Herb and Feta Polenta Appetizers
source: Ricki Heller
One of my favorite features of spring and summer is getting fresh organic produce delivered to my home in my CSA each week. I love the organic box we receive and the amazing variety available of produce when the weather warms up. I’ve learned about lots of unusual fruits and veggies that way, too, and some (like fennel) are now counted among my favorites.
The one thing you don’t see much in fresh organic boxes, though, is corn on the cob. In fact, organic corn in general is difficult to find, though other corn-based products like frozen or canned kernels, or corn flour and corn meal can all be purchased fairly easily from your local Whole Foods or health food store.
An important reason you might wish to stick with organic corn is that conventional varieties are among the foods most likely to be GMO (genetically modified). In fact, there is lots of recent news about GMO corn and how it contains many fewer nutrients than organic corn—as well as some additional ingredients most of us would rather not consume! For me, it’s best to steer clear.
Just because the fresh grain isn’t available (yes, corn is a grain!) doesn’t mean I forgo corn altogether, though. One of my favorite recipes this time of year uses cornmeal for that perennial favorite—polenta. I combine it with creamy cheese and fresh dill and peppers (also from my CSA) and the final product does look very spring-like! It makes great party food, but if you’re cooking on a weekday, just spread it in the pan and serve in big slabs instead. I make mine with dairy-free feta, but you can use any kind of cheese you prefer.
These polenta appetizers are an easy way to enjoy one of my favorite foods in the form of cornmeal. In the meantime, I’ll wait for that “special delivery” CSA that brings me my annual treat of corn on the cob.
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Sweet Potato & Kale Balls (and an e-book giveaway!)
source: Hallie Klecker
Are you ready to go crazy for kale? I hope so because I’ve got quite a treat for you today!
Just a few weeks ago, I released a brand new e-book, Crazy for Kale: Glow from the Inside Out with 40 Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Recipes. And today, I’m sharing one of the recipes and giving away a copy to one lucky reader!
But first, more about the e-book…
Since last summer, I’ve been having fun in the kitchen with kale coming up with recipe after recipe that feature this amazing powerhouse of a food. You might think I’d be sick of kale by now, but I’m pretty sure that’s impossible.
Crazy for Kale offers 40 wholesome recipes that make the most of kale in everything from salads to main dishes to snacks and sweet treats. Whether you’re a longtime kale lover or new on the leafy green scene, you’ll find yourself making these healthy recipes again and again. Crazy for Kale also teaches you about kale’s many health benefits, how to properly store it, and the most common varieties available.
Flavorful yet approachable, all of the recipes in Crazy for Kale are gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and refined sugar-free with many grain-free and vegan options.
Here’s a little taste of what you’ll find inside:
- Orange Greensicle Smoothie
- Tropical Asian Fusion Salad
- Chocolate Buckwheat Brownies (yes, brownies!)
- Pistachio Banana Ice Cream (yes, ice cream!)
- 33 Paleo/grain-free recipes
- 31 vegan or optionally vegan recipes
Reasonably priced at just $5.99 (that’s just $0.14 per recipe), the e-book comes to you in the form of a convenient PDF that you can download safely and securely to read on your Mac, PC, and most smartphones. (Also available for Kindle here.)
Keep reading to enter the contest AND get Hallie’s incredible recipe…
Salmon and Asparagus Mini Crustless Quiche
source: Danielle Rouse
Eggs are a staple in my house; all of my kids love them. They’re our definition of “Fast Food,” often eaten on nights when my husband has to work late or when I just need a break in the kitchen (after testing other recipes all day, ha!). I often whip up simple frittatas with left over veggies from the fridge, cook them with kale in my “Breakfast in a Jar” fashion, or I just fry them up in some coconut oil.
As I have said before, getting my kids to eat enough protein can be challenging. They love their veggies, but meat is a different story. I am grateful they enjoy eggs so much as I was just reading that, after breast milk, eggs are the most efficient source of protein (i.e. how easily your body can access and use it). No wonder they call them Incredible!
This simple quiche recipe is a standard of mine in the spring while asparagus is fresh and in season. I like to cook it in muffin tins because I often pack them in my oldest son’s lunch and, for some reason, kids enjoy muffin shaped food!
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Sweet Pea Pancakes with Brown Butter
I was reading through one of my old cookbooks, Simple Cuisine, by Jean-George Vongerichten the other day, and came across a recipe for sweet pea pancakes. The name of the recipe alone was enough to keep my interest, but the thing that really grabbed my attention was the vibrant green color of the cakes. One of my favorite axioms about food is that if a dish cannot be eaten with the eyes then it shouldn’t be eaten at all, and these cakes were so simple in their beauty, I could feel my eyes begin to salivate. Then when I saw that the recipe called for browned butter, let’s just say the decision was made for me.
So I set out to make a gluten-free version to share with everyone so you too can delight in these delicate little poppers.
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