I’m a big salad eater.  Big. I will make a bowl large enough for a family and eat the whole thing. I like the crunch, the acid, the salt. It’s candy to me, without the carbs and blood sugar spike.

This brightly shredded red cabbage salad is a big bowl of happiness to me. It has crunch from the cabbage, salt from the roasted pumpkin seeds and has brightness from the mustard shallot vinaigrette

Eat the Color Purple for Super Health

The dark purple pigment in red cabbage and other purple vegetables, known as anthocyanin, is a type of phytonutrient that belongs to the flavonoid family. Flavonoids are associated with lowering cholesterol, fighting heart disease and protecting the body against oxidative stress, which will help you age more gracefully, fight cancer and protect our brains. So eat the color purple as much as you can.

Vegetables are my Dream Food and the Red Cabbage Salad Recipe is my binge food.

As spinach tiger, I’m always eating lots of vegetables. They are my dream food, but over the last few months, I was also eating too many carbs, especially for my particular body type. My body is efficient. It stores fat for later, which would have kept me alive longer than most back 1000 years ago, when food was often scarce.

The food supply in my kitchen never runs out and this efficient body, which stores fat for later, must be tricked. This is why I practice modified fasting and a lower carb diet. This kind of salad fits this life style well, as it’s low in net carbs, high in fiber and just so tasty and satisfying. Instead of grabbing chips, I grab a full forkfuls of this, which lasts in the fridge a few days.

A Mustard Shallot Vinaigrette Lends Punch to the Red Cabbage

The great thing about this red cabbage salad recipe is that you can still eat it days later. In fact, it’s better marinating overnight. Shallots gives just the right punch to the vinaigrette which soaks into the cabbage, softening it a little and creating a great flavor.

No Grains, No Pain for me.

When I originally posted this in 2017 I had cut out all grains,  and I noticed that a limp from a pain in my hip (that I had for over a year) had disappeared.   

When I  did, I  eliminated a chronic hip pain. Now I’m only eating keto friendly food and feel so much better. I’m a huge believer in reducing inflammation and it has underscored my belief in the healing and harming power of food.

When you choose not to eat grains, you don’t have to give up textures. I’d rather eat color and have big crunch with full flavor any day.

Red Cabbage Salad Recipe is Perfect for a Potluck

This is a great salad for fatty meats like ham, pork or chicken thighs. It also is perfect for tucking into tacos. This is another one of those  pot luck recipes because you can make it the night before and it will stay intact for the whole party.

You could also add in some chopped chicken for a complete salad meal! I did that one night when I got home really late and enjoyed left overs from a roast chicken.

The Oxo Spiralizer is helpful with the red cabbage salad recipe, but not necessary. You can always use a good chef’s knife to shred it.If you don’t have a spiralizer, I highly recommend getting one. I like the OXO as it is very inexpensive, works well and is easy to clean. (This is not sponsored; I just like it). 

So tell me how’s your January eating going? Do you start a plan or maybe you’re so good during the holidays you don’t need to worry.

If you like raw cabbage recipes, you’ll also love this triple crunch cabbage salad with feta cheese and marcona almonds.

You can also play around with this by adding ginger, a squeeze of orange and using sesame oil.

My Favorite Salad and Cabbage Recipes

Cauliflower Salad

Tuscan Kale Salad

Cole Slaw with Blue Cheese and Apple

Sauteed Cabbage with Bacon

Crack Slaw

Purple Cauliflower Salad Recipe with Walnut Vinaigrette

My Favorite Pork Recipes

Mock Porchetta

Spare Ribs

Itallian Roast Pork

Slow CookerPulled Pork

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Red Cabbage Salad Recipe

Make a shredded red cabbage salad recipe with a shallot vinaigrette and pumpkin seeds for a healthy, Paleo, low carb choice

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 small head red cabbage
• 1 large carrot
• 1/4 cup salted roasted pumpkin seeds may need up to 1/2 cup

Shallot Vinaigrette

• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 1/4 cup prosecco white wine vinegar can use red wine or white wine or champagne vinegar
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 to 3/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt
• pepper

Instructions

• Trim red cabbage and shred with either food processor, knife or spiralizer.
• Peel and trim carrot. Julienne or shred. Add to cabbage. You can use more carrot if you like. I just used a small amount for color.
• Toss cabbage with vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper. Toss again. Taste to make sure the cabbage is acidic enough. As it marinates, it will lose some of the acid.
• Add pumpkin seeds, reserving some for topping right before serving.

Shallot Vinaigrette

• Mix mustard, shallots, lemon juice and vinegar.
• Add oil. Shake in jar or use whisk to incorporate.
• Add dressing. You may not use all of the dressing, depending on size of head of cabbage used.

The post Red Cabbage Salad Recipe with Shallot Vinaigrette appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

This Autumn Salad of kale and warm honey mustard vinaigrette with sweet potatoes, dried cranberries and toasted pumpkin seeds is the perfect salad for parties and potlucks. 

I have brought this salad to parties at least ten times, and it’s always the first to go and the star of the table. I’ve seen cupcakes, cookies and other foods have to go back home, but never this salad. No matter how large of a bowl I bring, there is never enough.

You can mix the kale with other greens if you choose to, as I did in this version with arugula.

This is a perfect potluck salad because you  can have everything ready within twenty minutes in the morning, and then put it all together with the dressing about three to four  hours in advance. The marination massages the kale, and brings it to a place that is very different than what most people think.

People will appreciate seeing a green sitting on the table that is gorgeous, appetizing and satisfying. It might make them feel better about the dips and chips and sweets they are also eating, and for those who are into that paleo craze, they will stop and thank you.

This is that perfect salad for this time of year, whether it’s a tail gating party, Halloween, or Thanksgiving, because you dress the salad at least two hours in advance. At Christmas, you can just add in some pomegranate seeds. I’ve learned that while people love the cookies and treats at a Holiday party, they are so grateful to see a good salad.

I used sweet potatoes, but you can use butternut squash.

I used toasted pumpkin seeds, but you can use toasted pecans, almonds or walnuts.

Add in some chopped up crispy pancetta or bacon.  Add in citrus for some brightness if you have it on hand.

Make a Warm Vinaigrette with Maple Syrup

I used a warm honey mustard vinaigrette that can be made with maple syrup. Either works incredibly well. If you don’t have time to dress the salad ahead, warm the dressing. It will relax the kale. Also add the pumpkin seeds  and sweet potatoes when they are hot. Kale can handle this.

The KEY to this salad is to taste it before serving, make sure it’s seasoned with enough salt and pepper. 

If  there is salad left over,  just refrigerate and sauté the left overs in a pan. It takes on a slightly different melted down texture, but still remains somewhat structured and it’s very good. The only thing I would not add to this salad is cheese, which I think would drown the nice flavors the sweet potato brings.

The dressing is sweetened by either honey or maple syrup to offset the heavy dose of vinegar and the punch of mustard, but it is so good. It’s going to taste a bit vinegary when you taste it, but will settle down as the kale takes hold of it.

This particular kale salad is similar to the one I made here, but I gave it an Autumn twist.

Tell me, do you take salads to parties? Are you ready for the Fall flavors?

If you really love kale salads, you might want to try this Tuscan Kale Salad  with a lemony dressing.

More Kale Recipes from Spinach Tiger

• Tuscan Kale Salad with Almonds
• Kale Smoothie
• Melted Kale
• Kale Risotto
• Kale Stir Fry with Ground Beef, Pancetta, Peas
• Salmon with Crispy Kale
• How to Freeze Kale for Smoothies
• Kale Apple Salad with Maple Dressing

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Autumn Salad: Sweet Potatoes, Kale, Pumpkin Seeds, Cranberries, Warm Maple Vinaigrette

A perfect Autumn Salad that is good for any party or Fall gathering. Sweet potatoes, pumpkin seeds, cranberries, pears and apples give color, taste and texture.

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 bunches lacinato kale the long skinny kind aka Tuscan kale
• roasted sweet pototoes
• 1 small apple or pear
• 2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds or nuts of your choice
• 2 tablespoons dried cranberries
• Warmed Maple Vinaigrette

For Roasted Sweet Potatoes

• 2 sweet potatoes peeled, cubed or one large butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• dash cinnamon
• dash nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon tumeric optional
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Warm Maple Vinaigrette

• 6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 clove garlic finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 12 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

• Wash and dry kale.
• Remove ribs from kale. I used a sharp knife to cut out the ribs.
• Cut kale into bite size pieces.
• Slice apple and pear into thin slices, leaving skin on, or cube, whichever you prefer.
• Add in just enough dressing to salad to wet the leaves. Save some of the dressing to add in warm right before serving. At that point, I’ll warm up the dressing in the microwave.
• Add warmed roasted sweet potatoes, cranberries and pumpkin seeds, saving some of each for top of bowl. Gently toss so as to not break up sweet potatoes.
• Season with salt the pepper.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes.

• Mix olive oil with cayenne, cinnamon, maple syrup, nutmeg.
• Toss potatoes in this oil, using just enough to wet potatoes.
• Roast for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees, until potatoes are soft, but still firm.
• You can toast the pumpkin seeds at this time. They only take 5 minutes.

Warmed Cider Vinaigrette

• Put all the ingredients in blender and blend until thoroughly emulsified. If using a Vitamix put the garlic clove in whole. If using a blender, dice the garlic first.
• You will want to dress the kale at least an hour in advance. This breaks down the kale.

The post Prepare Ahead Kale Salad: Sweet Potatoes, Maple Vinaigrette appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

This Fresh Roasted Pumpkin Soup was Inspired by a Local Mexican Restaurant

Sometimes the bite of one dish awakens my spirit and challenges me. When a chef makes such a dish, I know I’m going to make it in my own kitchen.

This is more of an orchestra rather than a solo. In one bite you get creamy, spicy in heat and spicy in pumpkin flavor, crunchy, warm, cool, savory and sweet. All in one bite! The garnish made the soup complete, and is a big part of what makes this soup so balanced.

I was once invited to a press dinner at a local restaurant. The four course dinner was good, but the pumpkin soup was great, probably the best pumpkin soup I’ve ever eaten. I asked for the ingredients and the Chef graciously obliged. Did you know that if you ask for recipes, many times the chef will be generous and share?

I played around making this my very own and I decided to make two versions, one with heavy cream and one with light unsweetened coconut milk.

The coconut flavor was a little more forward than I wanted, but it was still good enough that there’s not a drop left. I preferred the version with the cream, but if you’re looking to lighten up some of your Autumn inspired food, the coconut milk works.

Fresh Roasted Pumpkin Soup, Paleo Friendly

In place of the cream, you can substitute the coconut milk, or you might be a purist and just use a vegetable or chicken broth. I made my own pumpkin puree from a sugar pumpkin, but you could use the canned pumpkin.

Either way you make pumpkin soup enjoy it. Soon pumpkin season will be over, but for now I can’t seem to get enough.

How about you? Are you pumpkin obsessing and do you like fresh roasted pumpkin soup?

Pumpkin Recipes Keto Friendly HERE

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Fresh Roasted Pumpkin Soup, Paleo Friendly and Recipe for Pumpkin Puree

Spicy chipotle pumpkin soup with apple cranberry garnish.

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

Pumpkin Puree

• 1 three pound sugar pumpkin also called pumpkin pie pumpkin

Pumpkin Soup

• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 carrot diced
• salt
• pepper
• 1 tablespoon chipotle peppers in adobe sauce for heat, use more if you want Save some of the sauce for garnish.
• 1 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 1 cup heavy cream or unsweetened coconut milk

Garnish

• 1/2 small apple peeled diced
• 2 tablespoons cranberry sauce with whole berries or another fruit preserve (see note)!!!
• Toasted pumpkin seeds
• 1 teaspoon olive oil or melted butter
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• dash cayenne pepper

Instructions

Pumpkin Puree

• Cut pumpkin top off. Cut in half. Roast at 350 face side down until softened, 30-40 minutes.
• Cool, Scoop out the seeds. Set aside to roast.
• Scoop out pumpkin and make puree by placing in Vitamix. You may need to add a little water.

Pumpkin Soup

• Saute celery onion and carrot in butter until softened low heat.
• Add veggies to Vitamix with pumpkin puree and 1 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth)to make sure all veggies are fully pureed. Add chipotle peppers. Add in
• Add in heavy cream or coconut milk. Stir until fully incorporated.
• Reheat in sauce pan on low.

Garnish

• Mix cranberry sauce with some of the spiced adobe sauce (I used Southern Flavor Chipotle Cranberry Sauce)
• Add garnish to each bowl of soup. Swirl in adobe sauce and add apple cranberry garnish.

Notes

You can sub coconut milk for the cream for a paleo option. You can sub vegetable broth or water for the chicken broth.

The post Fresh Roasted Pumpkin Soup, Paleo Friendly appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I am a curious eater.  This is why I’m stepping out and giving you two recipes for grain free chocolate chip cookies, but let me tell you how this happened.

It’s not that I’m 100% against grains. I’m not. But, I think there’s a lot to be said for avoiding them 80% of the time. I’m not about to call any food bad that I make here at Spinach Tiger. I do bake and cook with flour, rice, quinoa, etc. I want to make that very clear. However, I’m one of those people that just does better sticking to a diet most days that is heavy vegetables, heavy protein. I do notice that when I go about four or five days eating like this, I start to crave sweets. I especially crave chocolate. I need to have some choices for those days.

These are the cookies that I can turn to for that much needed sweet, chocolaty treat on the days I’m not eating pasta. I found them both at Baking and Boys, the blog assigned to me for the Secret Recipe Club.

Katrina had a lot of recipes for chocolate chip cookies. More than I think I’ve seen on any other blog. But what took my interest most was that she had two grain free recipes for chocolate chip cookies. She loves to bake, but is turning more and more to baking grain free recipes which fits my life style. She has a recipe for a grain free chocolate bundt cake that I may go back and try, because I love chocolate cake and it looked as good as any regular cake.

How to Make a Grain Free Chocolate Chip Cookie

The first was the real deal chocolate chip cookie from Against All Grain with no unrefined sugar. The second cookie was a chewy grain free chocolate chip cookie with no unrefined sugar and mainly made with almond butter from Unrefined Kitchen  I wanted to write and ask Katrina which one was the best, but we’re not supposed to give away who we have until reveal day. So, I decided to do a grain free chocolate chip bake off. It’s super bowl day, why not have a grain free chocolate chip cookie bowl, right?

The first grain free chocolate chip cookie (A)  is from Danielle at Against All Grain, author of a book by the same title.  The second cookie (B) comes from the Unrefined Kitchen and the recipe is there. The joy of being assigned someone’s blog is learning what inspires them and find out about other blogs to read. I’ll be visiting both of those blogs frequently.

Here’s the funniest thing. Since I published this post last night, Katrina and I discovered we both had each other’s assigned blogs and we both chose to make two recipes. She made my best chocolate fudge cake and split pea soup. Is that more than a coincidence? Don’t you love when things line up like that?

Grain Free Chocolate Chip Cookie A (the red) is made with almond flour, coconut flour, coconut palm sugar, grass fed butter, egg, baking soda,  vanilla, chocolate chips and my addition of pumpkin seeds, but you could use any nuts.

Grain Free Chocolate Chip Cookie B (the blue) is made with no flours whatsoever, only almond butter and I thought I read it wrong and was doubtful that it would bake like a cookie. There is baking powder, baking soda, egg, vanilla, and your choice of coconut or nuts. I chose nuts. It baked beautifully, and as it cooled, it was so good, I doubt you would know it was a grain free cookie. Really good. .

We loved both cookies. At first I was partial to chocolate chip cookie A (in the red) made with the almond flour. But, as the day went on, I started to lean towards the chocolate chip cookie B (in the blue).

Both are completely different. Both surprised us. I put them in jars and put the lid on so we would stop eating them. Now I know where to turn when I want a grain free chocolate chip cookies.

More Paleo Recipes from Spinach Tiger

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Chocolate Chip Cookie (A) Made with Almond Flour

Adapted from Against All Grain (blog and book) real deal chocolate chip cookie that is grain free, gluten free.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Total Time 27 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup grass-fed butter or regular butter order here
• 1/4 cup brown sugar or coconut palm sugar (order here)
• 2 tablespoons honey order here
• 1 large egg room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla order here
• 1½ cups blanched almond flour order here
• 2 tablespoons coconut flour order here
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips see note (order here)
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds order here
• Kitchen Tools:
• Red Twine order here
• Wide Mouth Mason Jars order here

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a mixer or food processor, cream butter,sugar, together. Add
• honey, egg, and vanilla.
• In as separate bowl, mix almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, salt and mix until well combines.
• Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix.
• Add in chocolate and pumpkin seeds.
• Drop cookies by tablespoon onto parchment paper.
• Flatten cookies as they will not spread out.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes.

The post Grain Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Bake Off appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I’m on an Autumn Roll. If I was a magazine, I would probably be preparing for Valentine’s Day, but I’m a blog, and I’m in real time making boozy, spicy, Autumn Risotto with Butternut Squash.

You may remember Autumn Salad, and the inspiration for this dish, Autumn Cocktail. Well, one good idea just flows into the next and when I had butternut-infused vodka left over, I thought about risotto.

I’m not sure what Marcella Hazan might say if she could see me throwing in mustard seeds, green chilies, red chilies, and tumeric, along with the customary onion and butter. Just to make it more interesting, I added in the butternut squash-infused vodka, which sweetened the dish a little and layered nicely with the butternut squash.

I kept the dish hot and spicy, but added in toasted pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries to add that Autumn touch.

This is not the typical butternut squash risotto with parmesan cheese.

Boozy, spicy, Autumn Risotto with Butternut squash is a great side dish, especially on the holiday table.

More Spinach Tiger Recipes

Risotto 101 – Everything You Need to Know about Risott and Three Mistakes to Avoid

My Most Recent Autumn Dishes

Autumn Potluck Kale Salad

Autumn Cocktail

Autumn Brunch

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Boozy Spicy Autumn Risotto with Butternut Squash

Autumn Butternut Squash Risotto fused with Fall flavors, Indian spices.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small butternut squash cubed
• 1 medium onion diced
• 1/4 cup butternut infused-squash vodka optional, can use white wine or no alcohol
• large dash nutmeg
• 1 green chili sliced
• 1 red chili broken in half
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 2 1/2 cups arborio rice
• 5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• tablespoon of dried cranberries
• toasted pumpkin seeds for garnish

Instructions

• Saute butternut squash in olive oil.
• Add in onion and 1 tablespoon butter. Add in green chili sliced and red chili.
• Once onion is translucent, add arborio rice and stir until moistened.
• Immediately add in 1/2 cup broth. Once that evaporates add in another 1/2 cup broth. Move rice to side of pan. Add remaining tablespoon butter and vodka. Stir and stir through rice. Once evaporated, add in another 1/2 cup broth and dried cranberries.
• Add in salt, white pepper.
• Continue to add 1/2 cup broth at a time until five cups are used.
• Season again with salt, pepper and dash nutmeg and garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds.

The post Spicy Autumn Risotto with Butternut Squash appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I gravitate to the savory and like my grits for dinner. I made my first grits and dish here pairing a creamy tomato based dish of grits with osso buco. That is still one of my most memorable fancy comfort food dinners to date.

I’m a big fan of the tried and true southern dish, shrimp and grits. If it’s on the menu, I usually order it. I have my own fantasies about how it should taste and this dish at the Mad Platter comes pretty close.

The grits should be creamy and there should be heat and lots of flavor and smokiness.  I’m beyond disappointed when a place tries to be hipster and serves shrimp and grits with a grits cake. It has to remain a comfort food.

This is part one of the dish, and meant to be a cushion for a great piece of fish.

Savory sweet potato grits are creamy and deliver a big sweet potato flavor. As a stand alone side dish, I garnished with some roasted, salted pumpkin seeds. It’s best to buy those raw and roast them because they just taste better and  you don’t want them too salty.

I’ve purposely kept this dish savory. I’ve looked at recipes and saw the addition of cinnamon and ginger, but I wanted to stay true to the natural goodness of a sweet potato.

Of course, you can make it sweet and add those spices in if that’s where your mood takes you. You can even make it spicy by adding some cayenne pepper or the heat of your choice.  You could go more Italian and add in 1/4 cup grated parmesan or pecorino cheese, but I wouldn’t pair that with seafood. That might be nice as a side dish for pork.

I’m going out of town for a culinary adventure with a group of bloggers for the next few days, and when I return, I plan to cook and feature part two, my version of fish and grits.

Tell me, do you eat grits and how do you like them? And do you have any new wild hipster dishes recreating the comfort foods of the south.

More Recipes You Might Like

You may like more sweet potato recipes. One of my favorites comes from my mom, Retro Rose.

Retro Rose Candied Sweet Potatoes

Fish and Sweet Potato Grits

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Savory Sweet Potato Grits

Sweet Potato grits, made savory. Great as a side dish or a base for seared seafood or shrimp.

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 3 cups water
• 1 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 large sweet potato roasted
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoons white pepper
• 1 cup grits
• 1/2 roasted pumpkin seeds for garnish optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Bake sweet potato until thoroughly cooked, about 45 minutes.
• Bring water, milk, butter to a boil.
• Peel sweet potato. Take through a ricer. Add to liquid. Add salt, pepper.
• Wash grits off, but placing in bowl with cold water. Swirl around and allow the light bran to come to the top. Discard and pour off water.
• Add in grits and bring to boil, stirring.
• Once the mixture is boiling, turn to the lowest possible heat you can. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes until most of liquid is evaporated.
• Saute pumpkin seeds with a little bit of olive oil and salt for five minutes, making sure they don't burn.

Notes

You can skip milk and add in a cup of chicken broth for added flavor.

I followed the directions for white stone ground grits on their package. If you have a different kind of grits you might want to use their recipe and add in sweet potatoes.

The post Savory Sweet Potato Grits appeared first on Spinach Tiger.