Sweet Potato Steaks on Arugula and Kale with Pea Avocado Cream

All I want to do is eat fists fulls of arugula. Ok, maybe that is not all I want to do, but it is something that I have been doing a lot. I have always really like arugula but as of right now, it is my top choice green!

Anyway, big green salads are all I want to eat because it is spring and all and greens are the best in the spring. But I still am eating a lot of roots and will be eating them for a few more weeks unit winter farm share dies down. And because it is the end of the season, the choice of roots is dwindling and we basically get a bucket of carrots, beets, and sweet potatoes. Lots of sweet potatoes, which by the way, I am not made about. And greens, We get lots of greens!

So my new favorite salad comes to fruition. Thick cut sweet potato steaks on a bed of fresh spring arugula and kale toped with a thick creamy avocado pea situation and some toasted walnuts for flair and crunch. I mean, is your mouth watering and your tummy grumbling yet?

Mine is but that is just how it always is.

Now to the steaks and salad!

The stuff. A sweet potato, some arugula and tender kale, peas (frozen and thawed) half an avocado, some toasted walnuts, a lemon, and salt and pepper.

Start by cutting the sweet potato into thick steaks. 4-5 same thickness slices if you may.

And no roast up the sweet potato steaks. Just place hem onto a baking sheet and pop them into a hot oven. Bake for 2-30 minutes, flipping over after 15-20 minutes. Once tender, remove from oven and set aside.

While sweet potatoes are baking, make pea avocado cream. Place peas and avocado into a blender or cup if using a hand blender along with the juice of the lemon and about a tablespoon of water. And a small pinch of salt. Blend until smooth. Add more water a tablespoon at a time until you get a thick but pourable constancy.

Now rough chop the kale and toss together with the arugula and place in a large salad bowl

Place the sweet potato steaks on top of the greens. Note here that the sweet potato steaks can be hot, warm, or cold. The are good all the ways.

Then top it all with the pea avocado cream. Toss on the toasted walnuts and add some more black pepper and that be that. Grab a fork and a knife if you wish and get to it.

So much goodness in the mouth!

-C

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Sweet Potato Steaks on Arugula and Kale with Pea Avocado Cream

serves 1-2

• 1 medium sweet potato

• 1/2 cup frozen (and thawed) green peas

• 1/2 of an avocado

• a small lemon

• 2 large handfuls of fresh arugula

• 4-5 leaves of tender kale

• 1/4 cup toasted walnuts

• around 1/4 cup cold water

• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450. Wash sweet potato and cut into 4-5 equal thickness slices. Place cut pieces on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper and pop into oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes, flipping after 15 or until the sweet potato is tender. Remove from oven and let cool a bit.

While sweet potato is baking off, make pea avocado cream. Place the peas and avocado into a blender or cup if using a hand blender, add in the juice of the lemon and a pinch of salt. Blend until smooth. Add in a tablespoon or two (or more) to thin out until it is still thick but pourable. Also rough chop the kale and mix together with the arugula in a big salad bowl.

Once sweet potato steaks have baked and cooled off a little bit (you can eat them hot or cold so whatever temperature you want), place them on top of the greens then top with the pea avocado cream, sprinkle on toasted walnuts, more black pepper, and maybe a squeeze of more lemon if you have it.

Then grab a fork and knife and start eating.

Watermelon Radish Orange and Pistachios Salad

Have you ever seen a radish as pretty as a watermelon radish?

Is it weird that I got, what’s the word… giddy at the sight of watermelon radishes at my last farm share pick up? I legit did a little jig, yelled out to the farmers that I loved them and that that farm share pick up was the best on ever!

My farmers love me, but I am pretty sure they think I am crazy. (Maybe just a little bit)

Anyways I got me some of these super beauty radishes and have been munching away on them all week. Then I made this salad because sweet and juicy oranges and creamy pistachios go so well with peppery radishes. I added in some red onion for a little more bite and flavor, gave it a simple dressing of salt, pepper, and vinegar, and ate it all up. A big bowl of color and flavors. A bowl of happiness.

Now to the salad!

The stuff. A couple watermelon radishes, oranges (I used a navel and and blood orange) a small red onion, a handful of pistachios, red wine vinegar, and salt and pepper.

First slice up the radishes and onion very thinly. Use a mandolin if you have one.

Toss the radish and onion into a big bowl along with the vinegar and a pinch of slat.

Now cut peels from oranges and then cut oranges very thinly as well.

Add the oranges to the bowl with the radishes and onion.

Rough chop the pistachios.

Toast them into the salad. And then top with pepper.

Prettiest salad ever.

-C

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Watermelon Radish Orange and Pistachios Salad

• 2 medium sized watermelon radishes

• 2 small oranges (navel or blood)

• 1 small red onion

• a handful of unshelled pistachios

• 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• salt and pepper

Start by slicing the rashishes and onion pretty thin. (use a mandolin if you have one) then place into a big shallow bowl. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and drizzle in the vinegar. Toss around

Grab oranges and cut away peels. Then cut the whole oranges as thinly as you can (You can see the segments who or cut into smaller pieces) then place into bowl with the radishes and onions. Toss around.

Grab pistachios and give the na little rough chop then toss them into the salad. Add a little black pepper to taste then give the whole salad a little toss.

Eat.

Roasted Cauliflower with Capers, Pomegranate, and Walnuts

We have been eating a lot of cauliflower the past couple weeks. Cauliflower because who doesn't love it? But also because I froze a shit ton of it and found the stash in the deep freezer.

This is just a little something something that I have thrown together a few times and really enjoy. Basically a roasted cauliflower salad with yummy things and those yummy things are pomegranate arils, capers, and walnuts. It is fast, simple, and super delicious. A very satisfying and healthy salad situation. Perfect for winter.

Now to the cauliflower and stuff.

The stuff. Cauliflower (use fresh or frozen) pomegranate arils, capers, walnuts, a lemon, a splash of olive oil, and salt and pepper. There should also be a clove of garlic…where did it go?

Chop cauliflower into bite sized pieces.

Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and place into a preheated oven.

Rough chop walnuts and mince garlic while cauliflower is roasting.

Once the cauliflower is nice and roasted, pull pan out and toss on the garlic, walnuts, and capers, and pop the pan back into the oven for a few more minutes to slightly cook the garlic and toast up the walnuts.

And then you pull it out of the oven, dump it all into a big bowl, toss in the pomegranate arils, squeeze some lemon on top, and add pepper and a pinch of salt if you need it.

That is it. Now eat it.

-C

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Roasted Cauliflower with Capers, Pomegranate and Walnuts

• small head of cauliflower (or a lb of frozen)

• 1/2 cup pomegranate arils

• 2 tablespoons capers

• a handful of walnuts

• olive oil

• a clove of garlic

• salt and peper

• juice from half a lemon

Preheat oven to 450

Chop cauliflower into bit size pieces and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and then place in oven and roast until nice and brown, usually about 25 minutes.

While roasting, roughy chop walnuts and mince garlic.

Once cauliflower is roasted, remove pan form oven and toss in the minced garlic, chopped walnuts, and the capers. Pop back into oven for about 5 more minutes just to slightly cook the garlic and toast and warm up the walnuts and capers. After those 5 minutes, remove the baking sheet and transfer everything into a bowl. Add in the pomegranate arils, squeeze in the juice of the lemon , and season with salt and pepper.

Then eat it.

Wedge Salad

I feel like people are constantly throwing shade at iceberg lettuce. When talked about, it is always subpar with other greens in the world, that it has no nutritional value, that it is always soggy, that it is just not classy enough.

Well what I say is that iceberg is a hell of a lot more nutritional than a lot of things (like a bag of chips), that if it is soggy, well you bought it when it was no good, and that I love me some iceberg lettuce and I am classy as fuck.

The wedge, It is exactly what is sounds like, a big wedge of lettuce. Traditionally I think it is covered in a mass amount of blue cheese and bacon, but yeah, I don’t get down with that. Hummus and tomatoes ad mustard, that is how I roll. This “salad” is probably one of my all time favorite salads. Crisp and light lettuce, summer fresh tomatoes, creamy hummus, and the slight tang of mustard. I have been eating this for years and it still never stops being a favorite snack (because It really is what I snack on. And I will eat the whole head of lettuce with a few tomatoes. Nothing better on a hot afternoon). Out of all honesty though, I usually don’t eat it like a wedge, I usually just tear off a hunk of lettuce, slice a a slab of tomato, then dunk it straight into the hummus. That goes straight into my mouth and then I squirt a little mustard in there. That is class.

Now to the wedge!

The stuff. A head of iceberg lettuce (cut into wedges), hummus (store bought or home made), a couple of fresh tomatoes, scallions, yellow mustard, and pepper.

Thinly slice the tomatoes and chop up the scallions

Grab a wedge of the lettuce and stick it on a plate. Grab hummus and mix around until loose. Add a tablespoon or two or water to help loosen it if it is too thick, then slather wedge in hummus.

Layer on sliced tomatoes, add more hummus, and drizzle the top with mustard. Oh, and cracked pepper.

And then eat it. One wedge or the whole damn head. No shade from me.

-C

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Wedge Salad

Makes 4 wedges

• a head of iceberg lettuce

• 3/4 cup homemade or store bought hummus

• 1/4 cup water(if needed)

• 2 large fresh tomatoes

• 2-3 scallions (the green parts)

• Yellow mustard

• cracker pepper

Take the head of iceberg and slam it core side down onto a hard surface. This should dislodge the core (a good trick to know) Then cut the head into 4 equal wedges and place each wedge on a plate.

Slice up tomatoes thinly and chop up the green parts of the scallions.

Grab hummus and mix around until loose. If it is really thick add water until it is the consistency of lets say, a creamy thick dressing. Take the hummus and lather each wedge. Layer on sliced tomato, then top with more hummus.

Grab mustard and drizzle (squeeze) all over each wedge. And last but not least, season with pepper.

Now eat it.

Roasted Sweet Potato, Broccoli, and Kale Bowl

The other morning I woke up chilly, lke legit had to grab a sweater. It made me smile so hard. And when I left for my morning run through the woods, I spent the entire time in a long sleeve shirt, not stupid hot, thinking about all the food that I was suddenly craving. An hour of soups, casseroles, and basically everything hot and comforting running through my mind. Honestly, it’s what I think about during most of my runs. Anyway I was going through my food inventory I had at home and decided what I was going to make myself lunch on this fine cool day was this. Roasted sweet potato with broccoli, onion, and kale. Tahini too. And za’atar. I was drooling while running, again not out of the norm. Good times.

So I came home, did stuff, and made myself lunch. Exactly as I wanted, all for me, and it was everything that I thought it would be. Simple, fresh, hot but not heavy, and just the right amount of comfort to feel all the feels of soon to be fall. I grabbed my food, a book, and sat out on the porch, still in a long sleeved shirt, and ate my lunch. A fine lunch that was. A fine fine lunch.

You should have yourself a fine lunch (or any meal) too.

Now to the food!

The stuff. A sweet potato, a head of broccoli, 1/2 a large onion (or 1 small one), tahini, a lemon, a clove or garlic, za’atar, and salt and pepper.

Start by chopping up the sweet potato into mouth sized pieces, break apart the broccoli into smaller mouth sized pieces, and slice up the onion.

Toss it all onto a sheet pan and cover with the za’atar seasoning. You can toss around in a little oil if you want, but I actually just spray it wit ha little water and call it. I am over roasting with oil, it is to oily.

Put the seasoned goodness into hot hot oven.

Oh and place clove or garlic on pan too, just for a few minutes to get a little roasted and remove. It’s for the tahini dressing.

Chop up kale up.

Make the tahini dressing. Tahini, roasted garlic minced up, lemon juice, and a little hot water. Mix tighter until creamy smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Roasted and delicious.

Grab kale and toss it around with everything while it is still hot so the kale kind of wilts. You can also pop it into the oven for a few more minutes to really get that wilt on.

Dump it all into a big bowl.

Drizzle that tahini all over, grab a fork (or not),and make you teeth dance with all this goodness in the mouth.

-C

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Roasted Sweet Potato, Broccoli, and Kale Bowl

Serves 1 as a meal

• 1 sweet potato

• 1 head of broccoli

• a small onion (or half a big one)

• a few kale leaves

• 1 tablespoon za’atar seasoning

• 1 heaping tablespoon tahini

• a lemon

• a clove of garlic

• a few tablespoon hot water

• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Grab the sweet potato and cut into mouth sized chunks. Break apart the head of broccoli into florets And cut up stem into chunks, and slice onion into thick pieces. Place on a baking sheet, sprinkle on the za’atar, and toss around. Sprinkle or spray(with a spray bottle) with a little water. Also throw the garlic clove onto the pan too and place it into the oven.

After about 10 minutes, grab the garlic from the pan and keep everything else roasting.

In the meantime, make tahini dressing. Mince the roasted garlic and add to the tahini with the juice of half the lemon and a splash of hit water. Mix together until completely incorporated, adding in a little more hot water as needed to make the dressing into a thick, but drizz-able consistency. Season with salt and pepper.

And chop kale into smaller pieces.

After 20ish minutes, remove pan from oven and toss the veggies around and place back into oven and roasted for another 10ish minutes or until the sweet potato is soft and tender and the broccoli is looking all roasted. Remove and right away toss the kale with the hot veggies to get the kale to wilt a bit. Also can stick the pan back into oven for a minute to wilt it even more.

And then dump the contents of the pan into a big bowl, drizzle the tahini all over, and eat that shit.