Lemony Raw Kale Salad with Carrots and Tomatoes

Okay...I admit it, my inspiration for this salad came from eating the kale salads at Whole Foods and Tru Foods but I have made some tasty changes.  I am so amazed at how yummy this salad is!

The good news about Kale:  It is considered to be a highly nutritious vegetable because of its powerful antioxidant properties. Kale is also considered to be an anti-inflammatory and very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and reasonably rich in calcium.

Ingredients:
1 bunch curly Kale or Lacinato Kale (sometimes called black Kale)
2 scallions, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and shredded
1 cup chopped grape tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 clove fresh garlic, very finely chopped
1/2 - 1 tsp. Italian red pepper flakes (depends on how much heat you like)
Salt/pepper to taste
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts or toasted almonds


Instructions:
Wash kale and remove the larger ribs.  Cut kale into small strips, much like cabbage slaw.  Add kale, tomatoes, carrots, and scallions to salad bowl and mix together.  Stir together lemon juice, garlic, lemon zest, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and olive oil and pour 1/2 of the lemon vinaigrette over salad.  Toss salad thoroughly.  Let salad sit for about 1/2 hour before serving. Use the rest of the vinaigrette only if needed. Top with toasted nuts.

Spicy Lentil Stew with Vegan Sausage

Tofurky, is one of the stars of the show in my spicy lentil stew so if you are concerned about your heart and have had to say goodbye to meat or sausage, this recipe is for you!  Here's a link to the company who makes Tofurky.  I had a lot of fun exploring their website.

http://www.tofurky.com/index.html

Ingredients:
2 cups dry lentils
1/2 pkg.  Tofurky Italian Sausage
2 tsps. canola oil
1 medium onion, diced
*sun-dried tomatoes, chopped into 1/4 inch bits, optional
4 cloves minced garlic
2 carrots, thin sliced
2 potatoes, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
6 oz. can tomato paste
3 tbsps. chopped fresh savory herb, e.g. parsley, or thyme
1 quart vegetable broth or low fat chicken broth
1-3 cups water depending on desired consistency
2 tsps. curry powder
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1- 3 tsps. ancho or chipotle chili powder (how spicy do you like it?)
Salt/pepper to taste

Instructions:
Rinse lentils.  Thin slice Tofurky sausages and saute' in 2 tsps. oil until they are brown. Set aside. To stock pot:  Add 1 cup of water and remaining ingredients except for fresh herbs and Tofurky.  Bring to boil, then turn to low and simmer for 1 hour.  Add more water as needed.  Add Tofurky and fresh herbs to stock pot and simmer for at least 30 more minutes.

*I like the little bit of tang from the sun-dried tomatoes but prefer them chopped up in tiny bits.

Pesto Pasta with a Twist

According to Eric Schlosser, author of "Fast Food Nation," Americans spend over $110 billion on fast food.  According to a study published by the Journal of Public Health Policy portion sizes offered by fast food chains are two to five times larger than when first introduced.  Is it any wonder then that a study by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHAMES) concluded that from 1960 to 2006, the prevalence of obesity increased from 13.4% to 35.1% in U.S. adults age 20 to 74? Also, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), diabetes, heart disease, and weight-related cancers are on the rise and obesity is epidemic. 

One of the culprits in American diets is the consumption of too much trans fat.  Trans fats are created in an industrial process that adds hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid.  Trans fats create a longer shelf life for many food products but are murder (ha-ha) on your arteries! Trans fat lowers your good cholesterol and raises your bad cholesterol. In other words, trans fat clogs up your arteries. The term that will identify trans fat in food products is "partially hydrogenated."  Even if the nutrition facts on the back or front of a food product claim "0 grams trans fat," food companies are allowed to make that claim when the product has > .5 mg of trans fat.  The recommended daily allowance for trans fat is 2 mg.  You have the right to request nutrition facts from restaurants. In fact, many restaurants publish their nutrition facts.


Here's a heart-healthy version of Pesto Pasta with a sneaky addition of pureed broccoli!

For Pesto:
1 cup fresh basil
1 cup fresh Italian parsley
2-3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup pine nuts (cashews, walnuts, or almonds can be substituted)
1/2 tsp, lemon zest
10 oz. broccoli florets
1/2-3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
Salt/Pepper to taste

Steam broccoli florets until softened but still green.  You will have to watch carefully to make sure you don't steam the broccoli too long so it retains it's fresh green color.  Transfer to food processor and add remaining ingredients.  Puree for at least 1 minute.  Set aside.

*For those with nut allergies, chick peas are an awesome, healthy substitution for nuts!


For Pasta:
10-12 oz. pkg. whole wheat pasta
1/2 medium onion, coarsely diced
4 tsps. olive or canola oil
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (I prefer the ones in the package by Bella Sun Luci)
1/2 package Tofurky, vegan sausage- Italian flavored.
1/2-1 cup Kalamata pitted olives, optional.  Make sure you slice them to get rid of any pitts.

Boil pasta until desired texture is reached. Drain pasta and place in large bowl.  Stir in 1-2 tsp. olive oil into pasta so it doesn't stick.  Slice Tofurky sausage and saute' in 2 tsps. oil with onion and sun-dried tomatoes in fry pan until Tofurky starts to brown.  Add to pasta and toss in Kalamata olives.  Stir in pesto and serve warm.

This is a totally vegan dish but diced baked chicken breast is delicious in this recipe too!

Low Fat Baked Artichoke Dip

Another great Super Bowl recipe!  Instead of the standard mayonnaise and sour cream usually required for this food, I have substituted Vegenaise and silken tofu.  Also found some real mozzarella cheese that contains no cholesterol. Yay!

Ingredients:
1 cup Vegenaise
1 cup silken tofu
2-3 cloves crushed garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper
2 tbsps. fresh lemon juice
2 tsps. hot pepper sauce
1 cup shredded "Lifetime Healthy Rewards" fat-free, cholesterol-free" mozzarella or vegan cheese    
10 oz. pkg. chopped frozen spinach, thawed and and moisture completely blotted out
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Mix tofu, garlic, and Vegenaise in mixing bowl until well-blended with a whisk or blender.  Stir in remaining ingredients except for Parmesan cheese.  Transfer to baking dish, top with Parmesan cheese, and bake for approximately 35-45 minutes uncovered until top begins to brown.

Vegenaise instead of Mayonaise

If you are trying to eliminate foods with cholesterol and are looking for a great tasting mayo, Vegenaise is the best alternative. I have found that many of the mayo alternatives taste rather stale but Vegenaise has a fresh, almost lemony tang. You can find Vegenaise in the refrigerated dairy section in health food grocery stores. I use it in place of mayo on sandwiches, in dips, and even in baked recipes that require mayo!  Here's a link to find out more about this product:

http://www.followyourheart.com/product-family.php?id=14

Fresh Corn Salsa

Great Super Bowl recipe!  Serve this salsa with chips or crackers. 

2 limes
1/2 lemon
2 tsps lime zest
3 cups fresh corn kernels, shaved from the cob
2 jalapeno chilies, seeded, finely diced
Salt to taste
1-2 tsps Italian red pepper flakes
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
1 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Using fruit zester, scrape 1 tsp lime peel.  Juice 2 limes and 1/2 lemon.  Mix all ingredients together in small bowl and stir.  Cover and chill at least 2 hours to allow flavors to blend.