Sauerkraut

I have NEVER liked sauerkraut, on anything. Until, that is, I made it myself. Now I'll eat the whole jar by myself in a few days, and be wanting more. Time to start growing cabbage, seriously.

Ingredients

1 head of Cabbage, just over 2 lbs or so - I prefer Purple

1 Tbsp Caraway

2 Tbsp Salt

Directions

Remove any broken or wilted outer Cabbage leaves. Cut the head in half, and remove the core. Shred the cabbage any way you want - food processor is fastest, but a good sharp knife works just as well, and so will a mandolin (just don't slice off the tip of your finger - it hurts!).

Place the cabbage in a heavy duty gallon-size ziploc bag, and dump both the caraway and salt in with it. Close the bag, leaving the air inside. Give it a good shake, making sure the seasonings are evenly distributed. Squeeze the air out of the bag, and then place it inside a second bag, just to be safe.

Here comes the fun. Place the bag on a solid surface, like your cement front porch. Take a rolling pin or a meat tenderizer and just start beating the crap out of it - hard enough to break down the cabbage, but gently enough to not break through the bags. Beat it until all the cabbage is releasing juices, and then keep beating it for a few more minutes.

Pack the cabbage into quart-sized mason jars, leaving about two inches at the top - it should fill two jars. Pack it down really well, and then slowly add a bit of water to the jars until the water level just rises above the cabbage level.

Cover with a lid, and store at room temperature for three days or so, then place in the refrigerator.

Verdict

I really love this stuff! It satisfies my salt craving, and it's good for me. It's great on a pastrami sandwich, on a slice of rye bread with some mustard, or even just by itself.

Salad-in-Hand Rolls

I came up with these after watching a video of a chef making spring rolls with all kinds of strange stuff in them - lettuce, avocado, noodles, peanut butter, and chili garlic sauce don't really go together in my book, but to each his own. Anyway, I had some rice paper laying around for some other spring rolls I never got around to making, so I thought I'd give it a shot. They turned out pretty good, and the idea is really versatile! It's basically a no mess, no fuss salad to go.

Ingredients

• Rice Paper
• Lettuce - coarsely chopped
• Sprouts
• Tomatoes - diced
• Olives - coarsely chopped
• Cucumber - diced
• Avocado - diced
• Drizzle of Olive Oil
• Drizzle of White Wine Vinegar
• Salt and Pepper
• Oregano

Directions

- Hint: Prepare ALL your Veggies BEFORE you Dip your 1st Paper -

Put all Veggies except Lettuce and Sprouts in a bowl, and drizzle with the Olive Oil and Vinegar. Add the Seasonings and mix well.

Dip a sheet of rice paper in water and place in on your workspace. Put a small handful of Lettuce on the paper, then some of the veggie mix, and top it with a small handful of sprouts. Once the paper is sufficiently soft, roll it up burrito-style, tucking the ends in as you roll.

Verdict
Honestly, these are great! They make a great, simple but filling meal. I'll be making them regularly, I'm sure.

Breakfast Smoothies

We started making these smoothies for breakfast a while ago, and we both really like them. Matthew seems to enjoy them too, but he doesn't like to drink his all at once. He usually sips on it throughout the day.

- Green Smoothie -

Ingredients

• 2-3 Cups Water
• 1 Head Kale, Spinach, Collards, or other Greens
• 1/2 an Avocado
• 1 Banana
• 1/4 of a Lemon
• Lots of Frozen Fruit - Our favorites are Pineapple and Strawberries because the pineapple does a good job of covering any bitterness from the greens

Directions
Blend the Water with the Greens, then add the Lemon, Banana and Avocado and puree. Add the Frozen Fruit and blend until smooth. Add additional water if you prefer a thinner smoothie.

This makes about 2 quarts.

- Hot Pink Smoothie -

Ingredients

• 1 Can Coconut Milk (or fresh if you can get it)
• 2 Carrots
• 1/2 Medium Beet - peeled
• 6 pitted Dates
• 1/4 Cup Cashews
• 2 tsp Vanilla
• 12 frozen Strawberries

Directions
Blend all but the Strawberries for 60 seconds. Add the strawberries and blend again until smooth.

This makes about a quart.

Raw-nch Dressing

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Cups Cashew - soak for 2 hrs - drain
• 1 Cup Water
• 3 Tbsp Lemon Juice (about 1 sm Lemon)
• 1/4 Cup Pickle Juice + 1 Small Pickle
  
• 1/3 Cup EVOO
• 2 Tbsp Maple Syrup (or agave or honey)
• 2 lg Cloves Garlic
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 3 tsp Onion Powder
• 1/2 tsp Dill
  
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Basil
• 1/4 cup Minced Parsley

Directions
Blend all but the Parsley - stir it in afterwards. Pour in a storage container. Makes about 3 cups of dressing. Will keep for about 1 week in refrigerator. Dressing will thicken in the refrigerator to more of a dip, add water to thin to desired dressing consistency if it thickens too much for your preference.

Verdict
Another one from Leigh Anne - this one, I think, needs a bit of modification ... it has too much vinegar. I'll make some changes next time I make it, but overall we were pretty impressed.