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[RECIPE] Roasted Delicata Squash Apple Walnut Salad with PEPPERGREENS

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[RECIPE] Roasted Delicata Squash Apple Walnut Salad with PEPPERGREENS | Running With Tongs

[RECIPE] Roasted Delicata Squash Apple Walnut Salad with PEPPERGREENS | Running With Tongs

Sides have always been my favorite thing when it comes to holiday dinners. I love mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy, warm flakey rolls and green bean casserole but only the one made with tinned french cut green beans. The thing with all of these sides is that they are super heavy and while tasty a bit beige and boring. [RECIPE] Roasted Delicata Squash Apple Walnut Salad with PEPPERGREENS | Running With Tongs

In hopes of livening up the table this holiday season I have been working on a few colorful, tasty and festive side dishes. One of them happens to be a salad and I know what you are thinking who wants salad when there is tinned jellied cranberry sauce and that sweet potato casserole with the marshmallows. Hmmm maybe I did make salad seem just a little more appealing.  

The salad I am sharing with you today is colorful, filled with familiar holiday flavors and ingredients but is also fun and will impress your guests. It’s a combo of sweet squash, creamy tahini sauce, crisp fresh apple, crunchy nuts, peppery greens and a  tart and tangy lemon dressing. Basically the perfect combination of flavors and textures.  [RECIPE] Roasted Delicata Squash Apple Walnut Salad with PEPPERGREENS | Running With Tongs

Roasted Delicata Squash Apple Walnut Salad With PEPPERGREENS
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Ingredients
  1. 1 Delicata Squash, washed, cut into rounds and seeds removed
  2. 1 box organicgirl PEPPERGREENS
  3. 1 Gala or Fuji Apple, thinly sliced
  4. 1/4-1/3 cup Walnuts
  5. 1/4 cup organicgirl Salad Love Lemon Agave
  6. Maple Tahini Sauce
  7. 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
  8. 1 tablespoon Maple Syrup
  9. 3 tablespoons Tahini
  10. 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
  11. 3 tablespoons water
  12. Salt & Pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the delicata squash rounds on the pan. Spray the squash with a light coating of coconut oil spray (optional) and season with salt and pepper. Place sheet pan in the oven and roast for 25-30 minutes; until the squash is cooked through. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes on the baking sheet before adding to salad.
  2. While the squash is roasting make the tahini sauce my simply whisking everything together.
  3. Toast the walnuts in a dry pan over medium heat just until they start to get a little bit of color. Remove and allow to cool.
  4. To assemble: Divide the greens between four different plates, top with a few slices of apple and squash. Drizzle a tablespoon each of the lemon agave dressing and the tahini sauce over the salad. Crush a few walnuts between your fingers and sprinkle over the salad.
Notes
  1. Delicata squash skin is super tender so there is no need to remove it just give it a good wash.
  2. Feel free to serve this salad family style by placing the greens in a large bowl, top with apples, squash and walnuts and dress just before serving.
  3. Toss the apple slices with a bit of lemon juice to prevent browning.
Naturally Lindsay http://3.232.172.97/
[RECIPE] Roasted Delicata Squash Apple Walnut Salad with PEPPERGREENS | Running With Tongs

I’ll tell you this salad is so good that I have been making it all week and plan to make it part of my regular rotation. If you want to bulk this dish up a bit add some slices of BBQ tempeh to the top and you have a complete meal.

What side dishes will you be serving up this Thanksgiving? What are your favorites?

og logo good clean greens

 

Where to find organicgirl: Available nationwide, including Whole Foods, Fred Meyer, New Seasons and many neighborhood markets in Portland.

 

Disclosure: This post was created in collaboration with organicgirl. I am thrilled to be working on a three part series with organicgirl because frankly I have been obsessed with organicgirl for years.  

{Recipe} Chipotle Butternut Squash Chili

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Chipotle Butternut Squash Chili

I am a huge fan of chili and as soon as the air is crisp you better believe there is a pot (or two) of chili cooking up in my kitchen.  That being said I have a few favorite recipes that I have perfected over the years but I am always working on altering them a bit and creating new ones.  This recipe is similar to ones that I have made before however this time I added bulgur and aduzki beans (I would have normally made it with black beans but they are on my can’t eat list right now do to breastfeeding).  This was as hit with both my husband and our friend Laura and is easily now one of my favorite chili recipes.

  • 2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
  • 1 2 1/4-pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
  • 1 red onion, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon chipotle chili powder
  • 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 1 14.5-ounce cans fire-roasted tomatoes
  • 15 oz can adzuki or black beans, drained and rinsed.
  • 1/2 cup bulgur
  • 2 cups vegetable broth

Preheat oven to 400F. Toss squash with olive oil, spread on sheet pan and place in the oven to roast for 30 minutes.

Heat oil in medium heavy bottom pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and pepper; cook until soft and lightly browned. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Stir in chili powders, cumin, and Italian seasoning. Stir in tomatoes with juice and beans.  Add bulgur and broth. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover with lid and simmer for 20 minutes. Season to taste with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Stir squash into chili. Simmer covered over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

{Recipe} Curry Coconut Roasted Butternut Squash

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Roasted Coconut Butternut Squash


The holidays are fast approaching and I’m always trying to find new ways to serve up my favorite holiday foods. Squash is a staple at our holiday table and this tasty twist will spice up any meal. It’s a wonderful combination of sweet and savory flavors with creamy squash.

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 large Butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and diced
  • 2 teaspoons curry powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil, liquid

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. Toss all ingredients together and pour into an even layer in the roasting pan.
  3. Roast for 20 minutes and then stir.
  4. Return to the oven and roast for 25 more minutes or until squash is tender.

Lazy-Active Weekend

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This weekend was one of those weekends where I just didn’t want to do anything but relax on the couch.  Unfortunately I have responsibilities and a husband who gets stir crazy if he stays home for too long so only about 60% of my time was spent lounging.

On Saturday morning I made my first attempt at organizing our office/spare room which used to be my office/elliptical room.  Now that we have (finally) gotten rid of the non-functioning elliptical we have tons of space to organize the office and make it into the perfect space for me to work and to practice yoga.  I love having a little quiet hideaway to get my work done, I’m so much more productive.  After a cleaning sesh Hubz convinced me to head downtown to look for new shoes and hit up the farmers market.  Finding new shoes was a bust since nice vegan shoes and boots are very limited in Burlington, we’re hopping our trips to Philly and NYC will be more fruitful.

We stopped into the farmers market in search of a vegan cupcake however all they had this week was chocolate-mint, not quite what we were looking for so instead we headed to one of our favorite eateries Zabby & Elf’s Stone Soup.  I was really in the mood for a nice cup of chili which came with two hunk of nice bread and the Hubz decided to go with the hot bar and a hunk of my bread.  Everything was so warm and delicious, perfect for a fall day.

The remainder of Saturday was spent running errands and then home to do a short yoga session, lounge and catch up on Dexter.

Sunday came and along with it a time change, this totally screwed my day up.  I was all ready to head out the door to pick up groceries when Neil pointed out at that it wasn’t 8am but rather 7am!  We waited around for a bit and then headed out to pick up our groceries for the week which included lots of root veggies, squash, Brussels Sprouts and green beans. Any idea what I might be making this week??

After grocery shopping we headed home and I decided to just relax for awhile because I wasn’t feeling great, a little bit of an upset stomach- I blame all the gluten I ate on Saturday.  I was supposed to do a 5-Miler yesterday but after waiting out to see how I was feeling I ultimately decided I just wasn’t up for it so the Hubz and I went for a 2.3 mile walk before dinner.  When we got back he changed into his running gear and went for a run and I made dinner: Black Bean & Butternut Squash Burritos with Chipotle-Cashew Sauce and a green salad.

Chipotle-Cashew Sauce:

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1 dried chipotle pepper
  • 1 15oz can whole tomatoes, with juices
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon cumin powder
  • 3 tablespoons cashew pieces
  • salt and pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a small pan over med-high heat. Add the onions and cook for 3-5 minutes until translucent.  Stir in the garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, water and chipotle pepper; bring to a simmer then cover and reduce heat.  Cook for 10 minutes on low.   Stir in the cumin and cashew pieces and cook uncovered for 5 minutes. Transfer everything to a blender or food processor and process until smooth.  Return to the pan and season with salt and pepper to taste.
In other news I have temporarily givin up coffee and alcohol.  

Quick, Cheap and Easy Meal

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Today I am doing a Living Healthy on A Budget workshop and in preparation for the workshop I decided to make a quick, cheap and easy meal of chickpea-quinoa salad, tofu and squash with tahini sauce. What I loved about this meal was how easy it came together and how little work it was for me. It is also packed with nutrition and uber tasty.

Chickpea Quinoa Salad 

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
  • Servings: 4 (as en entree); 6-8 (as a side)
  • Cost per serving:~ $1.75 (Entree); ~$0.85-1.16 (side)

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup  organic quinoa, rinsed +2 cups water
  • 1/4 cup organic scallions, sliced
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1/2 bunch organic fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 cups cooked or canned organic chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

  1. Add quinoa and water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.  Let stand 5 minutes.
  2. While the quinoa cools combine remaining ingredients in a bowl.  Add quinoa and stir to combine.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Roasted Delicata Squash

  • Prep Time: 5 minutes plus oven heating
  • Cook Time: 20-30 minutes
  • Servings: 4 (as a side)
  • Cost per serving: $0.63
Ingredients:
  • 1 medium delicata squash; washed, halved, seeds removed and sliced into half moons
  • salt and pepper, taste

Directions:

  1. Pre-heat an oven to 350F.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper
  2. Place the delicata squash slices on the baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 20-30 minutes until fork tender.

Baked Tofu

  • Prep Time: 2 minutes plus oven heating
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Servings: 4 (as a side)
  • Cost per serving: $0.55
Ingredients:
  • 1 block extra firm organic tofu, drained and cut into 4 large triangles
  • 2 tablespoons organic shoyu

Directions:

  1. Pre-heat an oven to 350F.
  2. Place the tofu in an 8×8 baking dish, prick with a fork and evenly our over the shoyu.
  3. Bake for 25 minutes, flipping after 15 minutes.

Tahini Sauce

  • Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
  • Servings: 4 (as a side)
  • Cost per serving: ~$0.60
Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup organic chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 2 tablespoons tahini
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 3 tablespoons water, add more water if you would like a thiner consistency
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Place in a blender or food processer and process until smooth.

Total Cost Per Serving: $2.63

(4 complete meals plus 2 extra sides of chickpea-quinoa salad)

Food Focus: Quinoa

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Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah), is a nutritional powerhouse with ancient origins. It was originally cultivated by the Incas more than 5,000 years ago; they referred to it as the “mother of all grains.” It contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a great source of protein for vegetarians. Quinoa is also high in magnesium, fiber, calcium, phosphorus, iron, copper, manganese, riboflavin and zinc.

(source)

While quinoa is widely considered a grain, it’s actually the seed of a plant called Chenopodium or Goosefoot, related to chard and spinach. Quinoa is a gluten-free grain and has a similar effect as other whole grains in helping to stabilize blood sugar.

It has a waxy protective coating called saponin which can leave a bitter taste. For best results, rinse quinoa before you cook it or even soak it for a few hours or overnight. When cooked, it has a fluffy, slightly crunchy texture. Try it in soups, salads, as a breakfast porridge or as its own side dish.

For quinoa, and whole grains in general, the majority of digestion occurs in the mouth through chewing and exposure to saliva. For optimal nutrition and assimilation, it is vital to chew your grains well and with awareness. A great meditation is to find a calm place, without distractions, to sit down for your meal. Make it a habit to chew each bite 20 times or more. See how this simple practice can help your digestion and overall focus for the rest of your day.

 

Recipe of the Month: Quinoa Pilaf

  • Prep Time: 3 minutes
  • Cooking Time: 30-40 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 2 1/4 cups water or stock
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup walnut pieces
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • pinch of salt

Directions:

  1. Rinse quinoa in fine mesh strainer until water runs clear.
  2. Boil the water and add quinoa and salt, cover and reduce heat.
  3. After 15 minutes add cranberries and walnuts to top; do not stir.
  4. Cook 5 minutes more, until all the liquid is absorbed.
  5. Remove from heat, add parsley and fluff with fork, cover and let sit for 3-5 minutes and serve.
© 2010 Integrative Nutrition 5/10

Here are a few of my quinoa recipes for you to try as well:

Weekend Wrap Up

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This weekend was freezing in Vermont so the Hubz and I spent more of our weekend inside working on a number of projects.  I am happy to say that I was able to organize the closets in our bedroom and purge a number of items that we had been holding on to for too long.  I also attempted to work on organizing our office but I think I just made a bigger mess.  We are in need of some major organizational materials and have visions of how we want things to look but until we head south and by south I mean to NYC and Connecticut where there is better shopping (Ikea and Target) we will just have to make do. Who knew we were such pack rats?

As for food this weekend I spent a lot of time working on recipes from Veganomicon for the Vegan Cookbook Club.  On Friday night I made Sauteed Seitan with Mushrooms and Spinach; I was lazy and decided to just purchase pre-made seitan to save me time.  Overall I thought the dish was really good but I’m not going to giveaway all my thoughts here you’ll just have to wait for my full review of Veganomicon. For the remainder of the night the Hubz and I just relaxed enjoyed an Ottercreek Black IPA and attempted to watch Dinner for Schmucks but we just couldn’t get into it; it really just wasn’t as funny as I hopped it was going to be.

Saturday was spent making a mess of the office while drinking coffee and watching The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Unfortunately for the Hubz my way of organizing is to make a huge mess and then clean it up so the state of our office is in disarray right now- however the closet in there is amazingly organized so WIN! We are heading to NYC and CT in a few weeks and will be hitting up Ikea and Target for some items to help in our organizational project but I should probably make one last effort to at least get that room orderly.  The second half of Saturday was spent getting lattes, groceries and gas- exciting I know. I didn’t photograph dinner and I can’t remember what we had so it must not have been that exciting. I did make the Lower Fat Banana Bread (muffins) from Veganomicon though and they were tasty.  I added chopped up dates to them and they were so good.

Sunday I was up early and ready to tackle the closets in our bedroom but first a mini french press of coffee and a two banana bread muffins.  Then I was on to organize and purge items in our closets, as well as take over the walk-in closet which the Hubz ended up with some how when we moved in. I never realized how much I could get a workout just from cleaning and organizing our bedroom; by lunch I was sweaty (TMI) and had worked up an appetite.  Lunch was a pasta dish per the Hubz request and included chickpeas and spinach in a creamy garlic sauce. I tried out my sample of Jovial Brown Rice Pasta, it was pretty good for gluten free pasta, but I prefer the Jovial Whole Wheat Penne.

After spending most of the weekend doing our own thing or sitting behind our computer screens the Hubz and I decided we needed a date night. Instead of spending money to go out we decided to stay in and enjoy a bottle of wine and a home cooked meal; we even showered and got dressed (I’d been in yoga pants all weekend).  For dinner I made the Chickpea Cutlets with Mustard Sauce from Veganomicon with roasted butternut squash and cornbread stuffing on the side.  I thought both the cutlets and the sauce were really tasty however I have a few criticisms regarding the wording of the recipes and the fact that in the directions for the sauce it left out a step that included major ingredients; again you’ll here more about this in my final review of Veganomicon.


Now it’s Monday morning and I am sitting back enjoying a mug of coffee and blogging. I started out my morning with a bowl of creamy oats with a spoonful of pumpkin butter and a little cranberry cinnamon granola on top for crunch.  I picked up this Sticky Fingers  Bakeries pumpkin butter from Marshall’s on sale and it is really amazingly good on oatmeal. Alright that is my weekend wrap up now it’s time to get ready for my work week. Enjoy your day!

Reminder: Check out the Fiery Vegan Valentine Contest.