Japanese Cabbage Salad

I know that the autumn weather is supposed to be upon us and that I should be whipping out some serious oven roasted meals, but my home is still blessing me with an overwhelming sauna effect and cautionary warning to stay clear from the oven. In an attempt to satisfy my insatiable appetite, as well as keep my humble home to a moderately “comfortable” temperature, (for those of you who have experienced my non AC standard of living you understand) I took a voluntary jump back on the salad train. I promise you, this is no boring ol’ green salad. In fact, I am downright positive that most of you will adopt the Japanese Cabbage Salad as your potluck/get together “must” recipe.

I was introduced to this dish by one of my mom’s friends and begged him for the recipe deets by my second bite. I was shocked to know that the ingredients included a pack of Mr.Noodles. After all these years, that terrible elementary school soup mix is still kicking around? I remember the kids in the school yard eating this stuff dry with the salty mixture all over their fingertips. Personally, I was grateful that my mom never gave in to this schoolyard trend. But today my friend, Mr. Noodles has redeemed himself. It gives the right crunch to the cabbage and browned almond mixture. It is also effortlessly complimented by a flavour bonanza from its Asian inspired seasonings.  I must warn you though, this salad is highly addictive! I made a batch last night that could feed a group of four and found myself boldly licking the bowl clean. Ok, I admit that have an overly “healthy” appetite…but I bet that most of you will share the same results. Most importantly, did I mention that the salad takes only 15 minutes to assemble? It is not the most attractive dish, but the flavours undeniably speak for themselves.

Xo Dom Appetit!

Japanese Cabbage Salad

Prep Time: 15 mins

Tools needed: large mixing bowl, measuring cups & spoons, sealable jar, salad spoons, baking sheet

Ingredients:

½ cup almonds (sliced or slivered)
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 package of coleslaw in a bag (or ½ head of medium cabbage shredded)
Handful of bean sprouts (washed)
2 green onions (chopped)
¼ cup sunflower seeds
1 package instant noodles (3 oz, Mr.Noodles)
½ cup of Olive Oil
3 tablespoons soya sauce
3 tablespoons of vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar and loved it!)
1 teaspoon Salt & Cracked pepper
Chow Mein Noodles (optional)

Directions:

1)      Toast almonds and sesame seeds on baking sheet in oven at 350 degrees F for 5 mins or until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
2)      In large mixing bowl, toss cabbage, bean sprouts, onions, sunflower seeds, almonds, sesame seeds and instant noodles. Place oil, soya sauce, seasoning packet from instant noodles, vinegar, salt and pepper in a sealable jar and shake well. Pour over salad and toss. Sprinkle chow mein noodles over top.

Tabouleh Salad with Hempseeds

I know I have been inching towards the healthier, lighter meals lately but I honestly haven’t had much of a choice. Despite the rainy/hail weather we have been experiencing lately, summer is right around the corner and I need to get this bod back into bikini-worthy shape. Once I am done drooling over all the excessively complicated dazzling meals on Top Chef Canada, I open my laptop and search for realistic meals that you and I can whip up without the grueling eyes of the judges. I have been hanging around the beautiful Kimberley Snider’s website lately and have become a bit intrigued by the “beauty from the inside out” concept. Don’t worry, I am still a glutton for punishment and will be serving up something fried by next week, but I can still appreciate some real “feel-good” food.

The Raw Tabouleh Salad is as simple as it gets. It took me less than 15 minutes to throw together and the results were exploding with flavor. There is something about the lemony-garlicky dressing that drove my taste buds mad! The best part though, is that you are ingesting copious amounts of antioxidants without even realizing it. Parsley is packed with iron, vitamins A & C, and possesses enzymes that can help keep you regular! ;) … The hemp seeds are a nice addition to this salad since they are “high” in protein (haha) and essential fats. With this unpredictable weather, we can all use the vitamins!

Xo Dom Appetit!

Tabouleh Salad with Hempseeds
Taken from:Kimberley Snider Recipes

Prep Time: 15 mins

Tools Needed: measuring cups & spoons, large mixing bowl, blender, paring knife, cutting board, mixing spoon

Ingredients:

1 huge bunch of fresh parsley (stems removed and chopped)
½ of white onion (chopped)
1 tomato (diced)
5 heaping Tbs of hempseeds (I used 3 since these aren’t cheap!)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 clove of garlic
¼ of olive oil
Salt (for taste)

Directions:

1)      Throw chopped parsley, tomato, onion and hempseeds into large mixing bowl
2)      In a blender, combine lemon, garlic, olive oil and salt. Blend until smooth and pour over salad and mix well. Enjoy J

Moroccan Quinoa Salad

My fellow foodies, I finally decided to try the latest food phenomenon: Quinoa. My thoughts? Loved it. It is so fluffy and versatile and incredibly healthy that you just have to incorporate it into your diet. This “supergrain” tastes great for breakfast in porridge with berries, for lunch in a hearty soup, or in a salad as a dinner side dish. Additionally, the lightweight grain is not only gluten-free but is rich in complete protein, magnesium, and fiber (Yah Fiber!). Now for an embarrassing fact about little ol’ me, I cannot cook rice if my life depended on it. I hate to admit it, but it’s the truth! It either turns out too mushy, too hard or frustratingly mediocre (I am therefore heavily reliant on my rice cooker as you can see lol). This is another reason why I am keen on Keen-wah… SO EASY TO COOK. I simply rinse it, boil it, let it sit, and fluff it. Perfection every time.

I love all ethnic foods, especially those that use coriander & mint. That is probably why I am drawn to the Moroccan Quinoa Salad listed below. The fact that it only takes 20 minutes to put together is a bonus. The combination of ingredients is definitely appealing to the eye and taste buds with no lingering guilty feelings. I made this dish for a family potluck last Sunday and witnessed the bowl of Quinoa disappear instantly. The key ingredient to the salad, besides the obvious, is the fresh mint. It adds a refreshingly “cool” touch to the flavourful mélange. So whatever you do, don’t cheap out on the mint!

Xo Dom Appetit!

Moroccan Quinoa Salad

Adapted from: Canadian Family


Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 10-15 mins

Tools Needed: medium boiling pot with lid, measuring cups and spoons, cutting board, knife, medium mixing bowl, small mixing bowl

Ingredients:


3 cups cooked quinoa (1 cup dried)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 cup canned black beans (rinsed)
1 1/2 cup canned corn (rinsed)
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 pint of cherry tomatoes (quartered)
1/2 cup slivered almonds (toasted)
1/4 cup chopped black olives (or green)
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander
Fresh Ground Pepper
½ of squeeze lime juice (optional)


Directions:


1)      Cook your Quinoa. While Quinoa is cooking, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, salt, sugar and pepper into a vinaigrette in a small bowl.
2)      Combine Quinoa and all remaining ingredients (except fresh herbs*) in a medium mixing bowl. Mix in vinaigrette and refrigerate for at least one hour prior to serving to allow flavors to combine – the longer the better! Add the herbs, optional lime juice, and serve at room temperature.

Edamame Succotash

This past weekend I made a promise to myself to be more proactive with my cooking and overall health. This could have been triggered by a Saturday night binge including a slice of 99 cent pizza, terrible Chinese take-out, and PC’s new pepperoni pizza bites with garlic dipping sauce (not the wisest choice). My grand idea of Sunday detoxification from those nightmarish calories included 90 minutes in the torture chamber of Bikram Hatha Yoga. For those of you who are not familiar with this practice, let me fill you in. Picture this: holding 26 different positions for two minutes at a time in a 40 degree room, with no way out. Our instructor, who has the tightest abs I have ever seen, mandated that we were not to leave the room at any point during the class. Her explanation, “to not disturb the others’ practice”. I reckon, it is much safer to have my sister and I feeling roller coaster nausea, near black out state, begging for this moment to end… and yes, I will be returning tomorrow for round two.

After experiencing this toxin releasing stretch-fest, the last thing I could think of is putting more junk in my body. I was craving something refreshing without sacrificing any taste. So I quickly filtered through my latest copy of the Food Network mag, and stumbled across this amazing Edamame salad recipe. It includes my favourite fresh veggies: corn, red peppers, red onions, and ….Applewood-smoked bacon. Ok, I know that it is a bit of a cheat, but it adds such amazing flavour to the mix and can be substituted for chicken or turkey bacon. Now for the nutritious side, the Japanese Edamame bean is packed with protein, high in fibre, omega-3 fatty acids, and above all, is loaded with flavour. Don’t be afraid to add any extra ingredients to this perfect side dish and call it your own.

Xo Dom Appetit!

Edamame Succotash

Taken from: The Food Network

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 5 mins

Tools Needed: measuring cups and spoons, large skillet, cutting board, paring knife, spatula

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of toasted sesame oil
½ cup finely diced red onion
1 teaspoon of minced garlic (I chopped 3 garlic cloves! Delish!)
2-3 strips of applewood-smoked bacon, finely chopped (1/3 cup)
1 cup of frozen Edamame (thawed)
½ cup of fresh corn kernels, from 1 small ear
¼ cup small-diced red bell pepper
Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Directions:

1)      In a large skillet, heat the sesame oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions and garlic until softened (2 mins). Add the bacon and cook until it begins to crisp (5 mins), drain some of the fat.
2)      Add the Edamame, corn and bell pepper and sauté for 2 to 3 mins. Season with a dash of salt and pepper. Remove from heat and serve hot. Makes about 2 cups.

Creamy Crab Pasta Salad

Grand Prix 2011 has come to an end and my belly is begging me for a break! This weekend consisted of non-stop martinis, white wine sangria, and too many munchies to name. I was fortunate enough to enjoy all these memorable moments with my Bestie who came all the way from Ottawa and my MTL ladies. The weather may not have been on our side this past weekend, but we kept our spirits high with good eats, and even better company. This weekend’s list of worthy restaurants included: BICE (amazing terrace, poor service), Marche 27 (4 thumbs up, as usual!), and breakfast at Tiffany's (stuffed Portobello mushroom eggs Benedict, shall I say more?). 

Somewhere between cocktails and extravagantly unaffordable BICE, I was able to sneak in some kitchen time to prepare a modest Creamy Crab Pasta Salad for you. My colleagues were having yet another famous potluck, and in Friday’s heat I decided to keep it low key with a wonderfully refreshing side dish (ignoring its calorie content). This is the most phenomenal and simple pasta salad I have ever made. Mister Hans Hoffman said it best: “The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.”… And let me tell you, this salad speaks wonders!

Xo Dom Appétit!

Creamy Crab Pasta Salad

 Adapted from:  Taste of Home

Prep Time: 25 mins (30-1 fridge time)

Tools Needed: medium mixing bowl, medium boiling pot, strainer, cutting board, knife, wooden spoon, small mixing bowl,

Ingredients:

1 box of tri-color Rotini Pasta

½ cup of chopped celery, green pepper, red pepper, onion

1 ½ cups to 2 cups of chopped crab (imitation crab!)

½ cup of calorie wise ranch dressing

½ cup of sour cream

¼ cup of mayonnaise

4 twigs of fresh dill (chopped)

Cracked Pepper

Salt

Olive Oil

Directions:

1)     Boil pasta in medium pot with a dash of salt and oil to boil and remove and strain once cooked but not too soft (approx 11 mins) and rinse lightly with cold water

2)     Transfer pasta to mixing bowl and toss in the celery, green pepper, red pepper, onion and crab meat

3)     In small mixing bowl, combine ranch, sour cream, mayo and fresh dill. Crack ground pepper over dressing and keep mixing. Combine the mixture into the pasta salad. Cover and refrigerate for 30 mins to an hour and serve either as a side dish or main meal!