Green Smoothie (Yum?)

I've found that the least painful method of getting spinach into my family's tummies is to hide it!  Throw it into a sauce, soup, or casserole... cover it with cheese if possible.  If they don't notice it, they won't try to avoid it!

Today I decided to be a bit more "in yo face!" about serving spinach.

Sweet 'n Tangy Kale Salad

Raw kale tastes bitter to me, so I usually prefer to eat it cooked.  The sweetness and tartness of the dressing seemed to counter the bitterness in this simple salad.  I liked the dressing on the sweet side; feel free to adjust the ingredients to your preference.

In the Magic Cooking Pot: Split Pea Soup

My dear grandpa is on a limited diet and also prefers soft foods that he can manage with his dentures, so split pea soup seemed like a healthful meal he could enjoy.  I prepped all ingredients in the evening, then combined them in the morning and left them cooking in my trusty Crock Pot until I returned from work.  Grandpa ate a whole bowlful of this stuff for dinner, so I'd say this recipe was a success!

QUICKish Salmon Gumbo?!

We had salmon for dinner last night.  Costco sells huge fillets, so I baked one with miso-ginger dressing and the other with mayo and Tajin seasoning ("The ultimate fruit & vegetable booster"... yummmmm...).

Tonight, I received a special request for gumbo.  The recipe I found via Google was going to take well over an hour, and I didn't have a third of the ingredients on hand, so a surprising concoction was born.  The makeshift gumbo was delicious!  And was ready to eat in less than an hour.

A Savory Stir-Fry Shared Between Friends

This one's for you, Jan!

Ingredients:

• Brown rice
• Water
• Coconut Milk (canned)
• Butter
• Onions (chopped)
• Celery (chopped)
• Bell peppers (cut to bite-size)
• Canola oil, if needed
• Shrimp (I used frozen, rinsed and drained)
• Sriracha sauce
• Cilantro (chopped)

For the Rice:

1. Scoop uncooked brown rice into a pot, then add enough cold water to cover about 1 inch beyond the level of rice at the bottom of the pot.
2. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover the pot and turn the heat down to simmer for 20 min.
3. Add some coconut milk, cover the pot again, and simmer for another 10 minutes or until the liquid has absorbed/evaporated.
4. Fluff the rice.

For the Stir-Fry:

1. While waiting for the water in the rice pot to boil, melt butter in a large skillet or wok over high heat.  Add onions and stir until golden.
2. Add celery and bell peppers.  Stir just until cooked through.
3. I added a little canola oil because the veggies weren't as "saucy" as I wanted.
4. Add shrimp and saute just until they turn opaque.
5. Drizzle sriracha to taste.
6. Add cilantro and stir.

Serve the stir-fry over the rice.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.