Broccoli Slaw

Have you tried broccoli slaw? This slaw is a mixture of broccoli stems, carrot strips and red cabbage. I do find it to be a nice change to the usual dinner salad or standard veggies we normally eat. It is sold in large or small bags, already prepped. In an effort to add some veggie variety to our meals and prevent food waste, I recently set out to see how many different ways I could prepare it. Here’s what I came up with:

1, As a taco topper: I made a pork tenderloin in the crockpot – just seasoned with cumin, red pepper, garlic powder and cayenne. Once it slow cooked for 6 hours, I shredded it and filled corn tortillas to make tacos. Earlier I mixed broccoli slaw, diced jalapeno (optional) and sprayed a little olive oil and apple cider vinegar on it to marinate.

 

I have also topped BBQ’d meat (pulled pork or chicken mixed with BBQ sauce) with a similar slaw. I like the added crunch and spice it adds to the sandwich/taco.

2. Apple salad with shredded apple, broccoli slaw, diced walnuts, olive oil and apple cider vinegar. I love apples in salad so this was a winner.

3. Another sweeter salad with broccoli slaw, dried cranberries and sunflower seeds, olive oil and vinegar.

4. I’m not a big creamy dressing fan, but that’s an option too making it more like a coleslaw with a dressing made of greek yogurt, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, salt and pepper to taste.

5. Lastly, I tried it in the slow cooker as a spaghetti sauce similar to this recipe. I slow cooked ground turkey, broccoli slaw, sliced mushrooms, diced tomatoes, sliced zucchini, Italian spices and red pepper flakes for 4 hours on low. This turned out tasty and was loaded with veggies.

I also made stuffed peppers with the leftovers for another high veggie meal.

Chicken Veggie Ramen Bowl

Oodles of Noodles (aka Top Ramen) was one of the first meals I remember cooking on my own when I was a kid! I made this recipe from Pib and Ebby this past weekend that reminded me of it.  It has a little more prep time and cook time than the original meal I made back in the day, but still took less than 30 mins to whip up. And….who doesn’t think slurping up long noodles is so fun!

I like these Rice Ramen noodles you can also buy at Costco. Or these are a nice wheat Ramen version without the extra additives.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 8-oz. package mushrooms, chopped
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 48 oz. chicken stock
• 2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
• 2 packages Ramen noodles

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add mushrooms, broccoli, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, or until veggies are fragrant and begin to get soft.
2. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Add chicken and Ramen noodles and simmer for an additional 5-7 minutes, or until noodles are cooked through. Serves 4.

Nutrient Dense Foods

Healthy eating is about the choices you make everyday.  Sometimes it just takes some tweaking of what you’re already doing or making slight changes in your eating plan. If you’re trying to focus on the quality of your food, choose nutrient dense foods.  Nutrient dense foods give you the best punch of vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates, proteins and healthy fats.

3 Ways to Add in Real Nutrient Dense Food

1. Add mashed avocado to your sandwiches or spread it on toast. You’ll get great taste, healthy fats, fiber and many vitamins and minerals. Avocado toast is a must-try food. You won’t regret it!
2. Instead of bagged chips, crunch on an ounce of nuts. For about the same amount of calories, you get protein, healthy fats and fiber.
3. Try making your own salad dressing to avoid bottled versions made with corn syrup and additives. Whisk up your own vinaigrette with extra virgin olive oil and vinegar, or try plain yogurt with lemon juice, herbs and garlic. I’m also a fan of flavored balsamic vinegar as a dressing (pomegranate and orange are awesome)!

 

My favorite Salad Dressing Recipe atop an Apple Walnut Salad:

• 8 cups chopped red leaf lettuce
• 1 medium apple, cored and thinly sliced
• ¼ cup red onions, sliced thin
• ¾ cup walnut halves, toasted

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
•  Salt
•  freshly ground pepper
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Toss together the lettuce, sliced apple, onions and walnuts.  Shake together the dressing ingredients and add to the salad.

If you’re looking for a salad dressing shaker, this one is high quality, doesn’t leak and has a convenient flip top that works great!

Zucchini Noodle Salad

I (and my husband) tend to get bored with the same old dinner salad. The zucchini noodle is a fun way to add more veggies in your day and put a twist on the traditional salad.

Zucchini is really easy to spiralize with a little gadget like this one. (A great gift for the foodie in your life!) Add a few other veggies (I added broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes and olives) and olive oil and vinegar for an easy side dish.