Raw Rainbow Pad Thai Salad

This time of year, every time I make something I think - "Can I do this during the school year?" Answer: YEP! Spiralize everything on Sunday, and make individual containers. This could easily be my lunch every day.

Also - this was my first time to try hemp seeds!

Sweet potato noodles were for Cajun Sweet Potato Noodles!

Salad:
1 medium zucchini, spiralized
2 large carrots, julienned (I spiralized)
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 c thinly sliced red cabbage (I also spiralized this!)
1/2 c frozen edamame, thawed
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 tbsp hemp seeds
1/2 tbsp sesame seeds

Peanut dressing:
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 c PB2 (powdered peanut butter, go ahead and mix it with water)
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp water
2.5 teaspoons pure maple syrup (or other sweetener) (I used Stevia)
1/2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp freshly grated ginger



Prep vegetables. Add the zucchini, carrots, pepper, and cabbage into one or two large bowls. Toss with hands to combine.

Prepare the dressing by processing all dressing ingredients in a mini processor (or simply whisk by hand). The dressing may seem a bit thin at first, but it thickens as it sits.

Top bowls with edamame, green onion, hemp seeds, and sesame seeds. Pour on dressing and enjoy!

Original recipe found here.

Mexcian Cabbage Rolls

Y'all, these are basically enchiladas made with cabbage leaves instead of tortillas. The lean ground beef is mixed with lots of veggie to help lighten it up as well. The tomato sauce is tasty and creamy, the mixture is delicious, and the gooey cheese tops it off. I'm not saying it replaces real enchiladas made with tortillas, but it is a delicious lower carb alternative!!

1 head of cabbage

1 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, divided, minced
2 tbsp flour, divided
1 c skim milk
1 – 14.5 oz can tomato sauce 

2 tbsp chili powder, divided 

4 tsp ground cumin, divided 

1 lb extra lean ground beef (I used 96/4)
1/2 yellow sweet onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced 

1 small yellow squash, diced 

2 jalapeños, seeded and minced 

2 tbsp water 

3/4 c 2% shredded Mexican cheese blend

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cut a small circle around the core of the cabbage head and remove. Once the water is boiling, drop the cabbage head in. In a few minutes, the outside leaf will come lose. Using tongs, pull it out and lay to to dry. A minute or so later another leaf will come off. Repeat this until you have 10-12 leaves. There will probably be a couple you can't use anyway. Set leaves aside to cool.

In a sauce pan, heat 1tbsp of olive oil and 1 tsp of the minced garlic over medium heat until the garlic is fragrant. Add 1 tbsp of flour and whisk, cooking the flour for a minute. Add the cup of milk, and whisk to combine with the flour mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the tomato sauce, 1tbsp of chili powder, and 2 tsp of ground cumin. Stir to combine, and simmer while preparing the filling.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x11" baking dish with cooking spray. Brown the beef in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, yellow squash, remaining 2 tsp garlic, and jalapeños. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add the remaining 1 tbsp of flour, remaining 1 tbsp of chili powder, and remaining 2 tsp of ground cumin. Add the 2 tbsp of water, and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Ladle some of the tomato sauce into the baking dish, coating the entire bottom of the dish. Spoon some of the beef mixture into the center of each cooked cabbage leaf. Roll the cabbage leaf, tucking in the sides, similar to wrapping a burrito. Place each cabbage roll seam side down in the baking dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the cabbage rolls. Sprinkle with the shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes. Let stand for 10-15 minutes prior to serving.

Original recipe found here.

Spicy Sautéed Cabbage with Hot Sauce

We love spice. We love hot sauce. We love cabbage. Winner!

All of the ingredient amounts in this simple recipe will vary depending on your taste and the size of your cabbage.

½ head green cabbage, quartered, cored, and sliced into ¼-inch-thick ribbons
1 tbsp canola oil
¼ tsp salt
1-3 tsp sambal oelek
1 tbsp light soy sauce

Heat a 12-inch not-nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix the cabbage, oil, and salt. Add the cabbage mixture to the hot skillet and cook without stirring for 1 minute. Stir in the hot sauce and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is browned and wilted. Stir in the soy sauce; taste for seasoning, adding additional salt or soy sauce if necessary; serve.

Original recipe found here.

Baked Vegetable Egg Rolls

These are fabulous!! The site with the original recipe has great step by step pictures if you're not sure how to fold the egg roll!

1 tsp olive oil
2 c savoy cabbage, chopped
2 c shredded carrots
2 c bean sprouts (or 1 can)
1 can water chestnuts, chopped
2 tbsp green onions, sliced
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp corn starch
1/4 c water
14 egg roll wraps
Sweet chili dipping sauce or sweet and sour sauce (for dipping)

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot add the cabbage, sprouts, carrots, chestnuts and ginger to the pan and cook, stirring frequently for 4-5 minutes, until the vegetables just begin to wilt but still remain a little bit crisp. Mix the corn starch with the water and mix thoroughly. Add the corn starch mixture and soy sauce to the pan along with the green onions. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and let cool.

Place two tablespoons of the cooled mixture on the center of the egg roll wrap. Fold the bottom up over the filling. Next, fold the two sides over, making it look like an envelope, then roll it up like a burrito.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place the rolled up egg rolls on a baking sheet. Once you have rolled them all, spray the top of each egg roll with cooking spray.

Place in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes then turn them over. Bake for an additional 5-7 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. Serve with sweet chili sauce or sweet and sour sauce. Enjoy.

Original recipe found here.

Shrimp Tacos with Creamy Chipotle Sauce

I know I haven't been posting many new recipes... but I have been cooking - all the time!! Just not new things. But I finally tried out some new recipes and I am catching up on posting them now.

I am obsessed with the shrimp tacos from El Porton. They are amazing. I've been wanting to replicate them, but I kinda had a thing about cooking with shrimp... didn't really do it or know what to do. I decided to branch out and my mom helped. These were delicious and easy! Highly recommend.

8 small tortillas (used 60 cal ones)
32 large shrimp/prawns
1 avocado, diced
1/2 bag cole slaw, mixed with cole slaw dressing
 handful of fresh cilantro
1/2 c plain nonfat Greek yogurt
2 chipotles en adobo
2 garlic cloves
cuminchili powder

Using a food processor, add the yogurt, chipotle en adobo, garlic and cumin and blend until smooth and put aside. Toss shrimp with some chili powder and cumin. Heat a little oil in a pan and add the shrimp and cook for about 5 minutes (depending on if they are raw or not). Make your taco however you'd like!

Original recipe found here.

Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

I could eat this every week! YUM! I can't wait to take the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

2 tsp olive oil, divided
1 lb lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped fine
1 tbsp finely minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp sweet Hungarian Paprika
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste 
1 1/2 heads green cabbage, coarsely chopped
1 can (14.5 oz) petite dice tomatoes with juice
1 can (15 z.) tomato sauce
1/4 c water
2 c cooked brown rice (I just used a bag of the boil-in-bag brown rice)
2 c low-fat mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a large glass casserole dish with non-stick spray. Heat a large frying pan on medium heat; add ground beef and cook until it's browned and cooked through, breaking it apart as it cooks. Remove ground beef and set aside. In the same pan, add 1 tsp olive oil, chopped onion and cook over medium heat until the onion is translucent and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic, dried thyme, and paprika and cook about 2 minutes more. Then add the diced tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, and ground beef. Add water to the pan. Simmer until it's hot and slightly thickened, about 15-20 minutes.

While it simmers, cut cabbage in half, cut out the core, and remove any wilted outer leaves; chop the cabbage coarsely into 1 inch pieces.Heat remaining olive oil in a large frying pan; add the cabbage and cook over medium-high heat until the cabbage is wilted and about half cooked, turning it over several times so it all wilts and cooks. Season with salt and fresh-ground black pepper.

When the meat and tomato sauce mixture has cooked and thickened a bit, stir in the 2 cups of cooked rice and gently combine. Spray casserole dish with non-stick spray and the layer half the cabbage, half the meat mixture, remaining cabbage, and remaining meat mixture.

Cover tightly with foil and bake 40 minutes, or until the mixture is just starting to bubble on the edges. Remove foil and sprinkle on cheese. Bake uncovered an additional 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and starting to slightly brown.  YUM!

Original recipe found here.

Sauteed Cabbage with Sausage and Mushrooms

Wow - this is GOOD. Easy too. I know I will be making this dish often. It's been a week since I made this (yes, I am behind on my posting). Just typing the blog entry about the dish makes me want some right now!

8 oz chicken or turkey sausage, cut into rounds (I used Johnsonville Apple Chicken Sausage)
2 tsp olive oil
2 c sliced mushrooms (I like baby bellas)
1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced 
1 small head of green cabbage, hard core removed and sliced
1/2 tsp dried sage
dash cayenne pepper (I used more than a dash because we like the spice)
2 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste

In a large skillet, brown the sausage over medium heat. Once it is browned, set aside. Add 1 tsp oil to the pan, then add the mushrooms, onion, and garlic. Saute until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are tender. Remove them from the pan and set aside.

Add the remaining oil, then add the cabbage and start sauteing. Season with sage and cayenne. When the cabbage begins to soften, return the sausage and mushroom mixture to the pan. Cook until the cabbage becomes very tender. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper to your liking. Add more cayenne if you want the saute to be really spicy. Toss in the vinegar at the last minute, then serve immediately. YUM!

Original recipe found here.

Roasted Cabbage Wedges

New favorite way to eat cabbage - without a doubt. It is so easy and SO DELICIOUS!!

1 medium head of cabbage, cut into quarters, core removed
3 tbsp real bacon bits
1 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp Worchestershire sauce
1 tbsp lite soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt/pepper, each

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, Worchestershire sauce, soy sauce, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Lay each wedge on aluminum foil and drizzle marinade over each wedge - make sure it gets in all the nooks and crannies. Top with some bacon bits and wrap up. Bake for 30 min, let cool, and enjoy!

Original recipe found here.

Cabbage "Steaks"

I laugh every time I type Cabbage "Steak" ... because this is so not anything like a steak, but that's what they call it. It's awesome though!! Super easy to do. Delicious flavor. Try this one for sure.

I forgot to take a picture after they roasted, but you can see one in the background of this picture:

1 head of cabbage
olive oil spray
salt/pepper/garlic powder (to taste)
a few sprinkles of caraway seeds

Heat your oven to 400 degree. Cut your cabbage head in to about 1 inch rounds. I had a pretty small cabbage head, so I got 4 pieces + 2 small pieces out of mine. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil spray, and sprinkle cabbage steaks with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and some caraway seeds. Bake for 35-45 minutes. I flipped mine after about 20 minutes.

Original recipe found here.

Sauteed Cabbage with Mustard Sauce

Well, cabbage is the newest veggie I'm obsessed with. I've sauteed it several different times, and this particular way blew me away! Yum - the combo of apples & mustard really works. The taste reminds me a little of sauerkraut. You can probably expect a lot more cabbage recipes to come! Sorry to those of you who aren't cabbage fans. :)

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp apple cider
1 tbsp mustard (I used spicy mustard)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp caraway seeds
3 c cabbage
cooking spray

Make mustard sauce by combining vinegar, mustard, olive oil, apple cider and caraway seeds. Chop cabbage into bite-size chunks. Spray nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat.  Add cabbage and sauté 8 to 10 minutes, stirring several times. Pour mustard sauce over cabbage and stir.  Reduce to low heat, cover pan and simmer for 5 minutes to combine flavors. 

Original recipe found here.

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

I lost 22 lbs between early July and mid October. Then Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas came along. I weighed this morning and I've gained 5-6 lbs back. What does that mean? I will be buying massive amounts of produce, thus having veggie mania, plus logging everything in My Fitness Pal app again! I set a goal a couple lbs less than what I made it to last time. I feel pretty confident I can do it. There's nothing like putting on pants you wore in May-June, that are 2 sizes too big, and they hang off you. That's enough motivation right there!

In other news, I have 9 glorious days left of Christmas break. Main goal: Complete resume (ugh), and start application process. I am dreading this. I'm very excited about our move to Houston... but NOT excited about the process of getting there. In addition to the application process, I've been doing some major house cleaning... like scrubbing cabinets, floorboards, etc. Ahhh, the joys of getting a house ready to sell!

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Wow, that was like a journal entry above. Sorry about that. Let's get to THE RECIPE!! Y'all, this was seriously good. First of all, this was my first experience with a head of cabbage. I've always bought the shredded cabbage if I needed any. It was super easy to use it and then I cut up the leftovers. Also, the recipe called for raisins... I didn't have any so I used dried cranberries instead. Delicious! Don't leave them out. This is kind of like a mini meatloaf wrapped in cabbage! You can also prepare this beforehand, then just drizzle the tomato sauce mixture over the top when ready to bake.

olive oil spray
1 c diced onion
1 medium head green cabbage
1 lb lean ground beef (I use the 96/4%)
1/2 c cooked rice (I used some brown minute rice)
1/4 raisins (I didn't have any, I used dried cranberries)
1 tsp salt
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1/2 c fat-free beef broth
1/2 tsp paprika (I used 1 tsp, we like spice!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13" dish with cooking spray. Spray a medium skillet and heat over med-high heat. Add the onion, cook about 5 min, then set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Using a small, sharp knife, cut in a circle all around the stem of the cabbage and remove the core. Place the cabbage in the boiling water. After about 2 minutes an outside leaf will come loose--pull it off and out of the water using tongs. After another minute the next leaf will come loose. Remove and repeat until you have 8 to 10 leaves. Pat the leaves dry with paper towels. Cut out the thick part of the rib from the bottom of each leaf, but don't cut more than a third of the way into the leaf.  **This was so much easier than I thought it would be. 

In a large bowl, combine the beef, cooled onion, rice, raisins, and salt - I used my (clean!) hands. With the stem side of the cabbage leaf facing you, place about 1/3 cup of the beef mixture in the center of each cabbage leaf. Fold the bottom edge over the mixture and then fold the sides over and roll into a little packet. Place the cabbage rolls, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish.

In a bowl, mix together the tomato sauce, broth, and paprika. Pour evenly over the cabbage rolls. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.

Original recipe found here.

After I peeled 8 cabbage leaves off the head of cabbage, there was enough left over to make a side out of it. I immediately took it out of the water, easily chopped it up, let it dry, then just sauteed it with a little light butter & olive oil, plus salt, pepper, and garlic powder. We drizzled some of the tomato sauce from the cabbage rolls over it. Delish!!

I also made some mushroom pizza bites. They are just baby bellas, stems removed. You bake the mushrooms for about 7 min @ 350 degrees. Then pull them out, add a little marinara, part-skim mozz, sliced olives, and turkey pepperoni. Broil on low for a few minutes. Mmmm.