Portabella Tacos with Roasted Butternut Squash and Chili Lime Brussel Sprout Slaw

I am not a huge fan of mushrooms…especially when they are the poorly prepared focus of a vegetarian meal.  I will never order a portabella "burger" because the texture and flavor will often be disappointing.  That being said, if you are like me, you may be skeptical about this recipe.  The key to cooking mushrooms so that they have a "meaty", chewier texture, is to bake them with their marinade on a lower temperature for a longer period of time.  This way, the mushroom soaks up the marinade, creating a lot of flavor, while cooking it longer on a lower temperature almost dries the mushroom out so you get a really great texture.

Portabella Tacos with Roasted Butternut Squash and Chili Lime Brussel Sprout Slaw

• Corn tortillas (or tortillas of your choice)

For the Portabellas:

• 1/3 cup soy sauce or tamari
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• pinch of cayenne (or more to taste)
• 6 portabella mushrooms, wiped with a damp towel and stems removed

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Whisk together the soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, smoked paprika and cayenne in a large bowl.
3. One at a time, dunk the portabella into the marinade. 
   
4. Place all the portabellas on a parchment lined sheet tray.  Pour the extra marinade into the caps. 
     
5. Bake for about 30 minutes until the marinade has soaked into the mushrooms, and they are slightly dried up. 
   

For the Butternut Squash:

• 1 large butternut squash, peeled and medium diced (~ 4-5 cups)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• pinch of cayenne

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, toss the butternut squash with  olive oil, salt and cayenne.
3. Spread them out on a parchment lined sheet tray.
4. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until golden. 
   

For the Brussel Sprout Slaw:

• 3 cups brussel sprouts, grated or finely sliced
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• Juice from 1 lime

1. In a medium bowl, mix the brussel sprouts with olive oil, salt, crushed red pepper and lime juice. Set aside. 
   

Optional Toppings

Chipotle Mayo:

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 teaspoon adobo sauce (from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce)
• 1 tablespoon lime juice

Quick Pickled Red Onions

** I make a large batch of these and keep them in my fridge to add to salads, sandwiches, tacos, rice bowls etc.  

Heat up the tortillas and assemble the tacos!

Fall Bounty Salad with White Balsamic & Maple Vinaigrette

Let's be honest…. as the weather gets colder, salad is not really appealing.  We want warm, comforting foods right? Well at least I feel that way! This salad is an exception.  My salad philosophy is that it has to have at least 5 ingredients AND it has to incorporate a variety of textures in order to be satisfying.  If you keep your pantry and fridge stocked with your favorite salad add-ons, it makes it much easier to throw together a quick salad.  You can of course add chicken, fish or steak , but it's not necessary.

** I divided this recipe into sections for each component of the salad 

Fall Bounty Salad

For the Quinoa:

•       1/2 cup quinoa*

•       1/2 cup red quinoa*

•       1 teaspoon olive oil

•       2 cups water

•       1/2 teaspoon salt

* you can of course use just one kind of quinoa

1. Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer with cool water.
2. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat and add the drained quinoa.  Cook, stirring, for about a minute until the water is evaporated.
3. Add the water and salt and bring to a boil.
4. Lower the heat and cook covered for 15 minutes.
5. Remove the pot from the heat and let stand for 5 more minutes covered. Set aside for later.

For the Cayenne Roasted Butternut Squash

•       1 small butternut squash, peeled seeded and cut into 1 inch chunks

•       1 tablespoon olive oil

•       1/4 teaspoon cayenne

•       1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

•       salt, to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Place the squash on a parchment lined sheet pan and drizzle with the olive oil, cayenne, smoked paprika and salt.   Toss well. 
3. Arrange the squash in one layer and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until the squash is tender, turning once with a metal spatula.
4. Remove from the oven and set aside for later.

For the Massaged Kale:

•       2 bunches of kale, washed, dried and de-stemmed.

•       1/2  teaspoon salt

•       1 tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar

•       1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Tear up the kale into small, bite-sized pieces.
2. Put the kale into a large bowl, and add the lemon juice and salt.
3. Massage the kale with your hands for a few minutes (hopefully you don't have any cuts on your hands!)  
4. At this point add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and massage a bit more.  You will notice that the color of the kale will begin to intensify.  This is a good thing. Set aside in the fridge for later.

For the Tamari Roasted Chickpeas:

•       1 can chickpeas

•       1 tablespoon olive oil

•       2 teaspoons lemon juice or apple cider vinegar

•       2 teaspoons tamari (soy sauce)

•       pinch of salt

* I would recommend doubling this part because these chickpeas are addictive, and you might be sad when you don't have any left!

1. Preheat oven to 375°F . 
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, whisk all ingredients (except chickpeas) to combine.  
3. Add chickpeas and toss to fully coat the chickpeas. Bake for about 15 minutes, until liquid is absorbed (chickpeas will still be tender, not crunchy).    

For the Toasted Pepitas & Sesame Seeds:

•       2 tablespoons white sesame seeds*

•       2 tablespoons black sesame seeds*

•       2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

* you can of course use just one kind of sesame seeds

1. Toast sesame and pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until lightly golden, stirring occasionally. Or bake on an ungreased baking sheet at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden. Watch to avoid scorching.

For the White Balsamic & Maple Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• generous 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, maple syrup and salt until fully incorporated.
2. Continue whisking and slowly pour in the oil, whisking the entire time until emulsified.

• 1/4 cup dried cranberries

Assembling the Salad:

1. Add the massaged kale to a large bowl. Toss with as much quinoa, butternut squash, and chickpeas as you like.
2. Sprinkle with the toasted pepitas, sesame seeds and dried cranberries.
3. Serve with dressing on the side.

Lemon Zucchini Cornmeal Cookies (Gluten-Free)

Zucchini is in season and there is A LOT of it!  I made these cookies at work and even the most skeptical people couldn't stop eating them.  I really love the texture of these cookies.  They are  chewy on the inside, yet crispy around the edges.  They are delicious..I promise!

* You will need cheesecloth or a lightweight kitchen towel for this recipe in order to strain out the liquid from the zucchini.



Lemon Zucchini Cornmeal Cookies

• ~ 5 zucchini, grated and strained (~ 2 1/2 cups after squeezing)
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 lemons, zested
• 2 cups gluten free flour
• 1 cup fine cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons salt

1. Preheat the oven to 340 degrees.
2. Use a box grater, or a food processor to grate the zucchini.  Then, squeeze out as much liquid as you can from the zucchini using cheesecloth or a kitchen towel.  It is important to get all the liquid out, or your cookies will be soggy. 
   
3. Using a hand or standing mixer, cream the softened butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla extract, almond extract and lemon zest. 
   
4.  Add in the flour, cornmeal and salt, and mix until the dough is crumbly. 
   
5. Mix in the strained zucchini until a thick dough forms. 
   
6. Use a small scoop to make equal sized cookie portions on a parchment lined sheet tray. Flatten with your hand.
   
   
    
   
7. Bake at 340 degrees for about 15-20 minutes until the edges are slightly golden.
8. Let cool and enjoy!
   
   

Lentil Walnut Tacos

These are not intended to replicate meat, BUT they are “meaty” in their own way. They’re full of flavor, have a great texture and are really satisfying!  If you cook the lentils ahead of time, this should only take you about 15 minutes to make!





Lentil Walnut Tacos

• 1 small onion, sliced
• 2 cups cooked lentils ( I cooked mine with some cumin, salt and a bay leaf)
• 2 cups walnuts, toasted
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 pepper (any color), slice into strips
• Tortillas
• Toppings of your choice (sautéed onions and peppers, slaw, greens, chipotle mayo, barbecue sauce, fresh tomato salsa etc.)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Sauté the onions in a little bit of olive oil until slightly golden. 
   
   
   
3. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 6-8 minutes until fragrant. 
   
   
   
4. In a food processor, pulse the cooked lentils, sautéed onions and toasted walnuts a few times until the mixture is coarsely chopped (you don't want it to turn into a paste.  Texture is good!)  
   
   
   
5. Put mixture into a mixing bowl. Add the soy sauce and spices.  Stir to combine. 
   
   
   
6. Use this filling for your tacos along with your favorite accompaniments.  I made my tacos with sautéed onions and peppers, chipotle cream, homemade BBQ sauce and freshly squeezed lime juice.