Coleslaw is one of those dishes that’s like a good backup singer. It makes sweet harmony with the rest of your meal but it’s not the star of the show. When it’s just so-so, it kind of fades into the background. And, when it’s really great, it brings everything to another level…like this one!
Ingredients
6 cups shredded cabbage – mix of red and green
½ cup green onions, sliced diagonally
¼ cup fresh herb leaves – mint, cilantro or combo
1 cup shredded carrots
Roasted peanuts (or almonds)
¼ cup creamy peanut (or almond) butter
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp honey (or agave)
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp ginger, minced
1 tsp sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Coconut milk, to thin dressing as needed
Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together nut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce, honey, lime juice, ginger, sesame oil, garlic and red pepper flakes (if using). If dressing is too thick, think with coconut milk, 1 tsp at a time. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Combine veggies and fresh herbs – reserving a few to top the dish before serving – in a large bowl and add the amount of dressing to your taste. Top with roasted nuts and remaining fresh herbs and serve.
One way to eat lighter and healthier is to eat more veggies, and why not have fun while you do it, by transforming all sorts of vegetables into noodles using a spiralizer, mandoline or a Y-shaped veggie peeler and a sharp knife.
The best choices are firm, not floppy, and the longer the better. Enjoy them lightly cooked and then treated just like you would regular pasta or served raw as part of a salad or a slaw.
Ingredients
2 medium size green zucchini
3 cups basil leaves, loosely packed
1 cup flat leaf parsley, loosely packed
1 avocado, pitted
½ cup cashews, walnuts or pine nuts
4-6 cloves garlic
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated – plus more to taste
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Pinch of dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
¼ cup sundried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
Basil leaves, for garnish
Directions
Coarsely grind fresh and dried herbs, nuts, parmesan and garlic in a food processor. Add lemon juice, avocado and salt and pulse briefly to combine.
Prepare zoodles with your choice of spiralizing tool. Add 1-2 Tbsp olive oil to a pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add just enough zoodles so they have room to cook and aren’t overcrowded. Cook for 30 seconds to a minute and transfer to another dish. Repeat as needed to cook all zoodles.
Toss zoodles in pesto sauce and top with fresh and sundried tomatoes and basil leaves. Add a little more Parmesan, salt and pepper if you’d like.
Just like some folks enjoy raw cranberries in Thanksgiving relish, here’s a recipe for a great salsa featuring (slightly cooked) rhubarb, strawberries and some other goodies that help balance everything out. Let’s hear it for “sour power!”
Ingredients
2 cups fresh rhubarb, strings removed and finely diced
½ apple, finely diced – we like Cosmic Crisp
1 jalapeño, seeds removed, finely diced
¼ cup red onion, finely diced
¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped
1 cup strawberries, finely diced
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp vinegar – red wine or apple cider
1 Tbsp honey
½ tsp garlic granules or 1 clove garlic finely minced
Pinches of cumin and coriander powder
Salt/pepper to taste
Directions
Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Put rhubarb in a small heat-resistant bowl or Mason jar and pour water over it. Let sit for 1 minute, remove rhubarb from hot water and shock in ice water.
Drain rhubarb and lay it on a paper towel so liquid can release. Also pat dry as needed before adding to other ingredients.
In a medium bowl, combine rhubarb, apple, jalapeño pepper, onion, strawberries and cilantro. Add garlic (granules or fresh minced), pinches of cumin and coriander, and a little salt and pepper.
Whisk together lime juice, vinegar and honey. Pour over salsa and stir to combine.
Refrigerate 2-3 hours for flavors to meld. Can also be served immediately. Add salt and pepper as needed before serving.
Leftover salsa keeps in fridge for a day.
Note: You can substitute yellow or green bell pepper for the apple for a more savory flavor.
Celebrate the sweetness of sunshiny days with a bevy of bright, delightful bubbles and berries.
Allowing the fruit flavors to meld is the key to the enchanting flavor. Cheers!
Ingredients
1 orange
1 ½ cups strawberries
½ cup raspberries
1 Tbsp sugar
1 bottle rosé, chilled
¼ cup brandy
2 Tbsp Grand Marnier or Chambord
½ lemon, sliced into rounds
Optional: 3 sprigs mint leaves, sparkling water for serving
Directions
Chop the orange with skin on. Slice strawberries and add both to a pitcher. Sprinkle with sugar, stir to coat and let sit 20-30 minutes at room temperature.
Add rosé and other liquor, lemon and mint (if using). Stir and refrigerate 1-3 hours. Halfway through refrigeration, add raspberries.
Pour sangria and fruit into ice-filled glasses, with sparkling water (is using).
Back in 1953, in Sweden, at a restaurant called Hasselbacken, someone figured out that you could slice potatoes very thinly – but not all the way through so the thin slices were held together on the bottom side – and then cook them until the slices separated and got nice and crispy.
Hasselback Potatoes look fancy but they’re actually quite easy to make…you’ll be “hasselbackin’” in no time flat! Don’t let the slicing dissuade you from giving this fine dish a try, it’s easier than you think.
Ingredients
6 medium sweet potatoes, well-cleaned and skin on
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp salt
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely minced
3 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, finely minced
Optional: Parmesan and freshly chopped parsley, for serving
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°. Line rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper.
Slice ¼” lengthwise off bottom of each sweet potato so it has a flat base and won’t wobble.
Place a sweet potato lengthwise between two wooden chopsticks or the handles of two wooden kitchen spoons (will be used to guide how far down your slices go). Make ¼” slices about three quarters of the way through – until the knife touches the wooden handles – from end to end. Repeat.
In a small bowl, combine butter, maple syrup, salt, garlic and herbs. Brush half of the mixture over sweet potatoes and them in the oven to bake.
After 30 minutes, remove from oven and gently use a fork to spread sweet potatoes open further from the top. Brush the rest of the butter mixture on top and return to oven for another 30 minutes.
Remove from oven, cool slightly. Top with optional toppings before serving.
Homemade horseradish is waaaaay more powerful than the store-bought stuff. A little dab’ll do ya, anywhere you want some of its ama-ZING bite. Sandwiches, wraps, hummus, salad dressing, or riding shotgun with your sushi rolls instead of (yep, that’s reconstituted) wasabi…it’s easy to make so why not give it a go? Be sure to work in a well-ventilated room when you make this.
Ingredients
1 8-10 inch long piece of horseradish root (4-5 oz.), peeled and chopped
2 Tbsp water, plus more as needed
1 Tbsp apple cider or white vinegar, plus more if needed.
Pinch of salt
Optional: ½ cup peeled, coarsely chopped beets for color
Directions
In a small food processor or blender, add horseradish and beets (if using), and enough water so mixture turns over and is able to grind well. Process/blend until well ground, adding just enough water as needed along the way.
Strain out excess water if too liquidy, then add vinegar and a pinch of salt. Pulse to combine. Add more vinegar as needed, 1 tsp at a time.
Transfer to a glass jar and store in the fridge, it’ll keep about a month. Can be frozen for much longer. Potency diminishes over time.
