Beef Stew (as seen in webisode 26)

Recipe adapted from the Joy of Cooking (makes a large pot: 8+ servings)

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless beef stewing meat
1 tsp dried herbs (thyme, savory, oregano, basil or other meat seasoning)
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp salt
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, halved and sliced
1 celery stalk, sliced
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried herbs (same as before)
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp (or less) salt
4-6 cups liquid (wine, beer, or broth)
4-6 celery stalks, chopped into chunks
4-6 carrots, chopped into chunks
4-6 new potatoes (with the skins), chopped into chunks

Directions:

1. Trim visible fat off meat and cut into 2-inch cubes or smaller bite-size pieces.
2. Season meat with 1 tsp dried herbs, ½ tsp black pepper, and ½ tsp salt.
3. Heat oil in a Dutch oven (or heavy flat bottomed pan) over medium-high heat.
4. Dredge meat in flour, shake off excess flour, add the meat to the pan in batches, and brown on all sides (careful not to crowd the meat). 
5. Remove meat from pan and pour off excess fat (or add more oil if needed).
6. Add garlic, 1 onion, 1 carrot, and 1 celery stalk; cover and cook, stirring often over medium heat until the onion has softened.
7. Add bay leaves, 1 tsp dried herbs, ½ tsp black pepper, and ½ tsp (or less) salt; add the meat back to the pan and enough liquid to just cover the meat.
8. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to low; cover and simmer until the meat is fork-tender (about 2 hours or longer).
9. Add chopped celery, carrots, and potatoes and let cook until tender.
10. Remove the pan from the heat, remove the bay leaves, taste and adjust the seasonings, and serve.  The stew will taste even better 1-2 days later. 

Note: you can use less salt during cooking and season after serving (if needed), especially if you have high blood pressure.  

Spicy Peanut Asian Salad (as seen in webisode 24)

Recipe makes 4 servings. Recipe by Tanya Leung, RD. 

Ingredients:

Dressing
¼ cup natural peanut butter
2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
½ cup lime juice (or just of 2 limes)
1 Tbsp Sriracha (or hot sauce)

Salad
6 ounces chicken breast, boiled or roasted, shredded 
½ large Carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 stalk green onion, thinly sliced
1 Cucumber, de-seeded, cut into thin strips
1 small red pepper, cut into thin strips
1 small orange pepper, cut into thin strips
1 package Vermicelli or bean thread, soaked in hot water until soft 
1/4 cup cilantro/coriander, chopped (save some for garnish)
2 tbsp Black sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Chop vegetables (it is helpful to use a mandolin).
2. Shred chicken (it is easy to do this by hand).
3. To make the dressing, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice, and sriracha in a small bowl.
4. Soak bean thread noodles in hot water until soft.
Prepare noodles bean thread noodles 
5. Mix together vegetables, noodles and chicken and toss with dressing. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and cilantro/coriander for garnish.

Simple Smoothies & Lassis

Recipes below are for single serving sizes.

Mango Lassi: 

1/2 cup fresh or frozen mango
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2-4 mint leaves
1-2 tsp maple syrup
seeds from 1 cardamom pod (optional)
1/2 cup cold water

Salty Lassi:

3/4 cup plain yogurt
3/4 cup cold water
pinch of salt
pinch of cumin

Fruit Smoothie: 

1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup flavored yogurt
3/4 cup frozen fruit (I like berries)
1/2 cup milk or water 

Directions: 

Make these Lassis or smoothies in a blender, Magic Bullet or Vitamix.  

Dutch Boerenkool - Kale Hash with Sausage (as seen in webisode 22)

Recipe makes 4-6 servings.

Ingredients:

3 lbs potatoes (or 12-16 new potatoes)
1 lb kale (or 3-4 bunches)
2 onions, diced
1 bay leaf
1/8 tsp nutmeg
¼ cup white wine vinegar
½ cup milk
½ cup potato water (reserved)
1 tsp vegetable oil (for sautéing the onions)
2 Tbsp butter or olive oil (for mashed potatoes)
1 lb smoked sausage (or 1 large coil or 3-4 links)
Ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Dice potatoes.
2. Add the potatoes and a bay leaf to a large pot of water.
3. Cover the pot and bring potatoes to a gentle boil, for about 25 minutes.
4. When potatoes tender, drain water and mash.  Add butter (or olive oil), milk, and pepper. Remove from heat and keep covered to keep warm. 
5.  Add sausage to pot of water and bring to a simmer, over medium-high heat.    
6. Meanwhile, dice onions and derib & chop kale.
7. Sauté onions in vegetable oil.  When onions have browned slightly, add kale and water.  Cover and cook for about 5 minutes.
8. When kale is tender, stir in nutmeg. 
9. Mix onions and kale in with the mashed potatoes.
10. Remove sausage from pot, slice into rounds and serve beside or on top of the mashed vegetables. Enjoy!

Recipe alteration - make this a one-pot meal:

After mashing the potatoes (step 4 above), add diced onions, chopped kale, water, and sliced sausage.  Cover and cook until kale is tender and sausage is heated through.  Stir in nutmeg and serve. 

Cambodian/Khmer Sour Fish Soup, with a Canadian twist (as seen in webisode 21)

Recipe makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1-2 stalks of lemongrass, minced
6 - 8 cups of water
1 - 1½ lb white fish (basa, tilapia, or cod), chunks
1 bunch kale, deribbed and chopped
4 scallions, chopped
2 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp (heaping) of tamarind paste
2 dried kefir lime leaves
¼ cup basil, chopped
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
2 hot chili peppers, chopped or whole
Lime wedges (for serving)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat a large soup pot over medium heat.
2. When pot is hot, add oil and garlic.  Sauté garlic for 1 minute.
3. Add lemongrass and sauté for another 1-2 minutes. 
4. Add water and bring to a boil. 
5. Add fish and cook until fish is tender.
6. Stir in kale and scallions.  If you want your soup to be spicy, add chopped chili peppers, otherwise add them whole for a little spice.
7. Add seasonings: fish sauce, sugar, tamarind paste and kefir lime leaves.
8. Stir in basil and cilantro just before serving.
9. Serve soup on top of rice or noodles.  Try using brown or black rice, quinoa, or buckwheat noodles.
10. Serve with a lime wedge for squeezing on top.

Recipe alteration:

If using dried lemon grass, skip step #3, and add dried sprigs of lemongrass with other seasonings in step #7.