Lemony Arugula, Apple, and Manchego Salad
I have my wonderful college best friend, Jenny, to thank for inspiring this recipe. One summer at her apartment in Chicago, she whipped up a flavor bomb salad with ingredients I had never combined before. I ate so much of that salad … so much. I couldn’t get enough of the peppery, tart, sweet, and nutty goodness!
Admittedly, because my husband and I began eating mainly vegan two years ago, I haven’t made this salad since (the cheese really makes it!). But I’m bringing it back and giving myself grace to have some cheese!
So let’s talk arugula. It’s kind of a love-it-or-hate-it type of green. The British call it “rocket salad” instead of arugula; and frankly, that’s so much more fun to say, so I’ll be adopting that terminology from now on!
Arugula actually isn’t part of the lettuce family, but rather, in the cruciferous family like brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cauliflower. Arugula fights cancer, protects eye health, improves heart health, aids in weight loss, improves digestion, helps prevents diabetes, and may act as a natural aphrodisiac! So, maybe keep this in your back pocket for an anniversary recipe?
Jenny got me hooked on manchego cheese with this salad, but parmesan works just as well (and it’s easier to find). Manchego is sheep’s milk, whereas parmesan is cow’s milk; and manchego has a more delicate and nutty, less salty flavor than parmesan.
I hope you enjoy getting “globular” (Jenny’s and my word for “full” or “stuffed”) on this flavor bomb salad!
Ingredients
Salad
~4 oz. arugula (I prefer baby arugula)
1 sweet and tart apple like honeycrisp
Shredded manchego cheese (parmesan is also a great substitute)
Dressing
Juice of 2 lemons
4 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
6 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Whisk together dressing ingredients, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
Thinly slice apples (give a squirt of lemon juice over top if not eating right away to prevent browning) and shave or grate manchego.
Toss arugula and apples with dressing and top with the cheese. Enjoy!
Tips and notes
Optional add-ins: Candied walnuts, toasted almonds, chopped dates, fresh chives
If you’re not in the mood to make your own dressing, there is an abundance of delicious lemon vinaigrettes in the produce section of the grocery store.
Roasted Radishes with Chive Honey Butter
We’re all used to the crunchy, peppery addition of radishes to our salads. But have you ever roasted them? If not, prepare to be amazed!
Once you taste roasted radishes, you’ll never want to eat them another way—I promise. These veggies turn into silky, creamy delights. They’re scrumptious when simply roasted in olive oil, salt, and pepper alone—but I’ve paired them with a sweet, tart, butter. I think you can anticipate no leftovers!
Besides being beautiful to look at, radishes are an excellent source of antioxidants, electrolytes, minerals, vitamins, and dietary fiber. Like other cruciferous vegetables, radishes contains an antioxidant compound called sulforaphane, which has a proven role against prostate, breast, colon, and ovarian cancers. Radishes also boast large doses of vitamin C, which promotes skin health and slows aging. This nutrient stimulates collagen formation and neutralizes oxidative stress, protecting your skin from UV radiation and free radicals. Lots of power in one tiny veggie!
This recipe has the most delicious melted butter sauce. In fact, when I make this recipe, I leave the radishes in the bowl of chive honey butter and eat them with a spoon—almost like cereal—in order to ensure I can slurp up that melted goodness with each bite!
Ingredients
2 bunches of radishes, greens and tips trimmed off, cut in half lengthwise (or quartered for bigger radishes)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 Tablespoon melted butter
2 teaspoons dijon or whole grain mustard
1.5 teaspoons honey
2-3 Tablespoons chives
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper. (*Tip: crumple up your parchment paper and then re-spread it out on sheet. This will make it more pliable!)
Toss radishes in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Arrange evenly on baking sheet and roast for 35-40 minutes, flipping halfway through.
While radishes are roasting, combine butter, mustard, honey, lemon juice, chives, salt, and pepper in large bowl.
Remove radishes from oven and toss in bowl of honey chive butter. Enjoy!
-Meredith Hodge
*Recipe inspired by Noming Thru Life
New for 2019...RECIPES! Introducing Meredith Hodge
Our family has known the Hodge family since I was 9 years old. When we moved to Illinois we met Meredith’s husband Matt and his brother Mike at our church. We were the same age they were and lived only a short bike ride away. Our summers were spent living at the park, riding bikes, playing “war” in the backyard, going to the manual car wash on a hot day and spraying each other with the high powered pressure washer…you get the gist. It was a great childhood.
Fast forward many (many) years, Matt and Meredith were married and last summer they were members of our farm to table produce boxes. Every week Meredith would send us photos of meals she made with our produce and they looked incredible and tasted even better. This winter we inquired to whether she would be interested in putting together recipes for the produce included each week of the 2019 season. We were so excited when she accepted!
So you can get to know Meredith a bit better, we did a little Q&A.
Enjoy!
What do you like about preparing food?
There’s something magical about preparing food--an artform, really. I love taking individual ingredients and marrying them to create one cohesive dish. Putting my heart and creativity into a meal for my husband, family, and friends brings me great joy--especially when it is a flavor combination or ingredient they hadn’t previously tried, but now love.
Food brings people together, and food is something everyone can relate to. James Beard said, “Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” And it’s true: food is humanity’s unifier. We all need it, we all love it, and we all make memories through it.
Why is local organic produce important to you?
Produce that is local and organic has a different “feel” to it--and I know that may sound strange. But knowing where and how your food is grown and who produces it creates a bond, trust, and deeper connection to food. In a world that is so commercial, mass produced, and removed, there’s something comforting about shaking hands with your farmer, knowing their name, and walking the very ground where your food grows. Local and organic farmers practice respectable, responsible, and sustainable methods, and we’re blessed to support that. And let’s face it: local organic produce just tastes so much better. The best meal I ever had in my entire life was made with Field and Farm Co. produce!
What’s your favorite thing to cook?
I love a good chili, soup, curry, or any dish that needs time to develop its flavors.
What’s your first memory in the kitchen?
My mother always welcomed me to be involved in the kitchen. As a child, I was generally more interested in baking and sweets, especially because I’d get a lick of cookie dough or cake batter from the bowl. My mom allowed me to express my creativity and get messy in the kitchen. We have home videos of me around age three sitting at our kitchen table playing with flour and bouillon cubes; my face and clothes are completely covered, and we both were laughing. Those positive experiences and continual encouragement to be creative jump-started my love for cooking and baking.
What can we expect from your recipes?
Expect flavor and some surprises! I enjoy putting little twists on traditional meals and creating mashup dishes from different cultures.
Why did you choose to move to a plant based diet?
The main reason we shifted our eating was for health reasons. I was frustrated by doctors prescribing more medications for issues I was having without ever finding the root cause. After researching, I was convinced that the amount of animal products we were consuming was becoming detrimental to our health.
After making the switch to eating only plants, and seeing the tremendous change in our health, that was it for us--no turning back! Matt and I also eat plants for environmental impact and animal cruelty reasons, and are passionate about sharing why it is important to know your farmer and where your food comes from.
Any tips for people who want to cook at home but maybe don’t have a lot of time to prepare food?
-One easy way is to purchase ingredients that have been pre-washed and pre-cut. In the produce section of most grocery stores, you can find spiralized and cut veggies, pre-cooked lentils and other legumes, and even fresh pasta. You’ll have to pay more than if you bought the ingredients whole, but it’s a time and mess saver.
-Another option is to invest in some handy gadgets. Buy a food processor or hand-chopper that will do most of the cutting, chopping, and dicing for you. Sometimes I enjoy hand-chopping my food, but other days, I just throw my ingredients in the food processor and let it do the hard work for me.
-Some people enjoy executing “meal prep” for the entire week. This means choosing a day--usually on the weekend--to do all of the meal preparation for your week’s recipes. You’d chop, measure, portion, and store everything, making it easy to simply grab, dump, and cook when the day comes.
-Also, there’s nothing wrong with canned goods--provided that the can has no chemicals like BPA, there are no added preservatives, and the vegetables are organic. You don’t have to soak your own black beans; (low sodium) black beans in a can are just fine!
-Lastly, save time by leaving the skins on! The (edible) skins of most produce carry beneficial nutrients and fiber. Mash those potatoes with the skins on and roast your carrots unpeeled!
if you want to know more, Meredith would love to hear from you!
To learn more about Meredith Hodge:
Website: www.itspositiveliving.com
Instagram: @meredith.hodge
Twitter: @meredithLhodge
Facebook: @meredith.hodge.writer
Butternut Squash Soup
It’s fall time... That means the savory goodness of winter squash is in season. Our good friend and member Meredith from It’s Positive Living sent us a few of her favorite recipes to try and now share. Enjoy!
Panera Copycat Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
5 cups of butternut squash - cleaned and cubed
2 Honey crisp apples - peeled, cored and cubed
3 carrots - peeled and cut into large pieces
2 tbsp honey
1-2 tsp curry powder
1-2 tsp red chili Flakes (plus more for garnish)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
4-5 cups vegetable broth
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup coconut milk - the one from the jar
salt and pepper
pumpkin seeds (for garnish)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Combine butternut squash, apples and carrots on a baking sheet. You don't want them too crowded because you want them to be able to caramelize a bit.
Spread them out and drizzle olive oil and salt and pepper on the vegetables and apples.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until soft and lightly caramelized. Make sure to shake the pan a few times while they bake so that no one side gets burned.
Add to a medium sized pot and cover with vegetable broth.
Add curry, cinnamon, honey and orange juice. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Taste for seasoning.
Add contents to a food processor or vitamix. Puree until completely smooth. Feel free to add more vegetable broth or a bit of water to thin it out.
Pour into bowls and take a spoon and add a bit of coconut cream. Swirl it in with the back of the spoon to create an abstract design.
Garnish with pumpkin seeds and red chili Flakes.
Recipe Notes:
Note 1: 5cups is about the size of 1 container from Costco. Otherwise for this recipe you will need about 2 nicely sized butternut squash.
Note 2: Curry powder is very powerful so be light handed with it at First. You want a hint of it, not to over power the whole dish.
Note 3: Most stores have freshly squeezed orange juice in the produce aisle you can buy instead of squeezing your own out.
Note 4: If you notice, the soup is not a super bright orange color but instead has a deeper color. This is due to the caramelizing of the vegetables before cooking the soup. I would take that Flavor over the color any day!
Note 5: Stir up the coconut milk in the can to combine the liquid and the cream.
Source: Girl and the Kitchen