Three Bean Kale Salad

 

I've always been a fan of three bean salad but wanted to make it more of a... salad.  Unlike traditional salad greens, kale holds up very well to the moisture of dressing.  In fact, raw kale is tastier once it's been marinated in dressing and softens up a bit.  I had this in my fridge for three days and there was no slime factor going on.   This makes it a prime pick for travel.  Just toss together and transport it in a mason jar.

I've used baby kale for this recipe.  I suspect that regular dinosaur kale (aka Lainato or Tuscan) would work well also but I recommend destemming slicing it in thin ribbons first.


 

Three Bean Kale Salad

Ingredients

1 can kidney beans
1 can white beans
1-2 cups green beans steamed tender crisp and cut in bite size pieces*
2.5 oz torn baby kale greens**
3 TB Dijon mustard
3 TB red wine vinegar
3 TB extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

* I used frozen green beans from Trader Joes and steamed just enough to thaw but not make soggy. 
** 2.5 ounces doesn't sound like much but it was half of the pictured kale package.  I'd say about 3 large handfuls.

Directions

Whisk the vinegar, mustard, and olive oil in a bowl.  Drain and rinse the canned beans then add all the remaining ingredients.  Toss together and refrigerate giving the flavors time to mingle.

Healing Turmeric Yogurt Bowl with Ginger Granola

Ever cook with turmeric?  You should.  You really really should. 

The Huffington Post states that turmeric "has been shown to exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer activities."

So your like "Whaa? How do I get some of THAT"  At least that's what I said.

My favorite current recipes with turmeric are

Cashew Corn Chowder by My New Roots
Spinach and Mung Bean Soup by K. Orahsoi
Chickpea Spinach Turmeric Curry by Fugal Cook
Calming Creamy Turmeric Tea by Dr. Sanjay Gupta

Dr. Gupta's tea is also known as Golden Milk and can be found on various food blogs that extoll it's healing properties and remissness about their mothers giving it to them when they had colds.

I love golden milk in the same way I love hot cocoa.  A late night way to top off the sleepiness and send you into dreamland.  Yet it does have a little grittiness.  The spices never quite meld with the milk.  Not to mention it's hard to pack in a lunch.

So I present Healing Turmeric Yogurt Bowls!  Which include all the other things I seek out when I don't feel good.  Coconut oil, ginger,cinnamon,  honey...  The sweet ingredients balance out the slight bitterness of the turmeric.  This would be good with fruit also.  Berries maybe?

 

Healing Turmeric Yogurt Bowl

Ingredients
(per person)

2/3 cup full fat unsweetened yogurt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground turmeric*
honey for drizzling
ginger granola for sprinkling (recipe below)

* try 1/4 tsp if you are unsure of this new flavor and work your way up.

Stir the spices and honey into the yogurt in a circular pattern and pack the granola separate until time to serve.

Ginger Granola
makes 1 1/4 cups

1 cup regular rolled oats
2 TB ground flax seed
1 TB unsweetened applesauce
1 TB honey
1 TB molasses
1 TB coconut oil, melted
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Granola Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Mix all ingredient with a fork or hands.  Bake in the oven, stirring occasionally, for around 20 minutes or until it's starting to brown and crisp. It will continue to crisp as it cools.  Let cool completely then store in an airtight container.

No Bake Nuggets

Because you can't bring a jar of peanut butter on an airplane.

No Bake Nuggets
Makes 15-20 one inch balls

Ingredients

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/6 cup honey
1/6 cup molasses*
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla flavoring
1 cup regular rolled oats
1 cup crushed peanuts

*I pour both the molasses and honey together in a 1/3 measuring cup.  It doesn't have to be super exact.

Directions

Mix the peanut butter, sweeteners, cocoa, and vanilla in a bowl until well incorporated.  Add in the oats and stir well.  The mixture will be tough to stir but still sticky.

Form 1 inch balls and roll in crushed peanuts.  Eat at room temperature or chilled.

Fair warning.  These are sweet!  It won't take more than a couple to knock out that sweet tooth.

Hotel Friendly Popcorn

 

I recently went to my kid's back to school night where teachers had placed cute little notes along with packages of microwavable popcorn on the desks.  "thanks for popping in" if I remember right.  But my kids knew they couldn't eat them due to being chocked full of lard and artificial flavors.  So I wrote "thanks for popping their bubble" on the backside and put it back on the desk.  Joking.  I graciously accepted.

No prob.  I now have my own microwavable popcorn.  It's cheaper, healthier, funner.  Funner when I start writing my own notes to Fly Guy for his overnight trips.  None of which I will be reprinting here...  Ahem.

Back to popcorn.  Oh you won't believe how easy.



 

Are you ready?
Pen and paper handy?
Ok!

Hotel Friendly Popcorn

• Take a paper lunch bag and place 1/4 cup kernels in it.
• Fold over the top twice about a 3/4 inch fold each time creasing it well
• Place the bag on it's side and make sure it's not touching the sides of the microwave
• Microwave for 2-3 minutes or until the popping slows to several second between pops.
• Spend your free time writing witty messages and laughing at your own jokes
• Not that I do that...