A Light Summer Salad

The other day I grabbed some random ingredients from my fridge/pantry, threw them in a bowl, and ended up making the best salad I've ever made. So of course, I had to share this super simple and delicious recipe with you guys. Let me preface this by saying that this is a seriously basic salad... You can dress it up, dress it down, switch up the ingredients, and pretty much do whatever you want with it to make it to your liking though. You guys are going to LOVE this salad and how easy it is to make.

I love using arugula, because it's so fresh, light, and has such an incredible taste. Throw a little parmesan cheese and avocado on top and dress it with my favorite homemade lemon olive oil dressing (recipe below), and you have a delicious salad. I added some lentils and of course topped it with a couple fried eggs, which just brought it to the next level. 

I frequently cook a large batch of something like lentils or quinoa and store it in the fridge so that I can add it to meals or throw it on top of a salad like I did here. I always make sure to get my protein in (2 eggs just doesn't do it for lunch), and lentils are an excellent source of protein. The cheese on the other hand, is totally optional especially if you can't do dairy. I can tolerate dairy (luckily), so I love to add cheese to the occasional meal for a little extra flavor. Nutritional yeast is a great alternative option if you can't do cheese though.

As for the dressing, it is so incredibly simple and one that I make for most of my salads. You can make an extra big batch (which I recommend), and keep it in the fridge to use at later dates. Recipe below!

Ingredients for salad:

• Bag of organic arugula
• Half avocado
• 1/2 cup cooked sprouted lentils
• Pinch of shredded parmesan cheese
• 2 organic, pasture raised eggs

Ingredients for dressing:

• Juice from 1 full lemon
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. For the dressing, throw all the ingredients in the bowl and whisk until well blended.
2. Wash the arugula and put into a large salad bowl. Top with shredded parmesan cheese, cooked lentils, and diced avocado.
3. Pour the dressing over the top of the salad and toss to mix.
4.  If you want to add the eggs, my favorite way to cook them for the top of a salad is fried (crispy fried). To do so, heat olive or coconut oil in a pan on high until it is almost smoking (key word, almost). Add the eggs to the pan and let them sizzle for a little bit. Once they are almost cooked through, turn the heat off and let them continue to cook until they are no longer runny on top. You can also flip them and cook the other side for a few seconds if you'd like.

My Bone Broth Hack (+ a promotion!)

There is nothing better than comfort foods, am I right?! I'm sure bone broth is not news to you guys, but it has quickly become one of my absolute favorite comfort foods. Plus, the health benefits seem to be endless. Now you guys have heard about collagen at this point I'm assuming. Well, bone broth is probably the #1 source of collagen (and the best way to get it into your diet). Just a cup of this stuff daily, and you're on your way to better immunity, hair, skin, nails, gut, and overall health! Sounds pretty good right? Read on for some of my favorite things about bone broth.

1. It is one of the best sources of gelatin/collagen, so it's got major benefits for your hair, skin, and nails - especially your skin. It helps to banish wrinkles, improve the elasticity, and decrease cellulite. I've noticed a huge difference in my skin since I started using it - my face is clearer, brighter, smoother, and healthier.
2. Bone broth helps to heal leaky gut in a major way. The reason for this is because it builds probiotics and protects the lining of your gut. This also helps to fight food sensitivities. Even if you don't have gut problems, it is still great for overall gut health.
3. Like I said above, it's a major source of gelatin, which means it's pretty darn good for your joints also. Gelatin acts like a cushion for your joints, so for all of you with sore knees, wrists, and elbows, start drinking this and I bet you see a difference.
4. Because it has such a large benefit on your gut, it also benefits your overall health and immunity, as well as your inflammatory response. Inflammation is such a huge problem in our world right now (it's what causes almost all disease), and bone broth can help lower the inflammation levels in your body.
5. I stole this last one from my favorite doctor, but had to include. Bone broth also helps the detoxification process, because it is a source of potassium, glycine, sulfur, and glutamine - all of which aid in cellular and liver detoxification. 

Is bone broth worth the hype? I think it is. I've noticed a big difference since I started drinking it, in my skin as well as my gut, but you do need to drink it regularly. Issue is, it's really not easy to make it in my tiny NYC kitchen (nor do I feel like it's safe to be simmering something on my stove for days at a time). I know I could make it in a slow cooker - which I will try some day when I actually purchase a slow cooker - but I'm all about quick and easy. 

This is where Kettle & Fire steps in. Kettle & Fire is my favorite source for bone broth. It comes in disposable cartons that you can heat the broth in, portioned out so that you can enjoy one full carton at a time. They make it so darn easy to consume bone broth on a regular basis - which you should be doing if you want to see the benefits - without all the hassle of having to make it yourself. Plus, it tastes delicious, and I always add extra ingredients to mine for the additional health benefits. In these photos, I'm drinking mine with some crushed garlic and turmeric. Yum!

I want you guys to reap the benefits also, so today, I'm giving you 20% off Kettle & Fire! Just use code CASUALCLASSIC20 at checkout. Let me know how you like it! xo

Adult Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Because you're never too old (or too healthy) to enjoy a grilled cheese, right!? Sometimes you just need some good, hearty comfort food. These used to be my favorite food when I was a kid - I lived on them. I know, not exactly healthy, but who's all that healthy as a kid anyway?

Anyway, this is the grown up version of the grilled cheese. I like to try and add greens to every meal especially if it's a not-so-healthy type meal, like a grilled cheese. This one is filled with grass-fed mozzarella, homemade pesto, arugula, and gluten free bed. Sounds pretty darn good right? Read on below for the recipe (it's a extremely simple one if you couldn't guess).

Ingredients:

• 2 slices gluten-free bread (I like this kind)
• 2 tbsp homemade pesto
• 2-3 slices mozzarella cheese (or any type of cheese you'd like)
• handful of arugula
• pinch of salt & pepper
• ghee

Direction:

1. Heat a small pan over medium heat.
2. Butter one side of each slice of bread with the ghee (the sides that will touch the pan), and spread the pesto over the two opposite sides of the bread.
3. Add the slices of cheese and handful of arugula to the sandwich and put the two pieces of bread together.
4. Place in pan and cook each side until lightly brown/crispy.
5. Enjoy that ooey, gooey, goodness. YUM!