Arugula & Coleslaw Wraps

Me thinks this will not be a popular snack in many households.  For one, arugula is an acquired taste that I can't imagine too many kids liking - it's kind of a Foodie Green.  It's slightly bitter, it's got a bite, and... it's a vegetable.  Foodies love things like that.  Kids don't.  But wrap up some creamy coleslaw inside, and not only is it fun, but some of that bite is masked by the slaw.  The two are a perfect pair!

I'm proud to say this arugula was grown in my very own garden, the first (finally...it's freaking June) edible product to be reaped from the months of work we put into that thing.  Thus I had to take a picture:

(The lovely ladies in the background did not get any....bummer for them)

Slaw Dressing:
1/2 c mayo
1/4 - 1/2 c white wine vinegar (depending on taste)
1 T sugar (use stevia drops for paleo or fruit juice for Whole30)
1-2 t mustard
S/P
Shake vigorously in a sealed container til blended.

Slaw:
1/2 large head green cabbage
2 medium carrots
1/2 jicama (optional)

Shred veggies in food processor. Pour dressing over and blend thoroughly; let sit in fridge for flavors to meld - about 30 mins

If you have large-leafed arugula like I did, just place a spoonful in the center of each (washed) leaf and eat.  If you have the smaller arugula like they sell in packages at the store, just make a salad out of it - serve the slaw right on top of a bed of arugula greens.  Delish!

This was great with BBQ'd pork roast and caramelized onions.

Asian-Infused Fish Tacos - or Salad

There are a TON of different elements and depths to this meal - some sweet, some hot, a little Asian, a tad Spanish. Thrown together, it made an insane dinner that gave us both food comas from eating so much.
The definite star of the show tonight was the caramelized cabbage. I don't remember where I saw it, but in one of my typical rabbit-trail, blind stumbling through the interwebs recently, I remembered seeing a picture of roasted cabbage, and it inspired me to change up the standard fish tacos I usually make. Cabbage is really good right now; jicama and carrots are inexpensive; and avocados have been on sale, so this is a good go-to winter dinner. Roasting the cabbage gave it an unusual sweetness that really offset the heat of the cayenne and onions.

Olive oil
1/3 head green cabbage, sliced 1/2" thick through the middle with core intact
4 small cod fillets

"Slaw":
1 large shallot, very thinly sliced, divided (could also use yellow onion)
1/3 medium jicama, shredded
1 carrot, shredded
3 tomatillos, thinly sliced
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced (seeds removed for less heat) - divided
1/2 bunch cilantro, finely chopped

Juice of 2 limes
2 T soy sauce, divided
2 T rice vinegar, divided
1 T black sesame oil
1 t garlic powder
1 t cayenne powder (or to taste)
1 t chili powder (or to taste)
1/4 c Hain canola mayonnaise
S&P

1 large avocado, sliced
Corn tortillas (omit for whole30, paleo, or low carb)

Marinate cod in advance with some of the shallot rings, 1 T of the soy sauce, 1 T of the rice vinegar, the juice of 1 of the limes, 1 t of the jalapeno, and a little S&P. Leave in fridge til ready to bake.
In the meantime, preheat oven to 425. Toss the jicama, carrot, tomatillos, rest of the jalapeno, shallot, cilantro, and the rest of the lime juice, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and a little S&P in a big bowl, cover and set aside.


When oven is preheated, brush both sides of each wedge of the cabbage with olive oil and place on jellyroll pan. Sprinkle with kosher salt and roast in oven for 20-30 minutes (check around the 15 minute mark to make sure there's no burning). If the core of the cabbage was kept intact & not removed before slicing, they can probably be flipped easily. If not, it's perfectly fine to just roast on one side. They'll still get that caramelly sweetness!


When cabbage is done, remove from oven & transfer to a plate. Turn heat down to 375, and transfer cod from the marinade to a roasting dish (or you can use the jellyroll pan from the cabbage like I did). Bake fish for about 30 minutes, or until flaky.
While cod is baking put its marinade in a saucepan to make the "slaw" sauce - add the mayo, cayenne, chili powder, garlic, and a little S&P, and heat over very low til thickened. Extra lime and/or cilantro could be added to the sauce if more tanginess is needed.
By this time the fish should be just about done. If making tacos, start heating the corn tortillas. If making salad, plate the fish, top with the "slaw" sauce, jicama salad, and sliced avocado. Good with a Pino Gris.

Slow Cooker Kraut Suppe

I don't profess to speak German. I would love to, but I have a hard enough time speaking English. My heritage however, is German (by way of Russia), and every once in a while I get a craving for something involving cabbage and ground beef.

I have very fond memories of both my great Grandmother and Grandma making the most heavenly Kraut Brot growing up. Kraut Brot is like a beef, onion and cabbage filled hotpocket, only way better. No one to this day could pronounce the name of them correctly, and in fact I still have a recipe card from around age 10 when I was copying what Grandma was making in the kitchen, titled "Grabroke". I remember asking over and over, time and again for years, how to pronounce it...there were rolling Rs, and maybe a G in there, I could never tell...finally I just gave up & spelled it how it sounded.

I've made those little pockets of yum before, and they're a lot of work, because I'm not much of a "baker" - and all the work is in the dough. So to meet the current need for something cabbagey, avoid the hassle of dough, and continue my 2012 soup/stew theme, I made Kraut Suppe:



1 yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
4 small potatoes
1 medium carrot
1/2 small head cabbage
1 lb ground beef (cooked on top of stove first, fat drained)
2 c hot water
S&P

Chop all veggies first, throw everything into the slow cooker, and cook on high for 3-5 hours (or low for 5-7). Since the meat is pre-cooked, all you really need to do is make sure the potatoes are cooked through, so this could also be made on top of the stove quickly in a stockpot.
This would be amazing (and even more Kraut Brot-like) with croutons sprinkled on top*