Garden Chopped Salad with Hatch Chile Vinaigrette

Combine all vinaigrette ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside. 

Blister the corn on a grill or gas range until lightly charred on all sides. Hold the corn upright in a large salad bowl and use downward cuts with a paring knife to cut the kernels off the cob into the bowl.

Fill your salad bowl with chopped romaine, then add the remaining salad ingredients. 

Top salad with Hatch chile vinaigrette and enjoy! 

350 calories; 23g total fat (4g saturated); 550 mg sodium; 36g carbohydrates; 14g dietary fiber; 8g sugar (0g added sugar); 10g protein 

Vegetable Rice Stuffed Squash

Directions: 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut your squash in half and remove seeds. Season with salt, pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. 
  1. If using, drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of maple syrup over the squash halves and roast for 40 to 50 minutes or until squash is tender but still maintaining its shape. Remove from oven and reserve.  
  1. In a heavy bottom pan, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Cook the veggie rice for a few minutes and reserve. Wipe down the pan and add more oil.  
  1. Sauté carrots, shallots and celery until golden brown, stirring as needed. Remove from pan and reserve. 
  1. Add more oil to pan and sauté mushrooms for a couple of minutes until caramelized. Return the carrot, shallot and celery mixture to the pan. Add garlic. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring as needed.  
  1. Gently stir to combine all veggies. Deglaze pan with the vegetable broth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  
  1. Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes until the veggies are soft but still have a bite to them. Add the whole cranberries, fresh herbs, lemon and orange juices and zest.  
  1. Add the veggie rice back to the pan along with half of the parsley. Remove from heat and top the butternut squash with the “stuffing”. 
  1. Garnish the dish with parsley, pomegranate seeds and purple cauliflower. 
  1. Drizzle with more maple syrup and serve. 

Elote Corn Salad

Heat a grill on high for 10 min. Husk the corn, completely removing the silky hairs and lay the corn directly on the hot grill. Once the corn begins to char, flip it to the other side. Continue flipping until the corn is charred on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Remove the corn from the grill and allow it to cool. Once the corn has cooled completely, use a sharp knife to remove the kernels from the corn.

In a medium sized bowl combine the corn kernels with the radishes, green onions, lime juice, salt and pepper. Thin the mayo with milk (adjust to desired consistency and toss the corn mixture with the mayo until completely coated. Add a little more if desired. Sprinkle the salad with cilantro and cotija

Nutrition per serving: 190 calories; 10g total fat (2g saturated); 340 mg sodium; 23g carbohydrates; 1g dietary fiber; 9g sugar (0g added sugar); 4g protein 

Adapted from Modern Proper

Weeknight Red Lentils

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium heat and add the onion, cooking for 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger and continue cooking until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Steam the bag of butternut squash cubes, available in the produce department, in the microwave according to the package directions. Add two cups of squash to the pan, storing any additional in the refrigerator. Add the turmeric, curry powder, salt, ground cumin, caraway seeds, and ground coriander to the pan, mixing everything together and cooking for an additional 3 minutes. Add one cup of vegetable broth to deglaze the pan, then add the remaining two cups of broth, diced tomatoes, and lentils, stirring the mixture together. Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and portion into bowls, adding chopped cilantro on top for garnish. This recipe pairs well with spinach and brown rice.  

Nutrition per serving: 320 calories; 5g total fat (0.5g saturated); 330mg sodium; 53g carbohydrates; 19g dietary fiber; 8g sugar (0g added sugar); 17g protein 

Soba Noodles with Tofu and Noodles

Preheat oven to 375° and place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven.

In a bowl, toss kale, coconut, squash, tofu, salt and pepper, and 4 tablespoons olive oil until coated. Evenly divide mixture between 2 lined rimmed baking sheets and roast, tossing and rotating baking sheets halfway through, until kale is crisp, coconut and tofu is browned, and butternut squash is tender, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling water over high heat, cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Shake off any residual water and place noodles in a clean large bowl.

In a small bowl, combine tahini, soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, remaining 1/2 cup olive oil, and lime zest and juice. Whisk dressing until smooth. Pour half over noodles and toss to coat.

Add half of kale mixture to noodles and toss to incorporate. Drizzle in more dressing as needed, tossing until noodles are creamy; season with salt. Pile remaining kale on top. Drizzle with more sesame oil. Garnish with green onions.

French Carrot Salad

In a bowl, combine mustard, lemon juice, honey, oil, salt and pepper. Add carrots, parsley, and shallots and toss well. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Hearty Greens with Beets, Pomegranates, and Pistachios

Preheat oven to 400°.

Cut off tips of red and golden beets, wash thoroughly. Keeping beets separate, in 2 small bowls, drizzle olive oil on beets and season with salt and pepper. Wrap red and golden beets in separate aluminum foil pouches and cook until fork tender, 45-60 minutes. Let cool.

Peel and cut golden beets into 1” wedges. Repeat with red beets. Keep beet colors separated.

In a bowl, add chard and half of pomegranate arils and toss lightly.

In a bowl, whisk together mustard, honey, pomegranate juice, and vinegar. Slowly drizzle oil, whisking briskly, to form an emulsion. Season with salt and pepper. Add 1/2 cup dressing to greens and gently massage. Let sit for 10 minutes.

Arrange greens and beets on a platter. Garnish with pistachios and remaining pomegranate arils.

Brussels Sprouts, Kale and Squash Salad

Preheat oven to 400°.

To make the salad, on a sheet pan, toss sprouts and squash with a small amount of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast until golden and crispy on the ends, about 8 minutes. Let cool for 15-20 minutes.

In a large bowl, add kale. Drizzle with oil and salt. Massage with your hands until kale starts to break down and soften. Add roasted sprouts and squash and toss.

To make the dressing, in a bowl, add balsamic, tamari, garlic, and basil. Slowly whisk in olive oil to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper.

Dress salad, adding in small amounts so as not to overdress. Toss and serve.

Lemony Green Beans with Fried Leeks and Pine Nuts

To make gremolata, in bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, add all ingredients except red pepper flakes and pulse to combine. Add red pepper flakes and set aside.

Fill a large pot with water over high heat and bring to a boil. Add salt and beans and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, 5-7 minutes. Using a spider or slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl of ice water and let sit for 1 minute. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.

Zest 1 lemon. Juice both lemons to yield 1/4 cup juice. Slice remaining lemon into wedges.

Cut leeks crosswise into 4” sections, then thinly slice lengthwise into matchsticks.

In a deep-sided frying pan over medium-high heat, add oil. When oil shimmers, add half of leeks and fry, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels and season with salt. Repeat with remaining leeks and drain and discard oil in pan except 2 tablespoons. Wipe out pan with paper towels and add 1 tablespoon butter and a drizzle of canola oil. Add bell peppers and cook until just beginning to get tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

In same pan over medium heat, warm oil. Add green beans, lemon zest, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, just until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Add lemon juice and toss to coat. Add reserved bell peppers and toss to combine. Transfer to a platter, top with leeks, pine nuts, and serve with lemon wedges and gremolata alongside.

Sweet Potato Towers

Preheat oven to 375°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Peel potatoes and cut into 1/4” thick rounds and set aside.

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add rosemary and cook, stirring often, until butter is browned, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Add syrup, cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, black walnut bitters, and orange zest and stir until smooth.

On prepared sheet, stack 3-4 sweet potato rounds to make 16 rounds. Drizzle 2 teaspoons herbed brown butter mixture over each stack of sweet potato slices.

Cover sweet potatoes with aluminum foil and bake until sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a paring knife, 25-30 minutes. Remove pan from oven and discard foil.

Using a small offset spatula or a spoon, transfer potato stacks from pan to a serving platter. Sprinkle with pecans and black pepper. Garnish with rosemary.