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To Spring: Blackberry Balsamic Dressing

3/11/2014

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While Spring may technically be just around the corner, it’s been alive in my heart for weeks. How else is one to get through slushy cold sleet and days of cloud cover without going stir crazy? I have pounced on every opportunity to lay in the sunshine, wear bright colors, and eat ripe fruit. Oh, it’s coming, folks. We’ve all summoned it.

Seasonal change invites new “clothing,” whether it kickstarts your running habit or forces you to put away the cozy scarf. This week, I was simply in the mood to change the color palette on my plate, when this salad came to mind.
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As much as I love warm, roasted tahini veggies (that, yes, I have eaten 10 times), I bought some blackberries that just begged to reclaim my tahini addiction in the form of a new dressing. A splash of good balsamic vinegar enriches the flavor, and perfectly compliments the berries.

I also make a point each week at the grocery store to purchase a fruit or vegetable that I haven’t used in a while, if ever. If I have no idea how to use it, even better. This week: radishes. I didn’t do anything fancy with these bright red pearls. I shaved them thin and put them atop baby kale, along with sliced strawberries, hemp seeds, and sunflower seeds. Next time I’ll also add avocado and peas.

Yet, as-is, this combo got my taste buds ready for Spring without too readily ditching the warmth we’ve all needed for the cold. This would also make a great mock-chicken or pasta salad dressing. I hope you enjoy!

To Spring,
Hannah Joy

Blackberry Balsamic Dressing
1 Cup Blackberries, the more ripe the better!
2 Dates, pitted
¼ Cup Water, plus a splash
¼ Cup Olive Oil
2 tbsp Tahini
1 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
S & P, to taste


Combine all ingredients except oil in a food processor, or using an immersion blender, until well combined. Whisk in oil. Enjoy!
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Finding Contentment in A Warmed Tahini-Cauliflower Salad

3/3/2014

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I was sitting here this morning, catching up on the blogs I haven’t had time to read, when a sudden urge [read: distraction opportunity] grasped me. I awoke my iPhone and eagerly launched the horoscope app that I’ve come to use daily. I am okay with admitting that, since I immensely appreciate the little things we do just to get us through the day. For me: a silly horoscope can propel my thinking from self-centered to more generous. If that’s what it takes, who can blame me?

Today in particular, though, I was sinking into a steep frenzy of whosits and whatits and future-predictions GALORE. Anxiety, panic, not staying in the present. But when my horoscope read, “you aren’t recognizing what you already have,” I felt an oh shit jolt right through me.
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I do have a lot. How refreshing to step out of the rut of discontentment just for this moment.

The words we tell ourselves about our current situation are exclusively to blame for our ability or inability to express such gratitude. I wish I had, I can’t wait until, and One day I’ll… remove us from our current reality of fulfilling abundance and displace us into Self Land. In Self Land, one need not leave the windows open. It’s sad, lonely, and scary.

In Self Land, we lose sight of a lot of things. We lose sight of the simple fortune that it is simply to wake up each day. We start to think about the things we wish we had instead of what we currently do have. Unfortunately, when those long-lost wishes do come true, we find ourselves right back in Self Land, staring at the grime of dirt beneath our feet when there’s a beautiful forest and sky above us. Here, we refuse to embrace the here-and-now, rather owning the imagined perfect life that would certainly woo our contended selves out from beneath the rocks.
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I prefer to choose gratitude for the present. Learning to return oneself here often is an art form I have yet to master. Fortunately, though, life is so forgiving that we can start back at square one when we find ourself absorbed in negativity and unaware of reality. Someone said to me this week, what is your reality? This helped tremendously.

In reality, I have a roof over my head.
In reality, I am able to feed myself.
In reality, I have an awesome job.
In reality, I know how to have fun.
In reality, I am loved.


I AM loved. When I started this blog, it was part of a commitment to loving myself through the food choices I make. I show myself love by preparing delicious, healthy food on a regular basis. This dish in particular has also come to represent my love of a simple life. I have given myself permission to eat this- not once- ten times, in the past two months. I love it that much. It is easy, wholesome, comforting and light all at the same time. It makes my taste buds sing.
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It also quickly snaps me out of that ungraceful food rut. I’m not kidding when I say I will never tire of this salad because I can make it notably different every time without sacrificing the parts I love so much.

The gist is as follows: roast cauliflower and whatever else you have on hand. Warm evoo, garlic  and tahini. Toss. Serve over your favorite greens with a squeeze of lemon, and enjoy. Slices of avocado or crusty bread take it over the top.  

To the Here and Now,

Hannah
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There are so many variations to the salad, so trust me when I say to experiment outside this basic guideline!

Warmed Tahini-Cauliflower Salad
1 head Cauliflower, cut into florets
2 other vegetables, chopped:
- Sweet Potato
- Mushrooms
- Bell Pepper
- Snap Peas
- Red Onion
- You name it!
Kale, Romaine, or a blend of the two!
1/2 Cup Chopped Parsley
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Tahini
4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 lemon, quartered

1. Lightly oil veggies. Roast at 350 just until fork tender. It's important to roast each vegetable separately (as opposed to all mixed together), since they may take different times to cook. I always check first at 10/15 minutes, then every 10 minutes following. 
2. Meanwhile, add olive oil and garlic slices to a small soup pot. Put on Low for 10 minutes. Remove from heat if the garlic begins to fry, as you are just trying to warm the two and infuse the oil with the garlic. 
3. Turn burner off and whisk in tahini and juice of half the lemon. 
4. Top greens for one with 1/4 cup of each veggie (still warm!), and drizzle with the warm dressing. Squeeze another quarter lemon over each and generously sprinkle with parsley, salt, and pepper. Avocado makes a great addition!

Enjoy!
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Veggietorials.com Post! Comforting Kale Salad with Zesty Sesame Vinaigrette

12/23/2013

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Below is a repost of my recent guest spot on Veggietorials.com. Veggietorials was created by the amazing Cobi Kim in Hawaii. She has a really fun Youtube Channel where she creates and shares unique and easy vegan recipes. Since I'm not a film expert, she was kind enough to let me do a video intro, paired with my traditional posting style. Check out Veggietorials.com for more from Cobi!! 
What I love most about the holidays is that it’s a time ripe with the essence of both past and present. In these weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, this remains more true than ever. I used to always wonder why and how and who thought it was a good idea to “put” two such grand holidays so close together (isn’t one enough?!), but I now know that it was a brilliant idea.
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During these early December weeks, we’re all a little tired, a good bit cozy, some giddy with expectation, others antsy to call it all a day. Regardless of where you find yourself, though, the reality is that this time of year reeks of tradition while also begging for something fresh. Thankfully the New Year is just around the bend.
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With this in mind, I wanted to come up with something that would embrace the past while refreshing the present. I’ve written before about how I’ve become know as the Salad Maven of many a party. I find it to be something many are scared to play with, yet to me it’s fun, inexpensive, and the hardest culinary experiment to mess up. Not to mention that amidst the heaviness of casseroles and roasts, salads are the saving grace!
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Bowl provided by The Frock Shop - Charlotte, NC.
So in celebration of this holiday interim, I thought it appropriate to embrace hearty and comforting ingredients, while calling on some lively current food trends. I’ve combined coconut shreds with warm quinoa to bring out the oils, creating a soft and delicate texture. The bite of Granny Smith apple perfectly compliments the sweetness, and my Zesty Sesame Vinaigrette ties it all together. Toss it with shredded Lacinato Kale, and you may just find you’ve been knocked into 2014!

Best of celebrations! 

Hannah
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Bowl provided by The Frock Shop - Charlotte, NC.
Comforting Kale Salad with Zesty Sesame Vinaigrette

1 Bunch Lacinato Kale, chopped thin
1 Cup Red Quinoa, cooked and warm
1/2 Cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
1 Granny Smith Apple, diced
1 Recipe Zesty Sesame Vinaigrette (Below)
Fun Options: Dried Cranberry, Walnuts, Pumpkin Seeds

Zesty Sesame Vinaigrette
1/2 Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice, strained 
1/4 Cup Brown Rice Vinegar
1/8 Cup Olive Oil
1/2 Tsp Maple Syrup
1/2+1/4 Tsp Sesame Oil
1/2 Tsp Ground Ginger
Dash Salt & Pepper
Sesame Seeds, to garnish

Combine all ingredients except oils. Slowly whisk in oils.

To serve:
Before quinoa has cooled completely, stir in coconut shreds. Toss with kale and apple, adding the dressing last. Once everything is sufficiently dressed, finish with sesame seeds. Add additional options if you wish. 

Enjoy!
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In Celebration of Simplicity: The Salad

11/24/2013

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I don’t know about you, but when I hear the words “CHAOS” and “HOLIDAY PANDEMONIUM” on the radio, I pretty much sink into what one could call the antithesis of warm-festive-fuzzy feelings about the holidays.

Let’s be real. I and many of you work more than 40 hours per week. We love our jobs, we love our families, we love the food (!) but from time-to-time, “the holidays” sounds like one more thing we may or may not be able to love, get into, and get to well. Which totally, totally stinks.

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Red Russian kale, Red Onions, Hemp Seeds, Peas. I used Trader Joe's Superfood Preserves and my tried-and-true dressing recipe to make this gem.
Add to this that on so many levels food is your life! But the thought of preparing something magical to share with others in the spare hour you’ll have between work and that potluck is just overwhelming. I know. I’m telling my story, here.

At first, this totally bummed me out. I refuse to bring chips and salsa anywhere! Not when I know I could make the salsa, make the chips, goddammit. Yet in daydream land, yes, why yes I COULD make whatever I want! In this instance, though, reality calls for simplicity. And bringing my nightly meal of brown rice and kale may not exactly go over well.
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Romaine, Avocado-Evoo Mash, Avocado, Cucumbers, Kimchee.
For this reason, I have become the salad maven of many parties I go to. I love that making a good salad can be so easy, and yet can be so different every time. Yet for some reason people shy away from having fun with salads. They fail to realize that, with a few small rules, a salad is virtually impossible to eff up.

For salad success, I suggest you stick to these rules. Then your celebration will be ON without the headache!
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Baby Kale, Orange slices, Avocado, and Jicama. Orange Juice EVOO Vin. This was a salad from The LAB in Asheville.
1. Keep it Simple
The best salads only have 3-4 ingredients, and are topped with a stellar dressing.

2. Quality over Quantity
Splurge on good greens instead of just buying as many vegetables as possible. Then buy 2-3 additional veggies that you know you love on their own. That way, you can vary the salad, and in the worst case scenario you can use the veggies for something else. (I’m the queen of turning my leftover salad goodies into stir-fry!)
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Spinach, Golden Cherry Tomatoes, raw sliced Golden Beets, Peas, Hemp Seeds, EVOO, Apple Cider Vin.
3. Supersize the Superfoods
With your delicious greens as a base, use nuts, seeds, and superfoods to amp up the nutritional value without affecting the flavor too much. In particular, I add frozen organic peas and hemp seeds to almost every salad. (Peas are SO GOOD FOR YOU.) Hemp seeds, chia, sesame,  pumpkin...these are all so great, too.

4. Oldies are Goodies
That quarter cup of roasted potatoes that you just couldn’t bring yourself to eat or trash last night? The 5 lb of grapes that you found at the market but can’t fathom eating all of? These are your gems! Simple leftovers and refrigerator overages are a salad’s best friend. Don’t be afraid to use them!
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Red Russian kale, leftover Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Sesame Seeds, Shredded Beets, Tahini-Balsamic dressing.
5. Feature One Favorite
It can be really tempting to put all of your favorites in one salad, but I’ve found that the best salads have only one “star.” That rule can apply to an ingredient, a “protein,” a texture, or the dressing, but generally speaking you only want one ingredient that’s prominent in flavor and pizazz. Aim for balance, and you’ll always win!

6. Dress for Success
If your dressing doesn’t wow you, your salad experience won’t either. I always make my own dressing based on this very simple guideline: equal parts each of my favorite oil, vinegar, and variable, a sprinkle of salt, lots of pepper! The “variable” is my favorite condiment, sweetener, or jam at the time. Think orange juice, tahini, balsamic reduction, preserves, maple syrup, mustard, sesame oil. If you start simple, over time you’ll learn how to bedazzle it to your own liking without any loss! If making the dressing scares the pants off of you, then yes, you can buy your favorite bottled variety! No one will judge you. Just watch out for added sugars that contain no benefit… “grape juice concentrate,” for example.

To Salad Success and Happy Celebrating!


Hannah

Comment below, and tell me what your favorite salad combinations are!
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