Olivia's Caribbean-Style Roast Cabbage with Carrot

This is great over brown rice, or black beans and rice. You can make a LOT of it at once, or chop only half of the cabbage up. Leave the other half of the cabbage head intact and chop it up next week. It will keep.

INGREDIENTS

2 1/4 pounds green cabbage, core removed and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup vertically sliced yellow onion
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups carrots, cut into ribbons
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons habanero hot sauce
1 tablespoon butter

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Combine cabbage, onion, oil, sugar, black pepper, and salt in a large bowl; toss to coat. (It's OK if the cubes start to separate.)

3. Divide cabbage mixture between 2 foil-lined jelly-roll pans. Bake at 450° for 20 minutes, stirring and rotating pans after 10 minutes.

4. In the same bowl that you used for the cabbage, combine carrots, vinegar, and hot sauce; toss to coat.

5. Remove cabbage from oven, and carefully transfer to the bowl with the carrots. Add butter; toss gently to combine.

6. Heat broiler to high. Return cabbage mixture to pans, spreading evenly. Place each pan under the broiler for 3 minutes (this will be a two-phase operation) or until edges begin to brown and evenly crisp.

Beans Two Ways

Lately, I have been taking beans and rice to work for lunch. They're filling and I don't really care what I eat for lunch, as long as it's something, so that works out great for me. I use the cheap, bagged dried beans from the grocery store, usually the Goya Pinto or Black beans. I don't pre-soak them. I make them in the slow cooker every week, and they just get more delicious the longer they last. I put half in a tupperware to eat over the week, and divide the other half between 2 plastic freezer bags. I freeze these laying flat, so they can be stacked vertically or horizontally to save room.


Here are my two favorite ways to cook beans.

Meaty Beans

2 Ham hocks or 1 ham hock and smoked turkey necks or wings
One yellow onion, halved
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
Dried beans to cover about the bottom third of the slow cooker

Put all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover all ingredients with water until slow cooker is 3/4 full. Cook 8 hours. Season with salt, and your preferred combo of:

cayenne
paprika
garlic powder
onion powder
bacon grease
cumin
turmeric

Vegetarian Mexican Beans

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups dried pinto beans, picked over, rinsed
6 cups water
1 tsp dried oregano, preferably Mexican
2 tsp salt

In medium skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onions and garlic. Cook, stirring continuously, 5 minutes to soften.

Transfer onion mixture to slow cooker. Add beans, water and oregano. Cover and cook until skins are soft, insides are creamy and a few are beginning to crack open, about 4 to 6 hours on high heat, or 6 to 9 hours on low heat. When beans are almost done, stir in salt and cook at least 20 minutes.

Serve straight from the pot (de olla) as a main or side dish. Alternately, gently mash beans in slow cooker until creamy and still soupy.

Nadia's Spicy Cold Soba Noodles

This can be made peanut-free.  To make a peanut-free version, replace the peanut butter with tahini and the peanuts with sesame seeds.

INGREDIENTS

Dressing:

1/3 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp molasses
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp grapeseed (light) oil
3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp peanut butter
2 Tbsp Sriracha or chili paste

1-12oz package Soba noodles

4 green onions (sliced)
2 cups red cabbage (shredded)
1 red bell pepper (thinly sliced)
¾ cup carrot (shredded)
1 cup broccoli (sliced thin)
¼ cup cilantro (roughly chopped)
1 cup cooked chicken (shredded) (optional)
¼ cup peanuts (chopped)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook soba noodles according to package directions. Rinse with cold water and drain well.

2. In large bowl, mix all of the ingredients for the dressing together.

3. Add the cooked noodles and all of the vegetables and chicken.

4. Mix until combined and sprinkle top with the peanuts.

Nadia's Easy Vegetarian Chow Mein

Easy Chow Mein, courtesy of Nadia.

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 cloves garlic (minced)
2 tsp fresh ginger (minced) or ½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp sesame seed oil

Soba or Udon noodles
2-3 Tbsp grapeseed oil

1 cup celery (thinly sliced on a bias)
½ medium onion (sliced thin) or 4-5 green onions
½ head (2-3 cups) of green (purple, savoy or napa will work too) cabbage (shredded)
2 carrots (shredded or thinly sliced)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook noodles according to the package. Rinse in cold water and set aside.

2. In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, sesame oil and red pepper
together and set aside.

3. Heat oil in a Wok and sauté vegetables for 2-3 minutes.

4. Add noodles and sauce over vegetables.

5. Cook for 2-3 minutes.