Asian Marinated Cucumber Salad

Asian Marinated Cucumber Salad

Serve this with satay 

Ingredients
1 large English (seedless) cucumber or 5-6 Persian (mini) cucumbers, very thinly sliced
¼ of a sweet onion, very thinly sliced
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill or ½ teaspoon dried dill weed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more for added kick)

Instructions
1. Slice the cucumbers as thinly as you can, preferably with a mandoline. (watch your finger tips!!)
2. If you don't have them pre-roasted or toasted, toss your tablespoon of sesame seeds into a small dry frying pan over medium heat and stir until the seeds just begin to brown (less than 30 secs usually).
3. Toss together all of the ingredients until everything is evenly coated. Put in a container with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Refrigerate for up to 5 days. Toss again before serving. Makes about 4-6 side servings.

Nutrition
Calories 71

Calories from Fat 0.1

Total Fat 1g

Saturated Fat 0g

Cholesterol 0mg

Sodium 700mg

Potassium 7mg

Total Carbohydrate 12g

Dietary Fiber 2g

Sugars 9g

Protein 1g

Vitamin C 4%

Calcium 3%

Iron 1%

Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai

I love this grain-free version of one of my favorite entrees! I turns out so good, I almost prefer the squash 'noodles' to rice noodles, and this is a lightened up version of Pad Thai so I feel allowed to eat a BIG bowl ;)

 

Ingredients

 1 large spaghetti squash
Chopped green onions (about half a bunch, or 3-4 individual bulbs)
Chopped fresh cilantro (one bunch is plenty)
3/4 shredded or julienned carrots
1/2 cup red bell pepper cut into strips
1 T crushed garlic
2 whole eggs (leave out if vegan)
1 1/1 cup bean sprouts, divided
2 T peanut, sesame, or coconut oil
3 T sweet chili sauce
1 T tamarind paste, dissolved in a little warm water
3 T gf soy sauce or tamari
1 lime
Sriracha or another hot chili sauce or paste
1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts, chopped/crushed
* Optional additions: prepared chicken, shrimp, and/or tofu, most any other veggies you like. I added red cabbage.



Instructions

1. Preheat to 350°F. Using a large, sharp knife, cut the spaghetti squash in half (lengthwise). Scrape out the seeds and guts using a spoon, and sprinkle the cut sides with olive oil or spray with cooking spray. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place the squash cut side down, uncovered on a deep baking sheet or big pan that has just a few tablespoons of water on the bottom and roast until tender and easily pierced with a knife, about 35-40 minutes. 
2. When the squash is done, use a fork to scrape out the flesh of each half into "noodles" (just scrap the width, the 'noodles' will come out easily). Place the noodles in a colander or paper towels to remove the extra moisture.
3. Prepare the vegetables for cooking and put in a bowl.
4. In a small bowl, beat together two eggs. Separately, thinly slice 1 green onion and chop about ½ cup of fresh cilantro.
5. In another small bowl, mix together the sauce: mix 3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, juice of ½ lime, and a few squirts of Sriracha or chili paste or sauce.
6. In a wok or large skillet, heat 2 T oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and scallions and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. 
7. Pour in the eggs and scramble until almost cooked. 
8. Add the red pepper, carrots, 1 cup bean sprouts, and squash noodles. (and any of the extra optional proteins (cooked) and veggies.
9. Add the sauce and stir to combine. Cook about 2 minutes, until the vegetables are heated through but still crisp.
10. Garnish with crushed peanuts, fresh bean sprouts, chopped cilantro, green onion, and fresh lime juice.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Spicy Vegan Almond-Ginger Slaw

This is the perfect entree salad or a yummy side to share with friends, bring to a picnic, or to work for lunch. It has a great mix of crunch, savory, sweet, and spice. I broil the tofu so it's semi-crispy without the calories and mess of frying, but you can add any kind of tofu.

Ingredients:
1 package (16 oz) extra firm tofu. I use the high-protein kind from Trader Joe's that is not packed in water so it's ready to go.
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 chop diced red bell pepper
2 cups cabbage or any slaw mix
1/4 scant cup green onions
1/2 cup diced cucumber (seeds removed)
1/2 cup broccoli florets
Optional:
1/2 cup chopped bok choy
1/8 cup diced celery
Bean sprouts, crushed peanuts or almonds as garnish

Dressing
2 T almond butter
2 tsp minced or crushed fresh ginger. You can also use ground ginger, about 1/2 tsp.
Sri racha to taste (I used 1 tsp) - you can also use cayenne (red) pepper
1/4 tsp crushed garlic
4 T apple cider or rice vinegar
1 T agave syrup or sugar
1 tsp gluten free soy sauce or tamari
1 tsp oil (coconut, vegetable, or canola - NOT olive oil)

Instructions
1. Cut the tofu into bite-sized cubes and coat in cooking spray. Salt and pepper to taste. Place on a baking sheet (line with foil for convenient clean up). Broil or bake at 425F until slightly browned and crisp on the outside (about 10 minutes). Turn each piece over and broil another 5 minutes or so to crisp up all sides. Let it cool.
2. Mix all the veggies together in a large bowl.
3. Prepare the dressing.
4. Add the tofu to the veggies and toss with the dressing. Chill at least an hour, ideally no more than this if serving immediately after so the tofu doesn't soften up too much.

(Sorry, I don't have the nutrition breakdown added yet)

Lemon-Garlic Fava Bean, Chicken & Chard Salad

I had a few random things leftover from my CSA box, so created this delicious entree salad with a few staples I had on hand. It's free of most allergens (gluten, soy, dairy) and packed with power greens and protein.

This salad is easy tweaked to suit your tastes. Suggestions: double up on beans &/or add almonds. Skip the chicken for a vegetarian salad. The garlic, lemon, fava beans and chard are the staples, although this would be interesting with any hearty green, like kale!

Ingredients
    2 cups chard, steamed a few minutes and chopped
    10 skinless chicken breast tenderloins, broiled or grilled
    1/2 cup raw celery, diced
    3/4 cup fava beans, prepared (see instructions below)
    Juice of one Meyer lemon
    1 tsp minced fresh garlic
    A few pinches of salt
    Black pepper to taste
    1/4 tsp. herbs de provence (optional)
    2 Tbsp chives, chopped
    2 Tbsp olive oil

Directions
Mix all together and let chill at least one hour, preferably overnight.

Nutritional Info    (for a large, entree-sized salad, about 1.5 cups)
    Calories: 391.0
    Total Fat: 14.8 g
    Cholesterol: 37.5 mg
    Total Carbs: 19.6 g
    Dietary Fiber: 4.5 g
    Protein: 49.6 g

Number of Servings: 2-4
Minutes to Prepare: 30
Minutes to Cook: 20

To prepare the fava beans, I pop them out the the pod, place in a few inches water, and boil about 5 minutes. Let them cool, then pierce the outer edge of the casing with a nail or knife, and simply press on the opposite end to pop out the beans. They should be tender and bright green.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

Want a filling, healthy, protein- and fiber-loaded meal? This recipe is not only gluten-free, it's vegetarian (even vegan, actually, without the suggested toppings), low-fat, and cheap to make. It's definitely my pride and joy, and I crave this often. I posted it on SparkRecipes.com, and so far people have rated it very positively.

I use my slow cooker, so that's what I recommend, but you could throw it all together in a soup pot and simply simmer for an hour or until the sweet potatoes are tender.

I use low-sodium versions of the canned stuff when available, and you could even use dried beans.

Recipe:

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed well
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed well
1 large sweet potato, cut into bite-sized cubes (about 1.5 cups. You can also use butternut squash)
1 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter, or a little more if you like a richer, nuttier taste
2 medium to large sweet bell peppers, chopped - yellow and red are best
3/4 cup raw onions, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes (same size as the cans of beans - soup-can size) - do NOT drain
1 small can tomato paste
1 tbsp molasses OR 1 T brown sugar (optional)
1 tsp salt
1 can corn, drained (I like the white and yellow crispy kernels)
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp cumin
Red/cayenne pepper to taste (I use about 1/2 tsp. (or hot sauce to taste)
6 cloves fresh garlic, minced (or a couple tablespoons)
1 - 2 cups water (enough to almost come to the top of the stuff in the crockpot
** you can add more other veggies, too, like portabella mushrooms, butternut squash instead of sweet potato, fresh tomatoes, etc.- most veggies taste really good in this, so make it your own style.

Throw everything into a slow cooker and cook on high 5 - 6 hours.

Add hot sauce to taste and top with your favorite chili companions - mine are fresh cilantro and avocado with a little shredded cheese.

Serves 8 - 12, depending on the portion size.