Kale Chips

You know that you're deprived when you resort to bitter greens as a snack. Yes, I am still going strong on the diet and actually enjoying the fact that I have to get REALLY creative in order to enjoy my food. Besides the lean protein, I'm going off of a small list of low glycemic and low carb veggies that have their limit too. The only food I'm allowed to eat freely is lettuce and other leafy greens.  I'd heard the words "kale chips" once before and decided to see they were all about. 

Lacinato Kale

     It was Brianna's birthday on Saturday and I knew that would mean I’d be surrounded my tasty little appetizers and desserts. I knew that if I wanted to go to this party I was going to have to come up with something I could snack on. So I went to the store and purchased about three bunches of "curly kale". I brought it home, rinsed it well with veggie wash, cut, tossed and baked. Oh how I wish I had experimented before bringing it to a party. WAY to salty and soggy. Not the taste I was going for. My mistake? Not drying the kale enough before baking. Not to mention that when I laid it out on the baking sheet it was overflowing, then shrunk down to about half after baking. 

I knew there was hope for kale chips and I was determined to make it work. So this time I went to another market where they had “Lacinato Kale”, a smoother version. I cleaned and cut it into pieces and put them in a large baggie with paper towels to soak up extra water. After it was all said and done, it turned out great! They are so addicting. I made it again a few days ago when I had friends over with the intention of sharing of course. It didn't exactly turn out that way. The few chips that my guests were able to try made a great impression. Everyone felt guilty eating the only thing I was aloud to snack on, or maybe it was the fact that I placed the bowl in front of me and never took my eyes off of it. It was funny how everyone was teasing me for my boring snack and then quickly changed their tune. Ha! Even the guys wanted more. So there you have it, you don't need greasy potato chips after all. 

2 Kale Bunches, cut into smaller pieces

1 Tbs. Olive Oil

Sea Salt, Pepper and Chili Pepper

Parchment Paper

Preheat oven to 350

Place parchment paper down on baking sheet

Toss kale, olive oil and seasonings in large bowl

Bake for about 15-20 mins, or until crispy

Remove from oven and serve

Serves 3-5 (or one) 

Gluten Free, No Refined Sugar, Ideal Protein Approved

Raw Ginger Dressing

                               ***Revised 2.5.11***        
(I made this again tonight and made a few changes. I wanted it to be a lot thicker, less oil and more ginger.)


Like I sad in my last post, I’ve been on a specific, strict diet/cleanse that only allows lean protein, certain low glycimic veggies, olive oil and a few more items. I’ve been more disciplined in the last week and a half then I’ve ever been. It has really made me realize how many hidden sugars are in almost everything we eat.

I went out to sushi with some friends over the weekend in hopes that I could politely explain to the chef my food restrictions without 1) Looking like “that girl” and 2) having to eat sheets of seaweed all night. It really helped that one of my girlfriends, that was with me, is also on the same program so we could yell at each other when ever we reached for someone else's rice covered roll. The chef was nice enough to make up a few rolls using a only a variety of yummy, fresh sashimi. Then being as hungry as I was and knowing that ginger is on the “approved” list of foods, I ordered a house salad with ginger dressing. Innocent enough I thought. In fact my friend ordered two and what’s the more is we ordered a side of dressing to dip our sashimi in. It was like candy! Ginger never tasted so good. And when I was all done and filled to the brim, I decided it was a good time to find out what the ingredients were. All I heard was, “Ketchup, Sugar, Peanut Oil..”. Really!? Awesome. Again, a great reminder that we have no idea what we are eating even when we are trying to be healthy. 

I was determined to create my own ginger dressing. Being that I made mine in the Blendtec, it turned out to be a creamy ginger dressing. Its made eating two salads a day something to look forward to. If you don’t own a billion dollar blender, just mince all of the ingredients and blend them in a regular blender. 

3/4 c. Ginger, fresh and peeled

1/4 c. Onion

2 Celery Stalk

1/2 Garlic Clove

1/3 c. Olive Oil

1/2 c. Apple Cider Vinegar

4 tea. Braggs Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce)

1/2 tea. Stevia

1 Lemon, juice

1/2 tea Sea Salt

1/4 tea. Ground Pepper

Mix all of the ingredients together in the blender until well blended. 

Serves 20

Gluten Free, No Refined Sugar, Raw

Blendtec Joytec

      Let me start off by apologizing in advance for all of the upcoming “Blendtec” recipes you will endure. Oh yes folks, you heard it right..I own a Blendtec! Isn’t that incredible news?!?! Okay, I’m sure most of you aren’t quite as excited as I am assuming you’ve never laid your eyes on one of these babies and experienced all the wonder that is Blendtec. Don’t be surprised on your next visit to Costco if you see me with a tiny little microphone strapped to my head while standing in a sea of Blendtec boxes, harassing all of the patrons to “come have a look!” in a British accent. I should be getting a commission check from those people every time I fit the word “Blendtec” into my daily conversations. 

It all started about 5 years ago while at a spa/esthetic convention, I was drawn away from the brazilian waxing booth when I heard the words “ice cream in 60seconds!”. Yep, it was that easy. They were selling the “Vita-mix”, a $500 blender that could do anything. In a matter of 5 mins, they made ice cream, chicken tortilla soup, a smoothie and something else.  I thought of all the wonderful things I could make (almond butter, raw veggie soup, hummus, green drinks and more. Really this would be a good investment for my health. I knew right then that one day I too would be the proud owner of such a device. At the time I was juicing my fruits and veggies but was frustrated with the fact that I was discarding much of the nutrients that are in the pulp, seeds and rind. I was also making green smoothies in the morning but could only use a few veggies that I know would blend well. Then later I added that little food processor I was telling you about. I think I’ll hold on to that one for the small jobs. 

Over the years I’ve done plenty of research to make sure the Vita-mix was the way to go. Through all of the reviews, I came to the conclusion that it’s competitor, Blendtec, was the best choice. The week before christmas I was spending my last pennies at Costco when I saw the ‘One Armed Bandit’ demoing the $400 Blendtec. Although I had included this on my xmas wish list every year, I figured santa wasn’t going to spend the big bucks on a blender. It was too bad I didn’t have the money on hand because if purchased from a demo, you get a 7 year extended warranty. The good news is that I collected enough cash and returnable gifts this year to go buy me my own suppa powwa blenda! I called the company to make sure the whole “extended warranty” claim was legit. Indeed it was and I tracked down the ‘One Armed Bandit’ at a Costco just 30mins out of town, in a place where beautiful women instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano. Costco of San Juan Capistrano. 

I’ve been on a special detox/diet this week that only allows me to have certain veggies and chicken or fish in addition to other special protein foods. I must say, eating 2 cups of veggies with every meal isn’t easy. But it’s been effortless when blended with ice, mint, ginger and vanilla protein for a green smoothie or chicken and seasonings for a hot and hearty soup (that is still considered raw minus the chicken of course). I’m in veggie heaven. So as I sit here enjoying my tasty chicken soup that I made within 5 mins of getting home from work, I thought to myself, “This is something I need to share with the world!”, whether or not they care. So while I’m on this detox (losing 10lbs in two weeks), the only recipes that you will see will be the most creative I can get with a very limited diet. P.S Feel free to ask me about the diet if you are curious.

Indian Eggplant Turkey Burger

       Indian is by far my favorite cuisine. I get so excited when I meet indian people and ask them for their secret family recipes. The ones I’ve met lately are a bit americanized, so unfortunately they don’t have all of maa-ta-jee’s recipes memorized. I honestly think I scared my new buddy that I made last week at 711 around the corner. When I found out he was indian I had 20 questions for him before I realized that I was holding up the line. That’s when he suggested I come back on saturday when his mom was working, which was two days ago, oops. As I explained before, I wasn’t in the best condition to leave the house this weekend. But there is always next!  

I was in the mood for Indian food and figured tonight was just as good as any to attempt my first indian dish. I’ve always hesitated because I know that to make an authentic Indian meal, it would take all day (and more) and a lot more spices then I own... Baby steps. The burger turned out great, the eggplant could have been sliced thiner and  feta would have been a better choice for cheese. I made curry cauliflower on the side but didn't love it enough to post the recipe, I’ll have to work on that one. My little $35 food processor came in handy tonight. First, I used it for mincing the onion, then I threw the mint, cilantro and garlic in and cut the prep time by about 5 mins. I topped the burger with the left-over Yogurt Avocado dip I made last night for the sweet potato fries.  Oh, and this was all done in my toaster oven on “Grill”. I found out the hard way that the propane tank under the BBQ was out. It turned out fine but I do love those grill marks you get from the real deal.  

1 lb. Ground Turkey

1 Onion, minced

1/4 c. Mint, finely chopped

1/4 c. Cilantro, finely chopped

2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1/2 tea. Sea Salt
1/2 tea. Pepper

1/2 tea. Ground Ginger

1/2 tea. Turmeric

1/2 tea. Paprika

1/2 tea. Cumin

1/4 tea. Cinnamon 

1 Eggplant, cut into 8 slices 

4 Slices Provolone Cheese or Feta 

1/4 Onion, thinly sliced

• In large bowl add Turkey, Onion, Mint, Cilantro, Garlic and Spices and mix well with (clean) hands. 
• Even out mixture in bowl and separate into fours by drawing a X with your finger (just an idea) 
• Shape into 4 patties
• Place patties and Eggplant onto grill and cook for 10 mins on each side
• Top patties with Cheese and Onions. 

Serves 4

Gluten Free, No Refined Sugar, No Butter

Mango Mint Lassi

To accompany the Indian burgers of course. 

2 1/2 c. Plain Yogurt

2 1/2 c. Frozen Mango (Trader Joes)

2 tbs. Agave Nectar

2 tbs . Mint

• Place all ingredients in blender and blend!

Serves 4

Gluten Free, No Refined Sugar, Vegetarian

Butternut Squash Chicken Tacos

This turned out to be the main dish for Betania’s birthday dinner. It was ending up to be a low-protein menu so I decided to add chicken to the mix. A good thing about this recipe is that you can omit the chicken if needed and it’s a great vegetarian dish. I ate the left-overs the next day without the tortilla, and it made for a good meal. If I had planned for this in the beginning I would’ve made it with rice instead of roasted veggies.  

1 Roasted Chicken

Or 

1 Garlic Clove, minced 

3 c. Chicken Broth 

8 Chicken breasts

1/4 c. Water 

1 Red Onion

1 10 oz. can Enchilada Sauce

1/2 tea. Cumin

1/2 tea. Cinnamon 

1/4 tea. Chipotle

1 Butternut Squash, halved 

1 can Corn

1/2 tea. Sea Salt

1 can Black Refried Beans

1 Lime

Cilantro 

12 Corn Tortillas (Gluten Free)

• Pre-heat oven to 350
• Heat large pot on medium heat  
• Add Broth and Garlic and bring to a boil
• Add Chicken, reduce heat and cover for about 30 
• ( Start here if you are using a Roasted chicken) 
• Remove Chicken and shred, using two forks
• In large pan, saute Onion and add Enchilada Sauce, Water, Chicken, Spices and simmer
• In Medium sauce pan, heat Corn 
• In separate pan, heat Black Beans
• Cut Squash in half and place face up on baking pan
• Place in oven and bake for 45 mins, or until tender
• Remove and spoon over Corn and add Salt and stir
• Spoon Chicken mixture into Tortilla, top with Squash mixture, then Beans and Cilantro and Lime.

Serves 8-12

Gluten Free, No Refined Sugar, No Butter, Can be Vegetarian

Mint Zucchini Quiche

        I decided to attempt my first quiche today. I’ve found myself ordering it at least once a week at Pannikin, but I always leave feeling guilty for the amount of butter, gluten and cheese I end up ingesting. I wasn’t quite sure how this was going to turn out. I didn’t have any gluten-free flour on hand so I decided to use rice bread. I pulled out all the ingredients that sounded good together, cooked them up and added enough eggs and milk to cover everything. Sadly, I couldn’t figure out if the eggs were going to expand and if I was going to have an egg mountain when it was said and done. I pulled out this little baking dish I had found at Ross a few months ago (9"x6"). It was cute and affordable so I purchased it (a sad addiction I’m afraid) . It seemed to be the perfect size for my experimental quiche. Obviously you won't be using the same odd sized dish, so just add more of everything to fill it up. 

Everything turned out great, even the rice bread held to its soft, chewy consistency. I didn't realize until after I was done that there seems to be a pattern in most of my egg dishes (zucchini, spinach and sun dried tomatoes). I guess that’s what I always seem to have stocked in the fridge. 

1/2 tbs. Olive Oil

1/2 Zucchini, thinly sliced

2 tbs. Sun Dried Tomatoes

2 c. Fresh Baby Spinach (with stems removed)

6 Slices Rice Bread

3/4 c. Mint

4 Eggs

1/4 c. Milk (I used rice milk, but any would do)

Salt/Pepper

3 tbs. Goat Cheese 

• Pre heat oven to 350

• In small sauce pan, add oil, zucchini and sun dried tomatoes. 
• Saute until zucchini is soft.
• Add spinach and mint and cook until both are soft
• Add a pinch of salt and pepper 
• Cut the crust off of the rice bread and place into the baking dish.
• Coat the entire dish, including the sides with the bread pieces, cutting smaller pieces to fit. 
• Spoon vegetable mixture onto bread.
• Beat eggs and milk in small bowl and pour over veggies
• Place into oven and bake for 30 mins
• Remove and top with goat cheese  

 Serves 3-4


Gluten Free, No Refined Sugar, No Butter, Vegetarian

Apple Beet Spinach Salad

I served this along side the Mint Zucchini Quiche and they complemented one another. I thought it was strange at first, but then again I talk to my food all the time. 

1/2 tea. Coconut Oil (olive oil works) 

1/2 c. Walnuts

1 tbs. Honey

1 Apple, thinly sliced 

3 Baby Beets, ( pre-steamed & peeled, I get mine from Trader Joes) sliced 

4 c. Baby Spinach

3 tbs. Orange Champagne Vinegar (Trader Joes) 

1/4 c. Goat Cheese

• In medium bowl toss apples and beets 
• In small pan, heat oil on medium
• Add walnuts and cook for about 5 mins
• Add honey and cook an additional 2 mins, stirring frequently
• Add to apple and beet mixture
• In larger bowl, toss spinach and orange vinegar
• Mix all ingredients together and spoon onto dishes 
• Top with goat cheese and serve

Serves 2-3

Gluten Free, No Refined Sugar, No Butter, Vegetarian

Tangerine Mint Spritzer

1 Lime, Juice

1 Tangerine

1/4 c. Mint

Ice

8 oz, Sparkling Water

• Add Lime Juice, Tangerine and Mint to each glass and press with fork
• Top with ice and sparkling water and serve

(to sweeten, add a bit of Agave or Honey to mixture, before adding ice) 

Serves 2


Gluten Free, No Refined Sugar, Vegan 

Sweet Potato Wedges

     I was in the mood for some sweet potato fries as a little snack before dinner. I can honesty say that I''ve spent the majority of my day in the kitchen. 'Party of one please'. After all, I had 4 days to kill. Oh yes, you heard that right. 4 long days of not leaving the house. Why, one may ask? Well being a medical Esthetician I like to experiment with things like lasers and acid. I know, sounds like a party. So I made a little trip to Trader Joes and grabbed everything that could fit into the the friedge (sorry roommies).   I don’t love the way the dip looks, but it does taste good. Remember, the larger the wedges, the longer they will need to cook. Serve with some ice cold Stone IPA ,(just a suggestion) and enjoy:)

Sweet Potato Wedges

6 Small or 3 Lrg Sweet Potatoes

3 tbs. Olive Oil

2 tea. Sea Salt

1 tea. Black Pepper

1/2 tea. Chili Powder

1/2 tea. Chipotle

1/2 tea. Cinnamon

1/2 tea. Cumin

• Preheat oven to 450
• Cut potatoes into wedges.
• Place in bowl and toss with Olive Oil.
• In separate small bowl mix spices and then toss in with potatoes
• Lay foil on baking sheet
• Spread out potatoes evenly 
• Place in oven and bake until potatoes are golden brown, turning occasionally, about 20 minutes.  
• Let cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Avocado, Parmesan Yogurt Dip

1/2 c. Plain Yogurt

1/2 Avocado

1 Garlic Clove

3 tbs. Parmesan Cheese

Sea Salt

• In food processor add all ingredients and blend well. 
• Garnish with avocado so people know why this dip is green. 

Serves 2-3


Gluten Free, No Refined Sugar, No Butter, Vegetarian

Cold Fighter Offer

Sick again. Ask any of my childhood coaches, catching a ball was never my thing. Catching a cold? Now that’s another story. Being sick is no fun, except for the whole movie marathon, napping, snacking, lazing part. But the problem is that I must return to work tomorrow and I have no other choice than to kick this thing. I’m not one for prescription meds so besides the ol’ natural supplements from Jimbo's (Wellness Formula which I highly recommend) I had to come up with something to boost my immune system.  I knew that I could find something around the kitchen to throw in the Blendtec. I started pulling out all of the immune boosting foods like garlic, berries, broccoli, etc. and decided to blend them all together. What was the worst that could happen? I could just toss it and make it again. But no, it worked! I know it sounds crazy but it actually tasted great. I'd even eat this when I'm feeling normal again. Just make sure you don’t have some big date planned that evening, a whole clove of raw garlic isn’t the most attractive thing. I just hope it doesn’t stay with me for my clients tomorrow (sorry guys). So take my word for it on this one and give a shot.

1 c. Ice

½ c. Water

1 Lemon, juiced

1 Orange, juiced

4 Strawberries, Frozen or Fresh

4 Pineapple chunks, Frozen or Fresh

½ C. Broccoli

1 Garlic Clove

½ tbs Ginger (or ginger powder)

1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1 tsp. Honey

Lemon, Orange, Strawberries & Broccoli- Vitamin C immune boosters, increase body resistance, decrease toxicity and reduce the duration of the illness

Honey- Contains a variety of flavonoids and phenolic acids as anti-oxidants and an effective throat soother.

Garlic- Garlic contains antiseptic and antispasmodic properties, besides several other medicinal qualities.

Ginger & Pineapple - Stimulates circulation and helps clear your sinuses and lungs of mucus.

Cayenne Pepper -Reduces fever and utilizes chemicals to block stronger pain with weak pain signals. (like white willow and it’s synthetic version, Aspirin)