vegan Archive

Warm Butternut Squash Salad with Tahini

This warm butternut squash salad has been in my repertoire for years. Smitten Kitchen originally published the recipe in 2009, and I immediately fell in love with the dish. I’ve been making it ever since.

For whatever reason, this one of those classics that I never seem to tire of. It’s healthy and light, but it’s so unique and full of flavor.Is healthy comfort a thing? If it isn’t, it should be. Because this salad is totally healthy comfort food.(Bonus: my kiddo likes it, too!)

I change and adapt the recipe, depending on my mood, but the base is always the same: butternut squash, chickpeas, and tahini. I deviate from the original recipe in the fact that I sauté the red onion before adding it to the salad (I’m turning into a real Scott Conant about red onion!). I also add chopped pecans for crunch. Lastly, if I’m feeling extra fancy, I add a little crumbled bacon into the mix. I am a firm believer that bacon makes (most) everything better.

If you’ve never made this warm butternut squash salad before, I urge you to give it a try. You can try my version (below) with pecans and sauteed red onion, or you can go with the original. Or, make it your own! I’d be curious to know what other versions of this salad exist. (I’ve also been known to douse mine in Sriracha, but, then again, I douse most things in Sriracha…)

Warm Butternut Squash Salad with Tahini

Ingredients

1 butternut squash + olive oil, salt, pepper for roasing
1 (15oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Large handful flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1/2 a red onion, diced
For the Tahini dressing
1 medium garlic clove, finely minced
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons well-stirred tahini
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt & pepper
Optional: crumbled bacon

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425F.
Peel and de-seed the squash and chop into 1″ cubes. Toss squash with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a dash of nutmeg. Spread evenly onto a baking sheet and bake until soft, about 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the tahini dressing.In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic and lemon juice. Add the tahini, and whisk to blend. Add the water and olive oil, and whisk until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Taste, and add salt, pepper, and nutmeg as needed. You may need to add a bit more water.
If desired, sauté the red onion in a bit of olive oil over medium heat until tender, about 3-5 minutes.
In a large bowl, gently toss the cooked squash, chickpeas, red onion, parsley, pecans, and tahini dressing. I suggest serving warm with pita bread and a green salad.

http://rosemarried.co/2017/01/27/warm-butternut-squash-salad-with-tahini/

Warm Curried Cauliflower Salad with Dried Cranberries, Cilantro, and Almonds

The other day I confessed to my husband that the blog is stressing me out. I know that I’ve neglected the blog recently, and that my posts are spotty and infrequent. I just feel so guilty about it. It sucks. But you know what else sucks? Feeling guilty about my blog. Frankly, it’s just stupid. I started this blog because I was working at a job I didn’t like and I desperately needed a creative outlet. I found so much joy in cooking and I wanted to share that joy with others. So, I cooked and I wrote and I found so much freedom in the process.

But here I am, nearly 5 years later and my life has changed drastically. I quit my job and started my own freelance marketing business. I started working for a farmer’s market. I had a baby.

In addition, blogging has changed. It’s become much more of a business. It feels much less like a community, and more like a competition. It’s become about imagery and props and styling, not about content. To be honest, I’m a little tired of it. I’ve been mulling over these thoughts for awhile, and then I read a recent post by Michelle at Hummingbird High and it really resonated with me. She spoke honestly about her thoughts on blogging, and it was refreshing to read someone speak openly and honestly about the current state of the blog world.

When I started this blog, I was working a 9-5 desk job. Blogging was strangely easier in those days, as I would come home after work and would work out the frustrations of the day in the kitchen. It was the best kind of therapy. These days, I don’t have set work hours. I’m a stay-at-home mom, sort of. I’m also a working professional, and I love my work. I’m juggling a lot. I have eight hours of childcare a week. Eight.

The reality is, I just don’t have a lot of time to devote to the blog right now and I feel I need to take a little time and reassess my priorities. I want to write and post for the right reasons, not out of stress or obligation. I started this blog because it was really good for me. It brought me a lot of joy and satisfaction. (It certainly wasn’t a source of stress!) I need to get back to that place.

Lest you panic, I’m not shutting down the blog. I promise, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll still post recipes, but I’ll post when I feel it makes sense. I’ll post when I feel inspired. I’ll post when I find a little spare time. I’ll post when my kid starts napping regularly and gives me a few hours to myself. ;)

I’m still here, I just need a little reboot.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for understanding. Chances are, I’ll post more frequently now that I’ve gotten this off my chest.

I feel better already.

WARM CURRIED CAULIFLOWER SALAD WITH DRIED CRANBERRIES, CILANTRO, AND ALMONDS

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro

1/4 cup slivered almonds

4 green onions, sliced thinly

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1.5 tablespoons curry powder

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with foil or Silpat.

Trim the cauliflower into small (half inch or inch) florets.

Mix together the olive oil, spices, and minced garlic. Toss cauliflower florets with oil and spice mixture, making sure that cauliflower is well coated.

Place cauliflower on lined baking sheet and roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes, flipping once, or until fork tender and browning along the edges.

Remove cauliflower from oven and allow to cool slightly. Toss with dried cranberries, almonds, cilantro, and green onions. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Serve warm. (Note: I squeezed a little lime juice over the top of the salad before serving and it was delicious!)

Kale and Quinoa Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing

Oh, vegetables. I used to love you. Then, I got pregnant and everything changed. I no longer wanted vegetables. All I wanted to eat was chocolate chip cookies and grilled cheese sandwiches.

However, a girl can’t live on chocolate chip cookies and grilled cheese alone. (I mean, technically, I could. But I shouldn’t.) I’ve had to practically force myself to eat vegetables, and it hasn’t been easy. But, just when I thought I might never like vegetables again, I happened upon this kale salad. I don’t know what it was about this particular salad, but it completely snapped me out of my anti-vegetable funk. It just tasted so good. Frankly, I couldn’t get enough of it.

This salad happens to be incredibly good for you. It’s vegan and gluten free. It contains a whole bunch of super foods – kale, quinoa, and cranberries. And, most importantly, it tastes good to this pregnant lady. (For the record, my husband also loved this kale quinoa salad. He ate two bowls of it for dinner one night, and ate the rest for lunch the next day. I’d say it was a hit.)

Kale and Quinoa Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing

Ingredients

1 bunch of black (dinosaur) kale
1-2 small carrots
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup dry quinoa
3 tablespoons tahini paste
1 teaspoon olive oil
Water, as needed
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
The juice of 1 lemon
1.5 teaspoons honey
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Optional garnishes: red chili flakes or avocado

Instructions

Cook quinoa according to package directions. When the quinoa is fully cooked, set aside until needed.
while the quinoa is cooking, prep the vegetables. Using a sharp knife, slice the kale into thin strips. (No need to remove the stems!) Using a vegetable peeler, peel the carrot into thin ribbons. Toss the sliced kale and carrots together, along with the dried cranberries.
To make the tahini dressing, stir together tahini, olive oil, and lemon juice. The mixture will thicken and turn a lighter shade. Begin adding water, a little at a time. Stir until the mixture is light and creamy, and the desired thickness. Stir in honey, salt, pepper, and minced garlic.
Toss the kale mixture with 1.5 cups of cooked quinoa. Pour the dressing over the salad, and stir to coat. Sprinkle the sesame seeds atop the salad. Garnish with red chili flakes or avocado, if desired. Serve at room temperature.

http://rosemarried.co/2014/05/06/kale-quinoa-salad-tahini-dressing/

‘Grown-Up Guacamole’: Avocado Dip with Mustard Seeds, Serrano, and Curry Powder.

Spring is, hands down, my favorite time of year. I am ready to say goodbye to winter, and am equally ready to welcome spring, with all of her charms. As winter draws to a close, I find myself chasing every ray of sunshine, like sun-starved zombie. I am ready for spring flowers and produce, sunshine and warmth. Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself, but I’m ready for lemonade and porches and BBQ’s and farmer’s markets.

I think I say the same thing about Spring every year, but each year I’m truly grateful for this season. Everything feels new and wonderful, and I have a fresh appreciation for all of it.

That being said, when the sun came out for a couple of days this week, I was beside myself with joy. Honestly, I was a little bit sun drunk. I went so far as to take my laptop into the backyard, so I could work in the sunshine. (It was fantastic.)

In my sun-drunk state, I had the inspired idea to make an epic batch of guacamole. (I also decided that it would be a good idea to eat most of said guacamole in one sitting. But that’s a whole different story.) I know it isn’t exactly guac season yet (we’re still a few months away from cilantro and pepper season), but I was just too excited about the sunshine.

This avocado dip is the perfect compliment to a sunny day, and it pairs nicely with tacos and margaritas. I will say that it is unlike any guacamole I’ve ever had. It contains curry powder and coconut oil, serrano chilies and mustard seeds. It might sound like an odd combination of ingredients, but I promise you that it works. I would take this avocado dip over normal guacamole any day. It’s the perfect snack for a sunny day. Here’s hoping we have an abundance sunny days in our not-too-distant future.

‘Grown Up Guacamole’: Avocado Dip with Mustard Seeds, Serrano, and Curry Powder.

Ingredients

3-4 ripe avocados
The juice of 1/2 a lemon
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon coconut oil (or clarified butter)
1 teaspoon mustard seeds (brown seeds are preferable, but golden will do.)
2 small shallots, diced
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1.5 teaspoons Indian curry powder
1 small serrano chile, seeds removed and finely minced

Instructions

Cut each avocado in half, and remove the pit. Scoop the flesh into a small bowl. Gently mash the avocado with the lemon juice, salt, pepper, and most of the cilantro. Don’t over-mash, as the dip is supposed to be rather chunky. Set aside.
In a skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add in the mustard seeds. Cook the mustard seeds for 1-2 minutes, being careful not to burn them. (Note: mustard seeds pop and jump while cooking, so you may want to place a lid on the skillet for this part.) Next, add in the minced shallots and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, curry powder, and diced serrano. Add in the avocado mixture, and give everything a quick stir. Remove from heat.
Transfer to a serving bowl. Taste, and adjust seasonings as needed. (I like to add a bit of extra lemon juice at the end). Sprinkle the last of the cilantro on top. Serve with tortilla chips, pita, vegetables, crackers, etc.

Notes

Adapted from Super Natural Every Day

http://rosemarried.co/2014/03/14/grown-guacamole-avocado-dip-mustard-seeds-serrano-curry-powder/

Shredded Cabbage Salad with Orange Sesame Vinaigrette

If you happen to live in Minneapolis, Chicago, New York, Fargo, Anchorage, Denver – or any other city that has a real winter – I have a new found respect for you. No, seriously. How do you do it?! The cold, snow, ice, wine, and freezing rain. I hate it all. We just had 4 straight days of snow in Portland and I feel exhausted and cold and tired and like I need a month-long tropical vacation.

When the snow began to fall on Thursday morning, I was immediately enamored. It was just so pretty and fluffy…and I didn’t want it to stop! I wished that we all could have a snow day (or two!). I wanted to cozy up with a good book, my bunny, my cat, and my husband. I wanted to watch bad television shows and drink red wine. I wanted my own little wintery staycation.

Well, I certainly got what I wished for. I was stuck in my house for 5 days, due to “extreme weather conditions”. It was novel at first, but quickly turned maddening. I cleaned my house. I did boatloads of laundry. I cooked a ton. For the most part, I cooked familiar dishes, such as meatloaf, mac n’ cheese, and harissa-stewed butternut squash. At some point during the storm, however, I decided to make something light and healthy. I raided my fridge and found a head of cabbage, a couple of green onions, carrots, and an orange. And thus, this salad was born.

This salad is the result of snowstorm and sheer boredom, but that shouldn’t deter you. The salad is bright and fresh and wonderful. Honestly, it tastes like sunshine. (And since we’re right smack the middle of winter, I think we could all use a bit more sunshine, don’t you?)

SHREDDED CABBAGE SALAD WITH ORANGE SESAME VINAIGRETTE

Ingredients:

1 small head (green) Napa cabbage
1 carrot, julienned
3-4 green onions, thinly sliced
Small handful of cilantro (8-10 stems), finely diced
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 large clove garlic, minced
The juice of half an orange, plus 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar (unseasoned)
1 teaspoon honey
Salt & pepper, to taste

Method:
Using a sharp knife (or mandoline or food processor), slice or shred the cabbage into thin strips. Toss the cabbage with the sliced carrots, green onions, and cilantro.

In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, orange zest, minced garlic, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and honey. Toss the cabbage mixture with the dressing to coat, Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the salad and lightly toss. Serve at room temperature.

Soba Noodle Salad with Miso Chard Pesto and Honey Roasted Carrots

I spent a lot of time in the kitchen last week, prepping and preserving in anticipation for the PDX Food Swap. Truth be told, I haven’t been spending a ton of time in the kitchen as of late. Life has been busy and chaotic and I just haven’t had a lot of time or energy for creative kitchen projects. But, the PDX Food swap was looming in the distance and I just couldn’t stomach the idea of going to the swap empty-handed.

So, I carved out some time in my week and forced myself to get into the kitchen. Over the course of a couple days, I cooked and created and canned and preserved. I made a giant mess of my kitchen, but it was totally worth it.

I felt accomplished and inspired…and strangely relaxed. Cooking has that effect on me, I suppose.

Of all the things I cooked this past week, I think this soba salad is my favorite. The chard and miso pesto is earthy and savory, dark and uniquely delicious. (Truthfully, it isn’t really a pesto at all. I just wasn’t sure what else to call it.) The savory pesto paired beautifully with the natural sweetness of the roasted carrots, and let me tell you, it made for a damn good soba noodle salad.

(Also: I begrudgingly brought a couple of jars of the chard and miso ‘pesto’ to the PDX Food Swap, but I selfishly wanted to keep it all to myself. It’s too good.)

Soba Salad with Miso Chard Pesto and Honey Roasted Carrots

Serving Size: 3 as an entree, 6 as a side

Ingredients

1 bunch swiss chard
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 cup red miso paste
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
freshly ground black pepper
1 package soba noodles
1 bunch rainbow carrots (or 5-6 regular carrots)
1.5 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
Green onions, ends trimmed and sliced thinly (for garnish)

Instructions

Roast the carrots (can be done ahead of time): Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash and trim carrots (do not peel). If your carrots are very thin/small, you may leave them whole. If the carrots are thick, slice in half (or quarters) lengthwise. Pat the carrots dry and place in a bowl. Toss with sesame oil, honey, red chili flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Lay the carrots in a single layer on a lined baking sheet and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until browned and fork tender. When cooked to your liking, remove from the oven and set aside until use.
Place a large pot of salted water on the stove over high heat. Bring to a boil. Meanwhile, wash the chard and trim off the stems. Set stems aside. Roughly chop the chard leaves. When the water is boiling, add the chard leaves into the water and stir to combine. Blanch chard in the water for 2-3 minutes. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove chard and transfer to a bowl. Reserve the pot water.
Using a food processor (or blender), blend the blanched chard, garlic, miso paste, and rice vinegar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally, and blend until a smooth paste forms. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Taste, and adjust seasonings if needed.
Bring the pot of reserved blanching water to a boil. Cook the soba noodles in the water, according to package directions. Drain the noodles and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
In a large bowl, toss the soba noodles with the chard pesto. Add a few teaspoons of the pesto at a time, until the noodles are evenly coated. (Extra pesto can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge) Taste, and season with salt, pepper, or red chili flakes as needed. Serve at room temperature and garnish with roasted carrots and sliced green onions.
Note: I adapted this recipe from Chow, and they chose to sauté the chard stems in oil before tossing them in the soba salad. I chose to go another route with the stems, and quick-pickled them in a mixture of rice vinegar, salt, and sugar. I was pretty pleased with my pickled chard stems, and thought they made a crunchy, bright, and briny addition to the salad.

http://rosemarried.co/2014/01/28/soba-noodle-salad-miso-chard-pesto-honey-roasted-carrots/

African Peanut Stew with Collard Greens

This is the perfect meal for a dreary January day.

The peanut stew full of flavor and spice. It’s hearty, but it isn’t heavy. It is simple and comforting, full of protein and leafy greens. The dish is vegan, but it doesn’t lack in richness or flavor. It just works, on so many levels.

I honestly think I could eat this stew every day for the rest of my life, and I would die a happy woman.

It is truly that good.

Give it a try, I dare you.

African Peanut Stew with Collard Greens

Ingredients

4-5 cups vegetable stock
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 small knob of ginger, peeled and finely diced
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
Salt, to taste
1 bunch hearty greens (such as collard greens, kale, or chard), chopped into thin strips.
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (organic, no sugar added)
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 cup canned fire roasted tomatoes (diced)
Sriracha, to taste
Cilantro, for garnish
Roughly chopped peanuts, for garnish.

Instructions

In a Dutch oven or large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high head. Cook the red onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes, until translucent. Add in ginger, and stir into the mixture. Cook for 1 minute more. Add in 4 cups of vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes.
In a mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter and tomato paste. Pour in 1 cup of hot stock to the bowl, and whisk together. Add another half cup of hot stock and whisk until smooth. Then, pour the peanut mixture into the pot. Mix well. Stir in the canned tomatoes and collard greens. Allow to cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes or until mixture has reduced and is thick and creamy. (If the mixture is too thick, cut with a bit more vegetable stock.) Season with salt and Sriracha to taste.
Serve over brown rice and garnish with chopped cilantro and peanuts.

http://rosemarried.co/2014/01/14/african-peanut-stew-collard-greens/

Adapted from Cookie and Kate.