Kale Caesar with Lime

Inspiration has always been the main drive behind my food blog. It could be a meal that I have tried at a family or friend’s house, a new dish that I have ordered at a restaurant, or a recipe that I found in a magazine, online or on a cooking show. This is almost always the backbone to getting my creative juices flowing and wanting to add my own flavorful spin to a recipe. As with many of you, I have also found a lot of original and interesting recipes on Instagram. This is where my latest source of inspiration has come from, especially at a time when I really needed a little extra push to get back to following through with my passion for cooking.

Chef Joanna Barajas is a wellness chef and author, and online coking educator who I find to be one of the most influential and accessible online chefs today. My friend Mike (aka the Gluten-Free Paisan) directed me to her Instagram and website, and I have been following her daily posts and videos ever since. Aside from sharing recipes that include fresh and healthy ingredients, she also shares practical tips and tricks that will help steer even the most basic home cook to a better kitchen experience. As she says on her own website, “I’m about enjoying the process of cooking – not rushing it. I care about wellness. I care about living the best quality of life into my old age. I love good food, but also want to have a long, healthy life.” This has always been my own goal with cooking, so you can understand why I have an appreciation for Chef Joanna’s talents.

If you follow my social media pages, you’ll know that I recently followed Chef Joanna’s Mindful Morning Breakfast Challenge, while sharing pictures of the meals that I made. Every recipe was tasty, healthy, filling and easy to follow, and you can find those recipes, along with many of her instructional videos on her website and Instagram pages highlighted below. 

This past week, Chef Joanna shared a recipe for a Kale Caesar Salad with a lime flavored, Greek yogurt based dressing. The Greek yogurt is used in placed of raw egg, which is often used in Caesar dressing. Being a Caesar salad fan, this recipe quickly caught my attention. It was super easy to make, and everything about it worked so well. The kale and romaine blend, the zesty lime flavor, and the Greek yogurt substitute all worked harmoniously! Chef Joanna graciously allowed me to share her recipe here on my blog. Being that the recipe made a bit more dressing that I needed for my salad, I got a little creative myself by using the remaining dressing to sauté shrimp. You can find that portion of recipe further below.

Be sure to check out Chef Joanna at chefjoannas.com and at simplecookingcookingshow.com.

You can also follow Chef Joanna’s Instagram page @chefjoannas

Kale Caesar with Lime

Traditional Caesar dressing scares me because it uses raw eggs and I don’t feel comfortable serving it to everyone. But the secret here is the Greek yogurt which results in a creamy delicious dressing that tastes very close to Caesar. It’s safe so you don’t have to worry. Enjoy! (It’s all about adding more Parmesan cheese!)
– Chef Joanna

Kale Caesar

4 cups chopped fresh kale
4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
2 cups croutons
¾ cup grated Paremsan cheese

Lime Caesar Dressing

½ cup plain Greek yogurt
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
3-4 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 tbsp. Extra-virgin olive oil
4-5 anchovies, minced 
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
¼ tsp. Salt
Pinch of black pepper
3-4 tbsp. Milk

Whisk all dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Add milk only if needed. 

Use right away, or store dressing in the fridge for 3 days. 

To make croutons, place 1 T olive oil, 1 T butter, 1 tsp minced garlic and 1-2 bread rolls cut up into cubes in a large frying pan. Heat everything and toss for a couple minutes or until bread starts to turn golden brown. Set aside until you toss the salad. 

Toss salad greens with dressing, croutons and extra Parmesan cheese. Garnish with lime wedges and a few crunchy croutons on top. 

(Can use parmesan crisps instead of croutons for keto. Bake Parmesan cheese on parchment at 350 F for 4-6 minutes or until crispy)

Dom’s Caesar Sautéed Shrimp

As I mentioned above, I am a huge fan of Caesar Salad, especially when there is some grilled or blackened chicken or shrimp added to the mix. While I was making Chef Joanna’s Kale Caesar, I decided to sauté about a dozen shrimp to add to the salad.

Because I knew that I had some additional dressing that needed to be used soon, I thought it would be fun to add a bit of the dressing to the shrimp as it cooked. There is a lot of flavor happening with the dressing, so I didn’t use any other seasonings for the shrimp. I wasn’t sure if the dressing would burn off during the cooking process, so instead of tossing the shrimp in the dressing prior to cooking them, I chose to play it safe and added two tablespoons of the dressing to the pan during the final few minutes of cooking, making sure that all of the shrimp were evenly coated. The dressing actually formed a bit of a crunchy coating on the shrimp, so timing was perfect. The shrimp looked and smelled so good, that I decided to just serve them on the side instead of adding them to the salad. I drizzled some of the remaining dressing onto the plated sautéed shrimp for extra flavor. Thanks to Chef Joanna’s inspiration, I was able to make an impromptu, tasty new recipe!

1 dozen shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
3-4 tbsp Caesar dressing
*optional chopped flat leaf parsley for garnish
(normally I would sauté shrimp in garlic with lemon and seasonings, but there is enough flavor in the dressing so I felt that no additional ingredients were necessary)

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp, cook until shrimp start to turn pink, about two minutes. Flip the shrimp, add two tablespoons of the Caesar dressing. Stir to evenly coat. Continue to cook until shrimp are fully cooked, about 2-3 minutes. Remove shrimp from pan, sprinkle with chopped parsley and drizzle with remaining dressing.

Tomato Salad with Toasted Bread

Summer is quickly coming to an end, which means that an abundance of ripe and juicy garden tomatoes is on its way! One of my favorites ways of enjoying garden tomatoes is in a nice tomato salad. There’s nothing fancy or intricate about this dish. Just add some salt and pepper, a little olive oil, maybe a dash or two of balsamic vinegar and some fresh chopped basil to your sliced tomatoes, and voila…a quick and tasty tomato salad. Of course, you can kick it up by adding some fresh chopped cucumber, red onion or chunks of cheese. Even bacon pieces add a nice touch. Whatever ingredients you may choose, it doesn’t take much to create a delicious tomato salad.

However, I did pick up an interesting and easy trick to make tomato salad that much better from my sister-in-law Carmela, while we were all on vacation this past summer. By simply toasting up some cubed and lightly seasoned day-old bread, you now have a crunchy and tasty side to serve with your tomato salad. Home made croutons, if you will! The toasted bread not only adds a nice crunchy bite, it also balances out the wetness of the salad by soaking up some of the juices…which, of course makes the toasted bread even more enjoyable.

Just as I had suggested with seasoning the tomatoes, you don’t have to do a lot to enhance the flavor of the toasted bread. A quick drizzle of olive oil and some salt and pepper before toasting makes for a tasty basic crouton. If you want a more flavorful and zesty crouton, try adding some parmesan cheese, garlic and/or onion powder, or some Italian seasoning. The amount that you add is all according to your taste. Just make sure that you’re using good quality day-old bread, because good bread is ALWAYS the key to a good Italian meal!

Step 1: Cut up day-old crusty bread into 1″ cubes. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and any additional seasonings that you prefer. Bake at 325˚ for 10 minutes, making sure not to burn the bread.

 

Step 2: Slice up your tomatoes (along with cucumbers and red onion if you prefer).

 

Step 3: In a large bowl, mix together your sliced veggies, some salt and pepper and a dash or two of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. You can add additional spices and seasonings, along with other ingredients (cheese, bacon, etc.) to your liking. You can also prepare the salad earlier in the day and keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

 

Step 4: Plate your salad and toasted bread. Top with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Serve and enjoy!

Kale Salad with Cannellini Beans, Gorgonzola and Balsamic Bacon Vinaigrette

If you’re a follower of healthy food trends, I’m sure you’ve come across quite a few recipes that use kale. If you are not familiar with kale, it is one of the latest and greatest super foods, loaded with vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Because it has risk-lowering benefits for various forms of cancer, and also has cholesterol-lowering, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and cardiovascular benefits, kale is being enjoyed not only as an edible green, but also as an ingredient in protein shakes and body-cleansing juices. I’ve only recently been introduced to kale, served by my brother and his wife as a salad mixed with quinoa, and have since been inspired to try out my own version of a mixed kale salad.

Because kale has a very thick and firm texture, it is often recommended to cook it before serving, to help soften it a bit for easier digestion. Many health food sites recommend steaming it for 5 minutes, for maximum nutrition and flavor. You can also sauté it as you would spinach or other greens. You can, of course, serve it raw, as I do in the recipe that follows. To help soften the leaves and make them easier to digest as a raw salad, you want to thoroughly wash the leaves in warm to hot water for at least 5 minutes, making sure to rub away any grit or dirt. You then want to rinse the leaves again in cold water. This method is called massaging. Remove any thick pieces from the kale, then shred or chop the remaining leaves. You can then add your additional ingredients, then toss with a salad dressing.

My mixed kale salad included the following ingredients. You can add whatever amount you prefer:

• white cannellini beans;
• grape tomatoes;
• crumbled gorgonzola cheese;
• fresh bacon bits; and
• home made balsamic bacon vinaigrette dressing (recipe below).

Obviously, the bacon vinaigrette may not be the first choice for a healthy salad, but I was looking to make it a bit more hearty and flavorful. You can substitute it with a lighter dressing, such as a fresh citrus vinaigrette, if you wish.

For more ideas on how to prepare and serve kale, check out the following links:
whfoods.com
cookinglight.com

Balsamic Bacon Vinaigrette Dressing
(Courtesy of finecooking.com)

2 slices bacon, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 small shallot, minced
1-1/2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard
3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a small (1-quart) saucepan over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp and golden, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a dish lined with paper towels, leaving the bacon fat in the pan. Add the shallot to the bacon fat and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1 Tbs. of the vinegar and scrape the bottom of the pan with a spoon to dissolve the browned bits stuck to the pan bottom. Off the heat, stir in the remaining 1/2 Tbs. vinegar, the lemon juice, and the mustard. Gradually whisk in the olive oil (don’t worry if the sauce doesn’t emulsify). Season with 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper, or to taste.

Capri Phyllo Squares

If you’re a fan of tomatoes, it’s highly unlikely that you enjoy eating them this time of year. Like a good friend of mine said on one of her Facebook posts, “winter tomatoes are pretty with no personality”. The response posted by another friend, saying that “they have the personality of Ted Baxter” still makes me laugh. But just because we are not in prime time tomato season does not mean that you cannot enjoy a store-bought tomato that is jazzed up with a little extra flavor when added to the right dish.

One of my favorite Italian dishes that uses tomatoes is the classic Capri Salad. A simple combination of tomato, fresh mozzarella and basil, the Capri is the perfect marriage of taste and texture. Whether served as a traditional salad drizzled with aged balsamic, or served appetizer-style on a fancy toothpick, it may be one of the most refreshing combinations that I like to enjoy throughout the year.

For today’s post, I’m adding a bit more depth and texture by incorporating a phyllo dough wrap to make an amazingly simple and tasty appetizer!

Capri Phyllo Squares
4 roma tomatoes, sliced (you’ll need 12 slices in all)
12 slices fresh mozzarella cheese
(tomato and cheese slices should each be about 1/2″ or so thick)
12 pieces fresh basil
1 packet of frozen phyllo dough, defrosted
(one packet should give you 18 sheets phyllo dough. You will then cut the sheets in half, leaving a total of 36 sheets)
melted butter for brushing
olive oil
salt and pepper for seasoning
balsamic vinegar

Turn oven on to 350˚. Place tomato slices on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Lightly drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake tomatoes in the oven for 7 minutes to soften a bit. Remove tomatoes from oven, leaving oven on.

To assemble the wraps, you will need three sheets of phyllo, stacked. Lightly brush one side of the stacked phyllo with butter. Place the butter brushed side down on a new baking tray lined with parchment paper. Place on the phyllo one slice of tomato, one slice of cheese and one basil leaf. Gently fold all four corners of the phyllo to cover the tomato, cheese and basil. Flip the square so the folded side is face down on the tray. Continue these steps until you have 12 folded phyllo squares spread out evenly on the tray. Place in oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, carefully remove squares from tray. Plate and serve immediately. For additional taste, add a very light drizzle of balsamic vinegar to the squares.