This week, I’ve been trying to detox a bit. Following my amazingly decadent week of eating (mediterranean burgers, homemade brioche buns, brioche french toast with marscapone cream) I decided it was time to put the butter away for a bit–even now, as I write maarscapoooone creaaam I feel almost sad that I’ve closed the baking pantry.  I’ve committed, at least until Saturday, to eat like a rabbit.

Saturday, you say? Is he really that much of a secret fat boy that he can’t handle limiting his diet for a week?  Yes.

Anyhow, this Saturday is the cut off, because I have reservations with my friend Max to go to Prune, Chef Gabrielle Hamilton’s restaurant in New York, and I fully intend on perusing the menu with an open mind…and expandable stomach.   The outing is an occasion because Prune is also the fourth cookbook in my cookbook challenge of 2015. For this blog, I have adapted some of her delicious recipes and left a trail of easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions for meals like Chilean Sea Bass in Saffron Broth and the Lamb and Goat Cheese/Leek Manti in Beef Broth with Cayenne Butter (soon to be on the blog).

In addition to the cookbook, I have also been reading Hamilton’s biographical book, Blood, Bones, and Butter, in which she describes herself as basically a lazy smoking toddler with a French mom who magically meets a partner, in what seems like days after moving to New York City, with whom she launches the well-received Prune.  So, on Saturday at 9:30 I will be eating with Max, craning my neck looking for Gabrielle, and hoping that some magic culinary elf emerges from under my table and blesses my blog. Move over Martha.

Until then, I’ll be drinking some green smoothies for breakfast and munching on Kale salad with figs, pomegranate seeds, and halloumi cheese for lunch.  Vegetables too can be delicious… just not as delicious as cake;)

The Great Green Smoothie & Kale and Fig Salad w/ Halloumi

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

A delicious and filling breakfast smoothie packed with vitamins to start the day. A light and healthy salad for lunch or dinner

Author: TheGrumpyGourmand

Recipe type: Healthy Eats

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• THE GREAT GREEN SMOOTHIE
• 2 Kale leaves
• 1 kiwi
• 1 banana
• ¼ cup pear juice
• ½ lemon (juice)
• KALE SALAD
• 1 Bunch of Kale
• 3 tbsp Olive oil
• 12 Figs (dried)
• 4 tbsps Pomegranate Seeds
• Halloumi or Bread Cheese
• 3 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

Instructions

1. The Great Green Smoothie
2. Pour the pear juice into a blender and cover with Kale
3. Pulse quickly and repeatedly until fully blended together.
4. Add the whole kiwi, banana, and juice of ½ lemon to the mixture one at a time blending thoroughly after each new ingredient is added.
5. Pour into a glass and ejoy!
6. Rinse off the Kale leaves and pat dry.
7. Separate the stems of the Kale from the foliage, discarding the stems and tearing the foliage into bite sized pieces. Place the kale foliage into a platic container or mixing bowl.
8. Pour the olive oil over the Kale leaves and massage the oil into the leaves very well. Leave the Kale to sit in the refirgerator for a few hours--and up to one day.
9. Slice the cheese into bite sized pieces and the figs, discarding the stems.
10. Add the cheese and the figs to the kale.
11. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over the salad and toss to lightly dress the salad.
12. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds over top and serve.

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