Creamy Tomato Bisque

The key to making this super awesome recipe is fresh, vine ripened ingredients - organic vine ripened tomatoes and fresh basil are critical and make a HUGE difference in taste!
(I modified this from The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance to be lower in carbohydrates and higher in fat.)

Ingredients:
1 medium or 1/2 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 medium cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
12 roma tomatoes, diced
12-15 fresh basil leaves, sliced
0.5 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh ground sea salt
1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
4 cups chicken broth (fresh is best but bouillon cubes will do in a pinch)
1.5 sup heavy whipping cream

Directions
1. Chop onions and garlic and place in a large pot with olive oil. Saute over medium heat until soft and slightly browned (approx. 5 minutes),
2. Dice tomatoes, slice basil and add to the pot along with the salt and pepper,
3. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes,
4. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes,
5. Blend in food processor with frequent pulsing, for 1-2 minutes until there are no large chunks.
6. At this point, if you want a very smooth bisque with no chunks you can strain it using a sieve (throw away the pieces in the sieve). I like mine to have small pieces to make it more "hearty".
7. After returning the soup back to the original pot, add the chicken broth and heat on low until you see steam (approximately 160F). It's important not to let it boil or get too hot as the cream will curdle (and then it tastes gross!).
8. Remove the soup from the heat and gently whisk in the heavy cream.
9. Salt to taste and enjoy!!

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Recipe for The best Kale Chips Ever!

This really is the best recipe for kale chips! I've tried them fried, baked, and every combination of temperature. These rock!

Ingredients:
Kale (curly is less bitter)
Olive oil spray
Sea salt or other seasoning

Directions:
1. Rinse the kale and lightly shake to remove excess water.
2. Cut the kale leaves off the stems and spin in salad spinner to dry.
3. Heat oven to 350 F.
4. Lightly oil a cookie sheet or shallow baking pan with olive oil.
5. Divide the cut kale into 2 (or more) groups based on similar size, and cook in batches to avoid over cooking the smaller pieces.
6. Lightly toss kale in small amount of olive oil, or spray with a light mist using an oil oil spray can.
7. Place the kale pieces on the pan with the curly side down as though making upside down "V's". 
Don't crowd the pan with kale, again so the air can circulate better and cook more evenly.
8. Sprinkle kale with ground sea salt or your favorite seasoning.
9. Place kale in oven for 4 minutes then rotate the pan 180 degrees and cook for 3 more minutes. 
10. Remove the pan and check the kale is crispy. If not, place in over for 1 more minute. 
11. Enjoy!

Important Notes:
1. It's important to make sure the kale is completely dry before you bake or it will become chewy instead of crispy.
2. You can also wrap in paper towel and place in a bag in the fridge. The paper towel will absorb the excess water and the cold air in the fridge will keep the kale crisp while it dries.
3. Too much oil on the kale can lead to kale remaining soft but with burnt edges.
4. Placing the kale on the pan in an inverted V shape helps the kale cook more evenly.