Healthy Eating - Chinese Cabbage

As part of W-CAP's ongoing efforts to inspire and educate, we will be featuring a vegetable or fruit each month with ideas and recipes to go along with it.  To see the the past Health Eating posts for additional recipes and ideas click here.

The vegetable this month is Chinese cabbage!

HOW TO USE CHINESE CABBAGE:

·         SOUPS SUCH AS PILIKAKI, CHICKEN

·         STIR FRY WITH FISH, LAMB FLAP, ETC.

·         CHOP SUEY

·         STIR FRY WITH GARLIC AND SMALL AMOUNT OF SALT

·         STEAM AND SERVE WITH BROWN RICE OR SAIMIN
        NOODLES

·         CHOP FRESH INTO SALADS

CHINESE CABBAGE AND SAIMIN

1  2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

1 cup water

3 cups water chicken broth (or substitute water with 3 chicken bouillon cubes)

1/2 pound chicken, chopped

2 medium carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch slices

1 small bunch Chinese cabbage, chopped

1  3-ounce package ramen noodles, coarsley broken in package; (flavor packet discarded)

Directions:

·         Mince ginger and put in saucepan with the water and broth, bring to a boil.

·         Add chicken pieces, reduce heat, then simmer slowly, covered, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken and allow to cool  in refrigerator.

·         Add carrots and Chinese cabbage to soup, simmer, covered until tender.

·         Add Saimin noodles and simmer, covered, about 3 minutes.

·         While noodles are cooking, coarsely shred chicken and then stir into hot soup.

 

STIR FRIED CHINESE CABBAGE

1 tablespoon oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

8 cups chopped fresh Chinese cabbage

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Salt and ground black pepper

Directions:

·         Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

·         Add garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute.

·         Add Chinese cabbage & soy sauce, cook 3 to 5 minutes, until greens are wilted and crisp-tender.

CHINESE CABBAGE SALAD

1/2 cup vinegar

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup white sugar or sugar substitute

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/4 cup margarine or butter

2 (3 ounce) packages Saimin noodle, crushed

1 medium head Chinese cabbage (more tender is better!)

3 green onions

Directions:

·         In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, sugar and soy sauce. Set aside.

·         Melt the margarine over medium heat in a small skillet. Crush the ramen noodles and saute until everything is golden brown. Remove from heat and drain on a paper towel.

·         Chop the Chinese cabbage and green onions and add to a large bowl. Just before serving, sprinkle with the noodle mixture and dressing, and toss to coat.

Healthy Eating - Tomatoes

As part of W-CAP's ongoing efforts to inspire and educate, we will be featuring a vegetable or fruit each month with ideas and recipes to go along with it.  To see the the past Health Eating posts for additional recipes and ideas click here.

The fruit this month is tomatoes!

MINI-TOMATO PIZZAS FOR KIDS

This is so simple that children will love making them! A great way to get vegetables into kids

Use the following for the pizza crust:

·         Whole wheat crackers (Ritz or others), or

·         Wheat muffin, sliced in half and toasted, or

·         Whole wheat bread, well toasted

For the sauce:

·         Fresh tomatoes, chopped and mashed (blender or potato masher), or

·         Small can tomatoes or tomato sauce.

Sprinkle on top for flavor:

·         A pinch of oregano or Italian spices and garlic, and

·         Olives, green peppers, mushrooms, onion

·         Mozzarella or cheddar

Place on cookie sheet and bake in 425 degree oven a few minutes until cheese is melted and golden brown on top.

WAYS TO GET YOUR KIDS TO EAT TOMATOES:

·         Chop very small and mix with scrambled eggs, tuna,pilikaki, ground beef, soup, chilis or pizza.

·         Cut tomatoes into cups and fill with tuna, cottage cheese or pilikaki.

·         Slice tomatoes, sprinkle cheese on top and broil for a minute.

·         Slice tomatoes, sprinkle on salt, drizzle olive oil and vinegar. Chill.

EASY MEXICAN SALSA FOR CHIPS

This is a fast easy version to homemade salsa. It will stay good for 2-3 weeks in an airtight container in the fridge. It’s great with chips or scrambled eggs or on burritos.  Remember ‘t.’ means a small teaspoon.

2 lbs. fresh tomatoes

½ t. salt

1 small green chili, chopped

(Or use 1-14 oz. can tomatoes with chilis instead of previous 3 ingredients)

¼   lg. onion, finely chopped
½  green or red bell pepper (sweet), chopped

Pinch dried garlic or 1 small clove garlic, minced

3 pinches of fresh cilantro  (Chinese parsley), chopped

Pinch ground cumin

Pinch oregano

Juice from 1 small lime

Dash pepper

Combine all ingredients in blender or in a bowl and mash with a potato masher. In blender chop on low speed for several seconds until it reaches the desired consistency that you and your family enjoy. This salsa is mild, but you may add more chili peppers to make it spicier. Makes 1 pint.

Healthy Eating - Cucumbers

As part of W-CAP's ongoing efforts to inspire and educate, we will be featuring a vegetable each month with ideas and recipes to go along with it. 

Cucumbers

WAYS TO USE CUCUMBER:

1.       Use instead of rice to accompany the main dish/meat.

2.       Slice and soak in salt water and chill for a few hours.

3.       Serve with pilikaki in soups are salads.

4.       Top sandwiches with cucumber.

5.       Top slices of cucumber with pilikaki or tuna.

DELICIOUS CUCUMBER COLESLAW

1 small head cabbage, green or red, finely sliced

2 med. cucumbers, thinly sliced

2 med. carrots, grated or chopped small

Mix all ingredients together, add Italian dressing or mayonnaise with a small amount of milk and salt and pepper to taste.

ADRIENNE’S CUCUMBER SALAD

Ingredients:

4 cucumbers, thinly sliced

1 small white onion, thinly sliced

1 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup water

3/4 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon dried dill, or to taste (optional)

Directions:

Toss together the cucumbers and onion in a large bowl. Combine the vinegar, water and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, and pour over the cucumber and onions. Stir in dill, cover, and refrigerate until cold. This can also be eaten at room temperature, but be sure to allow the cucumbers to marinate for at least 1 hour.

Nutritional Information: Amount Per Serving Calories: 99 | Total Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 0mg

JAPANESE CUCUMBER SALAD—great for diabetes, weight loss and high in vitamins and minerals as well as low in fat so your entire family can enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 medium cucumbers

1/4 cup vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted (optional, see Tip)

Preparation:

Peel cucumbers to leave alternating green stripes. Slice the cucumbers in half lengthwise; scrape the seeds out with a spoon. Using a food processor or sharp knife, cut into very thin slices. Place in a double layer of paper towel and squeeze gently to remove any excess moisture.

Combine vinegar, sugar and salt in a medium bowl, stirring to dissolve. Add the cucumbers and sesame seeds; toss well to combine. Serve immediately.

Tip: To toast sesame seeds, heat a small dry skillet over low heat. Add sesame seeds and stir constantly until golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool.