Pickled Jalapenos!

They are lighter on the sodium, they taste better and they only take minutes to prep. Once you start adding these to dips, eggs, sandwiches, and salads, you will be hooked.

Most of the heat of a chile is in the seed deposits (the white pith around the seeds) near the stem, and the ribs that hold the seeds. If you like the heat, you can cut all the way up to the stem. Otherwise, stop slicing about halfway through if you like it mild. Keep the other half for other cooking preparations in the freezer or refrigerator.

Ingredients: 

• 5 or 6 jalapenos, sliced thinly
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tsp salt

Directions: 

1. Combine the vinegar, water, sugar and salt in a saucepan and bring to simmer. Then turn the heat off and set it aside for 5 minutes to cool off.
2. Place the jalapeno slices in a clean, sterilized, sealable jar. Pour the cooked brine over the peppers. 
3. You can use them immediately after 20 minutes of curing and soaking.
4. Keep them in the air-tight jar and in the refrigerator, for up to 10 days.

Note:

• Capsaicin is a chemical compound found in varying amounts in chili peppers. When it comes in contact with your skin or mucous membranes it produces a burning sensation. The amount of capsaicin in a specific species of pepper is measured using the Scoville scale, which chemist Wilbur Scoville developed in 1912 to measure how much a pepper capsaicin oil extract needed to be diluted until its heat is just barely detectable. Pure capsaicin measures 16,000,000 on the Scoville scale.

A Simple Cole Slaw to Whip Up!

This is a quick side dish to prep for more vegetables in our daily diet. This crisp, tangy and refreshing slaw will surprise you because it has nothing to do with the aged, drenched, soupy, over-sweetened and over-mayo-dressed store-bought version.

Use it to top your sandwiches or as a side dish. Try this and you would not want to buy another commercial cole slaw ever again.

Ingredients (yield 4 servings): 

• 1/4 head green cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1/4 head red cabbage, thinly sliced
• 1 small carrots, thinly julienned
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise (easily homemade)
• 2 teaspoons of vinegar (red wine, white wine, rice vinegar or cider)
• 1 teaspoon of brown sugar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, optional
• Pickled Jalapenos, optional

Directions: 

1. Combine mustard, mayonnaise and vinegar and mix evenly. Slowly drizzle the oil and whisk in. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Combine the cabbages, carrots, fennel seeds, jalapenos and dressing in a large bowl. Toss to coat evenly. Adjust taste with salt and pepper.
3. Keep refrigerated if not ready to serve immediately. 

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches.

These make a nice hors d'oeuvre as well as light snack or lunch on a hot day.

Ingredients (yield 4 dozens): 

• 24 thin slices whole wheat sandwich bread
• 1 cup arugula or watercress or both, rinsed, drained
• one cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup olive oil mayonnaise or homemade mayonnaise (Try my Homemade Mayonnaise or my Herb Mayonnaise)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or roasted seaweed.
• 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt 
• ground black pepper to season

Directions:

1. Rinse arugula or watercress and drain. Remove the tough stems.
2. Season the cucumber slices with salt and pepper and toss to coat evenly.
3. Spread a layer of mayonnaise on one side of each sandwich bread and arrange the cucumber slices in one even layer on two-thirds of the bread. Place the arugula or watercress on top of the cucumbers. 
4. Beginning from the side with cucumbers and roll up. Seal with mayonnaise and use toothpick to hold the roll. Or wrap with plastic wrapper and tighten on both ends. Let it set in the refrigerator for 20 min before slicing at an angle.
5. Spread a small amount of mayonnaise along the cut side and dip the edges of that side into the chopped parsley or seaweed.
6. Transfer to a platter. Serve immediately or cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. Finish in 1 hour for best flavor.

Note:

Sandwich variations for appetizers: 

• Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato (BLT) with avocado and watercress (or arugula).
• Salami, butter and aged Gouda.
• Smoked salmon, cucumbers and plain Greek yogurt (or creme fraiche, or cream cheese).
• Fresh goat cheese with sun-dried tomatos and arugula.
• Grilled zucchini, fresh mozzarella cheese and balsamic vinaigrette.
• Smoked turkey or chicken breast with curried mayonnaise on walnut raisin bread.

Ikura (Salmon Roe) Sushi

Ingredients:

• 50g Ikura (Salmon roe or salmon caviar)
• one bowl of steamed sushi rice
• 1 sheet nori (dried seaweed), cut into 1 1/2 inch strips

Directions:

1. Toast the dried seaweed slightly just to make it aromatic but not burnt.
2. Wrap it around the rice and top with Ikura.

Note: You can use boiled spinach,  boiled Japanese garlic chives or fresh shiso leaves as the wrapper, instead of nori.

Scallop and Uni (Sea Urchin)

Ingredients:

• one sushi grade scallop raw
• 2 slices of sea urchin
• 10g daikon shreds
• slices of lemon for soaking and garnish
• some shredded seaweed (nori) for garnish
• some cucumber for garnish

Directions:

1. Remove scallop from shells if needed. Soak in ice water with 5-6 lemon slices for 3 min.
2. Fish out the scallop and wipe dry. 
3. If the sea urchin is from the shell, also soak in ice water with lemon slices as step 1 and remove after 3 min, pat dry.
4. Plate with garnishing items. Serve with low-sodium soy sauce.

Note:

1. For delicate seafood, don't use soy sauce that is too heavy in saltiness or it will overpower the natural flavor from the ingredients. The seafood can be taken with the shiso leaves as a contrast in texture and taste.
2. The same method applies to any combination of sashimi fish. If you purchase the whole fish and cut off the sashimi fillet yourself and slice it thinly, make sure to soak the slices in ice water for 30 min. If you do not consume the sashimi immediately, add ice cubes to the sashimi and keep it refrigerated. However, it should not be left overnight for the best flavor and freshness.

Abalone

Ingredients:

• one abalone in shell or use canned abalone
• daikon shreds
• 1-2 shiso leaves
• 1-2g wakame seaweed
• 1-2 slices of Japanese cucumber

Directions:

1. If the abalone is raw from the shell, wash thoroughly with salt.
2. Cut the abalone into thin slices and cover with cheesecloth. Pour hot water to rinse and immediately soak in ice water to shock. 
3. Fish out the abalone and place on plate.
4. Garnish with daikon shreds, shiso leaves, wakame seaweed and cucumber slices. Serve with low-sodium soy sauce. 

Note: Wash the raw abalone with salt makes the texture more crisp rather than chewy. Rinsing with hot water and shocking in ice water immediately does the same trick.

Raw Oyster

Ingredients:

• One raw oyster in shell, alive
• 1/8 lemon wedge
• 30g daikon cut into thin shreds
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 5-6 lemon slices
• Japanese shiso leave and 1/8 tsp caviar (optional)

Directions:

1. Open up oyster and wash off the sands. Soak in ice water with 5-6 slices of lemon for 10 min. 
2. Fish out the oyster and place on the shell for presentation. Place the shell on top of the daikon shreds and some greens.
3. Garnish with lemon edge and serve. Squeeze the lemon wedge on oyster before eating it.
4. Can top with 1/8 tsp caviar and use shiso leave as garniture.

Note: Fresh oyster should be plump without too much water in the shell when you open it. 

Cold Berry Soup.

Dried Goji Berry

Cold Berry Soup with Chickpeas (yield one serving):

Ingredients:
For soup:

• 1/2 red grapefruit, about 100g, peeled and diced     
• Six strawberries, halved

• 30g raspberries (about 6-8)
• 10 dried Goji berry
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper

• Honeydew 50g, cut into bite-size dices
• 2 tbsp cooked chickpeas or beans

Directions:

1. Soak dried goji berries in a little water to soften.
2. Put half of total red grapefruit (50g), half of total strawberries (3 strawberries),  raspberries, 10 dried goji berries, salt black pepper in blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
3. Combine the mixture with honeydew dices, the other half of red grapefruit dices, the other three strawberry halves, and cooked chickpeas. Serve.

Fruit Salad with Berries.

Berry Fruit Salad (yield one serving):

Ingredients: 

Salad:

• Strawberries (cut in halves), blueberries, raspberries about 10-20g of each in equal parts
• Romaine lettuce or any greens 20-30g, cut into 1 inch pieces
• Celery 20g or half stalk, chopped.
• One kiwi sliced
• 1/4 apple sliced or cut into chunks

Dressing:

• Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries in equal part, about 15g of each
• Celery 15g or half stalk, diced
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp honey or sugar

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients in dressing in blender and blend until smooth.
2. Combine all fruits and vegetables in a mixing bowl and pour the dressing on the salad. Mix gently and transfer to a plate. Sprinkle chopped celery on top an serve.

Double Berry Soda.

Double Berry Soda (yield one serving): 

Ingredients: 

• Strawberry 50g
• Raspberry 50g
• Preferrably honey 20g (or sugar 12-15g)
• Lemon juice 2 tsp
• Soda water

Directions:

1. Cut strawberries into small dices. 
2. Put strawberries, raspberries, honey, lemon juice into container, mix well and chill in refrigerator for 5-6 hours.
3. Add soda water to dilute and serve.