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Thai-Indian Cabbage Slaw

17 Feb

Sometimes I read a recipe and I just think, YES.  

My sister texted me a screenshot of this one from Food and Wine magazine and I could not wait to pull all the ingredients off the shelves and whip it up…and sure enough, it is so good.  I adapted it a little bit, because the original was slightly too bitter/spicy for my preference.  (Maybe I just measured wrong.) The dressing is so savory and unique and exotic tasting.  It tastes restaurant-level good — I would order it over and over!

I named it Thai Indian.  Thai for the fish sauce.  Indian for the garam masala.  🙂

Another thing that makes this recipe so awesome is that you get to use up your somewhat obscure pantry items that otherwise end up expiring: fish sauce, garam masala, and sriracha.  (If you want some inspiration for those ingredients, make Kheema and Green Curry.)

This is another one of those salads that I could sit down on the couch and eat the whole bowl without abandon.  Along with the original kale salad and the pistachio herb salad, this one completes the Prime Pursuit Salad Trifecta.  🙂

Here you go, bring this to your next potluck and everyone will be thanking you!

DRESSING:
1/4 c olive oil
juice of 3 limes
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1-2 tbsps honey
2 tbsp soy sauce/coconut aminos
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp sriracha
1 1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt

SALAD:
1 large or 2 small heads of cabbage cored and finely shredded (I use one green and one purple)
6 scallions thinly sliced
1 bunch cilantro finely chopped
1 bunch mint finely chopped. 

Whisk the salad dressing ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the cabbage, scallions, cilantro and mint, toss to coat.

Same Slaw, topped it with Peanuts, Avocado, Tomatoes and Mandarins

This slaw would make an amazing meal topped with seared fish, grilled shrimp, beef, or chicken.

Enjoy!
Leigh

Check out these delicious salad recipes:

Tangy Pistachio Herb Salad

Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad

 

Share the Love, Pin this!

 

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Yellow Cauli-Rice

2 Feb

yellow rice

It is marginally rewarding to report that 1/3 of my kids’ daily intake is very clean.  While Eric and I have been healthfully minded for almost every meal, bringing all the kids along on that train is so much harder.  I was all about it back when we had three kids.  ( 🎶🎵Glory days🎵🎶)

I am doing well to ensure all our dinners are clean/primal.  That means nothing more than one protein + two vegetables.  My lifelong friend Robbi nailed it:

“As (the adults’) nutrition increases, the kids is going straight down hill.  We can’t afford to feed EVERY mouth like this for every meal, so the ones who make the money get the better food.  

#sorrykids  

#youcanwhole30whenyouhavejobs.”

Confession.  I absolutely love prepackaged yellow rice: Goya, Zatarains, Mahatma.  I would eat an entire pot of it if I could. My kids love it too, and it’s just so easy to cut open the box, dump it in a pot, add water, boil it up and throw it on a plate.  I love yellow rice as a topping for taco salads and wraps and eggs.  And on and on.

this cauli-rice appears brown because I did not use the magic ingredient: yellow #5!

I needed to come up with my own recipe for two reasons.  1.  My favorite yellow rice can only be acquired by driving three hours to our US Commissary.  That’s excessive.   And 2. After doing a little research on the ingredients of yellow rice, I found a common denominator across all the brands: MSG.

Scientific studies show that MSG is made out of meth.  That is why after one hit–hardly anything can stop you from ingesting more, it makes everything taste so good.  It’s science.  On the flip side, coming down from an MSG overdose is brutal.  I am telling you, I once had a two-day migraine after eating a delicious beef pho made apparently from nothing but liquid MSG concentrate + noodles.  But I sure loved it when it was going down!

MSG is actually used to hyper-flavor many processed foods, and over-consuming it can offset our palates.  It takes time and effort to get that palate reset! 

Anyway, it was time for me to make a primal/grain free yellow rice alternative.  Homemade yellow rice is a simple process, and so this was an easy paleo conversion.  Just note: cauli-rice will always have a *hint* of cauli flavor, which is something to get used to when transitioning into a grain-free lifestyle.

 

1 large head of riced cauliflower (about 6 cups ground)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 red onion finely diced
1 red bell pepper finely diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
 3/4-1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp coriander

optional garnish (not pictured): tons of chopped cilantro and a sprinkling of toasted pine nuts

In a large frying pan, saute the cauli-rice in 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat until softened/toasted, about 8-10 minutes.  Set aside.  (I used a large mixing bowl to hold the sauteed cauli-rice.)  In the same frying pan, add 1-2 more tbsp of oil and saute the onion and red bell pepper over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes.  Return cauli-rice to the pan, and add the spices.  Stir over medium heat until mixed completely.  Serve hot, topped with cilantro and pine nuts if desired.

such clean ingredients here

pin this 🙂

This yellow cauli-rice would be a fantastic base for a one-pot meal.  Top it with any grilled or roasted meat, poultry, shrimp, fish or sausage. 

Enjoy!!
Leigh

 

 

Here are a few other cauliflower recipes to check out:

Cauli-coconut flower bread

Cauliflower Grits Breakfast Casserole

 

Cauliflower Wraps

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Mushroom Stilton Soup

17 Jan
mushroom stilton soup

Mushroom Stilton Soup

Christmas break was a fun vortex via Space-A** travel.  It was jetlag, great weather, family dynamics, eating, shopping, presents, and then a second (far worse) dose of jetlag all jammed into a two-week period.  Looking back, I loved it and am finally recovered from the post-vacation hangover that seems harder and harder to nurse the older I get.  

Ledbury England

Ledbury–so many discoveries in this little village 🙂

The jury is still out when it comes to my feelings toward England.  There is so much good here.  But there is just so much…different.  Different.  I am trying so diligently to make sure I don’t equate “different” with “difficult” or “disappointing.”  Turns out I’m married to my creature comforts.  The longing for my warm fuzzies seems to be trumping the sense of wanderlust and adventure I am supposed to be feeling while living abroad.  

But I am getting out there.  Ledbury is a cute little market town about 30 minutes from me.  It is full of doorways to duck into: shops, antique stores, pubs, and cafes.  The architecture is quintessentially English, exactly what you would imagine in your mind.  I asked a local for the best place to get a bite and a coffee, besides Greggs.  (I love Greggs, by the way.  I am addicted to their bacon & cheese wrap + americano for 2 pounds fifty.)

I will have to go back over there to get the name of the cafe–but it was one of the best lunches I’ve eaten here.  The soup of the day was Mushroom Stilton.  It sounded good…and come to think of it, mushroom stilton soup does pair well with brooding skies and damp coldness.  (It seemed like it could also simply be made out of the stuff ya scratch off the roofs around here.)  So I took the risk, because “when in Rome” has been my mantra.  Ordering this soup felt very “Romey” if you will.  

In all seriousness, I loved it.  Then I embarrassed myself and my friend by asking for the recipe.  And the kitchen actually shared the jist of it!  I’ve made it a few times since that visit, and decided it was worth sharing.  

Am I asking you to make soup out of mushrooms and blue cheese?  Yes.

This is sophisticated comfort food made from locally-sourced produce.  I am thrilled to put ingredients like mushrooms and blue cheese into something greater than on a salad or pizza.  Finally, it is so authentic to this area.  If you ever get to host any sort of British-themed gathering, put this on your menu with confidence.  

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 heaping cup of each of the following:
chopped onion
chopped leek with white parts
chopped celery
potatoes, peeled and diced small (1/2 inch cubes)
1/3 c water

6-7 heaping cups chopped mushrooms

4 cups stock
1/3 cup crumbled Stilton (or blue cheese)
1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 tsp pepper

In a large stock pot, saute onions in olive oil until translucent, then add the leeks, celery, and potatoes.  Saute this mixtures for a few minutes, then add about 1/3 cup water.  Cover and let simmer over medium low heat until the potatoes are soft.   Once the potatoes are fork tender, add the mushrooms and stock, and simmer over medium low heat for about 15 minutes.  Stir in the crumbled Stilton.  With an immersion blender, blend the soup until completely pureed.  This can also be done in batches in a blender.

salt and pepper to taste
Garnish with leftover leeks and a dollop of sour cream/creme fraiche/plain yogurt

This was so delicious, a true pleasure to make and eat!  Even the kids happily slurped it up.  

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**Space-A travel = When an Air Force jet releases seats  if there is “space available” in their passenger/cargo sections.  It is a crap-shoot whether there will be any seats on the day the flight leaves.  You just show up with your bags, your passports, and your prayers.  🙂 

PSA: “crap-shoot” does not mean the same thing in England as it does in the USA.

 

 

Check out some other delicious macro-friendly soup ideas:

pumpkin sausage soup

Pumpkin Sausage Soup

BLT Soup

BLT Soup

Curried Squash Soup

Curried Squash Soup

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