Farro Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Red Onion, and Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato, unpeeled and sliced into 1/2 - inch thick rounds, large rounds halved

1 red onion, cut into 1/2 - inch wedges

4 TBS olive oil, divided

salt and pepper

3/4 cup dried farro (or Israeli couscous)

2 TBS red wine vinegar

3 radishes, thinly sliced on mandolin

1 small handful of dill, roughly chopped

2 TBS salted pistachios, roasted and roughly chopped

2-3 oz goat cheese, broken into bite-size pieces

1/2 lemon, juiced

pinch of smoked paprika, for serving

flakey sea salt, for serving

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 425º F.

Spread sweet potato rounds and onion wedges on baking sheet, drizzle with 3 TBS olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast, shaking the baking sheet 1/2 way through, until the sweet potatoes are golden brown and tender, 15-20 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Cook farro according to the package directions. Drain.

In a medium bowl, season the warm farro with vinegar, remaining 1 TBS oil, salt and pepper. Add sweet potato, onion, radishes, dill, pistachios, and goat cheese. To finish, drizzle the salad with the lemon juice and sprinkle with smoked paprika, flakey sea salt, and pepper. If the dish seems a little dry, drizzle it with extra oil.

Notes:

I always use couscous, but I'm sure farro is delicious. Also, I usually omit the paprika out of laziness and it's still delicious. 

Source:  Epicurious

Grilled Asparagus and Shiitake Tacos

Ingredients:
3 TBS Canola Oil
4 Garlic Cloves, crushed with press
1 tsp ground chipotle chile
1/2 tsp salt
8 oz shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded
1 bunch green onions, trimmed
8 corn tortillas, warmed
1 cup homemade guacamole
Lime wedges
Cilantro sprigs
Hot sauce, for serving

Directions:
Heat grill on medium. In a large baking dish, combine oil, garlic, chipotle, and salt. Add asparagus, shiitakes, and green onions; toss to coat. Grill asparagus until tender and lightly charred, turning occasionally; 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer vegetables to cutting board. Cut asparagus and green onions into 2" lengths and slice shiitakes. Serve with corn tortillas, guacamole, lime wedges, cilantro, and hot sauce.

Notes: We just cook the asparagus and shiitake mushrooms in butter and salt, and we cut before we cook. The original recipe is good, but this way is easier, and tastes so much better! We heat up the tortillas on a cast iron skillet with butter. The green onions we just chop up and serve raw. The homemade guacamole we just use avocados mixed with Herdes salsa, lime, and salt. Also, we smoke chicken tenderloins and chop them up before serving.

Source: Good Housekeeping

Aloha Mango Chicken Salad with Creamy Mango Passion Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

Salad:

1 head romain lettuce
1 mango, diced
1/3 cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1 red pepper, diced
1/4 red onion, diced
4 chicken breasts, cooked, diced
1 cup tortilla strips

Creamy Mango-Passion Vinaigrette:

2 TBS Dijon mustard
1/2 mango, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 lime, juice only
2 TBS rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 garlic clove

1 tsp chili paste or chili garlic sauce

3 tsp honey

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions: For the salad, combine the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. For the dressing, combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Toss dressing with salad. Top with tortillas. Serve immediately. 

Layered Spinach Salad

Ingredients:

Spinach
Bacon, cooked and chopped
Sliced almonds
Poppy seed dressing (one with the peach on it)
Feta cheese, crumbled
Hard boiled eggs, crumbled
Apples, sliced
Optional, marinated cooked cubed chicken

Directions: Layer ingredients in a large bowl. Serve immediately, or leave out dressing until ready to serve.

Notes: Martha Stewart has fail proof boiled egg directions here. I prefer Whole Foods ingredients in this salad. I've had it both ways, and there is a HUGE difference. If anything, at least get the spinach from there!!! I omit the chicken because I usually don't eat this as the main course.

Source: Mom

Breakfast Porridge

This is my favorite way to eat oatmeal. If you think steel cut oats has a good texture it doesn't; be prepared to fall in love. I can't eat oatmeal any other way now. It tastes too bland without the proper preparation.

Serves 4.

1 cup oats, rolled or cracked
1 cup warm water filtered plus 2 tablespoons whey, yoghurt, kefir, or buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt
1 cup filtered water
1 tablespoon flax seeds (optional)

Mix oats with warm water mixture, cover and leave in a warm place for at least 7 hours and as long as 24 hours. (I prepare it before I go to bed)

Bring additional 1 cup water to a boil with sea salt. Add soaked oats, reduce heat, cover and simmer. About 5 minutes or less. Remove from heat. Stir in flax seeds.

Serve with plenty of butter or cream. Sweeten with maple syrup or honey.

VARIATIONS: My sister Heather adds apples and spices to the boiling water. Yum!


SOURCE: Nourishing Tradions by Sally Fallon

Breakfast Cookies - Ellie Krieger

Kristen had these when she came to visit. SO DELICIOUS!! I had no self control. Not surprising. I ate a ton. The best part is, it's healthy! I changed the recipe a bit though.

3/4 & 1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour (you do the math)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon Celtic Sea Salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup coconut oil, or sunflower oil
1/4 cup rapadura
1 egg
1/4 cup shredded carrots, pumkin, or sweet potato, cooked or uncooked
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup bran cereal flakes or fiber one
1/3 cup raisins, or dried cranberries, or dried blueberries, or all 3
1/3 cup soaked/dried walnuts, chopped (recipe in Nourishing Traditions)

Directions:

Place rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and Celtic Sea Salt in a medium-sized bowl. Combine butter, oil and Rapadura in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on high speed, scraping down sides if necessary, until Rapadura have dissolved and mixture is light in color, about 1 minute. Add egg, shredded carrots and vanilla and beat an additional 30 seconds. Add flour mixture and beat an additional 30 seconds. Add oats, flakes, raisins and walnuts and mix over low speed just until incorporated.

Dough will be slightly sticky and less cohesive than traditional cookie dough. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using between 3 to 4 tablespoons of batter, form a ball and place on cookie sheet.

Repeat with remaining batter, leaving about 3 inches between cookies. Wet hands and use palm of hand to flatten cookies until about 1/4-inch thick.

Bake for 12 minutes, until cookies are fragrant but still soft. Let cookies cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Source: Kristen

Almond Butter Cranberry Go-Bars

Amazing snack! I altered the recipe a bit.




Garden of Life Coconut oil
1 cup regular rolled oats
1/3 cup ground oats
3 Tbsp flax seed
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp each, baking powder & Celtic Sea salt
1/2 cup chopped soaked pecans (see Nourishing Traditions)
1/2 dried cranberries
1/2 cup finely chopped dried mission figs (can use raisins instead, or dried blueberries-yum)
3/4 cup freshly ground almond butter
1/4 cup raw milk
1 large fresh egg
1/2 cup raw honey
finely shredded zest from 1 lemon
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1. Line a 9 x 13″ pan with plastic wrap, leaving an overhang on the 9″ sides, and coat with coconut oil. In a large mixing bowl, stir together oats, oat bran, flax seeds, flour, baking powder, salt , pecans, cranberries, and figs until well blended.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together almond butter, raw milk, fresh egg, raw honey, lemon zest, and lemon juice until well blended.

3. Add flour mixture to peanut butter mixture and beat until completely blended. Scrape dough into lined pan and with wet fingers or a rubber spatula, pat to fill pan completely and even. Chill dough until firm, about 30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300 degrees. Invert pan onto a work surface, lift off pan, and peel off plastic. Using a knife, cut straight down lengthwise through middle, then crosswise to make 16 bars, each 1 1/2″ wide. Place bars about 1″ apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment or greased baking sheet.

5. Bake bars until lightly browned and somewhat firm to touch, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

If you make this ahead, it can be stored for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.

Could also soak the whole wheat before use. Perfect for travel. Keeps you regular.



Source: Melissa