Simplest Chipotle Salsa
This is my favorite salsa, I remember the first time we made it last winter thinking it was the simplest, tastiest salsa I've ever had. And the best part is that it only requires 5 ingredients, most of which you probably have laying around, and takes no time to make. I'm a such a sucker for that spicy complex chipotle flavor that really makes this salsa what it is.
Makes about 4 cups (2 pints)
1.5 pounds fresh tomatoes, quartered (any kind works)
1/2 large red onion, diced
1 cup cilantro, chopped
2-4 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (depending on hot spicy you want your salsa, I used 3)
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon salt
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until desired level of chunkiness is achieved. Adjust to taste.
Fall Harvest Bowl
I have been super MIA. This time of year I seem to get so sucked into laziness as the days get shorter and the sun and warmth disappear. This makes it particularly hard to snap a photo of dinner when dinner is a bowl of roasted veggies we eat at 9pm.
With my husband and I both in grad school (me full time, him part time) and both working (him full time, me part time) we often find ourselves home late only to look at each other and almost simultaneously say "wanna order sweetgreen". Maybe I am SUPER basic, but I freaking love sweetgreen. Something about being able to order a hardy, filling salad that's comparable to something homemade feels like such an easy satisfying choice.
And being the total creature of habit that I am, despite going to sweetgreen maybe 20 + times I order the same thing literally every time: The Harvest Bowl no chicken. Sometimes I add tofu, sometimes I add falafel, sometimes I add nothing but it's so damn good on it's own.
With thanksgiving coming, I knew I wanted to recreate my beloved salad at home. I spruced it up with pomegranates and used warm roasted butternut instead of the cold sweet potato slices and it is everything. Prepping all of the different elements takes some time - which is part of what makes sweetgreen so damn tempting for folks who are busy, but it is worth the effort if you have some extra time. And because kale is basically the most badass green you can totally eat the leftovers the next day without them getting soggy! This will for sure be on our thanksgiving table this year!
Serves 4 as a large meal, or 8-10 as an appetizer/side
1 small butternut squash
1-2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1/2 cup wild rice, uncooked
1 1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large pomegranate (or about 3/4 cup arils)
1 large bunch of kale (~10-12 oz), de-ribbed and thinly chopped
1 large honeycrisp apple, cored and diced into large cubes
3 oz goat cheese
1/3 cup raw almonds
1 tablespoon olive oil
For the balsamic vinaigrette:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 425 and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Meanwhile peel the butternut, then slice in half and discard the stringy center and seeds (or toast them with olive oil and salt for a tasty snack). Dice the butternut and then toss the cubes with oil and a liberal amount of salt. Bake the butternut for 35-45 minutes or until lightly browned, tossing halfway through. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly as you assemble the rest of the salad.
Make the rice. Bring water and salt to a boil in a small saucepan, then add the rice, cover, and reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 50 minutes (or per the instructions on your rice container).
Slice open the pomegranate and remove the seeds. I find the easiest way to do this is to quarter the pomegranate then submerge one quarter at a time in a large bowl of water. Underwater carefully tear away the pith, removing the rubies. The rubies will float to the top of the water and the pith will fall to the bottom!
Roast the almonds. Decrease the oven temperature to 350 degrees (alternately you could roast the almonds in a small toaster oven - that's usually what I do). Toss almonds with olive oil and salt and cook for about 5 minutes until almond skins begin to crack and turn a dark brown color (watch carefully so they don't burn). You want to bring them right to the edge of burnt so they are crunchy and extremely fragrant. Roughly chop and set aside.
Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients into a airtight jar (I use a mason) and shake until combined. Pour about half of the dressing over the kale and using your hands, massage the kale and dressing together for a good 3 minutes until the kale becomes limp and the pile decreases in size. Top with the roasted squash, wild rice, pomegranate seeds, almonds, goat cheese, and apple. Drizzle on the remaining dressing, toss and serve!
Moroccan Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini Dressing, Pistachios, & Dates
This is a straight up re-creation from a cauliflower dish I had a couple weeks ago at the new True Food Kitchen in Chicago. It was by far the best thing we ordered that night, and it reminded me so much of the flavors of Morocco.
It's pretty simple. Just dry roast a head of cauliflower. While it's cooking you whip up a simple tahini dressing (I used the most treasured sweet paprika I bought in Morocco last summer, but any kind will do). Toast some pistachios in a frying pan until fragrant, chop up some dates, fresh mint and dill and toss everything together. It's technically a side, but we've eaten it for dinner at least twice now, and we're not complaining.
I love the crunch the toasted pistachios bring to the dish and the tanginess from the dressing is cut beautifully by chunks of sweet dates. The fresh mint and dill lend themselves perfectly to pretending it's not the dead of winter and really lighten everything up.
Serves 4 as a side
1 large head of cauliflower
3 tablespoons tahini
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon agave (or honey)
3/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 tablespoons warm water
scant 1/4 cup shelled pistachios
4-5 pitted dates
small handful of fresh dill
small handful of fresh mint
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper then coat the bottom of the sheet with a light layer of oil (I used grape seed).
Cut the cauliflower into bite-size florets, season with salt, then place on the bake sheet and cook for 25-35 minutes until lightly browned around the edges.
While the cauliflower is cooking prepare the dressing. In a medium bowl, whisk together the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, agave, paprika, and water. Season with salt and adjust to taste. Heat a small frying pan over medium head and toast the pistachios, tossing frequently, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Dice the dates, and chop the fresh dill and mint.
Remove the cauliflower from the oven and start by tossing with about half the dressing. Then toss with dates, pistachios, and herbs. Season liberally (seriously, that cauliflower can handle it) with salt. Drizzle with the remaining dressing on top and serve.