Holiday Salad with Roasted Grapes

I made this holiday salad for Thanksgiving this year. It was just delicious. The roasted sweet potatoes, hearty kale, and sweet pomegranate seeds definitely showcase the fall flavors, but it's the addition of the roasted grapes that takes this salad to another level of yum.  Serve this salad for any special occasion this season and everyone who eats it will be very happy you did. All the extra steps are entirely worth the finished dish. 

This is a large salad and makes enough for at least 8 people, maybe more, depending on your serving size. 

Enjoy! 

Salad Ingredients:

2 cups seedless red grapes, sliced in half

Large sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1 15oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Olive oil and salt & pepper for roasting

2 heads of romaine, cleaned and chopped

5 kale leaves, stems removed, sliced thin

1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

1/3 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup farro, cooked

1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

Dressing Ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup white wine or apple cider vinegar

1 Tbl lemon juice

2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 Tbl honey

1/2 tsp garlic powder

salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425F

There are three different ingredients you will be roasting for this salad. So if you have a double oven turn both ovens on to save yourself a little time. Get out three sheet pans, line with parchment or foil, and get your olive oil, salt and pepper ready. Let's start with the grapes! 

Slice grapes in half and place on lined cookie sheet. Drizzle with 1/2 tsp of olive oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt (and I do mean a pinch - maybe 1/4 tsp). Use hands to toss and spread spread grapes evenly on pan. Roast for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let grapes cool. If desired, pinch skins off the grapes once cooled. 

Toss peeled and cubed sweet potatoes with a drizzle of olive oil, about 2 tsp. on a lined cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes. Check on potatoes and give them a couple of turns with a spoon. Roast for another 10 minutes, check on them again and toss. Continue to cook for 5 minutes at a time until potatoes are crispy and to your taste. Less time for softer potatoes and more time for crispier potatoes. Let potatoes cool completely before adding to the salad. 

Finally, let's roast the chickpeas. Evenly spread the chickpeas on the lined cookie sheet. Toss with 2 tsp of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast chickpeas for 18-22 minutes until desired crispness. Let cool before adding to salad. 

Cook farro according to directions on box. If you don't have farro you can substitute quinoa or brown rice. Let cool before adding to salad.  

To make dressing add all dressing ingredients to a blender and mix until combined. Taste dressing. If you think it needs more salt, add a bit of salt....if you think it needs to be sweeter, add a little more honey. Not enough acidic bite? Add a splash more lemon juice or vinegar. This is your dressing....make it to your taste. 

To assemble the salad add chopped romaine, thinly sliced kale, roasted chickpeas, roasted sweet potatoes, sunflower seeds, pomegranate seeds, and farro to a large salad bowl. Toss. Gingerly sprinkle the roasted grapes on top. Dress salad. Top with crumbled goat cheese. Serve and enjoy!

One Pot Lemon Pasta

This recipe was inspired by a recipe I saw on Instagram. As I made the original I realized it needed some tweaks to make it work for my family. I added a bit more liquid to the pot, more spices, more lemon, Parm and vegan sausage. It was absolutely delicious and got a huge thumbs up from the family. I love how the pasta cooked in the sauce and I didn't have to cook it separately. It made for a very easy Sunday night dinner. I served with a side of crusty bread and I was very heavy handed on the super healthy micro-greens. This made three large servings, could stretch to four smaller servings. 

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 Tbl olive oil, divided

1 yellow onion, skins removed and diced 

4 cloves of garlic, skins removed and minced

1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

2 cups water or broth, divided 

1 15oz can of full fat coconut milk

2 lemons, zest & juice, divided

12 oz rigatoni 

Micro-greens of your choosing, I used arugula micro-greens

3-4 links of chicken or plant-based sausage (I like Beyond Sausage) cooked and sliced

Parmesan for serving

Directions:

Heat 2 Tbl of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 8 minutes, stirring often. If onions stick to the pan or start to get brown, add a Tbl of water to deglaze the pan. I had to do this twice during cooking. Add garlic and cook for just one minute more, stirring the whole time. Add the pepper flakes, salt, pepper, one cup of water or broth, the whole can of coconut milk, all the lemon zest and juice from only one lemon. Add the dry pasta and give a good stir. Cook, uncovered, over medium low to medium heat until the pasta is al dente. I would say I cooked the pasta for about 15 minutes. After 7 minutes or so, add the second cup of water/broth. You want the water and coconut milk to eventually become a sauce....this dish will not be super "saucy" ....most of the liquid will absorb as the pasta cooks. 

When the pasta is cooked to your liking, add the remaining 2 Tbl of olive oil and juice of the second lemon and stir. Taste pasta and add more salt and pepper if needed. 

Scoop into pasta bowls and serve with Parmesan, micro-greens, and sausage/vegan sausage. 

Enjoy!!!

Creamy Feta Tomato Bake

I love this meal so much. It is absolutely delicious and comes together so easily on a weeknight.  You may have seen this feta pasta bake recipe gain popularity on social media earlier this year. Of course I tried it and thought it was great. But then I decided to put my own spin on it by adding sliced onions and chickpeas to make it more filling. I think sliced chicken or veggie sausage (I like Beyond Sausage) would be an excellent addition if you also wanted to add some protein. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 8oz block of feta

1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1 cup red onion, thinly sliced

3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped

1 15oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

3 Tbl olive oil, divided 

1/2 cup fresh basil

1 pound pasta, I like orecchiette

1/2 cup reserved pasta water

Salt & pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425F

Lightly oil the bottom and sides of a 9X13 oven safe dish. Place the block feta in the center of the baking dish.  Arrange the halved cherry tomatoes, sliced onions, chopped garlic, and chickpeas all around the feta. Drizzle 2 Tbl olive oil over the top. Gently toss olive oil with veggies and chickpeas, leaving the feta in place in the middle. Evenly sprinkle sliced basil over the top of all ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Place in preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. 

While the feta mixture is baking, cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Just before draining the pasta scoop out a cup or so of the pasta water. I always use a big coffee mug to do this because it has a handle and is safe in the boiling water. Set the pasta water aside and drain pasta. Put the pasta back into the pot and drizzle with remaining Tbl of olive oil to keep from sticking. 

Take the feta bake out of the oven when the tomatoes look soft and everything has started to brown a bit. Carefully, while everything is still hot, mix the feta with all the veggies and chickpeas. The mixture will get thick and creamy. If you want to thin the mixture out a bit use some of the pasta water. I usually use about a 1/2 cup of the pasta water to get the desired consistency. 

Combine the cooked pasta with the feta mixture and serve immediately. Enjoy with a good, crusty loaf of bread and a side salad. 

Pineapple Banana Bread

This bread definitely falls in the dessert category for me. It is moist, perfectly sweet and just a delicious twist on your typical banana bread. It also makes a yummy breakfast. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 cup mashed bananas, about 2 large or 3 small

8oz can of crushed pineapple (don't drain)

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

2 eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup canned coconut milk (I used the thick solid part)

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

Topping:

3 Tbl unsweetened shredded coconut

2 Tbl brown sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F

Mash bananas in a large mixing bowl. Add crushed pineapple to bananas and continue to mash and combine. Add melted coconut oil and stir. Add eggs, one at a time, stir to combine. Add both sugars, stir. Add canned coconut milk and vanilla, stir. 

In a separate bowl combine all dry ingredients - flour, salt, cinnamon, soda and powder. Whisk together. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until combined. 

Pour batter into a greased loaf pan. Make the topping by combining shredded coconut and brown sugar together in a small bowl. Sprinkle topping evenly on top of the batter.  Use your fingertips or the back of a spoon to very gently press the topping into the batter. 

Bake for approximately 55 min. Insert a toothpick into the center to check on doneness. Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes in the pan before turning out and slicing. Enjoy! 

Apple Berry Toast

This morning I felt like a little bit of sweet and a little bit of savory for my breakfast, so I made myself some peanut butter toast with apples and berries. I eat this often and surprised myself that I have yet to blog this super quick and healthy snack. This little meal makes for a filling breakfast or lunch. It is also a great afternoon snack or dessert. I make it with an Ezekiel English muffin, which is just about the healthiest bread you can eat. It is sprouted whole wheat bread made from whole grains and legumes. It is  full of fiber, protein and other nutrients. I have been eating this bread for 20 years. You will find it in the frozen health food section at the grocery. I always have a bag of it in my freezer. 

Okay, now that I have spoken my love for Ezekiel Bread....on to the recipe. 

Ingredients:

English Muffin (I use Ezekiel English Muffins- see my note above)

Natural peanut butter

Apple, thinly sliced

Blackberries, cut in half so they don't roll off the muffin

Honey, optional but delicious!

Chia seeds, optional

Hemp seeds, optional

Cacao nibs, optional

Directions:

Toast your English muffin to your desired crispness. 

Spread with peanut butter and layer with apples and blackberries. Drizzle with honey, if you like. Sprinkle on any and all of your favorite seeds and/or cacao nibs. Eat immediately. Enjoy!