I love authentic Chinese food but unfortunately, it’s almost impossible to come by where I live. Most of the restaurants around serve either Asian fusion food or Chinese American food. So, whenever I crave real Chinese food, I make it at home.

Fortunately, most Chinese food is not hard to make in a home kitchen. Although you can’t replicate the high heat stir-fried dishes, braised dishes and steamed dishes can be easily made at home. I made this for my niece from Taiwan recently and she called it “good old home cooking.” I took that as a compliment ;).

This Slow Cooker Chinese “Three Cup” Chicken recipe is a modified version of the original recipe, which literally calls for one cup each of sesame oil, soy sauce and rice wine. I just can’t fathom using that amount of sesame oil or soy sauce in a single dish, so I’ve cut back on both of those ingredients. However, I did use one cup of rice wine since that’s the only liquid in the recipe. This recipe calls for dark soy sauce, which is actually less salty, a little sweeter and thicker than regular soy sauce. To make a gluten-free dark soy sauce substitute, mix a little molasses into gluten-free soy sauce.

Braising can easily be done in a slow cooker, so that’s what I opted for. Of course, you could just cook this on the stove top, which would probably take about 30 minutes.

Print

Slow Cooker Chinese Three Cup Chicken

Course Slow Cooker

Cuisine Asian

Servings 6

Calories 457kcal

Ingredients

• 3 pounds chicken I used dark meat; remove skin for less fat
• 1/4 cup sesame oil
• 5 cloves garlic left whole
• 5 slices ginger each the size of a quarter
• 1 scallion cut into 2" pieces
• 1 cup rice wine or sherry
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce see notes for gluten-free version
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

Instructions

• Heat sesame oil in a large skillet and add garlic, ginger and scallion; sauté until fragrant, then add chicken pieces. Lightly brown chicken pieces. Transfer everything from skillet to slow cooker. Add rice wine, dark soy sauce and regular soy sauce.
• Cook on high for 4 hours.

Notes

Store bought dark soy sauce usually contain wheat. To make your own gluten-free dark soy sauce, mix some 1 teaspoon molasses into 2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce.

For lower calorie version (298 calories/serving; 5 Freestyle points), substitute 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.

Nutrition

Calories: 457kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 115mg | Sodium: 781mg | Potassium: 362mg | Vitamin A: 235IU | Vitamin C: 3.6mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1.8mg

The post Slow Cooker Chinese Three Cup Chicken Recipe appeared first on Jeanette's Healthy Living.

When summer produce first appears at the farmer’s market, I’m always excited to make all our favorite salads and side dishes from past years. However, as the summer goes on, I look for new recipes and ideas to enjoy the bounty of summer produce.

The following collection of summer salad recipes was shared with me by my blogger friends, and I hope you find fresh recipe inspiration. I know I have!

Green Salads

These salads feature fresh leafy green lettuces such as kale, spinach, arugula, and leaf lettuces.

1. Favorite Kale Salad
2. Kale Avocado Salad
3. Mixed Bag Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing
4. Hail To The Kale Salad
5. Kale Zucchini Greek Salad
6. Easy Kale Salad
7. Kale Sweet Potato Salad
8. Green Kale Apple Salad
9. Dominican Republic Green Salad
10. Vegan Caesar Salad with Spicy Roasted Chickpeas
11. Simple Spinach and Avocado Salad
12. Summer Strawberry Spinach Salad
13. Arugula Tomato Salad
14. Arugula Salad with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Honey Lemon Vinaigrette
15. Persian Rocca Salad
16. Zesty Cilantro Salad

Vegetable Salads

These salads feature multiple summer vegetables – tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, cabbage, beets and more) in various combinations.

1. Farmer’s Market Corn Salad
2. Avocado Tomato Cucumber Feta Salad
3. Avocado Tomato Cucumber Salad with Lime Dressing
4. Avocado Tomato Salad
5. Caprese Avocado Salad
6. Creamy Vegan Avocado Salad
7. Easy Israeli Salad
8. Super Simple Summer Salad
9. Lemony Loaded Greek Salad with Hummus
10. OPA! Ultimate Greek Salad
11. Asian Napa Cabbage Carrot Salad
12. Keto Red Cabbage and Carrot Slaw
13. Vegan Thai Cabbage Salad
14. Beet and Carrot Raw Slaw
15. Roasted Beetroot Salad
16. BBQ Moroccan Eggplant Salad

Cucumber and Zucchini Salads

Cucumbers and zucchini are in abundance during the summer, and are the stars in these salads. Spiralizing cucumbers and zucchini adds great texture and visual interest.

1. Sweet and Spicy Spiralized Cucumber Salad
2. Korean Spicy Cucumber Salad
3. Creamy Cucumber Salad
4. Cucumber Radish Dill Salad
5. Asian Cucumber Salad
6. Mediterranean Cucumber Salad
7. Zucchini Carpaccio Salad
8. Spiralized Carrot Zucchini Salad
9. Carrot Zucchini Salad
10. Spiralized Zucchini Caprese Salad

Broccoli and Cauliflower Salads

Broccoli and Cauliflower are cruciferous vegetables, one of the healthiest types of vegetables. They keep a long time relative to most other vegetables, making them a staple in my produce drawer. I love the crunchiness these two vegetables add to salads.

1. Broccoli Cauliflower Carrot Salad
2. Broccoli Strawberry Avocado Salad w/ Orange Poppy Seed Dressing
3. The Best Broccoli Salad
4. Broccoli Cranberry Salad
5. Easy Vegan Broccoli Salad
6. Tasty Broccoli Salad
7. Roasted Cauliflower Salad
8. Shaved Cauliflower Salad

Salads with Fruit

Fresh berries, stone fruits and watermelon are wonderful additions to summer salads, adding juiciness and sweetness to brighten up your meals.

1. Berry Avocado Almond Salad
2. Summer Strawberry Caprese Salad
3. Simple Strawberry and Kale Salad
4. Strawberry Spinach Salad with Feta
5. Delicious Spinach and Strawberry Salad
6. Asparagus and Strawberry Halloumi
7. Strawberry Mango Basil Salad
8. Refreshing Strawberry Salad
9. Peach Blackberry Arugula Salad
10. Peach Arugula Salad
11. Heirloom Tomato Stone Fruit Salad
12. Grilled Peach Salad
13. Massaged Kale Salad with Mango
14. Kale Mango Salad Recipe
15. Vegan Edamame mango salad
16. Avocado Mango Salad
17. Pomegranate Salad with Mango
18. Watermelon Feta Mint Salad
19. Indian Watermelon Lime Salad
20. Watermelon Mint Aged Goat Cheese Salad
21. Grilled Halloumi and Watermelon Mint Salad
22. Watermelon,Cucumber & Jicama Salad

Salads with Grains

These salads are heartier because they include some whole grains tossed in. Great for meatless main course salads.

1. Quinoa Kale Tomato Corn Salad
2. Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
3. Mango Avocado Black Bean Quinoa Salad
4. Mexican Style Quinoa Salad
5. Quinoa salad
6. Quinoa Spinach Power Salad
7. Kamut Tabbouleh Salad
8. Vegan Mashed Chickpea Tabouleh Salad
9. Hemp Seed Salad

Pasta and Potato Salads

These pasta and potato salads add some heft to your dinner table, but are still light, making them great for rounding out your menu.

1. Cold Chinese Sesame Noodles
2. Cold Kim Chi Cucumber Soba Noodle Salad
3. Cold Noodles with Pesto and Sweet Spicy Soy Sesame Dressing
4. Soba Noodles with Miso Gochujang Cucumber Pickles
5. Asian Spiralized Vegetable Rice Noodle salad
6. Zucchini and Corn Pasta Salad
7. Easy Orzo Pasta Salad with Roasted Corn
8. Pesto Pasta Salad
9. Greek Pasta Salad
10. Mediterranean Pasta Salad
11. Avocado Pasta Salad
12. Warm Gluten Free Pasta Salad
13. Veggie Pasta Salad
14. Puttanesca Pasta Salad
15. Coleslaw Orzo Salad
16. Kale,Orzo and Feta
17. Creamy Vegan Potato Salad
18. Spicy Greek Yoghurt Potato Salad
19. Healthy and Simple Potato Salad

I hope you find tons of inspiration in this enormous collection of healthy summer salad recipes! Let me know which recipes you try – I’d love to hear!

The post 100+ Summer Salad Recipes appeared first on Jeanette's Healthy Living.

This year, for Chinese New Year, I’m sharing a very special recipe – my Auntie Florence’s Coconut Sticky Rice Cake. Into her 90’s Auntie Florence was as spry as could be. She lived until she was 97 years, and authored five comprehensive Chinese cookbooks of which I am the proud owner. The recipe for this coconut sticky rice cake was told to me over the phone by my aunt back in 2012 when I was looking for advice for a recipe I was trying to recreate. She described this simple Chinese New Year recipe, which was a favorite of hers. You won’t find this recipe in any of her cookbooks, so it’s is extra special to have this recipe.

Here’s a picture of my aunt with a Coconut Sticky Rice Cake I sent to her several years ago (with black sesame seeds and almonds on top).

Before we get to the recipe, I just want to explain a little something about the foods that are eaten for Chinese New Year. There are lots of traditional foods that are eaten for Chinese New Year, mostly because they either sound like words that mean prosperity, luck, wealth or good fortune, or look like money or gold. Chinese people are into the symbolism of food.

For example, food that might be served for Chinese New Year include a whole chicken (family unity), a whole fish (surplus), duck (happiness), lobster (life and energy), Buddha’s Delight (a vegetarian dish made with symbolic ingredients), shrimp (wealth and abundance), oysters (good fortune), scallops (shaped like ancient coins), tea eggs (fertility), noodles (longevity), jiao-tze or dumplings (shaped like old coins), turnip cake (prosperity and rising fortunes), and spring rolls (resemble gold bricks). Although dried bean curd can be eaten (happiness), fresh tofu is not served because its white color symbolizes death and misfortune. Tangerines, oranges and pomelos are given out for good luck and abundance.

So, back to today’s Coconut Sticky Rice Cake. This cake is considered one of the most important cakes eaten for Chinese New Year. It is made with sticky rice or glutinous rice flour, and is symbolic of family cohesiveness. In Chinese, this cake is called “nian gao,” which symbolizes increasing prosperity every year. For New Years, people greet each other “‘Nian Nian Gao Sheng” which means “advance toward higher positions and prosperity step by step.”

Although traditionally, sticky rice cake is steamed, my aunt came up with this baked version because it’s easier and tastier. This cake is nothing like your typical cake – the texture is like mochi – it’s sticky. It also happens to be gluten-free.

I have to agree with my aunt – I like this even better than the steamed version. I remember the first time I made this coconut sticky rice cake, I split it in half and shipped half to my parents, and kept the rest for our family.  I’ll be making another one of these for Chinese New Year this year.

For more recipes, check out my post on 16+ Lunar and Chinese New Year Recipes. I also wrote an extensive post last year all about Chinese New Year Traditions with lots of links to books and other resources about the Chinese New Year if you’re interested in learning more.

Here are some more recipes to inspire you to cook for Chinese New Years:

My Mom’s Coconut Sticky Rice Cake
Braised Chicken with Chestnuts
Marbled Tea Eggs
Spicy Kung Pao Chicken with Walnuts
Asian Chicken Stew in a Crockpot
Stir-Fry Noodles with Chicken, Shitake Mushrooms and Vegetables
Dan Dan Mien
Chinese Turnip Cake
Gluten-Free Chinese Dumplings
Mother’s Famous Chinese Egg Rolls (Steamy Kitchen)
Long Life Fertility Noodles with Happy Shrimp (Steamy Kitchen)
Easy Chinese Steamed Fish (Appetite for China)
Dragon Well Shrimp  (Appetite for China)
Soy Sauce Chicken  (Rasa Malaysia)
Longevity Noodles with Chicken, Ginger and Mushrooms (Grace Young)
Stir-Fry Sugar Snap Peas with Mushrooms (Grace Young)
Chinese New Year Cake (The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook)
Tomato Chilli Prawns (Christine’s Recipes)
Braised Shitake Mushrooms (Christine’s Recipes)
Water Chestnut Cake (Christine’s Recipes)

If you like this sticky rice cake recipe, you might also like:

Mom’s Baked Coconut Sticky Rice Red Bean Paste Cake

Chinese Jujube Date Sticky Rice Cake

Red Bean Sticky Rice Cake

The post Florence Lin’s Baked Coconut Sticky Rice Cake Recipe for Chinese New Year appeared first on Jeanette's Healthy Living.

Growing up in a Chinese family, I remember my grandmother making certain tonic soups with strange dried roots. My dad used to make me pigs feet cooked in vinegar after I gave birth to each of my kids. I had heard of “warming” and “cooling” foods, but never thought much about it until recently. I’ve been reading more on this “yin” and “yang” way of eating to balance out our bodies, and it is quite fascinating.

With winter coming, and the weather turning colder, I am craving soups, especially Asian noodle soups. Compared to heavier stews and soups I normally crave in the winter, Asian noodle soups are nourishing, hearty, and surprisingly light.

Asian Noodle Soup Components:

Almost all Asian cuisines have their versions of noodle soups, whether they are Chinese, Korean, Japanese, or Vietnamese. However, they all have similar components.

• Soup Base – chicken, chicken/pork, beef, lamb, anchovy, or dashi
• Vegetables – bok choy, napa cabbage, cabbage, spinach, carrots, zucchini, bean sprouts, mushrooms
• Protein – chicken, pork, beef, seafood (e.g., clams, shrimp, squid), eggs, tofu
• Noodles – cellophane (mung bean) noodles, sweet potato starch noodles, soba noodles, udon noodles, rice noodles, somen noodles, ramen
• Aromatics – ginger, garlic, scallions, star anise, cinnamon stick, Sichuan peppercorns, Korean chili pepper flakes
• Garnishes – scallion, fresh herbs (e.g., cilantro, Thai basil, mint), sesame oil, soy sauce, fish sauce, white pepper powder, chili oil

Use your imagination to come up with your own version of an Asian Noodle Soup. It’s a complete meal in a bowl.

This Chinese Lamb Noodle Soup contains many “warming” spices. Sitting down with a bowl of this is like wrapping yourself with a blanket and sitting by a beautiful fire. It will take the chill out of your bones.

This Chinese Lamb Noodle Soup is especially aromatic due to all the warm spices – star anise, cinnamon, cardamon, ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, fennel seeds, garlic and scallions. I made the lamb stock in an Instant Pot, but you can also just cook it on the stove.

While the stock is cooking, you can prepare the noodle soup ingredients. There are a few ingredients that you may not be familiar with, such as cellophane noodles and cloud ear fungus. I agree the names of these ingredients might sound strange, but they are common Chinese ingredients that you should be able to find at a local Asian market.

Cellophane noodles are actually made from mung bean starch. They are sometimes called glass noodles or mung bean noodles. They usually come in individual packs that weight 50 grams each.

Cellophane noodles need to be soaked for 15-20 minutes before cooking. The soaked noodles only take a few minutes to cook.

Cloud ear fungus are sometimes called cloud ear mushrooms, and actually grow on trees. They come dried, and need to be rehydrated. Cloud ear fungus are similar to wood ear fungus, but are more delicate and not as thick. If you can’t find cloud ear fungus, you can use wood ear fungus. I buy compressed cloud ear fungus, which take up very little space.

Cloud ear fungus reconstitute in water in about 1/2 an hour. Once soaked, cloud ear fungus expand dramatically. When cooked, cloud ear fungus have a chewy, slightly crunchy texture. They don’t have much flavor on their own, but are wonderful in soups for textural contrast.

The assembly of this soup for serving is very easy once you have the lamb broth, and have soaked the cellophane noodles and cloud ear fungus. The noodles, cloud ear fungus and cabbage are cooked in the lamb broth. Then everything is divided among the serving bowls. I like white pepper powder, minced scallions and hot chili oil on top of mine.

Print

Chinese Lamb Noodle Soup

Course Main Course

Cuisine Chinese

Keyword Chinese broccoli, lamb

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Instant Pot Pressure Build-up and Release 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 4

Calories 141kcal

Equipment

• 6 Quart Instant Pot

Ingredients

Lamb Broth

• 2 pounds lamb shanks
• 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
• 2 star anise
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 4 white cardamon pods
• 1 black cardamon pod cracked
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 2 scallions crushed, cut into 2" pieces
• 1 slice ginger peeled, 1" thick
• 1 clove garlic peeled, sliced
• 1 teaspoon Shaoshing wine

Noodle Soup

• 10 grams dried cloud ear fungus
• 100 grams dried cellophane noodles 2 packs
• 4 cups green cabbage thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• white pepper powder to taste
• minced scallions for garnish
• chili oil if desired

Instructions

Lamb Broth

• Place lamb shanks, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, fennel seeds, white and black cardamon pods, cinnamon, scallions, ginger, garlic and wine in Instant Pot. Add water to maximum fill line (~ 14 cups).
• Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes. Let pressure naturally release.
• Remove lamb and let cool; remove meat from bones and shred.
• Strain broth.

Lamb Noodle Soup

• Soak wood ear mushrooms in warm water for 1/2 hour. Drain.
• Soak cellophane noodles in warm water for 15 minutes. Drain.
• Bring 8 cups of Lamb Broth to a boil in a large saucepan. Add cabbage and wood ear mushrooms. Cook 3-4 minutes until cabbage softens but is still has some bite.
• Add cellophane noodles. Cook 3-4 minutes. Add salt, seasoning to taste.
• To serve, divide noodles, cabbage, wood ear mushrooms, and lamb among four bowls. Ladle soup on top. Sprinkle with minced scallions on top. Sprinkle some white pepper on top, and drizzle with chili oil, if desired.

Notes

Adapted from Xi'an Famous Foods

Nutrition

Calories: 141kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 669mg | Potassium: 356mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 128IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 3mg

For more Asian Noodle Soups, you might like:

Spicy Chinese Beef Noodle Soup

Spicy Korean Beef Noodle Soup

Vietnamese Beef Pho Noodle Soup

The post Chinese Lamb Noodle Soup appeared first on Jeanette's Healthy Living.

Traditional pesto is made with basil; however, I love adding leafy green vegetables to pesto. It all started as a sneaky way to get my boys to eat kale and Swiss chard. However, I soon found it was also a great way to make a big batch of pesto when I didn’t have enough basil.

Pine nuts, garlic and Parmesan-Reggiano are also traditionally used in pesto recipes. However, I substitute whatever nuts I have on hand, e.g., hazelnuts, almonds, and walnuts, I also use garlic scapes in place of garlic cloves when available. For dairy-free guests, I leave the cheese out of the pesto and serve parmesan cheese on the side.

Summer is coming to an end, so grab as much fresh basil as you can and make a batch of pesto. Pesto can be frozen in small portions, and taken out to stir into different recipes. I usually line a baking sheet with plastic wrap, dollop spoonfuls of pesto on top, and freeze until firm. Once firm, I transfer all the frozen portions of pesto to a freezer-friendly plastic bag, and label it. You can also freeze in an ice cube tray.

Pesto Recipes:

Kale Mint Basil Pesto

Kale Basil Hazelnut Pesto

Kale Basil Mint Parsley Pesto

Kale Basil Garlic Scape Pistachio Pesto

Garlic Scape Cilantro Swiss Chard Pesto

14 RECIPES USING PESTO:

Pesto is a versatile condiment that can be stirred into almost any pasta dish. However, there are so many other uses. I’ve put together this collection of recipes using pesto that I’ve made over the years. Feel free to substitute your favorite pesto in any of these recipes.

Clams With Pesto (serve with crusty bread or over pasta)

(Stir pesto into this White Clam Sauce recipe)

Sourdough Pizza

  (with fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, and pesto)

Cool Noodles with Pesto and Sweet Spicy Soy Sesame Dressing

Stuffed Peppers with Quinoa, Grilled Vegetables and Pesto Sauce

Pasta with Pesto, Fresh Tomatoes, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Chicken and Mozzarella Cheese

Grilled Chili Garlic Shrimp with Pesto Pasta

Fresh Tomato Mozzarella Pesto Pasta Salad

Grilled Asparagus with Mint Feta Pesto 

Tomato Corn Potato Sausage Pesto Frittata

Corn Asparagus Pesto Frittata

Fresh Tomato Burrata Pesto Dip

Farmer’s Market Sandwich

 Ahi Tuna Spinach Avocado Pesto Sandwich

Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Pesto

More Ways To Use Pesto:

• Toss pesto with Pasta, Grilled Chicken and Steamed Broccoli

• Stir pesto into your favorite pasta sauce or this easy Tomato Paste Pasta Sauce
• Spread pesto on Grilled Chicken Breast, top with fresh Mozzarella Cheese and bake until cheese is melted
• Spread pesto on fresh Fish filets and bake
• Stir into Tomato Soup or White Bean Soup

• Make a Pesto Vinaigrette to drizzle over your favorite salad

The post Recipes Using Pesto appeared first on Jeanette's Healthy Living.

I love eggplant, and look forward to spying Asian eggplant at our local farmer’s market each year. Chinese people are very fond of chewy textures, so these Asian eggplants provide lots of eggplant skin to give this dish some chew.

One of the tricks I’ve read is that soaking eggplant in salt water helps flavor the eggplant and give the eggplant a silky texture. So, I soaked the eggplant in salt water for 15 minutes before air-frying it.

If you’ve ever fried eggplant, you know that it absorbs a lot of oil. So, air-frying is a great alternative if you’re looking to fry eggplant without all the extra oil. It took 15 minutes at 390 degrees to air-fry my eggplant. The skin was nice and firm/chewy and the flesh was tender. This contrasting texture is what I was looking for.

The aromatics for this air fried spicy Chinese eggplant dish are garlic, ginger, Szechuan peppercorns and Chinese chili paste.

You can keep this dish meatless, or add ground turkey (or other ground meat) as I did for some protein. I marinated the ground turkey with soy sauce and Chinese rice wine for 15 minutes (to save time, I did this while the eggplant was in the air-fryer). A little sugar, Chinese black vinegar and sesame oil are added towards the end of cooking, which rounds out the flavor in this dish.

Print

Air Fried Spicy Chinese Eggplant

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian, Chinese

Keyword air fryer, eggplant

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 209kcal

Equipment

• air fryer

Ingredients

Air Fried Eggplant

• 1 pound Asian eggplant
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon oil

Spicy Eggplant Meat Sauce

• 1/2 pound ground turkey
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine sherry can be substituted
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 tablespoon garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon ginger skin removed, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns crushed
• 1 tablespoon Chinese chili paste I used Hunan chili paste
• 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar balsamic vinegar can be substituted
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 scallion chopped

Instructions

Air Fried Eggplant

• Trim tops off eggplant. Cut eggplant into 3/4" thick pieces, about 3" in length.
  
• Place in a bowl. Cover with cold water and 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Let sit 15 minutes.
  
• Drain eggplant, rinse under cold water, and pat dry with paper towels.
• Return eggplant to dry bowl. Toss with one tablespoon oil.
• Air Fry eggplant at 390-400 degrees for about 15 minutes, until inside flesh is tender.
  

Spicy Eggplant Meat Sauce

• While eggplant is air-frying, prepare Eggplant Meat Sauce.
• Marinade ground turkey with soy sauce and 1 teaspoon rice wine for 15 minutes.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or large skillet.
• Add garlic and ginger; stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add crushed Szechuan peppercorns and chili paste; cook for another minute.
  
• Add marinated meat and stir-fry until brown.
• Add rice wine, sugar, vinegar, and 3 tablespoons water. Bring to a boil; then reduce heat and add air-fried eggplant. Toss and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
• Mix cornstarch with 2 teaspoons cold water; stir into eggplant to thicken sauce.
• Drizzle with sesame oil and toss. Garnish with chopped scallions.

Nutrition

Calories: 209kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 211mg | Potassium: 395mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 97IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg

If you like this Chinese eggplant dish, you might also like:

Asian Grilled Eggplant with Soy Sesame Sauce

The post Air Fried Spicy Chinese Eggplant appeared first on Jeanette's Healthy Living.

The last four months, I’ve been ordering our groceries from a wholesaler. The advantage of doing this is that I have access to restaurant quality products. Recently, I bought a restaurant meal kit from a Michelin star restaurant in New York City. The kit included a delicious tomato peach salad with feta cheese and purple basil. The tomatoes and peaches were perfectly ripe.

This salad was comprised of both fresh, raw tomatoes and peaches, as well as some demi-sec (semi-dried) tomatoes and peaches that had been marinated in a vinaigrette.

I recreated my own version of this simple, but incredibly delicious salad today. The key is to use farm fresh ripe tomatoes and peaches, the finest extra virgin olive oil, aged sherry or balsamic vinegar you can find, and fresh basil and mint leaves. I used a little of both aged sherry and aged balsamic vinegar. A pinch of sugar accentuates the sweetness of the tomatoes and peaches, but is completely optional.

This summer, I have been growing a few heirloom tomato plants and lots of fresh herbs, which have been such a gift in the kitchen. All I have to do is walk out to my kitchen patio and harvest whatever I need. There’s nothing fresher!

Print

Summer Tomato Peach Salad

Course Salad

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 97kcal

Ingredients

• 4 tomatoes
• 4 peaches
• 6 cherry tomatoes halved
• 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 teaspoons aged sherry vinegar or aged balsamic vinegar
• pinch of sugar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons feta cheese crumbled
• fresh basil leaves cut into chiffonade
• fresh mint leaves cut into chiffonade

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• Cut 2 tomatoes and 2 peaches into wedges. Place on foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Roast for 45 minutes.
• Transfer roasted tomatoes and peaches to a bowl and drizzle with a teaspoon of vinegar and add a pinch of sugar.
• Just before serving, cut remaining 2 tomatoes and 2 peaches into wedges. Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Season tomatoes with a little salt and pepper. Let sit for a few minutes. Then toss gently with peaches with 1 teaspoon of vinegar and 1 teaspoon of olive oil.
• Arrange on serving plate. Add roasted tomatoes and peaches, along with any juices. Sprinkle crumbled feta cheese on top. Drizzle remaining teaspoon of vinegar and olive oil.
• Garnish with basil and mint.

Nutrition

Calories: 97kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 101mg | Potassium: 421mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1128IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 1mg

If you like this summer salad recipe, you might also like:

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

Summer Tomato Salad with Sherry Vinegar and Shallots

Juicy Summer Heirloom Tomato Stone Fruit Salad

The post Tomato Peach Salad appeared first on Jeanette's Healthy Living.

This is my fourth son going to college, so I’ve got a comprehensive list to share with your college student. Although many items can be purchased once you’re on campus, I find it less stressful to start accumulating what you need ahead of time.

I set aside a space in our house for all the items he’ll need from this college move-in checklist. That way, it’ll be easy to just load up our car when it’s time to drive to college.

This college move-in checklist is organized into the following categories:

• Move-In Day – depending on how dirty your room is, you may want to wash the floor and sanitize the room
• Bed – the most important item on this list is a thick mattress topper to make your college mattress comfortable
• Bathroom/Personal Care – make sure you have a shower tote/caddy to bring your supplies to the bathroom
• Laundry – basic essentials for keep your clothes clean
• Room Needs/Storage – dorm rooms are almost always short on storage space, so these items will make the most of the space you have available
• Office/Desk Supplies – bringing some supplies from home will give you a headstart
• Electronics – extension cords and a power strip are essential to making sure you can plug in where you need
• Kitchen Items – basic essentials for storing and warming up snacks and drinks
• Medicine – when you’re not feeling well, having some basic medicine on hand is important
• Personal Healthy Safety Supplies – keep yourself safe with these essential supplies
• Cleaning Supplies – basic items to keep your room clean
• Snacks – great to have on hand for hunger pangs
• Travel – for weekend trips or trips home
• Decorations/Fun Stuff – customize your room to make it more homey
• Shared Items – items you and your roommate(s) can divvy up and enjoy together

Click here to download a printable copy this College Move-In Checklist

Click here to download a printable copy this College Move-In Checklist

I hope you find this resource helpful!

If you like this college-related post, you might also like:

30+ Easy Healthy College Dorm Room Snacks

Essential Equipment and Supplies for The First College Apartment Kitchen

Easy College Dinner Recipes with Printable Meal Plan and Shopping List

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The first time I had massaged kale salad, I was intrigued by the unique texture. The typical rough kale edges were tender, not prickly.

Although “massaging” kale might sound strange, the technique is similar to a shoulder massage. You literally use your (clean) hands to massage the kale. Massaging the kale helps break down tough cell walls and fibers. Lemon juice and salt help this process along. I like to add some garlic for more flavor.

Kale before massaging

Massaging Kale Salad

Kale Salad after Massaging

Favorite Kale Salad Swaps

This kale salad recipe is flexible and versatile. The key is to use the freshest kale you can get your hands on. I love to get mine from the farmer’s market or in my CSA box. Do not use limp kale. Limp kale won’t improve by massaging it.

I used dried cranberries, almonds, and Parmesan cheese in this recipe, but other dried/fresh fruits, nuts and cheeses would be delicious too. By swapping different fruits, nuts and cheeses, you can make a “new” kale salad each time.

• Fresh or dried blueberries
• Fresh or dried apricots, cut into bite-size pieces
• Fresh mango, cut into bite-size pieces
• Walnuts, chopped
• Pecans, chopped
• Crumbled feta cheese
• Crumbled goat cheese
• Crumbled blue cheese

This has become my son’s girlfriend’s favorite kale salad. Even my husband who doesn’t usually like kale enjoys this salad.

Give this easy recipe a try – it might just become your favorite kale salad :).

Print

Favorite Kale Salad

Massaging the kale softens the leaves for this fresh and delicious salad

Course Salad

Keyword kale

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 154kcal

Ingredients

• 10 cups kale leaves I use curly kale
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 lemon juiced
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds toasted
• 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese grated; can also substitute feta, goat cheese or blue cheese

Instructions

• Wash and dry kale leaves; place in large bowl.
• Put garlic and salt in mortar and mash garlic into a paste.
• Add garlic paste, juice of one lemon, and olive oil to kale. Use clean hands to massage kale. Massaging breaks down cell walls and makes kales leaves tender.
• Add dried cranberries, almonds and cheese. Toss and serve. This salad keeps well in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Calories: 154kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 180mg | Potassium: 605mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 11175IU | Vitamin C: 144mg | Calcium: 215mg | Iron: 2mg

If you like this Kale Salad, you might also like:

Kale Salad with Feta, Garlic Panko, and Fried Egg

Hail To the Kale Salad

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Although we have our family favorites such as Tomato Caprese (sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, fresh pesto, extra virgin olive oil, and fresh ground black pepper), Corn Tomato Avocado Salad and Mexican Corn Salad, I’m always looking for new ways to enjoy the bounty of summer produce.

The following healthy summer side dish recipes were shared with me by my blogger friends, and I hope you find fresh recipe inspiration as I have.

Summer Salads

These salads feature summer produce at their peak. I’ve noted recipes that fit into specific diets to make it easier in case you’re on a special diet.

1. Heirloom Tomato Salad (Vegan)
2. Cherry Tomato Salad
3. Mexican Chopped Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
4. Chopped Veggie Salad
5. 7 Layer Salad with Creamy Homemade Dressing – Lighten up this recipe using light mayo and Greek yogurt
6. Rainbow Salad (Paleo)
7. Grilled Summer Salad
8. Balsamic Berry Arugula Salad
9. Broccoli Cauliflower Salad with Greek Yogurt Honey Dressing
10. Crunchy Broccoli Salad
11. KETO Broccoli Salad (Keto)
12. Broccoli Bacon Salad (Whole 30/Paleo)
13. Strawberry Spinach Salad (Keto)
14. Greek Cucumber Avocado Salad
15. Cucumber Tomato Cauliflower Rice Salad (Vegan)
16. Avocado Salad (Vegan)
17. Keto Tabouli (Keto)
18. Mock Keto Potato Salad (Cauliflower stands in for potatoes in this recipe)

Vegetable Side Dishes

These are recipes that require a little bit of cooking, whether on the grill, oven, or stove. All of these side dish recipes are vegetarian, so they could also serve as main courses for any vegetarians in your family.

1. Zucchini Tomato Summer Squash Gratin
2. Grilled Asparagus with Mint Feta Pesto
3. Grilled Cauliflower with Rosemary and Thyme (Vegan)
4. Tomato Pie (Gluten-Free)
5. Grilled Ratatouille (Vegan)
6. Grilled Vegetable Kabobs (Vegan)
7. Roasted Vegetable Medley (Vegan)
8. Grilled Portobello Mushrooms (Vegan)
9. Balsamic Portobellos Caprese
10. Italian Style Zucchini and Mushrooms (Vegan)
11. Grilled Caprese Zucchini Boats
12. Grilled Broccoli (Keto/Paleo/Vegan)

Potato Side Dishes

What’s a summer barbecue without some sort of potato salad. Most potato salads can be lightened up by using low-fat Greek yogurt and low-fat mayonnaise.

1. Greek Potato Salad (Mayo-Free, Egg-Free)
2. Non-Creamy Potato Salad (Mayo-Free, Egg-Free) – Make this recipe healthier by using olive oil
3. Loaded Baked Potato Salad – Make this recipe lighter by substituting low-fat Greek yogurt for sour cream
4. Healthy Herbed Potato Salad (Vegan)
5. Spicy Greek Yoghurt Potato Salad
6. Creamy Vegan Potato Salad (Vegan) – Features a vegan cashew mayo
7. Baked Potatoes On The Grill
8. Easy Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges
9. Grilled Potato Salad Skewers
10. Crispy Potato Fritters

Corn & Bean Side Dishes

These recipes feature sweet summer corn, beans and other summer vegetables, and would go well with grilled proteins. The recipes with beans would be particularly good for vegetarians in your family.

1. Fireworks Black Bean Salad (Vegan)
2. Corn Tomato Avocado Salad (Vegan)
3. Chipotle Black Bean Tomato Corn Salad
4. Quinoa Corn Caprese Salad With Summer Corn
5. Mexican Street Corn Salad
6. Corn Salad (Vegan)
7. Caramelized Corn and Green Bean Skillet
8. Cowboy Caviar (Vegan)
9. Vegan Three Bean Salad (Vegan)
10. Mediterranean Bean Salad
11. Chickpea Edamame Salad (Vegan)
12. Avocado Black Bean Corn Salad (Vegan)

Pasta Salads

These pasta salad recipes include beautiful summer vegetables and fresh herbs. Substitute whole grain pasta for a healthier option, or gluten-free pasta to meet your family’s dietary needs.

1. Mediterranean Pasta Salad
2. Fresh Tomato Mozzarella Pesto Pasta Salad
3. Easy Broccoli Lemon Pasta Salad (Mayo-Free)
4. Vegan Rainbow Macaroni Salad (Vegan)
5. Vegan Greek Pasta Salad (Vegan, Oil-Free)
6. Greek Pasta Salad
7. Weight Watchers Macaroni Salad
8. Mexican Street Corn Pasta
9. Potsticker Pasta Salad
10. Vegetable Herb Pasta Salad (Vegan)
11. Avocado Pasta Salad (Vegan)
12. Zucchini Pasta Salad
13. Bowtie Pesto Pasta Salad
14. Lazy Summer Pasta Salad 
15. Veggie Pasta Salad

Vegetable Slaws

Why make traditional slaw when there are so many fresh approaches to coleslaw.

1. Asian Slaw with Spicy Peanut Dressing
2. Healthy Artichoke & Red Pepper Coleslaw
3. Caulislaw (uses cauliflower instead of cabbage)
4. Healthy Coleslaw (Whole 30)
5. Easy Vegan Coleslaw with Creamy Cashew Mayo (Vegan)
6. Low Carb Coleslaw (Spicy)
7. Sugar-free sweet and spicy Bang Bang Sauce for Coleslaw (Keto)
8. Pickle Slaw with Bacon (Keto)
9. Creamy Cilantro Slaw
10. Red Cabbage Slaw (Vegan)
11. Crunchy Broccoli Slaw
12. Coleslaw Orzo

I hope you find inspiration in this special collection of healthy summer side dish recipes. Let me know what you make. I’d love to hear!

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