Bejeweled Kale Salad

This salad is a true celebration of color, texture, and flavor. Inspired by the ingredients of Morocco, this dazzling dish features pomegranates, pistachios, and a spiced lemon dressing. Red, orange, yellow, and three shades of green. Crunchy, creamy, and juicy. Tangy, sweet, and savory. Have I whet your appetite yet?

This is a massaged kale salad. Massaging chopped kale in any acidic dressing will wilt the leaves, making them tastier and easier to digest. Make sure to really get your hands in there!

Not only are they totally delicious, massaged kale salads are hearty enough to withstand a dressing overnight. The kale will not wilt and become soggy the next day like your typical salad greens. That means you can cook once and make enough for a few days worth of packed lunches – just leave out the avocado and pistachios until you're ready to eat.

It’s no secret that kale is a nutritional powerhouse. One cup of chopped kale contains only 33 calories and provides 9% of the daily value of calcium, 206% of vitamin A, 134% of vitamin C, and 684% of vitamin K. Kale is also a good source of minerals including manganese, copper, and potassium, and anti-inflammatory, antioxidants, and health-supportive nutrients like flavonoids and carotenoids.

CULINARY WELLNESS TIP: I’m always looking for ways to maximize the nutrition of my meals through simple cooking techniques. Quinoa, which is already a culinary wellness superstar, takes on anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant benefits to boot when cooked with ¼ teaspoon of turmeric. The turmeric also gives the quinoa a vibrant yellow hue, adding another dimension to this salad’s color palate. Add turmeric to your grains when you won’t mind the yellow color and want the tremendous array of health benefits.

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Bejeweled Kale Salad

Yield: 2 entrée-sized portions

½ cup quinoa
¼ teaspoon turmeric
Sea salt
1 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped into bite-size pieces
1 large carrot, grated
½ avocado, cut into slivers
¼ cup pistachios
¼ cup pomegranate seeds

Lemon and Cumin Dressing
1 lemon, juiced
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch red pepper flakes 

1. Rinse the quinoa and combine with 1 cup of water, a pinch of sea salt, and the turmeric in a small pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.
2. Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, honey, salt, and cumin. Combine the kale and dressing in a large bowl. Using your hands, massage the dressing into the kale for 1-3 minutes. The kale should reduce in size and become tender.
3. Add the quinoa, carrots, avocado and pomegranate seeds and gently mix together. Top with pistachios. If the salad will be stored overnight, leave the avocado and pistachios on the side to add later.

Triple Citrus Salad with Golden Beets, Lentils, and Toasted Almonds

There are only so many stews, soups, and hearty root vegetables that I can eat before my taste buds start craving something on the lighter side. When I’m ready for a break from heavier, winter entrées, I like to incorporate zesty citrus flavors like lemon and orange to keep a little spring in my step.

This salad is dressed with a triple citrus dressing – lemon, orange, and blood orange – that elevates the simple greens and lentils to a delicious new height. There are roasted golden beets for eye-pop factor and toasted almonds to round out all the flavors. This combo will make you forget its winter and have your taste buds singing!

CULINARY WELLNESS TIP: When you are going through the effort of making a salad dressing from scratch (which of course is always worth it), be sure to make enough to last you a few more salads. This recipe makes enough so that when you're in the mood for another salad, all you have to do is add and mix! Save glass jars and glass salad dressing bottles so that you can easily store your homemade dressings.

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Triple Citrus Salad with Golden Beets, Lentils, and Toasted Almonds

Yield: two entrée-sized portions

2 medium-sized golden beets, halved
Olive oil
Sea salt
½ cup French lentils, rinsed
1 clove garlic, peeled
¼ cup almonds, toasted and halved
1 blood orange, segmented (juices reserved)
4 ounces organic spring salad mix

Triple Citrus Dressing
½ teaspoon minced garlic
¼ teaspoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons orange juice
Reserved juices from blood orange
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Place halved beets on a parchment-lined baking sheet, lightly coat with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and roast until just tender. Allow to cool, remove skins, and slice into ¼ inch half-moons.
3. While beets are roasting, combine lentils with enough water to cover by one and a half inchs, a pinch of salt, and the garlic clove. Bring water to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for about 20 minutes or until lentils are tender but not mushy. Strain, remove garlic clove and set aside.
4. Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients and adjust to taste.
5. To assemble, toss spring salad mix with the lentils, blood oranges, golden beets, and ¼ cup of the dressing. Top with toasted almonds.

Green Plant Power Smoothie Bowl

When I started the day with this breakfast, I was definitely feeling grateful - grateful for the vibrant colors that made me excited to dig in, the nutrients that would fuel my morning, and the flavors and textures that made me say YUM. This is a wellness breakfast, a super nourishing, plant-powered bowl of green goodness. 

Serving a smoothie in a bowl may seem a little silly at first. After all, isn't the point of a smoothie that its gulp-able, liquid nutrition? Yes it is, but for those fast eaters out there like me, I often find myself drinking my smoothie in about 1 minute. I would never eat a whole banana, cups of kale, pineapple, and avocado that fast! It's a ton of stress on my digestive system.

The idea of the bowl is to slow it all down. By putting a spoon in my hands to break up the bites and adding some textures to make me chew, the smoothie bowl brings the focus back to the senses. And when we eat with all of our senses, we can digest our food better, absorbing the maximum amount of nutrients from our meals.  

With all the fiber, vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and antioxidants in this meal, your body will as vibrant as this smoothie bowl is green. 

CULINARY WELLNESS TIP: Eating mindfully is an important practice to cultivate for all your meals. Turn off the TV, put away the laptop, and give your food your full attention. Digest the food with your mind first, taking in the colors and shapes. Then make sure to really notice how the food feels in your mouth. Try to chew every bite at least 20 times. Read this article from the New York Times to learn more about mindful eating. 

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Green Plant Power Smoothie Bowl

Yield: 1 large smoothie bowl

1 ½ cups curly kale (or leafy green of your choice), washed and destemmed
¼ avocado
1 frozen banana
½ cup frozen pineapple
1 tablespoon chia or flax seeds
½ cup coconut water
½ cup almond milk
1 tablespoon shredded coconut
2 tablespoons Go Hunza Goji Berry Trail Mix (or a mixture of nuts and dried fruits)

1. Combine the kale, avocado, banana, frozen pineapple, chia seeds, coconut water and almond milk in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add more liquid for a thinner consistency.
2. Serve in a bowl and top with shredded coconut and goji berry trail mix. Make it beautiful!

Kale Salad with Roasted Delicata Squash

For the last two months, I worked in the kitchen at NYC's famed farm-to-table restaurant, Gramercy Tavern. They have a killer kale salad! Working the garde manger station at lunch, I never saw the orders for this dish stop. Here, I'm bringing you the home-cook version - a little less glitz, but no less pizzazz. 

CULINARY WELLNESS TIP: Prep your greens right after you take them home from the market to preserve their flavor and nutrients. Cut into thin shreds for salads or thicker chunks for sautéing - whatever you are feeling for that week. Wash, dry, wrap in paper towels, and store in a sealed plastic bag that has been pricked with 20 tiny air holes. Now, when you're ready to make the dish, the majority of the work is already over.  

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Kale Salad with Roasted Delicata Squash

Serves 2 as an entrée or 4 as a side dish

1 small delicata squash, cut into ¼ inch thick half moons, seeds removed
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1 head lacinato kale, destemed, shredded, washed, and spun dry
¼ cup pepitas

Lemon Vinaigrette
1 lemon, juiced
¼ cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon honey or maple syrup
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon salt
Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Coat the delicate squash in olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Spread out onto a parchment lined baking try and roast for 20 minutes. Allow squash to cool and then cut into 1 inch pieces.
2. While squash is cooking, combine the ingredients for the vinaigrette. 
3. Coat the pepitas with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Roast at 350F for 10 minutes. Season with an extra pinch of salt to taste.
4. Toss the shredded kale with the vinaigrette, massaging briefly to slightly wilt the leaves. Toss in the chickpeas and squash. Garnish with the toasted pepitas.

Dal Makhani (Creamy, Spiced Black Lentil Stew)

I'm always looking for dynamic plant-based sources of protein. For many people, trying to limit meat consumption leaves them craving rich foods to take the place of their pot roast or steak dinner. Showing them that a vegetarian meal can be deeply satisfying is always rewarding for this whole foods Chef. 

When I traveled to India last year, I was continually inspired by the ways in which the mostly vegetarian nation got their protein. Their answer - LENTILS. They are called dal in India and they show up at almost every meal in one of their many colors, shapes, and varieties. 

Lentils are a super food in my book – super nutritious, super easy to prepare, and super inexpensive. They are low in calories, but high in nutrients and packed with protein. Lentils are rich in dietary fiber, which helps lower cholesterol and regulate blood sugar, and minerals like vitamin B, folate, and magnesium to promote heart health. The iron in lentils makes them a great meal for energy.

One of the tastiest lentil dishes I came across in my travels was Dal Makhni. Dal Makhni traditionally has cream (makhni literally means "with butter"), but when I set about making it at home, I wanted to keep the dish dairy-free. My Indian-inspired lentil stew uses coconut milk to add a rich and satisfying flavor, without the lactose that often causes digestive distress. The urad dal is also key to this dish’s creamy texture, but it can be substituted with black lentils if necessary. 

CULINARY WELLNESS TIP: Don't be intimidated by the long list of ingredients in this recipe- its mostly spices. I highly recommend taking a trip to an Asian grocer to stock up your pantry with a variety of spices and dried herbs. You will be opening up your culinary repertoire to a wealth of global flavors that will add variety and major YUM-factor to your meals. Buy spices in small quantities, since ground spices only stay fresh for about 6 months, or buy a spice grinder (coffee grinder) to blend up your own for maximum flavor.

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Dal Makhani (Creamy, Spiced Black Lentil Stew)

Yield: 4 one-cup servings
Adapted from Lisa Turner's Dal Makhani

¾ cup dried whole urad dal (or black lentils), soaked overnight
¼ cup dried kidney beans, soaked overnight
½ teaspoon turmeric
2-inch piece cinnamon stick
2 black cardamom pods
3 cloves garlic, minced
2-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
¼ teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon garam masala
Pinch asafetida (optional)
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
Small handful curry leaves (optional, but highly recommended)
1 cup + ¼ cup coconut milk
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
Lime

1. Rinse soaked lentils and beans, transfer to a medium pot, and cover with three cups of water. Add the turmeric, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, 1/3 of the garlic, 1/3 of the ginger, and ¼ teaspoon of the salt.  Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook covered until beans are tender (about one hour).
2. While beans are cooking, heat the ghee or coconut oil in a skillet. Add the cumin and fenugreek seeds, stirring for about 30 seconds. Then add the remaining garlic and ginger, cayenne, garam masala, and asafetida, stirring for another 30 seconds. Finally, add the tomatoes, curry leaves, and salt. Simmer for about 5 minutes. The mixture should thicken as the tomato juices reduce.
3. When the beans are tender, mash briefly with the back of a fork. Transfer the spiced tomato mixture into the pot of lentils and beans, stir to combine, and cook uncovered for another 15 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, and curry leaves. Stir in one cup of the coconut milk and taste for seasoning.
4. Serve each portion with 1 tablespoon coconut milk drizzled on top, chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.

Whole Foods Cleanse - New Years Day Quinoa Porridge

On New Years day, I was feeling sluggish, a little out of balance, and like my digestive system needed a major break. After all the holiday parties, culinary school tastings, restaurant work, and baking projects, I needed a full body re-boot.

January is usually the month of extreme diet pledges, juice and raw foods cleanses. While some people swear by their 5-day green juice cleanses or all-salad-all-day regimes, I find they are usually a pain to follow, extremely hard on your system, and leave you with terrible cravings that will send you swinging back out of health.

I would like to offer a simpler, softer, and definitely tastier idea for those who are feeling ready to bring their health back into balance for the new year. The solution: WHOLE foods. 

Rather than pledge to eliminate "naughty" foods from your diet, try to incorporate as many plant-based foods as possible. We're talking about vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes. When you begin to increase the quantity of these nourishing, whole foods into your diet, you will naturally find yourself moving away from the processed, the artificial, and the overly sugared. Think more about what you should eat and less about what you shouldn't eat.

Trust me, your body and spirit will thank you.  

This is the Whole Foods Cleanse. Its the way humans have been eating for millennia. Its not complicated or carefully measured. Rather, it's guided by vibrant colors, inspired by nature's bounty, and driven - most importantly -  by what your body needs to feel its best. 

The problem for most people, myself included, is that resolve to eat well fades without continual ideas of "what's for dinner." And we easily turn back to old, less-healthy habits. That is where Carly's Wellness Kitchen comes in. On this site, I will feature plant-based meals (with some high-quality animal products too) and teach you about basic nutrition principles. As I invite you into my kitchen, I hope you will find continual inspiration to nourish yourself with high quality, whole foods. Wellness begins in the kitchen. So lets get cooking! 

Here's a recipe to refresh your breakfast routine. Ditch the refined cereals and turn to whole grains, cooked to a porridge consistency and mixed with fresh or frozen fruit and chia seeds. In this recipe, I've used quinoa and frozen blueberries and topped it with cashews and shredded coconut to add some healthy fats. The combination of fiber and fat helps keep you feeling full and satisfied. It works for New Years Day or any day. 

Culinary Wellness Tip: Don't have time for this recipe on the weekdays? Make a pot on Sunday and reheat portions as needed with a little extra almond milk. All you'll have to do is throw on the toppings and enjoy. 

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Quinoa Porridge with Blueberries, Chia Seeds, and Coconut

Yield: 4 one-cup servings

1 cup quinoa, soaked overnight if possible
1 cup water
1 ½ + 1/4 cups almond milk
1 inch cinnamon stick, or ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch salt
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
Shredded coconut
Honey or maple syrup

1. Rinse quinoa and combine with water, 1 ½ cups almond milk, cinnamon stick, and salt in a medium-sized pot. Bring to boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until quinoa is porridge consistency.
2. Remove from heat and stir in the chia seeds and blueberries, adding an additional ¼ cup almond milk. Rest for 10 minutes, allowing the chia seeds to expand.
3. Serve with shredded coconut and a drizzle or honey or maple syrup.