Brussel Sprout Salad

 Bacon and Brussel Sprout Salad

salad

Ingredients:

For the dressing:

juice of one lemon

juice of one orange

2-3 tablespoons apple cider (not vinegar, just regular apple cider! for sweetness!)

1 shallot, minced

½ cup olive oil

½ teaspoon salt and pepper to taste

For the salad:

4 dozen brussels sprouts

1 cup almonds

6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled or chopped

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (Asiago or Gruyere are also good)

Directions:

Combine the lemon juice, orange juice, apple cider, and shallots in a small bowl. Add the olive oil in a steady stream and whisk for a minute or two, until it becomes creamy-looking.

Slice the brussels sprouts with a mandoline, taking care of your fingers! and slicing them as thin as possible. This works best when you hold the stem, slice from the top, and stop with a little bit left at the bottom, discarding the remaining bottom stem part since it's not very leafy anyway. The thinner the shreds, the better the salad!

Toss the shreds and loosen them with your fingers to they separate and fluff a little bit.

Pulse the almonds in a food processor until finely chopped.

Toss the brussels sprouts, almonds, bacon, cheese, and dressing together. Serve immediately or within a few hours of tossing.

Source: jamie kelving

Quinoa with Kale, Raisins and Chickpeas

I have been trying some healthy recipes - maybe we need a tag for super healthy food. . .  I haven't made this, but tried it as a sample.  It was yummy.  But deep down I still just want a big plate of nachos!

Quinoa with Kale, Raisins & Chickpeas
2/3 cup dry quinoa, rinsed well
1 1/3 cups vegetable broth
4 cups kale, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp chili flakes
1 19 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed well zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 teaspoon good quality sea salt
1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
nutritional yeast (optional)
chopped walnuts (optional)

Serves 4
Calories: 344 per serving

Fiber 8.3g

Place the quinoa and broth in a large pot, bring to a boil then cover and reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes until almost all the liquid has been absorbed. In the last couple minutes add the kale on top and stir. Cover and let cook for 2 more minutes. Set aside.
While waiting for the quinoa to cook, heat a large pan over medium heat. Heat the coconut oil, add garlic and chili flakes. Sauté 2 minutes until golden and fragrant. Add chickpeas and lemon zest and cook until warm, about 2 minutes. Add the quinoa, kale, raisins and salt and stir to mix well. Add the cherry tomatoes last, and stir over heat for 1 minute. Serve with some nutritional yeast and chopped walnuts sprinkled on top.