Snacks – Page 6 – BIG EATS tiny kitchen

Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream

Published on May 23, 2013 by Alissa1 Comment

Weeks like these deserve stress relieving treats. They deserve a treat that evokes memories of great times, great summers, great friends, and great loves. A treat worth sharing! Cherish and celebrate those that are with us now. Treat the ones you love. Treat yourself with….

Homemade ice cream. Ding Ding Ding!!!!

I am typically pretty boring when it comes to ice cream flavors. A good homestyle vanilla is always my choice over a triple chocolate chunk or candy bar crammed scoop. I love the simplicity of a deeply intense vanilla ice cream. But step out of my way if fresh strawberry ice cream is available. I will knock down an old woman for it…just kidding…well, unless she had the last scoop. Am I right?

My favorite strawberry ice cream recipe is from the queen of simplicity, Alice Waters. Her recipe calls for both heavy cream AAAAND half and half. Double yum. However, this time I used 2% milk instead of the half and half, and felt it was sufficiently creamy. If you can get your hands on a pint of fresh picked strawberries, this ice cream will scream SUMMER with no apologies. And you will be dancing like Beyonce with every bite that enters your mouth. Oh oh Oh oh Oh oh!

But don’t fret…I have a fix for those of us that either don’t have access to fresh strawberries or just can’t wait and gotta have it NOW.

*whisper* Use frozen strawberries.

Shhhhh. I’m serious.

Thaw out a package of unsweetened frozen strawberries (organic if possible) in the microwave or in the fridge. Throw them on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast at 400 F for about 20 minutes and voila…jammy strawberries that pack a super duper punch of strawberry love. Scoop the strawberries and jammy juice into a bowl and add a tablespoon of maple syrup or honey. Mash up the whole jammy strawberry goodness and allow it to cool in the fridge for a few hours or overnight.

After it has cooled, it can be added to the base recipe for vanilla ice cream provided below. Process according to the directions of your ice cream maker.

Although this recipe does take some planning, it is well worth it. So kick your heels up this weekend, make a fresh batch of ice cream, share it, and then take a nap in the hammock. We all deserve it.

P.S. – Use these steps to make ice cream without a machine.

P.P.S. – For a dairy free version of this recipe, check out Sprouted Kitchen’s coconut milk version.

Roasted Strawberry Ice Cream (adapted from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters)

Ingredients

1 lb of fresh or frozen strawberries
1 tablespoon maple syrup
3 egg yolks
3/4 cup milk (I used 2%)
1/3 cup coconut palm sugar (or maple syrup, or honey)
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 F. If using frozen strawberries, defrost in microwave. If using fresh, quarter the strawberries. Place strawberries in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes. Place roasted strawberries and juice into a bowl and mash with the back of a fork. Allow to cool completely. This can be done in a day in advance.
To make the vanilla custard ice cream base recipe, place egg yolks in a heat-proof bowl and lightly beat, just breaking the yolks. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, heat the milk and sugar to a light simmer. Add a few tablespoons of the hot sugar-milk mixture at time to the eggs to temper them until they are warmed. Once the egg mixture is warmed, slowly add back into sugar-milk mixture. Cook the egg-milk-sugar mixture over a medium heat, stirring constantly until it is thickened and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from heat and add cream, vanilla, and salt. Cool and then chill for several hours (or overnight) until cold. This is the vanilla ice cream base recipe. You can proceed from here for just vanilla ice cream OR you can mix in fresh or roasted strawberries or whatever your sweet ice cream-loving heart desires.
Place a large bowl in the freezer and have it ready for the ice cream. For strawberry ice cream, mix the mashed strawberry mixture with the vanilla ice cream base mixture. Add this mixture to the bowl of the ice cream machine and follow the directions of your ice cream maker. My ice cream maker takes about 20 to 30 minutes.
Immediately transfer the strawberry ice cream to the bowl that was placed in the freezer. Freeze for an hour or two to harden. Pull the ice cream out of the freezer and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Roasted Salsa Verde (Tomatillo Sauce)

Published on May 5, 2013 by Alissa1 Comment

Winter is still trying to hold strong. But despite the lingering cold and the random flurries of snow that we had a few days ago, I am ready for margaritas, lime, tacos, and salsa verde!

Salsa verde is a simple tangy green sauce made from tomatillos. It is amazing drizzled on nearly anything. Growing up in Oklahoma, I was blessed with access to great mexican food. It became my staple for preparing easy dinners. Tacos, enchiladas, carne asada, tostadas…but then you add salsa verde and magic happens. Whoa!

Just wanted to share this recipe with you! Now if you will excuse me…I have a margarita to attend to. Mmmm.

Roasted Salsa Verde (Tomatillo Sauce)

Ingredients

1.5 lbs tomatillos
1 medium onion, cut into eighths
3 garlic cloves
1 small jalapeño
1/2 cup cilantro
1/2 lime, juiced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 1 cup of water (depending on desired consistency)

Instructions

Preaheat oven to 400 F.
Remove husks from tomatillos. Place tomatillos, onion, jalapeño, and garlic on roasting pan. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.
Add all ingredients to bowl of food processor. Process until smooth. Serve with chips, on roasted chicken, or as a sauce for enchiladas.

Paleo Hazelnut Banana Ice Cream (Dairy Free)

Published on April 11, 2013 by Alissa3 Comments

Two ingredients! That is all this ice cream contains. TWO! In reality, when it comes down to it, you only need one ingredient: frozen bananas. But I had to get all fancy and throw some roasted hazelnuts into the food processor…Oh ya…NO ice cream maker!

Frozen bananas + whatever you fancy + food processor = soft serve ice cream

If you don’t have a food processor, a blender would also do the job. This ice cream is basically instantaneous gratification in soft serve form!

It does take a small amount of forthought…freezing bananas. But seriously…we all have those lingering black bananas that need a home (and not banana bread..again). I simply chop my spent bananas up into bite-sized pieces, throw them into a baggy, and freeze ’em.

This past weekend, after I finished a hellacious 10 mile run (IN THE STRONGEST WIND STORM EVER), I ate this hazelnut banana ice cream for my recovery meal. It was the best treat after such a tough run. I was too hungry to even think or else I would have thrown cocoa into the ice cream too…. next time!

Paleo Hazelnut Banana Ice Cream (Dairy Free)

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 frozen bananas
1/8 cup roasted hazelnuts

Instructions

Place frozen bananas and hazelnuts into the bowl of a food processor. Process for 1 to 2 minutes, until the banana turns creamy like soft serve ice cream.
Spoon into two bowls and EAT!

Cauliflower Pizza Crust (Grain Free, Gluten Free, Paleo)

Published on March 21, 2013March 20, 2013 by Alissa11 Comments

Pizza, beer, and a movie is my idea of a perfect date night. I’ve been hunting around for a good grain free pizza crust recipe. Who knew cauliflower would come to the rescue!

Cauliflower is like the working mother of five or even fifteen. It can transform into so many different things…mash it, roast it, puree it, rice it, grill it. And now I’m adding one more thing to the list…crust it…that is, pizza crust, my friends. I was really amazed at how much this tasted like pizza.

Get out your handy dandy food processor and rice that cauliflower. Combine the riced cauliflower with eggs, seasonings, and some almond flour. Preheating a pizza stone and applying the cauliflower pizza “dough” onto the preheated stone helps produce a crisper crust. Prebake to get a golden crust. Then top with whatever toppings you choose. I have included my easy homemade pizza sauce recipe as well. Friday pizza night is back on!

Cauliflower Pizza Crust (slightly adapted from Love and Lemons)

1 cauliflower, diced in 1/2-inch pieces
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, salt
1 teaspoon each of oregano and parsley
3/4 cup almond flour

Homemade Pizza Sauce

1 6 oz can of organic tomato paste
1 cup of water
1 tablespoon each of oregano, basil, and parsley
1 teaspoon each of garlic powder and onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
salt to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place a pizza stone in the oven and allow to preheat.
Chop cauliflower into 1/2-inch pieces. Place cauliflower flourettes into the food processor and pulse for a “riced” consistency. Don’t go too far or you will puree it. Remove from food processor and place the riced cauliflower into a microwave save bowl. Microwave for 3 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients and mix to form into a wet ball. If it is too sticky to handle, add more almond flour. Gently knead it a few times to help it come together. Remember…this is cauliflower, NOT all purpose flour so it will not resemble typical pizza dough.
Remove the preheated pizza stone from the oven or use a baking sheet. Place parchment paper on top of the stone or baking sheet. Press the cauliflower “dough” ball onto the pizza stone or baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Gently mold it into a 1/4-inch thick circle.
Bake at 450 F for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.
For the pizza sauce, combine all ingredients into a medium bowl. Top the baked pizza crust with the homemade pizza sauce.Then top with your favorite ingredients. We topped ours with cheese (not paleo, but I really wanted some melty cheese), pepperoni, jalapeño, and mushrooms.
Bake for about 10 minutes.

Grain Free Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

Published on March 10, 2013 by Alissa2 Comments

Sometimes we all just need a cookie.

Sometimes nothing else cures a long day or a rough week like homemade chocolate chip cookies.

But being gluten free, warm chocolate chip cookies became a ghostly memory that haunted me with melty goodness. Were they that good? Maybe not. Maybe I just beefed it up in my imagination. Like ALF…I mean really…that show could NOT have been as great as I remember it. A hand puppet alien? Really. Anyone?

And then my girlfriend Tessa made a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies made with almond flour. I was floored. It was like a hug wrapped up in a cookie. It was soft. It was chewy. It tasted like the real thing! Like the kind that my mom would make on cold winter days.

And then it happened…

I snapped. I couldn’t stop thinking about those COOKIES. Those amazing cookies.

I woke up in the middle of the night. COOKIES.

I smelled them in my dreams. COOKIES.

I kept coming up with bad excuses to make them. HEY, Let’s celebrate me getting gas in my car! COOKIES? Hey honey, you look great in plaid…COOKIES??? I’m so sorry that you worked on a Saturday….COOKIES?????

They solved all my problems last week. I had to hide a few in the freezer so that my cookie-monster husband didn’t eat them all. So for special occasions I will warm a few up….like “hey, I organized my sock drawer and found most of the missing socks”….Time for a cookie and a milk stout!

Grain Free Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies (slightly adapted from Against All Grain)

Makes 2 dozen small cookies

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter or ghee
1/3 cup honey
1 large egg, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour (such as Honeyville)
2 tablespoons coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips (use Enjoy Life chocolate chips for dairy free)
1/4 cup walnut pieces

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine melted butter, eggs, and honey. Whip with a fork until combined and creamy. Add almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until a dough forms. Stir in the chocolate chip pieces and walnut pieces until combined.
Using a tablespoon, scoop out dough and place on parchment paper or silpat mat on prepared baking sheet. Flatten out cookie dough slightly with either the back of the spoon or your fingers. The cookies won’t spread during the cooking process. Therefore create the shape that you want before you bake the cookies.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes at 350 degrees F until lightly browned on edges. Remove from baking sheet and allow to cool on wire rack.

Almond Flour Biscuits (Grain Free, Gluten Free, Paleo)

Published on March 2, 2013 by Alissa3 Comments

In most diners in small Oklahoma towns, B&G…that is biscuits and gravy…is a standard side that comes with your breakfast. You typically can get two eggs, bacon, toast, pancakes aaaaand B&G for under $7. Oh I forgot hash browns…you always get hash browns. Oh and you will get a stretcher to roll yourself onto and go into a food coma.

But ooooh that B&G. I dream about it. Even though it is presented as a mere “garnish” to that HUUUGE breakfast, it so amazing. The gravy is so thick. The biscuits are so light, so fluffy, so buttery. Sure it packs a huuuge caloric and carbalicious load on the badunkadunk. But let’s not ruin my B&G dreams.

After realizing that I had a gluten intolerance, I thought I would never have a soft, flaky, buttery, amazing, warm biscuit again. I have tried making grain free biscuits using coconut flour, but I was less than impressed. Tropical flavored biscuits are a far cry from flaky biscuit heaven.

But I couldn’t give up. I found this basic almond flour biscuit recipe on Elana’s Pantry. Victory!!!! These almond flour biscuits are much closer to my beloved southern biscuits…flaky and buttery. I made the basic biscuit recipe and also adapted a batch by adding cinnamon and raisins. Mmmmmm.

Don’t expect these to taste like real buttermilk biscuits, people…once you give up gluten…those suckers are gone. But these grain free biscuits are the closest I have tasted. I just have to remember that by giving up gluten, I have gained so much in the way of health, tummy comfort, and hormone balance! So with that in mind, these come in really close to the read deal in taste. Plus they stand head and shoulders over the “real deal” when it comes to health, protein power, and the fact that they don’t pack on the poundage on the budunkadunk.

Now I just need to tackle a gluten-free gravy….I’m not so sure that is going to be possible. But challenge accepted!

Almond Flour Biscuits (adapted from Elana’s Pantry)

Makes 8

Basic Ingredients

2 1/2 cups almond flour (I use Honeyville)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup butter or ghee (or coconut oil)
2 Tablespoons honey
2 eggs (at room temperature)

Cinnamon-Raisin Biscuits Add-ins:

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place parchment paper (or silpat mat) on a baking sheet and set aside.
Combine all the dry ingredients (almond flour, baking soda, salt, and optional cinnamon) and blend well with a fork. In a separate bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients (honey, butter, eggs) and combine with the dry ingredients. Mix until a dough forms. (If making cinnamon raisin biscuits, stir in raisins now).
For easier handling, roll the dough into a ball and place it in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
Take the dough out and form biscuits with your hands using a 1/4-cup scoop, rolling into a ball and flattening to about 1 inch thickness. Or place the dough between two pieces of parchment paper and roll it to a thickness of about 1 inch and cut the biscuits with a cookie cutter.
Place the biscuits on the prepared parchment paper on the baking sheet. Bake at 350 F for about 12-15 minutes, or until they’re browned on the outside and a toothpick stuck into the center of the biscuit comes out clean.

Flourless Brownie Bites (Grain Free)

Published on December 25, 2012December 25, 2012 by Alissa2 Comments

Merry Christmas!

I hope you all are having a wonderful and cozy day. My husband I made the trek from KC down to Oklahoma to visit my family. My brother had back surgery a week ago and has been recovering. It was wonderful getting to spend time with all of us together.

We cooked, we ate, we laughed, we made our gingerbread house, and we watched christmas movies on repeat while my bro was horizontal in bed recovering. He’s getting around better and was able to eat dinner with us and walk around with his walker.

We had to leave a day early because Oklahoma freaks out over the mere mention of a slight chance of snow. So thinking Snowmaggeddon is on its way, we had to make a mad dash up north to Kiley’s family’s house in Tulsa last night to try to miss this “massive” snow storm. We woke up this morning to clear skies and no snow. Womp womp. But at least we are safe and sound in Tulsa with Kiley’s family now with the warmth of coffee and a fire in the fireplace. We hope you and your families are warm, cozy, and enjoying time together and slowing down this season.

I’m whipping up a batch of flourless bite-sized brownies. I love the tiny size for snacking. There is no flour, only cocoa powder, melted chocolate, honey, eggs, and butter or coconut oil! They are super easy and can be topped with anything you have on hand. Yes…even bacon. I topped some with bacon (it was a hit), some with crystallized ginger, others with toasted walnuts, and some with salted caramel (my fave). The recipe is inspired by the flourless brownies in my new favorite cookbook, Practical Paleo. The recipe is found below.

Also, if you are looking for some last minute quick gluten-free recipes to make for Christmas dinner, I’ve gathered up a few of my favorites….

Gluten-Free Breakfast:

Mexican Breakfast Casserole (Grain Free and Dairy Free)

Crustless Quiche (Grain Free and Dairy Free)

Pumpkin-Apple Muffins (Grain Free and Dairy Free)

German-Style Apple Walnut Pancake (Grain Free and Dairy Free)

Gluten-Free Appetizers:

Spinach-Cheese Balls (Vegetarian and Grain Free)

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs (Grain Free and Dairy Free)

Nutty Coconut Date Balls (Vegetarian, Grain Free, and Dairy Free)

Gluten-Free Side Dishes:

Kale Salad with Cranberries, Pecans, and Apples (Gluten Free and Vegan)

Roasted Cauliflower

Grilled Delicata Squash with Kale (Gluten Free and Vegetarian)

Gluten-Free Desserts:

Chewy Ginger Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten Free, Grain Free, and Dairy Free)

Fudge Brownies (Gluten Free and Vegan)

Flourless Brownie Bites (adapted from Practical Paleo)

Makes 30 brownie bites

Ingredients

4 ounces dark chocolate (I use 85% cocoa from Trader Joes), melted and cooled
1/2 cup coconut oil or butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Toppings or mix-ins: bacon, walnuts, crystallized ginger, caramel, unsweetened coconut, flaked salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease mini muffin tin with butter, coconut oil, or nonstick spray. Set aside.
To melt the dark chocolate bar, break into small pieces and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high at 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate is melted. It takes me 2 minutes.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the melted dark chocolate, melted coconut oil (or butter), maple syrup, vanilla, and eggs. Slowly sift the cocoa powder over the wet ingredients, whisking it evenly to ensure there are no lumps. Stir in salt and baking soda.
Spoon the brownie batter into the mini muffin tins (about 1 1/2 tablespoons per muffin tin), filling about 3/4ths full. Top the batter with the topping of your choice (chopped bacon pieces, walnuts, ginger, coconut, caramel pieces, kosher salt). Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Carrot, Walnut, Cranberry Bread with Almond Flour

Published on November 26, 2012November 26, 2012 by Alissa3 Comments

I’m a morning person. At least, I thought I was a morning person until I met my husband. He is the HAPPIEST morning person I have ever known. But here is the problem. His über happy morning disposition turns me into the most grump-a-licious person. It’s weird.

Grey clouds swirl my head and lightning bolts shoot out of my red beady eyes as soon as he starts skipping around. It’s like I have to balance out his extremely excited attitude by acting like someone took a poop in my Cheerios. If we both were happy at once, the house would implode! right?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m so glad that he isn’t crabby or grumpy…like me. But, in the mornings, there are a couple of “rules” that I tend to follow. Rules that, well…my husband does not. I consider these rules to be universal, but after marrying a man who is anything but rigid, pragmatic, or regimented…. I realize that my rules only apply to me….a very rigid, pragmatic, and regimented person.

For example…

Alissa Morning Rules – The first thing that must occur is the brewing of a large pot of coffee. No speaking above a certain decibel in the morning. I like to open the windows and see the fresh light stream through the house.

Kiley Antirules – Anything goes. Sing as loud as possible in as many octaves as possible. If you don’t know the words, make them up. There are no songs off-limits. Drum beats on hard surfaces (including your wife’s butt) are encouraged. Turn TV on immediately, play music on phone, watch videos on iPad…..all at the same time.

I love and adore this man…but honestly, must he sing the Gummy Bears theme song at 6:30 am? Seriously. I didn’t even know they had a theme song. And maybe they don’t and he just was singing this ridiculously happy song. Must he sing the ENTIRE R Kelly “Trapped in the Closet” montage!?

But that is just it…he is happy.

So happy.

He hasn’t even drank coffee and he’s bouncing around like a pinball. And then I think…why is this man married to me? Why is he constantly happy to wake up next to the grouchiest person that THINKS she is a morning person but will break your finger in three places if you dare touch her before coffee and food are in her hands.

And that’s when I realize that I’m grateful for things that just don’t make sense sometimes. I’m grateful that this bouncy jukebox-singing man continues to wake up every morning and think that he hit the jack pot…with me. HA. I know that if that jukebox ever went silent, my world would be a very boring and sad place. It would be like having banana bread every morning.

I mean, I like banana bread…just like I love silence in the mornings sometimes, but when you’ve had Carrot, Walnut, Cranberry Bread…whoa buddy…it’s a new ball game. Breakfast is exciting again. This breakfast bread is carrot cake reincarnated in a breakfast. So make a batch, freeze part of it for quick breakfasts, and you will find yourself singing your own morning show tunes. Just be sure to warn your family!

Carrot, Walnut, Cranberry Bread with Almond Flour (Grain Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Refined Sugar Free, Paleo-Friendly)

(adapted from Anja’s Food 4 Thought)

Makes 2 loaves or 24 muffins

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup almond flour (I use Honeyville)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 tablespoons coconut oil
4 bananas, mashed (1 cup)
2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
4 medium carrots, shredded
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray muffin tins or loaf tins with nonstick spray.
Mix dry ingredients (almond flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon) in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients (eggs, vanilla, coconut oil, mashed bananas, and honey). Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until combined. Stir in carrots, coconut, cranberries, and walnuts.
Pour batter into prepared loaf tins or muffin tins. Bake at 350F for 40 to 50 minutes if baking loaves. For muffins, bake at 350F for 25 to 35 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before removing from tins. Place muffins/loaves on cooling rack. Muffins keep best in the refrigerator. I freeze a batch to reheat for quick breakfasts.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds (Pepitas)

Published on November 20, 2012November 20, 2012 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

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray.
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.
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 November 17, 2012 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

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.
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.
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!