Cajun Salmon on Fruited Arugula Salad

Put holes in your salmon and drizzle with olive oil and fresh lemon juice from two small lemons, add salt, pepper, fresh parsley, and sprinkle with cajun seasoning.  Broil until done.

To baby arugula add:  handful of pine nuts; can of drained artichoke hearts; handful of golden flax seeds; handful of shaved Parmesan cheese; handful of fresh raspberries, a diced avocado, and a large handful of crumbled sweet potato Garden of Eaten chips.  Add juice from two large lemons and drizzle with flaxseed oil.  

You can make any additions or substitutions you like!

Best Ever Mixed Yam Fries

1 japanese yam
1 red yam
1 regular orange yam

Cut each yam into thirds and then into fries.  Put in 9x13.  Sprinkle with olive oil, good cinnamon, and a little vanilla.  Toss some crushed macadamia nuts on top.  Bake at 350 for approximately 30 minutes.

Karen’s Ricotta-Stuffed Squash

4 acorn or 8 crookneck or pattypan squash               2 T butter

1 small onion, finely chopped                                                1 clove garlic, minced

1 10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed    2 eggs

1 lb. ricotta cheese                                                      ¼ c grated Parmesan cheese

1 T chopped parsley                                                  ½ t EACH salt, dry basil & oregano

dash of pepper                                                           Tomato sauce (recipe follows)

Cut squash in half, take out seeds, and steam until crisp-tender (apx. 5 minutes).  Plunge in cold water, drain well, and set aside.  In small frying pan over medium heat, melt 1 T butter.  Add onion & garlic & cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is limp.  Squeeze spinach to remove excess moisture.  Add spinach to onion mixture & cook 1 minute; let cool.  In a bowl, combine eggs with ricotta, stirring until well-blended.  Stir in Parmesan, parsley, salt, basil, oregano, pepper & spinach mixture.   Allowing about 3 T filling per squash, mound filling inside squash shells.  Arrange filled shells in shallow baking pans.  Melt remaining 1 T butter & brush over cut surfaces of squash.  If made ahead, cover & refrigerate.  Bake uncovered in 350 oven for approximately 20 minutes (30 minutes if refrigerated) or until filling is piping hot.  While squash is baking, prepare tomato sauce to spoon over squash before serving.

Tomato sauce:

2 15-oz. cans tomato sauce                                         4 T chopped parsley

2 cloves garlic, minced                                                2 t dry basil

1 t oregano leaves                                                        salt & pepper

In 1-qt. pan, simmer all ingredients together for 5 minutes.

Fat Flush Soup

Fat Flush Soup Recipe

(Recipe by Fat Flush Blog at http://www.fatflush.com/blog/fat-flush-soup/)

Ingredients

 2 tsp. olive oil

1-1/4  lbs. lean ground beef, turkey or chopped chicken*

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

1 large red, orange and/or green pepper, seeded and chopped

1 large zucchini or yellow squash, chopped

8 oz. mushrooms, chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1 bottle (46 oz.) reduced-sodium tomato or vegetable cocktail juice

1 can (15 oz.) pinto, garbanzo or black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (14 oz.) crushed tomatoes

1 Tbs. fresh lime juice

1 Tbs. ground cumin

⅛  tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste

1/4 cup each fresh cilantro and parsley leaves, chopped

Instructions

1. In sauce pot over medium-high heat, cook oil 30 seconds or until heated.

2. Add beef, turkey or chicken and cook 5 minutes or until cooked through, stirring occasionally.

3. Remove from skillet; drain, if desired.

4. In same sauce pot, cook onions, peppers, zucchini, mushrooms and garlic for 5 minutes or until vegetables are

crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.

5. Stir in next 6 ingredients and cooked meat.

6. Add up to 1 cup water to thin soup, if desired.

7. Cover and bring soup just to a simmer (do not let boil).

8. Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

My Quest for the Perfect Belgian Waffle has ended!

BELGIAN SUGAR/LIEGE WAFFLES FOR FREEZING

http://www.notmartha.org/archives/2015/03/13/how-to-make-authentic-liege-waffles-in-six-minutes/

Recipe adapted from the Gaufre de Liège Recette Blog, which is excellent.

Makes 12 waffles.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tsp. (8 g) active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup (120 g) whole milk at 110-115 degrees F (43-46 C)
• 5 Tbsp. and 1 tsp. (80 g) water at 110-115 degrees F (43-46 C)
• 4 cups (480 g) King Arthur all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature and lightly beaten
• 2 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. (40 g) light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. (9 g) salt
• 17 Tbsp. (240 g) room temperature butter (just over two sticks)
• 2 Tbsp. (30 g) honey
• 4 tsp. (20 ml) vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup (300 g) Belgian Pearl Sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Put heated milk and water in the bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle yeast over the top and stir to moisten.

2. Add the eggs and about 1/3rd (160 g) of the flour, mix to blend.

3. Sprinkle the remaining flour over the top of the mixture but don’t stir it in. Cover the bowl and let it stand for 75 to 90 minutes at room temperature. You’ll see the yeast mixture bubble up through the flour.

after 90 minutes

4. Add the brown sugar and salt, mix on slow to combine everything in the bowl. (I just go ahead and use the dough hook.)

5. With your mixer on low speed add the honey and the vanilla. Add 2 Tbsp. (60 g) of butter at a time. Mix everything for 4 minutes at medium-low speed, scrape down sides a few times. Let the dough rest for 1 minute and mix again for 2 minutes. Do this again a few times until the dough starts to want to stick mostly to the dough hook.

6. Transfer the dough into a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let this rise at room temperature for 4 hours.

after 4 hours

7. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. This step is for yeast respiration, it will slow it down which you’ll need to do before the next step.

after 30 minutes

8. Using a silicone spatula press down on the dough to deflate it. Scrap this onto a piece of plastic wrap, stretch into a long rectangle and then fold into thirds. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and weight it down with dinner plates. Refrigerate overnight.

after an overnight rest

9. Divide your pearl sugar in 12 equal piles, about 2 Tbsp. (25 g) each. Divide the dough into 12 pieces (about 88 g each). Mix the pearl sugar into each part of dough, I usually flatten the dough, sprinkle sugar on top and fold it over a few times.

10. Shape each waffle into an oval lump, cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 90 minutes.

after 90 minutes

11. Spray your waffle iron with cooking spray. Heat until it registers at 365-370 degrees F (185 – 187 C). (Hotter than this and it will burn the sugar.) Cook until the waffle is dark golden brown and you can see the sugar melting and coating the outside. If you’re using a stovetop waffle iron I recommend turning it over every 90 seconds or so to keep the temperature on both sides up and allow for as much sugar to coat the exterior as possible. Carefully transfer the waffles to a wire rack to cool — be aware that the hot sugar will drip and can burn your fingers (ask me how I know) so use tongs and a flat spatula or small plate to help you move them. When cool tuck each waffle into some parchment paper and freeze in an airtight container. When you are ready to cook them preheat an oven to 275 degrees F and place the waffle directly onto the wire rack. Heat for 5 to 7 minutes, carefully transfer to a plate, maybe line the plate with that strip of parchment paper.

I recommend the oven over a reheating in a toaster because I don’t want hot sugar to drip into your toaster. A friend reported that even at the lowest heat setting the waffles burned in her toaster oven. So, regular oven it is.

12. If you are freezing the dough to cook later: Transfer the sheet with your dough directly into the freezer and let the dough chill for at least half an hour until set. Wrap each lump of dough in plastic wrap and place together in an airtight container in the freezer. When you are ready to cook follow the directions above for cooking. I remove as many ovals of dough as I want to make and place them onto the hot waffle iron, pressing the iron down slowly to flatten them out as they thaw. If you freeze the dough on parchment you can cut around them and use that parchment when you wrap them up, it will peel off cleanly before putting them in the waffle iron.

Easy Flourless Chocolate Cake with Silky Chocolate Glaze Recipe (Gluten Free!)

I love this recipe!  It is my "go to" cake -- you can top it with raspberries, strawberries, or just leave it wonderfully plain!  Got this recipe from http://glutenfreecooking.about.com/od/dessertsandsweets/r/flourlessgfcake.htm

INGREDIENTS

•   6 1-ounce squares coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate

•   1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

•   3/4 cup sugar

•   3 large eggs

•   1/2 cup cocoa

•   1/4 teaspoon salt

•   1 teaspoon vanilla

•   For Glaze:

•   2 1-ounce squares coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate squares

•   1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

•   1 1/2 teaspoon milk OR light coconut milk

•   1 1/2 teaspoons Agave syrup OR honey

•   1/8 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°F

Spray a 7-inch tart pan with removable bottom with cooking spray. If you don't have a tart pan, use a 6 to 7-inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and spray the paper.

•   Melt 6 ounces of chopped chocolate and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium low heat. Stir until chocolate and butter are melted and smooth.

Add sugar and salt and reduce heat to low. Cook while stirring for about one minute, until sugar starts to dissolve.

•   Remove pan from heat. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, and vanilla. The mixture will look smooth and glossy.

•   Use a mesh hand sieve to sift cocoa into mixture. This prevents lumps. Whisk until the cake batter is smooth.

•   Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for about 25 minutes. The center of the cake should be just firm to the touch, but be careful to not overbake the cake or it will be dry.

•   Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert the cake on a plate.

To prepare the glaze, melt 2 ounces of chopped chocolate and 1 1/2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in the same saucepan you used to make the cake. When melted and smooth, remove the pan from heat. Add milk and Agave syrup OR honey and vanilla and stir until smooth and glossy. Let the glaze cool for about 3 minutes before pouring it on the cake.

Pour all of the glaze in the middle of the cake. Use a silicone or rubber spatula to spread the glaze evenly over the cake, allowing the glaze to evenly run down the sides of the cake.

Serves 6

Reminder: Always make sure your work surfaces, utensils, pans and tools are free of gluten. Always read product labels. Manufacturers can change product formulations without notice. When in doubt, do not buy or use a product before contacting the manufacturer for verification that the product is free of gluten.

Kale Rainbow Detox Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

A delicious vegan and gluten free detox kale salad with an incredible lemon

dressing! You'll make this again and again!

Author: Monique of AmbitiousKitchen.com

Can Serve 4 (or 1)

Ingredients

For the Vinaigrette:

Juice of 3 lemons (about 1/2 cup)

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon sugar, if desired to sweeten it up

salt and black pepper, to taste

For the salad:

2 bunches kale (about 6-8 cups), destemmed and finely chopped

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 orange bell pepper, diced

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

1 cup shredded carrots

1/2 small red onion, diced

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1/3 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup roasted almonds

1/2 avocado, diced

Instructions

1. To make dressing: place lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, sugar, and salt in bowl; whisk together until

combined and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, toss kale, bell peppers, onions, and carrots together. Add dressing, cilantro, and parsley.

Use hands to massage kale with dressing; this is important so that the kale absorbs the dressing. Place in

refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour to let flavors soak in.

3. Before serving, toss salad again. Top with almonds and avocado. Makes 4 servings. Enjoy!

Notes

To make this a full meal, add in a cup or two of cooked quinoa!

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1/4th of recipe Calories: 192 Fat: 8.9g Carbohydrates: 26.2g Sugar: 7.4g Fiber: 8.1g