lunch

Carrot Salad with Roasted Cashew & Spicy Honey Vinaigrette

You’ll Need

1 cup unsalted cashews, roasted
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
1/8 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup local honey
1/2 cup olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 pound carrots, peeled, julienned

Here’s How
Preheat oven to 350’F Degrees. Toast cashews on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing occasionally until golden brown, about 8–10 minutes. Set aside.


To the bowl of your food processor or standing blender, add the garlic, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, 1/2 cup of the cashews, honey, salt and pepper. Process and slowly add the oil by drizzling through your processors feeder tube.

Continue until mixture is emulsified into a creamy vinaigrette.

Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking with salt, pepper, honey or lemon.

Add carrots, toss and let stand at least 30 minutes to blend flavors .

Toss with additional cashews and chopped basil just before serving.


Do Ahead:

Salad can be made 1 day ahead without the nuts and basil. Cover; chill. Toss with 1/2 cup remaining nuts and basil just before serving.

Green Monster Muffins! 

My stance on getting sneaky in the kitchen is very simple. I don’t like to lie about food, especially to children. I also know how hard it can be to get little ones to eat green. Fun holidays like, Halloween or St. Patricks Day and year end holiday are a great time to get green. Or flex your parental power and establish a “green food “ day of the week and introduce new green foods on that day.



Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all purpose or gluten-free flour

1 cup cane or coconut sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon allspice

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

4 cups raw baby spinach

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups butter

3 over ripe bananas

2 teaspoons good quality vanilla
Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350’F degrees and prepare 2 regular sized muffin tins with non-stick, organic cooking spray. Or cupcake liners. Or, prepare 2 loaf pans

2.In a blender, combine spinach and bananas. Blend until spinach changed to a liquid state.
3. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt and allspice. Mix well. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of your stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, add the sugar and butter, mix on high speed until creamy and sugar crystals begin to dissolve- about three to five minutes. Add eggs, one at a time mixing well in between each addition.

 

5. Slowly beat in the spinach – banana mixture. Add vanilla.

 

6. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix well to combine.

 

7. Scoop batter into prepared muffin tins or two prepared loaf pans.

 

8. Bake for approximately 30-45 minutes or until muffins spring back to the touch and are slightly browned on edges. 60-90 minutes if baking loafs.
Test for doneness by running a toothpick in the center. If if pulls out clean, loafs are done. Makes approximately 2 dozen medium muffins, 1 1/2 large and 3-4 dozen mini muffins or 2 loafs.