After a weekend of eating out, followed by a Monday morning bagel and cream cheese spread at work, my body was hating on me for the gluten, meat and dairy overload. So, this week I am giving myself a gluten-free vegan cleanse in anticipation of indulging again this weekend during my thirtieth birthday festivities. I was craving greens yesterday and when I went to the market to purchase my favorite vegetable, an artichoke, there were none left. So, I browsed the bountiful aisle of green veggies and landed on napa cabbage.

It was calling my name and so was something a little bit crunchy and a little bit smoky. So, I came up with this dish on the spot, hoping it would work and sure enough it turned out to be a delicious dinner. I even made it again tonight, but this time added a little quinoa pasta. This dish works great on its own or with the addition of any noodles, or even regular quinoa. Here’s how to make it…

4 big leaves of napa cabbage sliced into thin strips
half of a medium-large white onion sliced into thin long pieces
3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 tbs fresh finely chopped ginger
1 tbs toasted sesame oil
2 tsps Braggs Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce)
Salt (optional) and pepper to taste

For the almonds:
1/2 cup sliced almonds (I purchased them pre-sliced. Whole almonds would be ok too)
2 tsp liquid smoke (or just enough to coat almonds)
2 tsp Braggs Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce, enough to coat almonds)
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
I also tossed the almonds with Trader Joe’s South African Smoke seasoning but feel free to get creative with whatever seasonings you have. Smoked paprika would work great.

Toss the almond slices with all of the ingredients and let sit for a few minutes. Spread almonds out on a baking sheet and cook in the oven at 400 degrees for about 4-5 minutes, making sure they don’t burn. Remove and set aside to let cool.

Heat the toasted sesame oil over medium heat and add the garlic and onions. Sautee for about 5 minutes or until the onions are nice and soft. Add the ginger and sautee for a few more minutes. Add the cabbage and toss with tongues. Cover and let cook over low-medium heat for about 10 minutes more, uncovering occasionally to toss. Once the cabbage starts to soften, add the liquid aminos and some fresh black pepper to the pan and continue to cook. Taste and if desired, add a little salt. I found that the liquid aminos contained enough salt. Remove from pan, plate and top with the smoked almonds.