Kale Beautiful Kale

kale....
if you read in world's healthiest foods, George talks about how the right kind of fats - good fats like
Avocado .   Coconut Oil.   Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  Chia Seeds.  Nuts.  Eggs. 
can increase the absorption of certain minerals and vitamins in leafy green vegetables .

Eating a Green Salad with a small slice of Avocado can increase your absorption of those vitamins by 400%... yes... check it out for yourself. Its amazing. The fat allows the vitamins to travel to wherever they need to get to and absorb into the cells in our body. Amazing!

So I began experimenting with Kale and trying to invent ways to LOVE kale...

and I discovered that one way to eat Kale for breakfast is to eat it with good pasture-raised eggs...
and there are so many different ways to do this. But the yummy flavor dense and creamy yolk pairs so nicely with the kale. And there are a lot of ways of achieving this scrumptious blend.

Here are two ways to do it with tips...

Pan Seared Kale with scrambled eggs--
Take a very hot pan- with grass-fed butter, or coconut oil- and get it hot and melted- add two large handfuls of already chopped Kale... it will sizzle- and don't be scared- allow it to "burn" slightly- tossing with a wooden spatula... 2 minutes? - then reduce the heat.
allow the kale to wilt a bit in the pan- on lower heat- until it is slightly soft- this is a personal preference. I like my kale crispy and chewy. but if you cook it longer- it will be softer. Either way is fine-

whip you egg mixture and if you like- add other seasonings like Herb de Provence, dried Dill, dried Rosemary... if you want- you can use fresh minced parsley or fresh minced cilantro-
I particularly love this herbacious flavor ... If you like, add a spot of garlic to your sauteed kale and salt with whatever salt you use. Kale does need salt , in my opinion. It seems to help the balance of flavors.

okay- add your eggs. cook like you normally would to whatever consistency you  prefer-
(about 10 minutes overall)- If you are in a hurry- you can toss continuously and speed up the cooking-
I like to drink my coffee and let the pan do the work. I set a timer for 5 minutes and just let it do its thing- with a lid- on low.

and serve. If you like cheese- you can add some shredded cheese when you add the egg in the pan and cover with a lid to allow it to melt. try using shredded parmesan as a garnish after cooked. YUM. great heart healthy breakfast with loads of kale vitamins and minerals...good fat for your brain from the egg. this is a very satisfying breakfast and will keep you nourished for hours.


Fried Eggs with a Nest of Kale on top---
This method is sort of like the first- only slightly inverted-
Essentially we are going Fry the eggs like normal- adding a couple handfuls of prepped Kale on top of the eggs- and cover with a lid. So- get your pan HOT!!! with melted butter or coconut oil- and then crack in your egg(s) and after about a minute or two- add in your kale. If you want- now is the time to add your shredded cheese, if you are doing it that way. Cover with a lid- lower the heat- and let Cook until desired consistency of the eggs. Ideally- my recommendation is firm whites but the yolks would be slightly runny still- go for that peachy Yellow color- that shows you that they are cooked but still mushy. that is an incredibly point for this dish- the creamy yolk adds a decadent contrast of flavor to the kale. This is delicious and you will wonder why you have never eaten Kale & Eggs for breakfast before.

Enjoy!

Craving Salmon

Fresh Salmon + Sundried tomatoes + garlic + olive oil + herb de provence...

roasted in the oven at 350 degrees for 40 minutes-

I've made it three times in the last month and my sister-in-law wishes I would make this everyday for her. She can't get enough of this salmon.

I tried giving the recipe to my brother for him to make it- but somehow she said it did not taste the same...
so I guess you just have to invite me over to see if you like it just as much!!!!! #enchantedfeast 
www.facebook/enchantedfeast

All You Can Imagine- Ideas Galore Buffet

ideas... to get you cooking...

this post is intended to shake out the boring... and inspire NEW food adventures....
enjoy... reinvent... and create your own.

fried pancakes
make your favorite pancake batter...I used gluten free ready to make mix, added egg and water to make a delightful fluffy and dense batter. In a hot pan, I heat about a cup of vegetable oil until piping hot- drop small spoonfuls into the hot oil- and fry on both sides-
remove once they are golden (but they aren't done yet)- pour off the hot oil into a bowl- or use a new pan to finish cooking the pancakes. 
why do that? 
the fried pancake has a crispy crunchy outer texture and a cakey inner texture- a nice treat with coffee- can be eaten with your hands. Doesn't even need butter or syrup- like one of those zeppoli things you get at the county fair!

Deli Salad Container for Tossing Changing Coleslaws
take one of the giant deli containers when you are at your local grocery store- or buy something and save the container- its got a very wide mouth for serving and it is small enough to shake really well. layer in your ingredients: I did already shredded cabbage- already shredded carrot- and already diced onion- as well as sliced cucumber and other veggies. I poured in the vinegar and the salad dressing * I used an Avocado dressing bought from the store- and add my seasonings- like chopped cilantro or parley-
then close the lid and SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE-  
leave in the container for 30 minutes... to allow the flavors to intensify.
Serve. 
the best part is- that you always have a little bit of salad left over that is not enough for a serving- in the container- that becomes your starter for the next salad- just reload all your layers- and dressings and shake and its ready for your next meal.
You can change every time- to add new flavors. 
* try dried elements like cranberries or tried diced jalapeno if you like spicy...
In my opinion good coleslaw is lots of little pieces- plus a good vinegar and a good creamy dressing- together it makes a delicious refreshing crunchy salad.

RAW CACAO POWDER
cacao powder is said to have really great antioxidant content as well as other healthful benefits... but its so darn bitter- how in the world can you have a little bit each day?
add 1 tablespoon plus a nondairy creamer- to make a delicious cacao infused coffee-
pour the hot coffee over the cacao milk mixture and stir. 
unless you add the sweet- this will not be "chocolatey"- 
but the flavor of the cacao is really warm and soothing. not a sugar rush at all.



Cheater Deviled Eggs
everybody loves deviled eggs- but who has the time to make them every morning for breakfast...
never fear- I've got a hack that ends up with the same flavors of a deviled eggs with no prep- what you need is- 
EGGS- already boiled- (10 minutes+) depending on your preference
once you have the boiled egg- peel-
slice in half.

my trick is a mayonnaise Central Market sells called LEMONAISE- 
its cage free mayo with lemon juice and it is magical on everything from raw veggies to eggs! yes. indeed. 

lather the egg with a nice little dollop of lemonaise , layer with your favorite toppings...
like smoked salmon, sliced avocado, capers, salt & ground pepper-

and ENJOY...
bam! its not fancy shcmancy like a cocktail party egg- but its got all the flavory goodness-
and its super satisfying for breakfast. 

don't have lemonaise? no problem-
just use the juice of a half of a lemon- and about 4 Tablespoons of Mayonnaise-
in a small container (like a tupperware container so you can refrigerate the leftovers)-
just mix both ingredients. If you prefer- you can use LIME- its wonderful too.


off the top of my head ideas...

leftover turkey taco night  .... turn thanksgiving into leftover tacos. you can make a display of fun ingredients like crumbled bacon, sauteed peppers, diced onion, minced cilantro, sour cream, cranberry chipotle sauce* and more... 

Popsicles for christmas  ...take leftover cookies and brownies and hot cocoa from parties and put in a blender with your favorite yogurt or milk and PULSE- not blend- just pulse to chop it up like they do at the ice cream shop... then spoon the mixture into your popsicle containers- let freeze and then enjoy christmas after christmas...
for fun- you can add christmas themed sprinkles or red hot cinnamon candies- 
to do this- you would need to fold into the "ice cream" mixture- 
the best effect would be a blended swirly effect- so not too much blending- not too much folding. work delicately- so the kids will enjoy big chunky surprises in their popsicle. they'll love it!

old pizza bruschettas   sometimes there is leftover pizza and it gets thrown out- or it stays in the oven too long and nobody wants to eat the burnt pieces... but sometimes the pizza is essentially still "good" material- but just not what anybody wants to eat the next night- or the next week- because its old- or the kids have already picked off all the pepperoni ...
have you ever thought of pizza and a bread? if you were to use it as a base- as a "cracker" if you will- then you could make a bruschetta- 
now- I don't recommend the super sad degenerate slices that got black in the oven.
but take your extra slices and cut them into triangles- small bitesize uniform triangles.
If you are into cookie cutters- now would be a good time for a FUN cookie cutter...
like maybe the shape of TEXAS...

Next- dunk each piece in a bowl of water- if the pizza is very hard and very old- you may need to soak it longer to put water back into the bread-
line your shapes on a greased cookie sheet- be generous with the grease- it will make the shapes crispier on the bottom.

then prepare the salad that will bring it back to life:
dice some raw fresh tomato- and mix with fresh minced basil, balsamic vinegar- and raw red onion, and minced garlic. make a salad of fresh- super vibrant ingredients-and toss with olive oil. (if you have time- let this mixture sit for about 20 minutes to intensify the flavors)

layer this salad on top of you shapes...

and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes- 
test ONE to see if it is crunchy enough- and heated all the way through. 
You want a mixture of crunchy bottom and fresh vibrant top-

if you'd like- you can sprinkle with fresh shaved parmesan cheese- or grated parmesan as a garnish.
serve warm-

if you are interested in personalized cooking classes or more specific recipes - please email at elviasings@gmail.com

Heaven Help US!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjCs_gvImyw
a very gruesome video about people talking about the harvesting of fetal tissue for profit.

oh my dear Lord...

the other day I was doing research into how to help better in my profession through the nonprofit that I work for... La Via Sana is focused on whole health and mental health. I was doing research into chronic hunger and I was doing research into how malnutrition affects brain health and therefore mental health- even though the two aren't necessarily the same exact thing. Some people think brain health- as in the organ - is not related to mental health, since the emotions and thoughts aren't necessarily generated in the brain only. Some scientists think the MIND and the brain are the same thing and some believe the mind is not even IN the brain! Fascinating debate. 

But what I've come to the conclusion-- people need to EAT in order to FEED their brains... 

and we've been working on how to do that with our nonprofit. visit our website to learn more. 

 I learned that Texas is 5th in the country for hunger in children under the age of 5

with about 3,000 to 5,000 school age children being homeless. 

In other words, a lot of hunger.

And from what I researched- children who do not eat 3 meals a day or the equivalence of proper nutrition will have more risk for health problems, including mental health problems. My goal was to try and figure out how our nonprofit could supply food to children as a way to PREVENT mental health crisis. But the more I read the more unclear it became - HOW to actually do that in the best way.

And the reason was because some children have chronic stress- which is a bigger factor in health problems than even malnutrition. Except chronic stress might be from neglect, abuse, insecurity, poverty, violence, and more. These are harder to deal with than cooking someone a meal. 

These are not tangible issues that I know much about.

So, I decided to watch the CNN Presidential Debate from last night  

and that is where I heard about Planned Parenthood and the harvesting of fetal tissue-

I thought of myself as a Democrat for so long- not because I believe in everything they say- Not at all.

I guess I viewed myself as a bleeding-heart liberal/socialist... but in recent months, I have come to think of things differently. I still want peace and compassion and I still believe in my dear Savior Jesus as a healer but I know now that there is another side to things- a dark side- an ugly side. I guess I close my eyes- but it is there. and I watched these debates and I watched these Planned Parenthood videos and I felt numb. In one of the videos- the lady is just eating her salad and drinking her wine. . . which is why I share this on this blog. 

I am very interested in food and cooking and I want to make delicious food.

but there are bigger issues going on. and I can't stay silent.

Jesus is Lord. The bible is real and true. and God is not dead.

And blatant callous evil is appalling. Its not "legal" "modern" or just keeping with the times. NO. 

I have thought abortion was wrong since I was in high school. I always believed it was an actual human being inside the womb- even from conception. The bible says that God knows us from even before we are conceived and we are imprinted on HIS hands...

yes- we are. the wounds of JESUS from the cross- the two gaping holes where the nails were holding him in place- are exactly where he holds us! 

I wish there was a nice way to put this- I wish Grace was going to make everything new and shiny and save the world... and it will... somehow... but there is evil in our world. 

No amount of wine can silence that reality. No amount of cheese can erase the atrocities of humanity.....

I still like wine and cheese and all the niceties of fine dining and cooking-

but please, DEAR Lord- let us not become barbarians...

Let us remember the value of life.

I don't say that to depress anyone. but simply to say- if you are blessed to have a home, a car, and water to drink and food- please take a moment to thank God and to remember that Jesus Christ died for you.

If you are struggling for peace, please remember that Jesus Christ is the answer. 

choose wisely which path you will take... don't follow the money, don't follow the crowd...

just follow JESUS...

when you eat, invite Jesus to eat with you...

when you enjoy an exquisite champagne, remember Jesus has overcome the world....

when you see beautiful bounty in our markets and herbs and spices from around the world,

please be mindful of all the hard workers, the "illegal" immigrants, the peasants, the farmers, the poor people who slave to make that possible, please remember that they are also valuable people...

when you eat in a luxurious restaurant- don't be a pain in the neck-

yes- you are paying- but that doesn't give you the right to act like Donald Trump....

be humble, the chef works hard... the kitchen staff works hard... for very little pay!

Don't send your food back and complain about everything... just don't do it.

You are priviledged just to be there- just to have the choice of eating!

when you have the luxury of eating with friends and family...

remember there are many refugees and traveling children who do not have a home...

hug your children! enjoy their little faces. play with them- 

tell them they are beautiful!

Jesus says in Matthew 11:28

Come to ME all you who are burdened and I will give you REST.

Jesus is the one that gives us rest.

a beautiful meal is a way to rest with friends and family.

I pray you can enjoy this evening and remember the blessings of Jesus...

remember it is because of HIS self-sacrifice that we have anything at all.

Food is ART

food is fun...

 enjoy it...
relax...
enjoy it...

 Food is nourishment. Food is creative expression. Food is God's gift to us each and every day.

 My favorite Food ART is the comical stuff, simple, humorous, and still makes you want to eat it.

( I have not made any of these myself- these are images shared from the internet. If you have information regarding their ARTISTIC author, please supply the info as I would not like to take credit for someone else's work.)

I will however be trying to do my own experiments and I will post my images here.

Sugar is Just Sugar

Recently, I had the experience of watching Cupcake Wars with my niece who loves the show... her favorite is the critiques. She gets all excited about who is going to win and in all seriousness, all of the contestants are very professional and skilled at what they do. The fact that one person may make a mistake or create a "hideous" "flat" "flavorless" cupcake, according to Florian is probably just good TV drama and also based on the ridiculous ingredients they force them to use in a cupcake.  I mean, seriously, who wants to eat a salami cupcake??? That is just disgusting and wrong.

For the record, I'm extremely close minded in the sense that I think certain words in cooking have meaning. Not everything is a cupcake just because it is cooked in a muffin tin and wrapped in paper. To me a cupcake is SWEET... always sweet...it is a dessert. 

Other things that are in the shape of a muffin and are savory, would be some kind of a biscuit or maybe even a pie... not a cupcake.  Doing savory cupcakes makes me sick just to think about it. I know- I'm so old fashioned. But who asked me anyway? nobody...  

One day, when we were watching Cupcake Wars, with my family- it was the perfect opportunity to get into the kitchen and do our own creating. I looked up a basic vanilla cupcake recipe that was very easy using google. I know that cupcakes are flour, sugar, butter, eggs, and leavening. A recipe gave me the right proportions and we had everything we needed. And we got my dad's secret icing recipe which is impossible to improve upon and bound to secrecy. We wanted basic ...because we were going to have fun decorating.

We emptied the secret stashes of candy that they had tucked away in their rooms, or in the freezer for a special occasion, and we dumped it all out into little containers and using plates and knives- they began to create. It was pure joy. There really were no rules and I enjoyed seeing them take liberty with Sugar.

Sugar has gotten so villified in the media with more and more pressure being placed on people who eat the stuff and more and more horrible comparisons for people who make anything sweet. So there is that old saying that anything good is either ILLEGAL, IMMORAL, or FATTENING... but I really think that is the wrong approach to take with Sugar. Is it really wrong to love sugar? Is it wrong to have any emotional feelings about it at all? After all- it is just sugar. Not awesome. Not horrible. Just sugar.

I think it is more healthy to have a balance of LIKING it, Eating it, and then also knowing when you need other healthier options. Its not always a cupcake day- and too much of a good thing can make you sick....
but who wants to only eat salad, or only lettuce... that kind of restrictive perfectionism won't get us anywhere...

we need to have fun with our food-
and to be in control of our own appetites-
EAT it. Don't Eat it. Full. Hungry....
and .... hmmm...I prefer Spinach today...
we should aim for FREEDOM...

not some kind of puritanical goal.

Delightful Inspirations

Stuffed Portabello
Because it was over 100 degrees I did not want to grill outside!  So I devised a way to Smoke/Roast my Portabello inside using a sauce pan , some Bragg's Amino Acid, Bay Leaves, Garlic, and salt. I created a steaming bath- that infused the portabellos with these flavors and it worked really nicely. Then I placed the mushrooms with the liquid in the refrigerator in a sealed container to chill. 

I proceeded to make the stuffing using fresh Nature Sweet yellow and red grape tomatoes. I had just listened to interviews about this companies philosophy of treating their staff with utmost respect. They treat their staff as skilled workers and really build them into leadership roles. I wanted to buy these tomatoes because I love them and I love their philosophy. I sliced the tomatoes and in a bowl mixed...

fresh snipped basil leaves, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Pink Himalayan Salt, Fresh Ground pepper, Fresh Squeezed Lemon ... 

I also added chick peas to add more protein .

this mixture was placed in a sealed bowl and chilled in the refrigerator for about one hour. 

When we were ready for dinner, all I did was make the pasta- with olive oil, and assemble the stuffed portabello mushrooms. 

*Laying the mushroom on the plate and filling with the salad (I had already removed the stems- but don't throw them out- they are delicious- ) 

It made such a beautiful presentation.

In actuality, the portabello mushroom was firm and meaty in texture, salty and dense in flavor. It was really tasty. Offset by the fresh crunchy tomato and earthy basil. 

It was perfect for a hot summer day- and very filling.