This is a simple recipe for a very colorful salad using mainly carrots. This salad has great textures, especially when topped with chopped nuts.

This is such a simple, fun and easy recipe for put together…the colors of the rainbow carrots are so “sunny”, and it will make any dinner table look very pretty and “happy”. The flavors of this carrot slaw burst with the tanginess of apple vinegar and the sweetness of the honey. There are many textures, from slightly chewy, crisp to crunch…as you can see and imagine…this rainbow carrot slaw is packed with a lot of pleasant qualities for the taste buds…I sure hope you get to try it…

Ingredients:

• Approximately 1 lb of carrots, peeled and grated
• 2 tablespoons apple vinegar
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 ½ tablespoons honey
• 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
• 3 to 4 tablespoons dried cranberries
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Roasted nuts of your preference (almond, walnut or pecan) or mixed nuts

Method:

Combine apple vinegar, olive oil, honey, salt and pepper in a small bowl. In a large bowl mix the carrots, parsley and cranberries, toss the dressing on it and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper and add more if necessary.

Toss in the nuts just before serving.

If you enjoyed this simple carrot slaw recipe…you might want to check on another very simple recipes…Fennel Salad.

Did you know that bright orange color of carrots is from beta-carotene? Beta-carotene is then metabolized to vitamin A. Carrots are a great source of a variety of antioxidants, therefore eating carrots might benefit your cardiovascular system as well as anti-cancer benefits.

Thank you for stopping by Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!

Now that yo have chia seed sprouts what you should do with it? Just toss it in your salad, in between your sandwich or just as a garnishment. I enjoy it in my cucumber and tomato salad.

Oh! Before I forget…I hope all the mom’s out there had a wonderful Mother’s Day!

In this cucumber and tomato salad, I just added fresh squeezed lime juice, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, salt and fresh ground pepper…nothing else…it is simple and so tasty…

I hope you enjoy this simple salad recipe and this post get you going on sprouting chia seeds…

Did you know that chia seed gel can be used in food formulation as thickening and emulsifying agent as well as stabilizer in frozen food?

Thank you for stopping by Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!

This pasta recipe calls for lots of spinach…it is so tasty and pretty to look at. The pasta can served topped with any sauce you and your family like or just with your favorite cheese.

Let me make a confession, this is not my first pasta…I made egg pasta once before I attempted to make this spinach pasta. It was so much fun playing with the dough, passing the dough over and over again through the pasta machine. Cutting it using different settings that I forgot to take pictures…

I want this spinach pasta to be the “star” of this post, therefore, after I cooked I just served with a drizzle of olive oil and lots of shaved pecorino cheese…nothing fancy…

Since I made enough pasta for a big crowd, I froze them into small “nests” and already used most of it with different sauces.

Making pasta seems overwhelming, but in reality it is very simple. I did not buy the pasta attachment for the mixer…I decided to go for a manual one, to me it seems that I have more control over it than the one electrically powered.

Anyway, I am happy that I did get this pasta maker as recently I see many recipes that use pasta maker to roll bread dough…this will be my next experiment…

Ingredients:

• 1 lb fresh spinach leaves
• 200 g bread flour
• 200 g semolina
• Pinch salt
• 2 eggs

Method:

Steam the spinach leaves for about 3 minutes, the leaves should still be bright green and softened. Let cool slightly. Squeeze out the liquid as much as you can. Puree spinach in a food processor.

Add the flours and salt and mix until well combined. Add the eggs in the food processor until the dough comes together.

Transfer dough to a well-floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, 5 to 10 minutes, adding little flour if dough is still too sticky. Cover the dough with plastic film and let it rest for 1 to 2 hours.

Cut dough into 4 pieces. Work with one piece at a time, keep the other pieces covered. Flatten the dough, dust lightly with flour and feed through the pasta machine at its widest setting. Fold lengthwise into thirds and pass through again. Repeat a couple of times.

Set the pasta machine to the thickness you desire and pass the dough a couple of times, dusting flour as needed. Plate the pasta sheet on the counter as you work with the other pieces.

Pass the pasta sheet on the machine using the cutting attachment. Dust with flour as needed to they strands do not stick.
At this point you can cook the pasta or let it dry slightly on the rack, about ½ hour. Or make small nest (portion) and freeze.

Once the little nest of pasta are frozen, store in a airtight container.

When cooking frozen pasta, just place it in a boiling water and proceed as usual.

If you like spinach, you might want to check on Spinach with Ponzu Sauce or Sautee Spinach recipes.

Did you know that spinach is very rich in iron? Moreover, spinach are a very good source of vitamin K, A and C.

Thank you for stopping by Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!

This is a simple recipe for an Asian inspired stir-fry wheatberries with eggs and Chinese sausage. Just by substituting rice for wheatberries you will have a healthy version of fried rice.

This is a very simple and fast recipe considering that you have cooked wheatberries. The recipe is similar to the Egg Fried Rice with Chinese Sausage…and it is great as a main dish since it contains veggies and protein.

Wheatberries are wheat, I mean the whole wheat kernel except the hull. I personally like to wash and soak the wheatberries before cooking, usually overnight. Wheatberries are chewy and packed with nutrients and dietary fiber, therefore much healthier than plain rice. So if you like wheatberry it is good to cook a big batch and use throughout the week in salad, soup or stir-fry.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup wheatberries
• 3 to 4 cups water
• Pinch salt
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 green onions finely chopped
• 3 Chinese sausages sliced
• 2 cups frozen vegetables, boiled and drained
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 1 ½ tablespoons oil, preferably vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Wash and soak the wheatberries overnight.

Place the wheatberries into a medium pan and add 3 to 4 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cover the pan. Simmer for approximately 30 to 35 minutes and check the texture of the grains. If the grains still hard cook until they reach a chewy texture.

Once the wheatberries reach the desire consistency, drain the berries and transfer to a bowl. At this point you can use the wheatberries by following the recipe or store in the refrigerator for later use.

In a wok heat the ½ tablespoon of oil and add both onions, until slightly brown. Add the sliced sausage and sauté for a couple of minutes. Remove from the wok and set aside.

In the same wok add remaining oil, and the cooked wheatberries under medium heat. Stir fry until the wheatberries are hot. Pour in the beaten egg and gently stir until all the wheat grains are covered with a thin layer of egg.

Add back the sausage mixture and the vegetables. Stir until the wheatberry mixture is well combined with the sausage and vegetables. Add Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot.

I hope you enjoy this simple and easy recipe using wheatberries. You might want to check here for more Asian Inspired Recipes.

Did you know that most of the vitamins from the wheatberries are derived from the bran? Wheatberries are a good source of magnesium, potassium, B vitamins and vitamin E.

Thank you for stopping by Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!

This is an Asian inspired recipe for zucchini noddles by simply tossing the noddles with the already made ginger onion sauce. Great as a side dish.

This is a simple and healthy way to serve zucchini…and really taste delicious! Just add the Ginger Green Onion Sauce that I posted a while, which you can find the recipe here and it is ready…Again, this is so easy and simple that I am embarrassed to post it, but hey…I am doing it anyway!

Ingredients:

• Zucchini (as many as you want)
• Ginger green onion sauce to taste

Method:

In a medium pot place water and a pinch of salt and bring to boil.

Wash and trim both end of the zucchini. Using a mandolin slice zucchini lengthwise into long, and thin strands.

Separate the zucchini noodles. Add to the boiling water and cook the zucchini for about 1 minute.

Quickly transfer the zucchini strands to a colander. Place the zucchini noodles into a dish and add the ginger green onion sauce. Mix gently and serve hot or warm.

Enjoy using zucchini as noodle? Please check on this recipe, low carb Zucchini Pasta.

What is the difference between pasta and noodle? It seems that the term pasta is widely used for Italian-style noodles, while “noodle” includes a more general meaning for Asian products. The word “pasta” come from Italian pasta, which means paste or dough, and the word “noodle” comes from German “nudel”, which means pasta.

Thank you for stopping by Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!

This is such a simple recipe for pan fried tofu.  Once it is pan fried just dip the tofu in your favorite sauce or make a stir fry with it.

Being raised in an Asian family I grew up eating a lot of tofu, all kind of shape, texture and flavors…you name it I am pretty sure I had it. Here is a very simple, way too simple of a recipe…

Okay…I must admit that this is one of another recipe that it should not be called a recipe…there is really nothing to measure or weight…

You can use this tofu as it is, and eat by simply dipping into your favorite sauce or use in any stir-fry dish…it is delicious and adds an extra texture to it. Once you pan fry the tofu, it will not fall apart.

Ingredients:

• 1 block of firm tofu
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Method:

Drain the tofu from its original container and rinse gently.

Cut the tofu into small squares.

Press dry the tofu by placing it in between paper towels.

In a frying pan add the vegetable oil under medium heat and gently place the tofu in the pan. Fry until golden brown and turn it until both sides are golden brown.

Serve warm by dipping into any of your favorite sauce or use in stir-fry dishes.

I made a quick sauce by using light soy sauce and a dash of Sriracha sauce.

If you enjoy cooking with tofu, you might want to check on these simple and easy recipes…Chicken Corn and Tofu Soup or simply salad with Baked Tofu.

Did you know what tofu had been used in China for thousands of years and it is a product made by curdling soymilk? Tofu is high in protein, iron and calcium. Soy product contains phytoestrogen, which has similar structure to estrogen, female hormone, and mimics the action of estrogen produced by the body. Therefore women who have or have had estrogen –sensitive breast tumors should restrict their soy intake.

Thank you for stopping by Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!

This is a very easy and simple salad using just a few ingredients. The fennel is thinly sliced therefore it is light, crunchy and refreshing.

Have you ever used fennel in your cooking?

I have been very skeptical since I do not care for licorice and was always reluctant to buy fennel, but after seeing so many nice recipes using fennel, especially in salad I decided to try when I saw it at Trader Joe’s a package of a couple of plump fennel bulbs. The simple shaved fennel salad recipe from Kitchen Riffs just clicked, when I searched for the recipe, I then realized that I have been contemplating in trying this salad for more than a year.

I followed the recipe as described by John and I must admit, it was so good…light, crunchy, slightly sweet, a touch of anise (not overwhelming)…now I know what I have been missing all this time.

So if you have never tried fennel, I urge you to try…especially that it is such a simple recipe therefore nothing can go wrong.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium fennel bulb
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Fresh lemon juice
• Salt and pepper

Method:

Wash the fennel and remove the stalks. Use a mandoline to slice the fennel.

Place the shave fennel in a bowl, add the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper (I omitted the salt).

Toss gently and serve.

If you enjoy this simple recipe for fennel salad you might want to check on Zucchini Ribbon Salad recipe.

Did you know that fennel belongs to the same family as parsley, carrots, dill and cilantro (or coriander)? Moreover, fennel is a good source of vitamin C and fiber.

Thank you for stopping by Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!