The recipe for Asian Almond Slaw Salad was developed in partnership with Fisher Nuts.

Anyone have Spring Fever yet? I think it’s safe to say always have spring fever, for the most part. Our weather situation in Florida is nothing to complain about but I cherish the small pocket of time it feels like spring here, which is right about now. I spent most of this last weekend in the yard trimming landscaping and planning for flowers. Cleaning up my herb pots is next on the list. Nothing feels as good to me as a few hours of work in the sunshine (when it’s not sweltering hot).

This is the time of year that I am also ready to get back in the salad. I say that all the time but January is just not a big salad month for me, and I have to be honest, I’m missing raw, crunchy veggies in my life right now. I pulled together this Asian Almond Slaw Salad in honor of getting back in the salad and sharing a heart healthy recipe with you since February is American Heart Month. I think it’s safe to say you already know that fresh fruits and veggies are considered heart healthy foods, but did you know that nuts are too?

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Last week I picked up a new cookbook at my local Scholastic Warehouse Book Sale. Have any of you been to one of these? It’s a book lovers paradise, a warehouse filled with rows and rows of books of all kinds – all 50% off. Yes, this book nerd finds this extremely exciting.

Not only was I excited about the overwhelming amount of books in general, but I got pretty happy when I stumbled into the cookbook section. I had been eying this cookbook from The Mom 100 ever since it was featured on #SundaySupper a few months back. After having it in my hands for a few days already, I have to tell you – I’m glad I picked it up.

I made this for the kids and myself while my husband was away on business last week. I don’t usually cook up anything outside of our few ‘regular’ meals when it’s just the three of us, but I had been craving these sesame noodles since I laid eyes on them – and I was keeping my fingers crossed that the kids would eat them too.

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I love attending parties where guests are asked to bring a dish. It’s always fun to see what everyone brings and even more fun to taste everything. A few summers ago, my friend Allison got a bunch of friends together at her house where we all brought something to share (I remember bringing this rice salad) and I remember tasting this simple cucumber salad and being blown away by it.

I’m not kidding when I say that this salad is simple. It’s so so simple that it’s become a staple salad in my household, especially during this time of year when we are cooking up our meals on the grill a lot more often.

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I just discovered baby bok choy at my produce market recently and I just think they are the cutest vegetables. I have cooked with regular bok choy before in stir fries and noodle bowls, but I wanted to do something different with these little guys. I wanted to grill them.

Grilling a leafy vegetable like this really gives it a unique flavor. The heat from the grill softens up the bok choy, but also gives it a little bit of char, which I love. I threw together a quick sesame vinaigrette to pour over it while it was still warm and then ate the bok choy at room temperature. This would make a really nice side dish to any grilled meat…something a little different from the norm. You could also use this dressing on any Asian themed salad…I see it on a bed of mixed greens, carrots, red bell peppers and edamame and peanuts….yum. And now that I think about it, I may try grilling some carrots in my grill basket and dressing them in this too. Coming soon?

To grill the bok choy simply toss them in a little vegetable oil (couple of teaspoons) and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place them on a preheated grill over medium heat. Grill for a few minutes on each side until you see the vegetable soften a bit and start to char. Set grilled veggies on your plate and spoon dressing over them while still warm. Serve at room temperature.

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Grilled Baby Bok Choy with Asian Sesame Vinaigrette

• Author: Aggie's Kitchen
• Category: Salad Dressings
• Cuisine: Asian

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Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Nakano rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• pinch salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, lightly toasted

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Instructions

1. In a jar or air tight container combine all ingredients and shake vigorously until well combined. Serve over grilled baby bok choy, other veggies or salad.

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For more ideas on how to use Nakano rice vinegars to splash on flavor (without the calories) to your veggies and salads visit Nakano on Facebook.

Other Aggie’s Kitchen recipes using rice vinegar:

Asian Couscous Salad

Shrimp, Broccoli and Edamame Stir Fry

Firecracker Shrimp Stir Fry

Turkey Burgers with Peanut Sauce

(Disclosure: I received products and compensation from Nakano for this post, but my opinions are always my own. I developed this recipe using their product, but Nakano is a product you would already find in my home.)

Follow Aggie’s Kitchen’s board Homemade Salad Dressings on Pinterest.

The post Grilled Baby Bok Choy with Asian Sesame Vinaigrette appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

Why don’t I make stir fry more often?  It’s such an easy meal to throw together, and you can change it up every time.  I was scrambling to figure out dinner for Larry and I the other night at um…let’s say 5ish, the kids were having pasta and I just wasn’t in the mood for pasta.  I had an oversupply of broccoli in the fridge (thanks to Publix’s $1  bags of florets this week!) so I knew broccoli had to be a main ingredient.  Looking in the freezer for ideas I saw shrimp.  Frozen shrimp are so great to have on hand because they are so quick to defrost and cook.  So stir fry it was.

I like to cook up the shrimp in the wok first with some garlic, ginger and a couple teaspoons of oil.  Once its cooked I set it aside and then add the veggies to the hot pan.  For this stir fry I used sliced onion, broccoli florets, water chestnuts and edamame.  The combination was perfect.  I put together a basic Asian sauce out of some staples and dinner was served.

Oh and don’t forget the chopsticks…I love eating with chopsticks at home, makes me feel like I’m having “takeout”, and I tend to eat slower with them.  Just one of those mental tricks I guess.  Larry was a big fan of this stir fry, he said it was the best one I’ve made so far.  I’m happy with that compliment! 🙂

Shrimp, Broccoli and Edamame Stir Fry

Ingredients:

• 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp canola oil
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced (or from the jar)
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 can sliced water chestnuts
• 1 cup frozen edamame, defrosted
• 2-3 TB rice vinegar
• 2 TB soy sauce
• 2 tsp corn starch
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp chile garlic sauce
• couple of splashes of fish sauce

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine rice vinegar, soy sauce, cornstarch, sesame oil, chile garlic sauce and fish sauce.
2. Heat wok over medium high heat. Add oil, garlic, ginger and shrimp and cook until shrimp are just pink, about 2-3 minutes. Set shrimp aside.
3. Add onion and broccoli to hot wok. Cook for about 2 minutes, then add edamame and water chestnuts. Continue to cook for about 2 more minutes. Add back in shrimp and sauce and toss to combine, cook for about 2-3 minutes longer. (I like my veggies crisp, but if you prefer, cook a little longer for softer veggies.)

Happy Friday to everyone!  What are your plans this weekend?  The Gators are playing a big game Saturday night so that’s what we’ll be doing…the rest of the weekend is up to the kids!  🙂

Have a great weekend!

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I spotted a shrimp recipe on Pioneer Woman’s amazing site recently and couldn’t wait to make it. I love shrimp, and love anything spicy even more so this was exactly something I knew I had to make. Last night, I was ready to fire up the grill to cook up the shrimp when something like a monsoon came over us. Lightning, rain, thunder, wind…all of it, and very typical of summer in Florida…so needless to say, I wasn’t overly excited about standing in the porch watching delicate shrimp cook up on the grill. It was time to improvise…

I had a ton of veggies to use up in the fridge…and a brand new wok that I got for a steal at IKEA. So stir fry it will be.

In a bowl I mixed together some hot chili sauce, a little oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar and a couple splashes of fish sauce. Oh and I pressed about 4 or 5 cloves of garlic in there too. I chopped a ton of veggies…squash, zucchini, onion, red pepper and more garlic. Forget the grill…this stir fry was awesome!

Firecracker Shrimp Stirfry

Yield: 2- 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 TB hot chili sauce (I use Sriracha - adjust amount to your taste)
• 1 TB soy sauce
• 1 TB rice vinegar
• 1 TB oil
• couple of splashes fish sauce
• 4-5 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
• small pinch of salt, big pinch of pepper
• 1-2 zucchinis, chopped in quarters
• 1-2 yellow squash, chopped in quarters
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 red pepper, sliced in thin strips
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced

Directions:

1. Combine chili sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, oil, fish sauce, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl to make a sauce. Toss shrimp in sauce and coat completely.
2. Heat wok over medium-high heat. Add a couple tsp canola oil into wok and sear the shrimp. Once shrimp are just cooked, take out and set aside. Add chopped vegetables and garlic into wok. Cook over medium-high heat for about 5-8 minutes until veggies start to soften. Once veggies are slightly cooked, add back in shrimp and toss to combine, cook for 2-3 minutes more. Serve with cooked soba noodles. Season with more soy sauce, fish sauce or chili sauce to taste.

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While I was in D.C. last weekend I visited the Julia Child exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum of American History. Now, I’m almost embarrassed to admit this, but I really don’t know much about Ms. Julia Child. I know of her…but have never watched her shows. With “Julie & Julia” out in the theaters today, the book and then finally after visiting this exhibit, I must say, I am intrigued. I may have to dig up some old shows of hers and settle in on the couch one afternoon and just watch…she seemed like such a lovely spirit. Enjoy a peek in her kitchen…apparently it’s all her stuff, donated by her and set up exactly how she wanted it.

PS…Want to join in on the Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club fun? Check out Cooking Light’s Test Kitchen Blog featuring Aggie’s Kitchen and other great bloggers!

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Last week I posted a recipe for Mongolian Beef and asked for you to share your favorite Asian inspired recipes with me. One of the ones sent to me was Turkey Potstickers from Mary Ann at Meet Me in the Kitchen. I’ve always been intimidated by the idea of making potstickers, but they were actually a lot easier than I could have imagined! They do take a little time, but are so worth it. I took Mary Ann’s advice and froze half of my batch to cook up another time. I used what I had on hand this time, but I can’t wait to experiment with the filling and come up with new versions of these yummy guys.

I noticed my wrappers weren’t as “white” as Mary Ann’s…I only had one option to choose from as far as won ton wrappers at my grocery store. They didn’t taste any different than any other won ton wrapper I have had … any ideas why the color is so different?

Veggie Potstickers with Soy Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 2 cups angel hair coleslaw with carrots
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup minced green onions
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled gingerroot
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 30 won ton wrappers
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 4 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
• 1 cup water, divided
• Soy Dipping Sauce, recipe below

Soy Dipping Sauce

• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/2 tsp chopped ginger
• 1 clove chopped garlic
• 1 green onion, chopped

Directions:

1. Heat 2 teaspoons canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add coleslaw; cook 9 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring frequently. While cabbage cooks, add 1/2 cup water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to keep cabbage from sticking to pan. Spoon cabbage into a medium bowl; let cool completely.
2. Add green onions, ginger, salt, sesame oil and garlic to bowl; stir well.
3. Working with 1 won ton wrapper at a time (cover remaining won ton wrappers to keep them from drying out), spoon about 1 tablespoon veggie mixture into the center of each wrapper.

   Moisten edges of wrapper with water, and bring 2 opposite corners to center, pinching points to seal. Bring the remaining 2 corners to center, pinching points to seal. Pinch 4 edges together to seal. Place pot stickers on a large baking sheet sprinkled with cornstarch; cover loosely with a towel to keep them from drying out.

4. Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place half of pot stickers in bottom of skillet; cook 3 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Add 1/2 cup water to skillet; cover and cook 3 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Place pot stickers on a serving platter; set aside, and keep warm. Wipe skillet with a paper towel. Repeat procedure with remaining vegetable oil, remaining pot stickers, and remaining water.
5. You can freeze uncooked potstickers- just place on a baking sheet, place in the freezer until frozen and transfer to a Ziploc freezer bag. When ready to cook, thaw and repeat cooking procedure. You can also cook them from a frozen state, it just takes a few more minutes to get them cooked through.

Soy Dipping Sauce

1. Mix ingredients together and serve in small bowl.

 

Recipe adapted from Meet Me in the Kitchen

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(for a printable version of this recipe click here)

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