Warm Thai Coleslaw

So I found this recipe in a book called "new vegeterian." The recipe calls for it to be cold with tge green beans being the only thing cooked. I like my dinners warm (except when it's scorching outside), so I decided to change things up a bit and cook all of the veggies. Not only was it quite delicious, but it's also packed with vitamins.

ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 oz. green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 1-2 inch pieces
• 2 cups of finely shredded red cabbage
• 1 red bell pepper
• 2 tomatoes seeded and chopped
• 1-2 green onions chopped (white and some of the green part)
• 1-2 cloves of garlic
• 1 green chile (I'll leave the kind and amount up to you depending on how spicy you like your food).
• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts coarsely ground

for the dressing:

• a handful of fresh cilantro chopped
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons of brown sugar (I used a little less than what is called for)

directions: Mix all the ingredients together for the dressing and put aside. Cook the green beans in boiling water for 3 minutes, then drain and set aside. In a wok (or large frying pan) heat the olive oil and add the garlic, onions, and chiles. Saute for 1-2 minutes then add the bell pepper and continue to saute for another 2 minutes or so. Next add the cabbage and continue to saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the cooked greenbeans and tomatoes and peanuts and continue to saute for another 1-2 minutes. During the last minute pour the dressing over everything. Make sure everything is heated throughly, but don't cook for too long as it will get mushy. Salt and pepper as needed.
If you prefer to have it cold, cook only the green beans then rinse them throughly with cold water. Next combine all the salad ingredients (skip the olive oil) and pour the dressing over everything.

Mel's Warm 'n Chunky Gazpacho

I always see all these recipes for Gazpacho and they always look so good, except for one factor, they're cold. So I decided to make a Gazpacho-like soup that was warm. Also I'm not a fan of puree'd soup, so I kept it chunky. It turned out quite good. This recipe is for 2, so double if you want more.

ingredients:

• 3 Tomatos, chopped and seeded
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 2 golden potatoes, chopped
• 1/2 tbsp dill, diced
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 zucchini (diced)- I used the mini zucchini's from Trader Joes and just had them as little round slices
• 1/4 of a sweet onion, diced
• 1 green chile pepper diced (select the kind and amount depending on the heat you want, I used one from our garden and they are very mild)
• 1.5 cups of tomato juice
• 3/4 cup of vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/8 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar

directions:

In a pot saute onions and and celery in oil for about 4 minutes then add the garlic and potatoes for another minute or so. Next add the broth, dill, salt and sugar. Bring it to a boil then lower the heat down to a simmer and partially cover for 10 minutes. Then add the tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, and red wine vinegar, continue to simmer for another 5 minutes or so. Then add the zucchini and bell pepper for another 5 minutes. Lastly add the tomatos for an additional 5 minutes. Salt and pepper as need. You can also add hot sauce if you like some heat. Serve with toasted bread.

Green Bean Salad

This is a simple, yet tasty side dish.

ingredients:

• 1 pound of green beans, cut the ends off and then cut into 2-inch lengths.
• 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 2 teaspoons salt/pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh dill
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley

directions:

Boil green beans uncovered for 10-15 minutes. Drain green beans and plunge into ice water to stop the cooking. In a small bowl combine the red wine vinegar, olive oil, vegetable broth, and salt/pepper. Whisk the ingredients together and then add the dill and parsley. Drain the green beans from the ice bath and lay out on a paper towel and throughly dry. Next place the green beans in a bowl and pour the dressing over them. Toss and enjoy!

Panko-Crusted Salmon

Ryan made this for dinner the other night, along with the Green Bean Salad and it was very good. You can also use this recipe using other kinds of fish. Next I think we'll try it with halibut.

ingredients:

• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 pieces, thickly cut boneless salmon
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons honey mustard or sweet-hot mustard
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Set salmon on a foil-lined baking sheet skin side down. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine honey mustard and 1 teaspoon of the thyme. In another small bowl mix the panko with the remaining 1 teaspoon of thyme, 4 teaspoons of olive oil, parsley, and paprika. Add salt and pepper (a light sprinkle). Using a small spoon, spread hte mustard mixture on the salmon, top with the bread crumb mixture. Next roast the salmon for 12-14 minutes (test at 10) or until it is almost completely firm to the touch and flakes when poked with a fork.

Serves 4.