Ingredients

For the dressing:
• 1 tablespoon Penang nut & spice mix
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon salt
For the slaw:
• 3-4 cups red cabbage, shredded
• 2-3 cups beets, raw, shredded
• 2-3 cups carrots, shredded
• 1 cup scallions, sliced thin
• 1-2 cups red apple, shredded
• ½ lime, fresh
• ½ cup sunflower seeds
• Penang nut & spice mix to top it off before serving

Instructions

1. Whisk together all the ingredients for the Asian dressing and set aside.
2. Begin by shredding or slicing very thinly the red cabbage, beets & carrots. Do not shred the apple until the very end because it will turn brown. (When you are ready to serve, shred the apple and then squeeze the lime over it and toss. This helps to keep the apple from browning.) I bought pre-shredded carrots, which was a big help but sliced my cabbage & beets. For the beets, if you julienne them yourself, peel them then slice into thin rounds, then stack the rounds and slice into thin matchsticks. If you do not want to julienne them yourself you can place them into a food processor with the grating attachment. I personally don't like the way my food processor shreds the beets so I prefer to hand julienne them. If you have a spiralizer this would work as well. Really it is up to you - the flavors are wonderful either way. I like to prep all of the veggies (except the apples) and place them all into ziplock baggies the day before and then toss all together when ready to eat.
3. When ready to serve, using a very large mixing bowl, toss together the cabbage, beets, carrots, scallions, shredded apple & sunflower seeds. Then add enough dressing to your liking. I always like to start with just a bit, taste and then adjust and add additional as needed. When dressing a salad or slaw it is important to remember you can always add more, but you can't take away if you overdo it.

Ingredients

For the asian vinaigrette dressing:
• 1 teaspoon Penang nut & spice mix
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
• grapefruit juice from grapefruits
• 1 ½ teaspoons honey
• 1 teaspoon sambal chili paste (or sriracha)
For the salad:
• Penang nut & spice mix
• 2 grapefruits, sectioned, juice reserved
• 1 bag arugula
• ½ leek, cut thin, on bias
• ¾ lb shrimp, (I like small, 31/40 count)
• sesame oil
• ½ cup peanuts
• 1 avocado
• ½ block feta cheese
• asian vinaigrette dressing (from above)

Instructions

1. With a sharp knife, carefully section the 2 fresh grapefruits (as shown in photograph). To section a piece of citrus, slice each end off fruit. Then run your sharp knife down the side of the fruit, removing the peel with each slice. Go around the entire fruit until the white pith is removed. Move slowly & deliberately, trying to leave as much fruit intact but still removing the white part of the skin. Once it is completely free of peel, place the grapefruit in one hand and the knife in the other. Begin by slicing down the side of one of the membranes, removing it carefully from the flesh (see photo). Then run it down the other side until the segment comes out clean. Place it in bowl and continue all around until each segment is removed. When complete, squeeze the membranes over a bowl to release all the extra juice and reserve for the dressing.
2. Toast the peanuts in a dry pan and once they are lightly browned, remove into a bowl to cool.
3. Sauté the shrimp in about 2 teaspoons of sesame oil just until they turn pink and remove into a separate bowl to cool. Do not overcook or they will turn rubbery.
4. Slice the leek in half, lengthwise and rinse well under running water. Open the leaves and let the water wash the interior membranes where small amounts of dirt often stay behind. Dry and slice the leek thinly, on the bias. Set aside.
5. Arrange the salad in each individual serving bowl beginning with a bed of arugula. Then layer shrimp, grapefruit, leeks, peanuts, feta cheese and finally, the sliced avocado (wait until last minute to cut the avocado so it stays nice and bright green and does not turn brown). Top the salad with plenty of Penang nut & spice mix. Serve with the dressing on the side.

Notes

Ingredients

• Penang nut & spice mix
• 4 wraps, or tortillas
• roast chicken
• 1 avocado, ripe
• 4 full leaves butter lettuce
• pickled sugar snap peas (recipe here)
• 2 roma tomatoes
• tahini dressing (recipe here)
• red onion, ¼ small, sliced thin
• sprinkle of sea salt

Instructions

1. Shred and then separate enough roast chicken for 4 wraps; I like to keep the chunks a bit large. Slice ¼ of a small red onion and set aside. Slice the pickled sugar snap peas in half, lengthwise. Cut the avocado in half (lengthwise), peel away the skin, and cut into good sized slices. Cut the tomatoes into thick slices. Tear each butter lettuce leaf into 2-3 pieces.
2. Take a wrap and layer each ingredient, beginning with the lettuce. To finish, drizzle tahini dressing down the center of the wrap, sprinkle generously with Penang nut & spice mix and finally sprinkle with a bit of sea salt.
3. Wrap it tightly and secure with a toothpick or better yet, tie it together with parchment paper and finish with bakers twine. Repeat for the other 3 wraps and serve with fresh fruit or chips on the side.

Ingredients

• Penang nut & spice mix, 1 tablespoon
• ¼ - ½ cup tahini sesame paste (depending upon taste)
• 1 ½ limes, juiced
• 1 ½ bulb roasted garlic, (this is a full head & a half of roasted garlic)
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• ½ cup water
• ¼ teaspoon ginger, fresh or ground
• 1 teaspoon honey

Instructions

1. Roast the garlic heads and set aside to cool. Remove the individual cloves of garlic from the head. This may seem like a lot of garlic, however, after roasting it becomes very sweet and mild. I like to roast a large batch of garlic and then freeze in individual baggies to have for future recipes - it adds great flavor to so many things. And remember, when you roast garlic, the strong pungency is replaced with sweet caramelized goodness.
2. Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. For a thinner consistency add a bit of water and reblend. Just before serving add a sprinkle more of Penang nut & spice mix on top for some added crunch and visual appeal.
3. Makes a bit over 1 cup and stays fresh in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks. You can also separate out some and freeze for future use.

Notes

Ingredients

For the Farro:
• 1 tablespoon Penang nut & spice mix
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 cup farro
• 2 cups fresh kale, washed, dried & ribs removed
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• pinch of sea salt
For the Salmon Skewers:
• Penang nut & spice mix
• 1/2 fresh pineapple
• 8-10 oz. salmon (I used skinless, sockeye salmon, bones removed)
• 8-10 skewer sticks
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon mirin (rice wine)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sriracha (chili sauce)

Instructions

1. In a saucepan, bring 2 cups of vegetable or chicken broth to a boil over high heat. Add farro, cover pan and reduce to low heat for 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat, let farro sit covered for 5-10 minutes. Remove lid, fluff with a fork and allow to cool.
2. Take washed kale and roll into tight pieces as you chop the kale into small pieces - but don't mince. Add olive oil, a pinch of salt and massage the kale well with your hands, working the oil into the greens. When the farro is completely cooled, add it to the kale, add Penang nut & spice mix, balsamic vinegar, stir well and set aside. At this point, taste and add more oil & vinegar as needed.
3. Take ½ of a pineapple, trim the skins and cut it into squares about 1 ½" x 1 ½". Take the salmon and cut it into squares of about the same size. This doesn't need to be perfect but it looks nice and cooks more evenly if you can cut both pineapple and salmon into similar sizes. Skewer both onto either wooden or metal skewers, alternating ingredients. If you are using wooden skewers, be certain to soak these in water for at least 20 minutes before using. This keeps them from burning and I often can wash and reuse them again another time.
4. Make the glaze for the salmon by combining sesame oil, mirin, soy sauce and sriracha. Taste and add more oil if needed. Brush this glaze onto the salmon/pineapple skewers, sprinkle them with Penang nut & spice mix. Save a bit of glaze to brush over the skewers again at the tail end of cooking.
5. Prepare the grill by pre-heating and then oiling it well so the delicate fish does not stick - this is very important, you don't wan't to damage lovely and pricey salmon steaks! Another alternative to grilling is to lay the skewers on a sheet tray and cook them in a pre-heated oven at 425° for about 15 minutes. Be certain to lightly oil the sheet tray so they do not stick.
6. While salmon is cooking, prepare 4 serving plates by laying a bed of the kale & farro salad. Remove the salmon & pineapple skewers from the grill or oven and lay them over the farro salad. Finish with an additional sprinkle of Penang nut & spice mix and serve immediately.

Notes

Ingredients

• Penang nut & spice mix
• fresh okra
• extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt
• red lentils, dried
• chicken or vegetable stock

Instructions

1. Wipe the fresh okra with a soft cloth to clean. Spread onto a foil lined baking sheet and toss the okra with a bit of olive oil, sea salt and Penang nut & spice mix. Bake in a 425º oven for about 20 minutes or until gently browned.
2. While the okra is roasting, in a saucepan, bring the chicken/vegetable stock to a boil. Depending upon how much okra you are roasting and how many servings you will need, I use two parts liquid to lentil. If using 1 cup of lentils, use 2 cups of stock. Once it is boiling, add the red lentils, stir and cover. After 30 seconds, lower the heat and carefully watch so as not to over cook the lentils. Lentils cook quickly and become soft and mushy if overcooked. Cook time should be around 5-10 minutes. Lift lid and allow to cool so the cooking does not continue yet they stay warm while the okra finishes roasting.
3. Remove okra from oven. Place a bed of lentils on a serving plate, top with the okra. Finish with additional Penang nut & spice mix.

Notes

Ingredients

For the salad:
• Penang nut & spice mix
• 4 carrots, julienned or cut into matchsticks
• 1/2 - 1 (depending upon size) celery root or celeriac, julienned
• 1 daikon radish, julienned
• peanuts, toasted
• arugula
For the vinaigrette dressing:
• 3 Tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus zest of lime
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoon honey
• pinch of sea salt

Instructions

1. Mix together all the ingredients for the Asian vinaigrette and set aside.
2. Julienne or cut into small matchsticks: carrots, celery root & daikon radish.
3. In a large bowl add carrots, celery root, daikon radish, peanuts, and a good pinch of Penang nut & spice mix. Toss together with dressing (amount depending upon taste). Layer a handful of arugula leaves on plates, top with the carrot/celery root mixture and finish with additional Penang mix.