Wild Child Summer Salad

I'm not really sure how to categorize this salad. Extravagant coleslaw? Caribbean? Whatever it is, it is delicious and a real looker! And it's really good for you too! This gorgeous salad will outshine any dish you try and serve with it, so you might as well let it be the star!

Warning: If you think nutrition is boring, skip the next paragraph because here it comes!

Eating by the rainbow ensures you are getting the full range of antioxidants and vitamins from your foods and also pushes you outside of your comfort zone to try new foods. Variety is the key to healthy eating. Here are the ingredients and health benefits by color:

Cranberries, Radishes vitamin C, lycopene, anthocyanins
Carrot, Apple Cider Vinegar alpha-carotene
Mango, Cumin beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, vitamin A
Cucumber, Cilantro, Magdalena Pepper, Avocado, Pistachios vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A, capsaicin, lutein flavonols, fiber, potassium, vitamin E, folic-acid
Purple Cabbage, Shallots, Purple Garlic vitamin K, vitamin C, Manganese, Potassium, vitamin B6, diallyl sulfides, anthocyanins
(The cloud right?) Feta Cheese, Coleslaw Dressing Calcium
Flax Seed (definitely the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow) Iron, Fiber, Protein

Let's get started with the dressing. . .
Yes, I use store bought Coleslaw Dressing because I like it, but I give it my own twist. Start by chopping up some purple garlic, about 2 cloves, and scrape it onto a flat piece of tin foil. Add about a tablespoon of flax seeds to the tin foil. Place it on a cookie sheet and place on the top oven rack and put it on broil. Don't walk away from the oven! The flax seeds burn really quickly. Only let them bake for 2 or 3 minutes. Then pull them out and mix them into the dressing. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of the Apple Cider Vinegar to the dressing as well as salt, pepper, and a good dose of Cumin.

Slice the cabbage into strips, I like mine about 1/2 an inch wide and 2 inches long. The cabbage should make up about 2/3 of the salad's bulk.
Skin the cucumber and then slice.
Slice the radishes, carrots, and scallions.
Mince the magdalena pepper.
Chop the cilantro.
Cube the avocado.
Slice the mango into wedges.
Top with the feta cheese and cranberries.
Crack open the pistachios, and smash them between two paper towels so they are crumbled. Sprinkle over the top of the salad.
Top it all off with the dressing and fresh ground pepper.

You can have a lot of fun with layering this salad since it's so colorful, so play around with the presentation!

Spicy Papaya Fried Rice with Snow Peas

There is something wonderful about eating a papaya on a sunny day that just makes you feel like you are on vacation on a tropical island. Life is always good when you eat papaya.

And so I had no choice but to buy the big beautiful mexican papaya that was waiting for me a Trader Joe's, I just had to have it.

And since the Easter Bunny was still on my brain, I couldn't help but think of bunny ears when I cut open the papaya. Do not try this at home, it resulted in lots of papaya seeds in my hair.





What you will need:

Brown Basmati Rice
Papaya
Snow Peas
Fresh Garlic
Fresh Ginger
Calçot Onion (or Green Onion)
Lemon
Pistachios
Sriracha

I started by cooking up a cup of rice or so in my rice cooker. If you don't have one, you clearly don't know what you are missing.

Once you have the rice going you can move on to the fun stuff.

Fresh ginger is amazing in cooking and not as tricky to use as it may look. Chop off the amount of ginger you would like to use, I used about a finger's width. Use a sharp knife or peeler to remove the skin. Then you can dice the ginger the same way you would dice garlic. Then chop up two or three cloves of garlic.

Wash the snow peas and remove the ends. Toss the ginger, garlic, and snow peas into a frying pan with a little bit of canola oil and about 1/4 cup of water and turn to medium heat.

While this is cooking chop up the onion. Toss the white bulb part of the onion into the frying pan and save the green part to use as a garnish.

Shell the pistachios and wrap them up in a paper towel, place them on your cutting board, and smash them with the bottom of a glass. Set the crushed pistachios aside to use as a garnish.

Cut your papaya in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Mexican papayas are much larger than regular papayas, so I only used a 1/4 of it. If you are using regular papayas you might want 1/4 - 1/2 papaya per person. Slice the papaya into strips and remove the skin.

Once the rice is done add it to the frying pan. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the rice and add Srirachia to your desired level of spice. In case you haven't noticed, I have developed quite a tolerance to spicy food, making me want everything hotter and hotter. It's almost like I want my food to be so spicy it challenges me. Maybe I'm crazy. If you are not a spice lover, you could add pizzazz by adding soy sauce, rice vinegar, or teriyaki.

Scoop the rice and snow peas onto your dish. Top with the sliced papaya, green onion, crushed pistachios, another dash of Srirachia, and serve with a slice of lemon.

Edible Color Palette Cauliflower Curry with Green Lentils

There is a big push right now to eat based on the colors of the rainbow. As an artist who spends a significant amount of time thinking about colors anyway, it sounds like a very Kelsey kind of way of eating. I love learning about all of the different nutritional benefits of the different fruits and vegetables, but it sounds complicated to try and fit red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple into my daily or even weekly diet. I want a healthy and satisfying rainbow meal I can cook in one pot. Am I the only cook who loathes doing dishes??


Red tomato, watermelon (lycopene) strawberries (anthocyanins)
Orange carrot (alpha-carotene) yam, pumpkin (beta-carotene)
Yellow yellow bell pepper, table queen squash (beta-carotene)
Green spinach (lutein) kale, broccoli (flavonols/lutein)
Blue blueberries (anthocyanins) Concord grapes (resveratrol)
Purple plum, eggplant, blackberries (anthocyanins)
(from Vegetarian Times www.vegetariantimes.com )

This is an attempt at cooking/eating the colors of a rainbow all together.

1 cup Green Lentils
1 head Cauliflower
2 stalks Celery
2 Carrots
1 Lemon
2 Scallions
1/3 cup Raisins
2 or 3 cloves Garlic
Fresh Oregano
Fresh Sage
Yellow Curry Powder
Cumin
Grapeseed Oil
Salt
Pepper



So it's not quite the whole rainbow, red bell pepper could easily be added, but bell peppers have sadly been at $2.50 a piece lately so I had to let them go. As for blue. . . . I didn't have a clue. The plate?

I boiled the lentils for about 25 minutes. During this time I chopped up the carrots, cauliflower, and celery and threw them into a wok with about a 1/3 cup of water. Once that cooked off and they were softening I added the raisins, garlic, scallions, grapeseed oil, and curry powder and cumin. Oh by the way I decided at this point I did not like sage so I actually left it out. But I did add the oregano! Once the lentils were soft but not yet falling apart I added them to the veggies. I added more curry powder, salt, and pepper. As a major garlic lover I added a little more chopped garlic at this point so it would be nice and potent, along with another handful of chopped scallions.

Now that it is spring and things are starting to grow in abundance, I am thinking about trying another rainbow meal. Any ideas?

Quinoa with Asparagus and Shiitake Mushrooms

I just finished installing my BFA Show! I feel on top of the world and thought I'd reward myself with a wonderful meal.
Only a mini post tonight, but it was tasty! Quick, simple, and full of earthy flavors!

Quinoa
Asparagus
Shiitake Mushrooms
Lemon
White Wine
Garlic
Butter
Oregano
Basil
Parsley
Pepper

Spinach and Goat Cheese Stuffed Portabellas with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and Balsamic Red Wine Reduction

That title is kind of a mouthful, but this saucy dish will have you stuffing your mouth until your plate is empty!
And even though there is a lot going into this, it all cooks in one big baking dish, making the timing of this meal as easy as can be.

Let's talk about nutrition for just a minute. Ever wonder what exactly you are getting from your food? Well, here is what you are getting from this food:

Spinach: Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Iron, Fiber, Calcium, and Antioxidants such as Lutein and Beta-Carotene
Portabella: Potassium, Niacin, Riboflavin, Selenium, Phosphorus and Zinc
Fingerling Potatoes: Potassium, Vitamin C, Iron, Protein and Fiber
Goat Cheese: Calcium, Protein and Iron
Oregano: Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Iron, Vitamin C, Folates, Manganese, and Antioxidants such as Carotene
Garlic: Manganese, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Sulfur-containing compounds such as Allicin
Onion: Vitamin C, Organosulfur compounds such as Allium, Chromium, Vitamin B and Antioxidants such as Quercetin
Olive Oil: Monounsaturated Fatty Acids, Antioxidants, Vitamin E
Balsamic: Iron and Calcium
Red Wine: Antioxidants such as Resveratrol

So basically what I'm getting at is, know what your food is doing for you, and be grateful! Thank you Mother Earth! Eat food as directly from the earth as possible for maximum benefits. There is so much fuss now of days about everything you eat being bad for your body. I'd just like to point out that food is still good for you! You just have to appreciate all of those things that grow out of the ground: Vegetables, Grains, Natural Starches, and Fruits.

And now I'll get on with it.
So ladies and gentlemen here it is!

Spinach and Goat Cheese Stuffed Portabellas with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and Balsamic Red Wine Reduction


What you will need:


10+ Fingerling Potatoes
4 Medium Portabella Mushrooms
1 Bag Baby Spinach
4-6 cloves Garlic
10 Golden Pearl Onions
4 Tbs Goat Cheese
Olive Oil
Balsamic
Red Wine
Honey
Oregano
Sage
Salt
Pepper

Preheat your oven to 400˚ and take our your biggest pyrex and grease it up.


Lets get those cute little potatoes going! Give them a good scrub and dry them off. Chop them roughly into smallish pieces. If you like them a little thicker you might want to increase the cooking time. Dump the potatoes into the pyrex.
Smash the garlic cloves with the side of your knife so they fall out of their skins. Give them a rough chop and add it to the potatoes.
Now for the onions. I LOVE GOLDEN PEARL ONION! I just needed to get that out. They are sweet and kind of pop in your mouth like grapes. But, if you can't find them, any small onion or a yellow onion would do. Skin the onion and cut off the tips. Don't chop pearl onions! Add to the potatoes.
Take a few sprigs of fresh oregano, chop it up and add it to the mix. If you don't have fresh herbs you can go wild adding whatever dried herbs you've got.

Drizzle the potatoes with a generous amount of olive oil and mix them up so everything is coated. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Don't be fooled, spinach cooks down a lot! You will need a whole bag, trust me. I removed the stems but you don't really have to. Put the spinach in a large wok or frying pan, drizzle with balsamic, just a little, and add some salt. Turn to medium heat and toss it around until the spinach is wilted. About 1-2 minutes.

If you really want the spinach to stay green you can blanch it in cold water at this step but I didn't really care, I knew it would be covered in sauce anyway. Get out a plate and put some paper towels on it. Scoop the spinach onto the paper towel and let it drain. Set aside.


On to the Portabellas! Chop off the stems, we aren't going to use those. Scoop out the gills with a spoon and a little bit of the meat so there is a nice bowl shape in the mushroom cap. Keep the gills, we are going to use them to mix with the spinach later.

Place the potatoes in the oven at this point and let them get a head start while you finish off the mushrooms (about 5 minutes or so).
Now spread your favorite goat cheese into the mushroom caps. I used about 1-2 Tbs in each one.
Squeeze the extra juice out of the spinach so it's not soggy. Stir the spinach and mushroom gills together, and scoop it into the mushrooms. Pull the potatoes out of the oven and nestle the mushrooms into them.
This should cook for 20-25 minutes.















Once that's in the oven we are going to start the Balsamic Red Wine Reduction. Use the wok or frying pan that you used for the spinach earlier. Pour in about 1/4 cup balsamic and 1/4 cup red wine (I used a cabernet sauvignon). Add a little squeeze of honey. Turn to medium low heat and keep at a simmer until the potatoes and mushrooms are done. Swirl or stir every few minutes so it doesn't burn. The volume should reduce by about half, and it should thicken.





When the potatoes and mushrooms are done, pour the reduction over it, making sure you get all the mushrooms. Swirl the pyrex so the reduction spreads out over the bottom of the dish. Turn the oven to Broil and move a rack to the top of the oven. Place the dish on the rack and broil for 2-3 minutes so the potatoes get a little brown.

Plate up and enjoy! Be sure to pour some of that Balsamic Red Wine Reduction on top!

Coconut Curry Tempeh

This dish is exotic and rich. You wont believe you just ate such a complex and hearty meal that was actually. . . .  .VEGAN! If you are scratching your head and saying "What is tempeh?" here is your answer. Tempeh is a vegan protein composed mainly from compressed soybeans. I used Trader Joe's Organic 3 Grain Tempeh, which is made from soybeans, rice, barley, and millet. It is rich in texture, and high in protein, iron, calcium, and vitamin B12. If you can't find tempeh, you could easily substitute Firm Tofu in this recipe.
One of the things I really love about this dish is that you cook it all at the same time, in the same pan. There is very little timing things carefully to finish at certain times. Also, you can combine everything in a bowl ahead of time and put it in the fridge until you are ready to cook it. Perfect if you are making this for company and want to prep everything ahead of time. Once it is cooking you can kind of walk away from it too, just stir occasionally and add splashes of water every 10 minutes. How easy is that?

Coconut Curry Tempeh

What you will need:

14oz Coconut Milk (2 cups)
1/3 cup Rice Vinegar
2 Tbs Yellow Curry Powder
2 Tbs Hoisin (can sub. Soy Sauce and Sugar)
2 Tbs Fresh Ginger, minced
1 Tbs Fresh Garlic, minced
1 Tbs Palm Sugar (can sub. w/ Brown Sugar)
2 tsp Chili Garlic Sauce (or Sriracha)
1 tsp Soy Sauce
1 tsp Sesame Oil (optional)
Dash Cumin (optional)
1 Package Tempeh (or Tofu)
1/2 cup Shiitake Mushrooms
1 Red Bell Pepper
1/3 cup Golden Pearl Onions
Lime, sliced as garnish
Cilantro, chopped as garnish
Brown Rice

If you are using dried shiitake mushrooms like I am, we need to get them soaking (if using fresh you can wait). Take a handful of mushrooms, about 1/2 a cup, and place them in a bowl. Fill the bowl with warm water and set aside. We want them to be able to soak for at least 20 minutes while we get the rest ready.


Now for the amazing saucy part. You can work in a bowl, big mixing cup, or even right in the large wok or skillet you will be cooking in. Combine the coconut milk, rive vinegar, curry powder, hoisin, ginger, garlic, sugar, chili sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, and cumin. Fresh garlic and ginger make a big difference, use if possible. Ginger is a lot easier to work with than it looks; just slice off the skin, and mince, it will cook up nice and soft. Stir it all up and taste it. Does it need anything? Don't be afraid to alter the recipe, it's your taste buds not mine!

Tempeh needs to be cut fairly thin. Cut into strips, then turn them on their sides and slice through the middle to make thinner slices. It should be about 1"x1"x1/3" pieces.  If using tofu, make sure you press it first and then cut into similar sized pieces. Once cut, add it to the curry mixture.
Wash and dry the red bell pepper. Core and remove the seeds. Then cut into roughly inch sized pieces. Add to curry.
The golden pearl onions are one of my latest fascinations. If you were able to find them, you are in for a real treat! They are sweet and delicious with amazing pops of texture. If you can't find them, use any small onion or a chopped yellow onion. Peel the onions and add to the curry. Don't chop the pearl onions, you will love them whole, I promise!
Drain the shiitake mushrooms. Squeeze them gently in a paper towel, and then add to the curry. If using fresh mushrooms, slice them thinly and add to the curry.
Now that everything is ready, put it all in a large wok or skillet and turn to medium-low heat. It will need to cook for about 40 minutes. If you are using tofu it might not take as long. Stir occasionally and monitor the temperature to keep it at a simmer. After a while it will start to look thick. Add about 1/4 cup of water every 10 minutes to keep it from drying out.
While this is cooking, start some rice. I made 2 cups of brown rice in a rice cooker and it was plenty for the amount of curry.
Spoon rice into a bowl and top with a heaping scoop of curry. Garnish with fresh lime and cilantro.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

These cookies are soft and rich, salty and sweet. Good luck eating just one!

What you will need:

1/2 cup Butter
1/2 cup Peanut Butter
1/3 cup White Sugar
1/3 cup Brown Sugar
1 Egg
1 tsp Vanilla
2 Tbs Milk
1 1/2 cup Flour
1 Tbs Unsweetened Cocoa
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
Mini Peanut Butter Cups (I used the Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups from Trader Joe's)

2 Muffin Tins (or a lot of patience)
Since these cookies are so soft and fluffy, you can't move them when they are hot or they just fall apart, trust me, I tried. If you have 2 muffin tins it will go faster.

Preheat your oven to 350˚
In a medium bowl soften the butter. Then add the peanut butter and mix until creamy. Add the sugars, egg, vanilla, milk, and mix again. Add the flour, cocoa, salt, and baking soda, and mix.

Scoop 1"-1 /1/2" sized balls of dough into each cup of a muffin tin. Then press a peanut butter cup into the center of each dough ball. Bake for 9 minutes.

This cookie sheet is just how I served them, not baked them.

These need to be completely cooled in order for you to get them out of the muffin tin without destroying them. So, you can either wait patiently or you can put the whole thing in the freezer for about 5 minutes. This way the dough and chocolate will set up. Once they are cool, use a spoon to go around the sides of the cookie, then gently scoop it out of the cup and put it on a plate (not a paper towel). Also, I would recommend starting with the ugliest cookie in case they aren't quite ready yet and it falls apart. I didn't feel like waiting until this step to make the final round of cookies, so I just stored the rest of my dough in the fridge to use later. With two muffin tins I got 24 cookies, and that was enough for what I needed. This batch will make about 24-32 cookies. Enjoy!

Might I recommend pairing these with a glass of milk first and foremost,

and secondly a trip to the gym!