Light. Fresh. Textured. Savory. Delicious. A medley of fresh, seasonal flavors. Exactly what makes eating this spring salad so pleasurable!

Spring Salad

Serves 2-4

For the salad:
Organic spring salad mix, rinse well in filtered water and, use a salad spinner to spin dry
*You can find organic spring salad mix at your local supermarket and at some farmers’ markets or farm markets

4-5 organic red radishes, cut into thinly sliced rounds

Half of an organic fennel bulb (the bulb is white), thinly sliced

2-3 organic artichoke hearts (jarred), thinly sliced

2-3 roasted organic beets, cut into thinly sliced rounds
*Click here to learn how to roast beets

1 bunch fresh mint, leaves only, finely chopped

Place the organic spring mix, sliced radishes, fennel and artichoke hearts into a large salad bowl.  Pour shallot vinaigrette (recipe below) over salad and toss together.

For the vinaigrette:
1 shallot, minced (you can chop by hand or use a mini food processor)
1 small garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Place minced shallot, garlic, raw apple cider vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil in an 8 oz. glass Pyrex measuring cup.  Use a whisk to blend all ingredients together well.

Before serving:
Arrange beets artfully on salad. Sprinkle 2-3 tablespoons of chopped mint over salad and on plate if apportioning individually.

Enjoy!

One of my favorite go-to comfort dishes, especially when it’s cold outside, is this delicious and nourishing red cabbage and bison ragu.

Red Cabbage and Bison Ragu

Large head (3-4 lbs.) red cabbage, ideally, organic
4 medium yellow onions, finely diced
1 pound ground bison (buffalo)
2 generous tablespoons ground cumin
4 to 6 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons Celtic sea salt, or to taste
4 to 4-1/2 cups (32 oz to 40 oz) homemade, organic chicken broth
*If store-bought chicken broth, be sure to get low-sodium or no added salt.

2 tablespoons duck fat

To prepare cabbage:

Remove the outer leaves of the head, especially if there are any hard, curled or bruised leaves.

Stand the cabbage vertically (white core side down) on a cutting board. Using a sharp chef’s knife’s, cut cabbage in half vertically. Then cut each half vertically again (you will have 4 wedges). Remove the hard white core from each cabbage wedge.

Slice each of the cabbage wedges into shreds, as thin as possible. (It does not matter whether you slice cabbage wedges horizontally or vertically).

Note: if you don’t want to slice the cabbage by hand, you can also shred using a mandolin or using a food processor that has a shredding attachment.

To cook the ragu:

In a large Dutch oven (5 quart or more), melt duck fat over medium-high heat. When the duck fat is hot (flick in a drop of water; if duck fat is hot enough, water will sizzle) but not smoking, add the finely diced onion. Cook onions, stirring frequently, until golden, apx. 8 mins. If onions begin sticking to the pan, add some stock to deglaze.

Once onions have browned, add shredded cabbage. Combine well with onions. Add apx. 2 cups of chicken broth, stir well. Cover. Cook cabbage and onions about 3 mins. over medium-high heat.

Uncover. Stir cabbage well. Lower heat to medium-low. Cover and cook apx. 10 mins.

Uncover. Stir cabbage well. Add another 2 cups of chicken broth. Combine well. Cover and cook another 10 mins. over medium-low heat.

Uncover. Stir in 2 tablespoons of ground cumin and 1 teaspoon of Celtic sea salt. Blend well. Stir in 5 tablespoons of raw apple cider vinegar. Add the ground bison. Break meat up well, stirring into cabbage mixture until there is no more visible pink (this will take 1-2 mins. since bison is a game meat and cooks very quickly).

Cover. Turn heat to low. Cook another 15 minutes—or up to an hour (or more) over low heat. *Braised dishes take well to long, slow gentle cooking over low heat.

When ready to serve, season ragu with 1 teaspoon of Celtic sea salt, or to taste.

Serve with cooked zoodles (zucchini noodles) or steamed broccoli and a fresh, organic mixed green salad.

Radicchio has a distinct bitter flavor. You can eat it raw, but I prefer it cooked, preferably braised with garlic and chicken broth.
Radicchio is an excellent source of Vitamin K, important for blood clotting, heart health and bone health. It is a good source of folate; contains a fair amount of Vitamins B, C and E; and, contains a variety of minerals, including copper, potassium and zinc.  Anthocyanins, pigmented plant compounds that give radicchio its eye-catching purple color, are powerful antioxidants that can protect against oxidative (cellular) stress and help fight cancer.

Bitter foods support gut health. Eating bitter foods helps stimulate saliva, gastric juice and bile production, all of which contain digestive enzymes that help better break down (and absorb) the foods you eat. If you’ve ever taken digestive bitters, like Swedish bitters, it is a similar process.

From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, eating bitter foods like radicchio is said to help cool and clear heat from the body, and, as a result, can greatly benefit heart health. In Western medicine speak: the antioxidant compounds in bitter foods can help tame inflammation, which can manifest as symptoms, such as heart palpitations, a red face and anxiety.

My favorite way of preparing and eating radicchio is very simple. See recipe below.
 

 

Braised Radicchio

Serves 2

 
1 head radicchio
4-6 cloves garlic sliced very thin
1/2 to 1 cup homemade chicken broth; if store-bought chicken broth, make sure it is low sodium or no added sodium.
2 teaspoons unrefined or raw coconut oil
Celtic sea salt

Place radicchio on its base. Quarter into 4 even sections. Remove the white core near the base. Slice radicchio finely so that it resembles thin ribbons. Rinse well. Spin dry.

Warm coconut oil in a Dutch oven or skillet with a lid over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add garlic slivers. Saute about 30 seconds or until golden brown. Add radicchio. Saute well, coating in coconut oil. When radicchio begins to stick to pan, add chicken broth to deglaze. Bring to a gentle boil, then turn heat to low. Cover. Let simmer 10 to 15 minutes, or until radicchio is soft. Season with Celtic sea salt, to taste.

I favor lacinato kale—also known as Italian kale, Tuscan kale, Dinosaur kale and black kale—the refined cousin of the coarser, more fibrous curly kale. Lacinato kale is a toothsome complement to pasture-raised meats and game, like beef, lamb, venison and duck.

Kale, like other cruciferous vegetables, is a source of goitrogens, compounds that can inhibit normal function of the thyroid gland. How? Goitrogens interfere with the thyroid’s ability to absorb iodine in the thyroid gland; this affects the thyroid’s ability to produce adequate thyroid hormones. As a result, goitrogens can be problematic for those of us, myself included, who have thyroid problems, like Hashimoto’s, hypothyroidism.

The good news?  Cooking, especially longer, slower cooking methods, like braising (versus a quick saute) can dramatically reduce goitrogens in cruciferous vegetables, like kale.

In this vegetable braise, I use minced onion, garlic and carrot as my base. These vegetables add a natural and appealing sweetness that softens the strong mineral flavor of kale.

For this particular meal, braised Lacinato kale paired deliciously with pasture-raised Ginger Flank Steak. Enjoy!
 

Braised Lacinato Kale with Onion and Carrot

Serves 2

 
2 large bunches of organic Lacinato kale, leaves stripped from the stem, well washed
and spun dry
2 medium onions (by hand or in the food processor)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 large organic carrots, trim and discard ends, peel, rinse well, and mince
1 cup homemade chicken stock, bone broth (or low/no sodium chicken broth)
OR filtered water
1 tablespoons organic coconut oil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt, or to taste

To chiffonade the kale:

Stack 5 to 8 kale leaves on top of each other and roll the stacked leaves tightly (lengthwise) into a cigar shape. With a sharp knife, thinly slice across the “cigar” of rolled leaves; repeat until the length of the cigar has been sliced. Continue stacking, rolling and slicing until all the kale leaves have been used. When done, fluff up the ribbons of kale with your fingertips. Set aside.

Finely mince carrots by hand. Alternatively, I use a large food processor, placing roughly chopped carrots into bowl and pulsing until finely minced. Remove from food processor and set aside.

To braise the kale:

Melt the coconut oil in a heavy-bottomed pot—like a stainless steel Dutch oven or cast iron-enameled Dutch oven—over medium high heat. When the coconut oil is hot, but not smoking, add the onions. Saute over medium heat, adjusting heat as necessary, about 4-8 minutes or until golden brown. Add the minced garlic, stirring about 30 minutes.

Add minced carrot, cooking about 1 minute. Add the kale chiffonade, coating the leaves with fat, and stirring until wilted, about 3 minutes. Add chicken stock or chicken bone broth or filtered water. Let mixture come to a boil.

Reduce heat to low, stir well, then cover. Let cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until the kale is tender.  Stir in the Celtic sea salt.

Serve warm.

Repurposing leftovers can be a fun challenge.

Too often, things like carrots, celery, the zucchini stubs that I save after making zoodles; jars of organic tomato puree or coconut milk (best used within 7 days) turn into science experiments in my fridge! Usually because I forget about them after using once for a specific dish that I’m cooking!

For the mindful cook, leftover anything (vegetables, meats, stock, herbs)  can be a wonderful thing to stretch a frugal food budget.
Classic ratatouille is a warm-weather Provencal stew of vegetables, seasoned with herbs—tomatoes, onions, peppers, zucchini and eggplant. Tomatoes, peppers and eggplant are in the nightshade family; if you have a sensitivity to one or more, you may want to omit or swap out. Here, I’ve simply used  leftover vegetables in my fridge—minced carrot and zucchini stubs—in a makeshift “ratatouille”.
 

“Ratatouille”
Serves 4

1 large onion, minced (apx. 2 cups minced)
2 cups minced carrot
1-1/2 cups minced zucchini
3/4 cup organic strained (pureed) tomatoes
1 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
Celtic sea salt, to taste

You can chop by hand, but I used a large food processor to mince each vegetable separately.

Warm coconut oil in a 2-quart Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with lid. When oil is hot (but not smoking), add onion. Saute apx. 8 mins. over medium heat, or until softened, stirring frequently.

Add minced carrot and zucchini; saute 1-2 mins. Add organic strained tomatoes, stirring well. Stir in ground cardamom. If vegetables are sticking to the bottom of the pan, add a little filtered water to de-glaze. Bring vegetable mixture to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook apx. 5 mins.

Serve warm.

Dandelion greens are an excellent source of A, C and K, as well as minerals, like iron, calcium, magnesium and potassium. Dandelion greens are anti-inflammatory, contain a high amount of antioxidants and can be beneficial for promoting healthy detoxification and liver health.

These were delectable…slightly bitter but, oh, so tender and green!

You can find them at the farmers’ market (see photo below). Once home, you can quickly sauté. Recipe below.

Sauteed Dandelion Greens

Yield: Apx. 2 cups cooked

1 bunch organic dandelion greens (leaves and roots), washed well,
and roughly chopped by thirds or fourths.
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar

Warm coconut oil in medium heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add garlic. Stir 30 seconds to 1 minute until slightly browned. Add dandelion greens. Saute 3-5 minutes, adjusting heat as necessary.  Add 1/4 to 1/3 cup water if / when they stick to the pan.  Cook until tender. Season with Celtic sea salt, to taste.
 

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Also known as Chinese cabbage, Napa cabbage is in the brassica family that includes broccoli, kale and Brussels sprouts. It is an excellent source of vitamin K (beneficial for healthy blood clotting); vitamin C (great for boosting immunity and for fighting inflammation); vitamin B6 (helps detoxify the liver and supports the brain and nervous system); and folate (key in the production of red blood cells and in supporting heart health and the nervous system). It’s also packed with cancer-fighting antioxidants and loaded with fiber, which helps stabilize blood sugar and optimize elimination.

When I cook Napa cabbage, I like to braise it—saute for a few minutes in coconut oil, then add some water, cover, lower heat and let cook about 15 minutes or until the cabbage is soft.

Braised Napa Cabbage with Sesame Oil

1 large head Napa cabbage, end(s) trimmed off and discarded
4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons coconut oil or duck fat
1/2 to 3/4 cup water, or, as needed
Celtic sea salt to taste
1 tablespoon coconut oil or duck fat
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

Peel the cabbage leaves from the base (try to keep each cabbage leaf intact). Place all the leaves in a large bowl. Add water to cover. Wash leaves well, drain, and place all cabbage leaves in a colander or salad spinner.

Stack 4 to 5 cabbage leaves on top of one another. To julienne: slice through the stacked cabbage—apx. 1/4-inch thickness—down the length of the stacked cabbage.

Place all julienned Napa cabbage in a large bowl.

To cook: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil or duck fat in a Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. When olive oil or duck fat is hot—but not smoking—add garlic and stir quickly, about 30 seconds.

Add julienned Napa cabbage, stirring well to coat with olive oil or duck fat, about 3 minutes. When cabbage begins to stick, add 1/2 cup water (or more water, as needed). Let the mixture come to a boil; reduce heat to low, cover and cook another 15 minutes, or until the cabbage is soft. Lightly sprinkle cabbage with Celtic sea salt. Stir in 2 teaspoons of toasted sesame oil. Using a slotted spoon, transfer Napa cabbage to a serving bowl.

Note: During cooking, Napa cabbage can release a lot of water. That’s fine. Since nutrients leach into water, I like to drink warm Napa cabbage “juice”, which I find slightly sweet-tasting, soothing and detoxifying.

Kale also contains a high amount of antioxidants. Two, in particular, lutein and beta-carotene, are carotenoids that can help protect the body from health conditions and problems related to oxidative stress, such as cataracts, glaucoma, atherosclerosis (clogged arteries) and progressive lung diseases (e.g., emphysema, bronchitis and severe asthma).

High in fiber, kale—when eaten regularly—can help reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol and promote heart health. It’s also rich in glucosinolates, sulfur-containing compounds that have cancer-fighting properties.

Word of caution. Eating more kale is not necessarily better.  If you have thyroid disease, like hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s, eating excessive amounts of raw kale (whether in smoothies, salads or snacks) can inhibit thyroid function. In general, when you have thyroid problems, it is best to eat cruciferous vegetables, like kale, cooked—not raw!

Kale chips are one delicious way to enjoy this mineral-rich vegetable.

Packaged kale chips can be pricey. It’s cheaper—and easy—to make them yourself.  Bake them just right, and you’ll swear that you’re eating potato chips!

Since kale is a leafy green that retains a high level of residual pesticide, use organic kale whenever possible.  This simple recipe calls for melted coconut oil.  If you don’t have (or want) coconut oil, you can use olive oil.
 

Baked Kale-Coconut Chips

 
1 large bunch organic curly kale, leaves removed and torn into medium-sized pieces, stalks discarded
2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
Celtic sea salt or pink Himalayan sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Wash the torn kale pieces thoroughly. Spin leaves dry in a salad spinner and place in a large bowl. Drizzle coconut oil over kale and massage gently into the leaves until well combined. Arrange kale leaves — spreading each piece out fully — in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Bake kale at least 10 minutes — up to 13 to 15 minutes, depending on your oven and the size of kale chips (bigger pieces need to bake longer). Turn baking sheet every 5 minutes to ensure even cooking.

Remove kale from the oven and sprinkle with Celtic salt to taste while kale is still on the baking sheet. Cool. Munch! Store leftovers in an airtight glass container.

Confession: while I enjoy cucumber-infused “spa” water and a well-made raw cucumber soup (if thoroughly pureed), I don’t care to eat raw cucumber slices out-of-hand. Nor do I want to find chunks of cucumber in my salad! There is one exception: this spiralized version of a traditional Vietnamese cucumber salad. Light, refreshing and balanced, with sweet, sour, piquant and herbaceous notes, this cucumber noodle salad pairs well with grilled meats, poultry (like the Vietnamese Herb Grilled Chicken) and fish.

For best results, use a seedless variety of cucumber. I like using the short and stubby Kirby cucumbers (a.k.a. “pickling cucumbers”) with bumpy green skin or English cucumbers, which are long, thin-skinned and usually wrapped in plastic at the supermarket. Thin-skinned, almost seedless Burpless cucumbers are sometimes available at farmer’s markets. Alternatively, you can use Japanese cucumbers—similar-looking to English cucumbers, but with bumpier skin.

Asian Cucumber Noodle Salad
Serves 4

2 lbs organic pickling cucumbers, like Kirby cucumbers OR English cucumbers (a.k.a. “seedless” cucumbers)
1/4 cup coconut vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (strained of pulp)
1 tablespoon coconut sugar
1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
1 large shallot, finely minced
1/2 serrano, seeds removed, and finely minced (apx. 2 teaspoons)
2-3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

Wash cucumbers well and pat dry. Use a wide vegetable peeler to peel cucumber skin in alternating stripes. Trim off ends of each cucumber. Place cucumber lengthwise in a spiralizer. Use the blade with the largest holes to create cucumber noodles.

Place cucumber noodles in a colander. Add 1 teaspoon of Celtic sea salt and mix well. Place colander in a bowl or over a plate. Let stand for 15 minutes. NOTE: If you skip this step, you will have a water-logged cucumber salad. Then, using a large spatula or the palm of your hands, press cucumber noodles against the colander to squeeze out any remaining water. Drain well.

Transfer cucumber noodles to a serving bowl. Add minced shallots and serrano.