Dijon Brussel Sprout Salad

Happy New Year!!! So many resolutions this year – including posting more of my lovely, edible creations. So here we go…starting off 2015 with a recipe that includes one of my favourite vegetables. We all know that nothing can ever take the place of broccoli. It holds a special place in my heart <3 but brussel sprouts are definitely top 3. Ok now I’m rambling…I’m sure you actually didn’t care what my favourite vegetables are…ANYWAY…Let me know how you like this salad!! :)

Prep Time – 20 min       Cooking Time – 40 min

Ingredients

1. 1 tbsp olive oil
2. 1 lb brussel sprouts
3. 1/2 cup unsweetened dried cranberries
4. 1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
5. 2 tbsp olive oil
6. 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
7. 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard
8. salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash the brussel sprouts, cut off the ends and cut them in half. Throw them in a bowl.
2. Toss the sprouts with olive oil and some salt and pepper. Throw them on a pan and pop in the oven. Roast for about 30-40 minutes, flipping half way through. They should be nice and crispy.
3. While the sprouts are doing their thing in the oven, you can make the dressing. Mix together 2 tbsp olive oil, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard and some salt and pepper. Set aside.
4. When the brussel sprouts are done, let them cool for 10 minutes then assemble the salad. In a bowl, toss together the sprouts, cranberries and pumpkin seeds. Drizzle on some dressing and your done!

Apple Manchego Salad

This salad is a family favourite around here! My mum makes it fairly often for big family gatherings because it’s super simple to make, looks really fancy, and tastes amazing! I always just serve mine up without the cheese :) just as tasty!

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 3 tbsp sherry vinegar (or pear vinegar)
• 1 tsp honey
• 1tsp grainy mustard
• 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
• 8 cups mixed greens
• 1/3 lb manchego cheese, shaved thin
• 4 apples, very thinly sliced

Directions

1. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a pan over medium-high heat with 1 tbsp olive oil. When they’re nice and golden, season with some salt and transfer to a paper towel to cool. Really important to keep an eye on them while they’re toasting and constantly stir them – they tend to burn very easily!
2. To make the dressing, combine the rest of the olive oil, vinegar, honey, mustard, and salt and pepper.
3. Now to assemble the salad! In a large salad bowl, throw in your greens, apples and cheese. Top with the pumpkin seeds and drizzle on the dressing. Serve and enjoy!

Grilled Asparagus and Mushroom Salad

This salad is seriously a keeper. It was such a nice side to go along with BBQ chicken, as well as a break from traditional lettuce salads :) The original recipe is from Gwenyth Paltrow’s beautiful cookbook, It’s All Good.  The dressing is absolutely fantastic! I’ll definitely use it again for lots of different salads :) ENJOY

Ingredients for Salad

1. 1 bunch of asparagus
2. 2 portobello mushrooms
3. 2 tsp toasted black sesame seeds (optional)

Ingredients for Dressing

1. 1 shallot
2. 1 tsp rice vinegar
3. 1 tsp plum vinegar
4. 1 tsp tamari (or soy sauce)
5. 2 tsp water
6. 1 tbsp sesame oil
7. 1 lime, juiced
8. pinch of salt and pepper

Directions

1. To make the dressing, peel and finely chop the shallot. Throw it in a bowl with the rest of the dressing ingredients. Give it a good whisk. Set aside.
2. Heat the BBQ or grill pan to medium heat and brush with olive oil. Grill the mushrooms (cap side down) for about 20 minutes. When the mushrooms are about half done, throw the asparagus on the grill as well.
3. For the last few minutes of grilling, turn up the heat to high to let them all crisp up.
4. To serve, thinly slice the mushrooms and asparagus. Arrange on a platter and top with the shallot dressing. Garnish with the black sesame seeds. Wooooooo all done :) Enjoy the yumminess.

Roasted Cauliflower, Chickpea and Kale Salad

This recipe originally comes from the Gwyneth Paltrow cookbook “It’s All Good.”  Right now, it is BY FAR my favourite place to find healthy, delicious recipes.  Everyone needs to run out and grab this cookbook ASAP!  I switch up the recipes a bit to suit my own taste, but I haven’t seen a single thing in the book that doesn’t sound delightful.  The few things that I’ve made so far have been heaven :)

Makes 4 side servings        Prep Time: 15 min        Cooking Time: 45 min

Ingredients

1. 1 can organic chickpeas
2. 1 head of cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
3. 2 cups kale
4. Olive oil
5. Unrefined sea salt, a few pinches
6. 1 tbsp dijon mustard
7. 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
8. Black pepper
9. 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Rince the chickpeas and pat them dry with a paper towel.  On a large roasting pan or baking sheet, toss the chickpeas, cauliflower, a few tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of salt.  Roast for about 45 min or until everything is dark brown.
3. To make the dressing, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, pinch of salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
4. Next, rinse, de-stem and dry the kale.  Massage with a paper towel to soften it up.  Place in a serving bowl along with the parsley and dressing.  Toss to coat the kale evenly.
5. Once the cauliflower and chickpeas are done, let cool a few minutes then add to the bowl and give it a good mix. Serve and enjoy!

Celery Parmesan Salad

I’ve kind of been obsessed with celery lately.  Other then carrots, it’s my new favourite snack food.  So of course I would LOVE a salad made of celery. My mum made this a few weeks ago and I was in love.  Amazing side dish to go along with some baked chicken :) YUM!

Makes 4 – 6 servings       Prep Time: 1 hr 30 min 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 tsp lemon zest
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp minced onion
• 1 tsp celery seed
• salt and pepper to taste
• 5 cups celery, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
• 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Directions

• To make the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, 1/4 cup lemon juice, onion, celery seed, salt and pepper.
• In a large mixing bowl, toss the sliced celery with 1 tbsp lemon juice and pinch of salt.
• Next, toss the celery with enough dressing to moisten well.  Cover and refrigerate for about an hour to marinate.
•  When ready to serve, place the mixture into a serving bowl.  Top with the parmesan, pumpkin seeds, and parsley.  Serve and enjoy!!

Original Recipe: foodnetwork.com

Kale Quinoa Salad w/ Pine Nuts and Feta

My lovely, beautiful sister made this salad for a family BBQ.  Thank god she made a ton because I seriously couldn’t get enough of it!! I was eating leftover quinoa for about 5 days after :) It was so flavourful! This recipe is a definite keeper.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, minced
• 2 cups quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3 cups chopped kale, washed and taken off the stem
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
• 1/2 cup feta cheese (I used goat feta)
• unrefined salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

• In a medium pot over medium heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil.  Sauté the onion for about 5 minutes or until translucent.  Next, add the quinoa keep stirring for about 2 – 3 minutes until lightly toasted.
• Add the water and kale.  Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed.  Remove from heat and pour quinoa into a bowl.  Stir occasionally.
• To make the sauce, whisk together the vinegar and mustard in a small bowl.  Add a pinch of salt and pepper.  Slowing add 3 tbsp olive oil while whisking.
• Pour the dressing over the quinoa and give it a good stir. Next, stir in the pine nuts and feta cheese.  ENJOY!  You can serve this salad warm or cold it’s up to you!

Original Recipe: from Epicurious

Chicken Salad w/ Cilantro-Lime Dressing

Ok so I’m getting pretty freaking excited! You’re probably wondering why……welllll because it’s my birthday weekend!!! My actual birthday isn’t until Sunday but I like to stretch out the celebrations over a few days lol. I got a mani/pedi with my friend Sarah last night, which was lovely!  Tonight I have my family birthday party at Yew in the Four Seasons downtown :) Then the celebrations continue on Saturday and Sunday! So happy birthday to me!!

I’m very into salads these days! Hot stir-fries in the summer isn’t my first choice – so salads it is!  The salad part of this recipe is pretty basic – you can add any veggies you like.  The awesome part of this salad is the dressing! I got the recipe from Oxygen Magazine. So yummy!

Makes 1 large serving or 2 side salads

Ingredients for Salad

• 2 cups spinach (or any type of lettuce)
• 1 celery stick, chopped
• 1/2 cucumber, chopped
• 1/4 red pepper, chopped
• 1 cup steamed broccoli
• 1 tbsp sunflower seeds
• 1 tbsp goat cheese (optional)
• 1/2 chicken breast, cooked and sliced

Ingredients for Dressing

• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• pinch of cayenne pepper, unrefined salt, and pepper
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 avocado

Directions

1. To make the dressing – using a magic bullet or blender, blend up all the dressing ingredients until smooth.
2. To assemble the salad – put all the salad ingredients into a bowl.  Drizzle a few tbsp dressing on top and give it a good mix. ENJOY! :)