Asian Slaw with Sweet Peanut Dressing

Sometimes it can be difficult to find different healthy and easy side dishes- I mean, how many times a week can we eat brown rice, quinoa, couscous, or simple veggies?  So when I decided to make Sesame Chicken, I knew this was my chance.  And then I came across an Asian Slaw recipe from Once Upon a Chef, and let me just say, YUM!!

I changed a few things around, but used the recipe as something to go off of-- I find myself doing this more often as I get more comfortable in the kitchen-- it's actually really fun!! The recipe made so much that we had  two servings with our dinner, brought leftovers to girl's night, turned it into a salad for lunch the next day, AND enough for Dr. J and I to snack on over the next two days.

I will DEFINITELY be making this for future parties too! SO simple and healthy, and please believe me when I tell you, it's so delicious, you won't be able to put your fork down.

Asian Slaw with Sweet Peanut Dressing

(Recipe adapted from: Once Upon a Chef)

What's In It? 

Dressing:
-1/4 cup honey
-1/4 cup vegetable oil
-1/4 cup rice vinegar
-1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
-1 tsp sesame oil
-1 ½ tbsp peanut butter
-1/4 tsp salt
-1/2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
-1 ½ cloves garlic, minced (=1 ½ tsp prepared minced garlic)

Slaw:
-4 cups shredded coleslaw (you can buy this in a pre-made package at your grocery store; I found mine in the produce section with the other pre-made salad bags)
-2 ½ cups shredded carrots
-1 red bell pepper, chopped
-1 ½ cup shelled edamame, cooked
-1/4 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped
-1/4 cup unsalted peanuts, whole
-2/3 cup fresh cilantro, lightly chopped

How Do I Make It?
Combine all ingredients for dressing in a small bowl.  Whisk until the peanut butter is dissolved in the other liquids.  Put aside.

Mix all of the slaw ingredients in a large bowl (use the largest you have!).  Add the dressing and toss.  Cover with saran wrap or tin foil and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. It's best when it's really cold!

Are there any other ingredients you'd throw in the mix? I always love getting new ideas!

5/28- 6/3 Weekly Menu

This is a big week for Dr. J! He takes the last part of his board exams on Friday and Saturday (2, 8-hour days sitting at a computer answering questions- yikes!). So I wanted to make sure to make him some comfort food that will keep him happy and give him lots of energy to make it through this last week of studying!

Honey Sesame Chicken w/ Asian Slaw

Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Roll-Ups w/ Broccoli Slaw Salad

Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos

Southwestern Chicken Chopped Salad

Enjoy!

5/21-5/27 Weekly Menu

This week I start my internship, so I knew I'd need to go back to basics while I get my schedule figured out.  I wanted to make something delicious that also wouldn't take up too much time.  So here's what I came up with for the week:

Chicken Pasta w/ Spinach Pesto

Tilapia w/ Brown Rice & Veggies

Shrimp Salad w/ Avocado Lime Dressing

Taco Night- Turkey Tacos w/ Chips & Salsa

Honey Sesame Chicken w/ Asian Slaw

Recipes to come soon!

Watermelon, Tomato, & Mozzarella Salad

There's nothing better on a hot, summer day (or really any day in Florida) than something both refreshing and satisfying.  That was the inspiration for this delicious recipe!

I could eat watermelon all day, every day. It's just one of those things that never gets old and always brings back memories of my childhood.  My family would always gather around our kitchen while my dad cut up watermelon over the sink.  By the way we grabbed it off of the cutting board and stuffed our faces, you'd think that it had been years since we had eaten anything.  We usually devoured about half and then saved the other half for later (literally, later...watermelon didn't last more than 24 hours in our house).  To this day, whenever the whole family is together, we always make sure there's watermelon in the fridge.

So because it's summer, and watermelon is back in season (woohoo!), I decided to combine a few of my favorite things: Tomato & mozzarella (another meal I could eat daily) with watermelon. 

Watermelon, Tomato, & Mozzarella Salad

What's In It?

-3 cups watermelon, cut into bite-size pieces

-1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved

-1/4 cup finely chopped basil

-2 tbsp finely chopped mint

-2 tbsp olive oil

How Do I Make It?

Add watermelon, tomatoes, basil and mint to a large bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over the mixture and combine thoroughly.  Serve immediately or refrigerate.

I love this recipe for so many reasons-- ingredients that aren't so obscure (buying something for only one tbsp is the worst!), it's quick to put together, and it's so healthy and delicious! Enjoy!