Greek Halva Cake with Pomegranate Arils

A {Late} Merry Christmas to all!  I recreated Yiayia's halva cake that our family has loved & enjoyed over many years.  She doesn't make it any longer;  it was time for someone else to take over.  Although it is undoubtedly a festive, hearty dessert, you can make this any time of year!  My only wish is that we would have remembered to take a picture of this beauty plated on Christmas Day in all of its glory with decorative ferns on a bay and holly plate!

All of the ingredients of this super-simple cake might already be in your pantry! It's also no-bake; cream of wheat is cooked with sweetened milk on the stove and pressed into a mold.  Traditionally, it calls for toasted almonds, pine nuts, and sometimes citrus zest, but I've added gorgeous red pomegranate seeds for Christmas. Enjoy!  

Festive Christmas Halva Cake

2 c. organic cane sugar
3 c. organic whole milk
1 stick organic butter
14 oz. farina/Cream of Wheat (small box or 1/2 larger sized box)
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 c pomegranate arils (you can sub almond slivers, toasted pine nuts, etc.)

In a saucepan melt butter over low heat, add farina and lightly toast for about 20-30 minutes, stirring {very} frequently until just golden brown.  Keep an eye on it and do not allow to darken or burn!

In another saucepan, combine sugar, milk, cinnamon & vanilla. Heat to medium until sugar dissolves or about 10 minutes. Don't boil.

Slowly add the sweetened milk to the toasted farina and cook a few minutes until mixture is very thick and holds its shape. 

Spread pomegranate into bottom of a lightly greased metal or bpa free plastic mold (think small bundt cake). Scoop the farina mixture on the bottom of the pomegranate seeds,  pressing down to pack firmly.

Allow to cool. We always chilled ours in the refrigerator and served cold.  When ready to serve, turn the mold onto a serving plate and tap until it unmolds. Cut into 1 inch serving pieces. 

Asian-Inspired Massaged Kale + Carrot Super-Food Salad

Ever heard anyone asking to take home leftover...healthy salad??  This one was so delicious, attendees of Dr. Matt's grand opening were spooning it into plastic drinking cups to take home the leftovers.  The sesame & citrus flavors are bright & exciting, and the fact that the kale is massaged takes a lot of the "rawness" out of eating raw kale.  I especially love Eden Foods  Organic Sesame Gomasio sprinkles as part of the dressing to tie everything together and add even more nutrition (seaweed & sesame).  This salad is loaded with healthy fats (olive oil, sesame & avocado), rich in iron, magnesium, calcium, vitamin c, k, antioxidants, carotenoids and fiber. The texture is great as is, but some sunflower seeds or peanuts would add a great extra crunch!  


...and it's vegan/dairy/gluten free ;) !

Asian-Inspired Massaged Kale & Carrot Super-Food Salad

Salad:
1 large head of curly red or green kale, washed, thick stems removed and torn or chopped into bite sized pieces
2 large carrots, shredded (approx. 3/4 - 1 c)
1 avocado, diced
Salt
Olive oil

Dressing:
2 cloves garlic, chopped coarsely
1 tbsp local honey
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar OR rice wine vinegar
1/4 c olive oil
1/2 lemon (juiced)
1 tsp sea salt
Red pepper flakes to taste
1.5-2 tbsp Eden Organic Sesame Gomasio (see link)

Directions: 
Combine all dressing ingredients and blend with an immersion blender or in a food processor. 

Prep kale and place into large mixing bowl. Pour a bit of olive oil and sea salt onto it. Give it a good massage with your fingers for 1-3 minutes (depends on how thick/coarse the kale was to begin with), until it softens and loses about 1/3 of the volume. Add carrots. Toss with dressing. Fold in avocado right before serving! 

This salad is best served 1-4 hours after prepping to allow all the flavors to meld.

Kale & Grapefruit?

Ahhh, greens.  Necessary for a balanced diet, yet often neglected!  Every time I shop, I pick a few bunches of various greens, usually going for whatever looks the best or is on sale.  The other day, Kale was 2 bunches for $3 at Whole Foods and I gladly picked some up.  Kale is a mild, hearty green and is part of the cruciferous family (broccoli, cauliflower, etc.)  It's super rich in calcium, magnesium and a great source of antioxidants.  Kale is pretty versatile, working well in soups and salads or by itself.  Here is a colorful salad that I threw together the other night.  It would be perfect as a side dish for chicken, fish, lamb. I served it with homemade falafel...

Kale & Grapefruit Salad (serves 2)

1/2 c carrots, chopped into circles

1/2 grapefruit, cut into half-sections

1 bunch fresh kale, washed and cut into bite sized pieces

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg's  - http://www.bragg.com/)

1 tbsp honey 

1/2 habanero pepper, finely diced 

Salt & Pepper  

Steam your kale for a few minutes, just until soft.  Whisk dressing together.  Toss kale with fruit and drizzle with dressing.  Super energizing, bold and delicious!

200 calories

8 g fat

5 g protein

32 g carbohydrates

Falafel (Serves 2)

1 lb chickpeas (soaked overnight) or 1 can chickpeas (drained)

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

Hot pepper flakes

½ habenero pepper

Handful chopped parsley

1 egg

1 handful (give or take) of breadcrumbs 

Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients (minus the breadcrumbs) in a food processor and blend until combined (don't over-do it!). In a large bowl, combine the mixture with bread crumbs, adding just a bit at a time until you're able to form into balls. Form the falafel into 8 balls and flatten slightly.  Heat a frying pan with a bit of vegetable oil on medium-high heat.  Pan sear on both sides until golden brown. Bake on a glass or metal pan for 15 minutes to finish. I served with pickled turnips and a bit of Greek yogurt. YUM!

Per falafel:

108 calories

4 g fat

14 g carbohydrates

3 protein