Slow-cooked spiced red cabbage

November 19, 2017September 7, 2022 Belinda

This is wonderful with roast turkey or beef and divine with a crown roast of pork. The aromas and flavors are so Christmassy and it literally cooks itself for 2 hours in the oven.

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Serves 6 – 8

1 good sized red cabbage
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and grated
2 large red onions, halved and sliced
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
a good glass of Ruby port
3 tbsp dark Muscovado sugar. (or as dark a sugar as possible)
2 tsp Chinese 5-spice powder
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tbsp redcurrant jelly
1 cinnamon stick, split in 2
4 oz butter, cut into cubes
finely grated zest and the juice of 1 large orange

Heat the oven to 250 F
Put all the ingredients in a Dutch oven with a lid.
Put over medium heat, stir well then cook everything for 5 minutes until the butter is melted and everything is well mixed together.

Transfer to the oven and cook for 2 hours. Season before serving.

Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Nuts · Poultry · Salad

Chinese chicken salad

August 15, 2015February 11, 2016 Belinda

Don’t be put off by the number of ingredients in the dressing. It is well worth it and you will mostly have them in the pantry if you like Asian-style cooking. This is one of my favorite salads.

Serves 6

For the Sesame-ginger dressing
3 tbsp Chinese mustard
1/2 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup light soy sauce
1 cup rice wine vinegar
1 medium piece of ginger, grated
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tbsp hoisin sauce (available in most supermarkets)
1/2 tbsp sweet chilli paste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

To make the dressing;

Put the mustard in a blender and then add the sesame oil, olive oil, honey, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger, garlic, hoisin sauce, sweet chilli sauce and salt and pepper (go lightly on the salt because of the soy sauce).
Give it a quick blend and check for seasoning.

For the chicken salad

1 medium Napa cabbage, washed and shredded
1 medium iceberg lettuce, washed and thinly sliced
1 medium romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 green bell pepper, julienned
1 cup snow peas, sliced
4 green onions, chopped
3/4 to 1 cup dry roasted peanuts
1 cup carrots, peeled and shredded
1 cup bean sprouts
6 chicken breasts, (6 oz each) cooked and diced
Garnishes for the salad
crispy wontons (available in supermarkets)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp white sesame seeds, toasted

To make the salad

In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, lettuces, peppers, snow peas, peanuts, green onions, carrots, beansprouts and diced chicken.
Toss together with the sesame-ginger dressing until well combined.
Divide the salad among 6 plates and garnish with the crispy wontons, cilantro and toasted sesame seeds.

Asian flavors · Gluten Free · Pasta · Salad · Vegan

Peanut-sesame slaw with soba noodles

January 25, 2014February 8, 2016 Belinda

Sometimes you come across a recipe from a fellow food blogger, like this one from “Cookies and Kate” that needs no adjusting and is just the perfect complete meal. This is a very flexible slaw and depending on your food restrictions, you can leave out the soba noodles, use gluten free pasta, leave out the Brussels sprouts, and even use pre-shredded slaw mix (you will need 12 cups of slaw mix, if so)
This can be vegan, gluten free, low calorie but whatever else, it is tasty and healthy!
Being an Asian food nut, this touches all the “scintilla” in my taste buds. Hope it does for you too!

Serves 4 to 8

Slaw
4 oz soba noodles
1 small purple or green cabbage, sliced into quarters and core removed
1/2 lb (about 12) Brussels sprouts, optional
4 carrots, peeled
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and sliced into thin rounds

Peanut-sesame dressing
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 tbsp white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
3 tbsp toasted sesame oil
3 tbsp reduced-sodium tamari or other soy sauce
2 tbsp honey or agave nectar
1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced

Garnish

Sprinkle of coarsely chopped peanuts
handful of coarsely chopped cilantro
1 lime, sliced into wedges

Cook the soba noodles; bring a large pot of water to the boil and cook the noodles according to the package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water before returning to the pot.

Prepare the vegetables; This is easier in a food processor than by hand. if using a food processor, shred the cabbage and sprouts with the slicing disk, then grate the carrots using the grating disk. or use a chef’s knife to chop the cabbage and sprouts into thin strips, then coarsely grate the carrots.

Prepare the dressing; In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until smooth.

In a large serving bowl, combine the cooked soba noodles, shredded cabbage and sprouts, grated carrots and chopped scallions.
Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss to coat (you may or may not need all the dressing).
For best flavor, let the slaw marinate for 20 minutes before serving.

Serve the slaw with a sprinkling of chopped peanuts, torn cilantro and a lime wedge.

You can halve this recipe by using only 6 cups of pre-shredded slaw mix and roughly halving the dressing ingredients.

Fish

Fish tacos with lime, cilantro and chipotle cream

January 8, 2014January 10, 2016 Belinda

Another low calorie recipe, and this is great because of the combination of fish, lime, cilantro, corn tortillas and the divine chipotle cream.
I feel like I have to post a few of these “lighter” recipes, given it’s January and everyone is trying to stick to their new Year’s resolutions. (for now)

Serves 4

FISH
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
ground black pepper
1 lb white flaky fish, like Chilean sea bass, cod, halibut or tilapia

CHIPOTLE CREAM
1/2 cup plain nonfat yoghurt
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp chipotle pepper in adobo sauce

8 (6 inch) corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded green cabbage or lettuce
1/2 cup corn kernels, thawed if frozen)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
Lime wedges

In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lime juice, salt and pepper.
Pour over the fish fillets and let marinate for 20 minutes.
Put the yoghurt into a strainer lined with paper towel and place over a bowl to drain and thicken for 20 minutes.

Remove the fish from the marinade and grill or fry on a preheated grill pan or non stick pan over a medium heat until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.
Set the fish aside on a plate for 5 minutes.

In a small bowl combine the thickened yoghurt, mayonnaise and chipotle pepper.

Heat the tortillas on the grill pan for 30 secs on each side.

Flake the fish with a fork. Top each tortilla with 1 tbsp of the chipotle cream. Top with some fish, cabbage, corn and cilantro and serve with the lime wedges

Fish

Pan-fried sea bass on a bed of caramelized red cabbage

September 3, 2013January 10, 2016 Belinda

There is only one word for this. DIVINE!!
Push the boat out and make this for a special occasion.
You can use halibut or cod instead of sea bass if you like. The sauce is incredible and if you can get the frozen concentrated veal stock we get here in certain markets like Gelsons, it’s well worth it (“Perfect Additions” or “Stock Options” are my favorite brands)

Serves 4

4 x 6 – 7oz fillets of thick, meaty white fish, with skin left on
1 medium sized red cabbage, shredded
3 oz unsalted butter
1/2 pint creme de cassis
1/4 pint veal stock
salt and pepper

For the sauce
1/2 pint fish stock
1/4 pint Noilly Prat
1/4 pint dry white wine
1/4 pint veal stock
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp chopped shallots
1/2 pint heavy cream

Make three incisions on the skin of each fillet of fish with a sharp knife.
Place the red cabbage in a saucepan with 1 oz of the butter.
Add the wine, cassis and veal stock. Bring to the boil and simmer gently on a low heat for approximately 45 minutes until the liquid has reduced and the cabbage has caramelized. Stir occasionally. Check for seasoning.

To make the sauce, place all the ingredients except the cream in a pan and reduce by 2/3 by fast boiling.
Add the cream and reduce again until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon generously.
Remove from the heat and pass through a fine sieve.

Heat the remaining butter in a pan until hot and seal the fish on the flesh side, then turn over onto the skin. Cook over a medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes.

To serve, divide the cabbage on to four shallow soup bowls or plates. Lay the fish skin side up on top and pour the sauce around the fish.
Enjoy!

Asian flavors · Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Grains · Salad · Vegetable-related

Crunchy Thai quinoa salad

August 17, 2013September 9, 2022 Belinda1 Comment

I just love quinoa and it is so readily available in most supermarkets these days.
This recipe takes a regular quinoa salad up a notch and is really different and refreshing.

Serves 6 to 8

1 cup quinoa, prepared according to the package instructions
1 red bell pepper, diced small
1 cup red cabbage, shredded
1 large carrot, shredded
1 cup green onions, diced
1 cup shelled edamame
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped finely

Dressing
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil (or toasted sesame oil)
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
juice from 1 lime
salt and pepper to taste

Place the cooked quinoa in a large bowl and set aside to cool

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, sesame oil, lime juice, honey, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and salt and pepper.

Once the quinoa has come to room temperature add all the vegetables.
pour the dressing over the top and toss to combine. Serve cold or at at room temperature.

Prep time 20 mins

Asian flavors · Gluten Free · Salad · Vegan · Vegetable-related

Szechwan Slaw (CleanCuisine)

December 16, 2012September 9, 2022 Belinda

I intend to make this as a side on Christmas Eve alongside the crown roast of pork This is delicious and tangy with the freshly grated ginger giving it a real fresh and clean taste. It’s also great with a piece of broiled salmon as a very low fat meal

Serves 8

The Szechwan Dressing

1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/4 tsp crushed red chile flakes
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
salt to taste

The salad

3 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
3 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
1 large red pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
4 scallions, thinly sliced diagonally
1 large carrot, coarsely grated
1/4 lb snow peas, sliced thinly and diagonally
1/8 cup black sesame seeds
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds

To prepare the dressing

In a bowl combine the vinegar, canola, sugar, ginger, red chile flakes, cilantro and salt. Set aside

To prepare the salad

Toast the almonds until golden brown and they start to smell great! You can use a toaster oven or regular oven. It should take about 7 minutes at 350F. Set aside to cool or do in advance.

Combine the red and green cabbages, red pepper, scallions, carrot, snow peas and sesame seeds.

Fifteen minutes before serving time, toss the cabbage mixture with the dressing, as this allows the flavors to meld while keeping the crisp vegetables intact.