Mexican Cabbage Salad

 

Mexican Cabbage Salad

1 head Napa cabbage, cut softer portions into 1/2 inch shreds
10 mini bell peppers cut into matchsticks
1 bunch of cilantro leaves removed from stem
3 apples peeled, cored, and cut into matchsticks
    (soak in lemon juice and with water to prevent browning, then drain)
1 jalapeno, Fresno, or serrano pepper seeded and cut into very small pieces
1 can no sodium corn
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Dressing

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup lime juice
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
hot sauce to taste
salt and pepper to taste

You might have noticed I am trying to limit my salt with every possibility. Mix all salad ingredients. Whisk dressing well and pour over salad. Serves 8 to 10 people. Just what is needed after the heavy meals of Thanksgiving.

Apple Celeriac Soup

 

Apple Celeriac Soup

1 yellow onion chopped fine
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 garlic cloves sliced
1 celeriac root peeled and chopped in 1/2 inch pieces
3 apples (your choice) peeled, cored, and chopped
2 cups chicken stock (had it left over from another recipe)
2 to 4 cups spring water
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon thyme
2 bay leaves, remove before blending soup
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup sugar if so desired

This is my first time using celeriac root. What a fragrance, not like the smell of actual celery. Earthy and sweet. Sauté onions in olive oil for 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté another minute. Add celeriac root, apples, and/or stock. Add spices and herbs. Cook till all is soft. Blend till smooth. Add sugar if you think the soup is too bitter. This soup is so delicious and fragrant and it can be kept in the fridge for 4 days or it freezes well.

Braised Short Ribs with Mashed Potatoes

Braised Short Ribs with Mashed Potatoes

3-5 pounds of short ribs or a combo with beef chuck meat
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup gluten free flour
2 small onions cut small
3 garlic cloves minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1large carrot cut into smaller pieces
2 parsnips cut into smaller pieces
2 cups dry red wine
2 cups no sodium beef broth
1 can of tomato puree or sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon ground rosemary
1/4 cup brown sugar or 3 tablespoons agave syrup

Cut short ribs and/or chuck into 1-1/2 inch pieces. Add rib pieces to flour in a large baggie. Working in batches brown short ribs on all sides using a porcelain costed braising pan. Add a little more olive oil if needed. Set ribs aside and scrape bottom of braising pan. Next sauté onion and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes to gather up more of the frond on the bottom of the pan. Add tomato paste and sauté for one minutes. Add in wine, stock, and tomato puree, and scrape bottom of pan. Add in spices and herbs and cook on very low temperature on the top of the stove. If mixture is too bitter add in the brown sugar or the agave syrup and adjust the spices. Allow plenty of time to cook the short ribs about 3 hours, stirring to be sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the braising pan. Serve over or alongside mashed potatoes. This is a delicious way to prepare short ribs. Serves approximately 6 to 8 people.

Turkey Platter

Turkey Platter

Happy Thanksgiving