JJ's Asian-Inspired Slaw

My mom rarely cleans her plate at the dinner table, but last night when I cooked for the family, she had a second sandwich - and ate all of it. That's how I knew this was a recipe I will have to make again & again, so I'd better write it down.

Most of the time when I'm cooking I don't measure out the ingredients - I just fly around the kitchen, tossing ingredients together by intuition. I'm not sure of the measurements for this dish, but since I had a lot of requests for the recipe, I figured I will share the basics & let you all try it per your own intuition!

I initially was making this slaw to accompany BBQ pulled pork tenderloin sandwiches and was going to make my homemade BBQ sauce, but lost track of time. Last minute, I decided to top the pulled pork tenderloin sandwiches with this slaw, some vegenaise, Sriracha pepper sauce, and a little hoisin sauce. YUM. Directions are below for the pulled pork as well. :) -JJ

Ingredients:

• Half a head of green cabbage, shredded
• 2 large radishes, peeled & julienned
• Bragg's Apple Cider vinegar (add gradually to taste)
• Mirin (add gradually to taste)
• Fresh lime juice (maybe 1/4 lime?)
• Black sesame seeds (shake generously!)
• Tupelo honey (maybe a heaping teaspoon?)
• Toasted sesame oil (add gradually - it's a strong ingredient!)
• Fresh cilantro, chopped (to taste)
• Sea salt (to taste)
• Chopped roasted peanuts (to top)

Directions:

Toss cabbage, radish, vinegar, Mirin, lime juice, sesame seeds, honey, sesame oil, salt and cilantro in a large bowl. Taste it. Love it. Top with peanuts. Done.

✳✳✳

Asian Pulled Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches...

• Pulled pork tenderloin
• JJ's Asian-Inspired Slaw
• Toasted buns
• Vegenaise
• Sriracha pepper sauce
• Hoisin sauce

Pulled Pork Tenderloin

Adapted from this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 pork tenderloins (~2.5 lbs.), halved lengthwise & cut into 2.5 inch pieces
• 1.5 beers
• 3/4 cup Bragg's apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 5 garlic cloves, bruised
• Black pepper
• Dried chili pepper
• Kosher salt (~2 tsp)

Directions:

Bring all of the ingredients to a boil, add the pork, cover, reduce heat to low, simmer for at least 1 hour or until pork is tender when stabbed with a fork. Remove pork from liquid, and pull apart using 2 forks.

Oven-Fried Chicken {Gluten-Free}

Serves 4

My parents have been reading the book Wheat Belly and have been cutting back on the amount of wheat/gluten they consume. I'm still in the early stages of researching this way of eating, and since it makes sense that this could be a healthier lifestyle, I've been trying to come up with delicious gluten-free substitutes for the everyday cravings we wheat-lovers want.

My dear friend, Frederiche Gray, who has been my hairstylist for years now, is moving to Oregon today. My family had Frederiche & his husband over for a sending-off dinner last night, and I decided to make a tried-and-true delicious recipe that I've posted on this blog before, but I made a couple changes to make it gluten-free!

Cree LaFavour's recipe from Poulet: More Than 50 Remarkable Recipes That Exalt the Honest Chicken, Oven-Fried Chicken, is one of my all-time favorite dishes to make. It's crispy, juicy, and so much healthier than fried chicken (I actually think it's BETTER)! I researched how to make a gluten-free all-purpose flour, and found this wonderful blog called Gluten-Free Girl and The Chef. The blog explained which flours could be used and what the correct proportions are to make a gluten-free all-purpose flour (see the post here). I decided to use oat flour as my whole grain flour, and potato flour as my starch. My family, who has eaten this recipe before, liked the gluten-free version even more! It was so crispy, and seriously delicious!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup organic whole milk
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 1 tsp. Kosher salt, plus 1 tbsp.
• 8-10 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (or 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts)
• 3 oz. oat flour
• 5 oz. potato flour
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• Black pepper
• Flaky salt for finishing
• 1/4 cup coursely chopped fresh chives or parsley

Directions:

In a large bowl, stir together the milk, olive oil, lemon juice and the 1 tsp. Kosher salt.  Add the chicken to the bowl and turn to coat on both sides.  Marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour, or cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. If refrigerating, return the chicken to room temperature for 30 minutes or so to take the chill off before cooking.

Preheat the oven to 400° F.

Stir together the oat flour, potato flour, 1 tbsp. Kosher salt, and cayenne in another large bowl.  Season with the black pepper.  Lift the chicken pieces from the marinade and dredge in the seasoned flour to coat on both sides.  Give each piece a little shake to remove any excess flour.  Lay the pieces on a parchment paper-lined or lightly greased baking sheet, skin-side down.

Bake the chicken for 30-40 minutes, turning after 15 minutes, or until the crust is a deep, golden brown.  I covered my chicken with aluminum foil at the end because the crust was very crispy, and I didn't want it to burn. Either insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of a thigh or cut into a thigh with a paring knife.  The thermometer should register 175° F.  If using a knife, look for clear, not red or pink, juices running from the spot where you pierced the meat and opaque, barely pink flesh at the bone.  If the chicken isn't done, bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer and check it again.

When the chicken is done, remove it from the oven, sprinkle with a little flaky salt, and let rest for 5 minutes.  Arrange on a platter or divide among individual plates.  Scatter the chives or parsley on top and serve.

Garlicky Spaghetti Squash

Serves 4-6

Spaghetti Squash is an amazing veggie. It blows me away every single time I have it. It’s so easy, so delicious, so healthy, and so cool! I love the way it comes apart with a fork, and with a little imagination, it tastes like pasta! There are two ways to go about cooking it, as I will explain below. This recipe is super simple & yummy, and I recommend using the “poking holes” method if you don’t own a REALLY sharp, serrated knife. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 spaghetti squash
• 2 tbsp. good olive oil
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• Fresh basil leaves, shredded
• Kosher or sea salt
• Freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:

COOKING YOUR SPAGHETTI SQUASH:

Method 1 (Cooking time: 30-35 mins | you will need a VERY sharp, serrated knife):

1. Preheat oven to 375°F and halve squash lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out and discard seeds from the middle of each half. 

2. Arrange squash in a 9˝ x 13˝ casserole dish, cut sides down. Pour 1/2 cup water into the dish and bake until just tender, 30 to 35 minutes.

3. Rake a fork back and forth across the squash to remove its flesh in strands… it looks just like spaghetti!

Method 2 (Cooking time: 1 hour):

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Prick the spaghetti squash all over with a skewer so it will not burst while baking.

2. Place the whole squash in a shallow baking pan and bake for 1 hour.

3. When cool enough to handle, cut the spaghetti squash in half, lengthwise, with a serrated knife.

4. Use a spoon to scoop out and discard seeds from the middle of each half. 

5. Rake a fork back and forth across the squash to remove its flesh in strands.

SEASONING YOUR SPAGHETTI SQUASH:

Place spaghetti squash strands in a serving bowl. Add the 2 tbsp. of olive oil & minced garlic, and toss well. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Garnish with fresh basil shreds. Delicious!

Tangy Thai Nectarine Salad

Serves 2-4

This is such an easy salad, yet so delicious and refreshing! I was inspired by the nectarines I purchased the other day, but still hadn't eaten. They smelled soooo good this afternoon, and since I had already decided to experiment with a Thai-style chicken burger for dinner, I came up with a Thai-inspired salad to toss these perfectly ripened nectarines in. I will absolutely make this recipe again...and again...and, yeah. ;)

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg Romaine hearts
• 1 ripe nectarine, sliced
• A handful of Sing Buri cashews, chopped (you can also use regular roasted cashews or peanuts)
• Fresh cilantro leaves
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp. Tamari or soy sauce
• 1 tsp. light brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
• Juice of 1 lime

Directions:

Arrange Romaine hearts on a pretty plate. Place nectarine slices on top of the Romaine. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro leaves & Sing Buri nut blend. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl to make the dressing. Pour over salad just before serving. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes if desired. Goes really well with my Green Curry Chicken Burgers! :)

Effortless Broiled Shrimp

These shrimp were so simple & juicy. I recommend buying the freshest, most plump shrimp you can find... if they were previously frozen, I don't recommend making them this way. When shrimp have been frozen, the shell sticks & it very difficult to remove if you cook them without peeling them first. Last minute (literally), I decided to whip up a quick dipping sauce for the shrimp. I used a couple tablespoons of vegenaise, a squeeze of a lemon wedge, and a good amount of Sriracha pepper sauce... mixed it up & it was ready! Hope you enjoy this meal as much as we did. :)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 - 1 lb. fresh, never frozen, plump shrimp with shell & tail still attached (remove legs)
• 1 tsp. Balsamic vinegar
• Olive oil for drizzling
• Sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper
• Flaky salt for finishing

Directions:

Turn broiler on high, and let preheat - about 10 minutes. Wash shrimp. Lightly coat broiling pan with cooking spray. Line shrimp (with skins & tails on) onto the broiling pan. Drizzle with olive oil and Balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with sea salt & black pepper. Broil for 2 minutes. Remove from oven, turn shrimp over, and sprinkle with more sea salt & black pepper. Broil for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and place shrimp on a platter. Finish with flaky salt. Serve with your favorite shrimp dipping sauce or the sauce I described above. Enjoy!!!

Oven-baked Potato Chips

These were so easy! I was intimidated because I had NO idea what was going to happen when I stuck the potatoes in the oven! I like really crispy, browned potato chips, so I ended up leaving them in the oven for a few minutes longer than I listed below.

You will need:

• 1/2 Idaho potato, sliced from end to end very thinly
• Olive oil to drizzle
• Kosher salt

Directions:

Move oven rack to the second to the top slot, and turn broiler on low. Arrange thinly sliced potato on a baking sheet & drizzle lightly with olive oil, moving slices around to coat evenly. Sprinkle with salt. Broil on low for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are browning nicely. Remove from oven & transfer the potato chips to a paper towel lined plate to cool. I liked serving these with a Vegenaise lemon-pepper sauce (mix 1/4 cup Vegenaise, squeeze of 1 lemon wedge, and freshly cracked pepper). Yum!

Easy, Healthier Fajitas

My best friend, Amy, told me how to make these simple, and more-healthy-than-your-typical fajitas. The veggies & meat are broiled instead of pan-seared in oil. I love making them because they are so easy, but you can give them some pizzazz & they'll impress your guests! 

Ingredients:

• 1 Red bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 1 Green bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 1 Medium red onion, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• Whole baby portabello mushrooms, cut in half
• 4 Cloves of garlic (small bulb)
• 1/2 lb. Chicken breast tenders, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/2 lb. Beef, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (or just do 1 lb. chicken)
• 1 Lime
• Small sour cream
• Fresh cilantro, chopped
• Small flour tortillas
• Badia fajita seasoning
• Olive oil

Directions:

Arrange veggies on a foil-lined broiler pan or cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with fajita seasoning & drizzle with olive oil.  Broil on high for 6-8 minutes (about 4 inches under heat).

Arrange meat on a foil-lined broiler pan.  Sprinkle generously with fajita seasoning.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Broil on high for 5-7 minutes (about 4 inches under heat).

Serve with warm flour tortillas, lime wedges, and sour cream**. Make it look fancy by sprinkling some chopped fresh cilantro onto the cooked meat. :)

**I like to make a simple cilantro sour cream by mixing chopped fresh cilantro into sour cream.

Enjoy! ♥