Jicama Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing ~ Meatless Monday

I've been including jicama in my meals a lot more and have been trying out new ways to serve it. Giving this slightly sweet, delicately crunchy, thoroughly delightful root veggie the Asian treatment is one of my favorite ways of enjoying it. Jicama has such an accommodating flavor and texture, it makes a really versatile additional your veggie lineup. It can be made into the star of a dish, or it can be turned into a background player. Enjoy it at room temp on a veggie tray, as part of a cold salad or in a warm dish, it's all good. I do love a veggie that can play so many different roles with such ease.

To make this  ~ Jicama Salad ~ combine: matchstick slices of peeled jicama, shredded carrots, thin sliced onions rings, diced celery, half-moon slices of radishes and freshly chopped cilantro & parsley. I top it with a quick homemade ~ Spicy Peanut Dressing ~ that includes: peanut butter, toasted sesame oil, Braggs (similar to soy sauce,) a few drops of Sriracha sauce, a couple shakes of Asian spice mix, fresh lime juice and a bit of warm water to help it all combine into a thick-ish pourable dressing. I give it all a healthy toss... and I'm good to go. A quick and easy salad for my lunch or dinner. I've got just one word for it ~ Yum!!

Quick Enoki Mushroom Soup ~ Meatless Monday

I'm a big fan of the itty-bitty, fairy-sized Enoki Mushroom.  There is something so cute and dainty about these little guys.  What I also like about them is how easy they are to use, just a minute in some hot broth and they're good to go.   My favorite way to eat them is in a super quick, simple to make soup.  In about the time it takes to boil the water so I can make the broth, I can have my ingredients all assembled for my soup.  

To make my Quick Enoki Mushroom Soup, just ~ Chop the Enoki Mushrooms into short sticks.  Slice a carrot into super thin 'coins'. To slice them I use my veggie peeler on the thin end of the carrot.  Slice some bell pepper into super thin strips.  Chop some cilantro.  Put all the prepped veggies into your soup bowl and then pour your favorite hot veggie/mock meat broth or miso soup over the top.  Stir in some Bragg's and a couple of drops of toasted oriental sesame oil.  Give it a quick spin & you're ready to eat.  Change up the soup any way you want, just slice the veggies super thin, so that way they 'cook' in the broth in about a minute.

Warm Spinach & Sriracha Chicken Salad

Now that the holidays are over and most of the sweet treats are gone, I'm trying to eat a more low carb diet.  (I'm trying to get back to eating more Fat Flush Plan diet friendly) What with all the lack of motivation to leave the house, due to all this bitter cold winter weather, as well as all the indulging in extra rich holiday foods in December...it's now definitely time to change up my meals.   Yesterday, I threw together a wonderful lunch that included a spinach salad with chicken and a side of steamed baby bok choy.

Just by chance, I tried a new way of making my salad.  This method of tossing heated ingredients into spinach (which slightly 'wilts' it) has turned out to be my new favorite way to eat/enjoy a healthy spinach salad.  I'm thinking this will work just a well with other types of heated protein, too. Like ~ beans, quinoa or grilled tofu.  I'm so looking forward to trying it in all different ways.  :)

And, as an extra bonus, the dressing is spicy and fat free ~ yes!  This is the first time I've ever dressed a salad with Sriracha sauce, and it won't be the last...don't know why I've never thought of it before.   The combo of the hot chili, garlic-y, sweet/spicy Sriracha sauce and Bragg's soy sauce flavor was truly amazing.  It makes for a really lively dressing, that's also super low-cal.

I didn't measure anything as I was making my salad, I was just throwing stuff into the bowl as the inspiration came to me.  So, I don't have a recipe per se, but, here is what I tossed together...

Warm Spinach & Sriracha Chicken Salad

serves 1

Into a big salad bowl throw...

• 4-6 handfuls of washed spinach leaves
• 6 oz. of leftover shredded chicken, heated through until really hot
• 1/2 small white onion, cut into thin 1/2 rings
• 1/4 cucumber, sliced into 1/4's
• a couple spoonfuls of toasted slivered almonds

Then drizzle with...

• Sriracha sauce (to taste)
• Bragg's amino acids or soy sauce (to taste)

Then sprinkle on...

• favorite spice blend & pepper (to taste)

Then get ready to eat...

Once all has been assembled in the bowl, toss the salad.  The heat of the chicken will begin to lightly wilt the spinach...yum!  Taste and add more Sriracha sauce or Bragg's/soy sauce as desired. (I'm pretty heavy handed with the Sriracha, I like my food hot & spicy)  Enjoy! 

 

Spicy Almond Noodles ~ Meatless Monday

When I have leftover plain spaghetti noodles in the fridge, I'll often turn them into a quick Asian-inspired meal for the next go 'round.   I don't really have a recipe for this kind of meal because it all comes together based on what is hanging around in my fridge, what I'm in the mood for and how creative I'm feeling at the moment.  This time I just nuked some sliced yellow squash, mushrooms, onions and cubed tofu.  I mixed up a quick and simple 'sauce' from a big spoonful of almond butter,  a pinch of Chinese 5-Spice, a dash of Tabasco sauce and a little Bragg's Amino Acids (my stand-in for soy sauce).  I tossed the sauce with the reheated noodles, threw in the veggies and tossed again.  I topped it all off with some chopped fresh cilantro, crushed red pepper flakes and a handful of  toasted sliced almonds.  Spicy Almond Noodles = Yummy for my tummy!  This makes a super simple meal for a Meatless Monday, or for any day of the week.  Who says leftovers are boring?  Certainly not me!!  :)

Kale & Chickpeas with Simple Spicy Peanut Sauce ~ Meatless Monday

I was cleaning out my veggie bin and found some kale and yellow squash that had totally seen better days.  Since I never let anything in the fridge go to waste if I can help it, I chopped the tired veggies and gave them the ol' steamer treatment.  Then I tossed the hot cooked veggies with a big spoonful of creamy peanut butter, some canned chickpeas, a healthy shot of Bragg's (my soy sauce stand-in), a liberal dose of Frank's Hot Sauce, a few chopped nuts and some crushed red pepper flakes ~ just for a little extra 'kick'.  It made for a really quick, tasty, cheap and satisfying meal.  Booyah!  

 

Simple Chinese Meals ~ So easy to cook Asian food at home...

Sometimes, I feel like having some Chinese food.  Sometimes, I want to go out to the local Chinese restaurant & enjoy their vast lunch buffet.  Sometimes, I just want to stay home & have some quick & easy Chinese food that I make myself.  On those days, this is what you might find cooking in my kitchen.  Not having a certain ingredient will ever stop me from making a dish, I just improvise with what I have on hand.  It's the only way to cook when you have a craving.  :)

Hot and Sour Soup ~ When Roy is sick, I like to made him some homemade soup.  He really enjoys Hot & Sour Soup at the Chinese restaurant ~ whether he has a cold, or not.  Last time he was ill, I found a recipe for the soup in The Joy of Cooking cookbook & improvised with what I had on hand. It turned out really good!

Double Mushroom Miso Soup & Sesame Broccoli ~ I saw this post (for these two recipes, making one meal) on Facebook, ~ from the blog,  Fat Free Vegan.  I had all the ingredients, so I made it for my lunch that same day. Very tasty.  I wonder sometimes if I have too many items/ingredients in my pantry/fridge...Nah. :) ~ 

  Udon Noodles ~ I know these are Japanese noodles, but they have similar noodles in China, so I'm taking the liberty to include them in this post.  (I hope no one minds :)  I love cooking with these noodles, they are so quick & easy. They make a fantastic presentation & are a great way to use up any leftovers you might have in the fridge.  I make both  hot & cold dishes with these tasty noodles. So versatile!

Sweet & Sour Pork ~ Roy & I had the munchies late one night & he decided to cook.  I had some leftover pork chops/rice & he made this REALLY good meal in no time flat. Bottled Sweet & Sour Sauce is such a quick way to make this meal.  He threw in some canned tropical fruit & frozen bell pepper strips.  Literally, 15 minutes from start to finish.  I love it when we have just the right ingredients all ready to go in the fridge.

Chinese Chicken Salad with Almonds, Ramen Noodles & Oranges ~ I love making this dish with shredded cabbage or even using coleslaw mix (to make it faster to create).  It travels well, keeps a perfect crunch & is great for potlucks & family get togethers.  I have been making it for years!

Just change up the presentation a little bit & the Chinese Chicken Salad can look elegant.  Who knew ramen noodles could look so sophisticated? 

Asian food