valentine’s day

Paleo Recipe: True Love Blood Orange and Red Onion Salad with Kalamata Olives

I just love going to the farmer’s market and buying whatever catches my eye. Last Sunday, it was blood oranges. Here’s a quick salad that’s completely Paleo using those that beautiful citrus I picked up!! This recipe serves 2 people as an appetizer or side dish.

Ingredients:

3 blood oranges, sliced widthwise

1 red onion, sliced into rings

10-12 Kalamata olives, sliced into rings

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (I used Gaea Laconia P.G.I.,

kindly sent to me by the reps at Gaea.)

Procedure:

Peel the oranges and slice them widthwise so the slices will look like the picture above. Lay one layer of them out on a plate and then slice the onion into rings and lay them over/on the oranges. Then arrange another bit of oranges around the onions. As you are doing this, you can squeeze a little of the juice over the onions and the plate. Then chop the olives into little rings and sprinkle over the onions and orange slices. To finish, drizzle the olive oil over the salad.

So unique, but simple to prepare, and beautiful on the plate. I named the recipe “true love” because of the ring shapes in the salad (the symbol of eternity), and all that red/orange color in the mix.

It might sound like an odd combination, but I hope you try it. 🙂

Happy Valentine’s Day!

February 14, 2012 | Categories: love, paleo, Recipes, salad, valentine's day | Leave a comment

Valentine’s Food and Drink Picks!!

Here are a few things I have tried lately that sort of fall into the Valentine’s category, and since today happens to be Valentine’s Day, I would like to share them with you.

Patrón XO Cafe Dark Cocoa

This brand new liqueur combines Patrón Silver tequila, the light essence of coffee and the richness of chocolate.

Distilled at 60 proof, Patrón XO Cafe Dark Cocoa is less sweet than many other coffee liqueurs, and a mix of coffee, chocolate and tequila.

The label and outer box for Patrón XO Cafe Dark Cocoa are dressed in red. You can find Patrón on Facebook here.

Xan Confections

Xan Confections was started by Susan Johnson and Kerry Johnson Anthony of Susan’s Healthy Gourmet. With the combination of chocolatiering creativity and Kerry and Susan’s vision of healthy, Xan created indulgent artisan chocolates, caramels, and other handcrafted treats using distinctive flavors with only the finest, all-natural ingredients. Many of the Xan products are gluten-free. I was sent a few of the CocoXan products to try, a line of antioxidant-rich dark chocolate European-style truffles paired with a selection of nutritionally enhanced ingredients.

The five new product lines include fortified ingredients targeting wellness, heart, brain, pre-natal and pre-menstrual health.

Nutritional enhancements in selected products include vegetarian Life’s DHA, Wellmune WGP, folic acid, a proprietary blend of Vitamins A, C, D3, and E, chasteberry, bilberry, CoQ10 and Kaneka QH.

You can find them on Facebook here and on twitter here.

Oren’s Kitchen

Perhaps my favorite line of samples I have been sent lately is the nut packages from Oren’s Kitchen. There are four different varieties: Rosemary Almonds, Smoked Paprika Pecans, Indian Ajwain Cashews, and Coconut Chili Macadamias. My favorite are the macadamias. The nut mix is a blend of toasted and shaved coconut, macadamia nuts, some honey for sweetness, and dried Full Belly Farms red chilies are added for a little flavor kick. They are so addictive I could probably eat 2 or 3 bags in one sitting. 😉 To order, you can go to their website here.

You can find them on Facebook here and on twitter here.

Emanuel Andrén Chocolates

Emanuel Andrén Chocolates (www.emanuelandren.com) are crafted in the small town of Lilla Edet, located just southwest of Stockholm. The family-owned company has been producing confections since 1868, with recipes passed down from generation to generation. Emanuel Andrén, who has followed in his great-great-great-great-grandfather’s footsteps, transformed the family business since becoming CEO in 2002. Today, Emanuel Andrén Chocolates is recognized as some of the world’s most luxurious chocolates and truffles, each of which is deemed a work of art, with Andrén being named “Pastry Chef of The Year” in his country.

Red Carpet was featured at the 54th and 50th Grammy Awards. The Red Carpet collection makes your successes memorable with elegant chocolate creations that celebrate any occasion.

Rich and Robust is an extraordinary luscious sensory-provoking confection created from a selection of the finest spirits and tobacco with a taste of distinction.