A bowl of goodness

This bowl is full of goodness. It starts with a bed of brown rice, then pinto beans and sautéed summer vegetables before it's topped with avocado cream and jalapeño slices. This bowl is packed with fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals. It's easy to prepare and is budget-friendly making it the perfect dinner for a crowd. Plus it's a way to use up all of that summer squash hiding in your crisper.

I love bowls like this. It's hearty without being heavy. I cook extra, so I can easily whip up a healthy lunch or dinner in minutes. This bowl is also gluten free and dairy free.

Cook brown rice according to the package. Then make all these yummy toppings. Cheese is optional, but would be an excellent addition as would homemade pico or tomatillo salsa.
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Pintos & peppers
1 red bell pepper, roasted (do ahead)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups cooked pinto beans (or 1 15-oz can) and their liquid
1 jalapeño, minced
half of a red onion, diced
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds
1/2 c cilantro
1 lime wedge

Preheat oven to 400. Put the bell pepper onto a baking sheet. Roast the bell pepper whole until it's browned all over and starts to blacken in places. This should take 30-45 minutes depending on the size of your pepper. Remove from heat and put into a sealed plastic bag. Once it's cool to touch, remove from the bag, and peel the skin off the pepper. Dice the pepper into small pieces. Do this step ahead of time. It can also be done the day before.

Heat olive oil over medium heat. When it's warm, add the onion, jalapeño, and salt. Stir often, cooking until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, coriander, roasted red pepper, and half of the cilantro. Cook until the spices are fragrant. Add the beans and their liquid (from the can or saved from cooking them). Cook over low heat for 20-25 minutes. Remove from heat and add the remaining cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

Sauteed summer squash & zucchini
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 of a red onion
1 summer squash, sliced thinly into rounds

1 zucchini, sliced thinly into rounds

2 garlic cloves, minced

Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of sea salt. Cook until the onion is translucent, then add the squash and zucchini. Cover, cooking for about 5-8 minutes. Uncover, add the garlic, stir well. Cook for another few minutes, and remove from heat. 

Avocado cream

2 avocados

1/4 c cilantro

1/4 c ice cold water

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Blend all ingredients together until smooth. Eat on everything.
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Now assemble your bowls and serve with this michelada. Happy Friday friends!

Baked basil-chard falafel

This week's Food Matters Project recipe is chickpea fritters with vegetables. See the original recipe hosted by Lena and check out what others made here. Instead of frying chickpeas into fritters, I decided to make a baked falafel.

When I decided on falafel, I immediately remembered this recipe that I had bookmarked last summer. These baked green falafel look much better than their popular fried brown cousins. Don't get me wrong I love fried falafel too, but these are much lighter, healthier, and perfect for summer. I added chard, basil, parsley, and pistachio not only for flavor, but also to add that green tint to my falafel (not to mention that's what I had in the fridge).

Make these for that next potluck and impress your friends. Gluten free and dairy free, you'll make everyone happy.

Baked basil-chard falafel
Adapted from The Food Matters Cookbook & Green Kitchen Stories
2 c chickpeas, soaked overnight (not cooked)
1/2 red onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp ginger, ground
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 swiss chard leaf
1 small bunch of basil, about a cup loosely packed
1/4 c parsley
2 tbsp pistachios
1 tbsp lime juice

Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Put the chickpeas into the food processor. Process until they break up and form a chunky paste. Add the remaining ingredients and process for about a minute. The mixture should be dry, not wet. If it's too wet, add more chickpeas, chickpea flour, or pistachios. Scoop up the mixture with a spoon, rolling into a ball about an inch wide (or smaller, if you want more). Repeat with the remaining chickpea mixture. Put on the baking sheet.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. The bottoms of the falafel should be nice and golden.

Makes about 14-1inch round falafels or more if you make them smaller. Serve with tahini-yogurt or a raita for a nice dipping in sauce. Toss a few falafel into a pita (or into a lettuce leaf for a gluten free option) with veggies and dip for a quick, healthy lunch on-the-go.

A Colorful Indian Feast

I've hijacked today's Friday Favorites to share one of my favorite foods or cuisines rather, Indian. I received this cookbook for Christmas and I haven't spent enough time with it yet. Not only is it beautiful—most recipes are printed on colored newsprint!—but it holds over 1000 recipes. As we were eating tasty dosas at an Indian restaurant in Vancouver, I vowed to cook from it more when we got home.

The fresh spices, herbs, and condiments make the dishes irresistible. I love a spicy curry, tangy mint chutney, and refreshing raita to cool the palette. Shopping at an Indian market in your area can help you find those exotic spices or ingredients your supermarket doesn't carry. We picked up store-bought papadum, since the husband loves the super thin lentil cracker. Plus it was convenient and I didn't have time to make the paratha recipe I was eyeing.

The South Indian potatoes and spinach (to the left) had much more flavor than I thought it would. It was savory, yet had a hint of sweetness from the coconut. I'll definitely be making this dish again soon.

Just look at that vibrant green chutney! I love all the textures here too. Serve the spicy cauliflower, potatoes and spinach, and condiments with brown rice and papadum or these yogurt flatbreads. A lentil dal would be a great addition too.

Cucumber raita
1.5 c plain yogurt
1 small cucumber, seeded, diced small
juice of half a lemon
1/2 tsp cumin, toasted and ground
2 T cilantro, minced
1/4 of a red onion, diced small
dash of pepper

Combine all ingredients, stir well, and refrigerate until ready to eat.

Coconut cilantro chutney
Adapted from India Cookbook
1 large bunch cilantro, rinsed, with stems
1/2 c shredded coconut, unsweetened
1 jalapeño, minced
1/2 tsp cumin, toasted and ground
1/2 tsp sea salt
juice of 2 limes
juice of 1 lemon
1/4-1/2 c of water (or coconut water)

Toss the cilantro, coconut, jalapeño, cumin, sea salt, lime, and lemon juice into a food processor. Add the water little-by-little until you reach the consistency you like. Refrigerate and eat (on everything!).

South Indian potatoes and spinach
Adapted from India Cookbook
2 T coconut oil
1 small onion, white or red, diced
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 red potatoes, diced small

1 T ginger, grated

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tsp sea salt
5-6 c spinach, chopped
1/4 c shredded coconut, unsweetened
lemon wedges for garnish

Heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the onions, cooking until transparent. Then add the mustard seeds, stirring, until they begin to pop. Mix in the potatoes, cooking for five minutes. They should be almost fully cooked. Add the ginger, garlic, and salt. Cook for a minute before tossing in the spinach and coconut. Cover with a lid and cook until the spinach starts to wilt. If you need to add the spinach in batches, go right ahead. I would stir every minute to help the spinach wilt. Remove from heat when all the spinach is wilted and serve with lemon wedges.

Spicy cauliflower
1 T coconut oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds, whole
1 tsp coriander, ground
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp yellow curry powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 head of cauliflower
1 T ginger, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 jalapeño, minced (to taste)
3 medium tomatoes, diced small
1 T lemon juice
Cilantro to garnish

Heat the coconut oil. Add the whole cumin seeds, stirring until fragrant. Add the coriander, gram masala, curry powder, and sea salt. Stir well. Add the ginger, garlic, and jalapeño. Cook for a minute. Add the tomatoes, and cover. Cook for 8-10 minutes. The cauliflower should be cooked and the tomatoes should have cooked down to a thick paste. Remove from heat, stir in the lemon juice, and garnish with cilantro.

Green apple tacos

We had tacos for dinner on Saturday night in celebration of Cinco de Mayo. The husband loves Mexican food, so we make tacos about once a week. I'll prepare beans and some sort of veggie filling—caramelized onions, sweet potatoes, or greens—while he cooks chicken and grates cheese. Taco night is fun. It's easy, relatively quick, and can be healthy.

The Food Matters Project recipe for this week was five quick salsas for chips, dips, and other stuff. Check out Alissa's recipes as well as what others made here. I decided to change things up and try Bittman's green apple salsa since I already have pico down pat (and I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of tomatoes from our CSA).

Green apples. Cucumbers. Cilantro. So light and refreshing. I'll definitely be making this again. I think it would make a lovely summer salad with the addition of kale or lettuce. I also made Bittman's corn tortillas, which produced a better end result than my previous attempts. They weren't the prettiest tortillas—I don't own a tortilla press—but they were tasty. I piled the tortilla with a spicy black bean puree and sautéed chard and onions underneath the salsa. Perfect.

Green apple salsa
Adapted from The Food Matters Cookbook
1.5 green apples, diced
2 large spring onions, diced
half a cucumber, peeled + deseeded, diced
1/3 c cilantro, minced
1 large radish, diced
juice of half a lemon
juice of half a lime
half a serrano pepper, minced (add to taste)
1 avocado, chopped
salt + pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Add sea salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate and let flavors meld before serving.

Bittman's corn tortillas
Recipe from The Food Matters Cookbook
1.5 c masa harina
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 c boiling water

Mix the first three ingredients in a large bowl. Add the boiling water and mix well until the dough comes together. Roll out on a floured surface and knead for a couple of minutes, until the dough is nice and smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and sit on the counter for at least 30 minutes.

Unwrap dough and tear into 12-16 pieces. Roll into balls and cover. Take each piece, rolling and shaping into a small disc by hand (or use a tortilla press). Continue with all of the dough.

Heat a cast iron pan over medium heat. Add a tortilla, cooking on each side, until a darker yellow and a few brown spots start to appear. Only takes a few minutes on each side. Repeat for all.

Grab a tortilla, layer with your favorite fillings, and top with delicious green apple salsa. Leftover tortillas taste great the next morning with scrambled eggs and roasted potatoes.

Chard packages

Tired of eating sautéed greens? Liven up your plate by making these chard packages.

My crisper is overflowing with greens—kale, chard, beet greens, and lettuces—from our CSA. I wanted something different for dinner, so I decided to stuff my chard leaves. I had leftover brown rice and lentils that I knew would make a perfect filling. I spied a half full jar of tomatillo salsa that I decided to use for the sauce. These are similar to stuffed grape leaves you might find at a Mediterranean deli.

Don't worry this is a pretty easy and quick recipe. Simply select the six biggest leaves you have. Prepare the filling, about a cup's worth. Stuff your leaves and bake. Feel free to change up the ingredients in the filling or the sauce. I think tomato sauce or freshly diced tomatoes would be nice.

Chard packages with tomatillo salsa
6 large chard leaves, rinsed well
~1 c of tomatillo salsa
1 tbsp olive oil or ghee
2 small onions, diced small
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp oregano
pinch of sea salt
pinch of red pepper chili flakes
1 small carrot, diced small
1 celery stalk, diced small
1 radish, diced, small
1/4 c cooked brown rice
1/3 c cooked lentils

Preheat oven to 350. Pour half of the tomatillo salsa into the bottom of a loaf pan.

Cut the chard stems at about where the leaves start. I normally make an upside down V with my knife into the stem. Set leaves aside.

Prepare your filling. This is where you can get creative. I used what vegetables I had on hand. You really need about a cup of filling. Saute the diced onion in the olive oil until transparent. Add the garlic, oregano, salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant then add the carrot, celery, and radish. Cook for another couple of minutes, then add the rice and lentils.

Fill your chard leaves. Grab a leaf, scoop about almost two tablespoons of the filling, and add to the middle of the base of the leaf (widest part). Roll in the sides, while rolling towards the end of the leaf (smallest part). Make sure to hold the filling with your fingers, so it doesn't go all over the place. After one or two you'll get the hang of it.

Nestle the chard packages, seam side down, right onto the salsa in the loaf pan. Drizzle the rest of the salsa over the tops. Cover with foil and bake for about 20-22 minutes.

Enjoy with a side of lentils and chipotle sweet potatoes.

Leftover loaf pan frittata

Need a last minute dinner idea? Looking for a way to use up those leftover sautéed greens or roasted potatoes? Well this recipe is for you. There's little to no prep involved. And this dinner will disguise those leftovers, making them fancier than they actually are.

Usually a frittata starts in a cast iron pan on the stove top and moves into the oven to finish cooking, but not this frittata. This frittata saves you time. There's no fussing with a cast iron pan. The ingredients are added to a loaf pan, and into the oven it goes. Wash those dishes, clean the kitchen, or make this side dish as it bakes.

Feel free to get creative here. Add some fresh herbs, feta, or roasted vegetables instead. Dial back the leftovers, if you'd like more egg-to-vegetable ratio.

Leftover loaf pan frittata
Serves 4 
5 or 6 eggs
1/4 c. rice milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cracked pepper
1/2 c. caramelized onion
1/2 c. roasted sweet potato, diced
1/2 c sautéed kale with garlic and red pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Crack the eggs in a bowl, add the rice milk, salt, pepper, and whisk until combined. Pour into a non-stick or oiled loaf pan. Grab a handful of your leftovers (in my case onions), spreading evenly throughout the egg mixture in the pan. Repeat with the remainder of your leftovers. Put the loaf pan into the oven. Cook for 25 minutes or until the egg is set (or a paring knife comes out clean when you stick it in the middle).

Enjoy a large slice for breakfast or dinner with a side of salad and toast.

And yes I've hijacked today's Friday Favorites post to share this recipe with you. Don't worry Friday Favorites with resume next week!

Orange sesame stir fry & brown rice noodles

My younger sister lived off bowls of Ramen noodles as a kid and I know a lot of college students do too. Ramen might be quick to prepare, but those noodles don't contain much nutritional value. There are no vegetables and they are incredibly high in sodium, not to mention preservatives. All the flavor resides in those little mystery foil packets.

I was inspired by this week's Food Matters Project recipe to make a big vegetable stir fry. Stir fries are great, because you can pack them full of vegetables like cabbage, mushrooms, carrots, turnips, bean sprouts, onions, and more. I mixed in some brown rice noodles to make this a one pot dinner. Since I used brown rice noodles this dish is gluten free, but soba or buckwheat noodles would work great too.

I added garlic and ginger to the orange sauce, and used local spring onions in place of the scallions. No mystery foil packet here. And don't worry about heating the leftovers up, they taste delicious as a cold noodle salad the following day.

This dish honestly doesn't take too long to prepare. Your health is important, so spend a little extra time preparing your food. You won't regret it.

Orange sesame stir fry & brown rice noodles
Adapted from The Food Matters Cookbook
1/2 lb brown rice noodles
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1.5 oranges, zest and juiced
2 tbsp tamari
1 tsp honey
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 spring onions, sliced thinly
1 container mung bean sprouts
2 carrots, grated
1/2 turnip, grated

1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated

2 garlic cloves, minced
6-8 mushrooms, sliced thinly
1/4 of savoy cabbage, sliced
1/4 c cilantro

Cook brown rice noodles according to the package. When cooked, drain, and put into a large serving bowl.

Heat sauté pan over medium. Add sesame seeds, cooking until toasted. Set aside.

Mix orange zest, orange juice, 1.5 tablespoon of tamari, and honey in a small dish. Heat a tablespoon of sesame oil over medium heat. Add the sprouts and half of the spring onions, cooking until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Then add the grated carrot and turnip, stirring well. Add the ginger and half of the garlic, cooking until fragrant. Now mix in the orange sauce. Cook for a few minutes, until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and pour over the noodles. Mix well.

Heat the remaining sesame oil over medium heat. Add the remainder of the spring onions and the mushrooms to the pan. Add the remaining tamari to the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are cooked down. Now add the cabbage, stir, and cook until wilted. Remove from heat, mix into the noodles, and sprinkle with cilantro and sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Curried sweet potato soup

I've been making a lot of soup lately, since the weather has finally cooled down. I make soups all year long, but there's something comforting about eating soup in the fall. I think its the warming spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, curry, ginger, cumin and cayenne.

Do you share my love for soup? If so, what's your favorite? The Kitchn just posted 25 soup recipes if you need some inspiration.

This is a simple soup and you probably already have most of the ingredients at home. If you don't have sweet potatoes, you can use carrots instead. But to make it creamy without adding dairy, add a tablespoon of oats, Arborio rice or potatoes when you add the stock. After you blend the soup, you'll notice that it has a thicker consistency.

Curried sweet potato soup

1 tbsp coconut oil
1 onion, roughly chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

dash of cayenne

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (2.5-3 cups)

2 small carrots

3.5-4 c veggie stock

1 T lemon juice
1 tsp ginger juice*

sea salt to taste

Add the coconut oil to a pot over medium heat. Add the onions, cover and sweat for about 5 minutes or until they are translucent. Add the garlic, curry, cumin and cayenne. Stir for about a minute. Then add the potatoes and carrots. Let the vegetables sweat for a couple of minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil (make sure the liquid covers the vegetables). When it reaches a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the veggies are cooked well. When done, blend with an immersion blender or put into a blender (be careful with hot liquids). Stir in the lemon and ginger juice. Add sea salt to taste. Garnish with a drizzle of lemon-tahini dressing or yogurt, paprika and cilantro.

*To make ginger juice: Cut an inch piece of ginger, peel and grate or mince very finely. Wrap the minced ginger with cheesecloth and squeeze over a small bowl. You should get about a tsp or more of ginger juice. 

Makes 3-4 servings.

The perfect fall lunch

It's amazing how our bodies react to cooler weather. We tend to yearn for warm foods like soups and stews instead of cold salads and raw foods. Warming spices like cinnamon, allspice, cloves and nutmeg seem to find their way into our soups, coffees and baked goods. Pumpkin-spiced latte anyone?

This dish is the perfect fall lunch or dinner. Caramelizing the onion not only makes this dish taste better, but also heartier. It also takes advantage of those winter squashes that are popping up all over the market—acorn, butternut, kabocha, spaghetti or pumpkin. Feel free to substitute the acorn squash in this dish for your favorite winter squash.

Kale with squash, chickpeas, caramelized onions and cilantro-yogurt dressing
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 T olive oil
1 bunch kale, washed
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 tsp sea salt
dash of pepper
dash of red chili flakes
1 acorn squash, cooked and cut into cubes
1 c cooked chickpeas
1 T cilantro, minced
1 T lemon juice
1 tsp tahini

1 bunch of cilantro, rinsed and roughly chopped

1/2 c yogurt

In a saute pan over low heat, add 1 T olive oil. Add a dash of sea salt and the onions. Let cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. It's best if you walk away from the stove and start prepping the kale, so you won't be tempted to stir. The onions should slowly start to brown and caramelize.

Destem the kale leaves with your hands. Keep the stems and dice small. Take the leaves, roll them, and slice thinly into a chiffonade (very thin slices). Heat remaining 1 T of olive oil over low-to-medium heat. First add the kale stems (since they take longer to cook than the leaves), then add the salt, pepper and red pepper flakes, stirring frequently. About five minutes later, add the kale leaves. If the leaves start to stick to the pan, add a little water. Cook for a few minutes or until the kale starts to wilt. Add the garlic cloves, cooking until fragrant and remove from heat. The kale will cook down to about half the size it was, when you put it into the pan.

In a large bowl, add the squash and chickpeas. In a small bowl mix together the cilantro, lemon juice and tahini. Pour over the squash and chickpeas, and mix carefully.

Blend the cilantro and yogurt until smooth.

To assemble, start with a bed of kale. Add the squash and chickpea mixture and top with caramelized onions. Drizzle the dressing around the dish.

Makes about 4 servings

Millet croquettes with eggplant puree

Celiac awareness day is celebrated on September 13. I'm a few days late, but I thought I'd share this delicious gluten free recipe.

If you're not familiar with millet, you should be! Millet is a non-glutinous grain that has a very small, yellow round shape. It's hypoallergenic and is a great substitute to wheat. It's a common grain in birdseed, but it's definitely for more than just the birds. Rich in magnesium—which is thought to help with asthma and reduce migraines—phosphorous and the B vitamins, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and B6. It's also a better source of protein than wheat, corn and rice.

When cooked millet becomes pretty sticky, so it's perfect for croquettes. You don't even need an egg to help bind these veggie-packed patties. These croquettes are baked, not fried so they're better for you.

Millet croquettes
1 c millet, rinsed
3.5 c water
1/2 tsp sea salt
1.5 c kale, chopped
1 T olive oil
1/2 onion
1 garlic clove
1 pepper, minced
1 tsp freshly ground cumin
1/2 tsp zaatar
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Rinse millet. Add 3.5 c water, millet and 1/2 tsp sea salt to a large pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover, cooking for 15-20 minutes. (Starting with cold water makes the grain stickier which is perfect when making croquettes. If you wanted to make a pilaf or grain salad, start with boiling water.)

Bring another pot of water to boil. As you're waiting, you can chop up the kale. Make sure to remove the stems. Have an ice bath in another bowl ready (Fill bowl halfway with water and add ice cubes). When the water is boiling add the kale. Blanch the kale for about 1 minute then dunk into the ice bath. When the kale is cool, remove from the ice bath and mince.

Put a saute pan over low heat. Add the olive oil. Then add the onion, cooking until translucent. Stir in the minced pepper, salt, pepper, cumin and zaatar. After a few more minutes add the garlic. Cook until the garlic has become fragrant and then remove from heat.

When the millet is done, let is sit for a few minutes. Mix the kale and onion mixture together in a large bowl. Then add the millet. Mix well with your hands. When it's all mixed, form small patties with your hand. Put onto the baking sheet and bake on each side for 10 minutes or until it side lightly browns.

Makes about 12-2 inch croquettes.

Eggplant puree
6 small eggplants
1 T olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 c plain yogurt
3 T tahini
1/4 c parsley, minced

Preheat oven to 350. Place eggplant onto a baking sheet and poke a few holes in each eggplant. Put into the oven, cook for about 25 minutes or until the eggplant is soft.

While eggplant is cooking, saute the garlic in olive oil over low-to-medium heat. Remove when you start to smell the garlic.

Mix the yogurt, tahini and parsley together in a small bowl. Add the garlic and olive oil.

Remove the eggplant from the oven and let it cool. When it's cool enough to touch, slice it open lengthwise and scoop out the flesh. Put the eggplant and yogurt mixture into a blender. Blend until smooth.

Top the millet croquettes with the eggplant mixture.


Makes about 3/4 a cup.


Sources: 
WHFoods.org
Murray 2005, p. 347-348.

NC fish tacos with pickled red onion

When a friend offers you freshly caught fish (from the NC coast), you accept and make fish tacos. Well at least, that's what we did the other night.

I was never a big seafood person growing up. But after studying holistic nutrition and reading about the benefits of fish, I've tried to incorporate it into my diet more. Fish contain omega-3 fatty acids that improve brain and memory function, help with inflammation, lower cholesterol and support healthy skin and hair. I know what you're thinking, aren't you vegetarian? I eat that way most of the time, but I also listen to what my body needs. And sometimes that includes organic, local chicken and fish.

NC fish tacos with pickled red onion
Adapted from Epicurious
Marinade for the fish
1 tbsp cumin, whole seeds
1 tbsp oregano
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1tsp paprika
2 tsp sea salt
dash of cracked pepper
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c cilantro, chopped & rinsed

~1 lb of mahi mahi (or a mild, white fish)
1 lime

Mix all ingredients in a small shallow dish. Add fish, flipping a few times to get the marinade on both sides. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Heat saute pan over medium heat. Add fish. Cook for a few minutes on each side. The fish should be lightly browned. Squeeze lime over the fish.

I've made these pickled onions before. They involve just two ingredients, onions and vinegar. I could eat them on everything.

Pickled red onions
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
Red wine vinegar

Put onion slices into a small bowl. Cover almost completely with vinegar. Let macerate, while you're cooking the fish or making guacamole.

Now assemble your fish tacos. Grab a corn tortilla (make sure to heat up first), fill with guacamole, a handful of pickled onions and fish.

Serve with guacamole, chips, and a black bean salad like this one.

Feel good chickpeas & kale

The weather has been surprisingly cool and rainy for NC this time of year. Our spring is usually very quick with temperatures soaring into the 80s by May. I'm not complaining, I love this weather, especially when the afternoon is filled with rain.

Have a bunch of kale (or any green) on your hands that you need to cook? Here's a quick and delicious recipe to whip up for a light lunch or a side with dinner. I love the mixture of garlic and ginger, it gives this dish a punch of flavor as well as health benefits from these amazing spices.

Feel good chickpeas & kale
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 bunch of russian kale (or any kind), rinsed and cut into thin ribbons
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp sea salt
1 inch knob of ginger, minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1.5 c chickpeas or 1 can, rinsed (or use any bean on hand)

Add the coconut oil to a saute pan over low-to-medium heat. When the oil has melted, add the cumin seeds, cook until fragrant. Toss in the kale, garlic, sea salt, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Cook for a few minutes, until fragrant and the kale starts to wilt. Mix in the chickpeas and cook until warm, just a few minutes longer.