I hope everybody had a great holiday season! By now, hopefully, you have gotten rid of all the yummie's that trickle in with all the festivities! I don't know about you, but I start to feel better, mentally and physically, when I finally get rid of the last of my goodies. Whether I have to throw it because it is so stale, or if I finally eat the last of the German & Finnish chocolates (thanks exchange students!) for the Christmas season, it is out of my house! I then start thinking how to "detox" my body from added sugar and white processed flour! And I do have to say, when I finally get most of it out of my system, I start to feel better. I start to want to eat healthier, more nutritious foods.
So, to help you get your palate refocused to foods you should be eating, I have copied a couple recipes for you from my new favorite cook book, Placer County, Real Food, from farmers markets, by Joanne Neft with Laura Kenny. It focuses on using fruits and vegetable's that are locally and readily available in the region you live. Since it is winter here in Lake County, root vegetable's are about the only thing that are locally available still.
Sauteed Rutabaga and Baby Carrots
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter (not margarine!)
4 pounds rutabaga, peeled and cut into wedges (about 4 cups)
3 pounds carrots, peeled and halved lengthwise (about 4 cups)
salt and pep to taste
Heat oil and butter in a large skillet. Saute vegetables until slightly tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
** You can always add some brussel sprouts (my favorite!!) to this dish. I put all the veggies into the oil/butter and sauteed them for a bit to brown them up. Then I put them in a baking dish and stick them in the oven at about 400 F. until they are tender, too and it works great!! It really brings out the natural sugars in the vegetables by doing this.**
Spinach and Apple Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette
Preheat oven to 350 F.
2 bunches spinach, cleaned and torn into pieces
1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced (you can omit if you don't care for fennel)
2 apples, thinly sliced
1/4 cup pecans, almonds, or walnuts
Mustard vinaigrette
1/4 cup whole grain mustard
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon shallots, minced
Salt and Pepper to taste
Toast nuts until slightly browned. Toss salad ingredients together. Mix together vinaigrette well and just before serving, toss the salad and vinaigrette together.
