My latest love - Kale Salad. I am experimenting with all kinds of recipe variations and different kinds of Kale. Here is a recipe for kale avocado salad topped with rosemary infused white beans and parsley.

Kale Avocado Salad with Rosemary infused White Beans
Serves Two

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of curly Kale, chopped fine
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons of dried rosemary
• 1/2 can Great Northern White Beans, drain
• 1/8 cup of pine nuts, toasted
• 1/2 avocado, cubed

Dressing:

• 1/2 lemon
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• splash of light agave nectar
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place kale in a large bowl and sprinkle sea salt over kale, add lemon juice and using hands, mix kale to thoroughly coat. Add cucumber, toss together, set aside
2. In a small skillet, over medium-high heat, add olive oil and rosemary. When hot, add white beans, reduce heat and sauté for 5 minutes, gently stirring occasionally
3. Add beans over kale salad
4. Dressing1 : Mix together the lemon juice, olive oil and mustard - whisk together and pour over kale salad, mixing together all ingredients
5. Wipe skillet with a paper towel to remove oil. Add pine nuts and toast for a few minutes over medium heat, until slightly brown / toasted. Add pine nuts to the salad.
6. Dressing #2: Next, mix together balsamic vinegar, olive oil and agave nectar, whisk together an pour over entire salad, lightly mixing all ingredients together
7. Top with avocado, salt and pepper to taste
   

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In the spirit of Meatless Mondays why not explore the beauty of bell peppers. Bell Peppers, also known as sweet peppers, come in different shapes and the colors.  The interesting thing about bell peppers is their lack of capsaicin, which is what gives spicy hot peppers their heat. The colors vary based on when the pepper is picked; the green color is the first stage of a pepper's life and yields the sharpest flavor. Red, yellow and orange peppers are picked a few days or weeks later and give way to a more mellow flavor.

(source Wikipedia): Pepper seeds were later carried to Spain in 1493 and from there spread to other European, African and Asian countries.  The misleading name "pepper" (pimiento in Spanish) was given by Christopher Columbus upon bringing the plant back to Europe. At that time peppercorns, the fruit of Piper nigrum, an unrelated plant originating from India, were a highly prized condiment; the name "pepper" was at that time applied in Europe to all known spices with a hot and pungent taste and so naturally extended to the newly discovered Capsicum genus. The most commonly used alternative name of the plant family, "chili", is of Central American origin. Bell peppers are botanically fruits, but are generally considered in culinary contexts to be vegetables. Today, China is the world's largest pepper producer, followed by Mexico.

Nutritional Value: Compared to green peppers, red peppers have more vitamins and nutrients and contain the antioxidant lycopene. The level of carotene, like lycopene, is nine times higher in red peppers. Red peppers have twice the vitamin C content of green peppers. Also, one large red bell pepper contains 209 mg of vitamin C, which is three times the 70 mg of an average orange.

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When your lover is bed-bound, feeling under the weather with a cold, this soup will warm their heart and soul. This is a fast recipe to make because I buy a precooked rotisserie chicken for my local market--a simple solution for if you have a busy schedule. This soup is so easy to prepare and so soothing-- a true comfort food.  I personally like to add a bit of an Italian flair with a pinch of red pepper flakes and grated Parmesan Cheese.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 celery stalks, cut in 1/2 inch rings
• 2 carrots, cut in 1/2 inch rings
• 3-4 cups of chicken stock
  
• 1 store bought rotisserie chicken, shredded, skin removed
  
• 1 bag wide egg noodles

Directions

1. In large stockpot, add olive oil and heat over medium high heat
2. Add onion and garlic, sauté for 3 minutes
3. Add celery and carrots saute for 5 minutes
4. Add chicken stock and bring to boil
5. Add egg noodles, and cook until al dente
   
6. Fold in chicken and cook to heat up the chicken, about 3 minutes
7. Garnish with fresh parsley leaves, black pepper and grated Parmesan cheese
8. OPTION: A pinch of red pepper flakes
9. OPTION: Prepare a poached egg per serving, add as the last ingredient to individual bowls.

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On a summer evening, with the right person, you can turn up heat with these two tantalizing tequila cocktails: a Heated Affair and some Southern Heat. Need I say more?


SOUTHERN HEAT, created by Jacques Bezuidenhout

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz Partida Blanco Tequila
• 3/4 oz Cointreau
• 1 oz fresh-squeezed lime juice
• 6 slices of cucumber skinned
• 2 to 3 slices of Jalapeno'
• 1/4 oz simple syrup

In a mixing glass muddle the cucumber, Jalapeno, lime juice and simple syrup. Add the ice, Partida Blanco Tequila and Cointreau. Shake and strain over fresh into an Old-Fashioned glass and garnish with cucumber slices fanned out.

HEATED AFFAIR, created by Jacques Bezuidenhout

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Partida Anejo Tequila

• 6 oz Hot Spiced Apple Cider*

• Heavy Cream

Directions;

1. 
First prepare the Apple Cider: In a pot add Organic Apple Juice and winter spices like Cloves, Cinnamon Stick, All Spice, and Orange Peel. Start off by adding a few cloves one cinnamon stick etc so as to find the right-spiced apple cider flavor. You can always add more spice later. Bring everything to a low heat for about 15 mins. Taste for flavor. When the desired flavor is reached then take off stove. Strain out all the spices and orange peel.
2. Next: In a small warm wine glass add Tequila and hot apple cider. Float heavy cream
3. Garnish: Grate fresh Nutmeg over cream

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A very close friend of mine came to visit and immediately took over the kitchen as she is prone to do. She's a great cook, so I was very happy to watch her whip up this very delicious meal as we sipped glasses of white wine conversing about life, the universe and anything that came to mind. She told me she grew up on this family recipe that was her Grandmother's Wednesday night special. So, if you are cooking for you Caribbean lover, or anyone that loves seafood, this will surely win their heart.

Caribbean Fish Stew

Ingredients:
Vegetables

• 5 cups of water
• 3 white sweet potatoes (you can also use Yucca or Boniato, also known as Batata)
• 3 large plantains
• 1/2 habanero or Serrano pepper, chopped
• 1/2 small onion, sliced (other half of whole onion)

Fish

• 2 lbs/ 4 Talapia Filets (can use salmon or cod if preferred)
• 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon each: salt, black pepper, paprika
• 2 Tablespoons flour
• 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
• few sprigs fresh Thyme
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/2 habanero or Serrano pepper, chopped
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• garnish: sprig of thyme
  

Directions:

Vegetables:

1. Cut plantains in half horizontally, score the skin vertically, peel by removing skin with your hands (The riper the plantain is the easier it is to peel). Set Aside
2. Peel Sweet potatoes and cut in half.
3. Place plantains and sweet potatoes in a pot with 5 cups of water and a dash of salt., bring to a boil. Cook for 15 -20 minutes until soft and tender.
4. Once the vegetables are done / tender - drain in colander. Set aside
5. In a large skillet, saute onion and spicy pepper over medium-low and cook until onions crispy and caramelize (but not burnt) - cooking about 5 - 8 minutes
6. Toss plantains and sweet potatoes in onion/ pepper mixture. Turn heat off. set aside

Fish:

1. Place fish in a bowl, add fresh squeezed lemon juice over fish and using hands, rub juice all over fish. Add water to bowl to wash fish then fully drain water from bowl.
2. Add 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, paprika and flour to the fish in the bowl and coat fish thoroughly, messaging spices into fish
3. Wash and chop tomatoes and scallions, set aside
4. Chop garlic and onion, set aside
5. Over medium high heat, add vegetable oil to skillet
6. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side to lightly brown
7. remove from skillet, place on dish and set aside
8. Turn heat down to Medium
9. Add and garlic to skillet - saute onion and garlic until onions are translucent, add chopped tomatoes, saute for 2 minutes.
10. Take water / flour mixtures (like a roux) and add to onion, tomato, garlic mixture - stir gently mixing ingredients together.  Add tomato paste, scallions, serrano and thyme (strip thyme off stalks into mixture). Add salt and pepper to taste.
11. simmer for five minutes.
12. Gently place fish into skillet with tomato mixture - turn heat down to medium-lo. Spoon mixture over fish - Let fish stew simmer for 10 minutes.

Plating the Dish

1. In a serving platter, place plantains and sweet potatoes in the center of the plate, being sure to mix in caramelized onions and tomatoes. Add a piece of fish and garnish with a sprig of thyme.
   

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