Red Kale and Walnut Salad

All the kale to be found last week at the grocery store was red kale!  Red kale is coarser and maybe a bit more peppery than what I'm used to but here's a recipe that actually turned out to be one of our favorite kale salads!

Ingredients:
4 cups red kale
1 cup red cabbage
1/2 cup onion
1 cup walnuts, toasted
2 tbsps olive oil
2 tbsps shaved parmesan cheese or shredded non-dairy cheese substitute
Salt





Directions:
Separately chop kale and red cabbage as if you were making slaw.  Saute' walnuts and onions in olive oil until onions are translucent.  Add red cabbage and saute' for 2 more minutes.  Salt sauteed mixture, then mix with chopped kale.  Top with parmesan (or non-dairy cheese substitute). Toss with a very light vinaigrette.  We actually enjoyed this without any salad dressing!

Gluten-Free Cauliflower Walnut Tabbouleh

Tangy, cool, and refreshing side dishes are just what we need to survive summer in Scottsdale, AZ and this dish is perfect.  I toasted cauliflower to replace quinoa or wheat berries in this recipe.  Although I love the taste of walnuts, pine nuts are delicious too.








Ingredients:
1/2 head of cauliflower, chopped
1 cup walnut pieces
2 tbps olive oil
1/2 medium Vidalia onion
1 cup parsley, larger stems removed
1/2 cup mint
1 English cucumber, peeled
1 cup grape tomatoes
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste

Directions:
In separate cookie sheets, coat cauliflower and walnuts in olive oil and roast at 450 degrees for 20 minutes or until cauliflower and walnuts turn golden brown. Pulse cauliflower, onions, parsley, and mint in food processor until ingredients are rice-size.  Finely chop tomatoes and cucumber and add to medium salad bowl.  Then add ingredients from food processor, lemon juice, olive oil, roasted walnuts, and salt to taste.  Mix thoroughly.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Roasted Asparagus with Spaghetti Squash Pasta

One of our favorite new vegan dishes!

Ingredients:

2 lbs. fresh asparagus spears

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes

2 cloves garlic, finely diced

1 large spaghetti squash

1/2 cup pesto

1 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

(For spaghetti squash pasta) Preheat over to 350 degrees. Cut squash in half and remove seeds.  Cover cookie sheet with foil. Smear olive oil on surface of foil and place squash flesh side down and roast for about 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and wait until cool enough to handle.  When squash has cooled, use a large spoon to scape the strands of squash from the inside of the skin. Let squash strands sit for about 5 minutes on paper towels to drain some of moisture then toss squash with 1/2 cup pesto.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

 Roasted Asparagus:

Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheet with foil. Toss asparagus with 1 tbsp. olive oil and season with ground pepper, coarse sea salt, sun-dried tomatoes, and garlic. Roast in oven for 15-20 minutes.  Asparagus should be somewhat green but not olive green.  Serve over spaghetti squash pasta.