Watermelon and Kale Salad

So...I know that it's technically fall. But as we're experiencing the warmest weather in months in west la and my Trader Joes still has a huge bin of watermelons out front (next to a bin of pumpkins oddly) I'm going for it.
This is a super simple salad to whip together, especially if you buy your watermelon pre-cubed. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 bunch/1 bag of kale
2oz Feta cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp cider vinegar
Juice of half a lemon
2 garlic cloves, crushed
A pinch of sea salt and black pepper
2 cups watermelon, cubed

Directions: Roughly chop the kale and put it in a bowl with the olive oil, cider vinegar, lemon juice, garlic and salt & pepper and massage the dressing into the kale.
Add the feta and watermelon.

Cod Veracruz

This recipe had me at pimiento stuffed olives. One of my favorite things next to garlic, anchovy and/or bleu cheese stuffed olives:)

Tilapia can be substituted for cod for a milder flavor and cilantro can be substituted for parsley...if you insist.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1-1/2- lb. cod fillet
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 cups marinara sauce
1/4 cup pimiento-stuffed olives, halved
1 Tbsp. lime juice

2 Tbsp parsley, chopped

Directions:
Heat oil in deep 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat and cook onion, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes or until tender. Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds. Stir in Pasta Sauce and olives. Arrange cod in skillet, spoon sauce over, then bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered 12 minutes or until cod flakes with a fork. Stir in lime juice. Arrange cod on serving platter. Top with parsley.

Kale and Caramelized Onion Stuffed Mushrooms

What once was a kale and onion grilled cheese sandwich has been transformed into one of my favorite grain free meals.... the stuffed porotbello mushroom.

This recipe also includes two of my favorite ingredients....cheese and, I can't believe I'm about to say this, kale. Something I once turned my nose up, then managed to choke down on an as needed basis, and now genuinely enjoy. (Cue the la cliche jokes.)

Ingredients:
4 portobello mushrooms, stemmed
4 medium kale leaves, stems removed
2 tsp olive oil
2 medium red onions, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 oz finely grated parmesan cheese,
divided (about 1/4 cup)
3.5 oz raclette or gruyere cheese



Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Bring a small pot of water to a boil; add kale. Remove from heat; let stand 4 minutes or until kale is bright green. Drain; rinse kale under cold water until cool. Pat leaves dry.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add onion, pepper and salt. Cook 10 minutes or until onion is tender and browned, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; stir in vinegar, tossing to coat. Coarsely chop onion.
Spray each side of mushrooms and place cut side down on a baking sheet. Cook for 5 minutes. Flip mushrooms and top each with 1 kale leaf, 1/4 onion mixture and 1/4 cup cheese. Bake for 5 more minutes or until cheese melts.

Veggie Tacos in Grain Free Tortillas

I haven't bought a loaf of bread in years and rarely ordered a sandwich even before going grain free. However, tortillas are one thing I've really missed. Of course lettuce wraps are a great substitute and I've made plenty over the past couple years. But sometimes you just have to wrap your beans and cheese in a good old fashioned (or "new fashioned") tortilla.

As far as the glycemic index is concerned flour and corn tortillas are both fairly low. The problem with flour tortillas is that the fat used to make them is often hydrogenated. (Artificial, very unhealthy fat used as a preservative in store bought foods. Watch out for this ingredient in products sold as low fat.) The calorie count is also higher at 150cal/ flour to 70cal/corn and, to top it off, some manufactures use an inferior wheat flour to cut costs (which means they contain gluten.)

Most store bought corn tortillas contain only two ingredients: corn and water. However, many manufacturers skip a crucial step which is to soak the maize in an alkaline solution (such as lime juice) to make the corn easier to digest. If you've consumed whole kernels of corn you've probably observed that your body has difficulty breaking them down which causes some people stomach discomfort.

These tortillas are made with coconut oil (healthy fat), coconut flour (low glycemic) and arrowroot (a gluten-free, easily digestible starch). For the veggies I just used what I had in my fridge... mixed greens, red onion, grape tomatoes and bell peppers tossed in a dressing of olive oil, tobasco and lime juice and topped with feta cheese. Enjoy!

Ingredients: (makes 4)
1 tsp melted coconut oil
2 eggs
1/4 cup arrowroot
1 tbsp coconut flour
pinch of salt

Directions:
Crack the eggs into a medium-sized bowl and whisk in the melted coconut oil. Add the dry ingredients and beat well to combine.
In a small 8" skillet over medium heat, pour in about 1/4 of the batter and immediately roll it around to evenly coat the bottom. The tortilla should start to pull away from the edges as it cooks.
Cook for 1 minute on each side.