Monthly Archives: February 2014

Thai Cabbage Salad

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For this month’s Secret Recipe Club, I was paired up with Karen from Karen’s Kitchen Stories. It was incredibly hard to decide what to pick from her wonderful assortment of recipes. I had “narrowed” it down to sixteen finalists and had to tap my fiance to help decide.

Karen has some beautiful bread recipes, including Danish Apricot Braid, Demerara Sugar & Honey Challah, Gruyere Cheese Bread, Hokkaido Milk Bread, Kimmelweck Rolls, and Whole Wheat Challah. I have never made bread before (unless you count banana bread or zucchini bread!), so I was excited to try one of her recipes, but in the end I chickened out.

I wanted something pretty easy and quick since I wanted to make the recipe as soon as possible when SRC buddies were announced. We had just put an accepted offer on our first home and the thought of packing and baking at the same time was overwhelming. Plus, we recently discovered a Lao/Thai restaurant nearby that makes amazing salads and thought this might be a close re-creation.

If you have a food processor, this salad is easy peasy. If not, you might want to buy pre-shredded ingredients. I like the color that the purple cabbage adds, but it is noticeably tougher in texture than the green cabbage. In the future, I’d use 3/4 green and 1/4 purple cabbage, or all green cabbage.

I made extra dressing because that’s the best part. I plan to have it tomorrow with some spinach, broccoli/carrot slaw, and baked tofu.

Checkout the other recipes in this month’s Secret Recipe Club round-up, or head over to Karen’s Kitchen Stories and check out other amazing recipes such as Spicy Parmesan & Herb Grissini, Biscoff Cheesecake (!!), Boca Negra Cake, Boston Cream Pie (my all time favorite dessert), Chocolate Hazelnut Madeleines, Ovaltine Macarons, Asian Take-Out Style Spareribs, General Tso’s Chicken, and Mini Chocolate Espresso Pots de Creme.

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COCOZIA® Organic Coconut Water

Coconut water is supposed to be good for you, right? Then why do they all taste so horrible? I’ve tried several different types of coconut water and my absolute favorite is Harmless Harvest Raw Coconut Water. It is the only coconut water I’ve tried that actually tastes like fresh coconut water, BUT it is quite expensive at around $5 per bottle.

My second favorite brand of coconut water is COCOZIA. It as strong of the odd, sour, artificial taste that other brands have. I think that it is the pasteurization process that modifies the flavor, which is why the raw coconut water tastes much better. I also like Coco Cafe Coconut Water & Coffee as well as Zico’s chocolate flavor, but that’s because they’re loaded with sugar and flavorings. COCOZIA ranks higher than Vita Coco, Zico, and Trader Joe’s Coconut Water for me in terms of taste. I also like the packaging since it seems more economically friendly than plastic bottle (though the individually wrapped plastic straws negates that a bit).

From their site:

COCOZIA® Coconut Water is exactly that: a pure, natural hydration source containing not only water from the green coconut, but essential electrolytes too.

ELECTROLYTES
COCOZIA® contains a natural abundance of potassium and magnesium, as well as other electrolytes. Electrolytes are directly involved with body hydration and muscle function. Better to get yours from a natural source like COCOZIA® than from a sugary, synthetic sports drink alternative.

COCONUT WITH A STRAW
That’s how they drink coconut water in the islands, but fortunately, COCOZIA® has made it a little easier for you here! All the natural elements and flavor, without the need to carry a coconut to your work-out!

Unfortunately, the only place that I have seen this coconut water is online on Amazon. $25 for 12 cartons of coconut water is not too bad of a price, especially if you’ve tried other coconut waters and haven’t cared for them.

Disclaimer: I was contacted by Epicurex and provided a case of Cocozia Coconut Water free of charge. All opinions are my own.  

Super Smooth Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

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Sometimes I feel silly buying things in the grocery store that can easily be made at home. Other times I’m lazy and I’m not ashamed to admit it. Hummus is one of those things (like pomegranate seeds) that have huge markup at the store for the sake of convenience.

Since I’ve found a hummus recipe I like, I’ve vowed to (almost) never buy hummus at the store again. This hummus comes together in a food processor and it makes more than twice the amount that a standard container holds. It’s very creamy and smooth and it is easy to add flavors to. I had a jar of roasted red peppers and mixed some in while this was processing.

Dig in with chips, crackers, or pita bread. This is also a great, flavorful spread on a sandwich or wrap.

House of Steep

Tea

House of Steep, a tea house and foot sanctuary, is a spot that has something for everyone. It is not too intimidating for those new to teas, but it also offers interest for tea aficionados. The staff is very nice and all of the teas smell and taste great.

The menu has tea on the front and “everything else” on the back. There are house blends, which I highly recommend. I almost always opt for the blend of the month since it’s always changing. They offer tea by the cup, pot, or tasting flight. You get unlimited hot water refills on your tea and it comes with a hourglass and savory lavender tea cookie.

Wasabi Dumplings
Tofu Veggie Bowl
Leonora Quiche

The edible part of the menu has room for improvement, but they are keeping with the “tea time” feel. Think – fruit & nutella sammies, rice bowls, and creamy quiche from local LeoNora bakery.

There is a separate menu for foot soaks, which take place in the sanctuary towards the back of the space. The chairs are comfy and the copper basin filled with warm water, rocks, and your “steep” of choice hits the spot. Refills on water during the 20 minutes keep your feet from getting too chilly.

The staff is very friendly and the chief steeper knows all the properties and uses for the ingredients used in their teas and soaks. I stopped in for some anti-inflammatory remedy and she was full of recommendations.

House of Steep | 3800 Lee Hwy, Ste D, Arlington, VA 22207 | (703) 567-1589

Fast & Easy Black Bean Soup

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For some reason I don’t make too many soups. Something about them just seems daunting. This soup is fast, easy, and healthy. The best part is that it only uses one pot and one blender (or food processor). If you have an immersion blender, then this is truly a one-pot meal.

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I’ve made this soup several times in the past month and it’s easy to customize. It’s also pretty cheap to make, especially if you stretch it by adding some rice or quinoa to it. I’ve also added frozen corn and peas to it to add some more nutritional value. As it is, it’s under 500 calories per warm, hearty, bowl.

The version pictured here has vegan chorizo in it instead of dried chorizo, and is topped with some chopped gouda and sesame seeds.