Coleslaw

My husband loves coleslaw and we wanted a nutritious go-to version to use in fish tacos. This recipe is perfect because it uses only fresh ingredients and tastes much better than anything you can purchase. One of the ingredients is a citrus (lemon and orange) infused white vinegar that I found on the blog LittleOwlCrunchyMomma. Her exact recipe is called Orange Vinegar (follow the link). You could use plain white vinegar instead, but the infused vinegar makes it really special.

This is an awesome way to use leftover lemon and orange rinds. I use my citrus vinegar for cooking and cleaning. This recipe is one of my favorite finds of the year. I use up a lot of lemons drinking Warm Lemon Water in the mornings and also a lot of oranges drinking orange water in the evenings. I am so happy to have found such a versatile recipe for my leftover lemon and orange rinds.

Lentil Soup

This is another recipe from my grandma, and she always said that her best friend, Anita, taught her how to make this soup. Not only does it taste incredible, but it's very nutritious, easy to make, and freezes well. As such, this is a great soup to make on the weekend to have later in the week. If you've cooked the barley and bacon in advance, prep time is not long.

If you have not, simply cook while the soup is simmering to be added near the end of the process. I like to let my soup simmer on a very low heat for about two hours (maybe a little more, even) but you don't need to simmer that long. Also, if you do, you may need to add a little water as you'll certainly lose some during the process--depending on how thick of a soup you like. You can learn how to soak your lentils here.

Beef Stir Fry

My husband loves it when I make this dish, which is super fast to make and tastes so very good. It is also a nice change of pace from the standard chicken fare.

Ingredients:
One pound beef for stir frying (we like this flank steak for this recipe)
2-3 cups assorted chopped vegetables such as zucchini, onions, spinach, mushrooms, onion, pepper, baby corn, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, carrots, yellow squash, etc.
About 1 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice seasoning
About 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Black pepper
Soy sauce, naturally fermented, to taste (about 2-3 tbsp at least...), try this
Rice wine vinegar, about 1-2 tsp (start with less), to taste
Sesame oil
1-2 tbsp Grade B maple syrup (optional)
If you would like a thicker sauce:
1/4 cup cool broth or cool water or soy sauce (or a combination)
Abt 4 tsp arrowroot powder
**Combine in a little glass and add at the end.

How To:
1. In a saute pan (cast iron or stainless steel), over medium heat, cook beef in sesame oil until browned. Season with soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, garlic powder, ground black pepper, and 5-spice powder. You should have a decent amount of liquid in the pan, but if not, don't worry about it. We'll add some in the following steps.

2. While the beef is cooking, chop and prep the vegetables, add them to the pan, and season with more soy sauce. If you don't have much liquid in the pan (and you would like more of a sauce), add a little beef stock (or chicken stock or water with a little more soy sauce).

3. Saute and adjust seasonings, as needed, until vegetables are crisp cooked--about 5 minutes. Drizzle with maple syrup, if using, and stir to combine. If you want to thicken the sauce, slowly add the broth/arrowroot mixture (described above) and gently stir. You should notice the sauce getting a little thicker after stirring a bit.

4. Serve over rice or soba noodles.

 

Comments:
If using bean sprouts, add at the very end, after making broth. All canned items should be rinsed before adding. Try serving over brown rice, we make two cups and usually have a little rice left over, or soba noodles. This serves 4-6 people.

This is very, very good! Easy to make other than lots of chopping going on. Probably takes about 20-30 minutes total. Super fast! Also, this is a great article from the Nourishing Gourmet that will help you select a good soy sauce.

Red Cabbage & Carrot Asian Salad

Ingredients:
2 cups julienned red cabbage
1 carrot, julienned
1/3 cup sliced red onion
1 tbsp. white sesame seeds
1 tbsp. black sesame seeds

Dressing:
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tbsp. hoisin sauce, try this one

How To:
Mix the above together in a medium bowl. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Comments:
Tastes better the next day! Serves about 4-6 as a side dish. Other than slicing the carrots so thinly, this was very quick to make.