MAYO-FREE COLESLAW

~ Easy Peasy Foodie

SALAD
1 lb. cabbage, finely sliced
1 lb. red cabbage, finely sliced
4 large carrots, shredded
4 green onions, sliced (reserve a few slices for garnish, if desired)

DRESSING
1/2 c. olive oil
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
1/4 c. Dijon
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper

Put salad ingredients in serving bowl and set aside. Put dressing ingredients in lidded jar and shake until thoroughly combined.

Pour dressing over salad and mix thoroughly. Garnish with reserved green onions, if desired.

Notes: I prefer to make my coleslaw with chunkier pieces of cabbage instead of finely slicing it. If you like serving coleslaw with pulled pork, try this slow cooker honey pork roast. 

THAI SESAME RED CABBAGE & CARROT SALAD

~ Bowl of Delicious

DRESSING
2 T. lime juice
2 T. fish sauce
1 T. honey
1 1/2 t. toasted sesame oil
1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced or grated

SALAD
4 c. shredded red cabbage
4 carrots, grated
2 T. roughly chopped fresh basil
2 T. roughly chopped fresh cilantro
2 T. roughly chopped fresh mint
sesame seeds and extra herbs (optional garnish)

Whisk dressing ingredients together in large serving bowl. Add all salad ingredients, then toss until mixed thoroughly. Garnish with sesame seeds and extra herbs just before serving.

Notes: The dressing is delicious and would be good on a variety of salads or vegetables. We garnish this salad with toasted sesame seeds, which I don't consider optional. Head over to Bowl of Delicious, linked above, if you need tips on using a vegan fish sauce.

ONE PAN BALSAMIC CHICKEN VEGGIE BAKE

~ The Real Food Dietitians

1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. olive or avocado oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
3-4 T. fresh basil, finely chopped, plus more for garnish
1 t. fresh thyme or 1/2 t. dried thyme
1/2. t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 1/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tenders, or thighs, cut in half if large
4-5 c. chopped broccoli
3-4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into thin sticks
2 c. mushrooms, cut in half if large
1 red onion, chopped
1/2 c. cherry or grape tomatoes

Preheat oven 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk together vinegar, oil, garlic, basil, thyme, salt, and pepper to make sauce. Place chicken in ziploc bag or glass container with about half of the sauce, moving around until fully coated. Place in fridge to marinate.

Chop broccoli, carrots, mushroom, onion, and tomatoes. Place all except the tomatoes on baking sheet. Top with remaining sauce and toss to coat. Remove marinated chicken pieces from fridge and nestle among veggies.

Bake 10 minutes, then remove from oven. Add tomatoes and toss veggies before placing baking sheet back in the oven. Bake 10 minutes longer or until chicken is cooked through. Garnish with additional basil before serving.

Notes: I often chop regular tomatoes because they're significantly less expensive than grape or cherry ones and we always have them on hand. The sauce can be prepared in advance and the chicken marinated longer than the time it takes to prepare the veggies. I skip the parchment paper on a baking sheet and use my Pampered Chef stoneware instead.

EGG ROLL NOODLE BOWL

~ Taste of Home

1 T. sesame oil
1/2 lb. ground pork
1 T. soy sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 t. turmeric
1/4 t. pepper
1/2 t. salt
1 t. ground ginger
6 c. shredded cabbage
2 large carrots, shredded
4 oz. rice noodles
3 green onions, thinly sliced
soy sauce, optional garnish

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat, then add pork and cook until browned. Mix in soy sauce, garlic, turmeric, pepper, salt, and ginger. Add cabbage and carrots, stirring occasionally until tender.

Cook noodles according to package directions, then drain and toss with pork mixture. Sprinkle with green onions before serving.

Notes: I prefer to let each person serve their own noodles and meat mixture instead of combinging them in a serving dish. It's good over rice if you don't have rice noodles on hand and cilantro makes a great substitute for green onions. 

ALPHABET SOUP WITH MEATBALLS

~ Dinner at the Zoo

MEATBALLS
1 lb. ground turkey
1 egg, beaten
1 t. Italian seasoning
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/2 c. breadcrumbs
1/2 c. parmesan
1 T. water

SOUP
1 T. butter
1 c. carrots, peeled and chopped
1 c. onion, chopped
1 c. celery, chopped
2 c. butternut squash, peeled and chopped
salt & pepper, to taste
15 oz. can diced tomatoes
6 oz. can tomato sauce
6-8 c. chicken stock, divided
7-8 oz. alphabet noodles
1 meatball recipe from above or 1 lb. store-bought meatballs
chopped parsley (optional garnish)

MEATBALLS
Place oven rack 4 inches from the top and preheat broiler. Combine all ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined. Shape into meatballs about one inch in diameter.

Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray and arrange meatballs in single layer. Broil for 8 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through and starting to brown.

SOUP
Heat large pot over medium heat, then add butter. Once butter has melted, add carrot, onion, celery, and butternut. Season with salt and pepper. Cook 5-7 minutes or until onion is translucent and everything else is just starting to brown.

Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, 4 cups of chicken stock, and noodles. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 5-7 minutes or until noodles are tender.

Add meatballs and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Add another 2-4 cups of chicken stock until desired consistency is reached. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

Makes three quarts when you use 8 cups of stock.

Notes: We have only made this using make-ahead meatballs, which are often in our freezer. 

CUMIN LIME BLACK BEAN QUINOA SALAD

 ~ Oh She Glows

SALAD
1 c. uncooked quinoa (or 3 c. cooked)
1 1/2 c. water or vegetable broth
14 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed (or 1 1/2 c. cooked)
1 1/2 c. cilantro, chopped
3 medium carrots, julienned or 1 large sweet potato, roasted and chopped
4 green onions, sliced
salt and pepper, to taste
Optional garnishes - tahini lemon dressing, sliced avocado, pita slices, crackers

DRESSING
5-6 T. lime juice, to taste
1 /4 c. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 t. cumin
2 t. pure maple syrup, or to taste
3/4 t. fine grain sea salt, or to taste

Put uncooked quinoa and water or broth in pot. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer about 15 minutes or until water is absorbed and quinoa is fluffy. Remove from heat and let steam with lid on for five minutes. Fluff with fork and cool in fridge for at least 15 minutes.

In a large bowl, toss quinoa, black beans, cilantro, carrots or sweet potato, and green onions. Whisk dressing ingredients together in small bowl, then toss with salad. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add optional garnishes, if desired.

Makes about six cups.

Notes: Despite making it as directed for the picture, we use crockpot beans from the freezer instead of canned beans, grated carrots instead of julienned, avocado dressing instead of avocados, and the tahini lemon dressing linked in the ingredient list. Although it's tasty as is, sometimes we eat it on a bed of spinach or lettuce.

BEEF BARLEY SOUP

~ Taste of Home

3 meaty beef soup bones (beef shanks or short ribs)
10 c. water
1 medium onion, chopped
5 t. beef bouillon granules
1 T. cider vinegar
1/2 - 1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 c. chopped carrots
1 1/2 c. chopped celery
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 c. medium pearl barley
1/2 t. dried thyme
1/4 - 1/2 t. dill

In a Dutch oven or soup pot, place bones, water, onion, bouillon, vinegar, salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Slowly bring to a boil and skim foam with a slotted spoon. Reduce heat; over and simmer 3-4 hours.

Discard bay leaves. Set bones aside until cool enough to handle, then remove meat from bones and dice. Skim fat from broth surface. Add meat, carrots, celery, potatoes, barley, thyme, and dill. Cover and cook 1 hour or until vegetables and barley are tender.

Makes about two quarts.

Notes: I skip the bouillon, replacing 5 cups of beef broth for 5 cups of water instead. Our meat gets shredded instead of diced.

CREAMY CHICKEN & RICE CASSEROLE

~ Heavenly Homemakers

4 c. chicken broth
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 medium onion, diced
2 c. brown rice
2-3 c. cooked chicken, shredded or diced
1/2 teaspoon or more garlic powder
salt, to taste
1 1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

In a large pot, bring broth, carrots, and onions to a boil at high heat. Stir in rice and place lid on pot. Reduce heat to low and cook for 45 minutes.

When the rice is done, stir in chicken, garlic powder, and whipping cream. Cook about five minutes more until heated through.

Serve directly from pot or pour into 9x13-inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Makes about 11 cups, depending on the size of carrots and amount of chicken.

Notes: Be sure to slice the carrots thinly and dice the onion finely so they aren't too firm.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH & CORN SOUP

~ Sunset magazine - October 2016

1 large butternut squash, about 3 lb.
1 1/2 t. kosher salt, divided
1 T. honey
3 medium onions, chopped
peeled cloves from 1 head of garlic
1/2 c. salted butter
2 T. chopped fresh sage leaves
5 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 - 2 qts. chicken broth
1/2 t. Hungarian paprika
1/2 t. pepper
1/4 t. nutmeg
3 c. corn kernels
1/2 c. creme fraiche or sour cream
2 T. finely sliced flat-leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Split squash lengthwise and scrape out seeds. Set cut side up in a 9x13-inch pan. Score flesh crisscross four times on each half. Sprinkle with 1/2 t. salt and spread with honey. Roast until tender when pierced, about 1 1/2 hours, basting occasionally with juices. Let cool.

Meanwhile, in a large pot over medium heat, cook onions and garlic in butter, stirring occasionally, 20-25 minutes or until golden. Add sage and carrots, then cook 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally.

Scrape squash from shells into onion mixture and add 1 1/2 quarts broth. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until carrots are very tender when pierced, about 30 minutes.

Puree soup one portion at a time in a blender until very smooth. Return to pot and mix in remaining teaspoon of salt, paprika, pepper, and nutmeg.  Add corn and heat soup over medium heat, stirring a few times until corn is tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Thin with 1-2 cups broth, if desired. Garnish individual servings with creme fraiche and parsley.

Notes: I tweaked a few things - dried sage because the store didn't have any that was fresh, sour cream because I didn't see creme fraiche in the areas of the store I checked, and regular paprika I always have on hand instead of Hungarian paprika I don't have. I always prefer using an immersion blender in the pot over transferring batches of soup from pot to blender to bowl and back to pot. This recipe came from Big Table Farm, which was featured in a Sunset magazine article. 

LENTIL & PASTA STEW

~ Taste of Home Slow Cooker Throughout the Year

1/2 lb. smoked kielbasa or Polish sausage, chopped
3 T. olive oil
3 T. butter
1 c. peeled, cubed potatoes
3/4 c. sliced carrots
1 celery rib, sliced
1 small onion, finely chopped
5 c. beef broth
1 c. dried lentils
1 c. canned diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 t. pepper
1/4 t. salt
1 c. uncooked ditalini or other small pasta
shredded Romano cheese

In a large skillet, brown kielbasa in oil and butter. Add potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion, stirring for three minutes over medium heat. Transfer to 4-5 quart crockpot, then add broth, lentils, tomatoes, bay leafy, pepper, and salt. Cover and cook 8-10 hours on low or until lentils are tender. Cook pasta to desired tenderness, then drain and stir into crockpot. Discard bay leaf and sprinkle individual servings with cheese.

Notes: We use Parmesan instead of Romano, as that's what we always have on hand.

HOLDEN VEGGIES

~ Cynthia Hockman-Chupp

1 c. chopped onion
2 c. thinly sliced carrots
2 c. chopped summer squash
1 c. chopped bell pepper
1 1/2 c. corn
1 1/2 c. chopped tomatoes
cooked beans (optional)
1 t. cumin
1 t. coriander
1/2 t. salt
garlic or garlic powder, to taste
cayenne, to taste
cilantro, to taste
sour cream (optional)
grated cheese (optional)

Saute onions and carrots while chopping other vegetables. Add squash and bell pepper, then saute for 2-3 minutes. Add corn, tomatoes, and beans, if desired, along with seasonings, and cook until vegetables are soft. 

Notes: The quantities are totally flexible. I sometimes skip the coriander if we don't have it on hand and use fresh garlic that I toss in with the carrots and onion. I've served this a variety of ways - without cheese and with cotija, with and without cilantro, with and without sour cream or avocado dressing, with zukes instead of summer squash, and in various combinations of veggies, rice, and crockpot beans. You could also serve this as a topping for haystacks, in a tortilla, or with cornbread. 

RED LENTIL & VEGGIE SOUP

~ Bethany Weathersby

oil
onion, chopped
garlic, chopped
celery, sliced
carrot, grated
butternut squash puree
water
red lentils
seasonings of your choice (we use bay leaves, ginger, Italian seasoning, seasoned salt, pepper, oregano, basil, and/or red pepper flakes)

Heat a small amount of oil in pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, stirring occasionally until browned. Add celery and carrot, stirring occasionally until slightly softened. Stir in puree, water, lentils, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until lentils have softened.

Notes: Other than having a pint-sized jar of butternut puree, I didn't measure anything, so just do whatever amounts will fill the stomachs in your home.

POTATO & CABBAGE SOUP

~ Eat at Home

1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
6 medium potatoes, scrubbed and chopped
4 carrots, chopped
1/2 head of cabbage, chopped
1 lb. smoked sausage, sliced
64 oz. chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 t. thyme
salt and pepper, to taste
1/8 t. sugar
1 T. cider vinegar, optional

If making on the stove top, then saute onion and garlic in a small amount of oil until the onion is soft. Add remaining ingredients, except vinegar. Bring to a boil and cook 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add vinegar, if desired.

If making in a crockpot, place all ingredients in crockpot and cook on high for 5-6 hours or on low for 7-8 hours.

Makes 4 quarts.

Notes: This is good with unpeeled russet, gold, or red potatoes. I skip the sugar because there's no need for it, skip the salt because there's plenty in the sausage, and dice the sausage so we can get a little in every bite.

CHICKEN & ROASTED VEGETABLE SOUP

~ Against All Grain

2 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, peeled and cubed
1 c. butternut squash, peeled and cubed
2 1/2 c. sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1/2 yellow onion, quartered
2 T. olive oil
4 c. chicken stock
2-3 c. leftover shredded chicken or 1 lb. uncooked breasts
1 t. sea salt
3/4 t. dried parsley
1/2 t. dried thyme
1/2 t. dried rosemary
1/4 t. dried oregano
1/4 t. pepper
1 c. water
2 c. baby spinach

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix the garlic, carrots, butternut squash, sweet potato, and onion with olive oil. Roast for 20 minutes or until veggies are tender.

While the veggies are roasting, bring the stock to a simmer in a large pot. Add the chicken, salt, herbs, and pepper. Cover and cook while the veggies roast, about 15 minutes. If using raw breasts, then cook for about 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and can be shredded with a fork.

Place all the onion pieces, half of the other roasted veggies, and the water in a blender and puree. Pour puree and other roasted veggies into the soup, along with the spinach, and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the spinach has wilted and the soup is heated through.

Makes about nine cups.

Notes: I've used butternut squash and random winter squash, both raw and leftover chicken, fresh rosemary instead of dried, and both fresh and frozen spinach. I puree all of the roasted veggies, as my family likes pureed squash better than chunky.

KALE, CHICKPEA, & ORZO SOUP

~ Domestic Divas

2 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 c. kale, chopped
1 14-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 c. baby potatoes, chopped
6 c. chicken stock
1 c. orzo
salt & pepper
parmesan (optional)

Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery, sauteing for five minutes or until they begin to soften. Add garlic and saute one more minute.

Add kale, chickpeas, potatoes, and stock. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Add orzo and bring to a simmer. Cook ten minutes or until orzo is tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top individual servings with parmesan.

Notes: The noodles soak up so much broth that this is barely a soup by the time you're ready to eat and the leftovers don't have any broth at all, but it's a simple, filling, inexpensive dish that tastes good. I use garbanzos I've previously cooked in the crockpot and sometimes vary the other ingredients according to what I have on hand. At various times I've used chicken and beef broth, as well as homemade turkey bone broth, kale I previously chopped and froze, russet potatoes, barley instead of orzo (I add it with other ingredients because it takes longer too cook, and homemade seasoned salt. 

BEEF STEW

~ Amanda's Plate

2 T. olive oil
2 T. butter
1 1/2 lb. stew meat
2 c. chopped onions
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 c. vegetable or beef stock
2 T. tomato paste
1 t. sugar
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. kosher salt
1 t. pepper
1/2 t. fresh thyme
1/2 t. cayenne
1 1/2 c. chopped carrots
1 1/2 c. chopped celery
2 c. chopped turnips

Heat olive oil and butter in stew pot over medium-high heat. Once butter is melted, add meat and sear on each side, then remove meat from pot.

Add onion and garlic to pot and cook until onions are translucent. Stir in stock, tomato paste, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, thyme, and cayenne. Return meat to pot and turn heat to low. Cover and simmer for one hour.

Add carrots, celery, and turnips to pot. Simmer for 30 minutes or until sauce has thickened a bit and vegetables have cooked through.

Notes: This is the first stew I ever made and it's great. The only changes I make are to sub potatoes for the turnips because I always have them on hand and only use 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne. The original recipe, which is linked at the top of this post, suggests serving the stew over mashed potatoes. I don't want to double up on potatoes, so I serve it over rice or with buttermilk biscuits with chives and black pepper or cracked wheat and honey bread. 

SPINACH SALAD WITH ALMOND BUTTER DRESSING

~ The Modern Day Pioneer: Simple Living in the 21st Century, written by Charlotte Denholtz

4 c. spinach, chopped
1 c. bok choy, chopped
1 medium carrot, shredded
1/4 c. chopped almonds
1/4 c. almond butter
1 T. lime juice
2 T. soy sauce
1/4 t. garlic powder
1 t. muscovado sugar
1/4 t. crushed red pepper
olive oil, if needed
2 T. cilantro, chopped

Toss spinach, bok choy, and carrots in a large bowl.  Sprinkle the almonds on top.

In a small bowl, whisk together the almond butter, lime juice, soy sauce, garlic powder, sugar, and red pepper.  If it's too thick, then add one teaspoon of olive oil at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Stir in the cilantro.

Pour dressing over the salad and toss to coat evenly.

Makes four servings.

Notes: Brown sugar is an acceptable substitute for muscovado sugar and it's what we use. The dressing is a bit saltier than I like and so I cut back a little on the soy sauce, but it's not salty enough to keep me from eating two heaping mounds of salad when I make it as directed.

SWEET POTATO, CARROT, APPLE, & RED LENTIL SOUP

~ allrecipes

1/4 c. butter
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1 apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/2 c. red lentils
1/2 t. minced fresh ginger
1/2 t. pepper
1 t. salt
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. chili powder
1/2 t. paprika
4 c. vegetable broth
plain yogurt

Melt the butter in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Place the sweet potatoes, carrots, apple, and onion in the pot; stir until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.

Add the lentils, ginger, pepper, salt, cumin, chili powder, paprika, and broth into the pot with the apple and vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low.  Cover and simmer until the lentils and vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes.

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup or, working in batches and filling the blender halfway with each batch, pour the soup into a blender, puree until smooth, then pour into a new bowl or pot.

If you used a regular blender, then return the pureed soup to the cooking pot.  Bring soup back to a simmer over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes. Add water as needed to thin the soup to desired consistency. Serve with yogurt for garnish.

Notes: Sometimes I use coconut oil instead of butter. It's also good mixed with quinoa if you want to add more protein while keeping it a vegetarian dish.

PEANUT BUTTER VEGETABLE CHICKEN SOUP

~ allrecipes

8 c. chicken broth
2 c. diced, cooked chicken
1 c. peeled, cubed potatoes
1 c. diced carrots
1 c. diced zucchini
1 c. broccoli florets
1 c. canned whole tomatoes, diced
1/2 c. chopped celery
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. peanut butter
1 t. chopped parsley
salt & pepper, to taste

Combine broth, chicken, potatoes, and carrots in stock pot.  Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook ten minutes, or until veggies are tender.  Add zucchini, broccoli, tomatoes, celery, onion, bell pepper, and garlic, then simmer about eight minutes.  Add peanut butter, parsley, salt, and pepper, stirring until peanut butter is fully blended .  Simmer at least three minutes.

Notes: I dump in a whole can of diced tomatoes rather than using half a can of whole ones and chopping them myself.  

THAI QUINOA SALAD WITH GINGER PEANUT DRESSING

~ Ambitious Kitchen

SALAD

3/4 c. uncooked quinoa

1 1/2 c. water

1-2 c. shredded red cabbage

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 c. shredded carrots

1/2 c. cilantro

1 c. edamame or chickpeas (optional)

1/4 c. sliced green onions

1/2 c. cashew halves or peanuts

lime wedges

DRESSING

1/4 c. all natural peanut butter

1 T. honey

2 t. freshly grated ginger

3 T. soy sauce

1 T. red wine vinegar

1 t. sesame oil

1 t. olive oil

In a medium-size saucepan, combine quinoa and water, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover, simmering until the quinoa is tender and the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and stir. Let cool for ten minutes.

While the quinoa is cooling, make dressing. Heat peanut butter and honey on stove top or in microwave until smooth and easy to stir. Remove from heat, if on stove, and add ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and olive oil. Stir until mixture is smooth and creamy. 

If you'd like the quinoa to absorb more of the dressing, mix together now.  If you'd prefer to let people dress their own portions, then set the dressing aside.

Add cabbage, pepper, onion, carrots, cilantro, and edamame or chickpeas to quinoa and stir until well blended. Garnish with green onions and cashews, serve with lime wedges.  

Makes about eight cups if you use two cups of cabbage.

Notes: I mix all the ingredients together at the same time instead of saving some as garnish, include chickpeas that we previously cooked and froze, and use bottled lime juice instead of lime wedges. I think this salad is great as is, but I also love it served on a bed of spinach. You may want to cut back on the red onion, as many people find half an onion to be too much. We only use 1/4 of an onion.