salad – And What I Ate

Roasted Vegetable Winter Salad

Annnnd, I’m back. What a year. For everything we’ve all been through in 2017, I’m really hopeful for everything ahead in 2018. As Nina Simone would say, it’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, and I’m feeling good.

This hearty winter salad helps. Freekeh serves as the base and is loaded with protein and fiber. Roast up some veggies (including a sweet potato), toast some almond slices, whip up a quick lemon-maple vinaigrette and toss it all together. This is awesome and filling on its own, but Brendan has eaten it for breakfast, warmed quickly and topped with a fried egg. And it’s good for you!! Anyone else need a detox after the holidays? Hell, anyone need a detox after the dumpster fire of 2017? Start here.

ROASTED VEGETABLE WINTER SALAD (serves 4)

1 cup freekeh, pre-cooked
1 lb. brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
2 cups cauliflower, broken into florets (I had purple cauliflower on hand, which was so pretty in this, but any color will work)
1/4 c. almond slices
1/4 c. dried cranberries

Lemon-Maple Vinaigrette

1/4 cup EVOO
Juice of one lemon
1 tsp. pure maple syrup
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400.
In a small pot, bring one cup of freekeh (no need to rinse this, like you do with quinoa) and 2.5 cups of water to a boil. Cover and simmer about 20-25 minutes or until cooked. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.
Freekeh
Toss brussels sprouts, sweet potato and cauliflower with a glug or two of EVOO and some kosher salt & fresh-cracked black pepper. Roast at 400 for about 25 minutes or until browned and tender.
To make the dressing, combine the lemon juice with the salt and pepper. Next, add the maple syrup and then whisk in the EVOO. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat and add the almonds, flipping often, until golden brown – about 3 minutes. Keep an eye on these – they’ll go from perfect to perfectly burned in a span of about 30 seconds.
In a large bowl, combine the cooked freekeh, the roasted vegetables, toasted almonds, dried cranberries and the dressing. Mix everything together.
Serve and enjoy. Happy 2018!
Winter Roasted Vegetable Salad

Movin’

Guys, sorry I’ve been the worst at writing lately. We’re moving on Monday, so everything is packed away in the kitchen. In the meantime, here’s what we made as our last full home-cooked meal in the old place: Roasted Chicken and a Kale, Apple & Roasted Butternut Squash salad.

I’ve loved this apartment but I’m really excited to move into the new place with Bren and really make it “ours.” Also, two words: Gourmet. Kitchen.

Be back soon!

Shredded Brussels Sprout Salad with Red Onion, Parmesan and a Honey-Lemon-Mustard Dressing

Up until a couple years ago, I hated brussels sprouts with a passion. When I was a kid, my mom tricked me into trying them by telling me they were “little cabbages”, which as the daughter of an Irish dad, I obviously loved. A couple bites, though, were all I needed to realize brussels sprouts don’t taste anything like “little cabbages”, and I avoided them for years after that.

But maybe these little guys just needed to be made differently, because now I freakin’ love them. Parmesan-dusted brussels are eaten like candy in our house, and this is one of my favorite salads. The key is to slice everything into really thin strips, so you can use a food processor to simplify this process, or put on a good episode of This American Life and get cutting. This salad seriously tones down the flavor of the red onion by putting the slices in water first, the whole-grain mustard seeds are perfect with the sweetness of the honey-lemon dressing, and the parmesan gives it a nice kick of saltiness. It all comes together for a beautiful, filling, totally delicious side. Oh, brussels sprouts. You guys don’t deserve your bad rep.

SHREDDED BRUSSELS SPROUT & RED ONION SALAD WITH PARMESAN AND A MUSTARD-HONEY LEMON DRESSING (recipe from Food52)

– 3 cups brussels, sliced into super thin strips

– ½ red onion, also sliced into super thin strips

– Curls of Parmesan

– Juice of 1 lemon

– 1 tsp. honey

– 1 tsp. whole grain mustard

– 1 tbsp. EVOO

– Kosher salt & pepper to taste

1. Using a food processor or a sharp knife, slice the red onion into veeeerrrrry thin strips. Submerge in water while you assemble the rest of the salad to take out that onion-y bite.

2. Trim the brussels, then slice them into super thin strips and put into a large bowl.

3. Make the dressing – combine the lemon, honey, mustard, and kosher salt & pepper, whisk to combine. Add the EVOO and mix everything together.

4. Drain and dry the onions, then add to the brussels.

5. Just before serving, add the dressing and mix everything together. Top with curls of parmesan and enjoy.

Shredded Red Cabbage Salad with Carrots, Scallions, Cilantro and Lime

For the record, I think coleslaw is the worst. The name is bad, the texture is weird, the mayo-y ness of it is gross, it’s just yuck. That said: this is not coleslaw. This is antioxidant-rich shredded red cabbage (from the Scranton Farmer’s Market, hurraugh!), carrots, cilantro and scallions, dressed with lime juice, rice vinegar, cumin and olive oil. It’s fantastic. We were making shredded chicken tacos with leftovers from a roasted chicken in lemon gold that we had for Sunday dinner, and decided it needed some crunch, so I threw this together and I’m so glad I did. Brendan came home, took one bite and said, “This tastes exactly like my favorite cabbage salad from my favorite Mexican restaurant in Colorado” soooo….you’re welcome, JBG. This was perfect on tacos, but honestly, I would (and did) eat this with a fork by itself. You can throw it together in 5 minutes, but make sure you let it marinate for about 30, so all the flavors come together into a little colorful shredded salad of deliciousness.

SHREDDED RED CABBAGE SALAD WITH CARROTS, CILANTRO, SCALLIONS AND LIME (makes enough for 2 as a side or at least 6 small tacos)
– ½ red cabbage, thinly sliced
– 2 scallions, whites and greens, chopped
– 2 carrots, shredded
– 1/3 C cilantro, chopped
– juice of 1 lime
– ½ tsp. cumin
– ½ tsp. honey
– 2 tbsp. rice vinegar
– 4 tbsp. EVOO
– kosher salt & pepper to taste

1. Slice the cabbage into thin strips.

2. In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, cumin, honey, rice vinegar & kosher salt & pepper. Whisk together so the seasonings can blend in well with the acids. Add EVOO and give everything a good mix so it emulsifies.

3. To the bowl with the cabbage, add the shredded carrots, chopped scallions and chopped cilantro. Mix to combine.

4. Top the cabbage mixture with the dressing and mix it all together really well. Cover and let it sit for approx. 30 minutes, stirring every once in a while to redistribute the dressing.

5. Serve on its own or on top of tacos for a perfect crunch and super bright flavor.

Chopped Summer Nectarines, Feta & Basil with Arugula

I swear I could eat summer nectarines every single day. I crave them like I crave pasta. They’re perfect – sweet, healthy and really pretty, too. You can serve them in a bunch of different ways, but one of my favorite versions is a chopped ripe nectarines with feta and basil. There’s basically nothing else this needs – a little lemon juice, a little olive oil, a little salt & pepper, and you can either serve it over arugula or just eat it by itself as a great summer snack that you can throw together in no time flat.

SUMMER NECTARINES, FETA & BASIL WITH ARUGULA (serves 2)
– 3 nectarines
– 6-7 basil leaves, chiffonaded
– 1/4 C. crumbled feta
– juice of 1/2 a lemon
– couple glugs of EVOO
– kosher salt and pepper to taste
– 2 cups baby arugula

1. Cut up the nectarines into little cubes.

2. In a bowl, combine nectarines, EVOO, salt & pepper. Stir to combine.

3. Add the feta to the bowl with the nectarines.

4. Chiffonade the basil, then add to the bowl. Combine all gently.

5. Put the arugula in a bowl and season it a little bit with Herbamare or salt/pepper. Squeeze half a lemon over it, stir to mix.

6. Divide the arugula between two bowls, then top with the nectarine/feta/basil mix. Make sure you get any juices that have collected – this adds a nice little sweetness to the dressing.

7. Serve and enjoy.

Summer Salad: Watermelon, Avocado and Cucumber with Herbs

I don’t know about you guys, but for me, summer doesn’t really begin until I’ve had at least one watermelon (“I carried a watermelon?“). They feel like such a summer indulgence, and they’re one of my favorite bases for salads. This combo of watermelon, cucumber & avocado is perfectly sweet, crunchy and creamy, and the lemon-lime dressing pulls it all together. Throw in some chopped fresh basil, mint and chives and dig in. Nobody puts Baby in the corner.

SUMMER SALAD: WATERMELON, AVOCADO AND CUCUMBER WITH HERBS (serves 4)
– 1 English cucumber, peeled and diced
– 2.5 C. seedless watermelon, cubed
– 1.5 avocado, cubed
– 5-6 basil leaves
– 4-5 mint leaves
– small handful of chives
– Juice of 1/2 lime
– Juice of 1/2 lemon
– 5 tbsp. EVOO
– 1 tsp. Herbamare, or 1/2 tsp. kosher salt & pepper mix

1. Dice the peeled cucumber (if you can’t find an English cucumber, seed a regular one and use that), and put the pieces in some paper towels to drain it a little bit.

2. Dice the watermelon into about the same size pieces as the English cucumber, wrap that in towels too, so that drains.

3. Make the dressing – juice the lemon and the lime, then add the Herbamare or kosher salt/pepper blend. Mix so the seasonings react with the acids of the lemon/lime mixture. Add the EVOO, stir (or shake) well to combine.

4. Roughly chop up all the basil, mint and chives.

5. Add about half the cucumber and half the watermelon to a pretty big bowl. Dice the avocado into similar-size cubes and add half of that to the bowl. Add the remaining cucumber, watermelon and avocado.

6. Add the dressing evenly over the top of the salad. Then add herbs.

7. Mix, serve and enjoy. This doesn’t keep well, but chances are it’ll be gone before you have to worry about that.

Shredded Carrot Salad with Roasted Chickpeas and Parsley in a Lemon-Tahini Dressing

Sometimes I read about those super fit celebrities sharing their “diet tips” about how they just watch what they eat and avoid carbs, and I think, (as someone whose last meal – okay, every meal – would be pasta) ‘how in the world is that possible??’ Salads like this. That’s how it’s possible. This recipe gave me a clue about how you can eat healthily, feel completely full, get a packed serving of veggies instead of carbs, and also have it be so simple, complex and delicious that you might not even want anything else for dinner. Also, roasted chickpeas??? Yes. This is a Smitten Kitchen recipe that was adapted from another recipe, and I followed it almost to the letter since it seemed like a completely bizarre combo that I couldn’t wait to try. Enjoy.

SHREDDED CARROT SALAD WITH ROASTED CHICKPEAS AND PARSLEY IN A LEMON-TAHINI DRESSING (makes 4 servings)
– 1 15oz. can chickpeas, rinsed, drained and dried pretty well
– 1 tbsp. EVOO
– 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
– 1/4 tsp. cumin
– 1 lb. carrots, washed, peeled & grated
– 1/4 C. chopped parsley

Lemon-Tahini Dressing
– 1/4 C. lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
– 1 garlic clove, shredded
– 3 tbsp. tahini
– 2 tbsp. water
– 2 tbsp. EVOO

1. Heat oven to 425.

2. Toss rinsed, drained & dried chickpeas in a bowl with a glug of EVOO, the salt and cumin. Spread on a baking sheet and roast approx. 15-20 minutes until they’re crisp, shaking the pan occasionally.

3. In a large bowl, combine the shredded carrots & parsley.

4. Combine the lemon, salt, & garlic. Then mix in the tahini, water & EVOO. Whisk until well combined & smooth.

5. Mix the dressing into the salad (don’t use all of it at first…kind of add and stir as you go). Top with roasted chickpeas and get ready to have one of the tastiest salads you’ll ever have. Pasta who?

Mediterranean Quinoa

So…this picture is probably looking familiar at this point, but now this three-part recipe is complete. We started with the tzatziki sauce, then made the spinach and feta turkey meatballs, then this mediterranean quinoa. Then we assembled it the other way around. This was honestly one of the best things I’ve made in a while – and so incredibly healthy, filling and delicious, spiked with all those bright Greek flavors. I know I rave about quinoa a lot, but it really is one of the best vegetable-grains-disguised-as-pastas/couscous, ever.

MEDITERRANEAN QUINOA

– 1 cup quinoa, cooked (so about 1/2 a cup, dry)
– 1/3 English cucumber, diced
– Handful of cherry tomatoes, diced
– 2 tbsp chopped parsley
– 1/3 c crumbled feta

1. Cook quinoa according to package directions (make sure you rinse this really, really well first). Set aside to cool.

2. Add cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley and feta to the cooked quinoa, combine.

3. Serve with something else – this is an amazing base for spinach & feta turkey meatballs and tzaiki sauce, or even good on its own.

Cilantro-Lemon Quinoa Salad with Avocados, Tomatoes and Chickpeas

Quinoa all day, every day. I love it. It’s like pasta without the guilt, it’s packed with protein, and goes with just about everything. This salad mixes avocado cubes, cherry tomatoes and chick peas with a cilantro-arugula dressing…it was terrific and would be great for a summer salad (just add the dressing right before serving).

CILANTRO-LEMON QUINOA SALAD WITH AVOCADOS, TOMATOES AND CHICKPEAS

– 1/2 C quinoa, cooked (this makes a surprising amount)– 1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

– 2 C arugula

– 1/4 cup vidalia onion, chopped

– 1 garlic clove

– 1 avocado, diced

– 1.5 C cherry tomatoes, cut in half

Cilantro-Lemon Dressing

– Juice from 1.5 lemons & zest

– 3/4 cup fresh Cilantro

– 1/2 tsp sugar (or to taste)

– 1 tsp Dijon mustard

– 3 tbsp EVOO

– 1/2 tsp ground cumin

– 1/2 tsp kosher salt + ground pepper

1. Make the quinoa – you want to rinse this really, really well so it gets all the bitter tasting dust off. Just when I think I’m finished rinsing, I always give it one more swish, because that dust is yuck. Boil the water and add the quinoa, cook according to package directions.

2. While the quinoa is cooking, put the arugula, the chopped onion and the garlic clove into a food processor and pulse until combined and chopped.

3. In a bigger bowl, add the chickpeas, tomatoes, avocados and cooked quinoa.

4. Combine the lemons, sugar, dijon, cumin, kosher salt & pepper, mix to combine. Add the EVOO & shake it up again.

5. Pour the dressing and the arugula/onion blend on top of the quinoa chickpea mixture and stir well, then add salt and pepper to taste. Let stand for about 10 minutes to let everything combine.

Dressed-up Balsamic Vinaigrette

Seriously, if you’re still buying salad dressing, why not give making your own a shot? I think DIY salad dressing recipes are so much tastier, simpler and versatile than being stuck with 10 bottles of partially-used salad dressing bottles clogging up your refrigerator. This one uses rice vinegar, which I loooove. Add that to a little balsamic, a bit of chopped shallot and a dab of Dijon mustard to bring it all together. I’d eat this on just about anything.

DRESSED-UP BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

– 1 tbsp. good balsamic vinegar

– 1 tbsp. rice vinegar

– Dab of Dijon mustard

– 4 tbsp. EVOO

– ½ small shallot, diced

– Kosher salt & pepper to taste

1. In a mason jar, add the vinegars, then add the shallot. Let it sit for a little bit to kind of mellow out & absorb the flavors. Add the Kosher Salt & pepper, shake it up a bit to react with the vinegars.

2. Add the mustard and the EVOO. Shake it up.

3. Top a fresh salad with the dressing and enjoy. We had this with ham & my dad’s famous mashed potatoes. My fav.