Veggie Crunch Salad

This can really be done with any veggies, but I definitely recommend using red cabbage as the base. For the rest of the veggies- feel free to mix it up. This bowl is full of fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, that are all needed for healthy bodies. Just serve with some protein and you have a great meal!

Veggie Crunch Salad 

Ingredients:

1handful chopped red cabbage

1/2 English cucumber, chopped

1 handful cherry tomatoes, chopped 

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped 

1/4 avocado, cut into chunks

Handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped

Juice of half a lemon

1 teaspoon olive oil 

Salt 

Pepper 

Directions: 

1. Dump all ingredients into a large bowl, mix, and serve!

Crunchy Napa Cabbage Asian Slaw with Snowpeas, Almonds, and Cilantro

There is not enough time in the day for me to do everything I want to do! Today was my first day off in WEEKS- no work, no interning. Of course I had school work to do and errands to run, but it was SO nice to sleep past 5 am and do my work at my own leisurely pace. I spent a little time in the kitchen and had a nice variety of meals today. For breakfast, I decided to finally try Spinach Protein Pancakes. I decided to just use my own instincts instead of following the recipes I found and threw this lovely tower together:

 

These will be posted soon! They came out delicious, but I want to tweak them tomorrow before I share

them. And !NO! you do NOT taste the spinach. They are light, fluffy, pancake delicious-ness :)

Today was the first day of the #powerplateaday challenge hosted by @powercakes! LOVE this challenge since I basically have a huge bowl of veggies and protein EVERY day! You can check out the challenge at @challengeapp, or download the application on your phone! Today's #powerplate consisted of arugula, cumin/paprika-dusted shrimp and zucchini, roasted brussel sprouts, bell peppers, acorn squash, and fat-free feta crumbles. Mixed up with my 3-ingredient balsamic dijon dressing :) 

Dinner was roasted asparagus served alongside vegetarian chicken strips, acorn squash, and miso-roasted eggplant all mixed and cooked together with a few hits of liquid smoke. YUM. Keep it simple, plan ahead, don't waste food!!

Ok, now on to the slaw :) 

I've been wanting to post this recipe since I made it last week, but I had deadlines to meet and papers to write :( . So, after getting some work done, I am sharing an awesome recipe that was inspired by Kalyn's Kitchen. Every time I see a cabbage salad recipe I always think "That looks so good, I'm definitely making this!" annnnnnd then I don't. I'm not really sure why?! But, I finally went ahead with this recipe and I'm happy I did. I was originally planning on making it for two days worth of lunches, but it tasted so good when I was "testing" it that I ate it for dinner that night! The leftovers were fantastic the next day with my vegetarian "chicken" strips.

 

Crunchy Napa Cabbage Asian Slaw with Snowpeas, Almonds, and Cilantro
Adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen

Salad Ingredients:

1 small head Napa cabbage, thinly sliced then coarsely chopped (about 3 cups)
1 cup diagonally sliced snow-peas (I steamed mine and let them cool before slicing)
1/2 cup sliced red bell pepper
1/2-3/4 cup fresh cilantro (optional, but HIGHLY recommended!)
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Dressing Ingredients:

1 tablespoon white vinegar
1-2 packets Truvia
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon  garlicpowder
1/4 teaspon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger puree
1/4 teaspoon chili garlic sauce (or Sriracha)
1/3 cup low-fat mayo (or regular)

Directions:

1. Place cabbage, snow peas, cilantro, and bell peppers into a large bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together the vinegar, Truvia, soy sauce, garlic powder, sesame oil, ginger puree, and chili garlic sauce. Whisk in the mayo until all ingredients are combined.
3. Toss the salad ingredients together and add the dressing until evenly coated.
4. Toast the almonds in a dry pan over high heat for 1-2 minutes (Don't let them burn!). Add almonds and toss gently.
5. Serve.

Save the leftovers for lunch the next day. Great tossed with grilled chicken/tofu/tempeh - whatever you've got!



 

Teriyaki Braised Cabbage with Creamy Goat Cheese

 I got this recipe idea from a co-worker (thanks Colleen!!) and decided I had to try it for two good reasons: 1. I have never made cabbage as a side dish (I usually use it for soups) and wanted to expand my cabbage cooking horizons 2. I'm obsessed with goat cheese. Good enough, right? Stirring in the goat cheese at the end was KEY. Goat cheese has such a creamy, rich flavor- just a little goes a long way. I had it three days in a row! The first night I made it, I paired it with a simply roasted wild Alaskan cod that I bought from Trader Joe's. I like to keep my protein simple when I have a lot of flavor going on with a side. It was such a satisfying and healthy meal!
 

I don't feel like I should write an official recipe because I didn't measure anything. So here's my easy directions: 

Roughly chop one head of red cabbage. Cook over medium high heat on a pan coated with cooking spray and drizzled with a little olive oil. Cook for about 5-10 minutes until the cabbage begins to soften slightly. Add about 2 tablespoons low-sodium teriyaki sauce, cover the pan with a lid, and cook for about 20 minutes until the cabbage is soft. Stir in about 2 tablespoons of goat cheese at the end of cooking until melted through.

Bonus: When compared to cow's milk products like cream cheese, goat cheese (also known as chevre) is lower in fat, calories, and cholesterol!