Easy stuff to fix, not too hard to eat.


Easy Russian salads
Tofu stir-fry
The house salad
Slaw
Fruit salad


Easy Russian salad (I)

Peel a cucumber and dice.
Dice about 1/2 onion (white, yellow, or red)
Dice a couple of ripe tomatoes.

Toss lightly together.  
Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Dress with a drizzle of olive oil or a few dollops of sour cream.

Easy Russian salad (II)

Hard boil a couple of eggs.  Cool, peel, and chop coarsely.

Peel a cucumber and dice.
Dice a few big (or several small) radishes.
Chop a few scallions (white and green parts).

Toss lightly together with a few dollops of sour cream.
Season with salt and pepper.

Tofu stir-fry

Varies a lot depending on what we have that needs eating.  The crucial discovery was the completely simple yet terribly yummy treatment of the tofu.  Not only is it quick, but the kids really like it.

Cut half a block (~7 oz.) of firm tofu into 1-inch cubes.  Put into a small bowl and allow to drain.
After about 10 minutes, pour off the liquid which has collected.
Pour about 1/4 cup mirin and 1/4 cup soy sauce into bowl and swirl around to cover tofu cubes.

Chop 1 onion (or slice 1 leek).
Peel and thinly slice a medium carrot.
Prepare a green vegetable:
        trim and string snow peas or snap peas, or
        peel brocolli stems and thinly slice; break up florets into smallish pieces.
Wash, trim, and quarter a handful of mushrooms.
Optional:  open a can of water chestnuts and/or a can of bamboo shoots and slice.

Heat oil in skillet.
Add minced ginger and/or garlic.
Add onion/leek and cook until soft.
Add harder veggies.
Add tofu (with marinate).
Add soft vegetables.
Add 1/2 cup of cashews or almonds or peanuts.
If desired, add 1 Tablespoon cornstarch stirred into 1 cup water and cook until glossy-looking.

Serve with rice or noodles.

House salad.

Toast a handful of pecans at 300 degrees F (and for goodness sake don't let them burn!!)
Section a couple of oranges (blood oranges are great, and tangerines work well too).
If desired, thinly slice about 1/4 of a red onion.
Crumble about 1/3 cup blue cheese (or get a container of precrumbled).
Open a package of prewashed spring mix (or wash and tear a head of butter lettuce).
Toss it all together with Annie's Lowfat Raspberry Vinaigrette.
(We used to use Best Foods Citrus Splash Tangerine Balsamic Vinaigrette, but they seem not to make it anymore.)

Slaw.

Get out the Cuisinart with the slicing and grating disks.

Use the slicing disk to shred about 1 small head of cabbage (or half a head red and half a head green).
Peel 4 carrots and grate with grating disk.
If desired, mince 2-4 oz. of shallots.

In the bottom of a large bowl, mix together:
        juice of 1 orange (or blood orange)
        3 Tablespoons sesame oil
        4 Tablespoons rice vinegar
        1 Tablespoon mirin
        1 Tablespoon soy sauce

Add cabbage, carrots, and shallots and toss.

Fruit salad.

Squeeze the juice of 2 small limes into a medium bowl.
Add:
        1 tart apple, peeled, cored, and diced
        1 golden delicious apple, peeled, cored, and diced
        1 Asian pear, peeled, cored, and diced
        1 bartlet pear, cored and diced
        about 3/4 cup green seedless grapes, halved
Gently toss.




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