Day Twenty-Seven: Wilted Kale Salad

Keeping with the salad theme I changed my mind at the last second as I was about to make some more kale chips. Remembering a delicious meal I'd had once at my grandparents', I pulled out my recipe book to finally make Wilted Kale Salad!

The dressing is another I can add to my slowly growing list, and its packed with good fats. With a 1/4 avocado, black pepper, garlic powder, olive oil a tiny bit of soy sauce and a little lemon juice (one wedge's worth should do it!), I just mixed it all up with a fork!

To wilt kale, first you have to take the stems out. Once it is in bite sized pieces in a bowl, add a little bit of water and a little sea salt. Then basically just squeeze it and mash it up with your hands until it goes an even darker green and begins to look wet all over, spinach-like sort of.
I combined this kale with my dressing, before topping it with cucumber, chickpeas, pumpkin seeeds, mushroom and red onion. This was a great salad, if maybe a little sour. I think this was a combination of too much lemon juice and my not being very used to using salt, but next time I'll tame it down on both counts!

A great lunchtime fix! Probably not great for leftovers, though perhaps once everything sets it might gain a little more subtlety that would add even more layers!

Some might be asking where the protein component is here, but rest assured I paired it with some leftover chili and felt plenty full and recharged!

Adios for now!

Day Twenty-Six: Asian Salad with Rainbow Trout

So pulling out another one of my fish fillets, this time trout again, but a different variety, I decided I needed to add another dressing to my repetoire. With a little research I came up with one that combined the nutty and salty flavors often found in asian cuisine.

With almond butter, ginger, olive oil, water and some soy sauce I whipped it all together for a nice touch.
As a base, I used some spinach, avocado, cucumber, chickpeas, red onion and mushrooms. On the trout I rubbed some ginger and black pepper, before tossing it in a pan with a little soy sauce and some garlic. I used the last of my cherry tomatoes, pan searing them for ultimate flavor.

cooking up the trout and tomatoes!

Then I assembled the healthy and filling salad!

Day Twelve: Tacos, Arrrrrriba!

So the good news: I have made enough for some quality groceries this week. The bad news: I need to get them done ASAP, as my supply of healthy Paleo leftovers and snack ingredients is dwindling rapidly, and those chips my roommate brought home are looking better and better. EEP!

Taco filling in the pan.

Today I took basically the same filling used in my Stuffed Peppers from yesterday and added a few more veggies (effectively wiping out my crisper drawer). Stacking my filling into a lettuce leaf, which I let simmer on low heat in some tomatoe juice for about half an hour so as to really get the juicy factor, I ruminated on just how awesome leafy greens are as a substitute for buns. Seriously though, the crunch is still there, only you don't find all the flavours of the sandwich/burger/etc get lost amongst all that white, useless bread. With some avocado thrown in for good measure, I had a few wonderful tacos for dinner!

Day Four: Bison Meatballs

Hey!
So this morning I woke up anticipating the BBQ later today (for which I prepared sweet potatoes and fall fruit crisp), but neede to get a good breakfast in me as I knew there would be some *ahem* libations around later...
I had recently defrosted a ton of things in my freezer, knowing that I would be needing lots of protein in the coming month. Along with some salmon and a package of chicken drumsticks, I had grabbed a hunk of bison meat that was sent to me a few months back from Brockville. This stuff has already been used to make burgers, and twice to make chilli, but I figured it needed a new form this time 'round. So, in the spirit of adventure, I decided to make... MEATBALLS!
Alright... so I know that's not entirely different from burgers, but as I said in an earlier post, smaller things = more fun! Plus, I basically just ended up eating them as mini sliders, as meatballs devoid of pasta really doesn't feel the same!

I actually didnt use a recipe here, but rather just took a look at my spice shelf and started grabbing things!

Right to Left: Cumin, Black Pepper, Fresh Basil, Steak Spice, Avocado, Paprika, Garlic Powder, Shallot, Egg and Brown Mustard.

The Avocado pictured didn't end up IN the actual meatballs, but was really good once they were done!

just frying away!

After chopping the shallot finely, and slicing up the basil, I combined all these ingredients, and began shaping up rounds with about a 3 cm diameter. Meanwhile on the stove in a skillet I heated some olive oil and some red pepper flakes so as to give just a little bit of kick to the dish. Then, I placed the meatballs into the pan, and covered them with a lid for about 2 minutes. Removing the lid, I flipped each portion and, still uncovered, I let them go for another 3-4 minutes.

Then I prepared the "buns". Using a little of yesterday's babaganouj, a halved cherry tomatoe and a slice of avocado, I built my foundation on a piece of lettuce. To this I added one meatball, and a few sliced of grilled mushroom, done in the now empty, but still unwashed, skillet. The final presentation looked quite colorful, and it came to me that this would be a good idea for a pub fare-inspired dinner party or the like!

I topped the lettuce with the meatball and mushrooms, and folded the top of the "bun" down to get the dip right on top. Messy, but oh-so-satisfying! I deemed three to be an acceptable portion for breakfast, and sealed the others in a glass container for future meals!

Hopefully today at the shindig I can keep my paleo ideals strong! I'll just remember I have great food waiting for me back home and that'll keep my hands off all the nono items! Plus, I have that great looking apple, nectarine, peach and strawberry cinnamon confection to look forward to!

Cheers all!