The Greeny Bowl

This Greeny Bowl from the Sprouted Kitchen Bowl + Spoon cookbook was FANTASTIC, and Robert immediately declared it a favorite and asked when we were having it again.

THE GREENY BOWL
Serves 4

Ingredients:
3/4 pound brussels sprouts
1 1/2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp paprika
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 hearts of romaine, chopped
3 cups mixed greens
1 pear, diced
1 avocado, diced 
3 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1/3 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup shaved Parmesan
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For the dressing:
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp pure maple syrup
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
3 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil for easy cleanup.  Halve or quarter the brussels sprouts, depending on size.  Place them in a bowl, and toss them with the olive oil, maple syrup, paprika, and a few pinches of salt.  Spread them in a single layer on the baking sheet and roast for 25 minutes, until the edges are browned.  Remove and set aside to cool completely.  (This can be done 1 day in advance.)

Add the romaine and the mixed greens to a large salad bowl.  Add the pear, avocado, green onions, half of the pepitas, and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, and the brussels sprouts to the bowl.

For the dressing, in a small blender or by hand, whisk together the garlic, maple syrup, mustard, herbs, vinegar, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper until combined.  Dress the salad and toss to mix well.  Garnish with the remaining pepitas and Parmesan and serve.

Moroccan chili

We made this Moroccan vegetarian chili from the Soup of the Day cookbook (Williams-Sonoma) last week and it was a big hit.  It is perfectly and warmly spiced with turmeric, cumin and cinnamon, and butternut squash is always welcome in this house.

Moroccan Vegetarian Chili

Serves 6

Ingredients:

4 large ancho chiles

10 cloves garlic (4 whole, 6 sliced)

1 yellow onion

1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp ground coriander

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 butternut squash, peeled, halved, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 15 oz. cans chickpeas

2 zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch dice

1/3 cup sliced dried apricots

1/3 cup sliced pitted prunes (I omitted these)

In a saucepan, combine the chiles and 3 cups water and bring to a boil.  Remove from the heat- cover and let stand for 15 minutes.  Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the chiles to a work surface; reserve the liquid.  Discard the stems and seeds from the chiles.  In a blender or food processor, combine the chiles with the 4 whole cloves garlic and 1/2 cup of the reserved chile soaking liquid.  Process until smooth and set aside.

Heat a large, heavy pot over medium heat.  Coat the pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Add the onion, the sliced garlic cloves, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin and coriander and saute until the onion and garlic have softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and their juices, the butternut squash, and chile puree.  Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the butternut squash is just tender, about 25 minutes.

Stir in the chickpeas with their liquid, the zucchini, and the dried apriocts and prunes.  Simmer, uncovered, until the zucchini is tender, about 15 minutes.  Serve and enjoy!

Hot chocolate

Cold winter days are best spent in your pajamas, in front of a fire, with homemade hot chocolate.  I've always used the recipe on the side of the Hershey's cooca can, but this one from Euna Mae's is bigger and better- rich, decadent and super chocolaty, just how hot cocoa should be.  This recipe yields 1 large serving or 2 small servings.

In a small pot over low-medium heat, warm 1 cup of milk and 1/4 cup heaving cream, stirring so it doesn't scald.  Stir in 1 heaping teaspoon of sugar and 1 oz. chopped chocolate of your choice (I use dark, and this is the bar kind, not powder or Hershey's bars).  Stir until melted and combined and simmering.  Remove from heat and stir in a splash of vanilla extract (or peppermint extract if that tickles your fancy),  Top with marshmallows, whipped cream, peppermint pieces... you get the idea.  

Roasted chickpea salad with za'atar

We made this roasted chickpea salad with za'atar from Food 52 for dinner last week and WOW.  So many flavors and textures from the roasted chickpeas, the creamy feta and the crispy shallots.  Two thumbs up!  (I made my own za'atar spice to save myself a trip to Whole Foods, link here).

Ravioli with butternut squash and brown butter sauce

This recipe for ravioli with butternut squash and brown butter sauce has been on the blog before, but we made it again recently and I thought it deserved a repeat post!  This is an oldie but a goodie from Rachael Ray.  We use spinach and cheese ravioli (the refrigerated kind, by the butter and eggs at our store) and bacon instead of pancetta, because that's something we already have in our fridge.  The brown butter sauce and balsamic drizzle make this one truly special!!