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!

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Butternut Pesto Flatbread/ Butternut Pizza

It’s a 2 in 1 day! Yup, two recipes/ideas in 1 post. And they require no extraordinary cooking skill!

Aren’t I amazing 😉

The best part is, you can get as fancy as you want with these, ranging from a quick snack/lunch to a smancy (as my friend would say) dinner party appetizer.

Butternut Pesto Flatbread/ Butternut Pizza 

Ingredients: 

1 butternut squash

garlic powder

salt and pepper

For flatbread:

favorite type of pesto (store bought or homemade)

shallots, chopped

pine nuts

feta cheese

For pizza:

pizza/marinara sauce

mozzarella cheese

Directions: 

Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise. Cut into 1/8 in semi-circles. Spray baking pan with oil. Put on slices. Spray slices with oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cook in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.

For flatbread: Spread on pesto and top with shallots, pine nuts, and feta (to the desired amount). Bake for 8 more minutes.

For pizza: Spread on pizza/marinara sauce and top with desired pizza toppings. Bake till cheese melts

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.

Summer Squash Salad

Summer is once again coming to a close. I’m going to miss the beach weather and the bonfires, but I’m actually really excited for the fall. Just thinking about apple cider, pumpkins, and Halloween gets me all excited! Before I fully leap into autumn mode, I wanted to post a few more summer-ish recipes. After all, there’s still a week left before Labor Day Weekend. Since this one uses summer squash, I figured this took top priority.

Summer Squash Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups brussels sprouts, sliced in half

1/2 large onion, sliced into half circles

2 garlic cloves, sliced into coins

1 tbsp sesame seed oil

1 ear of corn

2 tbsp pine nuts

1 small zucchini

1 small yellow squash

1/2 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half

garlic powder

salt and pepper, to taste

goat cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl, combine brussels sprouts, onions, and garlic cloves. Add sesame seed oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and toss together. Spread out on a roasting pan. Rub sesame oil on ear of corn, season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Also place in the roasting pan. Transfer to oven and let roast for 25 minutes, STIRRING EVERY SO OFTEN.

In a separate pan, place pine nuts and let roast in the oven for 3 minutes. Set aside.

While vegetables are roasting, use a peeler to peel zucchini and squash into thin strips. Place on serving platter and season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Top with halved tomatoes. Once vegetables are finished roasting, let cool for 5 minutes. Remove corn from ear. Scatter brussels sprouts, onions, garlic, corn, and pine nuts onto top of squash peels. Top with clumps of goat cheese, if desired.

Zucchini Rollups

I’m back from vacation! I feel rejuvenated just in time for school to suck the energy out again! Oh well.

This year, I rented a bike to ride on the Ocean City boardwalk and streets. And oh my goodness, I think I love riding more than laying out on the beach. Of course I won’t say this to my family. They would think I’m weird. And again ask my mother if I’m adopted. I mean, I even woke up at 6 every morning just to ride before everyone got up. I NEED to get my own bike now.

So, these rollups. I wanted to make them at the beach, but my family was all zucchini-ed out with zucchini bread, zucchini cookies, and zucchini chocolate mousse (recipes to come!). Whatever, they’re the weird ones. Or maybe I am adopted… Anyway these rollups are easy to make, regardless of being at home or on the beach, and are packed with GGG (Gooey Goat (cheese) Goodness). Need I say more?

Zucchini Rollups

Ingredients: 

Zucchini, peeled

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Pine nuts

Goat cheese

Dried thyme

Garlic powder

Pine nuts

Fresh spinach leaves

Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking oil. Lie zucchini on a cutting board and cut in half vertically. Next, make 1/4 in thick slices by cutting horizontally. Lie long zucchini slices on baking sheet. Rub each slice with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. In another pan, spread out pine nuts. Place zucchini and nuts in oven. Take nuts out after 6 minutes and zucchini after 10 minutes. On a zucchini slice, sprinkle/spread on goat cheese. Next, add thyme and garlic powder, to taste, and pine nuts. Top with 1 or 2 spinach leaves. Carefully, roll up zucchini and secure with a toothpick. Repeat with all slices. Top with more pepper.

You can eat this right away. Or, allow slices to cool and take out toothpicks.