Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette

Adapted from Ina Garten's Back to Basics


Serving Size: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash, peeled and 3/4 inch diced
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tbsp dried cranberries
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 4 oz romaine lettuce, washed and sliced finely
• 1/2 cup walnut halves
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven 400 degrees. 

In a small mixing bowl add 2 tbsp of olive oil, the maple syrup, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Toss squash in mixture.

Place squash on sheet pan and roast for 15-20 minutes, turning once until tender. Add cranberries to the pan for last 5 minutes.

While squash is roasting combine cider vinegar, mustard, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper in a small bowl. 

Cut romaine lettuce in fine strips.

Place lettuce in large salad bowl and add roasted squash mixture, walnuts, and grated Parmesan. Spoon just enough vinaigrette over salad. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Optional: Add cherry tomatoes

Crisp Silken Tofu in Tomato Sauce

Adapted from eatlittlebird.com


Serving Size: 4-6


Ingredients

• 1 lb silken tofu (4 oz)
• 1/4 cup cornflour
• vegetable oil
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 4 medium size tomatoes, finely chopped
• 2 tsp sugar
• pinch of sea salt
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• cilantro for garnish

Directions

Cut tofu in 3cm pieces.

Add the cornflour to a bowl and coat the tofu in the cornflour.

Heat oil in a wok or small sauce pan over low-medium heat. Deep fry tofu pieces for a few minutes until they are crispy and lightly colored. Place tofu on plate lined with paper towel to soak excess oil

In another saucepan, heat 1 tbsp of oil over medium heat. Add garlic and red onion. Cook for a few minutes until mixture is fragrant.

Add tomatoes, sugar, salt, and fish sauce. Cook for 5-10 minutes over medium-high heat until tomatoes have softened and sauce has thickened.

Arrange tofu over plate and spoon sauce over it. Add cilantro for garnish. 

Optional: Serve with steamed white rice.

Pineapple and Banana Bread Pudding

One night my dad came home from work with five loaves of bread-white, wheat, sourdough, bagels, and pita. So I decided to make bread pudding with a slight twist since there were some bananas and pineapple lying around.

Serving Size: 8-10

Ingredients

• 13 slices of sourdough bread
• 1 cup of butter, melted
• 6 eggs
• 1 can (20 oz) pineapple, drained
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream or half & half
• 2 bananas, mashed
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place bread on cookie sheets and bake for 4 minutes on one side and 4 minutes on the other side.

In a medium mixing bowl blend eggs together until smooth.

Add brown sugar, white sugar, vanilla extract, heavy cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, pineapples, and bananas.

Arrange one layer of sourdough bread on the baking pan.

Pour half of the melted butter onto the first layer of sourdough.

Add the banana egg mixture on the first layer of bread

Add the second layer of bread and pour the rest of the melted butter onto the bread.

Add the final layer of the banana egg mixture.
Optional: You can sprinkle some cinnamon and nuteg on the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Corn Salad

Serving Size: 6-8

Ingredients (adapted from Ina Garten's fresh corn salad recipe)

• 5 ears of corn, shucked
• 1/2 cup red onion, diced
• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• handful of basil, chopped

Remove the husk of the corn. 

Cook the corn for 5 minutes in a large stockpot of boiling salted water. Drain and immerse corn in ice water.

When corn is cooled, cut the kernels off the cob and add to a large serving bowl.

Toss the rest of the ingredients in the serving bowl. Add the basil last. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Sauteed Pea Sprouts

I did not realize how many health benefits pea plants have to offer. For instance pea plants contain 8 times more folic acid than bean sprouts, 7 times more vitamin C than blueberries, and 4 times more vitamin A than tomatoes! Why take a multivitamin tablet when you can eat this delicious vegetable? 

For additional nutritional info on pea sprouts, click this link below:

http://www.peashoots.com/peashoots-nutrition.htm

This recipe is so simple and takes 10 minutes to cook. 

Serving Size: 6-8

Ingredients

• 5 cups of pea sprouts
• 1/2 cup of onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, diced
• 1 cup bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup oyster sauce
• 2 tsp lime juice
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 1/2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• pinch of salt
• pinch of pepper

Directions

Pour olive oil in wok and heat over low-medium setting. After 2-3 minutes add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper. When the onions and garlic begin to brown add the chicken broth, oyster sauce, .and lime juice.

After 5 minutes add the pea sprouts. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Optional: Top with chopped walnuts