Category: Appetizer

Gluten-Free Spinach Cheese Balls with Marinara Dipping Sauce

Published on by Alissa1 Comment

It’s party time.  Office parties. Family parties. Friend parties.  School parties.

It’s time to walk around, snack like you have elastic waistband pants on, and then wonder if maybe your dryer is shrinking your clothes. January is around the corner…let’s worry about it then.  OR….bring along a safety net.

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My safety net is to make sure that when I go to parties, I am prepared and bring something that I don’t feel too bad stuffing my face full of.  Being gluten-free during the holidays brings certain benefits and difficulties. I find that I have to walk away from the cookie table. So instead, I’ll bring my own sweet treat like these chewy ginger chocolate chip cookies or veggie loaded spinach cheese balls. Or both!

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These spinach cheese balls are a redo of last year’s spinach cheese balls that I made for Christmas. Unfortunately, they had bread crumbs and flour….not gluten-free. But, if you aren’t gluten free, then jump on them. So delicious…but, if you are gluten-free, try my new version where I simply replaced the wheat flour with almond meal from Trader Joe’s.  Serve with either store-bought marinara sauce or a simple homemade sauce.  My recipe for a homemade simple sauce is found below.

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Gluten-Free Spinach Cheese Balls with Marinara Dipping Sauce

Makes 20 to 30 1-inch balls

Ingredients

  • 1 frozen package of spinach (16 oz), thawed and thoroughly drained
  • 2 cups of shredded mozzarella
  • 1/4 cup almond meal (may need more depending on moistness of spinach)
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 teaspoon dried italian seasoning
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • fresh ground pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray or line with parchment paper.
  2. Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with homemade marinara dipping sauce (see below).

Homemade Marinara Dipping Sauce

  • 1 15 oz can of diced no salt tomatoes
  • 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients to the bowl of your food processor. Process until well mixed. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Grain-Free Chewy Ginger Chocolate Chip Cookies

Published on by Alissa5 Comments

I’m so excited. Christmas is getting closer. We went and picked out our tree a week ago. Even though it feels like Christmas in California (temps are in the 70s!!!), we still decorated the tree, drank bourbon-spiked egg nog, and watched Home Alone.

We pulled out all of our old and favorite childhood ornaments, placing them strategically on each limb.   We have many ornaments that have special meaning, but some are just funny.

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For instance, we have a ceramic ornament that came from some craft show ages ago that has Santa’s face painted on what appears to be tree bark but instead looks like Santa is floating on poop. We lovingly refer to this ornament as “Terd Santa”. Terd Santa has a high priority placement on the tree. He is usually placed near the 1980 Avon classic Bear Bell (a mama bear whose legs are the swinging bell) and the Headless Paper-mache Angel.

Now that it looks like Christmas has vomited throughout my house, leaving poinsettia and pine cones everywhere….it was time to make it SMELL like it too! I cooked up a batch of ginger chocolate chip cookies to make the house smell of gingerbread and spice.  These are inspired by this amazing cookie that I made last year, which unfortunately contains gluten from the wheat flour. In order to make those cookies grain free, I used almond flour as the base.  If you don’t have almond flour on hand, I have also made these cookies using almond butter, making them slightly more dense and chewy but still scrumptious.

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Even if you are not gluten-free, I seriously recommend this grain free cookies for the following reasons:

(1) The nuts give them protein…GOOD.

(2) They ooze of chocolate…DOUBLE GOOD.

(3) The ginger gives a nice spicy kick in your mouth….YES.

(4) And they are a COOKIE! Hellooooo. Nuff said, peeps.

I made these cookies bite-sized and rolled each one in turbinado sugar. The crunch of the sugar in contrast to the gooey, chewy, chocolatey cookie is divine.  WARNING – these suckers are so easy to pop in your mouth like popcorn. They can be quite addictive.

SO HIDE THEM IF YOU WANT TO EAT ANY!!!!  Because as soon as you tell anyone else that you made them, they will disappear and you may not get any…booooh. At least that is what happens in my house!!!

Ginger Chocolate Chip

Grain-Free Chewy Ginger Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten Free, Vegan, Paleo Friendly)

Makes 2 dozen tiny, bite-sized cookies

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups almond flour*
  • 2 Tablespoons coconut oil, softened
  • 4 Tablespoons maple syrup or honey
  • 2 Tablespoons unsulphured blackstrap molasses
  • 3 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips or bar, chopped into tiny pieces
  • 1/3 cup turbinado sugar or coconut palm sugar (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with unbleached parchment paper or a Silpat mat. Place the large-grain turbinado sugar or coconut palm sugar in a small bowl and set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine almond flour, coconut oil, maple syrup, ginger, salt, and baking soda. Mix until a thick batter is formed. Chill the batter in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes which will make it easier to scoop and form cookies.
  3. I like these cookies tiny and barely bite-sized.  Scoop out the dough in exact, level tablespoons. Then tear those pieces of dough in two before rolling each 1/2 tablespoon of dough into a ball shape. From there, grab a small handful of the large-grained sugar that was set aside earlier and roll each ball between your palms to coat the outside of each dough ball.  Place dough a few inches apart on prepared baking sheets.  Use a wet fork to flatten each dough ball into your desired cookie thickness. 
  4. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes or until firm around the edges, but still soft in the center. Allow to cool on the pan for 5 to 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
  5. Hide a few for your secret stash!

*NOTE – I use Honeyville almond flour. I have also made these cookies using 1 cup of almond butter instead of the 1.5 cups of almond flour. The cookies tasted great but were a little more dense.  I personally liked them both! So feel free to sub out for almond butter if you do not have access to almond flour.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds (Pepitas)

Published on by Alissa1 Comment

Tis’ the season of roasting pumpkins, butternut squash, acorn squash, delicata squash…. We all know what to do with the roasted flesh. Hello pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread.

But, don’t stop there! Roast those seeds. They are delicious as a snack, on a salad, or topping a delicious pumpkin or butternut squash soup!

These were a great addition on our holiday table this year. I used the seeds from the pie pumpkin that was the centerpiece for our Friendsgiving!

Toasted pumpkin seeds are a healthy snack too.  The flavors options are endless: Cajun, BBQ, cinnamon-spice, curry, or simply salt and pepper.

When you scoop out the seeds from the pumpkin or winter squash, wash off the pumpkin goop. Discard stringy fiber from seeds along with any seeds that are split or cracked then transfer to a strainer and rinse well. Drizzle with olive oil, seasoning, and salt. Roast in an oven until golden and BAM. Tasty tasty tasty.

I hope that everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving.  We are lucky to have amazing friends and family to celebrate and eat delicious food with.  Please be safe this week in your travels! Merry Thanksgiving from Kansas City!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients

  • Seeds from one medium-sized pumpkin or winter squash (Acorn, Butternut, Hubbard, Delicata) – about 1 cup
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 to 2 tsp seasoning of choice (Cajun, BBQ, curry, cinnamon n sugar) (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray.
  2. In a medium-sized bowl, drizzle the olive oil over the pumpkin seeds. Add the seasoning of choice and salt. Toss well. Place seeds in a single layer across a baking sheet.
  3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until seeds are golden. Sprinkle with a bit more seasoning when the seeds come out of the oven. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Makes about 1 cup.

Kale Salad with Cranberries, Pecans, and Roasted Apples

Published on by Alissa4 Comments

I’m drowning. Drowning in recipes and ideas and drooling over too many food photos. I can’t decide what to make for Thanksgiving. I want to make tooooo much.

How about sweet potatoes…..or sweet potato casserole, or sweet potato and chard gratin, or sweet potatoes with bourbon glaze. No…I’ll make a gluten free apple pie, or an apple crisp….or baked apples….or Ack…wait… look at these chocolate-caramel tartlettes.

OK…something green….. like green beans, green beans with miso and almonds, or roasted brussel sprouts, or….. *SNAP* And then my brain just…shuts….down. Stops.

And then I end up thinking…well, hell…I guess I’ll just make a salad.

But this just isn’t any salad, people. It’s a celebration. A Kale Party!  Ya…I know no one thinks of a party when you say “YAY KALE”. Except me. And well, maybe my friend Kathryn.

This kale party in a bowl salad is adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook. Another winning recipe from this amazing compilation from Deb.  She uses cherries where I used cranberries that I had on hand. I also added roasted apples and toasted pecans for autumnal festiveness. Dig in….

Kale Salad with Cranberries, Pecans, and Roasted Apples

Serves 6 to 8

Kale Salad Ingredients

  • 1 bunch of kale, washed and dried, stalks removed and leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries (or cherries)
  • 1/4 cup raw pecans, chopped
  • 1 medium apple, cored and sliced thin

Honey Dijon Dressing Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon smooth Dijon mustard
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Place apple slices on half of a roasting pan. On the other side of the pan, place the chopped pecans. Roast for 5 minutes. Remove from oven, and stir. Place back in oven for an additional 5 minutes, keeping an eye on the pecans to make sure that they don’t burn. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
  2. Meanwhile, place torn kale leaves in a medium to large serving bowl. Sprinkle with a dash of salt and gently massage the kale until it begins to break down a bit.  Add the dried cranberries, toasted pecans, and roasted apples. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  3. For the honey dijon dressing,  add the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, and honey to a small mason jar with a lid. Shake the jar vigorously.  Drizzle the dressing evenly over the salad.  Toss everything together to coat everything in dressing.  Although you can eat the salad immediately, I let mine rest for at least 20 minutes, allowing the leaves to become even more tender.  This salad is great for make ahead events!

Gluten Free Buffalo Turkey Meatballs

Published on by Alissa1 Comment

I have to admit that I am really not that big of a fan of chicken wings. Don’t get me wrong, I love the flavor. It’s mainly the work that goes into gnawing on a bone for just a measly morsel of meat.  But, I also get why most guys like them…they feel like authentic cavemen. This is probably the same reason why they dig ribs too.  And turkey legs.

So what better way to get the meat AND the buffalo flavor without the mess? Meatballs. Buffalo Meatballs. These mini meatballs are perfect if you have a gaggle of people coming over at different times, because you can keep them warm and saucy in a crock pot.  They are an easy finger food and a HUGE hit!

I recommend using Frank’s hot sauce. It’s the best buffalo sauce that I’ve found. You can make these meatballs with either ground chicken or ground turkey.  However, I should note that ground chicken is a bit harder to form into balls. I used ground turkey in this recipe and found them to be easier to mold and deeeeelicious. Adding a tad bit of coconut milk to the buffalo sauce adds creaminess.  Don’t worry, it doesn’t impart a coconut flavor at all. But you could easily sub melted butter for the coconut milk, if you are into that sort of thing.

Gluten Free Buffalo Turkey Meatballs 

Makes about 70 mini meatballs

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs ground turkey (or chicken)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup dried parsley
  • 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 Tablespoons + 1/2 cup Frank’s hot sauce
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 cup almond meal*
  • 1/4 cup coconut milk (or melted butter)

*Note – If you do not have almond meal, you can either use 1/4 cup of oat flour or 1/2 cup of bread crumbs.  However, these alternatives are not gluten-free, unless you use gluten-free oats and/or gluten-free bread crumbs.

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450F. Spray two 9X13-inch baking dishes with nonstick spray. Set aside.
  2. Combine the ground turkey, egg, 3 tablespoons of hot sauce, parsley, paprika, salt, garlic powder, and almond meal in a large mixing bowl and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated.
  3. Roll the mixture into 3/4-inch round balls. Place the meatballs in the prepared baking dish.  Line them up carefully, keeping them in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid. The meatballs should be touching one another.
  4. Roast at 450F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through. A meat thermometer should read 165°F in the center of the meatball.
  5. Carefully transfer the cooked meatballs into a warmed crock pot.  Add the remaining Frank’s hot sauce (1/2 cup) and coconut milk (or melted butter) to the crock pot. Toss to coat the meatballs. The meatballs are ready when the sauce is warmed or allow to cook on low until your guests arrive!

Nutty Coconut Date Balls

Published on by Alissa9 Comments

I love snacks. I would much rather eat several small meals than huge ones. Maybe because I loooove food and the thought of eating different types of food all day is quite a treat to me.

Also, being a runner, I get hunger pains and need a quick fix!  Eating my arm ain’t pretty, folks. You don’t want to see me get HANGRY.

This is basically my version of the coconut Lara bar.  These little balls are all over the food blogosphere, but I had never had a chance to make them until now.  For Food Matters Project Monday, Cheese Please chose Cheese-Nut Balls from Mark Bittman’s Food Matters Cookbook.  My hubby is dairy free, so I swapped out the cheese for dates and made individual snack bites.  These Nutty Coconut Date Balls are perfect little energy snack bites. The dates taste like caramel goodness with smacks of coconut.  Feel free to roll them into balls or press them into a sheet pan and cut them like bars. They make great travel food!

Coconut Pecan Date Balls

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dates, pitted
  • 3/4 cup chopped nuts (such as raw unsalted walnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, almonds and/or cashews)
  • 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
  • 1/8 tsp sea salt
  • 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Add the dates one at a time through the feed tube of the food processor while it is running. The dates will turn into a date paste.
  2. Add the nuts. Process until the consistency appears like cake crumbs, but it will easily stick together when you press the mixture between your fingers.
  3. Add salt and coconut. Pulse until mixed.
  4. You can either make these into bars or balls. If making into balls, simply remove the blade from the food processor and take one tablespoon at a time of the mixture and roll it between your palms until a ball forms.  To make bars (like larabars), put the mixture into a shallow baking pan and press the mixture into it. Seal and store in an airtight container in the fridge until you are ready to serve it.   These will last up to 2 weeks in the fridge or longer in the freezer.

Pumpkin and Apple Almond Flour Muffins (Grain Free)

Published on by Alissa23 Comments

So I have a crush. And not a little one. A BIG one…a huge, gushy, get red, giggle, snort, blow chocolate milk out of my nose kind of crush. His name…. Pumpkin…that’s Mr. Pumpkin. Ya….you know him. You all love him.  He’s like the Matthew McConaughey of fall produce.  Whatever he is in, it’s golden, perfect, never disappoints and always shirtless.

Such is my crush….mmmmm pumpkin. I’ve been collecting and dreaming about amazing recipes: pumpkin bourbon ice cream, pumpkin bars, pumpkin bread, pumpkin coconut soup, pumpkin latte, pumpkin butter, pumpkin oatmeal, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin smoothie, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin curry. The list goes on and on and on and on, people. It’s bad. I’ve got a pumpkin fever!

And then I stumbled upon this great pumpkin muffin recipe made with almond flour. As soon as the calendar hit September 1st, my oven went on and in went these delicious pumpkin muffins.  I had just picked up some local golden delicious apples at the market and decided to throw one into the mix. I’d been dreaming of these puppies and boy howdy they did not disappoint…much like Matthew McConaughey.  Pull the muffin liner off and they too will be shirtless. Whoah!

I honestly have to say these are hands down the best pumpkin muffins I have had…gluten free or not. It’s a double bonus that they are not only gluten free but grain free. So if you are on the fence about experimenting with almond flour, give these puppies a go. You will forever be in deep smit. You can even eat them shirtless. I won’t tell.

I should note that I made these with my newest purchase of Honeyville blanched almond flour.  I’m super impressed with the light texture.  Trader Joe’s offers almond meal and it is made from unblanched (skins still on) almonds. Bob’s Redmill also sells almond flour. Although Bob’s is blanched,  it has a more coarse texture but still tastes gooooooood. So if you are looking for a lighter texture to baked goods, I’d invest in a better almond flour such as Honeyville or go to Nuts.com.  Store your flour in the fridge or freezer. I also think Whole Foods offers bulk almond flour.   Another option is to regrind Bob’s almond flour in a coffee grinder. Just be careful to not let it process to long or you will end up with almond butter. DOH!

Pumpkin and Apple Almond Flour Muffins (Grain Free) (Slightly adapted from the Urban Poser)

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup (or honey)
  • 2 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted
  • 3 Tablespoons apple sauce
  • 1 diced apple, leave skin on if organic
  • 2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour (I use Honeyville or go to Nuts.com)
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 cup of walnuts or pecans
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray 12 cup muffin tin or place muffin liners within tin. Set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine wet ingredients (eggs, pumpkin, maple syrup, coconut oil, and applesauce). Combine until well mixed. Add diced apple. Set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients (almond flour, baking soda, salt, and spices). If you do not have blanched finely ground almond flour, you may need to regrind your almond flour in a blender.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until combined where there are no visible lumps. Add nuts and mix until combined. The batter will be rather thick.
  5. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin liners or muffin tin. Fill to about 2/3 full, smoothing the tops with the bottom of a spatula or spoon.
  6. Bake in 350F preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of a muffin. It will come out clean when done. Allow to cool on a rack, if you dare. Dive in. These freeze well.

Grilled Delicata Squash with Kale

Published on by Alissa6 Comments

Do you smell that? Ya…that’s fall people. IT is HERE! Well almost.  The weather man is taunting us. There are 90s in the forecast for the coming week but I have my fingers in my ears and I am not listening because my windows are open, it is in the 60s outside, and I am ready to pull out my BOXES O’ SWEATERS! Yes…that was plural….boxes.

Mmmmmmmmm….sweaters.

Also… winter squash is edging its way onto farmer’s tables at the market. Pumpkins, gourds, acorn squash, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, cinderella pumpkins.

Mmmmm…pumpkin. Oh, be ready people…pumpkin recipes are going to blow this place up! We are going to be swimming in pumpkin at this hacienda. But until then, let’s get back to winter squash, shall we?

One of my favorite winter squash varieties is the delicata squash. It is slightly larger than an acorn squash, but smaller than a butternut.  And did I mention that it is SOOO much easier to cut in half due to the thinner outside skin. The other beauty to this squash (besides those awesome trendy stripes) is that the skin is edible after it is cooked!  Now don’t get me wrong. I love butternut squash like the next bloke, but carving off all that stupid skin and hacking and chopping and nearly taking off my fingers and ear lobes in the process to just get a few measly cups makes me a bitter woman. More bitter than normal. And that’s bitter, people.

The inside flesh is smooth and similar to butternut in texture.  It caramelizes when roasted or grilled.  This dish can easily be adapted for roasting in an oven.  In an oven preheated to 425F, Roast for about 40 minutes. Around 30 or 35 minutes, keep an eye on them and test with a fork. They are done when the fork slides through with no resistance, like a potato.

You could serve the squash alone, but I topped them on top of a fresh lacinato kale salad. A perfect fall salad! Now, where’s my sweater?

 

Grilled Delicata Squash with Kale

Serves 4 as a side

Ingredients

  • 1 delicata squash, deseeded, halved and sliced in 1/2-inch slices (keep skin on)
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 bunch of kale (or swiss chard), stems or ribs removed and leaves cut into 1-inch strips and gently massaged. (Read this article to see why and how to massage that beautiful kale.)
  • feta (leave off for vegan and paleo)

Instructions

  1. Prepare and heat grill for direct grill method.
  2. Toss squash slices in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over medium heat for 5 minutes. Then carefully flip to the other side. Continue grilling for another 5 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, back on the ranch, add kale strips to a medium bowl. Sprinkle with salt and gently massage so that the kale slightly breaks down and becomes dark in color.
  4. Divide kale between 4 bowls. Place grilled squash rings on top of kale. Top with crumbled feta.

Marinated Fig and Spinach Salad

Published on by Alissa2 Comments

I was a fig virgin a year ago….a fresh fig virgin. Mr Newton destroyed figs in my opinion. Those weird “cookies” were the only sweets in my house when I was young and I stayed waaaaaaaay away from them. Looking back, I guess that was a good thing. So maybe I should thank Mr Newton and my mom. Only having access to those piss poor “cookies” curbed my sweet tooth, that’s for sure.

Late last summer, I noticed fresh figs at the store.  They popped up like a secret and without any warning. My curiosity got the best of me and I brought home a small basket of fresh figs, unsure what to expect.  Cutting into that dark flesh revealed such a surprise. The lush pink center of a fresh cut fig is so beautiful. I ate the whole basket in one day.  I went back…bought more and brought them to anyone and everyone I could. I was a fig prophet. I wanted to yell from the rooftops and spread the word. “Behold…the FIG. It will save your life.” I couldn’t believe that I had been blind to this fruit in its raw form for 30 years.

Although dried figs are available in stores year round, fresh figs are available in late summer.  There are numerous varieties with the Black Mission fig being one of the more common varieties found in stores.  Each variety differs in color and texture.  They are a great source of potassium (helps regulate blood pressure), calcium, and fiber!  So if you can get your hands on some fresh figs right now…do it. Profess the amazingness of figs. Eat them fresh and feel like royalty. Bake them and feel indulgent!

This past week I was lucky enough to get my hungry paws on a FLAT OF FIGS!!!!  After gorging myself on plain raw figs, I marinated a few and added them to this amazing spinach salad.  Although I loved the added flavor of the marinated figs, this salad would be fabulous with just the fresh figs and the balsamic-dijon dressing drizzled on top.

Ooooh…and a side note, the balsamic-dijon marinade/dressing is prime!  I whip up an extra large batch and store it in a ball jam-size jar with a lid and take it to work with me for my lunch salads.  Addictive! It’s also good drizzled on sautéed mushrooms and baked chicken.

Hope everyone has a great Labor Day weekend!!!!

Marinated Fig and Spinach Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard
  • dash of salt
  • 1/4 cup of olive oil
  • 6 fresh figs, stems removed and quartered
  • 4 handfuls of fresh spinach
  • 2 tablespoon of toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
  • crumbled goat cheese (optional)
  • fresh cracked pepper

Instructions

  1. Mix vinegar, dijon mustard, and salt in a small bowl.  Add olive oil, whisking constantly. Add figs and stir gently. Allow to marinate for about 10 to 20 minutes while you are preparing other things.
  2. Divide spinach between two bowls. Place figs on top of spinach and drizzle with marinade. Top each bowl with 1/2 tablespoon of walnuts and fresh cracked pepper. Sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese, if that’s yo thang.

Spring Roll Salad with Thai Dressing

Published on by Alissa10 Comments

What a weekend. Some friends of ours few into town from Austin. We had a great time catching up and showing them around the KC area.  The great cool down finally hit KC and made it perfect to ride bikes to our favorite restaurants.  We also ventured to Weston, MO, where we had fabulous brew in a century old Irish brewery tucked 4 stories BELOW ground.  It’s dank and musty and serves up a perfect pint of local brews.

Sunday brought warmer temps in the upper 90s. We found relief from the heat by checking out the Negro League Baseball Museum in the 18th and Vine district. If you are ever in the KC area, I highly recommend the museum.

We also were able to grill and cook some good food over the weekend. I made this great salad, which basically is a deconstructed version of thai spring rolls. The recipe is inspired by Mark Bittman’s Summer Rolls from the Food Matters Cookbook. This recipe was chosen by Alyssa of Every Day Maven as part of the Food Matters Project. It has been over six months since the beginning of the Food Matter’s Project, which consists of a group of food bloggers choosing recipes from Mark Bittman’s huuuuge, 500+ recipe cookbook “The Food Matters Cookbook” and cooking through them. 

I absolutely adore the freshness of well made spring rolls. The fresh cilantro and basil make the dish.  The herby salad is served with a thai-inspired dressing that contains almond butter instead of peanut butter.  Feel free to sub peanut butter instead, if you do not have any peanut allergies. This salad is quick and fresh and can be topped with shrimp or chicken for a complete meal.

The thai dressing would also be great for dipping. Add water after mixing all the ingredients. I found that after refigerating the sauce for a day, I had to add a few tablespoons of water to make it more of a dressing consistency. 

Spring Roll Salad with Thai Dressing (Gluten Free, Grain Free, Dairy Free)

Thai Dressing Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons almond butter
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk (full fat or light)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 to 3 tablespoons of water (add one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency)

Spring Roll Salad Ingredients:

  • 6 cups lettuce, chopped
  • 2 carrots, shredded
  • 4 green onions, green and white parts chopped
  • 1/2 cup sweet bell peppers, chopped
  • 1 cucumber, diced
  • 1/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • 1/4 cup chopped roasted cashews
  • sesame seeds

Instructions:

  1. In a small bowl whisk all dressing ingredients together until smooth. Place in a container and refrigerate.
  2. Add all the salad ingredients, except avocado and cashews, into a large bowl. Toss until all ingredients are well mixed. Top with diced avocados, sesame seeds, and diced cashews. Serve each salad with 2 tablespoons of sauce.