A Stack of Dishes

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Grilled Green Cabbage with Cilantro Peanut Sauce

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grilled cabbage~ A stack of dishes

I cannot take full credit for this grilled cabbage recipe. It’s a blatant take off (not complete copy) of Faith Durand’s recipe that was featured on The Kitchn. I found it so intriguing that I just had to give it a try.

Cabbage is a food that tends to be on my periphery. Though known for it’s vitamin C packed leaves and neutral taste when eaten raw, I hesitate to cook cabbage, except for the odd stuffed leaves or alongside corned beef in March. Cole slaw is not really one of my favorite dishes, I find it too sloshy and laden. Occasionally I’ll make a marinated salad with a dressing similar to this one. Marinating softens the leaves making to easier on my jaw, and it brings out the sweetness in the cabbage.

As it turns out, grilling also brings out some of that sweetness too. Best grilled outside though to allow the sulfurous odor to dissipate, but once cooked, it mellows into neutrality.

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Sorghum Salad

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Healthy Sorghum Salad~ A Stack of Dishes.com

 After a week in Seattle followed by a long weekend in NYC, I am now focused and determined to get down to some clean and healthy eating. This Sorghum Salad is a good start as it is a nutritional powerhouse and quite delicious.

Sorghum is an old grain that has great importance in poor countries in places like Africa, but it’s not thought of as something that would make it onto the average American table- until now. I had always thought of sorghum as something they only made molasses with.

This gluten free grain has a chewy texture similar to wheat berries, but to my taste it’s a little milder. It’s versatile enough to use in a cold salad like this one, or exchange it for rice or couscous in warm dishes, even soups. The pearls are about the same size as Israeli couscous, but you get a whole lot of nutritional value for the same texture and feel. They’re also gluten free for those looking for an alternative grain.

Sorghum may also be popped like popcorn, and it’s wonderful!! The kernels are smaller and so make petite little puffs. As a result you can’t eat them one by one with corn, but rather scoop them up by the handful. Fun! Since many folks can be sensitive to corn, this is a fantastic alternative.

sorghum salad~A Stack of Dishes.com

I was generously given some sorghum by Bob’s Red Mill at the International Food Bloggers Conference (IFBC) and was really looking forward to trying it. I really didn’t know what to expect at first and I was delighted by how easy and yummy these are. [Read more…] about Sorghum Salad

Lentil and Kale Salad with Carmelized Parsnips

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Lentil Kale Salad with Parsnips~A Stack of DishesOh the maligned Parsnip. Surely the pale cousin of the carrot, and certainly less sweet- but a still a darling in my opinion. I love the earthier taste of parsnips, and when cooked slowly and carmelized they are delightful.

This salad is a take off of a recipe from River Cottage Veg: 200 Inspired Vegetable Recipes, who’s recipes and photos of vegetable dishes are drool worthy. There is a wonderful heartiness to this dish, and the honey in the dressing mellows the bite of too much acidity. Lentils are power packed with protein and fiber, which makes this salad a perfect stand alone meal, or as a side. I personally love these French green lentils for their color, shape and texture. I find that brown lentils can get mushy, which is perfect for soup, but not for a salad. When looking for a healthy dish it’s nice to get a toothsome bite to feel like you’re getting a fair belly full.

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