We had an incredibly sad looking little salad bar as one of our lunch options in high school, but the one highlight was the coleslaw. It was creamy and sweet and the cabbage and carrots were cut into tiny little pieces. I’ve never had a coleslaw that good. Until now.

Lunch Lady Coleslaw

Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen’s Creamy Buttermilk Coleslaw
Makes 8 servings. 6 Weight Watchers points per serving.

Ingredients

• 1 medium head of cabbage, finely chopped
• 2 large carrots, shredded
• 1/4 cup onion, minced

Dressing

• 1/2 cup mayo (not Miracle Whip)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2  tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Toss cabbage, carrot, and onion in a large bowl (preferably one with a lid — this comes in handy later). In another bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over slaw mixture and mix thoroughly (or if you have a lid, shake to coat). Refrigerate for 2 hours, minimum. Serve very cold.

I try to cook dinner every night of the week, but by the end of the work day my brain is mush and I just want to put on my pajamas and relax, so one pot meals are where it’s at. This stew of kale, white beans, and tomatoes is quick, foolproof, and delicious. I pretty much always have the ingredients on hand, so there’s no excuse not to eat a healthy, home cooked meal. It also makes a great side-dish and keeps well for leftover lunches.

Kale, Beans, and Tomatoes

6 servings. Approximately 6 Weight Watchers Points per serving.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 gloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound kale, deveined and torn into pieces
• 1 14-oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
• pinch red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper to taste
• Parmesan for serving

Directions

In a large pan, heat oil. Add garlic and saute until golden. Add kale and saute until wilted (to avoid adding more oil, I sometimes put a lid on the pan to help the wilting process along). Add tomatoes and beans and let simmer until warmed though. Season with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper and let simmer on low so the flavors mellow.

Serve topped with shaved Parmesan. Crusty bread never hurts.

Try it.  You’ll like it! Is a completely sporadic series where I feature new-to-me foods. Check out the first installment — radishes!

Another week, another Greenling delivery. This week’s exotic veggie is the turnip, though I prefer the English/Scotich moniker, neep.

I can’t say I was excited to give the neep a try, but I remembered that my aunt made them at Thanksgiving in lieu of sweet potatoes, so I mashed those suckers up and gave them some decidedly festive flavoring. And they were really good! They brought to mind warm applesauce with a more earthy flavor.

Are you a fan of turnips? How do you prepare them?

Mashed Turnips

Makes approximately 4 servings. Approximately 3 Weight Watchers points per serving.

Ingredients

• 1 pound turnips, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2-3 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add turnips and cook until tender (about 20 minutes). Drain turnips and add all ingredients back into pot. Mash until you can’t mash no more.

You would think that the simple combination of foods that I eat on a regular basis, and which are so delicious on their own, would be a match made in heaven. Fresh avocado, slutty egg, shredded cheese — what’s not to like, right?

Photo taken before I took my first bite and all my dreams were crushed.

I halved and pitted the avocado. Cracked the egg. Topped with cheese. Baked for 15 minutes. All the while anticipating my simple and protein-packed breakfast.

Blech.

The egg was runny on the inside but crunchy on the outside. Warm avocado is clearly never a good idea. And even a double helping of cheese couldn’t save this breakfast disaster. Surely the problem is me and not these lovely ingredients, right? Maybe we should blame the oven?

Have you had any cooking disasters lately? Any quick combo or time-intensive recipe that you thought would be delicious end with a call for Chinese delivery?

For the last year, I’ve been having a serious love affair with Brussels sprouts. We’re talking several pounds of Brussels sprouts a week, serious. I should be wearing Brussels sprout’s class ring, serious. But there’s only so much Brussels sprout pasta a girl can eat and I’ve been wanting to make some of the crispy variety (like I ate at Lucky Robot) for months so I finally busted out my cast iron dutch oven to give it a go. Judging by all the Instagram likes and recipe requests, this is going to be a sensation. The start of a Brussels sprout movement.

Fried Brussels Sprouts

Makes 2-4 servings. (I don’t know why I bothered to check, because this recipe isn’t exactly healthy, but I think it’s around 12 Weight Watchers points per serving.)

Ingredients

• 1 pound Brussels sprouts
• 1 tablespoon sriracha
• 3 tablespoons honey
• sea salt
• vegetable oil

 Directions

Slice Brussels sprouts with a mandoline or gently separate the leaves from the hearts and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together sriracha and honey (you can play with the proportions for the right balance of spicy and sweet). Pour about two inches of vegetable oil into a large, heavy pot and heat over medium. When a single Brussels sprout leaf sizzles and pops when added to the oil, you’re ready to fry the Brussels sprouts in small batches until brown and crisp. Drain on a double layer of paper towel and sprinkle with salt. After all the Brussels sprouts are fried, and you’re ready to serve, transfer to a large bowl and drizzle with sauce, tossing lightly until evenly coated.

Experience Brussels sprouts like you’ve never experienced them before.

Snaps to Greenling for throwing extra Brussels sprouts in my weekly local organic veggie delivery after reading my blog!