all leaves are covered and soft.

Drop dollops of 2 oz goat cheese on browned pizza dough, while trying not to lick your fingers. Lovingly scatter onions, garlic, kale and spinach around dough surface.

Place heaps of the last 2 oz of goat cheese across greens.   Now, my pizza was supposed to end there. But I was feeling like more cheese so I added on mozzarella & parmesan.

    Bake in oven 8-10 minutes or until greens are crispy & cheese is melty.
 


Then take a big ol' slice and smile as you bite into your new favorite pizza!

Three ways to incorporate kale into your eating.  Hooray! Hoorah! Hoorale! Three Cheers for Kale!   
(yes it's late, my brain is fried on witty rhymes)

Wild Rice Salad

A few weeks ago it was a warm day... so I wanted a cold and filling salad. I had some wild rice and the Trader Joe's brown rice medley in my cupboard. Threw together some veggies, cooked up rice and used a premade balsamic vinaigrette to make a fresh salad for a Saturday afternoon in the sun. 

 

Wild Rice Salad:

Wild Rice

Brown Rice Medley (Trader Joe's)

Fresh Spinach

Mushrooms

White Onion

Almonds

Golden Raisins

  

Only problem with wild rice is that it takes so long to cook!

  One pot of wild rice, the other of brown rice medley.

 

Brown Rice Medley - Brown Rice, Black Barley and Daikon Radish Seeds

Chopped fresh spinach makes everything better!

 

Almonds, Spinach, Golden Raisins 

Toss with your favorite dressing and you have a fresh & yummy salad!