TIPS Tuesday: Float It...or Coat It

Just tossing up a non-lettuce leaf salad with dressing, sometimes doesn't really work too well, I find. 

Sometimes dressing for, say, a cauliflower salad--as from last Saturday--or an asparagus or green bean salad, really needs to marinate the salad--float a little in the dressing, as it were--before you can serve it. Another possibility is to coat the salad ingredients with just some olive oil, and maybe one or two of the dry dressing ingredients (for example, parsley or paprika), let that sit for a bit, or even chill overnight, before tossing it with the dressing-proper. You can divide, or reserve, some of the dry ingredients, as well, to sprinkle over your marinated salad before serving.

SCRUMPTIOUS Saturdays: Spanish-Style Cauliflower Salad

This is really yummy--an adaptation of an adaptation. At first I couldn't see how it would work--cauliflower not being very flavorful, but with the dressing you make for this dish, it makes sense, and you can even get a hint of Spain (perhaps).

Utensils: chopping board, sharp knives, small whisk

Ingredients: salad -- 1 half head cauliflower, 1 cup finely diced parsley, 1 finely diced green onion (scallion), 1 minced hard-boiled egg; dressing -- 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar, 1 pressed garlic clove, 1 tbsp capers, 1 tbsp. paprika, dash, cayenne.

Notes: Make the dressing and set aside. Separate the cauliflower into small florets, about as big, maybe a little bigger, than your thumb. Steam in an inch of boiling water, with 2 tablespoons lemon juice, for 10-12 minutes. Let cool, pat the florets dry. Toss into the dressing, cover and refrigerate. The next day, spoon some cauliflower onto a salad plate, sprinkle some of the parsley and egg on the top. Serve.

Then toss the cauliflower in the dressing. After that, toss in the parsley and green onion. Parsley and hard-boiled egg provide color and texture, but not too much flavor--for that, you should probably dial up various elements of the dressing: garlic, capers, cayenne, paprika, etc. It's important to steam the cauliflower as directed, then allow to cool, then marinate in the dressing, refrigerated, overnight.

TIPS Tuesday: Pass...on the Salt

This week's tip was going to be about the equipment needed to run a kitchen on a no-refined-carbs diet. However, I'm still putting that list together. (a cutting board, yes, but what else?....)

Meanwhile, let's talk about salt--do you really need so much of it? As a salt-lover, I've been amazed at how little salt I really need. I'm not giving it up--after all, iodine is a nutritional requirement. But, setting aside nutritional values, too much sodium can lead to hyper-tension and range of other problems. It's tempting, when not using refined carbs in your cooking, to over-salt food.

Instead, try upping the quantity of other spices--paprika, cilantro, cumin, turmeric, cayenne--you use, along with fresh herbs, like dill, mint, parsley and basil. As well, onions (and this includes red onions and scallions) offer distinct flavor to dips, dishes and salads that may well obviate the need for salting the food.Vinegars (wine, balsamic, rice--watch this last one, as sugar is often added to it) also provide flavor when used judiciously.

While your at it, consider choosing unsalted peanut-butter, and unsalted nuts, when shopping for these items. You will be surprised at how little you miss the salt.

RECIPE Fridays: #4 - Vegetarian Chili

This is a nice spicy, low-fat, very low-refined carbs (is Tempeh a refined carb? Don't think so...If not, then this is a zero-refined-carb recipe) Vegetarian Chili. This is a variation on many, many veggie chili recipes--some of which call for either textured vegetable protein or soy 'meat.' I use Tempeh in place of those items; you could also used diced and sauteed fresh mushrooms.

You will need: 1 cup of water; 1 chicken or vegetable bouillon cube; 1 28 oz. can of Diced, Peeled Tomatoes; 1 15 oz. can of Black Beans; 1 15 oz. of Red Kidney Beans; 1 small onion; about 15 small cubes (half-inch width) of Tempeh; 1 large Red Pepper, diced; spices: cumin, chili power, cayenne, pepper, salt, paprika, Worcestershire sauce. 

Frying Onions, Red Peppers and Tempeh

1. Cut up and fry the Tempeh with a little olive oil and Worcestershire Sauce. Cut up and fry in a separate skillet the Red Pepper and Onions.

2. Take a 4 quart pot, fill with one cup of water and the bouillon cube, bring to a simmer.

3. Add the tomatoes, beans and as much of the spices, to taste, as you like. Continue simmering, while stirring occasionally.

4. Finish frying the tempeh, onion and peppers. Make sure the tempeh, onion and peppers have a tiny bit of char on some of the pieces.

5. Add the tempeh, onion and peppers to the main pot; stir, and let simmer on the lowest possible heat for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.


Turn off heat. Let the chili sit, settle, mingle flavors and congeal a little to reduce the liquid component. It's best if you refrigerate in the same pot overnight, then spoon into a bowl and microwave that on a low setting for three minutes to warm up. Enjoy.