Here is one for you cave lifestyle advocates

Cavegirl Tuesday was as I suspected, filled with chronic dissatisfaction. Okay over exaggeration! But still, breakfast and dinner kind of sucked. My lunch however was on a scale of one to ten, one being an iceberg lettuce with cherry tomatoes and ten being a buca sized plate of spaghetti with a side of garlic bread.  I'd give my lunch a 5.5

I've become kind of obsessed with this salad. That is saying a lot because I usually hate salads. I associate them with chronic dissatisfaction and disappointment. I think I'm just going to refer to most salads as High School Boyfriend. But  not this one! I got this recipe from pinterest and I am totes appreciative of my obsession of looking for healthy recipes.

From:  http://katieatthekitchendoor.com/2012/01/05/cleanse-preview-kale-lovin/

Kale and Avocado Salad with Almonds, Apples and Nori

Adapted from Lucid Food.  Serves 2.

• 1/2 bunch of kale
• 1/2 avocado
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1 small garlic clove, finely minced
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 c. almonds, toasted till golden brown
• 1 apple, diced
• 1 sheet of nori

1. Wash the kale leaves and shake them dry.  Remove the leaves from the thick stalks and tear leaves into bite sized pieces.  Place the kale, avocado, minced garlic, salt, and olive oil in a large bowl, and massage together with your hands for three minutes.  The kale should shrink and become tender.  Plate the kale mixture and top with 1/2 of the diced apple and half of the toasted almonds.  Use tongs to pick up the nori and pass it over an open burner on medium-low, 3-4 times for about 2 seconds each time.  Try not to let it catch fire!  As it passes over the open flame, the nori should turn bright green and get soft and pliable briefly.  Fold the nori in quarters, then use scissors to cut the quarters into long strips.  Sprinkle over salad.  Enjoy!

I didn't have Nori. I don't even know where to get it from. So instead I've been throwing in some spinach to give it more greens. I also don't use minced garlic or sea salt. I just used garlic salt. Best of both worlds.

The soup is a creamy cauliflower. This was okay, as I hate cauliflower this is saying a lot. Despite my hate I always try to give new cauliflower recipes a chance. They are so cheap and thin people swear by them. Why I  can't seem to figure out.

From: http://www.thekitchn.com/creamy-curried-cauliflower-soup-recipes-from-the-kitchn-187007

 Creamy Curried Cauliflower Soup

Serves 6-8

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
2 medium white onions, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to season
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large head of cauliflower (about 2 pounds), trimmed and cut into florets
4 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (or water)
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 cup coconut milk
Freshly-ground black pepper, to season
1/4 cup roasted cashew halves, for garnish (optional, see Recipe Note)
1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley, for garnish (optional)
red chile pepper flakes, for garnish (optional)
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat until shimmering. Cook the onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt until onions are soft and transluscent, 8-9 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add garlic and cook for 2 additional minutes. Add cauliflower, vegetable broth, coriander, turmeric, cumin, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring pot to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer until cauliflower is fork-tender, about 15-17 minutes
Working in batches, purée the soup in a blender until smooth, and then return the soup to the soup pot. (Alternatively, use an immersion blender to purée the soup right in the pot.) Stir in the coconut milk and warm the soup. Taste and add more salt, pepper or spices if you’d like.
To serve, ladle the soup into favorite bowls and garnish with a handful of toasted cashews, a few springs of parsley, sprinkle of red chile flakes and a dash of olive oil to top.

Recipe Notes:

• To Toast the Cashews:  Preheat the oven to 350°F and lay cashews out on a baking sheet in a nice flat layer. Toast for 5-6 minutes, or until fragrant.