Rainbow Coleslaw

This is an amazingly crunchy 

coleslaw that has a tangy, sweet bite to it!

First off, I've never been a fan of Coleslaw. Coleslaw reminds me of watered-down, mayonnaise covered goo that sinks down into a runny-sauced cabbage.

THIS IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT!

Ingredients:
1 small cabbage, shredded (1 1/2 pounds shredded)
1 medium onion (I use a yellow, or white)
1 Carrot, shredded
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1 small sweet red bell pepper, chopped
1 small sweet yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 C. Sugar
2/3 C. white vinegar
1/2 C. vegetable oil
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. Celery seeds
1/4 tsp. ground mustard

Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl, STIR.
In a saucepan, combine sugar and remaining 6 ingredients. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves.

Pour vinegar/sugar mixture over cabbage mixture; TOSS.

Cover and Chill at least 2 hours. (preferably overnight)

Enjoy with a BBQ dinner, or just as a healthy side-dish.
Serves 8-- Calories--140/serving

Recipe Courtesy of Jennifer Cooper

Curried Cauliflower Soup

I love the flavors in Thai foods and curry's, and I'm a huge fan of bisque soups, so when I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it.   

Ingredients:

1/3 cup raw cashews
3/4 cup water
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 large head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 14-oz can light coconut milk
2 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp evaporated cane sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp Salt

Directions
Put the cashews in a blender and blend until finely ground. Add ¾ cup water and blend for 2 minutes.

Pour the cashew mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing on the solids with the back of a spoon. Discard the solids.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over low heat. Add the onion and sauté until golden.

Add the cauliflower, coconut milk, strained cashew milk, curry powder, turmeric, cumin, sugar, cinnamon, and salt as needed. Add enough water to cover.

Bring to a low boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes.

Blend the soup with an immersion blender until the desired consistency is reached. If using a standing blender, allow the mixture to cool for 20 minutes. Pour the soup into the blender. Hold the lid down firmly with a clean, folded towel over it. Start on low speed and blend until the soup is smooth. Return to the pot and reheat if serving hot.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with cilantro before serving.

Makes 10 cups

To make this soup PALEO, exclude adding the salt

*Recipe courtesy of The Dr. Oz Show ~ Dr. Weil

I cooked up Salmon and served it together with this soup.  It was a tasty little combo.

Roasted Red Pepper & Sweet Potato Salad

Prep time: 15 minutes
Grilling time: 20 minutes

Dressing:
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp chopped garlic (I use 2 in mine)
1 tsp minced jalapeno pepper ( or you can use 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Place all ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.

Now you'll need:
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes
4 large red bell peppers (I use one of each color...I just like the colorful variety it adds to the dish)
1 cup thinly sliced celery
3 green onions, white and light green parts only, cut diagonally into thin slices
1/3 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Peel and cut the sweet potatoes crosswise into slices about 1/2" thick. Dip (or lightly brush  both sides with the dressing). Set aside sweet potatoes.

Add the celery, onions and cilantro to the dressing. Set aside

Grill the sweet potatoes and 4 red bell peppers, over direct medium heat, turning occasionally.

The sweet potatoes are done when they can easily be poked with a knife, about 20 minutes.

The bell peppers are done when the skin blackens and blisters all over, 12 to 15 minutes.

After the bell peppers are cooked, place them in a bowl and put plastic wrap over them to trap the steam and let them sweat. 

Cut the COOKED sweet potatoes into 1/2" pieces and put them in a large bowl. After the bell peppers have  been able to sweat for about 10 min, remove the skin off the peppers and cut into 1/2" pieces. Add to the bowl with the sweet potatoes. Toss.

Now take the dressing and add enough to moisten the sweet potato salad

 (you may not use ALL of the dressing, or you can...whatever you like)

Mix well and serve with anything you choose! We chose to cook ribs and serve it on top of the salad! It was delicious and hearty!

Recipe courtesy of Webers 'Real Grilling' p. 272

Tomato Basil Bisque

6 carrotts diced
1 red bell pepper diced
1 red onion diced
saute all 3 together with 1/2 cube butter

Once veggies are soft add:
1 large can (1 lb 12oz) of diced tomatoes
1 small can (14.5oz) diced tomatoes
2 TBS tomato paste
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt

Bring to a boil, then let soup simmer for 20 min.Add fresh Basil...about 2 cups then stir it inAdd 1.5 cups of whipping cream,and stir it in

Blend your soup, little bits at a time, pour it into a large bowlOnce all blended, pour back into your original pan, bring to a boil once moreThen Serve It Up!!! Goes great w/crackers or french bread. YUMMY!!!