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Fruity Kale Salad

Sweet juicy fruit layered over gently massaged kale, dressed with poppy-seed dressing, this Fruity Kale Salad is loaded with flavor and nutritious goodness.

I have a salad for you today. Yes I’m sharing another salad because I’ve been obsessed with salads this summer, they are so quick and easy to throw together. Salads are the “real” fast food.

To be completely honest when I go grocery shopping I can't stop myself from loading up my cart with the beautiful produce. My daughter is always fussing about not having a place in the fridge for everything. So I helped her out and made this magnificent Fruity Kale Salad.

In this salad I used kale because that’s what I had and it happens to be one of my favorites, but you can use whatever green happens to be your favorite. Since I had an abundance of fruit I decided to throw it on a bed of kale instead of making a smoothie like I normally do, just wasn't in a smoothie state of mind.

This salad has over 7 grams of protein, yes there is protein in fruits and veggies, and it will fill and nourish you. But if you want more protein simply add a protein rich grain like quinoa or wheat berries, you can also add a sprinkling of chia seeds. The Vegan Poppy-Seed Dressing I shared a few weeks ago is perfect on this salad or you can drizzle with agave nectar or honey.

If you make this recipe or a version of it, take a picture and share with me on Instagram, tag it #thewholeserving or leave a comment below. I’d love to see or hear about your version of this Fruity Kale Salad.

Peachy Strawberry Pizza

Celeste 36 Comments

Sweet strawberries, grilled peaches and burrata cheese make this Peachy Strawberry Pizza one you'll want to make over and over .

There have been lots of salad and pizza on my summer menu this year. I think one of the best ways to enjoy beautiful produce is the on a salad or pizza.

Some days I wake up knowing it's a pizza day and I can quickly mix the dough, allowing time for it to ride. But on the days when it's a last-minute decision, I'm glad I can purchase pizza dough from my local pizza shop or buy it from the grocery.

Today I'm sharing a pizza that is fast becoming one of my favorites, but I eat it sparingly because of the cholesterol, this isn't your traditional cheese pizza. This pizza is filled with juicy fruit and soft, creamy, melty cheese.

For all you grillers you can totally make this pizza on your grill. Check out The Kitchn for some great pizza grilling tips.

Something magical happens when sweet strawberries and juicy peaches are paired with creamy goat and burrata cheese. A sprinkling of basil and drizzle of Blueberry Balsamic Glaze takes it to the next level on the delicious scale.

If peaches and strawberries aren't your thing, you can easily switch them out for the fruit of your choice.

Peachy Strawberry Pizza

Print Recipe

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5 from 4 reviews

Author: Celeste
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 35 mins
Category: Easy Dinner, Vegetarian
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 bag of 16 oz. ready to rise and bake pizza dough or homemade dough
2 teaspoons olive oil
⅓ cup plain goat cheese
3 ripe peaches, sliced
2 cups sliced strawberries
8 oz Burrata cheese
2 tablespoons sliced basil
Blueberry Balsamic Glaze

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare pizza stone or grease a large baking sheet with olive oil if not using a pizza stone.
Place dough on a lightly floured surface and roll to a thin layer, about 10 to 12 inch circle.
Transfer dough to pizza stone or prepared pan and brush with the olive oil.
Bake until dough starts to brown, just slightly. While dough is baking grill the sliced peaches on a stove-top or outdoor grill.
When dough has cooled a bit spread with goat cheese, add the grilled peaches, sliced strawberries. Slice the burrata and place on pizza, bake until cheese has melted, about 15 minutes.
Sprinkle on the basil and drizzle with Blueberry Balsamic Glaze, slice and enjoy.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice
Calories: 333
Sugar: 7
Sodium: 566.8
Fat: 14.5
Saturated Fat: 7.2
Carbohydrates: 37
Fiber: 3.1
Protein: 14
Cholesterol: 32.4

Hemp Seed Herb Dressing

Celeste 39 Comments

Smooth and creamy nut-free, dairy-free and oil-free Hemp Seed Herb Dressing! Perfect for salads, sandwiches,vegetables raw or roasted, use it on just about everything.

I really can't remember the last time I purchased a salad dressing. Quite frankly it's so much easier and healthier to make it a home.

Most vegan salad dressing are made with cashews but I needed one that was nut-free because I have a friend with nut allergies and she came over one day for lunch to enjoy a beautiful salad out on my patio.

The solution to my problem was hemp seed. I can't believe I don't use it more for making dressings. I actually like the consistency of the hemp seed over the cashews. Not only did I not use nuts, I didn't add any oil. Hemp contains the good fats and the essential fatty acids in hemp are needed in our diets to help provide energy to our bodies. Hemp seed oil is sometimes called "Nature's most perfectly balanced oil", because of its balanced 3:1 ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 essential fatty acids, which is thought to be optimum for long-term health. Visit Dr. Axe Food is Medicine for more info on the benefits of hemp seeds.

Hemp seed not only is a provider of good fats, it also provides antioxidants and chlorophyll. In this recipe it provides a delicious, tasty way to enjoy salads, veggies, sandwiches or just about anything you want to use it on.

Sofritas Bowl-Vegan or Vegetarian

Celeste 23 Comments

Chipotle peppers, roasted poblanos, aromatic spices, this delicious Sofritas Bowl will please vegans, vegetarians and even the carnivores. It's that good.

I have a question for you today.

Are you a tofu eater? It's ok if the answer is no. My answer used to be no until I learned how to use tofu.

Tofu has been around for a long time, quite possible as far back as 950 AD, can you believe that? Tofu hit the American grocery stores in the late 1950’s. There are many kinds of tofu and choosing the right one makes all the difference in how well your dish turns out and if you will actually want to eat it.

Most tofu is sold in block form in your grocery.

Soft Tofu has a high water content and is best used in recipes like smoothies, desserts, puddings, sauces or dips.
Medium Tofu is a it rougher and denser in texture than soft but still delicate. It's best used in recipes like soups.
Firm tofu is just that, a bit firmer than medium and is a good choice in simmered dishes and scrambles.
Extra Firm Tofu holds its shape and is good for pan-frying, stir-frying and deep frying. You can also bake or grill and crumble to use like as ground meat substitute.
Super Firm Tofu is super dense and has the least amount of moisture, best used for grilling, however, will dry out if cooked too long or at too high a heat.
Silken Tofu has the highest water content and had a smooth, silky, custard feel. It has three different textures, soft, firm and extra firm. Silken is the best in desserts, smoothies or any recipe where a smooth finish is desired.

The first time I used tofu I was unaware of the many kinds and I used a soft tofu for a scramble and it was a big, sloppy, soggy mess. The whole thing went into the trash and it was years before I gave it a second try. When I did I was much wiser so I picked the right texture. Extra firm was used for this recipe.

I'm not a big tofu eater, I generally eat it 2 maybe 3 times a month, however, it has been a couple of months since I've used it in a recipe. I had a craving for a Chipotle Sofritas Bowl but when I walked into Chipotle the line was just too long for me to wait, it seems it is always busy when I go there. Trader Joe’s is in the same shopping center so I decided to go there get what I needed and just make it at home.

It was awesome, my daughter Taylor who never ever wants to try my tofu dishes and who thinks Chipotle is overrated, loved it, she went back for seconds.

I always get my bowls with brown rice at Chipotle so it was brown rice for the at home version. Because the brown rice takes the longest to cook, I prepared it first, it can also be prepared a day ahead. My brown rice was seasoned with lime juice and cilantro, yumo!

I pressed the tofu 15 to 20 minutes before cooking to remove as much water as I could, making it a bit firmer. While the tofu is being pressed I cook the corn, chop the tomatoes, cilantro and make the guac.

This was so delicious. I ate the vegan version and Taylor had the vegetarian version sprinkled with some crumbled queso fresco. The leftovers the next day were just as good if not better. If you are more of a burrito eater, simply wrap all of this goodness into a tortilla and have yourself a big fat delicious burrito or taco.

Easy Vegan Waffles

Celeste 21 Comments

Egg-less and oil-free these Easy Vegan Waffles are soft and tender inside and crispy outside. So easy, no need to wait for the weekend to enjoy!

This recipe is so simple and delicious, yet getting it right has been so complex because baking is truly a science.

What I was aiming for was a vegan waffle that didn't use flax seed and wasn't supper hard or flat. After many, many tries I finally got it. One of the biggest problem was the metallic taste from the baking soda. After a number of combinations, I finally found one that did the trick. A combo of baking soda, aluminum-free baking powder and a small amount of cream of tartar. When using baking soda you don't want to use too much and sometimes adding an acid is needed to get rid of the metallic taste, so I decided to use cream of tartar.

I made them with all-purpose flour, bread flour and gluten-free flour. The fluffiest were the ones made with bread flour, because it has more gluten protein. For those of you who need a gluten-free recipe, adding a small amount of oil (about 1 tablespoon) in addition to the apple sauce helps keep the waffles moist.

If you're one who thinks you can only have waffles on the weekends, you can make these in no time during the week. I would suggest mixing the dry ingredients in your bowl the night before. In the morning just mix in the wet and you'll have waffles in no time. Serve your waffles with syrup or jam like this No-Cook Strawberry Mint Chia Jam.

Pink Moscato Limoncello Spritzer

Celeste 25 Comments

Clean, crisp and refreshing, this Pink Moscato Limoncello Spritzer is perfect for hot summer evenings relaxing with friends.

I'm definitely not your go-to person at gatherings for making cocktails, but I must say, I nailed it with this one. This drink is fruity, not too sweet, and vibrant with a touch of lemon citrus.

I had some leftover pink and red moscato wine from my get-together with my girlfriends and after finding some pink lemons, yes, pink lemons at Trader Joe’s, I came up with this pretty little drink.

I had never seen a pink lemons before, never knew there was such a thing. Pink lemonade is made by using cranberries, raspberries or strawberries for the pink color.

After returning home from my grocery trip I had to research this strange on the outside, and beautiful on the inside fruit.

Here’s what I found. This variety of lemons were first discovered in California in 1930.

Pink lemons are variegated with yellow and green stripes and comes from the Eureka tree. Lycopene the same antioxidant that gives pink grapefruits their ruby color, also gives pink lemons their color. When the green fades the fruit is ripe, and it only gets pinker the more they ripen. Pink lemons have a fruity, floral flavor making them perfect for desserts and drinks. I’ve been rocking them in my water. To read more about this delightful fruit, check out Specialty Produce.

This is a simple uncomplicated drink, the best kind I my opinion. I had some limoncello that I hardly ever use, this was my chance to use it.

There are two ways to prepare this lovely drink. The first way is to simply mix wine, limoncello, lemon juice together and finish with sparking water or club soda to taste and garnish with lemon slice and mint leaves.

The second way is to muddle the lemon and mint first, for those mint lovers, add wine and limoncello, pour into glass and top off with sparking water or club soda.

Be prepared to enjoy this crisp refreshing drink and when it's gone you’ll want more, but please, please drink responsibly.