So, I searched until I saw Marcus Samuelsson was also a fan of the very same salad and had created his own version of it. He’s almost exactly dead on with the flavors. The combination of the creamy cheese with the strong red onion flavors and the toasted hazelnuts is amazing. I don’t know how else to describe it. You just have to try it yourself.

I’ve made this recipe many times since and have introduced a few friends to the joy of raw kale as well. I hope you take the time to try this recipe and I’m sure you, too will become a fast fan.

I recommend serving it with the Lentil Soup with Curried Brown Butter from 101 Cookbooks I posted about recently. Also, you may want to make this a few hours in advance of serving it so the flavors have some time to meld together. Don’t worry, the raw kale is so… shall we say… ‘stout’… that it won’t wilt under the pressure of the dressing.

Photo by Lindsay Hunt via Marcus Samuelsson

Raw Kale Salad with Hazelnuts, Gruyere and Red Onion

Serves 2. Recipe derived from Marcus Samuelsson

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch kale, cut into ¼-inch strips horizontally, about 4 cups
• ¼ red onion, cut into 1/8-inch slices (a mandolin works well for this)
• ⅓ cup hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
• 1 ounce Gruyere cheese, finely grated
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Combine the first four ingredients in a large bowl, and toss to combine.
2. Combine olive oil and vinegar together. Drizzle over the ingredients, and add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Toss to combine, and serve.

I call this my “power meal”! It’s an all-in-one meal and a power house of healthy ingredients, quinoa, kale, avocado. It’s high in protein, low in bad fats, high in good fats and straight up FILLING and DELICIOUS. Oh, and to make it even better… It’s super quick and easy!

I usually keep all the ingredients on hand and make more than I need and eat this for dinners and lunches for a few days. It’s my new favorite meal!

Here’s how I do it:

Quick (15 min) Quinoa Kale Bowl

Serves 2

• 2 cups kale, cleaned & coarsely chopped
• 2/3 cup cooked black beans, rinsed & drained
• 2/3 cup quinoa, cooked according to directions on the package (any color will work, I usually use red)
• 2/3 cup pre-made fresh pico de gallo
• 1/2 cup lowfat mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/2 avocado, cut into cubes
• Sea or kosher salt to taste

1. Make the quinoa according to packaged directions. Heat your beans (on the stove or in the microwave for 1-2 minutes). Steam the quinoa (in a steamer or 2 minutes in the microwave, covered)
2. Divide all ingredients except avocado and salt into two bowls and stir until just combined. Season to taste, top with fresh avocado, and serve.

Nutrition (approx): 300 cal, 7g fat, 43 carb, 9 fiber, 16g protein

When I’m in need of some real ‘comfort’ food – something with sustenance and will make me feel full and satisfied, I almost always turn to this easy, ‘meaty’ recipe for vegetarian lentil loaf (‘meatloaf’) with mashed cauliflower  “potatoes”. With its high protein and fiber, combined with low calorie content and tons of flavor, what’s not to like? Even my meat eating husband will make a meal out of this lovely little loaf (thanks, mom, for showing me the recipe!). Serve it up with some steamed green beans and you have the perfect all-American dinner. Plus, it makes great leftovers (a sandwich, maybe?). I even think it might taste better after sitting overnight after the flavors have really mixed. Try it out and enjoy!

Vegetarian Lentil (“Meat”) Loaf

Serves 8

• 2 cups water
• Dash of salt
• 1 cup lentils, rinsed and drained
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 cup oats
• 3/4 cup lowfat cheese (2% cheddar or mixed), shredded
• 2 egg whites (or 1 egg), lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup marinara sauce (I usually use Trader Joe’s “traditional” marinara sauce)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 Tbsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp seasoning salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 Tbsp barbecue sauce (I use Trader Joe’s)
• 2 Tbsp ketchup

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Bring water and a dash of salt to a boil in a saucepan. Add lentils and simmer, covered, 25-30 minutes, until lentils are soft and most of the water is evaporated. Drain and lightly mash lentils
3. Stir in onions, oats and cheese. Add egg, marinara sauce, garlic powder, basil, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix well.
4. Spread mixture into a non-stick or greased loaf pan. Smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Mix barbecue sauce and catchup together and spread over the top of the loaf. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes until edges look dry, firm and golden brown.
5. Cool for about 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife around edges of the pan, slice and serve.

Nutrition: 190 cal, 5g fat, 27g carb, 9g fiber, 4.5g sugars, 11.5g protein

Garlic Mashed Cauliflower (“Potatoes”)

Serves 8

• 2 heads cauliflower florets (approx 4 cups)
• 3 Tbsp fat free sour cream
• 2 Tbsp fat free milk (plus more as needed)
• 2 Tbsp fat free cream cheese
• 1 Tbsp light butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper

1. Place cauliflower florets in a microwave-safe bowl. Sprinkle water over the top and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave 5-7 minutes, until very soft.
2. Drain and use a paper towel to press out access moisture, taking care as the cauliflower will be very hot.
3. Place cauliflower in a food processor with garlic. Process until lightly pureed. Add sour cream, milk, cream cheese and butter. Continue to process adding additional milk as needed until they reach a desirable consistency.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition: 35 cal, 1g fat, 5g carb, 1.5g fiber, 2g sugars, 2.5g protein

I made it for dinner for my husband and me a few nights ago. We licked the bowl clean – no leftovers. Yumness.

Egg Drop Soup

Makes 4 servings.

• 4 c plus 2 Tbsp no chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
• 1/2 t fresh ginger, grated
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 3 oz extra firm tofu, cubed
• 1/3 c carrots, chopped
• 1/4 c corn
• 4 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 c snow peas

1. Bring the 4 cups broth, ginger and soy sauce to a full boil. Make a slurry of the remaining 2 Tbsp broth and cornstarch by mixing in a small bowl until combined. Slowly pour into the broth and stir until thickens, slightly – 2 or 3 mins.
2. Add carrots, corn and tofu to the soup. Boil 5 minutes.
3. While the broth is at a full boil and while stirring in one direction, slowly pour in the egg whites. The egg will spread and feather.
4. Add snow peas, green onion, salt and pepper.

Nutrition: 103 cal, 2.5g fat, 8.5g carb, 1.6g fiber, 2.9g sugars, 11.7g protein

I went to a local Thai restaurant not too long ago and they had the most amazing Vegetarian Hot and Sour soup. I’ve had Chinese Hot and Sour Soup before and thought it was “ok”. I have this crazy thing for lemongrass flavor, so Thai Hot and Sour stole away my heart.  I had a bunch of leftover Thai ingredients from a dinner I made a few nights back and didn’t want all my yummy Asian produce to go to waste. And what better way to use a whole slew of leftover produce but a soup? Per my usual style, I browsed some recipes, then made up my own.

With the vegetables, you can pretty much use whatever you prefer. I listed what I used in my soup, but feel free to make it your own way. You really can’t go wrong with a soup like this, so get the ‘base’ down and then modify to your heart’s content!

I am entirely pleased with the outcome of my soup. It’s warm, comforting and, in my humble opinion, has a comforting authentic flavor. I’ve been taking 2nds and 3rds… “Just one more taste” ever since I ate it for dinner. I can’t wait to share it with the rest of my family who are going to taste my leftovers tomorrow.

Another great benefit is that it’s a very low fat and low calorie dish. I did my own nutritional calculations, so though I can’t guarantee they are 100% accurate, they’re pretty close and can at least give you a guideline (nutrition values are below, under the recipe).

A few things to note before you get started about the ethnic ingredients, especially if you’re not used to working with them…

1. Thai Bird Chilies (aka “Thai Chilies” or “Birdeye Chilies”) usually come in red or green and are about 1 inch long. The number of chilies you use determines the “star” rating of heat. I used 3 and it was ‘medium’. I probably could have gone for 4. I like a little nose drip with my hot and sour soup. These chilies are very hot. In fact, you may want to wear gloves when chopping them. My left thumb was burning for hours after holding the chili to chop it with my right. I also scratched an itch on my cheek and had a red ‘burn’ for a few hours as well, no thanks to the chili juice. But don’t let this scare you. They are an essential flavor (aka – the “hot” in “hot and sour”) to this soup. Just proceed with caution.
2. Fish Sauce is a staple flavor in most Thai dishes. There are some vegetarian options out there at specialty stores or you can make your own. In a pinch, you can use a bit of seaweed for that “sea” flavor, but I would use that as a last resort.
3. Lemongrass. Do not eat the lemongrass. I don’t even want to tell you my story of when I tried to serve my husband (then boyfriend) lemongrass finely sliced in a salad. It was bad. It’s a flavoring. Don’t. Eat. The. Lemongrass. I’m sure you all know this already, but in the event you didn’t. I needed to at least let you learn from my bad experience and warn you. Strip the outside layers off, wash it well, then get the flavor out of it by using the flat side of a knife or a rolling pin and pound it a few times. Then, slice into 3″ pieces and throw it into the soup. I know there are ways to use the actual lemongrass in recipes but I haven’t figured that out yet.

Vegetarian Thai Hot and Sour Soup (Tom Yum Gai)

Serves: 4-appetizer, 2-meal

• 1 t oil (I always use olive because that’s what I have closest to the stove)
• 1/2 medium white onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups vegetarian chickenless broth (or vegetable broth)
• 3 cups water
• 1 stock lemongrass, pounded and cut into 3″ pieces
• 14 oz whole tomatoes, drained (not rinsed), cut into large chunks (approx 1/2 a large can)
• 1 to 6 red or green Thai chilies, seeded and finely minced
• 1/2 cup carrots, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh peas
• 1/2 cup mushrooms (I recommend Shitake or Chinese black)
• 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
• 2/3 cup extra firm tofu, cubes
• Any additional vegetables of your choosing, such as red bell pepper, bamboo shoots, broccoli, etc. (I would have used these if I had some on hand)
• 2 Tbsp vegetarian fish sauce (you can buy or make your own. Fish sauce is a “staple” flavor’
• Juice from 2 limes
• 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 3-4 lime leaves (optional)
• 1 t Basil, minced, plus additional for garnish (optional)
• 1 t Cilantro, minced, plus additional for garnish (optional)
• Bean sprouts for garnish (optional)

1. Prepare all your ingredients by chopping, dicing, mincing, etc. Pound the lemongrass with a rolling pin or the flat side of a knife.
2. Heat the oil in a medium/large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook stirring occasionally until translucent.
3. Add broth, water, lemongrass, lime leaves (if you have it) and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Let boil 15-20 mins.
4. Add chilies, carrots and peas. Bring back to a boil and let simmer at a low boil for another 10 minutes
5. Add mushrooms, tofu, green onions, vegetarian fish sauce, lime juice, vinegar, basil and cilantro. Bring back to a boil and let boil approx 5 mins. If there doesn’t appear to be enough broth, add 1/2 cup of water at a time bringing it back to a boil before serving.
6. Serve being mindful to not serve the lemongrass or lime leaves Garnish with bean sprouts and additional basil and cilantro before presenting.

Nutrition for 1/4 the recipe, when making it as an appetizer for 4:
140 calories, 4g fat, 20g carbs, 8g protein, 4g fiber

I hosted a soup party on New Years Day for some close family and friends. It’s an annual tradition that we missed last year due to some circumstances beyond my control. I was happy to reinstate the tradition. Unfortunately, everyone signed up to bring things other than soup, so the last minute, I figured out that we really didn’t have enough soup to go around. I scrounged up the best tasting soup from things in my closet with some inspiration from a few online recipe searches. Here is what we ended up with. It was warm, spicy and hearty. Perfect for a cool winter day or evening. Even my husband, the carnivore, loved this soup and asked for seconds. He even happily ate it the next day as leftovers. Success!

(Sorry the pic isn’t much better than this; I was in a hurry trying to hostess and barely had time to snap a few shots)

Cajun Black Eyed Pea Soup

Serves approx 16 (you can cut it in half or freeze half if you don’t want so much)

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 8 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 2/3 cups brown rice
• 1 tsp cayanne pepper
• 1 tsp cajun seasoning (such as TexJoy – I had some on hand thanks to my friends from Texas… Just… shhhh… don’t tell anyone it has MSG in it. eep!)
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3 bay leaves
• 5 faux sausage patties or links (I used Morningstar Breakfast Patties)
• 4 cups cooked black eye peas (cook them yourself, fresh in the produce department – that’s what I did – , or use a low sodium canned version, rinsed and drained)

1. In a large soup pot, melt the butter. Add onion and saute until tender (approx 5 mins)
2. Add the broth and water to the pot and bring to boil. Once boiling, add rice and all seasonings. Bring back to a boil. Cover and let cook 10 mins.
3. While the rice is cooking, prepare your faux sausage by defrosting in the microwave for approx 1 min. Cut into small cubes. If it’s not frozen, simply cut into small cubes and set aside.
4. Add sausage and black eyed peas to the soup. Bring back to a boil on medium-high heat. Cover and turn down the heat to medium low. Let simmer for about 20 additional minutes.
5. Taste and season more as desired.

I’ll just go on record and say that this is absolutely AMAZING and DELICIOUS and you might as well double the recipe right off the top because you’ll eat it all and then come back wanting more. I made this for our Christmas morning brunch and it was a hit. I tripled the recipe and came home empty handed. Every single crumb was devoured. I made it a week later for dinner. It worked just as well for either meal!

To top it all off, it’s HEALTHY. (what a nice way to start 2010, no?). The nutritional content on this both surprised and thrilled me and it’s for an entire quarter of the pie! It’s just 192 cals, 4.8g fat (2g sat fat), 10.5g carb, 17.5g protein, 7.8g fiber. Don’t lie. You’re in awe too.

Mediterranean Vegetable-Cheese Pie

Serves 4.
Recipe from SELF, April 2005 courtesy of Epicurious.
Rancho La Puerta Spa, Tecate, Baja California

• Olive-oil cooking spray
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced in 1/8-inch rounds
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 8 oz (about 8 cups) baby spinach
• 3 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
• 2 whole eggs
• 3 egg whites
• 1 cup nonfat ricotta or fat-free cottage cheese (I couldn’t find nonfat ricotta, so I went with the cottage cheese and couldn’t tell the difference)
• 1 tbsp feta, crumbled
• 3 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil or dill, or 3 tsp dried basil or dill, divided into 2 equal portions (I used fresh basil)
• 3 Roma tomatoes, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
• 1 1/2 tbsp grated Asiago or Parmesan
• 1 1/2 tbsp grated lowfat mozzarella

1. Heat oven to 350°. Coat a 9″ pie plate with cooking spray.
2. Line bottom of plate with potato slices. Cut remaining slices in half and arrange around side of plate. Bake 12 to 15 minutes.
3. Remove from oven and set aside. Coat a sauté pan with cooking spray and sauté onion over low heat until tender, about 5 minutes. Add spinach to pan and let wilt, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Drain excess fluid from onion and spinach mixture. Stir in olives.
4. In a bowl, beat eggs and egg whites. Stir in ricotta and feta. Add half the basil or dill and set aside. Spoon onion and spinach mixture into pie plate over potatoes. Layer on egg mixture, then slices of tomato. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until egg is set and a knife inserted into pie comes out clean.
5. Sprinkle grated cheeses evenly over top of pie and top with remaining basil or dill. Return to oven for 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Cut pie into 4 wedges. Serve immediately.

192 cals, 4.8g fat (2g sat fat), 10.5g carb, 17.5g protein, 7.8g fiber.

More dishes from my friend and my tea party… Thank you Epicurious (as usual) for providing more yummy recipes!

I set out to make just one vegetarian sandwich, and yet I ended up making three different varieties. That’s what happens when you give an indecisive, food loving girl too many good choices!  I was very pleased with all three. They were each unique in their own way, still holding true to the light tea sandwich theme. They all were devoured by all in attendance.  I would make them again, for sure!

(pic from Bon Appetite)

Radish-Chive with Sesame and Ginger

From Bon Appetite April 2008 | Makes 16 servings (I cut the recipe in half to serve 6 people)

• 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 3 tablespoons minced chives, divided
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• 3/4 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
• 16 1/4-inch-thick baguette slices
• 10 radishes, thinly sliced (VERY thin!)

Mix butter, 2 tablespoons chives, sesame seeds, ginger, and oil in small bowl; season with salt and pepper. Spread butter mixture over each bread slice. Top with radishes, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle with remaining chives and fleur de sel, if desired.

Minted Radish with Lemon Mayo

From Gourmet May 1994 |  Makes 24 sandwiches (I cut the recipe by 1/4 to serve 6 people)

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons coarse-grained mustard
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste
• 24 very thin slicess homemade-type white bread
• 1 cup mint leaves (from about 1 large bunch)
• 16 radishes, trimmed and sliced as thin as possible (VERY thin!)

In a small bowl stir together mayonnaisse, sour cream, zest, mustard, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.

Spread bread generously with lemon mayonnaise. Top half of slices with a layer of mint and top mint with overlapping rows of radish. Top radish with remaining bread and press together gently. Trim crusts and cut sandwiches in half diagonally. Sandwiches may be made 2 hours ahead, wrapped in plastic wrap, and chilled.

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

• Cream Cheese, room temperature
• English Cucumbers, thinly sliced
• Thin slices homemade-type white bread or baguette
• Optional herbs (dill, chives, etc)
• Sea Salt

Spread a thick layer of cream cheese on the bread. Arrange the optional herbs and cucumber slices over the cream cheese. Lightly salt. Cut diagonally.

In preparation for a tea party my friend and I were hosting together, I was browsing some blogs and Tastespotting to see what I could find. Tastespotting never disappoints and once again provided me with this gorgeous inspiration. This picture of a zucchini soup caught my eye since it looked like a perfect addition to my tea menu. I followed the link.

The problem? This particular blog, text and recipe was all in Russian. I don’t read Russian! Google Translator to the rescue!

Of course, once it was translated, there were a few words that didn’t translate, and of course, it was all in metric instead of cups per my US custom. So, Google Unit Converter to the rescue! (They saved me twice in one recipe. I love it!). Since there were some “questions”, I modified it just slightly and made up some other parts. Here is MY take on this recipe.

It was an absolute hit at my tea party which was on Saturday. And I made myself another batch last night for dinner with extras for my friend who put in a special order for some. Yum. You won’t be disappointed! Even my “hates zucchini” husband loves this soup. It really doesn’t taste so much of zucchini. It’s hard to describe. It’s just GOOD!

(Their picture is way better than mine… I was in too big of a hurry to really artfully display the soup. We were too hungry and the soup was too good to wait for artistic photos! ha!)

Zucchini and Goat Cheese Soup with Herbs

(serves 4)

These muffins are darling and deliciously spicy for fall. The best part about them? They’re lowfat and (I like to think) good for you!  I found the muffin recipe online and adapted it to suit my tastes – namely adding the cream cheese and crunchy topping. I love a good streusel topping but with this lowfat muffin, I didn’t want to add the extra butter and sugar a traditional streusel would add. So, I decided to try it with Kashi cereal. It was the perfect “streusel” topping without adding all the extra unwanted calories/fat to hips – er- I mean – muffin!

Mini Lowfat Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese filling

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp table salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp pumpkin spice
• 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup fat-free egg substitute
• 2/3 cup fat-free skim milk
• 1/3 cup fat-free cream cheese
• 3 Tbsp powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup Kashi GOLEAN Crunch! cereal

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Coat a mini muffin tin with cooking spray or line with cupcake wrappers, if desired.  (You may also use a 12 cup muffin tin as well)
2. Combine flour, baking powder, salt , baking soda, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl.
3. Combine applesauce, pumpkin, sugar, egg substitute and milk in a medium bowl; mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon.
4. Add applesauce mixture to flour mixture and mix until completely incorporated.
5. Combine cream cheese and powdered sugar.
6. Pour batter into muffin tins so each hole is about 2/3 full.
7. Drop approx 1/2 t of cream cheese mixture onto the top of each muffin and sprinkle with Kashi cereal.
8. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.