Roasted Butternut Squash with Spinach and Tahini Dressing

Last minute Christmas recipe!

Roasted Butternut Squash with Spinach and Tahini Dressing

Ingredients:

6 cups raw cubed butternut squash

1 tbsp avocado oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

2 tbsp tahini

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp water

2 cups fresh spinach

Feta cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 415°F. In a bowl, toss together the butternut squash, avocado oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Spread squash in a roasting pan and place in the oven for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the tahini, olive oil, and water in a small bowl. Mix in a dash of salt and set aside.

In a serving bowl, combine the spinach, squash and dressing. Serve into individual bowls and top with feta cheese.

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Artichoke and Lemongrass Sauce over Summer Squash Noodles

One last summer recipe before the start of fall recipes! Since fall doesn’t officially begin until next week, I feel that I’m still within reason to post a recipe with summer squash in it 🙂

Artichoke and Lemongrass Sauce over Summer Squash Noodles

Ingredients:

1 summer squash

1 tbsp ghee

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp lemongrass paste

1 handful of fresh thai basil, chopped (you can use regular basil instead)

1 can artichokes, drained and chopped 

2/3 cup full-fat coconut milk

1/4 cup feta cheese

salt and pepper 

Directions:

Use a vegetable spiralizer to make summer squash noodles. Place noodles in a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Set aside.

In a deep skilled, melt ghee over medium-low heat. Add in garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add in lemongrass paste, basil, and artichokes and cook for another 3 minutes. Add in coconut milk, cheese, noodles, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover with a lid. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Garnish with more fresh basil and serve.

Brussel Sprout Salad with Tahini Dressing (Grain-Free)

Now normally I avoid posting salad recipes, simply because it’s not something I put a lot of effort into while making. Usually, it’s a mixture of “whatever’s lying around.”

But this salad is absolutely amazing, so I’m posting it 🙂 With roasted brussels sprouts and pine nuts as a base, there’s a little more prepping involved. And do not omit the dressing. It really brings together all the flavors. Feel free to add more or less of any ingredient- my measurements aren’t exact (except for the dressing)- I just kinda eyeball it!

Brussel Sprout Salad with Tahini Dressing (Grain-Free)

Ingredients:

Salad

1 lb brussels sprouts

garlic powder

salt and pepper

1 tbsp avocado oil

1 tbsp pinenuts

1/3 cup fresh mango, cubed

1/4 cup raw onion, diced

3-4 tbsp feta cheese, crumbled

Dressing

3 tbsp tahini

3 tbsp water

1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

pinch of salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the stems off the brussels sprouts and slice in half. Place on a baking pan and sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Top with oil and toss altogether. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Take out, mix in pine nuts and cook for 5 more minutes. Set aside.

To make the dressing, whisk together all the dressing ingredients.

On a nice serving platter, toss together brussels sprouts, mango, onion, and feta. Top with about 3/4 of the dressing (use the rest for another salad recipe). Mix altogether and serve!

Broccoli Salad with Avocado Dressing

I always feel weird sharing a salad recipe as it’s more of a suggestion list than an actual ingredient list. For me, salads are pretty much whatever you have on hand tossed together.

However, I am sharing this “recipe” as I really liked how the idea of using a broccoli base turned out. Just a bit different from the usual lettuce or spinach base. Plus, with Memorial Day outdoor BBQs coming up, you don’t have to worry about the broccoli becoming soggy and whatnot 🙂

Broccoli Salad with Avocado Dressing

Ingredients:

1/2 of an avocado

3 tbsp plain yogurt

1 tbsp lemon juice

lemon zest

salt

______

2 heads raw broccoli, cut into very small florets

1/2 of a red onion, finely diced 

1/2 cup cooked and crumbled bacon

1/2 cup sliced or chopped almonds

1/2 cup carrots, grated

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions:

In a food processor, blend together avocado, yogurt, lemon juice, zest, and salt. Place dressing in fridge to chill. Add remaining ingredients into a large bowl and toss. Before serving, mix in avocado dressing.

Asparagus Salad

I love recreating meals I’ve had while eating out. Granted, I usually put my own twist on the dish. But still, I try to get as close to the original dish’s taste as possible. It’s like a challenge for me.

For my birthday this year, I went to a restaurant and ended up eating an asparagus salad. Overall, it was pretty simple to guess the ingredients. What really captured my interest in recreating this dish, however, was the egg on top. I love eggs. And on top of a salad? I’m in.

In non-related food news, I’m excited to announce that I’m going to India in January 2015! Not only do I get to do some sight seeing, but I’m also going to be teaching in some of the villages! And I know, that’s still awhile away, but this is a big deal for me. I’ve never been outside the country (or traveled around this country, as a matter of fact). I’ve lived in South Jersey all my life, surrounded by corn fields and apple orchards. The most exciting thing that happens to me is a runaway horse or sheep wandering into my front yard. So, let the count down begin!

Asparagus Salad 

Ingredients: 

2 tbsp pine nuts

2 lb Asparagus

1 pint cherry tomatoes

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

feta cheese, (optional)

salt and pepper, to taste

eggs (1 for each person)

Directions: 

In a bread pan, spread out pine nuts. Bake at 375 for 8 minutes, shaking pan occasionally to prevent burning. Afterwards, IMMEDIATELY transfer the pine nuts to a bowl to stop the cooking process and let cool.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Break off the tough ends of the asparagus. Place spears and tomatoes in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil and lemon juice. Pour on top of asparagus and tomatoes, add salt and pepper, and toss. Place the asparagus and tomatoes on baking pans and roast in the oven for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook egg(s), sunny side up.

After asparagus and tomatoes are done, spread out on individual plates. Sprinkle with cooled pine nuts and feta cheese. Slide 1 egg on top of each plate and finish with more salt and pepper, to taste.