Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette

This is a possible contender for a favorite salad...and I don't even like squash. My sister-in-law made it a few weeks ago and I loved it, then facebooked her for the recipe. Now I get to share it with you. This extraordinary salad says autumn, with the sweetness of roasted squash, the tartness of dried cranberries, and the toasty walnuts, all topped with an apple cider vinaigrette. It’s as good as it looks. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 (1 1/2-pound) butternut squash, peeled and 3/4-inch) diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons dried cranberries
3/4 cup apple cider or apple juice
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (which i didn't have so used regular mustard, white grape juice and honey...still good)
4 ounces baby arugula, washed and spun dry
1/2 cup walnuts halves, toasted
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the butternut squash on a sheet pan. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the maple syrup, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss. Roast the squash for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until tender. Add the cranberries to the pan for the last 5 minutes.

While the squash is roasting, combine the apple cider, vinegar, and shallots in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the cider is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Off the heat, whisk in the mustard, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.

Place the arugula in a large salad bowl and add the roasted squash mixture, the walnuts, and the grated Parmesan. Spoon just enough vinaigrette over the salad to moisten and toss well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Lentil Soup

Well, first off.....I completely forgot to add the spinach and the vinegar at the end.....so I will try that with the leftovers tomorrow. I liked it even though I ate mine cold after I got back from the gym. I look forward to having it for lunch tomorrow.
I was thinking about doubling the batch but so glad I didn't. This fills a 4 quart pot right to the top again.

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

4 carrots, diced

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoon dried oregano

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoon dried basil

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

2 cups dry lentils

8 cups water or vegetable broth (I used 4 of each)

1/2 cup spinach, rinsed and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons vinegar (or 3 Tbsp lemon juice)

salt to taste

ground black pepper to taste 

Directions: 

In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery; cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in garlic, bay leaf, oregano, and basil; cook for 2 minutes. 

Stir in lentils, and add water and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for at least 1 hour. When ready to serve stir in spinach, and cook until it wilts. Stir in vinegar, and season to taste with salt and pepper, and more vinegar if desired. 

 I served this soup with "Roasted Butternut Squash Salad With Warm Cider Vinaigrette". (See next post)

Broccoli Salad

This is yet another favorite since moving to Texas. Love the dressing and its so simple. (Also amazing one spinach, strawberry and red onion salad...mmm). This version has less dressing than usual. Feel free to double it if you like it saucy.

Here it is:

Ingredients:
5 cups fresh broccoli florets
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup cooked, crumbled bacon (I used soy "bacon" bits)
1/4 cup of red onion, chopped
1 cup of frozen peas, thawed.

Dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/3 cup sugar

Directions:
Mix the dressing and pour over the solid ingredients. Stir together and chill. Best after chilled for an hour or more.

Texas Cowboy Caviar

This is a favorite in my husband's family growing up. I have been converted! I used to strongly dislike beans actually, so if you are in the same boat, give it a try. Its great as a side or as a salsa with chips.

Ingredients:

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1(15 ounce) can black eyed peas, rinsed and drained

1 (15 ounce) can white corn, rinsed and drained

1 jalapeno chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1 red bell pepper - cored, seeded and finely chopped

1 green bell pepper - cored, seeded and finely chopped

1 yellow bell pepper - cored, seeded and finely chopped

1 small white onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1/5 cup white sugar

Mix all together and let set.

Gourmet Vegetarian Pizza

MEAL 2:
Saturday turned out to be a busy day. Tidy the house (sort of), work, grocery shop, take Daphne to the park, hem pants for a friend, make pizza!
We LOVE pizza at our house. I make it almost once a week. So here is the secret recipe:

Crust:
2 1/4 cups Flour (I used a combination of whole wheat and soy flour)
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tsp Salt
1 pkg (1 Tbsp) Active dry yeast
1 cup Warm water
2 Tbsp Melted butter or Olive oil

In mixing bowl, combine flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Add water and oil. Mix well. Add more flour, enough to form a soft dough. Knead on a floured surface for 4 minutes. Streatch onto a greased pizza pan. (I find this recipe make a thick dough. I usually double it to make 3 pizzas or sick to the recipe and make 1 and a mini one.)
Cook for 6 min. at 350. Remove from oven and add sauce and toppings.

Sauce:
8 oz can of tomato sauce
1 tsp Oregano (My all time favorite spice)
1 tsp Sage
1 tsp minced Garlic
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (I actually use a garlic red pepper sauce) -skip this if you don't want it spicy

Toppings:
(In the order i like them on the pizza...I am pickier than my husband is when he does it)
Sauce
1/4 cup Diced onions
(This is where we would add 1/4 lb Pepperoni if we weren;t making a vegetarian pizza)
3-4 cup raw spinach.
16 oz package Mozerella Cheese
generous sprinkle of Nutritional yeast (this is a great protein for Vegetarians)
1 small thinly sliced zuchinni
1/4 cup sliced black olives
1/4 cup chopped artichoke hearts
1/4 cup mushrooms
1/4 sliced Bell pepper
2 sliced Roma tomoatoes

Return to oven and cook for 20 min.
Bon Appetit!

(Before cooking. The spinach really shrinks down when it is cooked...so be generous)

Indian Vegetable Stew

 DAY 1:

I doubled the batch to make plenty to give away and keep for our family. It filled my 4 quart pot right to the brim. This turned out well and looked like the picture, however I am beginning to realize cumin is not one of my favorite spices. My husband's review was, "If I had to eat vegetable stew, this is how I would want it to taste." Was that a compliment? (I thought he was pushing me towards this type of thing??)

This was my first time using a new spice, Cardamom. I had never heard of it before and it took me 30 min in the grocery store to find it. It was also $14 for the small jar! I do think I like it though. I am going to search for some more recipes that use it in the future. 

So here it is:

 

Sweet sautéed onions and a rich mixture of spices create a complex, flavorful base for this extraordinary vegetarian stew.

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 large onions, coarsely chopped (4 cups)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound new potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 19-ounce c chickpeas, rinsed
1 14-ounce c crushed tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted
1 pound mini carrots
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3/4 cup low-fat plain yogurt, (optional)

COOKING DIRECTIONS

Step 1
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until fragrant and beginning to brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add cumin seed, ground cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom and cayenne; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. Add potatoes, water and salt; bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
Step 2
Add chickpeas, tomatoes and carrots; stir to combine. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally and adding 1/2 cup water, if needed, until the potatoes and the carrots are tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Stir in cilantro. Serve with yogurt, if desired.

My frijoles are your frijoles

This blog is dedicated to a dear friend of mine who has inspired me to do some adventurous vegetarian cooking. Well....adventurous for me anyhow. My husband has been suggesting that I start trying new things with beans, lentils, tofu and new spices. It shouldn't have taken this long with my own mother being a vegetarian. Anyway, so this friend and I set up a "program" where she commissions me to make her a few dinners a week involving anything but meat.

She always tells me she has food envy when she sees what I am eating (even though it usually includes meat) and can be as boring as a turkey sandwich on store brand whole wheat bread.

Well friend, MY FRIJOLES ARE YOUR FRIJOLES. Enjoy!