Very Versatile Fruit Salad

I'll admit, this is my ultimate summer potluck don't-have-time-or-inspiration-to-bring-a-complicated-dish savior. It isn't a cop-out by any means though and always gets compliments. It is also a nice one to have in the back of your head for a quick side dish with any meal you feel needs rounding out.

Very Versatile Fruit Salad

Choose 3-5 of the below fruits:

Apple

Banana

Tangarine

Orange

Peach

Pear

Nectarine

Honeydew*

Mango

Plum

Apricot

Grapes

Raisens

Craisens

Cantalope*

Pineapple*
Watermelon*

Canned Peaches

Canned Mandarin Oranges

Canned Pears

Depending on the amount of fruit salad you want, start with 1-2 pieces of each fruit (1/4-1/2 of any melon). If you are not sure what amount you want, go with less first, it is always easier to add more fruit than take it away. Peel, chop, and de-seed your chosen fruits as necessary and throw in a bowl. Add the juice of 1 lime or ½ a lemon—this adds some zesty flavor and stops everything from turning brown so fast—along with ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp clove powder, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ½ tsp ginger, and 1 tsp vanilla extract*. Stir and Serve.

Using fresh fruits is preferable, but depending on the time of year and fullness of the fridge, using a can of fruit can help round the salad out nicely. I prefer manadarin oranges above any other canned fruit. Raisens/craisens and grapes are excellent accent fruits/flavors that make the salad seem more exciting.

*When using honeydew, cantalope or watermelon in the mix, I would recommend omitting the cinnamon and sometimes using a little less of each spice. The salad won't be ruined if you choose not to mess with the spices, but for some reason, I normally do when using these three fruits.

Minestrone Soup

Ah, one of my all time favorites. There is nothing fancy about a Minestrone soup, but a good one just can't be beat. It is warm, filling, and only gets better with time, so makes excellent leftovers.

Minestrone Soup

½ onion, chopped
5 small carrots, peeled and chopped
3 sticks celery, washed and chopped
¼ head of cabbage, chopped
1 yellow zucchini/summer squash, chopped
1 green zucchini, chopped
1 TBS ghee or safflower oil
5 cups vegetable boullion/vegetable stock (you may use beef or chicken if preferable)
5 cups water
2, 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 TBS dried basil
1 TBS dried oregano
3 tsp salt
3 tsp garlic
1 cup pasta (shells, twists, or elbows)
1 can black, white or garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

Peel and chop the onion. Set aside. Peel and chop the carrots. Put the ghee/oil in a large saucepan and heat. Add the onions. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the carrots and 1 cup of water. Continue to cook covered over medium-high heat.

Chop the celery and both zucchinis. Add to the pan with the remaining 4 cups of water.

Open the two cans of tomatos and add to the pot. Add the 5 cups of veggie stock or boullion along with basil, oregano, salt, and garlic. Bring to a boil. Chop and add the cabbage.

Simmer for about 45min-1 hour or until the veggies are cooked. Cook the pasta in a separate pot until slightly firm. Drain and add to the pot. Add the rinsed and drained beans. If possible, let sit 1-2 hours before eating for the flavors to combine. Enjoy!

Yield: 5-8 servings.

Warm Kale Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Red Peppers

The flavors of this meal are beyond delicious. Plus, one of the main ingredients is kale, which is a vegetable almost everyone could afford to eat more of. There are a few more steps involved in this recipe than in others, but none of them are hard, it just take a few minutes longer to assemble the meal than some of the other recipes I've given you.

This salad is a meal of it's own and I love to eat it with a thick slice of warm (preferably homemade) bread with lots of organic butter on it.

Warm Kale Salad With Sweet Potatoes and Red Peppers

1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 apple, cored and chopped

2 bunches of Kale (about 13-14 large stalks??)

¼ cup pine nuts

1 TBS ghee or safflower oil

½ tsp cinnamon

1 ½ tsp cumin powder

1 tsp celery seed

½ tsp sea salt

Dressing

¼ cup olive oil

½ tsp vanilla

¼ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

1 tsp Rosemary

¼ tsp seal salt

¼ tsp ground pepper

¼ tsp ground ginger

Mix all dressing ingredients together, set aside. Wash and de-stem the kale. Tear or cut it up into bite sized pieces. Put the chopped kale in a steamer or a large pot with a little water in the bottom. Set aside. 

Peel and cut sweet potato into small squares. Set aside. Chop red pepper and apple into bite sized pieces. Put the ghee or oil into a medium fry pan, add the sweet potatoes. Cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally for 5-10 minutes or until the sweet potatoes begin to get tender. While cooking, put the pine nuts in a small fry pan over medium heat until lightly toasted (this step can be done at the end of the recipe if it is too much to do in the middle of everything else). 

When the sweet potatoes are slightly soft, add the red peppers, apples and spices. At this point in time you may need to add a little water to the pot to prevent sticking. Cover and cook another 5-10 minutes until all tender. Remove from heat.

Turn the heat on under the kale and steam it until it is dark green and tender. If not already done, toast the pine nuts. In a large bowl, add the kale, vegetables, pine nuts and dressing. Toss and serve warm.