Raw Kale Salad with Creamy Tahini Dressing

Recipe type: Salad

Author: Cookie and Kate

Prep time: 15 mins

Total time: 15 mins

• Raw kale salad
• 1 bunch of curly kale (green or red)
• Sea salt
• 1 avocado
• 4 to 6 carrots (rainbow carrots are pretty but standard orange carrots are great, too)
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds (preferably black sesame seeds, regular white are fine)
• Creamy tahini miso dressing
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1 tablespoon white miso
• 1 1/2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• big pinch red pepper flakes
• small handful chopped cilantro
• 1/3 cup water
• dash of tamari or soy sauce (optional)

Instructions

1. Pull the kale leaves off from the tough stem and discard the stems. Use a chef’s knife or your hands to chop or tear the kale into small, bite sized pieces. Sprinkle a small pinch of sea salt over the kale and massage the leaves for a couple of minutes (see notes above).
2. In a small bowl or 8-ounce mason jar, whisk together the salad dressing ingredients. Divide the kale into two bowls, drizzle in the salad dressing (don’t skimp), and toss thoroughly. If possible, let the salads rest for ten minutes before eating.
3. Peel and slice the carrots into ribbons with a vegetable peeler. Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, score the flesh with a knife and scoop it out with a big spoon. Top the salad with carrot ribbons, diced avocado and some chopped carrot greens, if available/desired. Sprinkle the salad with sesame seeds and serve.

via Cookie & Kate

Baba Ghanoush with Roasted Garlic

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked eggplant flesh from about 3 large eggplants
(2 of mine were 8 inches long and 1 was 12 inches long)1 head garlic, roasted
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp -- 1/4 cup tahini (to taste)
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
handful fresh parsley
1 tsp salt, or to taste
pepper, to taste

1.Preheat the oven to 475F.  Generously poke holes in your eggplant and rub all over with olive oil. Place the eggplant on roasting pan with the head of garlic, all wrapped up in foil like a mummy.

2. Roast the eggplant, turning occasionally until they collapse. Large eggplant will take 30-45 minutes. Roast the foil-wrapped garlic for 2o minutes, removing from oven while the eggplant finishes up. Set both aside until cool enough to handle.

3. Toast the pine nuts over medium heat in a clean dry skillet  until golden brown, stirring continually. Add half to a food processor, reserving other half for garnish. Pop the garlic cloves out of the skins and add them to the processor as well. 

4. Finally, scoop out four cups of eggplant flesh and add it to the processor with lemon juice, tahini, and parsley. Pulse, drizzling in olive as needed -- I used about 1/4 cup. The mixture should take on a hummus-like consistency.

[via Global Table Adventure]

Apple Cider Cups

An entertaining way to serve your cider this year...

[Via Livet Hemma]

Red lentil, chickpea and chili soup

Ingredients

• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• large pinch of chilli flakes
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 140 gr split red lentils
• 850 m vegetable stock or water
• 400 gr can tomatoes, whole or chopped
• 200 gr chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped
• 4 tbsp of Greek yogurt to serve

Instructions

1. Heat a large saucepan and dry-fry the cumin seeds and chilli flakes for 1 min, or until they start to jump around the pan and release their aromas. Add the oil and onion, and cook for 5 mins. Stir in the lentils, stock and tomatoes, then bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 mins until the lentils have softened.
2. Whizz the soup with a stick blender or in a food processor until it is a rough purée, pour back into the pan and add the chickpeas. Heat gently, season well and stir in the coriander. Finish with a dollop of yogurt and coriander leaves.

[via Jungle Frog]

Chicken Vegetable Soup With A Kick

This'll put some zazz in your basic chicken soup. A nice hint of curry and a little zip of heat. Great for dipping toasted bread. Super easy to make. Bring on the rainy weather and a warm blanket!


1 large yellow onion diced
3 celery stalks 1 inch diagonal slices
3 carrots sliced thin diagonally
2 cloves garlic pressed or minced
2 small tomatoes diced/1/2 can diced tomatoes
4 chicken thighs cut into bite size chunks
canola oil
curry powder
hot sauce
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 veggie bouillon cube
4 cups water


1. Heat large soup pot on high, add a generous amount of canola oil, brown chicken in two batches. Take chicken out from soup pot and set aside.
2. Add onions to soup pot and cook until translucent. While stirring, scrape meat bits off bottom and mix with onions. 
3. Add carrots, celery, water, bouillon, tomatoes, garlic, 2-3 dashes of curry powder (not too much) and chicken to pot. Give a good stir. Bring to boil and then simmer until carrots and celery are cooked to your liking. Add a few drops of your favorite hot sauce. (We like Sriracha hot chili sauce). Done!


Thanks Lynne, for inspiring me with your lovely soup today :)