Farro and Poached Egg Breakfast Bowl

"Quinoa's Cousin"

Hi all! I've been a fan of farro for a while but I've never tried cooking it in my own kitchen until this month. Farro is a grain that is often compared to quinoa because it has the same protein content: 7g per serving. I love both grains, but farro contains a tad more calcium and fiber than quinoa and tastes a bit tougher and brown rice-like, so I totally urge you all to try it! I've bought it as a cold salad before, and when I had it, I think it was mixed with dried cranberries, nuts, veggies, and a vinaigrette (YUM)! But I wanted to try make hot farro and top it with veggies and eggs to create a mouthwatering breakfast bowl. I see breakfast bowls all over Pinterest lately. It seems like people are getting bored of eggs and toast, and this is an awesome way to switch up one's morning meal routine. It's SO easy, too...especially if you cook the farro ahead of time and store it in your fridge! One more pointer--my boyfriend, John, taught me to use a frying pan to poach eggs rather than a pot and it really keeps the egg more "together"!

Farro and Poached Egg Breakfast Bowl

-2 eggs

-1.5 cups farro (I say this amount because it will conveniently last you about a week in your fridge)

-frozen or fresh veggies of your choice 

-1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

-EVOO, salt, and pepper to taste

1. Rinse farro and place in a medium-sized pot. Add 4 cups of water and carefully bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, turn the heat all the way down to a simmer, cover, and cook for another 25 minutes or until the farro is slightly tough (tip: think al dente pasta). If there is still extra water in the pot at the end, pour out or strain.

2. Fill a frying pan with water and add a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (this helps keep the egg cohesive, too). Bring to a boil and crack both eggs into the water. Cook for about 5 minutes and try to keep the eggs as "together" as possible with a large wooden spoon. 

3. Cook veggies according to package if frozen, or slice and bake them in the oven for 20-25 minutes with some extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper at 375F if fresh (flip veggies halfway through). I used spinach in this picture but I've also cubed and baked a sweet potato for this recipe and it was delish!

4. Place farro in a bowl and top with veggies, eggs, some EVOO, salt, and pepper and VOILA! You have yourself a yummy, healthy, breakfast bowl!

Happy eating! :)

Pumpkin Chana Masala (Pumpkin Curried Chick Peas)

"Ditch the Pumpkin Spice Latte"

Hello friends and happy October! As much as I love a good Pumpkin Spice Latte, I want to be more creative with how I consume and cook with pumpkin this fall. Excitingly, I found a recipe on Pinterest, and changed it up quite a bit to be my own, for Pumpkin Chana Masala. What is Chana Masala you ask? It simply means Indian chick pea curry. If you have yet to make any one of my thirty blog recipes in your own kitchen, it's okay...I won't be sad...AS LONG AS you try out this one! This is by far the yummiest dish I have ever created in my 22 years of living and it is so simple. Use a crock pot and don't forget the curry!

Pumpkin Chana Masala

-2 15 oz. cans of chick peas, rinsed and drained

-1 medium yellow onion, diced

-2 gloves garlic, minced

-2-3 cups organic vegetable broth (add the third cup after a few hours of cooking if the mixture seems too thick for your liking)

-1 cup green lentils, rinsed

-1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree

-1 tbsp curry

-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

-1 tsp salt 

-1 15 oz. can coconut milk (look for this is in the international foods section of a grocery store)

-1 cup rice (or more if you'd like), cooked according to the instructions of the package (I used a whole grain rice/quinoa blend)

-fresh lime wedges (optional)

-fresh cilantro (optional but recommended!)

1. Add all ingredients except the coconut milk, rice, lime, and cilantro to a slow cooker and cook on high for 5 hours, stirring every so often.

2. At the end of 5 hours, add the coconut milk, stir, and cook on low for an additional 30 minutes.

3. Serve hot over rice, with a lime wedge and cilantro, and then go jump in a pile of leaves to feel even more fall! :)

This recipe should feed 4 hungry people. Happy fall (and vegan) eating!!!

Portabella Mushroom and Sweet Potato Tacos

"Veggie tacos, anyone?!"

So here's a recipe you MUST try on your next Taco Tuesday (aka tomorrow)! I came up with this recipe myself and I've combined the "steak of vegetables"-- portabella mushrooms-- with the colorful crowd favorite-- sweet potatoes. You can use soft or hard taco shells with this recipe, and I totally recommend making your own guacamole, too (avocados + fresh lime juice + diced tomato + cilantro + salt/pepper). If you're feeling really ambitious-- making your own salsa isn't too tricky, either. I can post my personal recipe in a few days. Even though the steps I've listed for the recipe seem extensive, they're really not. Anyone can make this in under an hour. One more thing--I love my portabella mushrooms grilled but you can also saute them if you'd like (see instructions below).

Portabella Mushroom and Sweet Potato Tacos

-soft or hard taco shells

-one green pepper, sliced into thin, 1-2 in. pieces

-one red pepper, sliced into thin, 1-2 in. pieces

-one yellow onion, sliced into thin, 1-2 in. pieces

-2 large portabella mushrooms (use 3-4 if they are small)

-1 large sweet potato (use 2 if they are small)

-shredded lettuce

-one packet of taco seasoning 

-your favorite hot sauce

-juice of one lime

-toppings of your choice: guacamole, salsa, sour cream, shredded cheddar, etc.

1. Slice the peppers and onions and put them in a pan with some olive oil and a nice sprinkling of taco seasoning (approx 3 tbsp). **You can saute the mushrooms with the peppers and onions in this step if you do not plan on grilling them**. Saute for about 20 minutes--on medium heat in the beginning, and medium-high at the end to blacken a few pieces. Set aside when finished.

2. Marinate the portabella mushrooms with a nice sprinkling of taco seasoning on both sides (approx 2-3 tbsp), fresh lime juice, and your favorite hot sauce (use more if you like spiciness, and less if you do not). Grill the mushroom on high heat for about 5-8 minutes on each side or until they shrink considerably (apply some more hot sauce and lime juice while grilling). Slice into 1-2 in. pieces when finished.

3. Scrub the sweet potato with a sponge, rinse, and poke holes in it with a fork. Wrap it in a paper towel and cook it in the microwave for 5 minutes (this reduces baking time). Place the sweet potato in foil and cook it on the grill or in the oven at 375F for 20 minutes or until soft. Let cool and slice into cubes--leaving or removing the skin! Your choice. (Handle carefully or they will become mashed sweet potatoes).

4. THE BEST PART: make your taco! Pile the mushrooms, sweet potato, peppers, onions, lettuce, guacamole, salsa, and whatever else you'd like to add, and dig in!

This recipe serves 3-4 people! Try it and let me know what you think! Happy eating :)

Easy Almond Flour Pancakes

"A gluten free; guilt free short stack"

I haven't posted in forever! I was away on vacation for half of August, and as soon as I returned I started a new job. Feels good to be back at it. A few weeks ago I went to one of my favorite health food stores, Nature's Pantry, in Fishkill. Some items I love to buy there are activated charcoal soap (it makes cool black bubbles and works wonders on your pores!), tea tree oil & ginger toothpaste, vegetarian sausage, flavored peanut butter (S'mores!), and Immune Defense vitamins for when I'm feeling sick! This time I decided to buy almonds to make my own almond flour for the first time. This was my Grandma's suggestion because almond flour (which is simply ground up almonds) is usually $14 for a 16 oz. bag, and a pound of whole almonds is $8 or $9. I crushed the almonds with my Bullet, but you can also use a food processor.

Almond Flour Pancakes

-1 cup almond flour (ground up almonds)

-2 eggs

-1/3 cup almond milk

-1 tbsp. honey or agave (optional)
-cinnamon

1.  Convert the almonds to almond flour using a food processor or the like.
2. Whisk all ingredients together and add more milk if the mixture seems to thick, or more flour if the mixture seems too runny.
3. Grease a frying pan with coconut oil on medium heat and drop 4-inch round (or any size) pancakes in the pan.
4. Carefully flip when the pancake begins to bubble (you may find that these are harder to flip than normal pancakes).
5. Remove from heat after the second side has finished cooking and serve hot with agave and fresh fruit!

Happy, healthy breakfast eating :)

Kayla's Chocolate Coconut Cranberry Chia Bars

"Kayla's Chocolate Coconut Cranberry Chia Bars--Say that five times fast!"

I've been meaning to make protein bars/energy bars/any type of bar, really, for a while now, because I never have, and I love the convenience of grab and go snacks. I bought dates a while ago and it was just a matter of finding time to create the perfect bar! Larabars have been my new addiction as of late, so I used these bars and their simple, minimal ingredients for inspiration. These are great as a grab and go snack for active individuals, and they're a perfect surprise for a friend or family member who frequently hits the gym. If you try out this recipe, please feel free to use your creative license and go crazy with adding your favorite healthy mix-ins (I offer some suggestions below).

Kayla's Chocolate Coconut Cranberry Chia Bars:

-2 8 oz. boxes of pitted dates

-a little less than 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 

-1/3 cup chia seeds 

-1/2 cup dried cranberries

-1/2 cup dried unsweetened coconut flakes (plus a heaping handful for topping the bars)

-1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

-2-3 tbsp warm water

-Optional: any other additional mix-ins you'd like, such as pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, hemp protein powder, coarsely chopped almonds, any types of dried fruit, etc. 

-Optional: oat flour dusting to prevent mixture from sticking to your hands/the wax paper (I didn't use any but I found this idea on Pinterest)

Directions:

1. Add dates to a food processor and pulse until they are in small pieces and are beginning to stick together in one big pile (my food processor decided to stop working today so I had to resort to a blender which was a lot trickier)! Add 2-3 tbsp warm water if the dates aren't chopping well and/or seem too dry. 

2. Add cocoa powder and chia seeds; pulse again. 

3. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, add remaining mix-ins, and knead by hand (messy but fun)!

4. Lay out a long piece of wax paper on a cutting board or cookie sheet and press the mixture down on the sheet into a large, 1/2 in. thick rectangle. Sprinkle with some more coconut and fold the wax paper up and around the large bar (cover the entire rectangle like you are wrapping a present). 

5. Wrap the wax paper-wrapped chia bar slab in tinfoil, place back on the cutting board, and let cool in the fridge for about 24 hours. Slice into bars, and individually wrap each bar in its own wax/foil combo (a plastic bag may work, but the bar will probably stick a tad).

The walnuts give these bars their protein, as do the chia seeds. Chia seeds, as I've mentioned in other posts, are a super food that curbs appetite, provides energy during/after a work out, and aids the body in plenty of other ways! Happy post-workout eating! :)

Jalapeno Black Bean Hummus

"Two Beans Means Two-Times-Tastier Hummus"

For this hummus recipe, TWO types of beans are used! That's right! You've got your garbanzo beans or chick peas, which are usually the base of most hummus recipes, plus one of my favorites: black beans. As I mentioned in my last post, I'm giving the kale a break because some jalapenos in my garden have grown to full size! Two different types of beans also means lots of protein. Chick peas have about 2 g of protein per tablespoon, and for black beans, it's about 3 g per tablespoon. 

I like to serve hummus with fresh vegetables, pretzels, pita chips, or crackers. Really anything can be dipped in hummus, and hummus can be a great appetizer, salad topper (just add a dollop in addition to, or instead of salad dressing), or snack.

I made this recipe using two cloves of garlic and it was a tad bit too garlicky for me. If you love garlic, go for it. My grandma loves garlic so much she says if they sold garlic flavored ice cream she'd be first in line! If you're like me and you enjoy garlic but don't want it to overpower your hummus, stick to one clove. For this recipe, I also used 1 jalapeno because I was sharing the hummus with my mom and she is somewhat sensitive to spicy foods. To my surprise, the hummus came out pretty mild. You could totally taste the yummy jalapeno flavor, but even my mom said it could've been a tad spicier...so I recommend using 1.5 to 2 jalapenos for a medium to hot flavor. 

Jalapeno Black Bean Hummus:

-1 15 oz. can chick peas

-1 15 oz. can black beans

-2 tbsp. tahini

-2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil (use more if the hummus appears to be too thick)

-1.5 to 2 chopped jalapenos

-1 clove chopped garlic 

-juice from 1/2 a lemon

-pinch of cayenne pepper

-pinch of cumin

-salt and pepper to taste (I actually don't think I needed to use any!)

Directions:

1. Open both cans of beans, rinse, and drain. Add both to a food processor.

2. Prep all other ingredients (chop jalapeno and garlic, squeeze lemon juice, etc.) and add to food processor.

3. Pulse to desired smoothness and serve with veggies and crackers! Garnish with a jalapeno ring and/or a few whole black beans if you want to be fancy :)

Happy, healthy eating! :)

Cheesy Jalapeno Cauliflower Bake

"Turn Up the Heat"

Tonight I decided to give the kale a break because three JALAPENOS I grew in my garden were ready to be picked! The jalapenos were a tad longer than my index finger, and had a nice plumpness to them. After I picked them I immediately went on Pinterest for some ideas for what I could use them in. It didn't take long for me to find a cauliflower jalapeno bake, but the problem was, the recipe involved tons of butter, a cream cheese layer, AND a cheddar cheese layer in the dish. So I immediately decided not to follow the recipe, and simply used it as a starting point for a healthier one. 

This bake came out awesome! For those of you who love a nice pile of mashed potatoes on their plate--I promise this side dish will taste similar and maybe even better! The consistency is outstanding, and the heat from the jalapenos is surely standout.

Cheesy Jalapeno Cauliflower Bake:

-1 head of cauliflower, chopped up small

-2 tbsp. half and half or almond milk 

-2 tbsp. olive oil

-2 tsp. garlic powder

-2 sliced jalapenos (use 1-1.5 if you are sensitive to spicy foods) 

-3/4 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F and finely chop the cauliflower.

2. Put the cauliflower in a large microwave safe bowl and add the half and half and olive oil. Stir and microwave for 15 minutes, pausing and stirring the mixture every 5 minutes.

3. Carefully place the steamed cauliflower, 1 chopped jalapeno, garlic powder, and 1/2 cup shredded cheddar into a food processor or blender and blend until almost smooth.

4. Place the cauliflower mixture in an 8x8 baking dish, sprinkle with remaining cheddar and remaining sliced jalapeno, and bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is fully melted. You will know it is done cooking when jalapeno seeds are starting to brown (see browning jalapenos seeds below).

Happy (and spicy) eating!!! 

Chocolate Black Bean Cake

"Happy Birthday insert name here!"

A few years back when my best friend, Sam, first became a vegetarian, she experimented with some guilt-free dessert recipes for fun, and because both her and I have a serious sweet tooth. She stumbled across a black bean brownie recipe online, and ever since then, the recipe has been a favorite of ours, and has been tweaked throughout the years. Whether we are meeting up on a Monday night to watch The Bachelorette, or we simply need an easy dessert to bring to a party last minute--Sam and I always turn to these black bean brownies, or black bean cake if you add some frosting!

One of the main alterations I've made to the original recipe is that I've substituted coconut oil for vegetable oil. Coconut oil is great for baking, and it contains fatty acids that give you energy and increase brain function! Coconut oil even has a natural SPF of 8-10, which comes in handy during these summer months! I also decided to frost the black bean brownies, especially when celebrating a birthday, to give this dessert a traditional flare. I made this dessert for my boyfriend John's 23rd birthday which was two weeks ago, and I made it for my Grandma's birthday which was today! Having a second slice of cake is sinless with this recipe!

Black Bean Brownies/Cake:

-2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

-4 eggs

-6 tbsp coconut oil

-1 cup granulated sugar

-1/2 cup cocoa powder

-1/4 tsp salt

-2 tsp vanilla
-2 tsp baking powder

-handful of chocolate chips (optional)

-vanilla frosting and sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and grease a 13x9" baking pan with coconut oil.

2. Combine all ingredients in a blender for 30 seconds. Pause and mix all ingredients with a wooden spoon to ensure everything is being well-blended. Blend for another 30 seconds or until smooth.

3. Pour batter in pan, top with chocolate chips, and bake for 22 minutes. After the timer goes off, test the cake with a fork and continue cooking for another 3-5 minutes if fork does not come out clean when cake is pierced.

4. Cool completely, ice, and enjoy! 

Something fun to try: if you want to make a heart-shaped cake, rather than using a 13x9" cake pan, pour half of the batter in a 8x8" square cake pan, and the other half in an 8" circular cake pan. Once both cakes are done and have cooled to room temperature, carefully flip both cakes onto a larger dish or cutting board, and cut the circular cake in half. Turn the square cake so that one of the corners is pointed up (almost like a diamond shape), and place the flat sides of the half-circle cakes onto the top left and top right sides of the square cake. Voila! You have a heart shaped cake--and once you ice it, it'll look like the Cake Boss himself made it!

HAPPPPPY eating :)

Parmesan Crusted Salmon

"I'M HAVING FISH TONIGHT!" 

-Bruce from Finding Nemo

My boyfriend, John, and I stumbled across this recipe on Pinterest a few months back and made it at school. It was SO easy and SO yummy--we had two salmon filets each and were both wishing we could have one more! Tonight I made this salmon dish for my mom and and she loved it, too. I recommend serving this dish with veggies and pairing it with a dry white wine. 

Tonight my mom and I had brussel sprouts with the salmon, which we drizzled with some olive oil, and sprinkled with a little bit of salt and pepper. We also ate a mixed greens salad which we picked right from our garden!! We topped the greens with walnuts and dried cranberries, and made a homemade dressing to go along with it which I've also included the recipe for below. Just a general pointer--if you like to cook, it really helps to have a small veggie garden and/or herb garden. I have used greens from my veggie garden 3 times in the past 5 days while cooking, and there's something so special and peaceful about tending to a garden that you can only understand if you grow one of your own. 

Parmesan Crusted Salmon:

-2 salmon filets (I prefer to buy wild caught salmon as opposed to farmed; farmed means the fish were raised on land in tanks JUST so that we humans could eat them)

-1 cup Parmesan cheese

-1/2 a lemon

-extra virgin olive oil to coat the bottom of a 8x8" baking pan

-sprinkle of salt, pepper, and garlic powder

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 F.

2. Lightly coat the bottom of the 8x8" baking pan with olive oil (don't go overboard...4 tablespoons should be good).

3. Cut your lemon in half and squeeze the juice from half of the lemon into the pan with the oil. Add a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and garlic powder to this lemon and oil mixture.

4. Dip both sides of the salmon in the lemon and oil mixture, and then press one side of the salmon into a bowl containing the cheese. Repeat for the other filet, and then return both filets to the baking pan, cheese side up.

5. Bake for 12 minutes, then broil for about 3 minutes or until the Parmesan cheese begins to brown in some spots. Eat every last bite! :)

Simple Salad Dressing:

-2 parts balsamic vinegar

-1 part extra virgin olive oil

-4-5 fresh, minced basil leaves (again, I picked these from my herb garden, and herb gardens can be as simple as a large planter filled with 2-3 different types of herbs)

-1-2 tablespoons of grated yellow onion

Directions: 

1. Whisk the above ingredients together for at least a minute, and either use immediately on a salad, or store in a mason jar in the fridge. Shake before each use. 

Nothing like a simple meal on a lazy Monday! Happy eating! :)

BBQ Tempeh Nachos

"Meateaters, these Nachos are NACH-YOS"
(just kidding)

For those of you who do not know, I've been a vegetarian for about 2 1/2 years--pescatarian to be exact. A pescatarian eats fish occasionally, and keeps eggs/dairy in his or her diet, but cuts out all land animal meats (chicken, beef, pork, etc.). Being a vegetarian is fun because it pushes you to try cool new foods that you would have never tried had you not been a vegetarian, like tempeh for example. Tempeh is similar to tofu in that it is derived from soybeans. What is tofu you ask? Straight up soybeans and water basically, and it's usually found in veggie burgers or served in cold cubes at some salad bars. Tempeh contains soybeans PLUS brown rice, barley, and millet (soybeans + whole grains). I buy tempeh at Trader Joe's and it comes in a little block. It is a lot firmer than tofu and it is speckled brown instead of white. 

When I was away at the Wanderlust Yoga Festival in Stratton, VT last weekend, there was a wood-fired pizza stand serving vegetarian/vegan pizzas. One pizza, dubbed "Yogi's Choice," was topped with BBQ tempeh, tomato sauce, tomatoes, and kale...YUM! My best friend Sam and I had to split one, and it was great! Inspired by this recipe, I decided to make it in a nacho variation: BBQ Tempeh Nachos. 

BBQ Tempeh Nachos

-Organic tortilla chips (Late July is a good brand)

-BBQ sauce (look for one that does not contain high fructose corn syrup OR crazy high amounts of sugar)

-1 package tempeh, cut into small cubes

-1/2 yellow onion, diced

-2 yellow squash, cut into small cubes

-1-2 cups low-fat shredded cheddar cheese depending on your nacho style

-1 handful of kale, cut into one-inch pieces

-jalapenos (optional)

-tomatoes (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. Line a cookie sheet with tinfoil and lightly grease with olive oil. Place the cubed zucchini on the cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, take the zucchini out of the oven, flip the veggies with a spatula, and return to the oven for 10 more minutes or until it's just starting to turn brown/crisped in some spots.
3. Place the cubed tempeh in a bowl, gradually add barbecue sauce, and stir (a spoon or a clean hand works fine) until each cube is covered. Let sit for a few minutes.
4. Line another cookie sheet with tinfoil and lightly grease. Spread tortilla chips around the whole cookie sheet, and sprinkle about half of the shredded cheddar on the chips.
5. Top chips with the onion, kale, and jalapenos. When the squash is done and browned, spread it out evenly on the chips, and do the same with the BBQ tempeh. Return this tasty concoction to your 375 F preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes.
6. Top cooked nachos with tomatoes, hot sauce, and whatever else you want! Get creative, fellow vegetarians and veggie-loving meat eaters!

Share with friends or family because it serves 3-4 people (or 2 hungry people) and enjoy! Oh and if you are wondering why I am so obsessed with kale--I'm growing it in my garden this summer (and it tastes great, obviously)! It is a super low-maintenance veggie to grow; kale just needs some water and sun each day and it shoots up like crazy. If you give this a shot in your own backyard, when you go to harvest kale, pull the pieces that are closest to the ground straight down, careful to not uproot the main stalk. Dark leafy greens should be consumed every day, and now that they are right in my backyard I have no excuse not to! Happy eating :)

Strawberry & Sunflower Seed Kale Salad

"Saying Goodbye to Strawberry Season"

Yesterday my mom stopped by to see me at the farm I just started working at to do some strawberry picking (see picture below). Strawberry picking is best at the beginning of June, so I am glad she came when she did since June is already more than halfway through! The strawberries were organically grown and they were a lot smaller and tastier than the ones you buy at your average food store. When I got home from work, I thought about what to make with the strawberries...and since I am on a kale kick I did not have to think for long. I decided to make a strawberry & sunflower seed kale salad WITH a homemade strawberry vinaigrette (are you drooling yet?).

So I looked up how to make a strawberry vinaigrette on Pinterest, my favorite food recipe resource, and I tweaked the one I found to the one I've listed below. 

Strawberry Vinaigrette:

-1 cup of local, organically farmed strawberries washed and with their stems removed (PLEASE support local farms so that they can stay in business and the prices of healthier-grown fruits can go down!)

-2 tsp balsamic vinegar

-2 tsp raw, organic honey (if you haven't had raw organic honey you've got to try it! The texture is thick and awesome)

-1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions: Use a bullet or blender to combine all of the above ingredients. Taste the dressing and add more balsamic vinegar and/or honey if necessary and pulse again. 

Strawberry & Sunflower Seed Kale Salad:

-homemade strawberry vinaigrette 

-1 handful of sunflower seeds

-1/2 a handful (about 1/4 cup) of chia seeds (these expand in your tummy to make you fuller quicker and aid in digestion!)

-1 bag of kale (I like packaged kale from Trader Joe's, but again, buy a local bunch of kale if you can! I know of a farm stand that sells 2 heads for $3 some days!)

-optional: goat cheese or feta cheese to taste (I recommend adding the cheese once you are about to eat the salad and only to the bowl of salad you will be eating in that sitting...softer cheeses don't do too well sitting in the kale & dressing for long)

Directions: Mix all of the above ingredients in a large bowl or container, cover, and let sit in the fridge for a few hours before indulging. Like I said in my Italian Kale Salad post--kale gets yummier the longer it sits in dressing in your fridge--so enjoy this for 3-4 days. Add the cheese if you'd like, right before eating some of the salad. Happy eating!

This recipe is REALLY easy, healthy, yummy, and takes under 30 minutes to prep! It's refreshing to eat in the hot summer months...so if a local farm no longer carries strawberries in say, August, do the best you can and buy organic ones from the supermarket! I'd imagine this recipe would also be awesome if you substituted raspberries (which are in season in July).

Thanks for reading and please leave a comment :)

Italian Kale Salad

"Italian and Proud"

As you may be able to tell from some of my other posts (aka the calamari antipasta), I'm Italian and I'm a sucker for Italian cuisine. So when I made a huge kale salad to have for the week for the first time, I had to add some Italian flare. The cool thing about kale for those that do not know it that it's a tough green--crunchier and fuller than spinach, arugula, and all other salad greens. The plus side is that you can put dressing on a kale salad and it will still taste great (better, even) the next day! The down side is that the kale is super crunchy on day one so you may have to wait a day to eat your salad depending on your personal taste buds.

I added the following to my kale salad and found myself only getting one serving of it because my mom loved I so much and took some with her to work with her every day:

Kayla's Italian Kale Salad:

-balsamic vinegar

-olive oil

-chia seeds (these expand in your tummy which makes you feel fuller quicker, and they are great for digestion!)

-sunflower seeds

-roasted red peppers

-artichokes

-chick peas

-pitted kalamata olives

-Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Mix it all together, store it in a closed container in your fridge, and shake the container before digging in each time! Happy eating! 

Calamari Antipasta

"Slowly Saying Goodbye to SUNY Purchase"

A few weeks before graduating, my mom, boyfriend, and I went out to eat at the restaurant, Cobblestone, in Purchase, NY. We ordered an appetizer from the daily specials menu--calamari antipasta--and it was arguably the best appetizer I've ever had. Crispy calamari topped with banana peppers, kalamata olives, shaved Parmesan, diced tomatoes, and a balsamic vinegar drizzle...what could be better? I plan to try this recipe at home...it would be great with lightly fried shrimp, too, I bet! See the photo I took below! Caution: your mouth will water and your tummy will growl.

Grad Life

Now that my senior project is over, I'm going to be posting about food that I eat in a more general sense. I won't be judging each picture solely on how it looks; but rather, I will include where I bought the dish if I'm out to eat, or how I made it if I'm making dinner in. Stay tuned and wish me luck as I try to land a food/farm-related job! 

Below: a mojito I made before Culture Shock--a music festival that takes place late April at SUNY Purchase each year. Ask your local liquor store if they sell an all natural, low-in-sugar mojito mix, mine did! Mix that with white rum, mint leaves (rub them in your hands a little bit to bring out the smell and taste), a splash of seltzer water, and some ice! To die for.

P.S. I'm vegetable gardening and raising chickens in my backyard, so I'll keep y'all updated on how that's going, too!