Shredded Salad with savory cabbage

The first cooking blog that I started reading was 101cookbooks.  I still get the email stating when new posts are there and I love the ideas that Heidi uses to create her recipes.  It was partly due to her website that I decided to start my blog.  This is recipe based on one that was on her blog not long ago.  Since the time change and the cooler days, I have been craving more greens.  I tend not to be very good with eating sufficient greens during the winter, so I always appreciate it when I come across a recipe which I want to make at home.  For some reason in winter, I am more willing for someone else to make it for me.  This salad is quite diverse and you can switch up the ingredient depending on what you have on hand or what you are craving.  I have made it twice already and varied it both times and it still came out excellent.  Give it a try...you'll like it!

Shredded Salad

1 tablespoon olive oil

3/4 teaspoon toasted sesame seed oil

2 tablespoon honey

sea salt

a small bunch of cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup roasted and salted peanuts

1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced

2 1/2 cups shredded savory cabbage (or any kind of cabbage you like)

2/3 cup herbs, chopped (I used basil on time and parsley another time)

2-3 stalks celery, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

2-3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (though I think pumpkin seeds would be good too)

In a medium bowl, stir together olive oil, sesame oil, 1 tablespoon honey, and a pinch or two of sea salt.  Add the cilantro, peanuts and scallions.  Mix to combine.

In a large bowl stir together shredded cabbage, herbs, and celery.  In a small bowl combine the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and 1 tablespoon honey.  Stir to combine.  Pour over the cabbage mixture and stir to coat.  Add half of the cilantro mixture and toss to distribute throughout.  Place the remaining half on top of the salad.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Roasted Vegetable Orzo

When you have a lot of vegetables and are not sure what to do with them, try this recipe.  The orzo reminds me of a rice based dish, but in reality it is more like a pasta salad.  You can mix up any kinds of vegetables to get a different taste or feel.  I meant to put kale into this salad, but once the roasted leaves came out of my oven, I devoured them.  If you can resist try them in this salad.  Roasting the vegetables sweetens the vegetables which makes this salad.  If you haven't cooked with orzo before, you should try it.  It cooks up easily and mixes well with any variety of vegetables and dressings.  The inspiration for this salad came from 101 cookbooks author Heidi Swanson.  If you haven't checked out her blog you should.

Roasted Veggie Orzo Salad
Roasted vegetables (I used brussel sprouts, broccoli, leeks, garlic and onions)
olive oil
salt
1 1/4 cups orzo (uncooked)
plain yogurt

Preheat oven to 400F.  Line  1-2 baking sheets with parchment paper (depends on how many vegetables you are roasting).  Cut all the vegetables (about 5-6 cloves of garlic) into similar sized pieces so they will all roast at the same rate.  Toss all the vegetables with olive oil and salt.  Bake for about 30 minutes.  Toss once or twice to make sure everything is roasted evenly.

Put water on to boil to cook the orzo.  Add salt.  When boiling add the orzo and cook according to package instructions.  Remove and run under cool water.  Toss with a little olive oil.  For dressing, remove the shell from the roasted garlic and mash it with a little salt and yogurt.  Add more yogurt (about a half cup in total) and add more garlic to taste.

When ready to serve, toss the orzo, roasted vegetables and yogurt (start with half and adjust for taste).  For topping you can use toasted sesame or pumpkin seeds, and/or scallions.