Chorizo Plantain and Polenta Bowl

Sort of inspired by a Kashi frozen meal, I made this on Sunday afternoon. It was a ton of work, but really good!

Ingredients:

- 8oz (about) fresh pre-washed kale
- 1 cup grits
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup shredded cheddar
- 1 Tbsp Tapatio (or other Mexican-style hot sauce, Cholula, etc)
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (to taste)

- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil

- 2 large ripe plantains, peeled and sliced

- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 lb chorizo (veggie or meat)
- 1 15oz can beans, rinsed and drained (kidney, black, pinto would all be good)
- 1 ripe avocado, diced

Optional stuff to serve it with: salsa, cilantro, pumpkin seeds, sour cream, more Tapatio

Preparation:

- Steam kale for 6 minutes, then remove from heat
- Boil water and add grits, then cover and simmer 5-7 minutes, until thickened. Stir in cheddar, Tapatio, and chili powder, season to taste.
- Heat oil in large non-stick or iron skillet. Saute plantain until softened and browned. Remove from pan and set aside on a paper towel.
- Add onion to the empty pan, add more oil if needed, and saute 1-2 minutes, then add bell pepper and saute until softened.
- Add chorizo and break into little pieces. Cook until browned throughout, then add beans and stir well until whole mixture is heated through.
- Combine everything in a bowl, top with avocado, and enjoy!

Ajiaco in the slow cooker (a Colombian Chicken Potato Corn Soup)

I did this today for the second time and tweaked it a bit. I love Colombian chicken soups, and this one came out really well in a slow cooker!! I'm glad to know it comes out tasty, we will be doing this one again.

I put in:
4 chicken thighs, bone in, skin off
5-6 gold potatoes, about 1 pound, quartered
2-3 ears of fresh corn, or 4 pieces frozen corn on the cob, cut in halves or thirds
3-5 green onions, chopped
1/2c (ish) chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp salt
2 cubes beef bouillon
1 Tbsp dried guascas (south American herb, skip it if you want)
7 cups water

Cooked it on high for 9 hours.

Served with:
Plain white rice
Avocado slices
Fresh diced tomatoes
Chopped cilantro
Chopped green onion
Capers
Sour cream

The prep is pretty easy, though getting all the sides together takes a minute. It's worth it, the combination of everything is amazing. I leave out the extra green onion and go heavy on the capers.

Chickpea Spinach Curry, Shepherd's Pie, and Pistachio Crusted Salmon

Chickpea Spinach Curry

http://www.budgetbytes.com/2013/12/curried-chickpeas-spinach/

This came out awesome!! We used frozen spinach and I think that's the texture you want for this recipe. Anna also did her own thing with seasoning it.

Ingredients:

1 15oz can chickpeas
10oz block frozen spinach
29oz can crushed tomatoes
1 12oz block extra firm tofu, cubed
3 cloves garlic, crushed and minced (more would be good)
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated (more would be good)
Spices to taste - curry powder, garam masala, and garlic powder.
Salt to taste

Preparation:
Combine it all in a pot and cook! You can saute the garlic and ginger first if you like. Very easy.

---
Shepherd's Pie

Haven't done this one yet: http://drhyman.com/blog/2016/09/06/shepherds-pie/

---
Pistachio Crusted Salmon

Haven't done this one yet either: 
http://www.joyfulbelly.com/Ayurveda/recipe/Pistachio-Crusted-Salmon-with-Lingonberry-Jam/32783?ref=36264&lnk=159&inf_contact_key=3b839130bebca203375135472b3b0237ca630b9fada898fe52e68e93657994dc

ingredients

1 oz	Lingonberry
1 tbsp	Mustard
1/4 c	Pistachio
1 lb	Salmon

preparation

Substitute cranberry if you cannot find lingonberry.

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2) Rinse and pat the salmon and place in an oven safe dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
3) In a small bowl, combine lingonberry jam and stone ground mustard.
4) Brush or spread the jam & mustard combination over the salmon, covering the entire top of the fillet.
5) Take 1/4 cup shelled pistachios and chopped coarsely on a cutting board. You can substitute sunflower seeds if you prefer.
6) Sprinkle the pistachios atop the salmon fillet until it is completely covered.
7) Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. Serve atop a bed of greens or stir-fried veggies!

Turmeric

I've been thinking about this and might try a few of these ideas.

From: http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-9206/10-ways-to-get-more-turmeric.html

10 Ways To Get More Turmeric
by Dana James

Turmeric is a potent anti-inflammatory spice which can help to decrease muscle soreness after an intense workout. It also neutralizes free radicals which can lead to wrinkles, cellulite, and fatigue. In addition, turmeric improves liver detoxification, so that pesticides and other environmental chemicals are safely removed from the body. It also turns on a gene that enhances the body's own production of antioxidants thereby acting as a powerful anti-aging nutraceutical. Its warm, peppery, flavor and golden color adds a richness and depth to smoothies, vegetables, legumes, nut-pates and eggs. Here are 10 easy ways to add turmeric to your life.


Turmeric elixir.
Boil turmeric root in water, discard the turmeric. Add raw honey, ground turmeric, lemons and cayenne pepper. Blend with ice if desired.

Spiced cauliflower.
Toss cauliflower in olive oil and turmeric. Roast for 30 minutes. Serve with lemon zest and cilantro.

Turmeric eggs with coconut oil.
Pan-fry two eggs in coconut oil in a skillet. Dust with sea salt and turmeric. Serve with sautéed turmeric kale.

Spiced dahl.
Bring lentils to boil in vegetable stock. Add curry powder and canned tomatoes. In coconut oil, lightly pan-fry ground turmeric, cinnamon and cardamon. Stir through dahl.

Turmeric kale.
Using the same cast iron pan, sauté kale in coconut oil, add a pinch of sea salt, and dust with turmeric.

Turmeric milkshake
Blend activated almond milk with ground turmeric, ginger, banana and ice. To make activated almond milk, read this.)

Curried chickpeas.
Dust drained chickpeas with turmeric, curry powder, and sea salt. Roast for 20 minutes, then serve.

Turmeric vegetable dip.
Blend cashews, young coconut flesh, coconut water, olive oil, garlic, ground turmeric, and ground ginger. Serve with vegetable crudités.

Spiced carrot and tahini soup.
Pan-fry carrots, onion, garlic, ground coriander, ground cumin, ground turmeric, and sea sat. Add vegetable broth. Blend with tahini and lemon juice. Serve dusted with turmeric and topped with cilantro.

Turmeric and pumpkin seed pate.
Blend soaked pumpkin seeds with tamari, garlic, turmeric, and sun-dried tomatoes. Add water as needed. Serve with flaxseed crackers.

Spicy yogurt sauce with roast cauliflower and chicken nuggets

We are keeping it classy tonight.


This yogurt sauce tastes pretty darn good on its own! Tonight I put it on the cauliflower before roasting and the chicken nuggets after microwaving ;) Below is my adaptation of this recipe from Epicurious: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/spicy-whole-roasted-cauliflower-52799271

Ingredients

        1 head cauliflower, cut into large florets
        1 cup plain yogurt
        1 tablespoon chile powder
        1 tablespoon cumin
        1 tablespoon garlic powder
        1 teaspoon curry powder
        1 teaspoon black pepper     
         Salt to taste (or none)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 400° and lightly grease a small baking sheet with vegetable oil or cooking spray.
2. Trim the base of the cauliflower to remove any green leaves and the woody stem. Chop into large florets that are 2-3 bites each.
3. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt with the spices.
4. Dunk the cauliflower florets into the bowl and use the back of a teaspoon or your hands to smear the marinade evenly over the top part. I leave the stems alone.
5. Place the cauliflower on the prepared baking sheet and roast until the surface is dry and lightly browned, 30 to 40 minutes. The marinade will make a crust on the surface of the cauliflower.

There will be lots of excess marinade, which can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days and used with meat, fish or other veggies. Or you can dunk your chicken nuggets in it. Enjoy!