October Unprocessed Day 11: Kale Salad & Puttanesca

Today was a good day.  I planned well and was able to eat really delicious well-balanced meals.  I never felt hungry.  I drank a lot of water and felt really great all day!

Breakfast:  Peanut butter, oatmeal, banana breakfast cookie

Lunch: Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing
Ingredients:
1 cup of kale, cut into thin pieces and rinsed well
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 small vine ripe tomato, chopped
1/2 avocado, chopped
2 teaspoons of lemon juice

So I used to hate kale salad.  It is bitter and gross.  Then my friend Tommy told me the secret, you've got to massage that shit!  Massage my kale? Yep, you heard that ride.  Holy smokes, it makes a world of difference.

In large serving bowl, add the kale, lemon juice, and a little kosher salt. Massage until the kale starts to soften and wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Your kale will go from looking luscious and leafy (aka bitter) to more like cooked spinach (aka bliss).  Set aside while you make the dressing.

Tahini Dressing 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup tahini paste
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp tamari
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 clove of garlic, minced
a generous squeeze of Sriracha hot sauce (YUM!)

Combine ingredients in a glass mason jar and shake it like a Polaroid picture.  Chill until it thickens.

Combine your dressing, kale and add the peppers, tomatoes and avocado.  Enjoy!

Snack: Fresh Strawberries

Dinner: Chickpea Puttanesca over Polenta
Ingredients:
2 medium vine ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon EVOO
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons of capers
1 shallot, diced small
1/2 of a yellow onion, diced
4-5 button mushrooms chopped
1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes
About 10 kalamata olives, halved2 tablespoons capers
14 ounces of chickpeas, you can use canned (I made my own)
Salt to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon of thyme
1 teaspoon of oregano
1 teaspoon of rosemary
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1/2 jar of your favorite tomato sauce (I used Classico Tomato & Basil)

I fully admit that this one could have been hit or miss.  Boy am I sure pleased that this was AWESOME!  So awesome, in fact, that I can wait for left overs at lunch.

Place the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic while the oil is still at room temperature and swirl it around a bit in the oil. When the garlic starts to sizzle, add the shallot, oinion, mushrooms and red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt and saute for about 2 minutes, taking care not to let the garlic burn.

Add the tomatoes, olives, capers, and a pinch of salt and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. I added some more red and black pepper here and added the rest of the Italian seasonings.

Add the chickpeas, season with salt (about 1/4 teaspoon if not more), and cook for 2-3 more minutes.
Polenta
Ingredients:
2 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon of Italian seasonings (oregano, thyme, parley, rosemary)
1 teaspoon of EVOO
Dash kosher salt
fresh pepper
3/4 cup cornmeal

Bring the veggie broth up to a boil. Add in the seasonings and olive oil.

Whisking constantly, pour cornmeal into water in a steady stream. Continue whisking for 5 – 7 minutes or until the polenta is creamy and thick.

Plate your polenta and put the puttanesca over it.  Yum, Yumm, Yummy.  This recipe was spicy, delicious and filling.  Perfect end to my night.