Dry rub recipes, fresh sauerkraut, and delicious breakfasty banana souffles!

Welcome to Whole30, day 2!

What happens when you give a chef a slightly different set of restrictions within which to work, and let her get a good night's sleep first? You get crazy levels of creativity, that's what!

Today is a day I don't have all that much work to do, so I'm experimenting and planning ahead for busier days.

This morning we had banana souffles for breakfast. I did not invent this recipe; I based it on this recipe from Primally Inspired:

http://www.primallyinspired.com/gingerbread-breakfast-souffle-with-cinnamon-spiced-bananas/

I omitted the molasses, of course. They were fantastic without it! Really sweet, actually. I got 5 small souffles out of the recipe - 4 regular ceramic ramekins and then a glass Pyrex bowl for the overage. I sliced one very ripe banana very thinly and divided it among the five dishes, so we each got about half a banana and about two eggs each for breakfast. So light, so delicious! (I also finished off the lettuce that was sitting in the fridge and had a crazy drink - soaked chia seeds, a splash of beet kvass, and fresh water to dilute it, to wash down my digestive enzyme supplement, vitamin D, and quercetin with vitamin C.)

Here they are right before coming out of the oven:

 And here they are right before being devoured! They held their shape so nicely.

Lunch is in the oven now. Last night, I took some beef short ribs (from local pasture-raised beef) and rubbed them with a mixture of paprika, chili powder, cayenne, and sea salt. I wrapped them up and put them back in the fridge. This morning, after breakfast, I went out to get more veggies, including lots of carrots. I sliced the carrots the long way, and lay them in the bottom of a baking dish. They made kind of a rack, to keep the beef just above the juices. I covered the carrots with homemade beef stock, then lay the spice-rubbed beef ribs on top.

I covered that loveliness with a piece of parchment then covered the whole thing tightly with foil. I set it in a 295 degree oven and it's still there. My estimate is that it will take a total of 3 hours or a little longer - 2 1/2 covered, and the last 30 minutes uncovered. It's going to go until it is wonderfully tender, but not quite falling apart. If it takes longer, I am okay with that. Good food is worth waiting for! They'll be so tender and flavorful they won't need any kind of sauce, though I am considering maybe blending up the roasted carrots with the accumulated juices to make a sauce. Haven't decided for sure yet...

These ribs will be a great lunch for me and Earnest (and maybe dinner too!) with the roasted carrots and a big salad. I love salad! In fact, maybe I'll make a simple kale salad with some of the kale I picked up this morning. I think this one will only need olive oil, lemon juice, and sea salt to balance the richness of the ribs.

You guys, don't forget to eat tons of veggies! A pound or more a day of veggies is a totally reasonable amount. Don't skimp! Remember, on a Whole30 or other low-sugar plan, you're eating less fruit, you're skipping the grains and potatoes, so you have to eat even more veggies than usual. It's not all about the meat!

Speaking of veggies, I also got some sauerkraut started. I shredded up a cabbage that was hanging out in the fridge, and tossed it with lots of sea salt, some mustard seed, caraway, a tiny bit of celery seed, and shredded carrot. I let that sit and juice out for a few minutes, then I packed it with the juice into jars. It's going to sit and ferment and get very happy for a couple weeks, and then I will eat it!

I'm prepping a lot of things ahead today. I also made an herb rub for a beef roast and tucked that in the fridge for another day, and a spice rub for pork belly. The beef is rubbed with parsley, rosemary, thyme, sea salt, and black pepper. The pork belly is rubbed with sea salt, fennel seed, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, a pinch of clove, and some pepper.

Why do I do dry rubs and marinades ahead of time? Well, the flavor takes time to penetrate the meat. Some meats (especially fish) pick up flavors very quickly. Fish should be seasoned and cooked right away, or after no more than a half hour. Other meats are denser and take longer. Generally, count on at least an hour per inch of meat; less if you've got an acidic liquid marinade or one with lots of ginger. Very fatty cuts like pork belly can hang out in their rubs for two or three days!

I hope I have inspired you all to enjoy some wonderful food today, and make steps toward a healthier lifestyle. Have a beautiful day, and I'll see you again soon!

Love,
Chef Mary

Kale Salad Recipe and Variations

Here's a great recipe for almost everyone - it's Whole30 compliant, raw if you don't toast the seeds, and vegan, as long as you don't add cheese to it. It's WAPF compatible. It can easily be nut free. It's gluten free and grain free. It's also paleo, primal, intuitive eating, and made using only real, traditional foods and ingredients. It's also high in fiber, low in net carbs, made with good healthy fat, filling, can be mostly or all local. It's versatile, customizable, nourishing, and goes with everything!

It's barely even a recipe, really, more of a method with infinite variations.

Yesterday, we made a very similar kale salad for a new year's eve party. For the party, we added very finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. It's great with or without, but if you are dairy-free or doing a Whole30, leave it off for now. If you use fresh fruit, add it in right before eating to keep it fresh. If you use dried fruit, use sparingly and make sure it is unsulphured and has no sugar, additives, or preservatives. Another day I'll teach you to make your own dried fruit!

Lacinato Kale!

Fresh and Wintry Kale Salad

Toasted pine nuts or local pumpkin seeds
A big bunch of kale - any variety works
A few bits of diced fresh or dried apple, or other fruit you like (use moderation)
A small piece of shallot, very thinly sliced
Apple cider vinegar (preferably raw and unpasteurized)
Extra virgin olive oil

Toast your pine nuts or pumpkin seeds in the oven or very carefully on the stove top. Pine nuts need no extra oil when toasting. Keep a very close eye on them - they burn easily and they're so expensive! I love butternut squash seeds. They're delicious, and they're a free bonus with your squash! Toss with olive oil, salt, and paprika, spread in a thin layer on a baking sheet and bake at 350 until toasty and brown. Let cool fully.

Wash and dry your kale. Take out the stems, and use them for juice. Make a chiffonade of the leaves: Roll a couple at a time into tight little cylinders, and cut across the roll into very skinny little ribbons. The thinner they are, the more tender they will be.

Chop your apples into little dice, slice your shallots ever so thinly, and if you are adding parm grate it now. Add them all to your kale in your very biggest bowl, and toss everything together thoroughly. Add a sprinkle of sea salt, a splash of vinegar, and a glug of oil. Toss again thoroughly, until very well coated. Season to taste.

Let it all marinate for at least a few minutes before enjoying, or keep it dressed in the fridge up to overnight. A dressed kale salad stands up to storage extremely well, unlike its lettuce and spinach based cousins. This makes it a fantastic choice for your lunch at work - make it in the morning or the night before, pack it up (preferably in a glass or other BPA-free container) and it's ready and waiting for your no-fuss, healthy lunch.

Variations: You can make kale salad hundreds of ways!

*Instead of the apples, use different fresh or dried fruits - try apricots or sun dried tomatoes. Or skip the fruit entirely - kale salad is fantastic even without. Remember that dried fruit benefits from absorbing the dressing over time. Fresh fruit may discolor (though the dressing does slow that down) so you might hold the fruit back and add it closer to serving time if you're using fresh fruit and not serving the salad right away.
*Grind cashews that have already been soaked and dehydrated. Mix with some nutritional yeast and a pinch of salt, and sprinkle that on top. Cheese-like umami flavor without dairy!
*Sprinkle in hemp seeds instead of the pine nuts for even more healthy protein, good fats, and variation in texture.
*Add leftover chopped chicken, fish, or beef for a big protein boost.
*Top with a poached or fried egg.
*Serve as a lighter entree on its own, or as a side with grass fed beef or lamb.
*Try using different vinegars like pear vinegar, champagne vinegar, balsamic (great with figs!) or use lemon juice.
*If you're eating it right away, massage the dressing in a little to tenderize the kale. Add even more satisfying texture by tossing in some romaine or other lettuce after you massage the kale.

The only limits here are your imagination and what you have on hand. So make sure you always have lots of healthy veggies in your fridge, healthy oils like olive and coconut, and high-quality vinegars in your pantry.

Enjoy!

Love,
Chef Mary