Celery Based Salad

This salad complimented our pork tenders and Portabella Mushrooms we grilled on the Green Egg.  We also had roasted potatoes.  I pretty much made this up with ingredients I had. It actually turned out great and would have tasted even better with roasted pine nuts. Next time. In the summer a nice compliment would be strawberries or watermelon. Look forward to it. Here is how to create this deliciously fresh tasting salad.
Wash, string and cut celery into rather large pieces. I like to use the inner pieces of the stalk to get the lighter colored stalks. I turn the stalk over where the V shape is pointing down toward the cutting board. Cut in downward angle motion starting at bottom working your way up the stalk.
Wash and cut circles no need to core, two apples cold. Leaving the star centers in tact. It's ok to eat the seeds. They're actually good or you. Cut other slices(not the star centered ones) in two. Cut up grape tomatoes and seeded red peppers. Add walnuts preferably whole. And pine nuts, preferably roasted. Sprinkle sparingly, Balsamic Vineger on top, toss and add Murrey River mineral salt. If you have your own mix or my lovely mix of Herbs de Provence sprinkle them too. Really tasty and really lite. Fresh.

Salt Pork, Collard Greens and Onion

There is something to be said for the flavor salt pork brings to a dish.

Cutting off little pieces and placing in an iron skillet really brings out the best flavor of the fat and meat.  Let it cook all the way.

Then add your onion and Himalayan pink mineral salt.  Let that meld together sweating out the flavors of both pork and onion.

First take out thick stem from middle of greens.  Then chiffonade the collard greens into strips. Once onions are starting to caramelize place greens on top and just let them sit there a few minutes  to steam.

 Then mix well with onion mixture.  Serve and eat.....Delicious.  You can eat the pork or you can discard it. Depending on your taste and diet allowances.  A wonderful way to eat this winter green.  Enjoy!

The Very Very Last of the Leftovers: Lentil Ham Soup

You know how you buy that bag of Lentils, Black and Navy beans raw thinking you will soak them overnight and make a delicious soup.  Then the bag ends us getting lost in the pantry til Christmas where it resurfaces just in time for leftovers.
This really is about cleaning out the pantry and fridge using every possible thing in the soup.  We were blessed with a Honey Baked Ham this year so after we devoured the ham at New Years for a party, then with sandwiches after that to save the bone for "The Soup".
I followed the directions of the beans on the package and began the process.  I put the ham bone with leftover meat in the boiling water once I got to that step to add flavor and yes "fat".
Then I decided to put as much in it as I could.  I put all organic onion, zucchini, herbs, salt, pepper, fresh spinach, and carrot peels sliced thin and chopped cabbage.  It doesn't sound like a lot but it was a three step process so the savoring became inevitable.
The soup as it bubbled and spewed into a velvety thickness that rivaled stew the flavors began to gel together and form a very hearty and tasty delightfully filling soup.  I literally have eaten now for four meals.  Paired with my cornbread recipe from Friday, November 12, 2010 you have a salty sweet thang going on!
Enjoy.
1package lentil beans rinsed and soaked, drained and boiled
1Honey Baked Ham bone with meat
2 onion
2 big bunches of spinach
2 zucchini
1/2 cabbage head chopped
4 large carrots peeled slices into flat thin slices.
Then cut remainder of carrot and put into soup
Use Murry River Finishing Salt from Aussie and the Savory Spice Shop in Austin.
Let Ham bone cook at least 1 hour in lentil water then remove and let cool while adding other vegetables and let cook.  Other vegetables can be added whatever you like
Then pick meat off bone and discard bone
Let soup cook another 30 minutes or so.  Better the next day and the next....great to freeze too.
Looks especially nice in my Paula Deen Stock Pot....