Tag Archives: recipes

May 3 2013

You need to try this

{This recipe originally posted on Isla Organic}

Today I wanted to share with you one of my go-to recipes – a recipe I make often and has quickly become a big hit among my friends and family who I’ve made it for.  My Rubbed Kale Salad (recipe below) is a must-try recipe – trust me on this!

Why do you need to try this recipe? Here are 5 reasons:

  1. It is easy to make and takes less than 10 minutes from start to finish
  2. It only uses a few ingredients
  3. It is versatile (topping and dressing options included! But I want you to play around and have fun with it! Get creative!)
  4. You can make it in large batches and serve it throughout the week. It stores really well in the fridge because kale is a hearty green – it doesn’t wilt like most greens do.
  5. Kale is a superfood and is incredibly good for you. I could go on and on about the health benefits of kale, but instead I’ll give you the link to this post where I did just that last year :)

Rubbed kale salad2

 

Rubbed Kale Salad

Ingredients: 

1 bunch of organic kale

1/2 tsp. sea salt

 

Directions:

1. Wash and dry kale and remove leaves from stems.

2. Cut kale leaves into thin (about 1/2”-1”) strips.

3. Place cut-up kale leaves into a large bowl and add the sea salt.

4. Using your hands, massage the kale leaves until they begin to reduce, about 2 minutes. Sometimes liquid may form.

5. Let sit for 5 minutes, and pour out any liquid that may have formed.

6. Top with your favorite seasonal toppings and homemade dressing, ideas below.

 

Topping options:

1. Sun-dried tomatoes, sunflower seeds, Parmesan or feta cheese

2. Apple or pear slices, walnuts, shallots

3. Shredded chicken, onions, cherry tomatoes

4. Oven-roasted root veggies (sweet potatoes work really well), onions, pumpkin seeds

 

Dressing options:

1. 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp. lemon juice

2. 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp. pure maple syrup, 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

3. 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp. pure maple syrup

 

Like my shirt?! :)

Like my shirt?! :)

 

Did you like this post? If so please share it with your friends, family, and coworkers by using the social share buttons below! Have a fabulous day! xo Andrea

 

Dec 31 2012

My Favorite Recipes of 2012

As 2012 draws to a close, I wanted to do a quick recap of my favorite recipes that I have created this year. Check out my 7 favorite recipes of 2012, plus my favorite all-time recipe below!

Butternut Squash Chili – If you are a regular reader of this blog, you are fully aware of my butternut squash obsession. I can’t seem to eat enough butternut squash. I think it’s because I have a sweet tooth and this squash totally satisfies my love for a sweet treat. I have made this chili recipe countless times, and each time it comes out slightly different from the previous time. It stores well, which makes it a perfect recipe to make in bulk and serve for lunches all week long!

Pumpkin Oatmeal Pancakes – Who doesn’t love pancakes?! This healthier version of the traditional pancake recipe is perfect for a Fall or Winter morning. It is filling and will leave you satisfied well into lunch time.

Topped these pancakes with softened apples and pecans – SO good!

Slow Cooker Pork and Cabbage – I love slow cookers! Nothing better than prepping for about 10 minutes in the morning, having your dinner cook all day while you are at work, then coming home to a warm, nutriious meal!

Warming and hearty, the perfect Winter dinner!

Pineapple Coconut Rum Cake – The Bahamas is my favorite vacation spot, and rum cake is the souvenir I always bring back to the States with me. After a trip to the islands last Spring, I decided to create a somewhat healthier version of the tropical dessert and I was quite pleased with the outcome.

Who DOESN’T love Rum Cake?!

Corn Chowder – This Vitamix recipe was the perfect to create as the days started turning colder in September. It is super creamy, super flavorful, and super easy. It quickly became one of my favorite Fall recipes!

So creamy, so good!

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies – This simple recipe is so quick to make! Only a few ingredients turn into deliciously soft, and fairly healthy, cookies. If you are looking for a healthy dessert, look no further – this vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe is for you!

Who DOESN’T love Chocolate Chip Cookies?!

Pumpkin Martini – I made this recipe far too many times in the month of November. I made it for friends, I made it for family, and I made it a lot for my husband and myself. It is creamy, warm, and comforting on a cold Fall evening. The flavor just screams Fall.

It’s easy to toss a few of these back on a Fall night….

MY ALL TIME FAVORITE RECIPE…..

Butternut Squash Pizza – I may have done this recipe in December 2011, but it is my all-time favorite recipe I have created. I just love it! The sweetness of the butternut squash combined with the smoothness of the cheese and the tartness of the sun dried tomatoes, make this recipe an explosion of flavor in your mouth. Seriously. You just need to try this recipe once and you will understand what I mean!

My all-time favorite recipe!

For these 8 recipes, as well as many other tasty, healthy treats, make sure to check out my RECIpage! Happy cooking!

Dec 23 2012

Cooking Up a Storm

With the colder temperatures and shorter days, I find myself indoors a lot more these days. When I’m indoors, 9 times out of 10 you will find me in my kitchen.

About a month ago I purchased some new cookbooks and I’ve been having a lot of fun preparing meals featured in the books. My favorite book I purchased – Kris Carr’s Crazy Sexy Kitchen. I love Kris Carr. She is a inspiration and proof that eating a healthy diet can literally change your life. Over the past few years, my diet has become increasingly more healthy and I am proud of that; however, my journey to health is not nearly as great of an accomplishment as Kris Carr’s journey. If you don’t know Kris’ story, you can check it out on her website; she is also the author Crazy Sexy Diet, and has been featured in multiple documentaries and Oprah. (She is basically my idol.) To sum up her journey in a nutshell, about a decade ago Kris was diagnosed with stage four cancer and was given only a few months to live. Now, years later, she is not only healthy, but thriving. This summary doesn’t do her story justice, so make sure to check out her awesomely-inspirational website here!

The first recipe I made from Kris’ cookbook is the “Millet and Mango” recipe. This breakfast porage is made with millet, coconut milk, and almond milk and is so creamy and delicious – perfect for a cold Winter’s morning. The recipe calls for using frozen mango or peaches, however, being the crazy localvore I am, I canned about 20 pounds of peaches this past August so I have been using my canned peaches. I absolutely love this recipe! It is so simple and cooks up fairly quickly – plus it stores well, so I typically make enough for two mornings.

This recipe has a tropical taste to it, so why not make it feel even more tropical in a pretty bowl with some flowers?!

I also made Kris’ “Kale Chips” recipe, which was made with a cashew cream sauce in my dehydrator. Oh. My. Goodness. I honestly forgot to even take a picture, because I literally devoured the chips before I could even do so. I am such a fat kid at heart. The picture below is from the cookbook so you can see how lovely these crispy, cheesy chips are.

Photo Source: Crazy Sexy Kitchen

Another cook book I recently purchased is the Joy the Baker Cookbook. I was introduced to Joy the Baker by my food blogging friend Cassie, who is a huge Joy fan. I recently met Joy at the Eat Botique event in Boston a few weeks ago and immediately understood why Cassie is such a huge fan of Joy – she is SO incredibly nice! So friendly, so happy, so sweet. One short conversation with her and I was instantly a fan! Oh, and she has some really great recipes too ;) I have only made one so far, but there are many, many more that I am looking forward to trying in the near future.

I made Joy’s “Orange Gingerbread Squares with Cream Cheese Frosting,” minus the whole cream cheese frosting part. I made some variations to Joy’s recipe, as I realized mid-baking that I was out of some of the ingredients – so, I made my gingerbread a vegan loaf version! It came out beautifully, and of course, very tasty. It was moist, flavorful, and tasted like Christmas (if there is such a thing.)

Vegan gingerbread loaf

Some other recent recipes I have been whipping up in the kitchen include…..

Shredded brussel sprout and bacon salad. This recipe was so good, I don’t even know if I can describe it in words! I decided to roast my brussel sprout shreds, as I wanted a warming salad on a cold night, and it the end result was a delicious dish that reminded me of a flavorful meal at a German restaurant. The flavors are very German-esk, and I am a huge fan of German food.

Mouth watering meal!

Soba Noddles with Crispy Tempeh in a Peanut Sauce. Another amazingly delicious dish perfect for warming you up on a cold Winters night! This is a vegan dish by Andrea Beaman, who I am also a huge fan of. This dish is rich and filling, and serves up great for lunch leftovers the next day.

A hearty dish sure to warm you up this Winter!

Since Winter has only just begun, I will surely be doing a lot more cooking and baking over the next few months. I plan on using the recipes in my new cookbooks, as well as some creations I find online, to feed my husband and I – which means more posts will follow – stay tuned!

If you are interested in purchasing the Joy the Baker Cookbook, or Kris Carr’s Crazy Sexy Kitchen, head on over to my Amazon store and buy them at a great price!

What is your favorite cookbook or recipe website that you use to prepare your meals? 

Dec 17 2012

Butternut Squash and Leek Fritatta

If you are a regular reader of this blog, it probably comes to no surprise that I have prepared yet another butternut squash recipe. I love this sweet orange vegetable….

A few weeks back I made the Butternut Squash and Leek Latkes, and I fell in love with a new way to use my favorite vegetable – shredding it! I had some leftover squash from that recipe that had not been shredded yet, and I picked up even more leeks from my CSA that week, so I decided another butternut squash and leek recipe had to be created.

And here it is: Butternut Squash and Leek Fritattas

Look at the texture of all the veggies in this fritatta!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes total

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients 

  • 6 eggs
  • 3/4 cup of water
  • 1/4 butternut squash, peeled and shredded
  • 1 cup of mushrooms
  • 1 medium sweet onion
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1 tsp. dried thyme
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Heat a large, oven proof skillet on the stove top over medium heat. Coat with non-stick cooking spray. Be generous with this. You want to coat the sides of the skillet as well, so that the fritatta won’t stick when you go to cut it for serving.
  • Chop onions and mushrooms into small pieces, and mince garlic. Add to the heated skillet.
  • As the veggies start to cook in the skillet, shred butternut squash and add the shreds to the skillet once the onions and mushrooms begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Cook together for 5 minutes.
  • As the veggies are cooking, take a medium sized bowl and scramble your eggs and water, seasoning with sea salt and pepper if desired.
  • Add the scrambled eggs to the skillet and cook until the mixture is just firm but still a little liquid-y looking, about 5-7 minutes. Then, place the skillet into the oven and cook until firm all the way through, about 15 minutes.

The fritatta right before I’m about to place it in the oven; a bit firm, but still slightly liquid-y in the middle

  • Take the skillet out of the oven and sprinkle the dried herbs and parmesan cheese on top. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before cutting, as it will stay together better.
  • Enjoy!

Make sure to check out my other butternut squash recipes over on the Recipes tab! Between pizza, chili, laktes, and now this breakfast recipe, there is sure to be some variation of butternut squash that you will enjoy!

What is your favorite way to prepare butternut squash?

Dec 3 2012

Superfood Bars

This past weekend my good friend Erik came for a visit and brought a delicious snack with him….

YUM!

 

After the first bite I said, “These are AMAZING! I have to share them on my blog!” Erik agreed and was happy to share his recipe with me, and even helped me photograph his yummy superfood treats.

Food photography is more fun with friends!

 

Playing around in the freshly fallen snow

Erik and I met back when we were sophomores in college and lived together for a two years while we went to school.  Erik and I have both come quite a long way from our college days, especially when it comes to eating. Back in college it was completely normal for us to order take-out at 1am – buffalo chicken pizza or crab rangoons anyone?! Now even the thought of eating those foods that late makes my stomach churn!

We have both found that eating healthier makes us more energized and therefore more productive. We are both up early and spend our days working busy jobs. Erik is an amazing hair stylist and co-owner of the Will Charles Salon on Newbury Street in Boston. (Brides to be take note – Erik does a fabulous job with wedding hair and recently won Best of Boston for Wedding Hairstyles.) His hectic schedule calls for keeping his body fueled with healthy foods so he has energy throughout the day. These superfood bars are the perfect answer to his long days in the salon.  Packed with essential vitamins and nutrients, these bars are just what his body needs to get through the day. He makes these superfood bars in large batches, often double the size of the recipe you see below, so that he can take them to work with him throughout the week. They are the perfect meal replacement bar and work well as a breakfast, lunch, or a snack.

Don’t let the green coloring scare you – these bars are mighty tasty and flavorful! The goji berries and strawberries are the flavors that dominate in this healthy bar.

Don’t let the color scare you! These bars taste sweet and DELICIOUS!

Erik’s Superfood Health Bars

Prep Time: 30 min. total

“Cook” Time: This is a raw, uncooked recipe, but it will take 6-12 hours in the dehydrator, 8 hours in the fridge

Yields: 6-8 large bars, 1/2″ thick

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. pitted Medjool dates
  • 1 bunch of Kale
  • 1/4 cup Goji berries
  • 1/2 cup Raw Almonds
  • 1/2 cup Raw Pistachio nuts, meat only
  • 1 Tbsp. Chia seeds
  • 1 Tbsp. Flax seeds
  • 2 cups Strawberries
  • 2 Tbsp. Hemp Protein Powder

Directions:

  • Using a dehydrator, dry the kale and strawberries according to dehydrator’s instructions. This process typically takes 6-12 hours for the strawberries and 4-6 for the kale, so you may want to do this a day or two ahead of time, or make these bars over the course of a weekend.
  • Take all ingredients, except for the kale and dates, and rough chop in a blender. Put mixture into a large bowl.
  • Using the blender, powder the kale and hemp protein powder. Add to the large bowl with the other ingredients.
  • Using the blender, and in batches, blend handful of dates with handful of dry ingredients. You want the consistency to be a sticky, rough chop. Do this until all of the ingredients are processed together.
  • Take the mixture and kneed into big ball, like you would with dough.
  • Take a cookie sheet, line it with parchment paper, and put the press the mixture into even layer on the cookie sheet. You want it to be about 1/2″ thick. It will not cover the entire cookie sheet. Place it in the fridge uncovered overnight.
  • Cut into bars and enjoy!

Special thanks to Erik for sharing this recipe with me and for helping me with the pictures! You are welcome back to my house anytime – just make sure you bring more superfood bars! :)

Nov 30 2012

Happy 1st Birthday!

It has officially been a year since I wrote my first post, Choices, on Be Healthy Be Happy Be Local, and what an exciting year it has been!

Recipes have been created, healthy living tips have been shared, and my knowledge of healthy eating and living has been expanded thanks to my experiences at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Each week this blog gets more and more readers, and I am so thankful for all of you! Thank you for taking the time to read my posts and recipes – I hope you all find the information on this blog useful.

To celebrate BHBHBL’s 1st birthday, I created a yummy dessert treat: German Chocolate Cupcakes. I love chocolate, I love dessert, and I’m German – so I thought this recipe was fitting for the occasion :)

These German Chocolate Cupcakes are PACKED with chocolatey flavor! They are super moist, gooey, and not all that bad for you either – honey is substituted for sugar to help cut down on the calories, and to help enhance the flavor.

German Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
  • 1/2 tsp. sea salt
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt
  • 1/3 cup chocolate chips

For the ganache

  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk

For the garnish

  • 1 Tbsp. shredded coconut, unsweetened
  • 1 Tbsp. pecans, crushed finely
  • 1 Tbsp. honey

Directions:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and line muffin pan with liners. Set pan aside.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, combine all of the dry cupcake ingredients. In a separate mixing bowl, combine all of the wet cupcake ingredients. DO NOT put chocolate chips into either mixer – wait for those instructions below!
  • Slowly incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined.

Combining ingredients

  • Pour the batter into the muffin liners until the are half full. Drop chocolate chips into the batter – about 10 chips or so into each muffin. Then, use the remaining batter to fill off the liners.

Place chocolate chips in half-filled liners

  • Cook the cupcakes for 18 minutes.
  • While the cupcakes are cooking, prepare to make your ganache. I find the easiest way to melt chocolate and make a ganache is by using the double broiler method. DO NOT make the ganache until the cupcakes are out of the oven – wait for those instructions below!

Prepping ganache ingredients

  • Also, while the cupcakes are cooking you can get your garnish ingredients ready.

Using the dull side of a meat tenderizer, I am chopping the pecans into small pieces

  • Chopped up pecans

  • When the cupcakes are finished, place them on the cooling rack and allow them to cool for about 5 minutes. While the are cooling, make the ganache by melting the chocolate into the coconut milk until the mixture is smooth and shiny, about 1-2 min. I learned how to do this technique in the truffle making class I did!

Stir the chocolate chips and coconut milk until chocolate is melted and is smooth and shiny, about 1-2 min

Ganache is done when it is smooth and shiny

  • When the ganache is made, start dipping the tops of the cupcakes into the ganache and then immediately garnish with the coconut and pecans.

Garnishing the cupcakes

  • Once all of the cupcakes have ganache, coconut, and pecans, you can drizzle honey over the cupcakes. The honey gives the cupcakes the gooey, German Chocolate Cake feel!

Honey drizzle adds the finishing touch!

  • Enjoy!

Seriously, how good do these look?!

I’ll take 3, please….

Happy 1st birthday, Be Healthy Be Happy Be Local! Here’s to many more years of healthy living tips and recipes! Cheers!

Nov 26 2012

Butternut Squash and Leek Latkes

Well what do you know, another butternut squash recipe!! Can you tell this is one of my favorite vegetables?!

I’m always looking for new ways to cook butternut squash, and ways to use it in recipes, so when I came across a picture of shredded butternut squash on Instagram from Sherrie on Living Simply Gluten Free on a light bulb went off in my head. About a week ago, I created a recipe for Leek Latkes after discovering one in a cookbook I was reading. The recipe I found in the cookbook was not that healthy, so I set off to make my own. The leek latke recipe I created tasted really, really yummy, but didn’t quite turn out in a latke form and fell apart. It needed something else to hold it together. Shredded butternut squash was just the answer! (Thanks Sherrie for the inspiration!)

These Butternut Squash and Leek Latkes are filling, thanks to the protein in millet, and flavorful, thanks to the veggies and seasonings. This is a perfect make once eat twice meal – double up the recipe so you can have leftovers for lunch the next day!

Butternut Squash and Leek Latkes

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup millet, dry
  • 2 cups stock, or water (to cook millet)
  • 2 leeks, white and light green parts only
  • 4 cups shredded butternut squash, about 1/3 of a squash
  • 1 egg
  • About 1/4 cup of all purpose flour
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley
  • 1 Tbsp. dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp. turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp. cumin
  • Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

  • Start off by cooking the millet according to the package directions; however, you want the millet to be a bit thicker than normal. Most packages call for 2 cups of water to 1/2 cup of dry millet. I used 3/4 cup of millet to make it thicker. I also used homemade turkey stock instead of water to make it more flavorful. When millet is cooked, set aside.
  • While millet is cooking, peel and shred the butternut squash using a cheese grater. Using a piece of paper towel or cheese cloth, squeeze out excess liquid and set aside.

Using a cheese grater to shred the butternut squash

  • Slice the leeks into thin pieces and then wash the pieces. Dirt gets in between the layers, so you want to wash AFTER you cut the leek. Cook the leek in a skillet over medium heat until the pieces get soft, about 10 minutes. Use a little olive oil to prevent the leek from sticking to the pan. Keep skillet on stove, as you can use it to cook the latkas.

Millet and leeks cooking

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked millet, shredded squash, and cooked leeks. Add in all of the other remaining ingredients and stir to combine.

Adding all the ingredients to a mixing bowl

Mixing up the ingredients

  • Make patties with the mixture. I found that wetting my hands a bit before making each patty helped the patties keep their shape and not fall apart. You may need to use a little more flour to also help them keep their shape.
  • Cover the skillet with non-stick spray, or olive oil, and cook the patties until golden brown – about 4-5 minutes each side. You may need to use a spatula to help reshape the latkes if the sides start to fall out of place.

Cooking up the latkes

  • Enjoy!

For other butternut squash recipes, make sure to head over to my recipes section. I also have another latke recipe. For the health benefits of butternut squash, take a look at this post.

Sep 6 2012

Creamy Corn Chowder

This may be my favorite recipe that I have created so far! Although, to be fair, it is probably because I made it in my awesome new Vitamix…

Great for bread dipping!

Using only a few, in-season ingredients, this recipe is packed with flavor and is incredibly satisfying. It also stores well, so you can take it to lunch with you the next day or serve it the next night for leftovers! It’s so yummy your family won’t be disappointed that they are getting leftovers – trust me.

I have prepared the recipe two ways – stove top method and with the Vitamix – choose which one works best for you.

Corn Chowder (Click on name for printable instructions)

Ingredients:
2 ears of corn, grilled or cooked, kernels removed from cob
4 medium potatoes, baked
1/2 medium onion, skin removed
2 cloves garlic, skin removed
1 cup cream (I used farm fresh raw cream)
1 1/2 cups low-sodium organic vegetable broth
2 Tbsp. fresh oregano
2 Tbsp. fresh thyme

**Use organic produce (especially potatoes) whenever possible**

Optional add ins:
Bacon – bits
Chicken – shredded
Fresh Bread

TIPS – For faster cooking, cook the potatoes in the microwave. They only take a few minutes to cook through. You could also use canned or frozen corn, but trust me, fresh will taste much better!! To grill your corn wrap the ear in tin foil and place on the grill for 25-30 minutes, rotating so it cooks evenly on all sides.

Stove top instructions: Takes about 25 min.

- In a large pot, begin by sautéing the onion and garlic for 5 min, or until fragrant.

- Add in the cream, broth, and half of the potatoes. Cook until heat through and steam starts to rise, about 5-10 min.

- Using an immersion blender, or a regular blender in batches (be careful blending hot liquids), blend the soup until smooth and creamy.

- Cut up the remainder of the potatoes into bite sized pieces. Add them to the soup.

- Add the corn and herbs. Cook for an additional 5 min.

- Serve with fresh bread and enjoy!

Vitamix instructions: Takes only 10 min!

- Begin by sautéing the onion and garlic for 5 min, or until fragrant.

- In the Vitamix add half of the potatoes, cream, and broth. Add the onion and garlic once they are slightly cooked.

- Select variable 1 and slowly turn to variable 10, then to high. Blend for 4-5 minutes, or until steam starts coming from the top.

- Reduce the speed to variable 3 and add in the remainder of the potatoes, corn, and herbs. Allow to blend for an additional 30 seconds.

- Serve with fresh bread and enjoy!

Look at how thick and creamy it is!! Mmm mmm yummy!

I hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as my husband and I have! If you make it, let me know what you think – I always love hearing when people make my recipes!

Apr 13 2012

Ingredient of the Week: Kale Part II

By the amount of hits on my last post, it seems like a lot of people are interested in kale! So, as promised, here is a post dedicated to kale recipes….

Simple ways to cook/use kale:
- Tear kale leaves off of stems and saute in a skillet over medium heat, with 1 tsp. of extra virgin olive oil (or healthy oil of your choice), a dash of black pepper and a dash of sea salt. Cook kale, turning it every minute or so to prevent burning, until it turns bright green, about 5 minutes. I often do this as a side with my breakfast because it’s quick, easy, and gives me an extra boost of energy in the morning!

Cooking kale in a skillet


- Tear kale leaves off of stems and toss into boiling water. Cook until it turns bright green, only 1 or 2 minutes, and remove from water. Run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and a dash of sea salt and black pepper. Perfect side dish for any dinner!
- Put raw kale into salads!
- Sneak kale in to pasta sauces, egg dishes, soups, or pizzas. I realize this may be difficult for some of you with picky eaters in your family, but just try it – Maybe they won’t notice, or maybe they may end up enjoying it! It’s a great nutritional addition to any meal.

Here are some recipes of mine that I sneak kale in to. They are all hearty meals, so they may be a great place to start for the picky eaters in your family!
- Breakfast Pizza

Breakfast Pizza


- Butternut Squash Mac ‘N Cheese

Mmm mac 'n cheese...


- Butternut Squash Pizza

Who doesn't love pizza?!


- Healthy Pasta Bake

Pasta, veggies, cheese, YUM!


- Sausage and Veggie Fritatta: Sorry, no picture!
- Stuffed Squash: Again, no picture, sorry!

One of my favorite blogs, Daily Garnish, posted this yummy looking kale salad recipe earlier this week. The homemade dressing with maple syrup and balsamic vinaigrette sound mouth watering to me! Going to try it out this weekend.

As promised, here is a new recipe for you all: Sesame Kale Chips.

A healthy alternative to the potato chip

Do you have any kale recipes that you make/cook?