Curried Kale Salad

This elegant side dish is perfect hot or cold.

1 bag of fresh, washed kale
2 tbsp olive or coconut oil
1 tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tbsp salt
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss kale with oil and spices in a large roasting pan. Cook 25-30 minutes, tossing regularly.

Put roasted kale in large serving dish, then toss with almonds and dried fruit. Serve hot or cold.

Salmon Deviled Eggs

In the South, Deviled Eggs are a staple on any holiday party table. Keeping on your diet during the holidays can be easy if you bring dishes that not only accommodate your nutrition guidelines but appeal to everyone. Adding smoked salmon adds an interesting texture and a rich, dense flavor.

1 dozen hard-boiled eggs
6oz smoked salmon
1/2 cup mayonnaise (homemade is preferable)
1 tbsp each dill, ground mustard and salt
1/2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
paprika (for garnish)

Remove the shells from eggs by gently rolling on a hard surface. Half each egg down the length, then remove the hard yolk. Mix all yolks, salmon, mayonnaise, dill, mustard, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl with a fork. Do not over mix. Using a small spoon, gently stuff each halved egg white with the mixture. Sprinkle paprika on top.

Braised Cabbage

Cabbage is the perfect vegetable: cheap, accessible, delicious and versatile. Braised cabbage is the perfect comfort food for cold winters.

1 head red or green cabbage
1 large white or yellow onion, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp salt
1/2 tbsp pepper
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water or chicken broth


Heat oven to 350. Remove any discolored outer leaves from the cabbage, then cut into large wedges. Place cabbage and onion in large baking dish, then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the apple cider vinegar and the water or broth into the dish. Cover tightly with tin foil and cook for an hour and a half.



Increase temperature to 450 and take the foil off the baking dish. Cook for another 15 minutes or so or until the cabbage turns brown.

Sweet Potato Hash

Thanksgiving side dish, perhaps?

1 large sweet potato, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
4 slices bacon (no, I didn't start eating, pork...this is an amazing smoked turkey bacon)
3 green onions, chopped
salt and pepper

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Mix sweet potatoes with olive oil, spread on baking sheet and roast 20-30 minutes.

In a large skillet, fry bacon, remove pan from heat and rest bacon on paper towel. When potatoes are done, add to leftover bacon fat (include the remaining oil from the baking sheet) and saute on medium. Crumble bacon and toss with sweet potatoes, green onions. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4 or 2 very hungry sprinters

Roasted Kale

I try to eat greens...I really do. I'm a Southerner, but I despise collards cooked in pork fat. I know greens are healthy, but other than spinach, arugula and other salad greens, I have a hard time choking them down. However, over the past month I have eaten at least one giant bag of kale per week. The key was to change my cooking mechanism. Roasting kale somehow removes the bitterness and reveals a mellow, slightly nutty flavor. This recipe is for all the folks out there who, like me, thought they could never like cooked greens.

Spicy Kale
1 lb clean kale (I use the bags from the grocery store)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
juice of 1 lime (optional)

Heat your oven to 400 degrees. In a very large bowl, toss kale with olive oil, lime juice and seasonings. Spread on a large baking sheet and cook 30 minutes, tossing regularly. Some of the kale will become very crispy, while other pieces will be perfectly roasted.

Other seasoning options. The inclusion of seeds or nuts will give the kale a more 'chip-like' consistency:

Sesame Kale Chips
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 tbsp sesame seeds


Nutty Kale Chips
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup almonds, hazelnuts, macadamian nuts or pine nuts
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Puree all ingredients in food processor, then toss with kale chips. Same cooking instructions.

Roasted Cauliflower

I have played quite a bit with cauliflower in the past, trying to increase the variety of vegetables that I enjoy eating and don't just tolerate. A month ago I tried roasting cauliflower in the oven, intending to then puree it for my usually 'mashed' cauliflower recipe. When I removed it from the oven, I found each piece of the vegetable tender and caramelized to perfection. Forget the food processor...this is my absolute favorite cauliflower application.

1-2 heads cauliflower
1/4 cup olive oil
1tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ground mustard
2 tbsp chopped chives (optional)

Heat your oven to 400 degrees. To prepare cauliflower, remove stems from the base, then carefully cut off each floret. Slice florets into 1/8 inch thick pieces or break florets into very small sections. Don't get rid of the interior stem!!! Peel this section carefully, remove the coarse bottom and slice into 1/8 inch discs. Toss cauliflower with remaining ingredients and spread out on a baking sheet covered in tin foil. Cook 35 to 45 minutes, at least twice during the cooking process.

D.I.Y. Roasted Red (and Yellow) Peppers

I never got the obsessions with roasted red peppers; to me they always tasted vinegary and bitter. However, an excess of peppers from my local farmer dictated that I experiment with recipes before my peppers went bad. The result: delicious, sweet and cheap roasted red, yellow and orange peppers perfect for salads, scrambled eggs and eggplant stacks.



Step 1: Heat broiler to highest temperature. Remove the stem and seeds from your pepper, then slice edges to make the pepper lay flat. Place on a baking sheet and place under the direct flame of the broiler.






Step 2: Check the peppers after 10 minutes and then every couple of minutes after that. Remove peppers when the skin is completely black.


Step 3: Dump peppers in a large bowl and immediately cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let sit 10 to 15 minutes. This allows the peppers to steam and helps to remove the blackened skins.







Step 4: Gently remove skin from peppers. You can store
these in the refrigerator for up to a week in a plastic container.

Roasted Carrots

It is a frightening concept for many low-carb dieters to consider eating carrots, which is completely ludicrous. Organic carrots are delicious, cheap and a terrific way to boost your glycogen levels post-workout.

Roasted Carrots

4-5 large carrots (you could also use organic baby carrots)
2 tbsp olive oil
salt, pepper, dried thyme

Heat oven to 450 degrees, peel carrots (this is optional) and cut into uniform pieces. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and dried thyme. Cook 20-30 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking.

Roasted Root Vegetables

Any root vegetables would work great in this roast, including sweet potatoes, onions, rutabagas, parsnips and radishes. Radishes have become one of my new favorite vegetables; they are like onions, in that they are super low-carb, but they have a pepper flavor like cabbage.

2-3 sweet potatoes, diced
1 large onion, diced
2 cups radishes, quartered
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tbsp dried thyme

Heat oven to 400 and mist a large cooking sheet with olive oil spray. Drizzle olive oil over vegetables, then toss with salt, pepper and dried thyme. Cook 45 minutes, tossing frequently.

Mushroom Picatta

Picatta is one of our favorite dishes, but it is typically made with large amounts of butter and breaded chicken. This version curves the lemony-caper sauce craving without the exorbitant amount of fat and carbs.


8oz portabello mushrooms, sliced
2 or 3 medium zucchini
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp capers

Cut zucchini in half and scoop out soft insides. Slice remaining zucchini into thin strips and place in a colander. Sprinkle several teaspoons salt over the zucchini and toss. Let sit at least 30 minutes, then rinse. This will help pull the excess moisture out of the zucchini.
Heat a large skillet to medium high and spray with olive oil. Add mushrooms and cook until tender, 4-5 minutes. Pour in lemon juice, capers and butter. Cook 2 more minutes, then add zucchini. Toss frequently and serve once zucchini is warm.

Spaghetti Squash Alfredo

2-3 cups spaghetti squash

1/2 onion, sliced

1 jar roasted red peppers
1/2 cup broth

1/8 cup feta cheese

salt and pepper

Heat a small sauce pan to medium-high and mist with cooking spray. Add onions and roasted red peppers and saute 3-4 minutes. Pour in broth and cook another 5 minutes. Put into a blender and add feta cheese. Puree until smooth, then season to taste with salt and/or pepper. Serve over spaghetti squash.

Green Bean Curry

You could make this dish with any type of bean, but pole beans are in season right now.

2-3 cups pole beans
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp sriracha
1/2 tsp paprika
2 tsp fish sauce
1/4 cup coconut milk
2 green onions, minced

Cut or snap the end off the pole beans. Heat a large skillet to medium-high and mist with cooking spray and cook 2-3 minutes. Mix the remaining ingredients (except the green onions) in a magic bullet or whisk in a small bowl, then pour over green beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer 5-10 minutes or until the sauce is reduced by half. Serve topped with green onions.

Broccoli Satay

1 onion, sliced
2-3 cups broccoli
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp ponzu
1/2 tbsp sriracha

Heat a large skillet to medium-high and mist with cooking spray. Add broccoli and onions, and stir-fry 3-4 minutes. Meanwhile, mix remaining ingredients and pour over veggies. Cook until sauce is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve hot.

1.25 cups broccoli is 1 carb block

Spaghetti Squash and Pepper Medley

Spaghetti squash is not just a great substitute for pasta, it makes an awesome side.

2-3 cup spaghetti squash
1 onion, chopped
1 yellow or red bell pepper, chopped
8oz grape or cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp sun-dried tomato oil
salt and pepper

Heat a large skillet to medium high and mist with cooking spray. Add the pepper, onions and cherry tomatoes and saute until the tomatoes are just starting to burst, about 8 minutes. Pour in the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes, then toss with spaghetti squash.

Chipotle Mushrooms

This is one of the best sides I have made in a while. The low-carb mushrooms are kicked up with the smoky chipotles.

8oz portabello mushrooms, sliced
1 onion, sliced
salt and peper
2 tbsp chipotle in adobo, chopped fine
3-4 cups fresh spinach, chopped

Heat a large skillet to medium-high and add in onions and mushrooms. Cook 5-8 minutes, then season with salt and pepper and stir in the chipotles. Slowly add the spinach a cup a time, letting it wilt slightly. Serve immediately.

Summer Veggies

A quick and easy side.

2-3 large zucchini
1 onion
1 red bell pepper
1 tsp butter
salt and pepper
1 tsp Cajun seasoning

Make Zucchini Noodles using the recipe from the early post.
Slice onion and bell pepper into thin strips, then place in a skillet with butter. Cook on medium 5-8 minutes or until the veggies are starting to caramelize. Season with salt, pepper and ajun seasoning. Add zucchini noodles and cook on medium-high 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately.

Sundried Tomato Spinach

1 10oz bag fresh spinach
1/4 cup sliced sun dried tomatoes (packed in oil)
salt and pepper

Heat a large skillet to medium-high. Pour 1-2 tbsp of olive oil from the sun dried tomatoes in the pan, then add the tomatoes. Add spinach in batches and saute until wilted. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Spicy Sweet Potato Wedges

You will never want to eat regular potato wedges again!

3-4 large sweet potatoes
2 tbsp olive oil or soy bean oil
1 tsp each:
coriander
paprika
red pepper flakes
salt
dried oregano

Heat oven to 450. Slice sweet potatoes into medium-size wedges, keeping the skin on. Mist cookie sheet with olive oil spray, then arrange wedges in a single layer. Cook 25 minutes, then flip on the opposite side. Cook another 15-20 minutes or until crispy.

Eggplant Tomato Roast

1 large eggplant, peeled
3-4 tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp basalmic vinegar
2 tbsp fresh basil chiffonade
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 425. Slice eggplant and tomatoes into 1/4 thick slices. Toss in a large bowl with olive oil, vinegar, basil, salt and pepper. Spray a large roasting pan or cookie sheet with olive oil mist, then place veggies in a single layer. Cook 35-45 minutes or until eggplant is golden brown. Sprinkle with a bit of Parmesan and serve immediately.

Parmesan Encrusted Sprouts

1 lb Brussels sprouts
1 tbsp butter or olive oil
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Trim ends off sprouts and slice in half. Heat a large skillet to medium, add butter or olive oil, then toss in sprouts. Cook until tender, 5-8 minutes, then remove from heat and top with shredded Parmesan, salt and pepper