Mind Games & Indonesian Cabbage Salad

We all have mind games we play on ourselves to keep ourselves going. Since my injury last summer I have been concentrating on my running form. Mainly trying to make sure to maintain a mid-foot strike instead of heel strike. This involves raising my knees up higher in my stride.

To do this I imagine I'm a steam locomotive.  They are very powerful machines. My legs are the wheels and my arms are the side rods (or coupling rods) that connect and drive the wheels.  I loosely tuck my elbows to the side of my torso forcing my arms to move in the direction I'm running and move my arms in a quasi-circular motion driving my body forward.   This little mind game seems to keep my momentum going.  I can tell when I'm getting tired on a run because my arms will swing in front of my body instead of on the side in a  pumping action.

The trickier part is keeping my legs moving in a "revolving" motion like a wheel.  Breaking almost 20 years of bad form is difficult to do.  Its especially more difficult to do when I'm tired. Wheels are pretty efficient machines and in order to run efficiently I try to imagine my legs as wheels of the locomotive. Pumping my arms and imagining them as coupling rods really helps. This will, in theory, allow me to maintain a proper stride rate by using the least amount of energy to achieve my goal.  I've noticed if I can get myself to move my legs correctly, running is a lot easier. I especially notice this when I'm tired.

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Indonesian Cabbage Salad
Scott Jurek

Scott Jurek is an accomplished ultra marathon runner and Vegan.  He wrote a book about his life and career call "Eat & Run". This is the first recipe of his that tried and it was super easy, keeps well and delicious.  I don't have his permission to reproduce his recipe online, but  check out his book and get the recipe yourself. I've tried many others of his which I will comment on as well. Keep following us for more vegan goodness!

Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad

This is a super salad. 



This is one I found off of Pinterest. I've become a pinterest junkie lately. So many good ideas.  I have to say I quite liked this recipe. The roasted salted almonds added a crunch factor that was quite fun.  Find the recipe here. It was easy to prepare, and I could make it in advance and leave it in the fridge until everything else was ready.

My two oldest would't eat it, but my baby sure likes Kale. He gobbled it up.  Oh, the flecks of orange are carrots. I screwed up and added carrots to it, even though the recipe doesn't call for them. I was doing too many things at the same time and got confused. But who can go wrong with more veggies in your diet?

More from Vegetarian Times

I'm guilty. I'm just going to post pictures of the tings I made from the Sept 2012 issue of VT because I'm too tired to reproduce them. (Sorry folks, I'm just a busy mom, like everyone else and I've got too much to do not enough time). If you can find it, go out and buy this month's issue. Its worth it.  If you prefer to wait until next month, I'll post the links to these recipes on this blog when they are available.

I really recommend this issue. I've tried most of the recipes in it and there are a few. We had Heirloom Tomato Salad with Grilled Foccaccia and Rosemary Honey Drizzle one night for supper. It was really good.  I've been visiting the farmer's market here. Local produce just adds to the yumminess. 

Heirloom Tomato and Nectarine Salad

served with:

Grilled Bread with Rosemary-Honey Drizzle

Magic Kale Salad

I'm trying to eat more kale. I hear its supposed to be good for you - like spinach only better. I tried it once last summer - it wasn't the greatest. I used a recipe from my favorite vegan chef Moskowitz (some enchilada recipe out of Veganomicon). It was okay. I had an issue with the texture - very tough. And the curly bits on the ends got stuck in my craw. But I'm going to give it the old college try and really get into it this time.

Now, I'm not as big of a fan of Momma Pea as Kerri is.  I think her recipes are hit or miss. But she's a great writer and fun to read so I keep up with her as my schedule allows.  Lately I haven't been doing much cooking at all. Moving half way across the country takes its toll. I gave Shannon most of the ingredients out of my pantry and fridge before we left (can't take it with you on the truck), and restocking has been painfully slow. It would be one thing if I didn't care what I put in my fridge, but I really try to buy organic, wholesome foods and that is expensive. Additionally my children seem to have hollow legs - my 3 and 4 year olds are eating me out of house and home. I'm having to go restock basic fruits and veggies every 2 days. Plus, with unpacking and organizing the house, trying to get to know a new community blah, blah, blah . . . .  you know how slow things can go.

But I digress. I've been hanging onto this one for a while now.  My mom grew some kale in her garden and brought me some. This recipe was super simple and a very good basic salad. I wouldn't give it 5 stars, but I would make it again if I had to throw something together in a pinch. I used walnuts instead of pistachios because thats what I had. It was fine.

http://peasandthankyou.com/2012/02/23/magic-kale-salad-with-pistachios-and-apples/

Heirloom Tomato Salad With Fresh Lady Peas

Here's one to use up all those tomatoes you'll get from Stanley this summer. This is one that we liked, but its more of a salad or appetizer than a main course. The store didn't have fresh peas so I used green beans instead and it was still good. The lemon basil dressing that goes with it was easy to make, but a little too lemony for my taste. I'd pare it down next time. But it was still really good.

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/heirloom-tomato-salad-with-fresh-lady-peas-10000001634626/

Roasted Artichoke Salad

Whenever I make this, my husband looks at it and says "It might choke Arty, but its not going to choke Stimey!". Its from the Little Rascals. Don't ask me. He thinks its a funny artichoke joke.

This recipe is from Ina Garten. I have included my own modifications to it however. At this moment I am boycotting Ina Garten, because she refused to grant a dying kid his wish to cook with her - twice! (very uncool, Ina). But since I found this recipe a while ago, and I've made some of my own modifications, I continue to use it. Just no new Ina Garten recipes.

When I make this, I usually just throw it together without measuring, so the ingredients for the salad are just a guess. Its great anyway, you can modify as you like. I've also made this without roasted the artichokes and its great. Goes together so much quicker if you don't have to roast them. Serve it with a side of pasta or baguette.

Roasted Artichoke Salad

2 bags frozen artichoke hearts
2 T capers, drained
2 T black olives, sliced
2 roasted red peppers, chopped (jarred is fine)
1/4 C red onion, coarsely chopped
2 T fresh parsley,
1/2 pint

Vinaigrette
1 shallot, minced
1-2 T lemon juice
1 t dijon mustard
3 T white wine vinegar
1/4 C basil leaves
Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350. Toss the artichokes in olive oil, a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper. Spread the artichokes onto a sheet pan and spread out into 1 layer; roast in the oven for 20 minutes, stirring occassionally.

Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette. Place the minced shallot, lemon juice, mustard, vinegar, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of pepper in the bowl of a food processor and process for 5 seconds. Add the basil leaves and process into a green puree. With the processor running, slowly pour olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube until the ingredients are finely pureed and it has the consistency of dressing. Set aside.

Place the roasted artichoke hearts in a bowl and toss with enough vinaigrette to moisten. Add the capers, red peppers, red onion, parsley and tomatoes and toss gently. Let stand for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. Serve at room temperature.

Tangy Cucumber and Avocado Salad

More cucumbers that you can eat? Try this salad. I like the contrast between the crunchy cukes and creamy cados. Very quick to prepare, light and perfect for summer. Admittedly, its not an origianl


Tangy Cucumber and Avocado Salad

2 medium cucumbers, cubed
2 avocados, cubed
4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced green onions (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
1/4 large lemon
1 lime

In a large bowl, combine cucumbers, avocados, and cilantro. Stir in garlic, onions, salt, and pepper. Squeeze lemon and lime over the top, and toss. Cover, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Beet Salad with Goat Cheese

Okay, so its not vegan, but at least its vegetarian. I have express permission from Kerri to post this - its a good one. I wanted to use our beets from our CSA box and I think this recipe is hugely successful. I always thought beets tasted like dirt, but mixed with the goat cheese and candied walnuts, I thought they were very palatable. And I thought the ones we got in our CSA box were sweet and very tender, quite unlike my beet experiences in the past.

I strongly suggest making a special trip to Split Creek Farm and getting their goat cheese for this recipe. Their product is worth the trip. Although the recipe calls for crumbles, which Split Creek does not have, I just warmed a couple slices off the goat cheese log in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes with a little olive oil. Warming it makes the cheese very creamy. But you could also use it the salad cold. Serve it with a baguette - makes a terrific meal.

Beet Salad with Goat Cheese

4 medium beets - scrubbed, trimmed and cut in half
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (I've used pecans with success)
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 (10 ounce) package mixed baby salad greens
1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 ounces goat cheese

Place beets into a saucepan, and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until tender. Drain and cool, then cut in to cubes.

While the beets are cooking, place the walnuts in a skillet over medium-low heat. Heat until warm and starting to toast, then stir in the maple syrup. Cook and stir until evenly coated, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice concentrate, balsamic vinegar and olive oil to make the dressing.

Place a large helping of baby greens onto each of four salad plates, divide candied walnuts equally and sprinkle over the greens. Place equal amounts of beets over the greens, and top with dabs of goat cheese. Drizzle each plate with some of the dressing.

Warm Provencal Salad

I'll have you know that I rarely turn on daytime TV. But a while back, I think when both of my children were still taking two naps, I flipped on the Rachael Ray show. Normally she bugs me, but I guess at the time I just felt like chillin in front of the tube for a bit.

It just so happens that she had a pretty good recipe she was demonstrating that day. Find the original here. The original contains chicken, but I didn't need to modify it much to make it vegan.

When I cook, I like to have everything mise-on-place, so I can just crank it out when Nick walks through the door. Therefore, I've rewritten it the vegan way below, with my adaptations to make it a bit easier to put together at crunch time. After the prep work has been done (which may take about 30 minutes), it should go together in about 15 minutes.

Also, as its written, it makes a ton - more than 2 adults and 2 toddlers can eat and I don't think it keeps all well as a leftover. I recommend halving the recipe.

This is one our faves:

2 pounds baby white or yellow potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
4 small onions, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
8-10 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2-2/3 cup EVOO, divided
Salt and pepper
1 pound trimmed green beans or asparagus, halved
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup black pitted Nicoise olives
1 shallot, coarsely chopped
A small handful of fresh sage leaves
A small handful of fresh tarragon (or a teaspoon dried)
2 teaspoons dried marjoram
1 cup flat leaf parsley, loosely packed
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 cups arugula
1 baguette

In advance:

Slice the onions and potatoes and trim the greens. Nuke the potatoes until they are about 3/4 of the way done. This will dramatically shorten your cooking time. Toss is a bowl with the onions, garlic, a little EVOO to coat. Set aside until approx 15 mins before dinner time. (FYI, if you don't know how to crush garlic, peel off the skin, lay it on the counter and lay the side of a chef's knife on top. Give it a hard whack with the heel of your hand. It crushes easily.)

Set the trimmed greens aside in a different bowl.

In your large serving bowl (it sounds like we're using alot of bowls, but its not really all that bad) combine the arugula, tomatoes and olives. Set aside.

In a small food processor, combine the the shallot, herbs and mustard and season with salt and pepper. Pulse-chop to finely chop the mixture, then stream in about 1/4-1/3 cup EVOO to form a pesto-like sauce. Refrigerate until you are ready to eat.

About 15 mins before you are ready to eat, fire up your broiler.

Place the potatoes, onions and crushed garlic on a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper and place in the oven. Broil for about 5-10 minutes (depending on how your oven cooks), flipping them to achieve browning on all sides.

Toss your trimmed greens with EVOO to coat and season with salt and pepper. When potatoes are about 3-5 minutes from being done, toss the greens on the tray and allow to broil with the potatoes.

When the veggies are done, add them to the arugula mixture in your serving bowl and toss with the dressing. Serve with a crusty baguette.

Yumm-o (did I just write that?)