Roasted Eggplant Salad

Cooking this salad makes me feel like Ottlenghi, and you will too if you're in the right mindset. 

While eggplant is a summer crop, I like it best when it’s been roasted in the oven for sometime, making it something I prefer to cook when it's a bit cooler. Biting into a forkful of cold romaine lettuce on a snowy day? No thanks! We can do better, and in this case, better is roasted. This roasted eggplant salad is exactly the kind of thing I want to make for lunch when there’s a chill in the air.

Topped with parsley, pomegranate, and a creamy tahini sauce, it’s also vibrant with wintery colors: red, green, and soft white. It goes great with the side of roasted chicken, quinoa, or hummus… buuuut we eat this as a whole meal, split between two people. 

Roasted Eggplant Salad

Published December 7, 2017 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 2 as a main course, 4 as a side   |    Total Time: 45-50 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 2 medium eggplants (Italian variety) 
• 2 large shallots 
• 3-4 tablespoons olive oil (or cooking oil of choice)
• Sprinkle of salt
• Sprinkle of garlic powder
• 1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley 
• 1/4 cup pomegranate perils 
• 1/3 cup toasted pinenuts 

For the Tahini Sauce:
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons tahini
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 
• 1/16 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Slice eggplants into 1/2 inch thick rounds, and arrange in an even layer on a baking sheet (or two). Slice shallots into wedges, and add to baking sheet. Brush everything with olive oil, and then sprinkle with salt and garlic powder. Place in oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, until eggplant is golden and cooked through. TIP: You can add the pinenuts in the last 3-5 minutes to get them nice and toasted if they are not already. Watch them closely to avoid burning.
2. While the eggplant is cooking, make the tahini sauce: combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until smooth, seasoning with salt to taste.
3. Assembly: use a spatula to transfer cooked eggplant and shallots to a serving platter. Sprinkle with parsley, pomegranate, and pinenuts. Then, drizzle with tahini sauce. Serve warm.

Butternut Squash & Kale Caesar Salad

26 shows up in the middle of coffee one morning and hands you a freshly printed memo that reads: “You’re going to get old one day and die. You’re cool for now, but it will happen. You’re officially on notice. You won’t be young forever.” And then 26 struts out of your office, like an unconcerned dick, having nonchalantly just changed your entire perspective. - Jessica Blankenship

I tucked that quote away into my Evernote earlier this year. It didn't resonate with me in that moment, but my 26th birthday was around the corner so I packed it where I could find it just in case. For the first time in my life, I feel my age. 

By this I do not mean that I literally feel age in my body: while I have aches and pains I do not feel 26 years weighing in my knees. I am reminded of this when we climb and I drop from the top of a bouldering wall--my knees bend and pillow my fall without complaint. But I feel 26 in my mind. (Or debatably 25.5, if you want to split hairs). 

An old soul by nature, this is a new feeling. At sixteen I felt eighteen, and at eighteen the youngest friend I hung out with regularly with twenty-two. When twenty-three came I accidentally told someone I was twenty-five (an earnest mistake). This has been a life long theme.

But twenty-six arrived last month without much warning. Twenty-six? I'm not twenty-six, am I? Twenty-six. It's not old. But my years have, perhaps, finally caught up with my soul. It's gone both ways I believe: the years have grown shorter all the while my heart has grown younger, freer, looser. 

But, enough about me and onto today’s creative creation:

Butternut Squash & Kale Caesar Salad

This salad is designed for the months when farmers markets are less plentiful, and the sun stays behind the clouds. Butternut squash and dino kale are good all year long, and it uses both liberally. An when you're feeling like you need a pick me up, this salad will do the trick. 

It’s heathful and cheesy, at the SAME TIME. That’s why everyone loves caesar salad anyways, right? This caesar salad variation is EXTRA everything, because:

• We’re using kale instead of romaine. Read: extra flavor, extra crunch, and yes — extra nutrients. Romain is mostly water 😉 (It’s also great, but I’m rooting for kale today)

• Butternut squash cubes (roasted, golden) are swapped for croutons. I KNOW some people will think this is a tragedy, but I FREAKIN’ LOVE squash, and double love it when it’s roasted. And by making this simple swap you’ve made a salad that’s “clean,” gluten-free/grain-free, and seasonal. Win, win, win!

• Homemade dressing. This is the extra mile that makes a difference when it comes to flavor. If you have store-bought dressing and are in a rush — go for it. But if you’re feel up for a few extra minutes, you will be rewarded by making your own dressing! Caesar dressing traditionally have sardines in it. Personally, I prefer a mellower flavor, so I use a dash of Worcestershire Sauce. It’s also way easier to keep on hand!

• Parmesan!! You can’t make a caesar without this key ingredient. It goes into both the dressing and the salad.

Butternut Squash & Dinosaur Kale Caesar Salad

Published October 3, 2017 by Caitlin Sherwood

Serves: 1-2   |    Total Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients:

For the Salad:
• 1 pound diced butternut squash (1-inch cubes)
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• 1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 bunch dinosaur (lacinato) kale, stems removed
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoon finely grated parmesan

For the Dressing:
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (I use this brand)
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce
• Juice 1/2 lemon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (according to your tastes)
• 2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 450°F. Spread cubed butternut squash out on a sheet pan, and drizzle with avocado oil. Stir until each piece is until coated in oil. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Place in oven, and bake for 20-25 minutes, until squash is golden on edges and tender through. Allow to cool 5 minutes.
2. While the squash cooks, prep the kale and salad dressing. First, chop the kale into bite sized pieces and place in bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, and add 1/8 teaspoon salt. Then, rub the kale with your fingers until it is tender and bright green (This makes it easier to eat and digest the kale raw). Set bowl aside.
3. Make the dressing: combine all ingredients for dressing, and whisk until creamy. Pour dressing over kale, and toss kale until evening coated in the dressing. Then, plate the kale on serving plates. Top with parmesan and roasted butternut squash. Serve.

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

Hello there! If you are a regular reader of this blog, you might be surprised to be hearing from me today. You've probably noticed I post recipes twice a week, and almost never on the weekend. But here I am, posting a recipe on the weekend. 

Most of you are probably reading this long after I hit "publish" of course, and it could be any day of the week. Hello to you as well! 👋

Have a summery salad that needs some lift? This dressing. Found yourself with a burrito bowl in need of a bit more sauce? This dressing. About to eat an avocado with a spoon? You guessed it, a drizzle of this over top will take it over the edge. 

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

Published June 24, 2017 by Caitlin Sherwood

Best friends with avocados, burrito bowls, and roasted corn.

Serves: 4   |    Total Time: 10 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 1/16 teaspoon each salt & pepper 
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend for 1 minute, until emulsified. Pour over a salad or store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week. Enjoy!