healthy dinner – Kacey Tess

Watermelon Radish Salad

Ingredient list

Salad:

2 watermelon radishes sliced thinly with a mandolin

1 pear sliced thinly

1 nectarine cut into small slivers

1 fennel bulb cut thinly

2 cucumbers cut into matchsticks

1 tbsp fresh thyme chopped finely

Dressing:

1/4 C champagne vinegar

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp dried shallots

1 tsp mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

1/3 C extra virgin olive oil

Method:

Combine all salad ingredients and set aside

Combine all ingredients for dressing minus the olive oil in a food processor, gradually poor in olive oil

Combine dressing and salad, enjoy!

This is a salad that will get better with time, so great the next day.

Shaved carrot + cucumber salad

What you’ll need:

2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 tsp ginger

2 carrots shaved

1 English cucumber chopped into small pieces

1/2 C cilantro chopped roughly

Sea salt + pepper to taste

Method:

In a small bowl combine honey, rice wine vinegar and ginger, set aside

Shave carrots into ribbons, put in large bowl

Add cut cucumbers

Add honey sauce

Combine thoroughly

Let marinade for 1 hour if possible

Add cilantro + salt + pepper

Enjoy!

Rosemary polenta with turmeric white beans

What you’ll need:

1 C uncooked polenta
3 C water
1 vegetable bullion cube
1 small fresh package of rosemary
1 can white beans drained and rinsed
2 cloves if garlic chopped
1/2 jar of marinated red bell peppers
1/2 Tsp red pepper flakes
1 Tsp turmeric
1 Tsp coriander
Sea salt to taste
2 celery stalks chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 bunch of young broccoli (opt)
1 bunch of green onions chopped (light part only)

What you’ll do:
Cook polenta according to directions on package, mine were quick so I brought 3 cups of water to a boil added to bullion and polenta, reduced the heat and wisked frequently for about 5 minutes

Add rosemary and remove from heat

Keep covered and set aside

In a large skillet add olive oil, red pepper flakes and garlic

Let cook for about 1-2 minutes

Add celery cook another 2 minute

Add beans and red pepper, cook until beans are heated through

Add 1 C of water and mash mixture

Add turmeric, coriander and sea salt to taste

Add cleaned, cut young broccoli

Let simmer covered until thickened a few minutes

Spoon the polenta mixture on a plate and cover with white bean mixture

Add broccoli and green onions

I also did a micro radish greens salad with cherry tomatoes and a homemade dressing of red wine vinegar, lemon juice, agave nectar and sea salt.

Enjoy!!!

Vegan ramen soup with tofu

What you’ll need:

1 package if extra firm tofu

1 package of refrigerated Undon or ramen noodles (discard sauce it comes with)

1 Tbsp soy sauce

Homemade or store bought vegetable stock (I use a spicy one my local store carries) 2 cups

2 cups of water

1 package if dried shiitake mushrooms rehydrated and cut if desired

1 bunch of green onions chopped (white part only)

1 head of bok choy chopped (white parts separated from the green leafy part)

1/2 head of napa cabbage chopped

2 cloves of garlic chopped finely

1/4 Tbsp of ginger paste

Hoisin sauce or teriyaki sauce

Bean sprouts (optional)

Lime slices (garnish, optional)

What you’ll do:

Press your tofu in a tofu press or on a plate wrapped in paper towels with a heavy pot or book on top until all excess moisture is removed (about 20 minutes)

Rehydrate mushrooms in a bowl of warm water for 20 minutes

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat a small amount of olive oil, garlic, ginger, onions and white part of bok choy for about 5 minutes until soft

Add the vegetable stock (2 cups)

Add 1 cups of hot water

Add the soy sauce

Add the mushrooms

Bring to a boil

Mix well

Reduce heat to low and simmer

In a large skillet over medium add a small amount of olive oil and brown the tofu

Once the tofu is browned on all sides remove it from the pan and glaze it with hoisen or teriyaki sauce in a separate bowl

In the same pan add the ramen noodles, bok choy and cabbage and fry for about 2 minutes

Pour the contents of the sauce pan into the large skillet and mix well

Spoon with a large ladle into a small bowl

Add bean sprouts

Add tofu

Add lime slice

Enjoy!!!

Smoked salmon and spinach salad

What you’ll need:
1 bag of spinach cleaned
1/2 Red onion
10 sugar snap peas cleaned and cut in half
3-4 spears of pickled asparagus
3-4 large button mushrooms sliced thinly
10 cherry tomatoes halved
1 package of smoked salmon ( I prefer to use Lox)
Sea salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Goat cheese or feta cheese (optional)

1 batch of red wine vinegar dressing (recipe in previous blog post) or store bought

Mix all ingredients except salmon together thoroughly

Add salmon after you have plated the salad

If wanted add goat cheese or feta

Enjoy!!!

Brussel sprout quinoa salad

What you’ll need:

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 bunch of brussel sprouts with the stems cut off and halved

1 head of broccoli cut into bite size pieces

1 cup of quinoa cooked

1/4 C dried cranberries

10 yellow tomatoes halved

Sea salt

Black pepper

1 lemon

1 Tsp honey

What you’ll do:

Cook the quinoa according to the directions

Place in a bowl

Heat olive oil over medium in a medium skillet

Add brussel sprouts and juice from 1 lemon and the rhine(remove before serving)

Add sea salt and pepper to taste

Cook for about 5 minutes and add broccoli

Cook for another 2-3 minutes

Add to bile with quinoa

Add cherry tomatoes

Add dried cranberries

Add honey

Mix thoroughly

Enjoy!!!

Cold Undon Noodle Salad

What you’ll need:
1 package of dry Undon noodles
1 bottle of soy or miso dressing of choice

1 yellow tomato (if available, if not red) cut thinly

5 cherry tomatoes chopped
1 carrot chopped
1/4 package of bean sprouts
1/4 package of snap peas
Any other veggies you have in the fridge

What you’ll do:
Cook Undon noodles according to directions on the package (normally boil for 8 minutes)

Rinse noodles in cold water

Transfer the noodles into the serving dish

Combine miso dressing with noodles

Add all veggies and mix thoroughly

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour

Enjoy!!

Whole wheat pasta primavera

What you’ll need:

1/2 container of cherry tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
1 TBSP olive oil
2 garlic cloves chopped
1/2 TBSP Italian seasoning or to taste
1/2 white onion
1/2 container of sliced mushrooms
2 Cups if broccoli florets
1 package of whole wheat linguine

What you do:

Heat olive oil over medium and add garlic and olives, cook for about 5 minutes until onions start turning translucent

Add diced tomatoes and Italian seasoning

Lower heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes

Cook pasta according to instructions on box (normally for al dente pasta boil for 7 minutes then drain)

Strain pasta, add a small amount of olive oil to noodles to prevent them from sticking

Add pasta sauce to pasta

Enjoy!!!

Greek Salad

What you’ll need:

Mixed greens
1/4 red onion sliced
Marinated artichoke hearts (3-4)
Olives (green, kalamata, ect)
Marinated peppers
Marinated white beans
1 tomato chopped

Dressing:
1/4 Cup Red wine vinegar
1/2 lemon (juiced)
1 TBSP olive oil
Sea salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste

What you do:
Combine all salad ingredients

Combine all dressing ingredients

Pour on salad and enjoy!!!!!

Veggie Pizza with Pesto Sauce

What you’ll need:

Crust:
For the crust my good friend Jenny gave me the best whole wheat dough recipe you can find on a previous blog post. If you prefer you can buy a pre-made whole wheat pizza crust (that’s what I used tonight, it was brand Boboli)

Pesto:
You can buy pre-made pesto or I simply combined arugula, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice in my food precessor. I didn’t happen to have pine nuts on hand but if you do, add a few in for an even heartier pesto.

Toppings:
Kalamata olives
Green olives
White onion cut thinly
Jalapeno cut thinly
Canned arktichoke hearts
Cherry tomatos halved and seasoned with salt, pepper and dried parsley
Canned pickled beets chopped finely

What you’ll do:

Preheat oven to 450

Cover pizza crust with pesto, olives, onion, arktichoke, jalepeno

Bake at 450 for 8-10 minutes until crust is crispy

Remove from oven and add tomatoes, beets and season with salt to taste

Enjoy!!!