Brussels Sprouts, Apple & Bacon Salad with Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette

My brain? Fried. The last two weeks have been a power-haul of finals and end of the year projects. But after finishing two tests on Wednesday, I could instantly breath better, sleep better and think clearer. (Funny how that works--I wish the clear thinking came along with the tests instead of after it, but there's just something about looming tests that make me want to hold my breath until it's over... and holding my breath really doesn't do much for brain function). 

Going to the monthly Paleo Potluck Club dinner last Sunday was a bright spot between study sessions last weekend. The feast was exactly what my brain needed. This brussels sprout salad, with it's absurdly long name, was a winner: fresh crunch from the shredded brussels sprouts, a sweet kick from the apples, and a savory-salty bonus from bacon pieces. Pepitas give it a nutty crunch. 

I ended up recreating the salad twice during the week. It's variety of flavor and textures are just delicious! And while salad usually feels meh in the winter, this salad feels just right.

If you're new to salad with brussels sprouts you're probably having a lot of doubts right now. I don't blame you. To be honest, I tasted my first brussels sprout less than 3 years ago (though I can't remember when...), so I'm no sprout veteran. What I can tell you, is that if you're a brussels sprout newbie, this salad is not a bad place to start. (Come on, it has bacon in it!) And, if you are an brussels sprout veteran, add this one to your arsenal--it will not fail you. 

Brussels Sprouts, Apple, & Bacon Salad with Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette

Brussels Sprout, Apple, & Bacon Salad with Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette

Published November 22, 2014 by

Serves: 2-4   |    Total Time: 30 minutes



Ingredients:

  • 3 cups shredded brussels sprouts, cut them with the mandolin attachment of your food processor or thinly with a knife 
  • 1 cup shredded dino kale 
  • 2 slices bacon
  • 1/4 yellow onion 
  • 1 gala apple, cored and diced (optional, save 1/4 of the apple and slice thinly to use as garnish)
  • 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds 

  • For the Vinaigrette:
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon honey
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

  1. Heat medium sized skillet over medium heat and cook bacon until crispy. Move to a plate, and once cool, crumble into small pieces. Then, slice onion into thin strips and sauté in bacon grease until golden. Set aside to cool.
  2. Place shredded brussels sprouts and shredded dino kale in a salad bowl and toss until distributed.
  3. Make vinaigrette in a small jar: place all ingredients for vinaigrette in a jar with a lid, and close. Shake until combined. Pour over greens, and toss until coated.
  4. Add crumbled bacon, cooled onions, diced apple, and pumpkin seeds and toss. If desired, top with reserved apple slices for garnish.

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Creamed Fennel and Cauliflower Soup (Paleo & Vegan)

Last week I went to my dads house carrying a basket full of apples, and some how left his house with a lot more. The apple tree in the backyard is officially up for harvesting (so expect a lot of apple recipes coming your way soon), and I have plenty of apple love to share. (Apples are my favorite. The fact that I'm giving them away must mean that there are a lot of apple in the backyard). The garden at my Dad's house was flourishing, and with a lot more than apples--Kale, chard, basil, cucumbers, fennel. He loaded me up. There was so much kale growing in the garden bed that he said, "You have to take a bunch of kale home for every other vegetable you pick". 

Fair enough. (Actually, fair is the wrong word. I think I won that bargain...)

One of the vegetables I picked was a fennel bulb the size of my abdomen. (Seriously. This thing  was large enough to be shaped into a fennel body suit). Even after pulling off all of the fronds, the bulb was probably twice as big as my face. Intimidating? Yes. But I know better than to fear an oversized vegetable.

Into the Instant Pot it went! Along with some bone broth, onion, garlic, and cauliflower. I made this soup the day after having my wisdom teeth removed, and pureeing it was the only answer. It took out the chew factor, but it also converted the soup into a lusciously creamy treat that was perfect for snuggling up on the couch with. 

Enjoy this while fennel is in season! It's super easy. Now... does any one have a good recipe for Fennel Fronds? I tried making a pesto--not impressed. 

Creamed Fennel and Cauliflower Soup

Paleo, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free    |       

This soup get it’s creamy texture from cauliflower.

Serves: 4   |    Total Time:



Ingredients:

    For the salad:
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 white onion
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 extra large or 2 medium sized fennel bulbs, stalks and fronds removed
  • 1 pound cauliflower florets
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 3 cups broth (bone broth or vegetable broth)
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • Optional: Truffle oil, for serving
  • Optional: Black pepper for serving (NOTE: this recipe is AIP-friendly if you skip the pepper).

Directions:

  1. Slice the onions, mince the garlic, and chop the fennel. If your cauliflower is not already chopped into florets, do that now. In the bottom of your pressure cooker, heat up the coconut oil. Sauté the onions until translucent. Add the garlic, fennel, and cauliflower. Sauté for 5-10 minutes, until the edges of the vegetables begin to turn golden.
  2. Pour the broth and coconut milk into the pot. Add salt. Cook on the soup setting for at least 5 minutes.
  3. Once the pressure cooker is done cooking, release the pressure and remove the lid. Use a standing blender or an immersion blender to puree the soup to a smooth, creamy consistency.
  4. Scoop into serving bowls and drizzle with truffle oil. Top with freshly cracker pepper, and garnish with a left over fennel frond. Serve hot.

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Warm Spinach Salad with Figs & Butternut Squash (Paleo & Vegan)

Update: I updated this recipe with new images on 8/18/2018. Same recipe, just better photography! :) 

It seems like the blog world is sprinting at a million miles an hour. When I first started religiously food-stalking in high school, the blog world was small. While I have no idea how much it has grown, it certainly seems like there are more than ten bloggers today for every blogger there was in the mid-2000s. It's more than the numbers: the opportunities for bloggers to do things outside of their blog have erupted, too. Back then there were clubs like the Daring Bakers and support groups like Adopt-a-Blogger (my blog at the time was adopted by Jordan of Kitchen Karate). A few, standout bloggers seemed to be going above and beyond, scoring deals to author cookbooks, or speak on talk shows. These days, bloggers blog like it's nobody's business. Actually, they blog like it is their business and in a few cases, it really is.

You're probably wondering why I'm rambling about this. It turned into more of a ramble than I intended. But when I started Foraged Dish, I was shocked by the number of opportunities that immediately presented themselves to me. 

Warm Spinach Salad with Figs and Roasted Butternut Squash

Warm Spinach Salad with Figs & Butternut Squash

Published September 1, 2014 by

Serves: 3   |    Active Time: 30 minutes



Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 to 2 cups raw butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed, and cubed
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 6 figs, halved (I use Brown Turkish Figs or Black Mission Figs, but feel free to experiment)
  • 1/4 small red onion, diced small
  • 3-4 huge handfuls fresh spinach (baby OR chopped normal spinach)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds (Also delicious with candied pecans!)

  • Directions:

    1. Heat the coconut oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat until it sizzles. Place the fig halves flesh-side down in the hot oil, and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown and the sugars begin to caramelize. Remove from pan, set aside.
    2. Place the red onion, butternut squash and garlic in the pan with the oil. Sauté until the squash it is soften through and browning on the edges (to get a nice sear on the squash, stir only every few minutes, allowing each side to crisp up before turning).
    3. Turn off the stove, and add the spinach to the skillet. Stir, and allow the spinach begins to wilt from the residual heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Scoop everything into your serving dish. Arrange the figs over the top of the salad, and sprinkle with toasted almonds.

     

     



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