No-Mayo Coleslaw

You don't need mayonnaise or even oil to make a delicious coleslaw. I had been making a slaw dressing with just oil, vinegar and sugar when my husband's aunt introduced me to her mama's recipe that didn't have any fat in it at all. I was skeptical, but it really is very good! Both dressings are included below. Cabbage is really the only vegetable you need for coleslaw, but I like to add carrots and sometimes onion, too. 

3 cups shredded cabbage

1 carrot, shredded (optional)

1/4 cup onion, chopped (optional)

Shred or chop cabbage as finely as you like it.

Add carrot and onion.

Mix up one of the below dressings and toss all ingredients.

Dressing 1

2 T. apple cider vinegar

1 T. vegetable oil

1 T. sugar

salt and pepper

Dressing 2

2 T. apple cider vinegar

2 T. water

2 T. sugar

salt and pepper

Refrigerate 30 minutes prior to serving. 

Kale Slaw

For Memorial Day, if you're looking for a side-dish to bring to the cookout that won't compromise the work you've been doing to get ready for bathing-suit season, this is it! Not only is Kale full of nutrients such as beta carotene, vitamin C and calcium, but this slaw has no mayo or sugar. I have two variations of dressing that I will use depending on what else is being served, but the veggie bases remains the same.

I bunch kale, chopped

1 large carrot, shredded

1/3 cup chopped red onion

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Combine all ingredients and toss with one of the dressings below. Let sit for at least 20 minutes before serving. 

Dressing 1

I make this if we're having a main course/meat that is sweet, like barbecue or salmon, or heavy, like burgers or brats. The mustard provides a nice contrast and holds up to rich foods with bold flavors.

Whisk together:

2 T. Dijon mustart

2 T. cider vinegar

2 T. olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Dressing 2

I make this if we're having something lighter, like fish tacos, shrimp or grilled chicken. The citrus juice brings out the flavor in these lighter meats.

Whisk together:

2 T. olive oil

2 t. lemon juice

1 1/2 T. orange juice

salt and pepper to taste

Vegetable Stock from kitchen scraps

The first recipe for homemade vegetable stock I made called for 11 whole vegetables and only yielded four cups of stock. The thought of throwing away all these perfectly good vegetables once I had cooked them weighed on my conscience so much that I tried to cook things like meatloaf or fritters to incorporate them into. I quickly realized that I had already cooked all the flavor and nutrients out of them, and that I was never going to make such a wasteful recipe ever again!

I started thinking about all the vegetable scraps I throw away each time I cook, and decided to try collecting them for vegetable stock instead. I now keep a gallon-sized storage bag in my freezer at all times and once it's full with perfectly good peelings, ends and other leftover vegetable scraps that never made it into a meal, I boil them and have something delicious.

 There are a few guidelines to know before you start your freezer bag collection.

1. Always wash your vegetables well. Since you're saving peelings, you want to be sure there's no dirt on them.
2. Save scraps that are perfectly edible, but may not be either aesthetically or texturally pleasing (such as the top end of a carrot or the exposed side of a half-used onion that has gotten dry in the fridge). Don't save anything that you wouldn't eat, like a bad spot cut out of a potato. Remember, you're looking for flavor!
3. You will want a good variety of vegetables to give your stock a complex flavor. If your freezer bag only has potato and onion scraps, it's probably not going to be the best tasting stock.
4. You don't have to chop the scraps you add to your freezer bag. Big (1-2") chunks will do and be easier to remove at the end.
5. Not every vegetable is good in a soup stock. Any cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, kale) should not be used. You also wouldn't want to use peppers, squash, corn or tomatoes. Root vegetables work best, in addition to some herbs. 

Vegetables I use:

• Carrots (clean peelings, ends and green tops)
• Parsnips (clean peelings and ends)
• Turnips (clean peelings and ends)
• Thin-skinned potatoes, such as Yukon Gold (clean peelings)
• Celery (ends and leafy tops)
• Onion and garlic (ends, no paper)
• Leeks (ends)
• Swiss Chard (the hearty stalks)
• Tender fresh herbs such as parsley, thyme, chives, savory

In addition to a 1 gallon freezer bag full of a mix of the above vegetables and herbs, you will also need:

10 cups cool water

3 bay leaves

10 black peppercorns

Add frozen vegetable scraps to a large stock pot. Cover with water and add bay leaves and peppercorns. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium low. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. Remove the lid and let cool. 

Scoop out cooked vegetables with a mesh strainer and gently press any excess liquid back into the pot. Once you have removed nearly all the large vegetables, pour your remaining stock through the strainer. If the stock still has small pieces of vegetable matter, line your strainer with a coffee filter and pour through again.

Either use your stock within three days or freeze it.

Salmon with Couscous Pilaf

I love salmon any way it comes. This recipe has a Mediterranean flare with raisins, almonds and mint, making it suitable for any dinner party. But it's so simple that there's no excuse for making dinner from scratch even on the busiest night.

3 large carrots, peeled and cut julienne

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup raisins

1 cup uncooked couscous

1/4 cup fresh mint or 1 tsp. dried mint

1 t. salt

1/4 t. ground black pepper

1 T. olive oil

1 1/4 c. water

4 (4 oz.) salmon filets (boneless and skinless)

salt and pepper to taste

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium-sized baking dish (big enough to fit your salmon filets), combine carrots, almonds, raisins, couscous, mint, salt, pepper, oil and water. Mix to combine. Season salmon filets with salt and pepper and place them on top of the couscous mixture.

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake it for 25 minutes or until couscous is tender and salmon flakes with a fork, or desired doneness. Transfer fish to plates and serve on top of or along side with the couscous pilaf and a lemon wedge.