Cobb Salad with Vinaigrette Dressing

I think my favourite salad is a Cobb Salad simply because it has so many ingredients that I love all put together in such a colourful and beautiful display!  Traditionally this is served with a creamy dressing, but this lighter vinaigrette is so delicious that you won't imagine putting anything else on top of your salad!!

COBB SALAD WITH VINAIGRETTE DRESSING

Ingredients:

DRESSING

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 tsp salt

1 tsp lemon juice

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

3/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp dried mustard powder

3/4 cup of grapeseed or avocado oil

1/4 cup olive oil

SALAD

1 large container of mixed greens (choose one with 'sturdier' leaves like romaine, kale and endive)

2 baked chicken breasts, diced

2 medium tomatoes, diced (I used a mixture of a small yellow,red and orange tomatoes for colour)

3 hard boiled eggs, sliced

1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled

6 strips of bacon, cooked and diced

• In a blender combine the first 8 ingredients for the dressing.  Slowly add the oils in a steady stream.  Place in a serving container and set aside.
• Cover a large serving platter with the mixed greens.  Arrange the chicken, tomatoes, eggs, cheese and bacon over the greens in rows. Grind black pepper over top.
• Serve with the dressing and ENJOY!

Kale & Quinoa Rolls

I spied this recipe in "Fresh Juice" magazine and decided to whip it up one evening expecting mixed results from the family.  As expected, India didn't even want to try the kale (she only likes it in chip form), but loved the quinoa.  Devon had 3 rolls and Greg and I finished up the rest!!  This is similar to cabbage rolls and I have pictured the dish without the sauce topping the rolls, so you could see how they look in the baaking dish. This is not only super nutritious, but easy and tasty too!

KALE & QUINOA ROLLS

Ingredients:

12 large leaves of kale

2 tsp grapeseed oil

1 onion, diced

1 cup diced mushrooms (I used porcini as they're "meatier" in texture and have great flavour)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried thyme

1 cup quinoa (rinse to remove the bitter coating called 'saponin')

2 cups low sodium vegetable broth

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1 zucchini, diced

1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

1 large egg, beaten

2 cups no salt added passata di pomodoro (crushed tomatoes)

• Remove the stems from the kale by grasping the base of the stem in one hand and running the thumb and forefinger up the stem.  It will break off where the stem is more tender.  Discard the stems.  Add kale to a large pot of salted, boiling water.  Cover and cook until the leaves are softened - 2 minutes maximum.  Place leaves in a sieve and run under cool water.  Remove leaves and lay out flat to drain on paper towels.  Set aside.
• In a saucepan over medium heat, add oil.  Saute onions, mushrooms, garlic, oregano, and thyme for 5 minutes (or until onion is softened)  Stir in quinoa.  Add broth; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for approximately 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed.  Stir in carrot, zucchini, salt and pepper.  Let cool to room temperature.  Stir in egg*
• Preheat oven to 350F.  To assemble the rolls, spoon approximately 1/3 cup of the quinoa mixture onto each kale leaf, just above where the base of the stem would have been.  Fold bottom up over filling, tuck sides in and roll up.  This is quite a bit trickier I found than using cabbage leaves for traditional cabbage rolls.  Take your time!
• Line the base of a 13"x9" baking dish with half of the passata.  Arrange the kale rolls on top of it and cover with the remaining passata.  Cover the dish with foil and bake for one hour.
• Remove and ENJOY!

Easy Slow Cooker Beef Stew

This is the SIMPLEST recipe and it is absolutely DELICIOUS!!!  Before I left for work I started this stew and by dinner time we had an amazing dinner that everyone enjoyed.

EASY SLOW COOKER BEEF STEW

Ingredients:

1 lb stewing beef, cut into 1/2" cubes

1 to 2 tbsp oil (preferably grapeseed or coconut, but olive is fine too!)

28 oz can tomatoes*

2 carrots, sliced

2 ribs celery, sliced

1 small onion, coarsely chopped

1 zucchini diced into 1/2" cubes

4 cups water

1/2 cup red wine

4 beef bouillon cubes**

2 tsp garlic powder (or 2 cloves garlic diced)

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1/4 to 1/2 cup couscous (as we don't eat wheat, I used rice pasta, but I am sure quinoa would be lovely too!!)

• In a skillet, heat oil and brown the beef. Brown in batches to allow for air to circulate around the beef pieces so they brown, rather than steam!
• Place all vegetables in the slow cooker and add the beef.  Stir to combine.
• Combine all the rest of the ingredients in a bowl (except couscous) and pour over the ingredients in the slow cooker.
• Cover.  Cook on low for 6 hours.  Stir in couscous.  Cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
• ENJOY!

*Try for low sodium tomatoes as mine weren't and combined with the bouillon cubes, the stew was on the salty side.
**Homemade stock is best as it generally contains little or no sodium, if using prepared bouillon cubes, opt for low sodium varieties as it isn't impossible to remove the saltiness, but it is more difficult!!

Kale Caesar Salad

As you know I'm always on the look-out for recipes that are not only quick and tasty but also nutritious, so when Greg saw this in his "Men's Health" magazine I pounced on it!  All the family loves Caesar salad and by adding kale the nutritional quality of this salad goes through the roof!  Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, and rich in calcium.  It also contains potent anti-cancer properties and chemicals that boost DNA repair in cells.  Since cooking kale does somewhat reduce all these nutrients, eating it raw in this recipe ensures you receive the maximum benefit..all good stuff and a great way to start off the new year!!!

KALE CAESAR SALAD

Ingredients:

1 egg yolk*

Juice of 1 lemon

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp anchovy paste (optional)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

1/4 cup grapeseed oil

1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 - 3 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled (optional)

1 large bunch of kale

• In a food processor, blend the egg yolk, lemon juice, garlic, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and anchovy paste;  gradually add the oils with the food processor running, until the dressing becomes thick and creamy.  Stir in the cheese and season with salt and pepper.
• Holding the stem of the kale leaf, pinch the stem with your thumb and forefinger of your opposite hand and run it from the bottom to the top of the leaf, stripping the leaf from the stem.  Do this for each leaf.  Roughly chop or tear the leaves to bite-sized pieces and place in a large salad bowl.  
• Toss the kale with the dressing, top with more cheese and crumbled bacon, if using!  

*Ensure when eating raw egg yolks that you get your eggs from a trusted source to minimize your risk of foodborne illness.