A Warm Salad for Dinner

This was lovely -- it was loosely based upon one of Dr. Wahls' recipes (Bacon Salad).  Since my husband is not fond of bacon, and I had some organic chicken thighs to use, I subbed these chicken pieces for the bacon.  They were  quickly seared at high heat, with salt and pepper.  The kale was first rubbed with oil and lemon, then topped with sauteed brussels sprouts, carrots and chick peas, and the hot chicken finished it, along with a scant drizzle of balsamic vinegar glaze.  This was a hit!

Holy Mackerel!

I know -- more fish!  But this mackerel was soooo delicious!  Firmer than sardines, mild and buttery in flavor, these Portuguese tinned filets from Vital Choice are a revelation.  They were amazing on this bed of greens and raw vegetables with kalamata olives and capers.

Farro Salad

I can't get enough of this amazing salad.  I want to eat it at every meal.

I cooked farro until it was tender but still chewy, then poured it over the juice and zest of a lemon with finely chopped raw onion.  The heat of the grains slightly mellowed the onions and the flavors sank right into the farro.  Next, I stirred in chopped raw asparagus, canned artichoke hearts, raw dill, raw mint, salt, pepper and plenty of olive oil.  Obviously, you can customize the ingredients to suit your tastes.  I only used about 1/4 of onion.  Definitely don't skip the lemon, which is perfect with these flavors and textures.

Farro, the so-called "grandfather" of wheat, is not gluten-free, but this ancient grain seems to be more digestible than modern, genetically modified forms of wheat.  Personally, I'm able to tolerate farro without any of the digestive upset and skin issues that I sometimes get with gluten.  If you can tolerate a little bit of gluten, give this salad a try. 

Nicoiserie

This beautiful salad I ate for lunch today was only reminiscent of the nicoise salads I enjoyed in days of yore. Here, grilled vegetables from last night's dinner stand in for the roasted potatoes found in a traditional nicoise salad. The piquant capers effectively transported my tastebuds to the rooftop restaurant in Athens, Greece, where I first learned to love this culinary genre. This was a delicious, empty-starch-free lunch.

My first impulse was to title this post "Nicoisish" but then the second syllable unlocked a random and almost forgotten memory of having studied an element of Neoclassical Decorative Arts called "Chinoiserie". My mind is all over the place today, but it's rather exciting. I am so surprised at what is coming forth. Most of these emerging memories had been faded, forgotten and potentially lost. Could it be that the Wahls' Protocol is beginning to work? I love thinking, and remembering. I've had a lovely life thus far and it'd be a shame not to know about it.

Along with a few of my fellow Art History Major compadres at my alma mater, William and Mary, I was fortunate enough to take a wonderful Decorative Arts class within the Dewitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum in Williamsburg, Virginia, across the street from the College and historic Duke of Gloucester Street. "Chinoiserie" was one representation of European Neoclassical Decorative Arts toward the end of the 18th century. It is simply the Eastern influence in European designs in furniture, textiles and other decorative items created during that time. It was one of my favorite classes.  It was amazing to be able to study the actual items instead of slides in a sleepy, dark auditorium. How I'd love to do it all again -- even the dark auditorium part!

Fun fact: The historic building which houses the Dewitt Wallace Museum was formerly a sanitarium (modern euphemism for what used to be called an "insane asylum"). A former neighbor of my mother's was in residence there in her later years. The neighbor used to babysit my mom and her younger sister, and had always made mom uneasy. Currently there is a history museum to commemorate the building's former incarnation on the upper level of the building. True story.

Egg and Avocado Salad

This was so easy. Avocados and eggs say breakfast to me, so I had this in the morning. I used two boiled eggs and one avocado, and I didn't really cut them, I just "chunked them up" with a spoon. I added a little olive oil and veganaise, a handful of spinach and a big sprinkle of chipotle powder for good measure. It was divine.