Spiced Up Salad

How many of you are bored of your summer salads already?  Umm...ME!  During the summer my work schedule changes and forces me to pack a lunch instead of my usual perusing of my refrigerator around noon.  Of course I try to be as creative as possible, but there are only so many fruit, lettuce, veggie and protein combinations I can muster up at 8 o'clock in the morning.  

This delightfully fresh and fruity salad has an extra kick from our household favorite sauce, Sriracha.  Also, this salad can be made the night before.  Kale salads are often better the next day after they have really soaked up all the flavors from the dressing.  So let's stop the boredom and go out an get a fresh mango, follow my crazy easy instructions below on how to cut it and actually enjoy our lunches at work!

Mango and Kale Salad with 

Sriracha Lime Dressing

Ingredients
3 cups kale, chopped
1 cup cooked and cooled Israeli cous cous
1 mango, peeled and diced, see instructions below
4 tablespoons green onions, chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped (half large red bell pepper)
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce 
Pinch of sugar


Make the dressing by placing the sesame oil, lime juice, Sriracha sauce, 1 tablespoon green onions and a pinch of sugar in a small bowl.  Whisk to combine and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl or salad bowl combine the kale, cous cous, mango, 3 tablespoons green onion and red bell pepper.  Pour the dressing over top and toss well to combine.  Makes 2-4 servings.

How to cut a mango:  Slice off the of the fruit on either side of the seed.  Then cut the flesh of the mango into a grid.  Flip the mango inside out and slice the flesh of the fruit off the skin.

Dancer's Nutrition: What's For Dinner?

I know that for many busy families, dinner time is often thought of way after it should be and or totally forgotten.  Both of which in many times leads to ordering in, or the "your on your own" method which can turn into cereal for dinner.  I have experienced both and the ordering in becomes expensive and often times not healthy and the cereal for dinner is just plain boring to me.  With all this in mind and as my last post specifically made for my dancers, I have come up with a dinner that only takes about 20 minutes to make.  It is so easy that I think a 12 year old can make this dish with confidence.  All that it requires is a bit of chopping up some vegetables, mixing a sauce and cooking some rice, which a rice cooker can do for you.  

Note: If you don't have a rice cooker, I highly recommend investing in one.  I promise it makes many more things than rice.  However, that may have to be another post.  

I have also found while I prefer the Asian version of this dish you could also go super simple and use whatever vegetables are in your refrigerator and garnish with a little salt, pepper and a squeeze of a lemon wedge.  I'm also in love with this dinner because it is easily made for on the go and is lovely eaten cold or at room temperature.  

Lastly, I wanted to say happy healthy eating to all my readers especially my dancers.  I hope that the last few post have inspired you all to cook and eat a little bit healthier.  With that said, next week you should look forward to indulging in some Super Bowl appetizers with my husband, Greg.  And then back to the healthy eating!

Raw Veggie Brown Rice Bowls

Ingredients
4-6 cups brown rice, cooked
2 whole carrots, shredded
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed and cut in half
1 cup edamame
1 cup red cabbage chopped
Sesame hoisin sauce (see recipe below)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Sesame Hoisin Sauce

Ingredients
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 lime, juice
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 large shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds
1/4 teaspoon crushed red peppers or Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce (optional)

Combine all ingredients into a small bowl and set aside.  Makes about a 1/2 cup.

Making the Rice bowl:
In a large mixing bowl combine the rice, carrots, bell pepper, sugar snap peas, edamame and red cabbage.  Pour the sesame hoisin sauce over top.  Stir to combine.  Distribute the rice and vegetable mix evenly between bowls and garnish with the cilantro.  Serve immediately or store in an airtight container with the sauce separately for on the go.  Makes 4-6 servings.

Other vegetable add-ons or substitutes: green beans, cucumbers, bean sprouts, or zucchini.
Protein add-ons:  Chicken, shrimp, beef or pork.