With so many winter root vegetables in season, why not roast them up and throw them on a pizza!? Golden beets are a stunner if you can find them. Get some pre-made whole wheat dough at the market if you don’t have time to make your own. I like to mix some tomato sauce with ricotta for a ‘sauce-cheese-combo’ that’s lower on the guilt scale. Roast the veggies on their own first for extra crispiness.
Grapefruit Edamame Salad
This citrus salad has great colors and is hearty yet light. Go heavier on the edamame (which you can find shelled and cooked at TJ’s) to make this a more substantial dish. If you don’t love “tart” you can use oranges instead of grapefruit. Spinach could be used in place of arugula.
Grapefruit Edamame Salad
serves about 4
1 bag of baby arugula (about 5 oz)
1 pink grapefruit, peeled and sliced into bite-size pieces
1/2 c pomegranate seeds
1 c edamame beans
1 avocado, sliced into chunks (look for a firm but ripe one that will slice nicely)
your favorite vinaigrette (perhaps a citrus one! or simply lemon juice, olive oil and salt)
Preparation:
Spread the arugula out on a platter and top with all the other ingredients. Dress lightly or serve dressing on the side so that you can save any leftovers.
Shaved Carrot Salad
Rainbow carrots are amazing…available in fancier food markets. Use a peeler and shave “ribbons” out of the raw carrots- It only takes a minute, but the presentation is much more fun! Peel the skins off first (if you wish) and then keep peeling, lengthwise, running your peeler from top to bottom. If you don’t push very hard, the ribbons will be thinner. Add any salad additions you have on hand, and toss with a light dressing.
Wheat Berry Kale Salad
Wheat berries are a GREAT grain! Have you tried them? They are like a heartier, chewier, nuttier rice, super tasty. Cook them like rice (except a little more water, 3:1) and toss them with sauteed veggies, olive oil, salt and pepper. Good for lunch the next day, too.
Wheat Berry Kale Salad
(serves about 4 people as a side)
3 c water
1 c wheat berries
various vegetables (including about 4 leaves of kale)
Boil the water then add the wheat berries. Cook them like you would rice, on med/low for about 30-45 minutes. Try them, and they should be tender, and if not, give them a bit more time (up to 20 more minutes). If the water evaporates and they still aren’t done, add a bit more water. You can always strain any excess water after they are tender, like you would with pasta.
While the grain is cooking, sauté onions, mushrooms, bell peppers and garlic (or whatever veggies you have on hand). At the end throw in some chopped kale (it doesn’t need as much time, only about 1 minute until bright green and wilted). Toss the cooked veggies with the cooked wheat berries, and add cherry tomatoes if desired. I dress with simply olive oil, salt and pepper—and sometimes a bit of Braggs Aminos and sesame oil, or pesto, or a squeeze of lemon with grated Parmesan. You can enjoy warm or cold. If cold, feel free to use your favorite salad dressing.
Roasted Acorn Squash with Sage Butter
Roasted Acorn squash came in our CSA box this week- how very Fall! I roasted it and smothered it in sage butter plus a sprinkle of sea salt. Went great along side herbed cornbread.
Acorn squash is available in the fall and a bit more dense than butternut, but similar. I like to cut it into rounds, remove seeds and roast. The skin is edible but can become a bit tough after cooking, so you may wish to remove it on the plate before enjoying.
Roasted Acorn Squash with Sage Butter
1 medium acorn squash (serves 2-3 as a side)
olive oil, salt and pepper
2 T chopped fresh sage
2 T butter
Slice the acorn squash in half, remove seeds, then cut into rounds, discarding the stem. Place rounds on an oiled baking sheet. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake at 400F for about 25 min or until fork-tender.
In a pan, melt the butter, plus 1 T olive oil and the herbs over med/low. Put each squash round in the pan, flipping to coat. depending on the size of the squash, you may need a bit more butter and oil. Alternatively, you can lay all the squash rounds on a platter and drizzle the melted herb butter mix over all of them at once. Add more salt and pepper to taste and enjoy warm.
pictured above: Erin’s favorite chef’s knife and her favorite copper fry pan
