Serves 4 

I made this for a friend last week and it got rave reviews. Try it and let me know what you think. 

Stuffed Chard

6-8 chard leaves

1 ½ cups taco sauce (recipe below)

1 cup wild rice, Spanish Style, (recipe below)

¾ cup black beans

¼ cup fresco queso, (Mexican fresh cheese) could use a little fresh mozzarella 

1 Avocado

In a pot of boiling water, blanch the chard leaves for 1 ½ minutes and remove from pot. 

Lay flat and cool for a few minutes. In a bowl, mix the rice and beans together and put a couple of spoonfuls on each leaf. Top with a slice of Avocado. Carefully roll up the chard leaves to form a little package. Put a few spoonfuls of the taco sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Place the stuffed chard on top of the sauce. Top with the rest of the taco sauce. Bake at a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Top with the cheese. 

Options: Add ¾ cup cooked corn, add a little flaked fish or chicken  in each package. Serve this with a green salad and you will have an 80% alkaline 20% acidic meal which is what you aim for. 

Taco Toppings  This could not be easier!

Slice Avocado 

Sliced Radishes 

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds (roast seeds in 375 degree oven for 10 min)

Fresh Lime 

Sour Cream Sauce (mix sour cream with lots of fresh lime juice)

It was a  Taco dinner at my house the other night. This is an open face vegetarian alkaline taco. I started with a fresh natural corn tortilla, no preservatives.Warm them on your stove,oven or grill.  A spoonful of wild rice, Spanish style, black beans, (recipe follows) some taco sauce (recipe follows) and topped it with fresh green cabbage, avocado and a little sour cream sauce(recipe follows). I set up a taco bar with different fillings available for every discerning taste. There was grilled fish, chicken, and lots of toppings. I have a picture in the next posting. Have fun. This is a very easy meal for your family and friends. 

Potato Leek and Zucchini Gratin

This is a warm and satisfying dish. It can be a main course for a vegetarian diet with a side salad or it can be a side dish to serve with your dinner. You can make it earlier in the day and heat it up for your meal. 

2 cups leeks, chopped (about 2-3 leeks depending on size)

½ yellow onion, sliced thin

2 cups zucchini, sliced thin (1 large or 2 small)

3 large potatoes, sliced thin

¾ cup hot vegetable stock

¼ cup grated Parmesan Cheese

2 Tbsp olive oil 

1 1/2 Tbsp clarified butter

1 garlic clove 

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Heat oil and ½ tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet and saute the leeks and onions until soft, do not brown. About 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and potatoes and season with the salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. 

Use the other ½ tablespoon of butter to coat a baking dish (8x10). Rub the bottom and sides with the garlic clove. Pour the contents of the skillet into the baking dish. Sprinkle on ½ of the Parmesan Cheese. Stir. Pour in the hot stock. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top. Dot with ½ tablespoon of butter. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven 30-40 minutes. 

Note: if you want to reheat, just dot with butter and put back into the oven for 15 minutes. 

This is a very easy and a refreshing first course. Serves 6

1 cantaloupe melon 

6 radishes, sliced

3 stalks celery, sliced

1 medium size cucumber seeds removed, sliced

2 Tbsp fresh mint, sliced thinly

 Juice of 2 limes

Slice the cantaloupe into generous serving wedges, two per plate.(Save any juice that runs off when slicing)

Sprinkle with the sliced radishes, cucumber and celery. Sprinkle the mint on top. 

Dress with some of  the juice from the cantaloupe, and squeeze some fresh lime juice over the top. 

Alkaline Forming Foods

Hopefully you are enjoying the fruits of summer. I have been shopping at the Farmer’s Market each week and have tasted some delicious fruit.  I wanted to let you know of the highest alkaline forming fruits. Strawberries, Blackberries, and Raspberries. Nectarines, Papaya and Pineapple. Watermelon, Cantaloupe and Honeydew. Think of these fruits when preparing a meal or snack. I like to slice up melon and keep it in the fridge for go to snacks. For breakfast, I have been making fruit smoothies. This you can do with any fruit combination that you favor. I posted a recipe a few weeks ago.  Also, think of eating fruit for dessert. Nectarines are at there finest right now. Slice them and squeeze some lime juice on them and sprinkle fresh mint on top. This is a lovely presentation and a delicious dessert. Pineapple is another fruit that makes a great dessert. You can serve it cold or hot, think about throwing some pineapple slices on the barbeque or under your broiler. You can baste them with a little maple syrup. How good does that sound. Papaya’s are my favorite. I favor the ones that come from Hawaii. All they need is a squeeze of fresh lime juice and I am happy. They also are a great container for holding a small salad. There are many uses for fruit, we have to get creative and work them into our cooking. Try adding some fruit to your green salads. You will be amazed how much better you salad will taste with some fresh fruit added. This is making me hungry, I think I will go into the kitchen and have some fruit. Happy Cooking

Salmon Pasta

This is a special pasta that I make for friends. Being on an alkaline diet does not mean you have to give up some of the foods that you love. For me it is heavy cream. I use it sparingly and it enhances a dish and brings it up a level. Just remember when using a food that is not alkaline just surround it with alkaline foods. It should end up a fairly alkaline meal. So here is my special occasion salmon pasta. I recommend cutting up all of your ingredients before you start. Also know that you can add more vegetables to the mix if you desire.  

6 oz smoked salmon sliced into small pieces

2 tsp. clarified butter

1  zucchini  squash, diced

1 leak (just use the white part, chop up )

1 box Ancient Harvest Quinoa gluten free pasta (I used the rotelle)

¾ cup vegetable stock or pasta water

½ cup frozen green peas

2 Tbsp heavy cream

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions about 9 minutes. 

In a saute pan over medium heat, add the butter and saute the zucchini and leak until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the smoked salmon and stir. Mix in ¾ cup of the stock or pasta liquid. Drain Pasta and put into the pan with the vegetables. Toss with the peas and add 2 TBSP of Heavy Cream. Cook for a few minutes until everything is incorporated. 

Salmon Pasta, 

Recipe above

Artichoke Pasta Dinner

Serves 4

This is an easy go to dinner. If you don’t have all of the ingredients, feel free to substitute.

1 Box Ancient Harvest Quinoa Pasta Shells

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp clarified butter

1 onion, sliced

6 mushrooms, sliced

1 Box Frozen Artichoke Hearts(defrosted), sliced (you can always use fresh)

1 cup vegetable stock (or the pasta water)

1 Tsp of tomato paste

2 Tbsp heavy cream

2 Tbsp parmesean cheese

¼ cup basil and parsley, chopped

salt and pepper

Bring a large pot of water to boil, add salt to flavor the water. Add the pasta and cook according to directions on the box.

Meanwhile in a large saute pan, heat the oil and butter, add the onion and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. add the mushrooms and artichoke hearts and cook for 3 minutes.

Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before you drain it.

Add the pasta to your saute pan with the vegetables.

Mix in the tomato paste, the cream, and Parmesan cheese. Stir until thickened. Just a few minutes. At this point, you can add a little more of the reserved pasta water if you want more sauce.  Sprinkle with the basil and parsley. Taste, adjust your seasonings and serve. Don’t forget to warm the bowls. It keeps your pasta hot.

For an alkaline meal, serve this pasta with a green salad.

Memorial Day Barbecue

Menu  for 4 people

Portobello Mushroom Burgers with grilled Onions and Peppers with a Red Pepper alkaline mayonnaise.

Cucumber, Celery, Endive, Red Onion and Tomato Salad

Potato Salad

Ice Cold Watermelon

List of Ingriedents

4 Portobello Mushrooms

4 Gluten Free Hamburger Buns

Salad Greens

1 yellow onion

3 Red Bell Peppers

1 Cucumber

2 stalks celery

1 whole endive(if you can’t find endive you can use a handful of salad greens)

12 small cherry tomatoes cut in half

6 Yukon gold potatoes (or any variety of your choosing)

1 red onion

Mustard  dressing

Olive Oil

½ lemon

Flat leafed parsley

Sucanat (cane sugar)

Salt and Pepper to taste

For the Mushroom Burgers

With a damp paper towel, clean the mushrooms and remove any stem.

Place on a plate and drizzle with a little olive oil.  Set aside. These are ready to grill.

Wash a handful of Salad Greens and set aside

Slice 1 yellow onion into 4 thick slices. Brush with a little Olive Oil. Set Aside.

Slice up 1 Red Bell Pepper from the recipe below and drizzle with a little oilve oil. Set aside.

When ready, grill the mushrooms and the onions. Put a spoonful of the Red Pepper Mayonnaise on a bun, top with the mushroom, sliced onion, peppers and salad greens.

For the Red Pepper Mayonnaise

Note: Use 2 of the peppers for the Mayonnaise and save 1 for the Mushroom burgers.

Char the  3 peppers  right on the top of your stove  with a medium flame. Turn them to char on all sides. They will get very black. This will only take a few minutes.  Remove from the fire and put into a paper bag or wrap in paper towels for about 10 minutes. Remove from the bag and using you fingers, wipe the black char off of the peppers. You can run some water over the last bits to get it all off. Cut the pepper in half and remove seeds and core. Save one of the peppers and  Place 2 of the peppers in a  Cuisinart or blender and puree. Season with a little bit of salt to bring out the flavor. Pour mixture into a bowl. It’s ready to serve. You can make this a few days in advance. It keeps well in the refrigerator.

The Salad

Cut one cucumber in half and put the two halves together and slice into thin slices.

Do the same thing with the celery

Take the whole endive and start slicing from the end of it.

Cut the tomatoes in half

Slice up the red onion, Put in a small bowl and pour ¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar over it. Let sit for about 15 minutes. Remove from the vinegar.  Reserve ½ of of the onion for the potato salad. Place ½ of the onion  in the bowl with the other ingredients.  

For the Salad Dressing, ¼ cup Olive Oil mixed with the juice of ½ of a lemon.  You might not need all of the dressing  for this salad. Use to your liking. Season with salt and pepper.

Potato Salad

Place the potatoes in a pot. Fill with cold water and cook until fork tender. About 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and let cool.  Cut the potatoes in quarters and place in a bowl with ½ of the reserved red onion slices.  Dress with Mustard Vinaigrette.

For the Mustard Vinaigrette:

3 teaspoons of Dijon mustard

3 Tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar

¼ cup plus 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

A pinch of Sucanat, (cane sugar)

Put the mustard and vinegar and  a pinch Sucanat in a bowl. Using a whisk, pour the oil in slowly and whisk until you have a thicken vinaigrette. This will give you a little over ½ cup. Garnish with chopped parsley