Salad - Broccoli with Apples, Walnuts, and Craisins - and Variations!

This salad is easy to change according to what you have on hand.  A few ideas are at the bottom of this post.

In the bottom of a large mixing bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients until smooth.

• Vegannaise (or mayo) - vegan yogurt
• honey - maple syrup
• apple cider vinegar
• salt and pepper 

Add the remaining ingredients; stir well to coat.

• fresh broccoli florets cut into small pieces
• dried cranberries or raisins
• 1 apple unpeeled and diced
• walnuts coarsely chopped or sunflower seeds

• diced red onion    (optional)
• chopped fresh parsley    (optional)

Notes

This recipe can be served immediately, but the flavors improve after a few hours in the fridge. 

To turn it into "Christmas Salad", add carrots, cauliflower, diced red onions, and corn.

This one is "Broccoli, Cashew, Apple and Pear Salad" with Cranberries and chopped red onions.

Peas could be used in this salad as a main ingredient or as an addition.

Recipe Inspiration Sources:  

Bowl of Delicious, 

Julia's Album - This is her Pinterest page.  She is not vegan but has a bunch of interesting looking salad recipes that would easy to make vegan.

Potatoes - Roasted - Various Recipes

There are tons of slightly different ways to roast potatoes.  I have simplified the recipes here and chosen 1 basic method - boil first, mix with flavorings, then roast.  

1 - Boil The Potatoes

Boil the potatoes in water with a little salt and baking soda for just a bit - around 15 minutes.  Doing this will ensure the potatoes get properly done and will give the potatoes just the right amount of crispiness and color after roasting.  It really is worth the extra step!

• 1.5 lbs potatoes - Yukon Gold or Fingerling are great (mixture of yellow, red, and blue, if possible!)
•  baking soda
•  sea salt

🌿 Preheat oven to 400F.  

🌿 Cut potatoes into small chunks or slices. 

2 - Mix with Sauce and/or Spice Combinations

There are lots of different recipes here.  Changing the ingredients gives the recipe personality. See recipe variations at the end.

3 - Roast the Potatoes

🌿 Place the potatoes cut-side up and spread them out evenly on the baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes. 

🌿 Flip the potatoes and roast for an additional 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are caramelized, crispy, and fork-tender.

Variations

Potatoes Roasted with Tangy Dill Dijon  

Sever hot or cold - this is like potato salad if cooled.

Recipe Inspiration Source:  Instagram - Plant Based and Tasty

This is a just potato salad without all the extras. The dressing pairs perfectly with the roasted potatoes.

Cook the potatoes - 

🌿 Toss the boiled potatoes in 1 tbsp + 1 tsp olive oil, then roast.

Prepare the dressing - 

🌿 Whisk:

• ½ cup vegan mayonnaise
• ⅛ cup freshly chopped dill
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar,
• juice of ¼ lemon
• ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup chopped red onion, salt to taste. 
• Add a bit of maple syrup to dressing if desired 

Combine and serve -

🌿 Once the potatoes are cooked, remove from oven. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside to cool. 

🌿 Toss with desired amount of dressing. Add a few turns black pepper and salt to taste. Serve at room temperature or chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving.  

Roasted Fingerlings with Tarragon - Shallot Butter

Recipe Inspiration Source:  A Beautiful Plate - Her recipes look so good!  It's well worth going to her page to see all the notes on this recipe.  

TARRAGON-SHALLOT BUTTER:

•  3 tablespoons unsalted butter
•  1 large shallot, finely diced
•  ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns, coarsely chopped
•  2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
•  3 large sprigs of fresh tarragon, leaves removed and finely chopped (plus 1 additional sprig for garnishing)
•  juice of half a lemon
•  kosher salt

Toss the boiled potatoes with the olive oil, pepper, and salt and roast.

Remove the potatoes from the oven, place on a rack, and allow them to cool slightly while you prepare the tarragon-shallot butter.

Prepare Tarragon-Shallot Butter: 

In a small skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted fully and is bubbling slightly, add the shallot and sauté, stirring frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until soft and translucent.

Add the chopped peppercorns, lemon zest, tarragon, and lemon juice. Reduce heat to low, and continue to reduce the sauce for an additional minute or so. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

Combine and GARNISH - Place the roasted potatoes in a medium, shallow heat-proof bowl. Add the warm tarragon-shallot butter (scrape the skillet with a spatula to remove any bits), and toss the potatoes gently with a spoon or tongs until they are evenly coated in the sauce. Garnish with the remaining tarragon, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Butternut Squash or Sweet Potatoes - Maple Pecan Hasselback

Recipe Inspiration Source:  Seasons and Suppers

Total Baking time will be about an hour!

• 1 small butternut squash (Could also modify this for a sweet potato)
• Cooking oil, for brushing
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
• 3 sprigs Fresh thyme
• 2 Tbsp pecans (finely chopped)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Flaky finishing salt, like Maldon's

Preheat oven to 425F with rack in top third of oven. Have a baking sheet ready - one that is just a bit larger than the two squash halves.  Not a ceramic one since this recipe calls for adding water to a hot pan 3x.   Hmmm- would parchment paper be helpful at all???

BAKE 20 MINUTES - Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise, trying to keep the two halves as even in size as possible (for even cooking). Scoop out the seeds and pulp from the squash and discard. Using a vegetable peeler, peel off the skin and the whitish layer just beneath it to expose bright orange flesh. Place on prepared baking sheet, cut side down. Brush squash with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

Cook in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

HASSELBACK CUT - Remove squash halves to a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut slits 1/4-inch apart in the squash, cutting almost but not all the way through.  Don't attempt to cut the slits in the butternut squash without pre-baking it for 20 minutes first. That's a quick way to end up in the emergency room!

TIP:  Cutting anything in to hasselback shape is not always easy, but I heard a tip some time ago that has made that job so much easier! Simply lay the long handle of a wooden spoon next to the squash as you cut straight down. The handle will prevent your knife from going all the way through the squash. Just be sure to hold your knife completely parallel to your cutting surface.

BASTE AND BAKE #1 - Return cut squash to the same baking sheet. Heat the maple syrup and butter in the microwave or a small saucepan until the butter is melted. Stir well to combine. Brush with some of maple/butter mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle dried thyme leaves over squash, trying to get in the slits a bit, if possible. Pour 1/4 cup water in to bottom of pan.  Return to 425F oven for 15 minutes. 

BASTE AND BAKE #2  - Remove from oven, baste with more maple/butter mixture. Add another 1/4 of water to the pan and return to the oven for a further 15 minutes.

BASTE AND BAKE #3 - Remove from oven. Tuck 2 or 3 thyme sprigs between a few slits in each squash half. Add pecans to remaining maple/butter mixture and stir to combine. *Note: If mixture has hardened at all, re-warm before adding pecans so it's liquid again. Brush pecan/maple/butter mixture over-top of squash. Add a final 1/4 cup of water to the pan and return to the oven for a further 8-10 minutes, or until squash is tender.

MORE TOPPING - Remove from oven. Drizzle a bit of maple syrup over each half. Sprinkle with finishing salt.

Salad - Carrot Salad

"The trick is to start with the best carrots you can find. Here is where buying organic or from a farmer’s market really makes a difference in taste." - Simply Recipes

 

"I’ve found that freshly grated carrots work much better in a salad like this, when compared to store-bought shredded carrots. When you buy a bag of shredded carrots, they are typically thicker in texture so that they won’t turn brown in the bag, and they tend to be on the dry-side." - Detoxinista

Making Ahead:

This salad — without lemon juice or ACV — can be served right away, but also keeps well in the fridge for an hour or two if you want to get your dinner side dish prepped and crossed off the list.

If you want to make it further ahead, grate the carrots and prep the apples, then toss them with a bit of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to prevent browning. Wait to combine with the mayo until closer to serving.  With a bit of lemon juice, this carrot salad will keep well in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.  It’s also important to note that flavors tend to mellow as they sit in the fridge, so be sure to taste the salad before serving it. You might want to brighten up the flavor with a little more salt, or an extra squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Mix the dressing ingredients in the bottom of a decent sized bowl.

• 1/4 to 1/3 cup mayonnaise (Veganaise!)
• 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup (or honey)
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (if needed!!!) - 
• If adding pineapples, some of the juice can be added to the dressing.

Mix in other ingredients.

• 4 to 6 medium-sized carrots, freshly grated 
• 1/2 to 1 cup raisins (regular, golden, craisins or a mix)
• 1 large apple, (peeled or not, your preference) cored and chopped
  -or- cubes of pineapple

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

If using nuts, add them right before serving if you make this in advance. If you don't plan on serving this salad right away,  the nuts will get softer in the fridge. 

• 1/2 cup pecans , roughly chopped (optional)

Optional herbs:

• 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, tarragon, chives,or chervil

Ina Garten adds a little sugar, pineapple and sour cream.  She prefers golden raisins.

"I resist the urge to add other things to this French classic, although if you have some beets, you can grate those in raw (or use all beets to make this salad)." - David Libovitz   Also - "Don’t overdress the salad; the carrots should be moistened and glistening, not swimming in dressing."   Interesting - David prefers to serve this salad at room temperature.