Pickled Vegetable Sandwich Slaw

Pickled Vegetable Sandwich Slaw

 

This recipe was featured on Smitten Kitchen this week, and I realized I had all the ingredients so decided to try it right away instead of putting it in my well-meaning, ever-growing folder full of great sounding recipes that I really want to try.

 

Pickled vegetables have all sorts of nutritional properties, and they are really versatile.  I decided to pick up some containers and try it out.

 

This is a refrigerator pickling method - not the heated canning method, so any glass jar with tight lid will work.  You'll see I've started with plastic containers until I find the right sized glass ones that I'm looking for.

 

Deb from Smitten Kitchen suggests any firm, crunchy vegetable, but Deb's tip - she wouldn't use red radishes again because they turn everything pink. 

 

Suggested Vegetables for Pickled Vegetable Sandwich Slaw:

Radishes

Red, Orange, Yellow Bell Peppers

Carrots

Fresh Sugar Snap Peas

Kirby Cucumbers

Cabbage

 

But the list is really chef-preference.

 

 

Suggested Uses for Pickled Vegetable Sandwich Slaw:

On Sandwiches

Alongside Grilled Anything

As a Side Dish

On Top of Salad

On Top of Rice or other Whole Grain

 

 

I started with a mandolin but mine was not working well, so I just julienned the vegetables with a good knife instead.  Then I split them up into my 3 containers.

Next I brought distilled white vinegar, sugar, Kosher salt, and yellow mustard seeds to a simmer until the sugar and salt dissolved.  Then I added cold water and let the mixture cool to lukewarm.

Poured the pickling mixture over my vegetables, made sure they were all covered, and refrigerated them for 24 hours.  They can be eaten within 1 hour though.  They last up to a month in the fridge.

 

So far I've just eaten them by themselves, or with lunch.  But I think they'd be great on a pulled-pork sandwich - julienned even thinner.

 

Very tasty - slightly addictive!

 

 

 A big thank you to Deb at Smitten Kitchen for the recipe!!

 

Double click to print as a 5x7 recipe card.

 

 

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Romesco Sauce

Romesco Sauce

 

I was very excited to see this recipe in Southern Living this month.  It's similar to the Red Pepper Dip that I made a couple of months ago, but I think I like this one a little better.

 

When I traveled to Nashville, TN for work, I stayed for a week at a hotel near a Whole Foods.  I usually stopped by Whole Foods to get dinner each night - and my favorite was a made-to-order vegetarian sandwich that they made in the deli area on a fresh baguette with Romesco Sauce.  I loved the sauce, but had never made it.

 

I love any recipe with one line of directions - process all ingredients in a food processor. 

 

This recipe calls for a drained jar of roasted red bell peppers, toasted pecans (8 minutes in the oven on a baking sheet), 2 garlic cloves, olive oil, red wine vinegar (I used Balsamic), and a dash of sugar, sea salt, and pepper.

After the dip set up in the refrigerator, I drained it before taking it and a bag of pita chips to Wine Club on Saturday night.

 

 

The recipe says that it is great served on all things grilled (chicken, fish, steak, etc.), as a sandwich spread, or served as a dip with vegetables or pita chips.

 

It was a big hit, so this goes out to all my wine club friends!

 

Double click recipe to print as a 5x7 recipe card.

 

Enjoy!

Brown Rice and Beans with Ginger Chile Sauce

Brown Rice and Beans with Ginger Chile Sauce

My friend Mary sent me this great Bon Appetit recipe that she had recently tried and loved.  Any rice and beans combo goes over great in my house, so we tried it out last week!

 

You start by cooking brown rice, and then tossing it with fresh cilantro.  I had rice on hand so I re-heated 2 cups worth and added in the fresh cilantro and a little sea salt.  It smelled great!

 

Then I cooked a little chopped onion in olive oil, added in cumin and coriander and let it cook through.  Then added in rinsed & drained black beans, vegetable broth, and a little salt and pepper.  I brought it to a boil, then let it simmer about 8 minutes until the beans were thickened.

 

I somehow didn't get a photo of the ginger chile sauce.

It's very simple - in a blender pulse 2 chiles that have been seeded, a garlic clove, 1 Tbsp of chopped ginger, lime zest, lime juice, and a little bit of onion together to make a flavorful salsa. 

 

 

In addition, I had some sweet peppers so I roasted them in the oven to serve with the beans and rice.

 

The original recipe doesn't call for serving on corn tortillas, but I had some so we made little burritos with ours.  Top the cilantro rice, black beans, salsa, and roasted peppers with halved cherry tomatoes, Cotija or feta cheese crumbles, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges for squeezing.

 

Really, really great - the beans disappeared completely.  They were so good!

 

Double click to print as a 5x7 recipe card.

Enjoy!

Red Pepper Dip

Red Pepper Dip

 

I found this dip in a magazine, and I wish I could tell you which one!  I ripped it out and didn't keep the bottom of the page where it tells you which magazine.  My guess is Good Housekeeping, Fitness, or Real Simple since I never rip out the pages of my Southern Living's or Mississippi magazines!

 

Regardless, this is a great dip that works well with pita chips and vegetables.

I was concerned that I made too much last night and that we'd never finish it up, but we ended up eating most of it at supper.

 

I prefer it with cut vegetables (carrots, celery, broccoli, and cauliflower were what we had), but David and the boys liked it just like they like their hummus - with pita chips.  I have to admit - it was good with pita chips too.

 

And who am I kidding, Brennan doesn't eat peppers. 

But David, Thomas, and I really liked this recipe.

 

And it couldn't be easier.  Or healthier.  Score.

 

Simply drain a jar of roasted red peppers, and puree in a food processor or blender with cumin, Balsamic vinegar, and walnuts.

 

I think it would be great on a baked potato too.

 

Double click to print as a 5x7 recipe card.

 



 

Enjoy!