Poached Eggs with Polenta, Kale, and Sundried Tomato Sauce, by Diane

This is a recipe that I recently had at a cool DC brunch spot, and it was so healthy and delicious I knew I had to recreate it. You can change it up in a variety of ways, like frying the polenta into cakes and/or adding parmesan or any other cheese (I just made a quick polenta in this version). This recipe was for 2 (the polenta made extra though and could have been for 4). Very filling and great for weekend brunch!


Ingredients:
4 1/2-5 cups water
Sea salt
1 cup yellow corn meal
1-2 tbsp EVOO
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 large handfuls kale
1 tsp red chili flakes
Pepper
 Sundried marinara sauce (if you can't find any just make your own by sauteing sundried tomatoes and adding them in!)
4 eggs


Directions:

1. Bring 3 cups of water and some sea salt to a boil. Combine corn meal, 1 tsp salt, and 1 cup water and slowly pour into the boiling water, stirring constantly until thick. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 5 minutes.

2. While the polenta is cooking, heat a large saucepan on medium high and add EVOO and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes, then add kale, red pepper, salt and pepper. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so the garlic doesn't burn. Add 1/2 cup water and cover, stirring occasionally until the water cooks out. Kale should be slightly wilted but still green when finished. If it is not the desired texture, add 1/2 cup more water and repeat.

3. Heat marinara on the stove/microwave until hot.

4. Poach (or fry) eggs keeping the yolks runny.

5. Assemble: polenta, kale, eggs, salt/pepper, marinara. Enjoy!

Baba Ganoush, by Cheryl

I had some leftover eggplant, plus all of the ingredients for falafels so why not make baba ganoush to accompany my Greek feast! This is a really easy recipe... actually, I was surprised at how easy this is. There's a little kick from the tahini and it goes really well with the falafels, pita bread, and tzatziki sauce. I've modified the original recipe which came from here. Yum!

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant
1/4 cup tahini, plus more if needed
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pinch ground cumin
salt
1 tablespoon EVOO
1 tablespoon parsley
1/4 cup lemon juice


Directions:

1) Heat oven to 375. Prick the eggplant with a fork in several places. Bake the eggplant for about 20 - 25 minutes.

2) Remove from oven, let cool slightly, then peel off and discard the skin (surprisingly very easy!)

3) Place eggplant flesh in a bowl and mash with a fork.

4) Add the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and cumin, and mix well.

5) Season with salt, then taste and add more tahini or lemon juice if needed.

6) Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl, and spread with the back of a spoon to form a shallow well.

7) Drizzle olive oil over the top and sprinkle with the parsley.

Braised Chicken with Rosemary and Wine, by Diane

This is from the latest issue of CL, and it looked delicious! It was from their quick meals edition so it was the perfect weeknight comfort food to enjoy. The only change I made was switching the chicken thighs for breasts because my family doesn't like dark meat. Also the parsley garnish looked nice but I didn't like the taste with the dish so I'll skip that next time. I served it over mashed potatoes in the photo and it was really great!

Ingredients:

4 bone-in chicken drumsticks (about 1 pound), skinned
4 bone-in chicken thighs (about 1 1/4 pounds), skinned
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 cup Chianti or other rich red wine
1 cup unsalted chicken stock (such as Swanson)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 (14.5-ounce) can unsalted whole tomatoes, crushed and undrained
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

1. Make 1 (1/2-inch-deep) cut in each chicken piece; sprinkle evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

2. Heat a large Dutch oven over high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Place flour in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken in flour. Add chicken to pan; cook 5 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from pan.

3. Add shallots, garlic, and rosemary to pan; cook 2 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add wine to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, chicken stock, sugar, tomatoes, and bay leaf.

4. Bring to a boil; return chicken to pan. Reduce heat to medium; cook, partially covered, 15 minutes or until chicken is done, turning once. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

The Non-Juicer's Juice, by Diane

This juice started from cleaning out the fridge from last night's dinner (tilapia po' boys with jicama apple coleslaw and sweet potato fries). I knew the leftover veggies and fruits would go to waste so I made this creation. I call it the non-juicer's juice because it's the perfect recipe for newbies who can't fathom drinking veggies or those who hate the taste of greens and beets. It's sweet and tastes kind of like a kid's juice drink, but very nutritious and of course, anti-inflammatory!


Ingredients:

4 small fuji or gala apples
1/2 sweet potato, peeled
1/2 jicama, peeled
1/4 inch knob ginger
2 cups coleslaw mix (shredded green and purple cabbage with carrots)

Directions: Juice and enjoy! You could also make this in a vitamix or blender but I would peel the ginger.

Citrus Collard Greens with Raisin Reduction, by Diane

I saw this recipe at Whole Foods recently and decided to recreate it. I'm always looking for new ways to eat greens, and I've been trying to like collards for a while. This recipe was good and packed with nutrients but it was very sweet. I'm not sure I'll be making it again for that reason, but if you like sweet things and greens it's a perfect recipe! Very easy to make, too.

The recipe was actually online already so I followed that: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Citrus-Collards-with-Raisins-Redux-352451

Also- I learned a new cooking technique from this website called chiffonade: "The chiffonade cut is used to produce very fine threads of leafy fresh herbs as well as greens and other leafy vegetables. First, remove any tough stems that would prevent the leaf from being rolled tightly (reserve them for stocks or salads). Next, stack several leaves, roll them widthwise into a tight cylinder, and slice crosswise with a sharp knife, cutting the leaves into thin strips." Pretty handy :)

Ingredients:

2 large bunches collard greens, ribs removed, cut into strips/chiffonade, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

Directions:

1. In a large pot over high heat, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the collards and cook, uncovered, for 8 to 10 minutes, until softened. Meanwhile, prepare a large bowl of ice water to cool the collards. 

2. Remove the collards from the heat, drain, and plunge them into the bowl of cold water to stop cooking and set the color of the greens. Drain by gently pressing the greens against a colander. 

3. In a medium-size sauté pan, combine the olive oil and the garlic and raise the heat to medium. Sauté for 1 minute. Add the collards, raisins, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sauté for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. 

4. Add orange juice and cook for an additional 15 seconds. Do not overcook (collards should be bright green). Season with additional salt to taste if needed and serve immediately.

Chili Mint Peas, by Diane

This recipe is a recreation of a side dish at Nando's restaurant. I ordered it because it sounded interesting and it was a really odd but great combination! This is my attempt to recreate it. It's really healthy- especially if you switch from butter to coconut oil like I did- and packed with flavor. Definitely a great side for lunch on the go or for dinner and very easy to make! I should also note that I have hated peas all of my life and this has converted me, so it's that good!


Ingredients:

1 lb. frozen sweet green peas
2 tbsp. coconut oil or butter
Sea salt to taste
1/2- 1 tbsp. red chili flakes
2-3 cloves minced garlic
4 large sprigs of mint, with leaves removed and chopped
1/2 cup parsley chopped



Directions:

1. Boil or steam peas until soft. Place in large bowl and add in coconut oil and salt, stir until blended.

2. Add remaining ingredients and mash until you have reached a texture that is smashed but still a bit chunky. If you want it smoother you can use an immersion blender.