Thai Inspired Noodle Salad

Hello Spring Break...I finally have time to try out some new recipes. I saw this recipe on the Cooking Channel and put my own twist on it today. It was "crazy good" and took a lot of will power not to eat a second serving!! This was my first time to use daikon radishes; I should have sliced them a little thinner. Between teaching all day and raising teenagers at home, I have a tendency to be in a hurry and "rough chop". You could use any type noodles and combination of veggies; I chose to use Soba (buckwheat) noodles because of their flavor and health benefits.  

Ingredients:
8 oz Soba Noodles (buckwheat pasta)

Dressing:

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter (We use fresh peanut butter from Basic Foods)

1 1/2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce 

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon safflower, grapeseed, or sunflower oil

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 tsp. honey (original recipe uses 1 tablespoon, but I didn't want my dressing that sweet)

1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce (I LOVE Sriracha and added an extra squirt.)

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 cloves of minced fresh garlic (original recipe doesn't call for garlic)

juice of 1 lime

Salad:
1/2 cup loosely-packed chopped fresh cilantro

3 chopped fresh basil leaves

4 chopped baby bella mushrooms (or white mushrooms)

1/2 -1 daikon radish,  julienned (Use regular radish if you can't get daikon.)

4 green onions, sliced thin

1/2 head cabbage, thinly sliced (I used purple cabbage for color but any cabbage will work.)

1 red bell pepper, diced

Directions:

1) Cook the pasta until al dente (4-5 minutes if using Soba noodles.) Drain, rinse in cold water, and set aside.

2) Dressing: Place the peanut butter in a bowl and microwave a few seconds to soften. Whisk in the other dressing ingredients. 

3) Salad: Place  pasta in a large bowl and add the herbs and vegetables. Toss with the dressing.

This is my kind of meal!!! I really enjoyed the medley of flavors in this salad. The next time I make it (and there will definitely be a next time), I'll probably add shelled edamame for protein. 

Split Pea Soup

I think I've mentioned this before, but my husband is highly allergic to beans. Even cross contamination  in restaurants can cause a reaction. However, we discovered this year (by accident) that he's not allergic to lentils...go figure!! I'm already sick of lentils since we eat them about twice a week, so tonight I made homemade split pea soup (They look similar to lentils, right?) and he didn't have an allergic reaction to them. 

Ingredients:

2 cups dried split peas
2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 chopped white or yellow onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
salt and black pepper to taste
1 or 2 pinch(es) red pepper flakes
2 pinches smoked paprika
1 or two pinch(es) thyme
6 cups hot water (or vegetable broth)
1 Tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

1) Rinse and sort split peas.

2) In a Dutch oven, saute onions in olive oil.

3) Add all other ingredients.

4) Bring peas to a boil, cover, and reduce heat.

5) Simmer for 30-45 minutes until peas get soft.

6) Use a potato masher to break soup mixture down so that it's not quite as chunky.

7) Taste and add more salt, pepper, red pepper if needed. 

Serve with garlic bread. 

Healthier A-Z Bread

I discovered a recipe for A-Z bread in a recipe exchange at work this year. The recipe from Taste of Home is delicious, but I've put a healthier twist on it for my family. Changes I've made to the recipe are highlighted below.

• 2 cups palm sugar
• 1/2 cup safflower oil & 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 3  organic, cage free eggs, lightly beaten (or egg substitute if you're vegan)
• 2 cups A to Z ingredients (choose from list on above link)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup organic, unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 cups organic, whole wheat flour 
• 1  teaspoon ground cinnamon (The original recipe calls for 2 tsp. which is a little strong to me.)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or other nuts

The choices of A-Z ingredients and recipe directions are listed in the link above. Combinations we like include

• 1 banana, 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, 1 cup additional apple sauce, or
• 1 cup organic grated apple (I don't remove the peel) with 1 cup pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling), or
• 1 banana, 1 cup grated zucchini (I grate it with peel on), and 1/2 cup additional apple sauce. 

What are your favorite combinations? 

Chickpea Popcorn

School is finally out so I have time now to watch a few daytime shows that I like. On Dr. Oz's show this morning, he spotlighted a 7 Day Crash Diet, and while I don't agree on any type of crash diet, I did see some recipes I plan to try.

I usually crave salty, crunchy snacks around 3:00 p.m. so instead of reaching for a bag of chips this afternoon, I decided to try the chickpea popcorn recipe I saw on his show (with my twist of course.) Eat these while they're warm! They're  very addictive. I had to stop myself from eating the entire batch.

Ingredients:
1 can organic chickpeas (15 oz.)
1 tsp. garlic powder
small pinch of sea salt (Cr. Oz's recipe doesn't include salt, but it needs a little.)
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
olive oil
(nutritional yeast if you want a cheesy flavor)

Directions:

1) Rinse and drain beans.
2) Place chickpeas in a bowl and season with the above ingredients. (Measurements don't have to be exact. I just sprinkle it all on.)
3) Spread chickpeas out on a baking sheet.
4) Bake for 30 - 45 minutes until crispy.
5) Optional: sprinkle with nutritional yeast.

Post Work Out Kale Salad

I try to eat a little protein when I get home from the gym, but that's not always easy since we started eating a plant based diet. I guess I was feeling extra energetic after our workout today and made us this nutritious salad with kale, edamame, brussel sprout leaves, and beets. It's hard to believe that my family just started eating kale a couple years ago. I'm not sure why, but now it's one of our favorite greens, so the foundation of this salad is shredded kale. My husband doesn't like brussel sprouts, but I've found if I peel the sprouts into individual leaves, the flavor isn't as strong, and he'll eat them. I added edamame for protein in this salad as well as raw beets and red cabbage for their antioxidant powers. The medley of these raw and roasted veggies was super! My husband even asked me if I'd make up another large batch that he could take it to work for lunch. This recipe makes two very large servings, so if you have leftovers, I'm sure it would be even better the next day after marinating overnight in the fridge.

Ingredients: (organic if possible)

1 bunch kale

1 medium sized beet

6 large brussel sprouts

3 green onions

1/4 head purple cabbage

1/2 bag frozen shelled edamame

1/2 bag frozen shittake (you could also use fresh)

extra virgin olive oil

apple cider vinegar

1 clove minced garlic

coarse sea salt

black pepper

pinch of red pepper flakes

1 T or more fresh parsley

Directions: 

1) Make your dressing first:

Whisk about 3 Tablespoons (or more) extra virgin olive oil with 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar, 1 clove minced garlic, 1 T. fresh parsley, a pinch of salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Set aside. 

2) Place edamame and shittake mushrooms on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss. Roast at 425-450 degrees. (If you don't like raw beets, you could roast the beets at the same time with the edamame and mushrooms.)

3) While those are roasting, peel the leaves off your brussel sprouts and drizzle with olive oil. Set aside.

4) Wash your kale well. Remove the ribs and shred into small pieces. I use kitchen scissors to cut my kale. 

5) Stack the kale onto two plates. 

6) Keep an eye on your edamame and mushrooms. I didn't time them, but when they were almost done, I threw in the brussel sporut leaves with them for a couple minutes. Check often, because the brussel sprouts leaves will burn quickly! Remove from oven when done and set aside. 

7) Peel and chop your raw beet and place on top of kale. 

8) Shred about 1/4 head red cabbage and place on top of salad. 

9) Slice your green onions and sprinkle over salad. I use kitchen scissors to cut my onions which is faster for me. 

10) Drizzle dressing over the raw veggies in your salad. 

11) Finally, stack the roasted edamame, sprouts, and mushrooms on top of your salad, and drizzle with a little more extra virgin olive oil if you like. 

It was a little more time consuming than salads I normally make, but well worth the extra time it took to prepare. The next time I make it, I may top it off with some sunflower or pumpkin seeds for added protein. 

Homemade Kim Chi

Source: drbenkim.com via cclong on Pinterest

I started buying Kim Chi at the grocery store when I found out last year how healthy it's supposed to be. After paying $4 for a small jar that includes ingredients I don't care to eat like fish sauce and sugar, I was excited when I found this homemade, healthier option from Dr. Ben Kim. The changes I make to his recipe are as follows:

• 1 Tablespoon of red pepper (cayenne) mixed with water to form a paste instead of the Korean red pepper
• I leave out the yellow onion and just use grated pear and apple mixed with water.

I made my first batch with Napa cabbage, and it turned out perfect. I made my second batch tonight with bok choy instead (only because they didn't have any Napa cabbage today at the store.) I read a suggestion on another blog to save a little of the fermented Kim Chi as a starter for your next batch, so I'm going to try that next time.

Vegan Creamy Cole Slaw

Coleslaw doesn't exactly come to mind for a December side dish, but I had a couple heads of organic cabbage I needed to use up today so here's my twist on  Bobby Flay's Creamy Cole Slaw. 

• 1 small head organic green cabbage, finely shredded
• 1/2 head organic purple cabbage, finely shredded 
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced vertically
• 2 large organic carrots, shredded
• 3/4 cup Vegenaise mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 packet Stevia or other sweetner
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 2 teaspoons celery salt
• freshly ground pepper (I like to use grill seasoning in place of black pepper such as McCormick Montreal Seasoning)
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions

Combine the shredded cabbage, carrots, and green onions in a large bowl. Whisk together the Vegenaise, sour cream, Stevia, vinegar, mustard, celery salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Add to the cabbage mixture. Mix well to combine and taste for seasoning; add more spice if desired. Between the salt in the Vegenaise and the celery salt, I didn't need to add any more salt for our taste.

I served this with braised tempeh for lunch today.  My husband isn't a big cole slaw fan, but he ended up eating two servings. I imagine it will taste even better tomorrow after it's had time to marinate.

Wild Rice and Mushrooms

I love the earthiness of mushrooms. Add them to wild rice, and you have the perfect side dish for fall. We're a family of five, so I prepare large portions. If you're cooking for 2-3, I'd cut this recipe in half.

Ingredients
2 cups organic wild rice (It's less expensive to buy rice in the bulk bins at Basic Foods or Whole Foods.)
4 cups organic vegetable broth
1/2 cup dry red wine such as Merlot
2 cups or more sliced assorted mushrooms (I used Shiitake tonight.)
1 cup shallots or onions, sliced thin
1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
olive oil
pinch of salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes

Directions:
1) Cook 2 c rice in 4 c vegetable broth (plus a splash of red wine if you like) in a rice cooker or pot for 40 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.
2) Thinly slice mushrooms and shallots.
3) About 15 minutes before your rice is done, drizzle a little olive oil in a skillet and cook scallions and sliced mushrooms over medium heat. Add a pinch of salt, pepper, and red pepper. Saute 8-10 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Add 1/2 cup red wine and saute until liquid is absorbed, about 2-3 minutes.

4) Stir the mushroom mixture into rice and add parsley.

I served this with veggie kabobs that I cooked on our indoor grill.

 

<sup>As I count my many blessings this year, I'm grateful for my loving husband, our terrific kids, the love and support of our mothers and siblings, our extended families, the unconditional love of our Corgi puppies (Reveille and Bevo), our decision and the opportunity to live a healthier lifestyle, and the right to worship God in a free country. May God grant you and yours health and prosperity! 

Psalm 100 (NIV)</sup>

 ¹ Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

 ² Worship the LORD with gladness;

   come before him with joyful songs.

³ Know that the LORD is God.

   It is he who made us, and we are his;

   we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

 ⁴ Enter his gates with thanksgiving
   and his courts with praise;
   give thanks to him and praise his name.
⁵ For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
   his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Decadent Stuffed Mushrooms

I love this time of year! Cooler weather always gets me in the mood for the holidays. Tonight, I made my mom's decadent stuffed mushrooms, except I replaced the shrimp, crab, and butter with olive oil and spinach.



Ingredients:
15 large whole white mushrooms, brush dirt off and remove stems
olive oil
1/2 white or yellow onion, chopped
mushroom stems, chopped fine
2 cloves minced garlic
3 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
salt and black pepper to taste
1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese (or vegan cheese)
1/3 c. Panko bread crumbs (Look at the ingredients and choose one without hydrogenated oils or make your own bread crumbs)
a dash of Tony Chachere's creole seasoning or red pepper
dry white wine (I use Chardonnay) & more olive oil

Directions:
Drizzle olive oil in skillet on low heat, add mushroom stems and saute for 5 min. Add onions and garlic and saute a couple more minutes. Add spinach, salt, and peppers. Cook until spinach is wilted. Remove skillet from heat and stir in bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Overstuff mushrooms with the mixture. Mix equal parts of white wine and olive oil (about a half cup of each). Drizzle on top of stuffed mushrooms and bake in oven 20 min. at 350º.