Veggie Slaw

This is a great fresh-flavored alternative to a creamy coleslaw.

Veggie Slaw

The Kosher Palette II

Salad:

1 head red cabbage, shredded, or 2 (12-ounce) bags shredded red cabbage

1 pound carrots, shredded
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 each orange, yellow and red peppers, chopped

1 Hass avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into small pieces

Garlic Herb Dressing:

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup red wine vinegar or cider vinegar

1/4 cup fresh dill weed, chopped

3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon mustard

2 to 3 garlic cloves

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Combine cabbage, carrots, red onion, and bell peppers in a large bowl.

Combine all the dressing ingredients in a food processor and process until well mixed.
Toss the salad with the dressing and avocado, and mix well.
12-14 servings

Meatballs in Sweet-and-Sour Sauce

Every so often I just want to have a not-quite-so-healthy comfort food kind of meal. When I do, I often turn to this meatball recipe. It's meant to be an appetizer, but if you make the meatballs larger and serve it over rice, it makes a really great dinner.

I did serve it with a veggie-filled slaw to add SOME nutrition to this meal :)

Meatballs in Sweet-and-Sour Sauce

1 cup jellied cranberry sauce
3/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 pound ground beef
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 onion, grated (I use 1/2 onion, minced)
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

In a large saucepan combine cranberry sauce, ketchup, brown sugar and lemon juice. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until smooth, 25 to 30 minutes.
In a large bowl combine the ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, onion and seasonings. Form into 1-inch balls. Add meatballs to the sauce and simmer, covered, for one hour. Serve hot.

Island Bean Burgers with Caribbean-Style Creole Sauce

One of my favorite go-to cookbooks is Donna Klein's Vegan Italiano. It's filled with delicious recipes that are healthy, inexpensive and easy to make. When I saw that she had a new cookbook out, The Tropical Vegan Kitchen, I immediately checked it out from the library.
Last night I tried my first recipe from it - Island Bean Burgers with Caribbean-Style Creole Sauce. Although I have tried many bean burger recipes before, and liked them, I never thought I'd classify one as an "Oh, my God!" recipe. But that is exactly what I exclaimed when I took my first bite of this. The burgers themselves were very good, but the sauce just took them over to fantastic! Seriously. I'm already looking forward to making them again.
I had them with roasted sweet potato wedges... which I dipped into the extra sauce, of course! Yum!

Island Bean Burgers with Caribbean-Style Creole Sauce
The Tropical Vegan Kitchen, Donna Klein

For a spicier burger, add a dash of hot pepper sauce or a pinch of cayenne pepper to the bean mixture before cooking.

1 cup rinsed and drained canned black beans

1 cup cooked brown rice, preferably warm

2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

1 1/2 tablespoons tomato ketchup

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon peanut oil (I used canola)

4 hamburger buns, preferably whole wheat

Caribbean-Style Creole Sauce (recipe follows)

In a large bowl, mix together the beans, rice, onion, ketchup, chili powder, oregano, cumin, garlic, salt, and pepper until well combined. Mash well with a potato masher. Divide mixture into 4 balls. With wet hands, form each ball into an even patty.

In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the patties and cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Place each patty inside a hamburger bun and serve at once, passing the Creole sauce separately.

4 servings

Caribbean-Style Creole Sauce

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or cilantro

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 cup tomato ketchup

1/4 cup water

1/2 tablespoon cider vinegar

1/2 tablespoon fresh lime juice, or more to taste

1 teaspoon molasses

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or more to taste (I used sriracha - Thai hot chili sauce)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a small saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Add the parsley and thyme and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Stir in the ketchup, water, vinegar, lime juice, molasses, hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally; reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remover from heat and let cool to room temperature. Mixture can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator up to 5 days.

Makes about 1 cup

Rotelle with Roasted Grape Tomatoes and Basil

Sometimes a few simple ingredients combine to become a really great dish, and this is one of those recipes. Roasting the tomatoes concentrates their flavor, and when combined with other Italian staples it makes for a delicious meal.

Rotelle with Roasted Grape Tomatoes and Basil

Vegan Italiano, Donna Klein

2 pints (4 cups) grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 teaspoon coarse coarse salt, plus additional to taste, if necessary

8 ounces rotelle, fusilli, or other spiral-shaped pasta

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 250F. Line a large baking sheet with sides with parchment paper.

Arrange the tomatoes, cut sides up, in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil and sprinkle with the salt. Bake in the center of the oven until the tomatoes are dried around the edges but still moist, about 1 1/2 hours (cherry tomatoes will take longer).

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large stockpot in boiling salted water according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, then drain well. Return to the pot and add the tomatoes, reserved cooking liquid, basil, remaining oil, garlic, pepper, and salt, if necessary; toss well to thoroughly combine. Serve warm.

3 to 4 servings

Black Bean Soup with Cumin, Chiles, and Lime

This is a great recipe for a weeknight soup - not too many ingredients, quick to make, and absolutely delicious!

Black Bean Soup with Cumin, Chiles, and Lime

A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen, Jack Bishop

3 tablespoons canola oil

2 medium onions, chopped

4 medium garlic cloves, minced

1 small jalapeno, stemmed and minced (I used a large jalapeno, seeded)

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

Salt

1 (12-ounce) bottle beer (I used Coors)

1 cup cold water

3 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Sour cream or plain yogurt for garnish

Chopped fresh cilantro leaves for garnish

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and jalapeno and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the chili powder, cumin, and a generous amount of salt, and cook until the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour the beer and water into the pot. Bring to a boil and simmer until the alcohol aroma fades, about 5 minutes.

Add the beans and bring the soup back to a boil. Simmer until the soup thickens and the flavors blend, about 10 minutes.

Remove 2 cups of the soup into a blender and puree until smooth. Return the pureed soup to the pot. Add the lime juice and adjust the seasonings, adding salt to taste. The soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for several days. Warm over low heat. Serve, garnishing the bowls with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cilantro.

4 to 6 servings

Smoked Mozzarella, Tomato and Basil Panini

I had some smoked mozzarella in the freezer that I wanted to use, so I made these sandwiches on the panini grill last night. They were just sourdough rolls, smoked mozzarella, sliced tomatoes and whole fresh basil leaves. They were delicious!

Fish Tacos

These tacos were super-easy and super-good. I couldn't believe how quickly the kids gobbled these up - they are definitely going to be repeated often!

Fish Tacos

Everyday Food: Great Food Fast

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 small red cabbage, thinly shredded (about 2 1/2 cups)

4 scallions, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)

1 jalapeno chile, halved lengthwise, one half minced (I seeded)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound tilapia fillets, cut into 16 equal strips

8 6-inch flour tortillas (I used corn tortillas)

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

In a large bowl, combine the sour cream and lime juice.; season with salt and pepper. Transfer half the mixture to another container; set aside for serving. Toss the cabbage, scallions, and minced jalapeno with the remaining sour cream mixture. Season again with salt and pepper.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil and remaining jalapeno half over medium-high heat; swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Season the fish on both sides with salt and pepper. In two batches, cook the fish until golden brown on both sides, 5 to 6 minutes. Discard the jalapeno.

Meanwhile, warm the tortillas according to package directions (or over a gas burner).

To make the tacos, fill the tortillas with slaw, fish, and fresh cilantro. Drizzle with the reserved sour cream mixture. Serve immediately.

4 servings