Maple Roasted Carrot Salad

The sunset glimmers for a few minutes as I drive home. I stayed late at work, but the days are getting longer, so I get to catch this brilliant pink and indigo show anyways. By the time I make it home, the moon is full and the rest of the sky dark. You can tell this means spring is coming, but here the ground is still frozen and hard. 

I am just starting to think about what we will put into our garden and carrots are one of the first crops that comes to mind. They are one of the first crops we'll be able to plant--leafier greens will need to wait until after our frost date, which is in May. Because that's still a long ways off, I try to reel in my thoughts and expectations. 

Still these spring thoughts put me in a springy mood, so when I get to the kitchen the meal that ensues is bright and fresh. Carrots are the cornerstone, roasted in avocado oil so that even though they are off-season, their sweetness is bold. 

The rest is simple: baby spinach (more spring vibes there), the biggest, juiciest dried cranberries I've ever had (they're from Made in Nature), and toasted walnuts. 

Maple Roasted Carrot Salad

Paleo, Primal, Grain-Free    |   Caitlin Sherwood    |    Print This Recipe

Carrots are roasted with avocado oil and maple syrup, which brings out their natural sweetness.

Serves: 4   |    Total Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup avocado oil
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger, grated on microplane
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 large carrots
• 6 cups baby spinach
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup toasted walnuts

For the dressing:
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
2. Cut carrots into equally sized sticks, about 3 inches long and 1 centimeter thick. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, avocado oil, orange zest, ginger, and salt. Place carrots in bowl and toss to coat. Then, spread carrots out on sheet pan in even layer and place in oven.
3. Bake carrots for 20 minutes, until they are softened through and starting to brown on the edges. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
4. Whisk together ingredients for dressing. Fill salad bowl with spinach, and top with carrots, cranberries, and walnuts. Pour dressing over salad when ready to serve, and toss.

Strawberry, Feta, Argula & Walnut Salad

In my childhood home, the east side of the yard was a dedicated strawberry patch. Or at least it started that way—before the suckers started popping up everywhere in the yard. Occasionally, you'd find a strawberry growing amongst the peonies, or thriving in a crack between two pavers. That’s what strawberries do—find a home, take root, take over. It’s why I haven’t yet planted strawberries in our current home, but suddenly, with spring in the air, I’m regretting that.

This salad is perfect for early spring days. In Colorado, you can always still count on a few more winter storms throughout spring, but for a few days, fresh salads, smoothies, and even grilled sausages have a moment to shine before a soggy pile of snow drops in.

Strawberry, Feta, Argula & Walnut Salad

Published April 28, 2016 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 2   |    Active Time: 10 minutes

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Ingredients:

For the Salad:

4-5 cups baby arugula

1/4 cup feta crumbles

5-10 strawberries, tops removed and quartered

1/4 cup toasted walnut pieces

Freshly ground black pepper

For the Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (I like this brand -affiliate link!)

1 teaspoon dijon

1 tablespoon minced shallot

Pinch of salt

Directions:

1. In a ball jar (affiliate link!), combine all ingredients for vinaigrette. Close jar and shake to emulsify. Set aside.
2. Place arugula in a salad bowl. Top with feta, sliced strawberries, and toasted walnuts.
3. Drizzle vinaigrette over salad, and top with freshly cracked pepper to taste. Toss and serve immediately.

Broccoli Salad with Creamy Curry Dressing

Broccoli was my favorite vegetable as a kid: my mom would steam it, and without complaints I would dip each floret into generous amounts of ranch dressing. And then one day I just decided I didn't like broccoli any more. I was never picky but that day, I wanted to know what would happen. I think part of me was probably wondering If I don't eat my broccoli, do I get to eat dessert sooner? Come on, guys! Valid question for a 6-ish-year-old. 

Looking back on the memory, on my mom sitting catty corner from me at the table, her face painted with annoyance, I know this moment was just me being a brat. You don't just wake up one day and hate broccoli. And I know that my mom really didn't want to fight with her kid at the dinner table. 

The next thing I knew, she told me that I had better eat my broccoli because Grandpa would tell me too. I can't actually remember if she called him or if he had called, right in this opportune moment, but she passed me the phone and Grandpa's voice was on the other end. 

Exactly what he said is lost in time now, but it was short. No more than one simple sentence about how I should eat my broccoli. Something like, "You know Caitlin, broccoli helps you grow into a strong girl!" or "When your mom tells you to eat your broccoli, you should eat your broccoli." And I know that I gave in easily, letting out a defeated sign and saying OK.

The conversation ended. I ate my broccoli. I still eat my broccoli, with no complaints, on a weekly basis (because I love it, and always have, even on that one day when I pretended I didn't). 

Broccoli Salad with Creamy Curry Dressing

Published March 7, 2016 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 5   |    Active Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients:

1 pound broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/2 cup yogurt

1 tablespoon creamy dijon mustard

1 heaping teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon lime juice

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon maple syrup

Salt to taste

1/4 cup finely diced red onion

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 toasted cashews or toasted sliced almonds

Directions:

1. In the bottom of a jar, whisk together the yogurt, lime, curry powder, dijon mustard, maple syrup, black pepper, and salt to taste.
2. In a salad bowl, arrange the broccoli to the bowl along with the raisins, nuts, and red onion.
3. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Serve! (This salad keeps well in the fridge for several days).