Quiet time…

Here I am just sitting and eating some trail mix while there are dishes to be done and the vacuum is waiting to be turned on.  But hey! It’s “quiet time” for the princesses right now and so I declare it “quiet time” for me too!  I rarely take the time to slow down and enjoy these quiet moments in the day when the princesses are pre-occupied with something other than getting my attention.  I usually see it as a time when I can get “things” done…you know, the dishes, the vacuuming, the laundry, and tomorrow’s school work ready.  For today, I decided that those “things” can wait while I spend some time with the Lord, enjoy a snack (without anyone else swiping it), and just be “still” even if it is for just 45 minutes!  What a time of refreshment!

And I get to share some recipes with you!

T-ball practice was cancelled yesterday because of the rain and wet fields, so I spent a little more time on dinner and was so glad that I did.  I feasted on a Creamy Kale Salad that was out of this world good (and the hubs even agreed with me!)!

Creamy Kale Salad

Ingredients:

4 cups chopped lacinato (dinosaur) kale

1/2 Tbsp grapeseed oil

1 tsp sunflower butter

1 Tbsp water

1 Tbsp raw apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp + 1tsp nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

2 garlic cloves, passed through a garlic press

1/8 tsp sea salt

ground pepper to taste

2 Tbsp raw sunflower seeds

Directions:

Wash kale thoroughly and pat dry.

Tear from stems and chop or rip into small pieces and place in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together grapeseed oil, sunflower butter, water, cider vinegar, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, garlic, salt and pepper.  Pour onto kale.

Mix with a fork or with your hands until very well coated.  Cover and let sit in fridge for at least 30 minutes.  Top with your favorite salad toppings!

I topped our salad with cucumbers, carrots, red onion, red pepper and sunflower seeds.

The dressing has a way of hiding in the folds of the kale so you get flavor with every bite!

Loved the “smoky” flavor of the paprika…you can try a mild chipotle seasoning to give it a little kick if you don’t have smoked paprika.

Since this salad was my “main dish” I ended up topping mine with a little brown rice and some salsa and guacamole….SOOOO GOOD!

The princesses and the hubs were pleasantly satisfied with their Chicken, Rice and Bean Triangles served up with a side of fresh green beans and homemade guacamole and salsa!Chicken, Rice and Bean Triangles

Yields 8 triangles

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup white beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup cooked brown rice

5-6 oz. chicken breast, cooked and cubed ( I seasoned the chicken with a little garlic salt, pepper, and cumin)

2 oz. hard cheese, grated (I used organic cheddar)

1 Tbsp flour

1 lb. ready-rolled frozen puff pastry ( I got mine from Trader Joe’s)

1/4 cup water, plus more for sealing the sides of the pastries (or you can use 1 egg, beaten)

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Put the white beans in a bowl, add the chicken, cheese, rice and flour.  Season and mix well.  Pour in 1/4 cup water and stir again.

Lightly dust your work surface with some flour and unroll the pastry dough onto it.  Cut the dough into 8 equal squares and spoon the chicken mixture into the middle of each one.  Brush the edges with a little water (or beaten egg), then fold two opposite corners together to make a triangular shape.  Press all around the edges to seal.

Place the triangles on a baking sheet and brush the tops with a little olive oil (or the rest of the beaten egg).  Make a small slash in the top of each triangle, then bake in the middle of the preheated oven for 40 minutes.

Flakey crust on the outside filled with simple flavors on the inside.

Looks kind of plain, but that’s what works for the princesses!  The hubs said it had just the right amount of flavor…he especially liked it drizzled with a bit of salsa on top.

Here’s the hubs’ plate…I grabbed it before he was finished serving himself, so it looks a bit on the bare side!   He devoured, yes devoured, the salad before he touched anything else on his plate…now that’s AMAZING!

Tonight’s dinner is Mama Pea’s “Best Ever Black Bean Burgers” because I have yet to find a better one!  Just a couple of small additions (2 tsp Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, 1 Tbsp Tahini, and 1 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast) will have you coming back for more.  And there is just enough “Creamy Kale Salad” to make this the perfect meal…OH YEAH!

For me…Creamy Kale Salad topped with a black bean burger and homemade salsa…delish!

For the princesses…black bean burger topped with colby jack cheese and served on a whole wheat bun!

For the hubs…black bean burger topped with jalepeno cheese, two pickles and served on a whole wheat bun.  I offered to put some lettuce on his burger, but he said he had enough “green stuff” on his plate for one meal!!  Gotta love him!

Now if I only had some dessert!  Chocolate sounds really good right now!

Tomorrow the princesses and I are off to have a much needed visit with G.G. and Grandad (my grandparents)…think we’ll surprise them with lunch! 

And can Friday hurry up and get here?  The hubs is taking me out on a much needed date!  Looking forward to a relaxing afternoon at Cabrillo National Monument followed by dinner at Tender Greens Restaurant.  Excited to share the day with y’all later!

Blessings,

J’lene