Kale and Pear Smoothie with Herbs

Hello dear partner, and love of my life.

I am sorry.  I am sorry that while you were out running errands I did nothing that I said that I would do.  I did not clean the kitchen.  I did not prepare your dinner.  I also forgot about the laundry.  My sincerest apologies.

Instead I accomplished many, many important, but totally non-important things, such as:

1. I updated our Netflix queue.  I put all of my most favorite romantic comedies (i.e. your least favorite movies ever) at the top.  They will be here on Friday.
2. I rated 46 movies on Netflix so that it would provide the best suggestions for us whenever we log in. Of course, since I rated them, I gave 5 stars to movies that I love, like Eat Pray Love, 13 Going on 30, Julie and Julia, and My Best Friend's Wedding.  I am sorry that Netflix will now recommend items like Sweet November and Something Borrowed, instead of movies that you like.  I am also sorry that I will most likely add these new recommendations to the top of the queue and delay your movies even longer.
3. I was really dehydrated from all of that Netflix work so I drank some water.  I found that I still felt a bit dehydrated so I made some fresh juice.  I left all of the pulp sitting out on the counter and now the kitchen is attracting fruit flies.  Whoops. 
4. I spent exactly 12 minutes petting a cat.  I know this because that is how much time was left on the timer that was supposed to remind me to grab the laundy from the dryer.  Instead, I turned off the timer and continued to pet the cat.
5. I went on Etsy and found an awesome merchant that sells adorable puppy blazers and fancy white collars for cats.  It looks like this cat is wearing a suit!  So cute.  I know that you hate the idea of dressing pets in clothes so I am hesitant to tell you that I ordered two for the cat's Christmas gifts. Don't hate me. 
6. I also read a bunch of articles about superfoods aiding in cancer prevention that were mentioned on Twitter.  Even though I am certain that you don't want to hear about this, I plan to tell you about all of it when you return home.  Get ready. 
7. I oiled the wooden cutting board.  It's pretty now.  So pretty that I would like you to refrain from using it.  It is now reserved for blog photos only.  Thanks.

But after all that, I made you this smoothie.  I filled it with nutritious and tasty things like ripe pears, fresh kale, and zesty parsley.  You're gonna like it.  Promise.

P.S. I love you. :)

I've been experimenting with different herbs in my smoothies recently and I really love the sweet pear and parsley combination in this one.  (If you are new to green smoothies, check out some of my other recipes: Green Smoothie 101, Green Smoothie 2.0, and Kale Smoothie for Kids.)  Nondairy milk or fresh juice can also be substituted for the water if you want to add a bit more flavor or sweetness.  This is my favorite breakfast smoothie at the moment and the addition of flax seeds, protein powder (I use Omega pumpkin seed protein powder), and avocado make it more filling as well as delicious.

Kale and Pear Smoothie with Herbs
Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups water

2 cups greens (I used kale)
1/4 cup herbs (parsley and cilantro both work great)

2 ripe pears, cored
1 frozen banana (remove the peel, cut into 1-inch slices, and freeze in a plastic bag overnight)
1 cup ice
1 Tablespoon flax seeds (optional)
Protein powder (optional)
1/4 avocado (optional)

Instructions:
Blend water, greens, and herbs for 15 seconds - 1 minute (depending on your blender) on high. Then add the pear, banana, ice, flax seeds (if using), protein powder (if using), and avocado (if using) and blend for an additional 30 seconds - 1 minute. 

Spinach and Kale Salad with Pear Vinaigrette

Here's a little writing tip for you... If you should ever find yourself racking your brain for writing topics and coming up short, write about cats.  Everyone has an opinion on cats.  Hopefully your readers' opinions are favorable, but even if they are not maybe they'll stick around long enough to tell you that your cats look creepy.  It's okay... 'cause mine totally do.

This week we had a new addition to the family, and like any good mother, I have to share photos and brag.  If you've been hanging around this blog for awhile you've probably met Bilbo by now.  Frodo is the new little brother.  10 pounds, 5 ounces, and energetic as heck.  Try and stop that guy from climbing your curtains.  Just try.  

And just to set the record straight: neither of their names were my idea.  But once the vet starts referring to you as the "Lord of The Rings Mom," you just kinda have to go with it.  If Lord of The Rings is not the natural transition to talking about spinach and kale salad with pear vinaigrette then I don't know what is.

This is the perfect salad for fall because it's hearty and goes well with the warm, comforting dishes that we love this time of year.  The pear dressing adds a nice bit of sweetness that livens up the kale and spinach.  You can use red kale like I did for color contrast, but any type of kale will do.  I liked adding pecans, dried cranberries, lemon zest, and white pepper for extra flavor, but you can easily leave these items out or add in your favorites.  

Pear Vinaigrette

Makes 1/2 cup

1/2 pear, diced

1 Tablespoon water

1 Tablespoon sherry vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Add pear, water, and sherry vinegar to food processor.  Add olive oil in a thin stream with the blade running.  Process until smooth, scraping down the sides and re-processing as necessary.

Spinach and Kale Salad

Serves 4

4 large kale leaves, destemmed, and chopped

4 cups spinach leaves, chopped

1/2 pear, sliced

1/3 cup pecans, optional

1/4 cup (fresh or dried) cranberries, optional

zest from 1 lemon, optional

ground white pepper, optional

Add dressing to kale in large bowl.  Massage dressing onto kale with your hands, thoroughly rubbing the leaves.  (This will help to break down the kale and make it less tough.) Toss with the spinach.  Divide the salad among four plates and top with pears, pecans, cranberries, lemon zest, and white pepper if desired. 

Braised Pears with Qunioa and Butternut Squash

A couple of weeks ago the nonprofit that I work for held a fundraiser to raise money for our grants towards economic justice for women and girls.  Our guest speaker was a distinguished author who has done a lot of work with other women's funds.  At the end of her speech, she was talking about why it is so important for everyone to be donating their time, money, and efforts towards social justice.  I believe her words were along the lines of "because no one else is going to do it... There is not going to be anyone to come in and do the job for us."  For the past two weeks, these words have been ringing in my ears.

No one else is going to do it.  No one else is going to come and solve all of the economic, social, racial, etc. etc. injustice there is in our community.  It is up to us.  No one else is going to speak up when others are being exploited.  It is up to us.  I don't know how that makes you feel, but it makes me feel like I'm not doing enough right now.

The life coach in me immediately turned those words inward and made me want to push myself harder.  No one else is going to tell me that I could be doing more in my life-- whether that's donating more, volunteering more, or being a more present community member.  No one else is going to come challenge me and tell me that they know I could be giving 110%.  It's up to me. It's up to us.  I'm not quite sure where I'm going to be taking this newfound passion and energy, but I know that I will be doing more. 

Until then, braised pears and quinoa will have to do. I love the contrast of red quinoa against the squash so I highly recommend it.  Red qunioa also has a different texture and slightly nuttier taste that is a great balance for the sweetness of the pears.  If you're in a time crunch, you could easily leave out the butternut squash or serve the pears over plain quinoa.  But, if possible, I think you should make the extra effort.  Giving more is important when it comes to cooking too.

Serves 4.

Ingredients for quinoa and squash:
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups broth (or water)
1/4 cup golden raisins
handful of slivered almonds
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1 butternut squash - peeled, seeded, and diced
2 Tbsp olive oil 

Ingredients for braised pears:  
2 Tbsp Earth Balance
4 Tbsp agave nectar 
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger root
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
4 firm but ripe Bosc pears, peeled, halved lengthwise and cored
2 Tbs unseasoned rice vinegar

Butternut squash:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Combine squash and two tablespoons of olive oil in a large bowl and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and scatter evenly on a baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes, turning 2-3 times with a spatula.

Quinoa:
Rinse your quinoa; then drain, transfer to a pot and add the broth.  Add the cumin, diced onion, and salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil and cover with a tight-fitting lid, then turn the heat down to a simmer.  Cook for about 15 minutes and remove quinoa from heat.  Allow to sit five minutes with the lid on then fluff the quinoa gently with a fork.  Mix the raisins and almonds in just before serving.

Braised pears:
Melt Earth Balance in a pan and saute over medium heat.  Add soy sauce, ginger, agave, and cayenne pepper. Stir well until ingredients are combined then reduce heat to medium-low.  Add pears, cut side down.  Simmer 8-10 minutes, basting frequently until tender.  Transfer pears to a serving dish, leaving the liquid in the pan.  Bring liquid to a slow boil and add vinegar.  Simmer until thick and syrupy, about 3 minutes.  This is what you will pour over your final dish.

Preparation:
Mix squash and quinoa, then plate.  Top with two pear halves and drizzle your sauce over the top.