White Balsamic Vinaigrette

1 Tbsp honey

1Tbsp Dijon mustard 

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper 

1 large garlic clove, pressed in garlic presser

1/4 cup while balsamic vinegar 

3/4 cup EV olive oil

Mix all ingredients except oil in a jar or measuring cup. Slowly drizzle oil into the mixture, stirring rapidly with a tiny whisk until emulsified. This will keep in your refrigerator for a week or longer. If you put it in a mason jar, you can shake it to reincorporate the ingredients. 

This recipe works with any vinegar, including dark balsamic vinegar. It’s quick, easy and delicious! 

Grapefruit, Avocado, Fennel Salad

1 large pink grapefruit, peeled and cut into slices 

2 small or 1 large avocado, sliced 

1 small fennel bulb, sliced

1 small box arugula

Pistachio nuts

Place all in a salad bowl and toss with white balsamic vinaigrette (see recipe link)

Cucumber salad with sour cream dressing

 5 small salad cucumbers

1 small white onion

1 Tbsp table salt

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tsp white wine vinegar 

2 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped

Pepper to taste

Using a mandolin, slice cucumbers about 1/8-1/4 inch thick into a glass bowl. Slice onion into smaller pieces. Sprinkle onion and cucumber with salt and transfer to a mesh colander. Allow to drain over bowl for at least 1 hour and up to two hours. 

Drain cucumbers on paper towels to remove as much liquid as possible. Set aside in clean and drained out glass bowl until ready to eat. Drain cucumbers if liquid settles on bottom of bowl. 

Mix sour cream, vinegar, dill and pepper in a small dish. Place in refrigerator until ready to eat. 

Just before eating, combine dressing with cucumber. Mix thoroughly to cover all the cucumbers. Sour cream May foam a little. If too thick add a little more vinegar. If too thin add a little more sour cream. 

Serve with your favorite summertime entree. 

Buddha Bowls

 Although there are hundreds of ideas and combinations, this on is a tried and true winner. The marinade is on of the best I’ve ever had! Try it. You’ll like it!

Makes 4 Buddha bowls

16 oz extra firm tofu, drained and pressed to release most of the moisture, cut into 4 slices

2 large Garnet sweet potatoes, diced

1 large purple or sweet onion, cut into small wedges

2 cups broccoli crowns, cut into bite sized pieces

2 large garlic cloves, pressed

2 Tbsp olive oil 

Salt and pepper to taste

1 recipe of my hummus, click here for recipe 

Small box of baby kale or spinach (any leafy greens)

Shredded carrots (about 1 cup)

2-3 cups cooked tri-colored quinoa

2 green onions, sliced thinly, including whites and greens of the onion

2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and cut in half

2 small sheets of nori, cut into small strips 

1 recipe of Tahini sauce, recipe here

Marinade for Tofu

1/4 c neutral oil such as canola oil

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

2 tsp+ siracha 

3 tsp dried thyme or 5-6 tsp fresh thyme 

1 tsp smoked paprika 

1 tsp sweet paprika 

1 tsp salt

Pepper to taste

Prepare hummus and quinoa ahead of time. 

In a large flat bowl, mix marinade and place tofu in marinade, covering all sides. Marinate for at least a half hour, turning a halfway through time. 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. While tofu is marinating, prepare the sweet potatoes, purple onion, and broccoli. Place on a large baking sheet, mix garlic with oil and drizzle over the vegetables and salt and pepper to taste. Roast in oven 20 minutes, turning halfway during baking time. Keep veggies warm.

When tofu is done marinading, heat a large pan. Place all 4 pieces in the pan with the marinade and cook for about 8 minutes on a side or until both sides are browned and crispy. 

 

Buddha Bowl Assembly 

 

In a large bowl, put 1/2 cup of quinoa, then in small sections add, roasted veggies, a scoop of hummus, carrots, greens, one piece of tofu (cut up if desired), a half avocado, sliced or cubed. Drizzle tahini dressed all over, then sprinkle with green onion and nori. 

Serve with additional tahini sauce if you doubled the batch and hummus and pita chips on the side, if desired.

Any roasted veggies work! Try Brussels sprouts, eggplant, zucchini or tomatoes. 

Instead of hummus, serve with roasted chickpeas.

The possibilities are endless! 

 

 

Pickled carrots and Daikon

 For Buddah bowls and Bahn Mi sandwiches or anything else you enjoy having with these or just eat them right out of the jar!

1 pint carrots, julienned or shredded

1 pint daikon radishes, julienned or shredded

1/2 c. white vinegar

1/2 c. rice wine vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp kosher salt

Stuff carrots and daikon into clean mason jars -- you can use small amounts of each if you want.

Combine vinegars, sugar and salt into a saucepan and heat just until sugar and salt are dissolved, but not boiling. Pour liquid into jars of filled veggies. Place cover loosely on each jar or cover with plastic wrap with a rubber band.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until veggies are cold and pickled. Keeps for up to a month in the refrigerator, but I advise you eat them up within 2-3 weeks.

Dilly Potato Salad

This gets better when it is chilled and marinates the potatoes.

2 pounds small Yukon Gold potatoes (whole)
4 hard-boiled eggs
1/2 cup green onions (including tops), thinly sliced
3 heaping Tbsp fresh dillweed, chopped
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Dressing
3/4 c. mayonnaise
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard

Boil potatoes until just tender. Cool under water and drain (inside of potato will still be warm). Cut potatoes into a small dice (leave peels on, but you can peel the potatoes if you don't like the peels). Chop up eggs. Place potatoes, eggs, onions, dill in a large glass bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Mix all dressing ingredients in a separate bowl until well-blended. Add more milk so that the dressing is pourable. Pour dressing over the salad and gently stir to mix ingredients.

Refrigerate potato salad for at least an hour. Dressing will thicken as it cools. Be sure the salad is cold before serving.

Great leftover. Makes enough for about 6 servings.

Vinegar (not creamy) Coleslaw

1/2 head (about 10 cups) green cabbage shredded ( or 16 oz.bag)
1/2 small head (1-2 cups) purple cabbage shredded
2-3 larger carrots shredded
2-3 green onions, thinly sliced (with green tops)

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Mix the vegetables in a very large bowl. Whisk dressing ingredients together. About 15 minutes before eating, toss the dressing with the veggies and mix well.

This coleslaw tastes great (and crunchy) even if it sits in the dressing for awhile. It tastes good leftover and will last 4-5 days in the refrigerator.

This is the best vinegar-based recipe I've made.

Cranberry Compote

This is so easy and tastes so good. Best to make a day in advance so it gets very cold and jellied. If you want a a clear cranberry jelly, directions are below as well.

1 bag (12 oz) whole cranberries, rinsed and sorted (pick firm, ripe ones)
3/4 cup sugar (more or less, per taste)
1 cup water
pinch of salt

After washing and sorting the cranberries, set them aside.

Place water and sugar into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil until sugar is dissolved. Add the cranberries and simmer on medium heat for about 10 minutes or until about half the cranberries are popped and it feels mushy and it coats the back of a spoon. Stir a few times so they don't burn or stick to the bottom of the pan.

Taste for sweetness. If you don't want them too tart, you can add more sugar and cook until sugar is dissolved.

Remove from heat and cool on the stove. Once cool to the touch, pour into a glass bowl or a glass jar, cover and refrigerate. It will solidify as it cools. Eat hot or cold. Makes about 2 cups of cranberry sauce.

Jellied Cranberry Sauce
Follow the directions above except increase sugar  to 1 cup. Once cooked, strain through a small mesh sieve into a glass dish, pressing with a wooden spoon until all the liquid is squeezed out and all that is left are seeds and pulp.

Transfer jellied cranberries to a small jar in the refrigerator until completely cooled. Turn out on a plate (may take a little warm water to loosen the sides). You can also put it directly into a glass dish and refrigerate. Serve with a spoon. Makes about 1 cup of jellied sauce.

NOTE: if you want, you can add some orange zest to the pan when you cook it or replace some of the water with freshly squeezed orange juice. You can also add pecans (chopped), cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice to the mix. Be sure to start with only a small amount of spice since you can always add more. You want it to taste like cranberries, not spices.

Green Bean Salad With Walnuts, Fennel, and Goat Cheese

Love this salad.  Our neighbor, Susan Yeagy (Bennett) made this for us when we used to get together for Christmas Eve. I highly recommend it anytime, but it's a great holiday salad that will wow your guests!

Serves 8-10 people

Ingredients

1 1/2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

2 Tbsp white wine vinegar

3/4 tsp kosher salt, plus more for the water

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil

2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch or so pieces

1 small fennel bulb (1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups) thinly sliced into half-moons

3/4 c. toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

1 4 oz container crumbled goat cheese

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Gradually add the oil and whisk until emulsified. Set aside
2. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook just until tender (about 3-4 minutes), Drain and run cold water to cool them. Best to undercook them so they don't get mushy. set aside until you're ready to assemble.
3. In a large bowl, toss the green beans, cut fennel, toasted walnuts together. Add the goat cheese and the dressing just before serving. Toss well.

Serve at room temperature or chilled. 

Watermelon, cucumber, feta and mint salad

4 cups seedless watermelon, cut into small chunks
2-3 cups seedless cucumber, cut into small chunks or slices
1/4 - 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced
2-4 cups arugula (I used about 6 cups)
1/2 cup fresh mint, thinly sliced (add more if you love mint)
1/2 cup feta cheese
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (toasted or raw)

Dressing
3 Tbsp lime juice (about 1-2 limes)
2-3 Tbsp olive oil (use less if you want fewer calories)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Chill watermelon until very cold. When ready to serve, place all ingredients except the mint, feta and walnuts into a large serving bowl.

Toss salad with about half the dressing to start. You just want to lightly coat the ingredients with the dressing. Top with the mint, feta and walnuts and toss slightly, but keeping them mostly on the top. Serve with leftover dressing or save the dressing for another day.

This salad can become very watery, so don't assemble this until right before you want to sit down to eat it. You can also leave out the arugula or substitute spinach for the arugula.

Another variation is to add some chilled quinoa and some grilled chicken strips to make this a main-dish salad.

Tastes very refreshing and summery. The mint really sends this dish over the top, so don't skip it!

(Nathaniel didn't really care for this, but the rest of us thought it was refreshing and delicious!).

Creamy Low-fat Poppy Seed Dressing

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (I used full-fat, but 0% fat will lower the calories)
3 Tbsp water
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp Maple syrup (or honey)
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp poppy seeds
pinch salt

Mix ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth. Might need up to 1 Tbsp water to make it thin enough. Add more sweetener if you like it a bit more sweet or a little more vinegar if you like it tangy.

Makes a great dressing for spinach, strawberry salad. Very light and refreshing.

Makes about 1 cup of dressing.

Chopped Cabbage and Kale Salad

6 cups chopped green cabbage
3 cups packed, de-stemmed and chopped kale
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dried sour cherries
4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
2 Tbsp olive oil
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Black pepper to taste

Combine cabbage, kale, red bell pepper, walnuts, dried cherries, and feta cheese in a  large salad bowl.

In a small bowl,  whisk oil, lemon juice, zest, salt and pepper. Might need to add a little more oil if you have a large lemon. If you like it a little sweeter, add some maple syrup or honey.

Combine dressing with cabbage and toss to coat. Chill until ready to serve.

Mexican Street Corn Salad with Yogurt-Lime Dressing

4 cobs of sweet corn
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
Salt and pepper
1 medium red bell pepper
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup crumbled Mexican cheese (such as cotija or queso fresco), divided

Dressing
5 oz zero fat Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp Hellman's mayonnaise
1 small clove garlic, pressed
1 tsp honey
1 Tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp smokey paprika
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees and place corn in oven with husks on. Roast about 20 minutes or until corn is soft, but still firm. Cool corn while you chop the ingredients for the rest of the salad. Cut corn off husks and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle with lime juice and salt and pepper. Add the red bell pepper, onion, black beans, cilantro and 3/4 cup of the Mexican cheese.

Mix all of the dressing ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Taste to adjust seasoning. If you want it more spicy, add additional cayenne pepper - if less spicy is your thing, don't add it at all.

Gently toss all of the salad ingredients together, pouring the dressing on top to incorporate. Top with 1/4 cup of additional cheese and refrigerate until ready to serve. This salad gets better as it blends and I like it cold, but it can be served at room temperature right away.

Eat as a side dish with enchiladas or tacos or just dig in and eat it as a "dip" with tortilla chips. This stuff is addicting!

NOTE: You can grill the corn, slightly charring it instead of roasting it in the oven. This will give the corn a smokey flavor and it will be a bit crispy.

NOTE: If you can't find Mexican cheese, you can substitute Feta cheese instead. Mexican cheese is much milder and has less salty flavor.

Cabbage, Brussels Sprout, Apple Slaw with Maple Sweetened Vinaigrette Dressing

"Oh yum!" That's all I could say after making and eating this coleslaw. A wonderful fall side dish, it's addicting to the soul! Give it a try. It really makes a colorful side dish to brighten a fall plate.

1/2 of a medium head of red (purple) cabbage, shredded (about 10-12 oz or 8-10 cups)
8-10 Brussels Sprouts, thinly sliced (about 6 oz)
1 medium apple (I used Honey crisp), cut into matchsticks
1/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup pecans, chopped roughly

Maple Sweetened Vinaigrette Dressing
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. maple syrup (plus more if you want it sweeter)
1/4 cup unfiltered raw apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg's)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large glass bowl (bigger is better so you can toss the salad), place the cabbage, Brussels sprouts and apple.

To make the dressing, whisk together the first 3 ingredients and then slowly stir and whisk in the oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Toss the dressing with the cabbage mixture. Sprinkle the nuts on top and give it a good stir just before serving. This will keep the nuts/seeds crisp. This can be made in advance and it still tastes great a day later!

See how colorful it makes the dinner plate?!

Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad with Tahini-Miso-Maple Syrup dressing

Dave and I had this salad at a local restaurant this weekend, so I decided I needed to make it at home. It turned out better than the overpriced one at the restaurant. I'm really digging tahini and maple syrup together in a salad dressing.

1 big bunch of kale (6-8 cups)
1/2 pound Brussels sprouts, rinsed and ends snipped off
Salt and Pepper
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Cut kale into bite-sized pieces, removing the hard stem. Massage kale while rinsing under water and spin dry. Kale should turn bright green. Shave or thinly slice Brussels Sprouts and add to the kale. Salt and pepper salad.

Next, make dressing.

Tahini-Miso-Maple Syrup Dressing
1/4 cup tahini
2 Tbsp. white Miso
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 Tbsp Maple syrup
Small garlic clove, pressed through garlic press
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1-2 Tbsp warm water (to thin)

Using an immersion blender, blend tahini, Miso, 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar and Maple syrup (cover with hand or use a deep dish to do this because it will splatter) until smooth. Check for sweetness -- if too sweet add another tablespoon of vinegar. With a spoon, add garlic, cayenne, black pepper and check for consistency. If too thick, add 1 Tbsp warm water and stir well. If still too thick, you can add more water. Taste for sweetness or tartness, depending upon your liking.

When ready to serve, add almonds, cranberries and dressing to the kale-Brussels sprouts salad. Serve immediately.

The dressing is so tasty -- I could eat it with a spoon! :)

Greek Pasta Salad with Grilled Chicken

16 oz Orecchiette pasta cooked al dente
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
1 small English cucumber, cut into half moons
1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 cup Greek olives, cut in half
15.5 oz can chickpeas (Garbanzo beans), drained
2 cups (about 2 large handfuls) of greens, such as chopped romaine lettuce or spinach or a combination of both
8 oz. Feta cheese, crumbled

Greek-Style Dressing
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 glove garlic, pressed through garlic press or finely shopped
1 tsp. dried oregano (crumbled)
1 tsp salt
1/2-1 tsp freshly ground pepper

Mix well or shake in a jar to combine

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, marinaded in Italian or Greek Dressing (make another batch of the dressing listed above for this) for at least 4-6 hours, but not more than 24 hours

Directions
Right after cooking the pasta, rinse pasta with cold water to stop it from cooking. Drain well and place in a very large serving bowl (this recipe will feed about 8 people) add the olive oil to keep the pasta from sticking together. Refrigerate pasta to cool it completely.

Stir the next 9 ingredients into the pasta, mixing well. These amounts are very forgiving, so it's fine if the amounts are more or less than listed above.

Add the Greek-style dressing to the pasta salad and you can either refrigerate until ready to serve or proceed to grill the chicken,

Pound raw chicken until about 1 inch thick. Grill chicken on high about 10 minutes or until juices run clear, discarding the marinade.

Cut chicken into strips or cubes. Add chicken to the pasta salad or you can serve it on the side and let each person add the chicken to their own salad. You can also add the chicken to the salad and refrigerate until ready to serve if you prefer your chicken cold rather than warm.

Serve pasta salad as a main dish or it can be a side dish. This will feed 8 people a main course or 12-15 people as a side dish. If you want to make it for a main course, you can complete the meal with a fruit salad and a tall glass of iced tea or lemonade.

This salad makes great leftovers too!

Enjoy!

Chicken Chop Salad

4 chicken breasts, pounded thin
1/2 c. bottled Italian dressing
2 heads romaine, chopped
1 red pepper, cut into 1/4 inch squares
1 English cucumber, cut into slices, then quartered
16 grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/3 cup black olives, sliced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
5-6 slices provolone cheese, cut into small squares
1/2 c sliced pepperoni, cut in half
4 pepperoncinis, sliced

Dressing
1 lemon, zested
8 Tbsp lemon juice (from zested lemon)
 (note, if you don't have enough lemon juice, make up the difference with red wine vinegar)
2 large garlic cloves, pressed through garlic press
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp dried oregano (or 1 Tbsp fresh oregano)
1/3 c. Extra Virgin olive oil

Marinade chicken breasts in Italian dressing at least 4 hours or overnight. Grill chicken until done. Then slice or chop into bite-sized pieces. Place into a bowl.

While chicken is marinading, combine all the other ingredients in a large salad bowl as shown in photo above.

Make dressing by combining all the ingredients together except olive oil. Whisk oil into the rest of the ingredients, until well combined.

Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well. Serve salad with chicken on top.

I also made Italian bread croutons by toasting Italian bread, topped with olive oil, Italian spice and a pinch of salt on top. Toast until crunchy, but not too brown. You can serve the bread on the side or cut up and add to the salad.

This makes 5 generous dinner salads. It is light and delicious.

Yummy Quinoa Salad

1 cup dry quinoa
1 cup edamame, fresh or, if frozen, thawed
1 jar of mango in light syrup, diced (reserve juice for dressing)
1 red pepper, finely diced
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and ribs removed and finely diced
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup sliced and toasted almonds
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Dressing
2 limes
Zest of 1 lime
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup reserved mango juice
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Directions
1. About and hour or two before making the salad, prepare the quinoa. Rinse and drain dry quinoa and then add 2 cups of water in a pan, bring to a boil. Cover and simmer quinoa for about 15 minutes. After water is absorbed, remove lid and place a clean flour sack towel on top of pan and place lid back on top. This will absorb steam and water and allow your quinoa to be light and fluffy. Place quinoa in the refrigerator until cold. Alternatively, you can spread the quinoa on a baking pan and place it in the freezer for about 10 minutes to cool it. In either case, make sure the quinoa is dry and cold to make the salad.

2. Place cooked quinoa in a large bowl and add the remainder of the ingredients and give it a good stir.

3. Prepare the dressing by zesting one lime, then juicing both limes into a small mixing bowl. Add the vinegar, reserved juice, salt and cayenne pepper (use more or less cayenne depending upon how spicy you want it). Mix well and adjust seasoning.

4. Pour dressing over quinoa and serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

5. Makes 8-10 servings as a side dish or 4 large servings for a salad.

Serve alone or on a bed of lettuce or if you want to add meat, it goes well with grilled chicken or shrimp which has been cooked and cooled.

Refreshing and very filling!

Copy Cat Panera Mediterranean Chicken Salad

3 chicken breasts, pounded thin
1 cup dry quinoa
4 stalks kale, washed and chopped into smaller pieces
1-2 heads Romaine lettuce, chopped into smaller pieces
1 medium tomato, chopped (no need to seed)
2-3 green onions, sliced, including green part
1 cup English cucumber, sliced into half moons
1/2 cup kalamata olives (whole or sliced in half)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
3/4-1 cup feta cheese (divided)

Rinse quinoa and place in a medium pan with 2 cups of water and 1 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil, then put on simmer and cover. Cook 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Place quinoa in the freezer to cool down to room temperature.

While the quinoa is cooking, pound the chicken and make the marinade/dressing (see recipe below). Place raw chicken and about half the marinade in a gallon bag and marinade on the counter while preparing the rest of the salad.

Heat grill to high.

Dry kale with paper towels and place in a large salad bowl. Add 1/2 tsp. kosher salt and massage the kale until it turns a bright green and becomes a little limp. This will take out the bitter flavor of the kale.

Place the romaine in the bowl with the kale and mix thoroughly. Add chopped tomato, green oinion, cucumbers, olives, almonds and 1/2 cup feta cheese on top of the greens.

Remove chicken from marinade and toss the marinade. Grill chicken on medium until juices run clear (about 15 minutes or so). Cut up chicken into think slices.

Remove quinoa from freezer and put about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the quinoa on top of the salad. Top with chicken.

Just before serving add the salad dressing (should be about half left) and toss salad gently. Top salad with additional feta cheese and serve in large salad bowls.

Makes 4 generous dinner salads with possible leftovers.

Greek Marinade and salad dressing
1/2 cup good red wine vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 larger cloves of garlic, pressed
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp evaporated cane sugar
1-2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 cup good olive oil

Combine all ingredients except the olive oil in a large measuring cup or mixing bowl. Whisk in the olive oil slowly to emulsify the dressing. It should come together easily, but if it looks oily, it means you're pouring the olive oil in too quickly. SLOW DOWN!

Homemade Sauerkraut in a Quart Jar

I found this recipe on the Internet and couldn't believe how easy it was to make!

Give everything you use for this project a thorough cleaning, including your hands. It is imperative to keep jars and bowls free of dirt and germs!

You will need:

1 wide-mouth quart jar
1 large head of fresh green cabbage (about 2 pounds)
1 Tbsp. Kosher salt
1 large plastic or glass bowl
Cutting board and knife or a food processor or Mandolin that can slice cabbage
Cheesecloth or old flour-sack towel
Rubber band to secure the cloth or towel
A pint-size jelly jar that will fit inside the quart jar
Clean marbles or stones or something to weigh down the cabbage
Caraway seed (optional)

Clean the cabbage - remove any outer leaves that are wilted or hard. Cut the cabbage in quarters, then remove the core. Slice each wedge in half and then slice each wedge into very thin strips. Place the sliced cabbage in a large mixing bowl (use the biggest size you have).

Sprinkle the salt over the cabbage. It won't seem like much, but you don't want to over-salt it.  Let the cabbage and salt sit for about 5-10 minutes and get your canning jar ready and the pint-size jelly jar filled with the marbles or stones (put a lid on it for added safety). Cut your cheesecloth to fit over the quart-sized jar - leave lots of extra room since you will also need to fit it over the jelly jar that will sit atop the cabbage.

Begin working the salt into the cabbage by massaging and squeezing the cabbage with your hands. It may seem like there is not enough salt, but as you work the cabbage, it will become limp and more like coleslaw than cabbage. This will take 5-10 minutes. If you want to add caraway seed, do it now. I recommend 1/2 Tbsp to begin with (I added a tablespoon and it was too much).

Next pack the cabbage into the quart jar. If you have a canning funnel use it. If not, just use your hand and pack it, pushing down the cabbage to fit it all in the jar. Pour any liquid in the mixing bowl into the quart jar.

Now weigh the cabbage down with the marble or stone-filled jelly jar. Cover with the cheesecloth or a clean flour-sack cloth so that the cabbage can "breathe" but won't get dirty particles or dust in it.

Over the next 24 hours, press down the jelly jar to get the liquid above the cabbage. The cabbage should release liquid and what you want is to keep the liquid above the cabbage so it doesn't mold or spoil. Keep the jar on the kitchen counter overnight. After 24 hours, if there is not enough liquid, dissolve 1 tsp. salt with 1 cup of filtered water and add enough so the cabbage is fully submerged.

Continue to weigh down the cabbage and ferment 3-10 days. Because this is a small batch, it won't take as long as a large batch to begin its fermentation process. Ideally, you want the temperature of the room to be 65-75 degrees. Check daily and press down the cabbage to keep it submerged.

Begin tasting the cabbage after 3 days. The longer it is on the counter, the more fermented it will become. Don't be surprised if it begins to bubble or if a scum or foam appears on top. That is good. If you see mold, skim it off immediately and make sure the cabbage is fully submerged; don't eat the moldy parts close to the surface, but the rest of the sauerkraut is fine. Put a lid on the jar and just make sure the liquid stays above the cabbage. Here's a photo of it on my counter. This jar has caraway seeds added.

Once you have it at the level of sour you like, you can keep it for 2 months or longer in the refrigerator. It won't get a lot more fermented, but it will last at least that long. As long as it smells and tastes good, you can eat it! I doubt it will last even a month if your family is anything like mine!

You can also can your sauerkraut for longer storage outside of refrigeration, but canning does kill the good bacterias produced by the fermentation process. Feel free to use red cabbage or napa cabbage or other cabbages to make sauerkraut.

Happy fermentation!