Uncle Rob's Go-Get-It Cabbage Salad

This is a Robbie special. In an email from Uncle: "Of course, a guy who can present good food is going to score points with the ladies!" Let me just say, this was an instant hit with Lakshmi. It's also super quick after you make it a couple times.

Dressing (make first):
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1-2 tablespoons soy sauce(start with 1)
1-2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1-2 tablespoons honey or sugar
¼ cup olive oil (optional)

Salad:
Dry heat ¼ cup of sesame seeds and ¼ cup sliced almonds in a frypan.
Cut a fistful of mushrooms into flat sections
Fine slice, then chop a quarter red onion (fine=2-3mm)
Fine slice a whole red capsicum, into strips 2-3 inches in length.
Place all of these in the bottom of a curved bowl, and pour enough dressing to marinate the above.
Very finely slice a Chinese cabbage from its flower end into thin frills (3-4mm) until about 3 cups. Then from the lower stalk end, chop off the stalk, and less finely slice about 4 rounds of the crunchy white leaf bases. About 1 cup.
Throw the cabbage on top of the marinating veges, but don’t mix in as yet.
Throw the seeds and nuts over the top of the cabbage.
Throw about ¼ cup of dry fried noodle on top (Top Ramen does the trick too)
Just before eating, mix the dressing in from the bottom.

Kale Smoothie

Lakshmi likes kale. Thanks to her good influence, and the cutting flavor of orange juice, Charles does too!

1 head of kale (slice the leaves off the stems)
1 large apple
Lemon juice
2 tablespoons chia seeds (see Born to Run)
1-2 cups orange juice
4 ice cubes*

*Note: The ice cubes are optional. Charles thinks they add a crispness to the texture. But his acupuncturist, Dr. Peters, says that cold beverages block his spleen channels.

Midnight Charles Quesadilla

When I'm hungry in the middle of the night, and there's no leftovers, I get furiously creative. I pretty much put these things in a pan, one after another, as fast as I can. Cooking time: 5 minutes.

Tortilla
Grated sharp cheddar cheese
Whatever meat I can find in the fridge
Sliced avocado
Salsa (or the Patak's Indian pickle that Mel buys)
Garnish with lime