Pre-shredded bagged broccoli slaw is one of my newest “must haves” in the fridge. Such slaws are typically mainly shredded broccoli stems, with a little carrot and cabbage. Yes, it’s good as a raw salad with some appropriate dressing, but the real fun starts when you cook with it. Here’s this evening’s offering:

• 1 bag ready-made broccoli slaw
• 1/3 cup almonds, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 5-6 large fresh basil leaves, chiffonaded
• salt & pepper
• 2 cups veggie stock (I usually use bouillon)

Steam the slaw over the stock in a perforated double-boiler, bamboo steamer, or the like. Failing that, quickly blanch the slaw in the boiling stock. Do Not Over Cook. This will take about a minute, no more, less if you’re boiling.

While the slaw is steaming, salt the chopped almonds and toast in a hot frying-pan until they start to brown. Add the oil and garlic, then drain the slaw and dump it in. Fry fast and hot, until the steam clears, then stir in the chiffonade, re-season, plate, and serve. All very fast. The steaming tenders the slaw; the quick fry flavours and sears it. Either alone would not produce the desired results.

We grilled up a few organic chicken pesto sausages to go with this tonight. Drool-worthy.

It’s hot out, but somehow it felt like a hot soup day. This soup will probably taste great chilled as well (if it lasts that long!), but the spicy-heat will remain. Something about spiced food in the heat… millions of southeast Asians can’t be wrong!

In a 350 degree oven, roast:

• 2 lbs carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 largish sweet white onion
• salt & pepper

Roast for 1/2 or more, tossing now and then, until the onions get some colour and the carrots start to tender up a bit. While you’re roasting, drop in a blender the following:

• Plenty of peeled ginger, maybe 1/4 cup
• 1 clove raw peeled garlic
• 1/2 cup cashews

I used Trader Joe’s Thai Lime & Chili Cashews. If you can’t use these, just use regular roast cashews, then add the juice of half a lime and a few shakes of cayenne. In either case, blend into a paste.

Once the veg is well-roasted, run them through a food-processor or a blender in batches. Add the ginger/cashew paste, and transfer to a soup pot. Re-heat up to a simmer and re-season as required; I added a little bit more salt, pepper, cayenne, coriander, and cinnamon (easy with those last three). Stir in a handful of whole cashews right before serving. Yum! I’m off for another bowl…

Tabbouleh, tabbouleh, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways… I’ve been churning out these dishes over the past few days, and trying my best not to gobble them all up as soon as they’re made. Yum! I’ve been using all kinds of bases; couscous, amaranth, rice, orzo, quinoa, take your pick. There are a few variations and “special tips/tricks”, but it’s essentially the same no matter how you spin it: equally delish!

Into the blender the dressing goes:

• Juice of one large lemon
• Olive oil to equal the above amount
• 1 large clove of peeled raw garlic
• Fresh leaves: a bunch of mint, a little less parsley, a little less than that of basil.
• salt & pepper

I can’t stress the importance of fresh leaves! My come from planter right outside, and if at all possible, so should yours.

Chop and drop into a bowl:

• 1/2 sweet onion (I prefer red), minced
• 1 field cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
• 1 medium tomato (or a few cherry tomatoes) diced
• More leaves, minced, for texture

Steam, boil, simmer, or nuke your base as required. I like to use a little vegetable stock in the cooking water. Saffron and fresh black pepper stirred into hot Israeli couscous make for some drool-worthy fumes! The red and black varieties of quinoa are nuttier-tasting and visually more interesting. In any event, you ought to let the cooked base cool before slopping the whole thing together, although I seldom do.

Whenever you do mix it all together, don’t forget the sprinkles: re-test the amount of salt & pepper, then get loopy and drop in a wee shake of cinnamon, cayenne, allspice, or all three. Oh yes oh yes!