sweet miscellany

Traveling a lot for work = eating out a lot = a growing craving for whole foods and raw vegetables/fruits. This little equation is why I don’t have any lovely baked goods for you today. But, I promise to get on that as soon as the weekend arrives! 🙂

When I’m home, I don’t really eat meat (I rarely buy it at the store) or processed foods. I eat a lot of grains, fruits, and veggies. After being gone for several days, I was craving something raw, fresh, and delicious. This salad came together with the few things I had in my fridge, plus a homemade mustard-y vinaigrette. It was rather simple, but a revelation in taste. It’s light, crisp, refreshing, tangy, salty, and sweet all at once. If you’ve never tried a salad with shredded brussel sprouts, consider this your introduction.

Shredded Brussel Sprout Salad
I ate this entire thing for my lunch, but it can serve 2 as a side. To make it vegan, leave out the feta.

7 or 8 large brussel sprouts, cleaned and trimmed/core removed
1 orange
2 handfuls of sliced almonds, toasted
feta cheese (optional)
smoked sea salt or fleur de sel

1 tbsp mustard
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp agave

After you have washed and trimmed your brussel sprouts, use a sharp knife to remove the core. Thinly slice the brussel sprouts and set them aside. Peel your orange and cut it into segments (I did this by peeling my orange with a knife and then cutting out the wedges from between each membrane, also referred to as a “supreme”). Put the brussel sprouts in a bowl and separate the leaves with your fingers. Top with the oranges, almonds, and feta if using. In a small clean bowl or jar, mix the mustard, vinegar, oil, and agave. Drizzle a bit of the dressing over the salad, sprinkle with sea salt, and Enjoy!

I feel like it’s been ages since I last posted, but it’s only been 5 days. I haven’t had much time to bake and test for my shop this week, which means I have not made anything for this here blog. The time that I did have to bake was last night and I had not one but two fails. It was a bit discouraging, as it always is, but I can only continue to plug along, knowing that at some point, I will get it right. I have found that the mistakes, flops, and fails only make me want to do this more. My first reaction is to get upset and frustrated, but once that subsides, I have this desire to do it again (and again and again, if necessary) until I get it right. It’s the perfectionist in me but it’s also my love for baking and wanting to succeed.

I actually made and photographed this recipe a couple of weeks ago, and had been setting it aside until it was needed. It might be the last actual recipe for a little while because I will be out of town this weekend and most of the following week. This recipe is a relatively easy salad that holds up well in the fridge for several days so it’s perfect for busy weeks or weekends when you can’t find much time to be in the kitchen. It’s completely gluten free and vegan if you use another sweetener in the dressing besides the honey. Though easy, the recipe does require a few different steps but you can totally spread it out over 2 days to make it even easier. And, if you don’t have wild rice, feel free to use any grain that is convenient.

Wild Rice Salad & Honey-Ginger Dressing
**loosely adapted from this recipe

notes: I ate this topped with some fresh basil one day, and then fresh avocado the next. Both were equally delicious!

1/2 cup wild rice, rinsed
1 cup coconut milk plus 1 cup of water

1 cup of freshly grated carrots
1 1/2 cups sugar snap peas, sliced on the diagonal
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1/3 cup toasted flaked coconut (unsweetened)

14-oz package of extra firm tofu, drained and patted dry
splash of soy sauce
1 tbsp coconut oil for pan

1 inch piece of ginger, peeled
2 tbsp honey (or other liquid sweetener such as brown rice syrup)
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
2 tbsp soy sauce or shoyu
1 tbsp liquid coconut oil

For the rice: put the water and coconut milk in a large sauce pan and bring to a boil. Add the rice, reduce to a simmer, and cover. Cook it 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked (you will know it’s cooked when the grain looks split and white tufts are popping out).

For the tofu: heat a tbsp of coconut oil over medium heat in a cast iron skillet. While the skillet is heating, cube the tofu into 1 to 1 1/2 inch cubes. Add the cubed tofu to the skillet and cook until the bottoms become golden, then flip them over and add a splash or two of soy sauce. Keep flipping the cubes until all sides are golden and starting to crisp, about 8-10 minutes total.

For the dressing: using a microplane, grate the ginger into a bowl or small jar. Add the honey, vinegar, soy sauce or shoyu, and oil. Whisk or shake until combined, then taste and adjust for seasoning.

Put it together: toss the rice, tofu, veggies, sesame seeds, coconut, and dressing together until combined. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Serves 2-4 people. Enjoy!

Shredded Brussels Sprout Salad

Wild Rice Salad & Honey Ginger Dressing