Kale Medley (Power Green) Salad with Sesame Garlic Dressing

Sorry that it took so long to post this recipe on my blog since I said I'd share it to a mom at my son's school potluck dinner who enjoyed my salad. It's an amazing tasting, colorful salad. This has became one of my favorite salads too :)

I found it from another food blog and changed some of the ingredients.
It is a refreshing spring salad!

For the dressing:

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

3 cloves of garlic, pressed or minced

3 tablespoons liquid Braggs Aminos (or soy sauce)

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons agave nectar

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon lemongrass paste or fresh grated ginger

1 lime juice

For the salad:

16 ounce frozen shelled edamame

6-7 Cups power green kale medley

3 medium carrots

2 bell peppers 1 red and 1 yellow

3 green onions

1 cup cilantro

3/4 cups light toasted cashews

Directions:

1. In a pint jar, put together all the dressing ingredients and shake well. 

Set a side.

2. Cook the edamame with boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain in the colander and rinse with cold water.

3. Shred or thin strip carrots, bell peppers. Thin slice green onion, cilantro.

4. Minced cooked edamame using food process or chopper and cashews the same way until minced texture.

5. In a big salad bowl, toss the kale, carrots, peppers, green onions, cilantro, edamame, cashews and drizzle dressing, toss gently until well combined.

Home made sweet chili sauce


Have you ever tried to make home made sweet chili sauce?
It surprised me how simple and quick it is to make your own chili sauce at home! Its a wonderful alternative to going to the store to buy more.
I am very happy and excited to say that this recipe has no sugar, no corn starch, or preservatives!

 Ingredients:
1 cup agave nectar (or combination of honey and stevia)
2/3 cup raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar
3/4 water
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 teaspoon *agar agar (substitute corn starch)
2 1/2 teaspoon sriracha (or more for preference)
6 fresh red chili pepper or 2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
10 -12 cloves garlic

*Agar agar helps thicken your sauce and you can buy it at health store.



Direction:

Toss all the ingredients in the small pot and bring to boil about 3 minutes in medium high heat.
Remove from the stove and let it cool for 20 minutes.

Pour into pint jar. And thats it! You have just created your very own beautiful and delicious sweet chili sauce!
Serve with  Fresh spring rolls, Fried tofu, pot-stickers, fried chicken, egg rolls and even with french fries.
Enjoy it and use it whenever you feel like having sweet sauce with a little kick!

Cooked Brown Rice
How to make perfect brown rice!

Directions:

Short grain brown rice and sweet brown rice ratio 3:1 and  mix well. Keep it in a bucket or air tight container in a cool and dry area until you use it.

*You can buy short and sweet brown rice at any Asian store or health store.

1 cup mixed rice and soak it at least 6 hours or over night.
Rinse well until water is clean. Drain well.
* You can cook soaked rice in rice cooker if you have one. It will be much easier.

But here is the directions so you can cook on the stove.
Add 2 cups of clean water to soaked and washed rice, then boil with a covered lid. Be Careful and watch it so it doesn't over flow!
Let it boil until a rolling bubble fill the pot and Reduce the heat to medium low. Then cover with the lid half way so it doesn't overflow. Let it boil until most water is absorbed.

At this point, cover completely with lid and simmer on low heat until rice is soft about 15 minutes.
It takes much longer to cook larger portions.

Vegetable Tofu Green Curry

Ingredients:
3 Garlic cloves, minced
1/2 onion
2 carrots

1 medium sweet potato
1/4 Kabocha Squash
1/2 Red and green bell pepper 
1-2 Cups Cabbage
1/2 package extra firm tofu chopped in 1 inch squares
1 teaspoon Ghee or more
1/2 to 1 teaspoon green curry paste
2 cups coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt + 1/2 teaspoon more to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper 


Directions:
Chop onion, carrots, sweet potato, celery and squash into large pieces
Add ghee (clarified butter) and garlic to the pan on high heat, add onion, carrots, sweet potato, and squash, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and pepper saute 3 minutes. 

Add 1/4 cup water and turn to heat medium low cook 5 to 7 minutes. Add more water if needed but a little at the time.
Add coconut milk and curry paste. Also add curry powder, turmeric powder, and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt.

Cut tofu into 1 inch square pieces and chop bell peppers and cabbage into large pieces, then add vegetables  
and tofu to pan and cook couple minutes more.

Serve warm with warm rice!

Guacamole

Ingredients:

2 Ripe Avocados

1 garlic clove, minced

2 teaspoon chopped purple onion

1/4 cup chopped tomatoes

1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro

1 small lime

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

I have a sweet friend Becca who loves my guacamole and she asked me if I would share this on my blog so everyone else can enjoy it also. I hope you love it as much as we do. It's very easy to make with simple ingredients especially when you have a couple of extra avocados that are getting too ripe.

When you are ready to mix everything together, try cutting the avocados with 2 steak knives until the desired consistency, instead of smashing it with a fork. This makes the guacamole much fluffier and you can also leave small chunks of the avocado. It really makes a difference in the texture and taste.

Mix all ingredients together and serve immediately. Be sure to eat what you want because as soon as you serve it, it will disappear!

I love this picture and It makes me happy! 

Booyong's Basic Pantry For a Healthier Life

Ingredients                   Substitutes

Soy sauce                                        Braggs liquid amino, Soy sauce powder

Sugar                                               Agave nectar, Stevia, Raw unfiltered honey

Eggs                                                Organic free range eggs

Butter                                              Ghee (Clarified butter), use it for cook or fry

Oil                                                   Cold pressed Flaxseed oil, Cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
                                                        For cook: use Ghee or coconut oil

Vinegar                                            Unfiltered apple cider vinegar, Lemon juice, Lime juice

Salt                                                  Sea salt

Meat                                                TVP, Tofu, Organic meat, Mushroom, Bean

Rice                                                  Brown rice, whole grain ( Millet, Quinoa, Barley....)

Bread                                               Whole wheat, Spelt .....

Pasta                                                Whole wheat, Brown rice ....

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Cooking Tips:

* I don't use the microwave to re-heat food. Instead, I steam it on the stove or use a toaster oven.
* When I am using meat, I use a small amount that is just for the flavor.
* Using more vegetables and varieties have a much better taste! It will be prettier and it adds different nutrition.
   Think about using all different colors of vegetables to add variety: Green, Red, Yellow, White, Black, Orange, Purple, Blue.....