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Kale chips that will make you like kale

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I recently had to do a recipe demo for nutrition school that included a discussion of the benefits of each ingredient in the recipe. It had to be nutritious and delicious. The first thing that came to mind? Kale chips! These aren’t just any kale chips. They are a super-flavorful, nutrient-dense, light snack that is a good source of plant-based protein and healthy fat. They also happen to be vegan, gluten-free, and paleo-friendly. So if that’s your jam, you’re welcome!

If you’re a kale skeptic, hang with me. These have convinced plenty of people that kale can actually be tasty. My dog (a golden retriever) even ate an entire batch of these (yes, 2 heads of kale!). No joke. She’s never grabbed food off the counter, and routinely ignores all veggies (except carrots) that fall on the floor while I cook, but she managed to snag these from a plate in the middle of the counter and devour the whole thing.

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Avocado Cashew Caesar Salad Dressing (vegan and paleo!)

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I’ve been seeing a lot of recipes for vegan and paleo caesar salads lately and I recently had one at a restaurant here in Denver. It was delicious, and since I like to add avocado to my caesar salads, I thought I’d see what happened if I put the avocado in the dressing rather than on the salad. Turns out, it’s DELICIOUS.

No cheese, no dairy, no crappy oils. Just plant-based protein and healthy fats. I played around with a lot of different combinations of ingredients and the final result is a big fat WIN.

Ingredients

Dressing3 Free Meals

  • 1/2 cup (2 oz.) cashews, soaked and drained (*see note below)
  • 1 avocado (I also tried this with 1 cup of frozen mashed avocado and it worked!)
  • 3 tablespoons hemp seeds/hemp hearts (tip: as with many nuts, grains, and seeds, they are cheaper to buy in the bulk section!)
  • 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp. water
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 tsp. salt (more to taste)
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper (more to taste)

Salad

  • 2-3 heads romaine, washed and chopped (or a mixture of kale and romaine if you want to mix it up!)

Toppings – whatever you like on your salad!

  • Grilled chicken
  • Salmon
  • Hard-boiled eggs
  • Grilled veggies
  • Tofu
  • Quinoa
  • Croutons (try making your own with hearty whole grain bread!)

Instructions

  1. Chop and wash romaine (I chop first and then throw it in a salad spinner.chopped romaine
  2. Drain water from cashews and put in blender or food processor with all other dressing ingredients (I love this mini chop processor for this and other dressings).
  3. Blend all dressing ingredients until smooth (it will be thick). Add salt and pepper as you like. avocado cashew caesar dressing
  4. Toss the romaine with the dressingvegan paleo avocado cashew caesar salad dressing

* To soak your cashews, just measure out the amount you need and put them in a small bowl. Add just enough water to cover and let sit. Allow them to soak at least 30 minutes, but they can sit overnight covered in the fridge.

soaked cashews

I hope you like this dressing as much as we do. Give it a try and let me know what you think in the comments below!

Health(ier) Layer Dip

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Picnic and patio season is here! I’m sharing one of my favorite health(ier) dips that you can enjoy all summer long. What makes this dip healthier?

  • Black beans are full of healthy fiber and protein
  • Avocado is full of healthy fats
  • Greek yogurt is full of calcium and protein (although you can leave it out if you don’t do dairy — it’s still delicious)
  • Salsa. Who doesn’t love salsa?!

Layer dips are typically full of cheese and refried beans. This dip is nutritious, filling, and a super balanced combo of healthy protein, carbs, and fat.

Ingredients:

Dip:

  • 1 can black beans
  • 1 lime
  • 3 avocados
  • 1 tsp. cumin
  • ¼ tsp. cayenne
  • 1 clove garlic, minced (or ¼ tsp. dried)
  • 2 – 6 oz. containers plain greek yogurt (no flavors, no added sugar)
  • 2 tsp. Taco seasoning*
  • 1 cup salsa

* Be sure that your taco seasoning contains just spices and recognizable ingredients; brands like Old El Paso have weird and unnecessary fillers. I like Penzey’s, or you can make your own.

Garnishes (optional, but they make it prettier and tastier):

  • 2 roma tomatoes
  • 1 bunch green onions/scallions
  • ½ cup diced bell peppers
  • ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Dippers:

  • Bell peppers, sliced 
  • Baby carrots
  • Chips/crackers – I like Way Better and Siete brands

avocado and tomato

Instructions

Layer 1: Black beans

Drain and rinse black beans. Shake off all excess water and pour into 8-inch square pan. Squeeze half of the lime over beans and press with the flat side of a fork into an even layer. (Don’t throw the colander in the sink yet!)

Layer 2: Avocado

Cut avocados in half and scoop out pulp into a small bowl. Squeeze the other half of the lime over the avocado and mash together with a fork or pastry blender. Add in the cumin, cayenne, and garlic, and mix. Spread the avocado mixture over the black beans.

Fresh Tomatoes

Layer 3: Greek yogurt

Mix the greek yogurt with the taco seasoning. Layer on top of the avocado

Layer 4: Salsa

Salsa can actually be a little watery when you’re using it on the top layer of a dip, so I strain it to remove some water and thicken it a bit before adding (use the same colander from the black beans in layer 1!)

Layer 5: Garnish!

Dice the tomatoes and peppers and slice the scallions and sprinkle over the top. You’ll also add the cheese here if you’re using it.