Kale Salad with Roasted Delicata Squash and Orange Maple Hemp Dressing

Hiiii and happy Friday!!!

It feels so, SO good to be back in this space sharing a recipe with you today. We've been eating it non-stop this past week, and I hope you'll be doing the same very soon.

I really don't know where to start with this post. There are so many things I want to update you on! I know it's been a little quiet here for the past few months or so, but I truly appreciate you sticking with me and still visiting this space for my previously posted recipes. I know you're not looking to read a novel on a Friday, so how about a Cliffs Notes version instead?

• We MOVED, again! If you follow on Instagram you're probably in the know and have seen some photos of my new work space. We moved a short distance from our last house and will not be renovating anything, possibly every again. Famous last words. Or for at least 5 years. I still feel like it's all a dream! There were many reasons for our move, but one of the big ones was so I could have a larger space and more light options for photography. I was thinking about looking into renting a studio space, but our new house ended up being exactly what I needed. 
• After nearly 1 year I finally updated my recipe pages (up top)! I still don't have all of the recipes listed (before 2013), but I did start to divvy them up by larger categories (like, breakfast!) and then sub-categories within those lists. Hopefully, this will be a big help! You can now also search for recipes by a long list of keyword ingredients. I haven't entered in all of the keyword info for each post, but it's a start! Baby steps...
• At the end of last year, I developed 18 recipes for Ancient Harvest that will be appearing on their product packaging! Look for their re-brand to launch sometime in the next few months. So excited for this! All 18 recipes are obviously gluten-free but also vegetarian and/or vegan. But they're very easy to add whatever your protein of choice is.
• I've had a very steady stream of freelance photography work coming in since December. I am actually currently booked through the end of April! I cannot even believe this is reality and am beyond grateful and excited for all of the work (and my amazing clients...seriously).
• I had my very first collaboration shoot last week with Room 214 and Glutino at our new house. It was a BLAST. Be on the lookout for my photography to start popping up on Glutino's Instagram feed in February!!
• Also, be on the lookout for a new website coming soon from Love Grown Foods with a bunch of my work featured there as well! (p.s. Have you seen their new KIDS cereals?? Let me just say, they are not only for kids. I am in love.)
• I have a handful of other photo projects coming in the next few months that I cannot WAIT to tell you about. Maybe I'll start doing some recap posts with my freelance work..?

Slightly longer than I initially intended....per usual.

Things have been exciting around here to say the least!

I must admit, I was quite burnt out by the end of last year and my recipe creating brain was completely shut off. I tried to look around for recipe inspiration but nothing was making sense in my head. I was cooking old standby meals for dinner and actually using my cookbooks. It was kind of nice to give myself a bit of a break and wait for inspiration to hit. I didn't want to come back to this space with anything that was forced, so I simply decided to wait.

And then my latest food obsession provided me with just the inspiration I was looking for.

The ingredients for this salad fell into place pretty naturally in my head. I love it when that happens.

The dressing was modified from a new favorite of mine on Gena's blog. I was really digging the creamy but not too heavy consistency of her dressing and have made it numerous times in the past few weeks. But for this salad, I wanted something a bit brighter in flavor and with some sweetness. That's when I thought to use orange juice in place of water and infuse it will a little maple syrup. 

The dressing helps soften the bitterness of kale and cabbage and helps bring out the natural sweetness in the squash. It's a total winner.

Print Recipe!

dressing adapted from: Gena's Lemon Hemp Dressing

Kale Salad with Roasted Delicata Squash and Orange Maple Hemp Dressing

serves 3-6, gluten-free/vegan 

for the salad: 

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 small delicata squash, halved lengthwise + seeds scraped
• 1 medium head lacinato kale, stems removed
• 1/2 small head red cabbage, cored
• 1 sweet red apple, cored
• 1/3 cup salted pistachios
• salt + pepper

for the dressing:

• 1/2 cup hulled hemp seeds
• scant 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest
• 1 small clove garlic, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat your oven to 400° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place squash halves cut side down and slice into 1/2-inch thick pieces. Place on the baking sheet and toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and a hefty pinch of salt and pepper. Roast for 15-18min. Flip slices and roast for another 15-18min, until starting to turn golden brown. Remove and let cool for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, stack your kale leaves and slice into thin ribbons. Using a mandolin (or very carefully with a knife), thinly slice your cabbage. Toss together in a mixing bowl and massage in 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil for about 60 seconds. Place in the fridge.

Place all dressing ingredients in your blender and turn on working up to high. Scrape the sides as needed. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Pour into a jar. Dressing thickens a bit as it sits.

Just before serving, chop your apple. Place kale and cabbage mixture on a large serving plate, top with squash, apple, and pistachios. Serve dressing on the side. 

Notes:

• Leftovers will keep well for 1-2 days without dressing.
• There will likely be more squash than can fit on top of your platter. I like to serve this salad with the extra squash on the side, or save the extra pieces to eat the next day. Feel free to cook only 1 squash if desired and decrease olive oil to 1 tablespoon for roasting.
• One of the nights we ate this, I mixed in cooked and cooled quinoa and Gena's lemon tempeh. It was outstanding together and made for a very satiating dinner (leftovers were also great!).

Happy weekend!

Ashley

Chipotle Vegan Caesar Salad with Grilled Cauliflower Steaks

Is it weird to tell you I had low expectations for this vegan caesar salad? I just wasn’t sure if it would all come together. I didn’t know if the dressing would taste smokey enough but still recognizably like caesar dressing, while also being vegan. I also wasn’t sure if the grilled cauliflower steaks would work on a salad. But at the same time I couldn’t get the idea for this recipe out of my head. So, I gave it a go.

This post is sponsored by Earthbound Farm.

Good news! It worked! And now I’m totally obsessed with this dressing. It’s by far my favorite vegan caesar dressing to date. It’s the perfect mix of chipotle + caesar flavors. And the creaminess comes from tofu instead of cashews in this version.

I love how cauliflower is one of those vegetables that’s in season in the summer and winter. It’s one of our favorite veggies around here, especially when we need a break from broccoli. There are so many uses for cauliflower these days, too. From pizza crust, to cauliflower-rice, to sauces, buffalo cauliflower bites, and probably things I don’t even know about. My love for this crunchy white vegetable is endless.

Over the years, we’ve tried to add more + more organic foods to our shopping cart. I won’t deny the difference in price, but buying organic leaves me with peace of mind about what I’m putting into my body on a daily basis. When we started shifting our diet (many years ago) and stopped buying as many packaged + processed foods but upped our organic produce intake, our grocery bill didn’t really change. It’s amazing how those convenience items added up! I rely heavily on fruits + vegetables in my diet, and I like to know they’re as healthy + safe as possible for my body and the environment. This is exactly I've come to love Earthbound Farm and their commitment to being 100% certified organic. 

These days, to keep costs down I look for recipes that I know use less expensive produce and other grocery items. I also save the fancy produce for special meals, watch sales at a few different stores, use coupons, and also look for ingredients that are in season for the best deals.

Fun health fact! Did you know cauliflower rich in vitamin C? We usually think of citrus as being loaded with vitamin C, but in just 1 cup of cauliflower you’ll get 77% of your daily value.

Cool stuff.

Now go make this salad + eat it outside!

Print Recipe!

Chipotle Vegan Caesar Salad with Grilled Cauliflower Steaks

yields: 3-4  large salads // gluten-free, vegan

for the cauliflower:

• 3 tablespoons avocado oil (or other high-heat cooking oil)
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 2-3 tablespoons chipotle adobo sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 large head cauliflower
• salt + pepper
• 1 1/2 cups chickpeas, rinsed + drained (plus oil, s+p for grilling)

for the dressing + salad:

• 1 cup “soft” silken tofu
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 medium clove garlic, peeled
• 1 1/2 - 3 teaspoons chipotle adobo sauce
• 2 teaspoons Braggs liquid aminos (or gluten-free tamari)
• 2 teaspoons drained capers
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• salt, to taste
• 1, 5oz package Earthbound Farm Kale Italia (baby kale, chopped lacinato kale, etc.)
• 1 medium head romaine lettuce, washed, chopped + dried
• lemon wedges

Drain tofu in a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl or the sink. Or, spread on a doubled over kitchen towel and let drain for about 10-15 minutes. (Don’t press on the tofu, just let it drain.)

Whisk together cauliflower marinade ingredients: oil, lime juice, adobo sauce, and garlic powder. Set aside. Place washed cauliflower head on a cutting board stem end down. Starting in the center and chopping straight down, cut about 3/4-inch thick steaks. Usually I get about 3 that hold fully together. Keep as many of the steaks in tact as possible. Cut away some of the stem + leaves, while still keeping the steaks in tact. Smaller steaks are also fine (see photo below). Avoid chopping into florets.

Preheat your grill to 400° F and place cauliflower on a large-rimmed baking sheet. Pour on the marinade. Gently rub on all sides. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside.

While the grill preheats, place tofu, oil, vinegar, lemon, garlic, 2 teaspoons adobo sauce, braggs, capers, dijon, and pepper into your blender. Blend until smooth. Taste. Add more salt (not more braggs), pepper, and/or adobo sauce if desired. The dressing should have a noticeable chipotle flavor but still taste very much like a caesar dressing. Place dressing in a sealed jar in the fridge.

Place steaks on your grill for about 10-15 minutes, until starting to lightly char and become tender. Toss chickpeas with oil and a sprinkle of salt + pepper. Place on a grill pan and grill until golden brown, stirring a few times, 15-20min. Remove once done. Flip cauliflower and grill another 10-12 minutes. Test with a fork for doneness.

While steaks grill, prepare your greens. Mix romaine and Kale Italia at a 1:1 ratio (in a large bowl or individual servings). Once cauliflower is done, place on each salad while warm and to with chickpeas. Shake dressing, then pour on and serve with a lemon wedge.

Notes:

Other serving methods: 1. Mix greens with the dressing and serve with cauliflower, chickpeas, remaining dressing, and lemon on the side. 2. Chop cauliflower and toss with the salad, chickpeas, and dressing. Serve with lemon.

To roast cauliflower and chickpeas in the oven: Place both on a separate baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Roast cauliflower for about 10-15 minutes per side, until tender and golden brown on both sides. Roast chickpeas for about 25-30 minutes, until golden brown, turning a few times.

Happy Friday!

Ashley

Today’s post is sponsored by Earthbound Farm. Product opinions are always my own. If I didn’t love it, you wouldn’t hear about it.Thank you for supporting the occasional sponsored post that helps fund all the deliciousness + behind the scenes action you see here.