The dilemma is this: so much good produce, but not enough meals in the day to eat it all! Every time I open the fridge, I see cucumbers everywhere and my little garden is pushing out the tomatoes like a well-oiled machine. Unfortunately, that's the only thing thriving...Apparently I have sad soil. Time to do some rehab on that. I've heard that urine is actually a good fertilizer, but I haven't made that leap yet. Would have been perfect to start yesterday when the toilet was clogged :)

I do have a big 'ol garbage can filled with compost, so I'm hopeful!

Any ideas on using up loads of cucumbers? I really enjoy them, but need more inspiration and exciting recipes!

This raw kale salad is modified from my delightful kale chips. If you haven't tried them, I'd recommend them. Highly. Plus, one jar of tahini will last through two batches of kale chips and one salad using not one or two, but three bags of kale! Now that's some serious kale consumption!

This tastes a little nutty and a little herbalicious! If you have fresh herbs, feel free to use them, just triple the amount (or more, if you have one of those green thumbs).



Kale Salad
Serves 4

1/2 cup tahini, roasted, salt-free 
Small handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup cold water
Juice from 1 lemon
2 tablespoons Bragg liquid aminos 
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 large cucumber, roughly chopped (I like the long skinny English-style)
4 cups tightly packed kale with stems removed and torn into bite-sized pieces
1 large tomato, chopped 

In a large bowl, whisk together the tahini, parsley, water, lemon juice, liquid aminos, thyme, oregano, and basil. Work in the cucumber and kale with your hands, massaging until the kale begins to wilt.

Top with chopped tomato and serve.

 


My uber-talented older sister has a lifestyle magazine that publishes 6 times a year and I'm so proud to be a contributor. I contribute original recipes not published anywhere else. The magazine is fresh, fun, and loaded with beautiful pictures and creative inspiration.

You can see the current preview here as well as to become a subscriber and ordering the full copy.

Not only that, she has an entertaining blog full of cute pics (I may be biased, but my nieces and nephews are adorable) and now offers classes  for learning how to make soap!


Note: I am compensated for my contributions to Homebound Magazine, but all statements made and opinions are my own.

Let's be honest, this recipe is not all that original. Although I did add avocado. It's an ingredient guaranteed to make everything better. I love it in my enchiladas and I have an ever-growing obsession with guacamole.

Because I'm a big fan of making things from scratch whenever possible, I made my own taco seasoning, but feel free to replace the spices with the seasoning you have on hand.

To keep my recipe child-friendly, I left out the cayenne pepper. My daughter finally learned how to say "spicy" and I have a hard time knowing her tolerance ahead of time.

Anyone else ever have dips, snacks, sides, etc. for a meal? I'm so into that this summer! Gathering up the ingredients and energy for one component usually happens, but any more than that is a total crapshoot. Thankfully this has meat and veggies in it, so I was able to sneak this one past my hubby. Thankfully he's not the type to complain about chips. They're his kryptonite.





8-Layer Mexican Dip
Yield: 6-8 servings

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Sprinkle of cayenne pepper, optional
1/2 cup salsa
1 cup re-fried beans
1 cup shredded cheese, any variety
2 avocados
Juice from 1 lemon or lime
4 romaine lettuce leaves, cut into strips and roughly chopped
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
Tortilla chips, for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium heat. Once browned, add chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and salsa. Stir and continue cooking until spices are evenly distributed.

While meat is browning, beat softened cream cheese in a mixer until smooth and spreadable.

Using a spatula, spread cream cheese in a pie plate and top with a smooth layer of re-fried beans.

Once meat is done, sprinkle over the beans and top with cheese.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until warmed through and cheese is melted.

Mash the avocados and lemon or lime juice in a small bowl with a fork.

Remove from oven and top with mashed avocado, romaine lettuce, and tomato chunks.

Serve with tortilla chips.

I wanted to warn you of my absence last week, but I was surprising my family, so I didn't want them to know I was coming for a longer visit than planned. We had camping plans for the weekend, but I ended up getting there early to steal a few extra days.

What an incredibly relaxing vacation it was! Spending a couple days on the shores of Lake Superior with no obligations will do that to you. Plus, it didn't hurt that I stole a few moments to myself in a hammock! What is it about those things?

Unfortunately the water was so frigid that I only dunked twice and that was because my brothers and sisters were starting to doubt my Finnish-ness. I think they forget that I haven't live there in almost 10 years, so I'm no longer used to swimming in 46 degree water. At least it felt like 46.

The only bad part about vacation is the tendency I have to eat junk food. Fortunately, these kale chips are the perfect remedy. 

We all know we should eat more dark, leafy greens, but the truth is, they can be a little hard to choke down. In fact, my nutrition professor in chiropractic school was a huge fan of kale in particular. And he knew his stuff.

These seasoned kale chips are actually worth your time, and they don't take much. If you've had kale chips seasoned with salt and pepper, you know that they tend to be bitter, but these are heavily seasoned in all the right ways.

The bonus is that the kale I buy comes in huge bags for about $2. I've seen them in about every grocery store, including Wal-Mart.

Besides the fact that they taste incredible, my daughter doesn't stop eating them until they're gone. This whole batch never lasts more than a few hours.




Kale Chips
Yield: about 4 cups


3/4 cups tahini
1/4 cup Bragg's liquid aminos
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil
16 ounces kale greens, thick stems removed (I buy them in large bags for about $2)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with a baking mat or parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients but the kale until smooth.

Fill the bowl with kale (will be about 1/3 of the kale) and massage it into the other ingredients with your hands until the kale wilts and shrinks. Continue adding kale and massaging until all the kale is used.

Spread in a single layer on the prepared pan (about half will fit on the pan at a time) and bake for 15 minutes. Carefully flip the kale pieces and bake another 10 minutes. The kale should be dried and crispy, but not blackened.

Transfer to a container and bake the remainder of the kale.