Sweet Potato Peanut Butter Puree

Here is a little guiltless indulgence, sweet potato pureed with peanut butter!

This was inspired by my children who are rapidly growing and often hungry.  I don't want to feed them every 30 minutes so I try to find foods that will satisfy and hold them for a while.

My 6 year old came up to me 2 hours before dinner asking for a snack (UGH).  I looked at the stove and my sweet potatoes were ready to puree and I had an idea!  

I added a scoop of healthy, organic, natural peanut butter to the sweet potatoes.   A little bit of coconut oil to keep it smooth.  Whola...I now had a quick and easy snack that is loaded with healthy oils, vegetable and protein that should hold them for a while!

I then used these lovely peanut butter potato puree at dinner, however I drizzled it with extra virgin olive oil and added a pinch or two of Smoked Serrano sea salt! 

It was amazing!!!!  The finish was just the right simple elevation I was craving.

If you have a real food kitchen remember to use all ingredients at your disposal to be creative with combining whole, fresh ingredients that are satisfying, healthy and delicious!

Keep it Real!  Keep it Simple!

Ingredients:

1)  3 large sweet potatoes
2)  3 tablespoons of coconut oil
3)  2 tablespoons of organic natural peanut butter
4)  Extra virgin olive oil
5)  Smoked Serrano sea salt (to taste)

Directions:

Peel, cut and cube sweet potatoes.  Bring to boil in a large pot until fork tender.  Drain, reserve 1/4 cup liquid and mash or use a puree stick.  Add the peanut butter and coconut oil, mix well.  Plate and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and finish with a pinch or two of Smoked Serrano sea salt!

Roasted Balsamic Beets

Beets, Beets, Beets....yes sound the drums I definitely move to the beat of a beet!  

When I have a chance to pick up some fresh organic beets I stock up on them because they are so versatile!  I love them raw, in juices, as a natural food dye, pickled and roasted!

Last night I only had a few minutes to get a side on the table with my chicken so I made this quick and easy side.

Ingredients:

1)  4 large organic beets
2)  2 tablespoons of coconut oil
3)  Aged Balsamic glaze (to taste)
4)  Extra virgin olive oil (to taste)
5)  Aged Balsamic sea salt (2-3 pinches)

Directions:

Wash and quarter your organic beets into similar sizes and shapes.  Arrange on a baking tray, drizzle with coconut oil, roast in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Plate, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, balsamic glaze and finish with aged balsamic sea salt! 

It is almost like eating candy, only better!  The roasting brings out the sweetness of the beet, the aged balsamic glaze lends a sweet and sour component and the aged balsamic sea salt wraps it all up in a mineral balsamic-y goodness!

It took minutes to prepare, it's healthy, it's colorful, it's full of flavor!  Perfect for a family dinner or an elegant dinner party!  My two girls devoured them.

Keep it Real!  Keep it Simple!

Tomato Herb Spaghetti Squash and Savory Sausage

I cannot get enough of spaghetti squash!  It is so versatile and takes on whatever flavor you want to throw on it.  I prefer mine al dente aka slightly firm and not mushy.

I was pondering what to do with it this evening when my husband came home with a bag of fresh out of the garden cherry tomatoes!  What better than to saute these beautiful red balls with fresh rosemary, some sea salt and mix it into the tasty golden squash strands!

Ingredients:

1)  1 whole spaghetti squash
2)  15-20 cherry tomatoes
3)  Fresh rosemary sprigs (2-3)
4)  2 tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil 
5)  2 tablespoons of organic grass fed butter
6)  Spanish Rosemary or Smoked Serrano sea salt
7)  4-6 sausage (your choice)

Directions:

Wash and split your spaghetti squash in half.  You can dig the seeds out prior or after cooking.  I prefer to pull them out after.  Place the cut sides down in a large pan with about 1/2 cups of water.  

Cover and bake in an 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove and scrape out center with seeds.  Once cooled a bit so you can handle them, take a fork and gently scrape out the strands.  Arrange them on a large platter or bowl.

Wash and cut cherry tomatoes in half.  Saute tomatoes in oil with the fresh sprigs of rosemary.  Don't overcook, just get the juices flowing in the tomatoes.  Approximately 4-5 minutes.  At this stage, I add two tablespoons of organic grass fed butter to the pan to melt and add extra richness and flavor.

Combine the herby tomatoes into your gorgeous spaghetti strands and you have an amazing side dish or main meal.  

I take it to another level of flavor and elevation by adding a pinch or two of Old City Salts sea salt blends.  Many would work well here, but I choose Smoked Serrano for tonight.  If you prefer adding some more heat, I would suggest the Ghost Pepper.  The Spanish Rosemary or Sun Ripened Tomato will add another punch of garden flavor to this dish and is exceptional choice as well.  

Best part is you can make a standard dish like spaghetti squash take on any flavor profile you like with a dash of seasoning salt.  

This was a side dish of mine tonight because I came across some freshly made chicken sausage from the local Fresh Market and had to give them a try.  On the plate this evening and paired with my squash was a white wine and herb sausage along with a portabella and cheese chicken sausage!  Both were exceptional!

Enjoy!  Experiment with Salt! Keep it Real and Simple!

Canteloupe and Blueberries with a Touch of Molasses and Coffee

Simple is always refreshing!  Especially when simple tastes so good!  

We had received a couple of ripe cantaloupe and some cartons of blueberries right off the farm.  Cantaloupe always signals breakfast in my mind and what goes well at breakfast ---- coffee!  

The fresh fruit and the sweet hint from the molasses is an amazing combination!  Now, take that over the edge by adding a couple of pinches of Espresso Brava sea salt and you have now created an amazing flavor profile that truly marries each ingredient for life.  

Ingredients:

1)  1 cantaloupe diced into cubes
2)  1 cup of fresh blueberries
3)  1/2 teaspoon of molasses
4)  A pinch or two of Espresso Brava sea salt
5)  Garnish with some fresh mint

Directions:

Arrange your cantaloupe and blueberries on a plate. Drizzle the molasses over your fruit with a spoon. Add a pinch or two over your fruit and enjoy!

Now this was definitely Keeping it Real and Keeping it Simple!

Herb Infused Burger Atop Blueberry Tamarind Sauce With Slaw

The creativity was flowing on this day and I had a bunch of fresh local blueberries and a block of tamarind paste in the refrigerator.  

It all started with a sauce and then the burger and slaw came into being.  If using tamarind, you will need to pair it with sweetness since it is a bit sour (similar to lemon).  

The meat, slaw and sauce pair perfectly on a warm summer night.  The piece that takes this dish over the edge is the finishing salts because they give that added element that brings all the ingredients together on the plate.

Ingredients:

1)  2 lbs of ground beef of your choice
2)  1/2 head of organic green or purple cabbage
3)  1 cup of organic blueberries
4)  1 tablespoon of tamarind paste (or to taste)
5)  1 tablespoon of raw organic honey
6)  1 large onion grated
7)  1 bunch of cilantro chopped
8)  1/2 cup olive oil
9)  3-4 cloves of garlic minced
10) plain sea salt, Thai Ginger sea salt, Ghost Pepper sea salt

Directions:

Prepare your ground beef by adding the beef, grated onions, chopped cilantro, olive oil, minced garlic and about a teaspoon of plain sea salt into a large mixing bowl.  

Incorporate all the ingredients well and let rest anywhere between 2-24 hours.  The longer the beef rest in a covered bowl in the refrigerator the more flavorful your burgers will be.

Prepare the sauce by adding the tamarind and blueberries to a small saute pan.  Gently heat the mixture and add the honey and two pinches of Thai Ginger sea salt.  If you have an immersion blender use this in a deep bowl to blend all ingredients smoothly.  Add a bit of water to get your desired thickness.  I used a Nutribullet and it worked perfectly.

Next, make a simple slaw and by simple I mean just shred your cabbage and dress it lightly with olive oil, a little mayonnaise and a touch of vinegar.  

I cooked the burgers on an outdoor grill and plated it on top of about two tablespoons of the blueberry tamarind sauce.  

Then I topped the burger with a simple slaw and added a pinch of Ghost Pepper to add a bit of heat to this layered stack of goodness! 


Keeping it Real, Keeping it Simple!

Smoked Serrano Orange Broiled Fresh Fish

There is nothing better then catching a fish and having it for dinner that evening...if you can't do that go to your local fish market and get the freshest catch of the day!

We found two really nice size tilipia and I picked up a couple of naval oranges at the market...so an idea was formed.

Fresh orange mixed with Smoked Serrano sea salt on a delicately broiled fresh fish sounded like a nice and easy meal for the family.  This dish is simple, yet elevated!  It took minutes to prepare and cook, 25 in total.

Ingredients:

1)  2 large tilipia fillets

2)  1 naval orange

3)  4 tablespoons of grass fed butter

4)  1/2 teaspoon of Smoked Serrano sea salt (or to taste)

5)  1/4 cup finely diced red bell pepper

6)  Extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Arrange tilipia fillets in a baking dish and squeeze the juice of one naval orange over fish.  After squeezing remove pulp and add to the baking dish over fish.  Season the fish with Smoked Serrano sea salt.  Place the pats of butter on the fish.  Bake covered in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, if your fish is thin check for doneness around 15 minutes.

Remove the cover during the last 5 minutes of cooking and ladle the sauce in the dish over the fish.  While finishing off the fish, finely dice your red bell pepper for garnish.

Plate fish over your favorite rice or serve with a side of vegetables.  You can sprinkle a little more Smoked Serrano sea salt to finish the dish!  The Smoked Serrano goes so well with citrus and brings a well balanced flavor profile to the entire dish!

Cucumber Tea Infused Ribbons with Vanilla Bean Sea Salt

Whenever I get a new ingredient I'm always looking for different ways to use it.  This new cucumber salad was inspired by a new loose tea I purchased to make my husband a healthy iced tea.

It is a loose organic tea, called Yerba Mate and it is a holly tree native to the Atlantic Rainforest of Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina.  It's antioxidant properties are higher than green tea, so I was sold on it.

I brewed a big batch for my husband's ice tea and as it sat steeping and developing color and aroma my mind was racing on ways to use this with food.

I had just received a big bag of cucumbers from a friends garden and I had my Vanilla Bean sea salt on the counter - Shazam...an idea was born!

I decided to make a unique and delicate dressing with the Yerba Mate tea, extra virgin olive oil, a splash of vinegar and Vanilla Bean sea salt!  

Ingredients:

1) 2-3 cucumbers
2) 1/2 orange
3) 1/4 cup of brewed and steeped tea (your choice)
4) 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
5) 1/4 teaspoon of raw organic apple cider vinegar (or your choice)
6) 2-3 pinches of Vanilla Bean sea salt (or to taste)

Directions:

I decided to make cucumber ribbons to match the delicate nature of the dressing.  With a vegetable peeler remove the dark green skin on the cucumbers. Then slowly peel your cucumber with a bit of pressure to obtain ribbons the length of your cucumber.  Rotate  and continue peeling off ribbons until you get to the seeds, then stop.  You will have enough for an elegant side dish.  You can use the remaining cucumbers cut up in disks or use in your juicer.

Cut your navel orange in half, peel and dice into small chunks. Mix into your cucumber ribbons.  

Dressing:  Whisk your olive oil, tea, vinegar and sea salt together to get all ingredients blended together.

Pour your dressing over the cucumber ribbons and oranges and sprinkle lightly with Vanilla Bean sea salt!

This dish is simple, healthy, quick and elevated!  All of the delicate exotic flavors mingle together and bathe the ribbons.  The Vanilla Bean sea salt makes a huge impact on pulling all of the ingredients together with the delightful vanilla flavor and sea salt punch, it would not be the same without it.