Kale + Brussels Sprout Fruit and Nut Salad

gluten-free, vegan option // yields 4 servings or 2 meal-sized servings

1 head lacinato kale, de-stemmed

8-10 brussels sprouts

1 large crisp apple

3/4 cup tart dried cherries

3/4 cup roasted salted pistachios

2-3 ounces sheep’s milk feta

3-4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

salt + pepper to taste

Stack kale leaves on top of one another and roll in half (lengthwise) to gather them up. Slice into thin ribbons. Place in a large bowl. Shred brussels with a mandolin or slice thinly with a sharp knife. Discard stem ends. Place in the bowl.

Add 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and a pinch or two of salt and pepper. Thoroughly massage into the greens. Place in the fridge for 10-15 minutes (optional but helps dressing absorb and soften the greens just slightly).

Crumble 2-3oz of feta over the greens and massage in. Taste the greens and add more lemon, olive oil, salt, and/or pepper if needed. Thinly slice the apple and rub with a squeeze of lemon juice. Add to the salad along with the pistachios and cherries.

Serve.

Store leftover in a sealed container and add more lemon/olive oil if needed the following day.

Notes: Keeps well for 1-2 days but pistachios will soften a bit. Best served for a crowd same day as it was made. To make this vegan, simply leave off the feta and add an extra pinch of salt and lemon.

If your coffee didn’t wake you up this morning, these photos most certainly will.

Hellooo sunshine!

Brussels sprouts, oranges, peppers?

Not a combination that screams, “meant to be.”

But bare with me, because this is about to become your most beloved veggie noodle bowl ever.

Can we take a minute to note the beauty of this pink-hued, cara cara orange?

LOVE.

Now, how about we go and roast that beautiful orange. It never occurred to me to do this. Why would this be good? How could it be good? A warm orange? That kind of sounds gross. Then again, I’m not a huge fan of warm fruit in general.

But.

Roasted oranges, you just changed my world.

I don’t know how you actually made it to any of the photos.

The pulp becomes tender and pulls away from the skin, easier than a knife through butter. The sweetness intensifies from the roasting, and the warmth is surprisingly spectacular.

Thank you, Katie, for introducing me to this clever idea.

So. To recap:

Roasted oranges = YES!

Now on with the show.

Miles in length + fun to chew, these brown rice noodles are my favorite! Boil for 2 minutes and done!

The only thing left to do?

Pile it high and start chewing.

Print this!

Orange Ginger Veggie Noodle Bowl

vegan, gluten-free // yields 4 servings

inspired by: Katie’s Roasted Oranges and Emily’s Sesame Roasted Veggies

for the noodle bowl:

1lb brussels sprouts, ends trimmed + halved
10-12 mini sweet peppers, sliced
1 large orange
1, 8oz package brown rice noodles
1 tablespoon safflower oil
salt/pepper
sesame seeds

Preheat your oven to 400*F.
Cut the orange into about 8 segments and place peel-side down on a baking sheet.
Toss the brussels sprouts with the oil, sprinkle with salt + pepper, and place in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until just starting to brown.
Toss the peppers in with the brussels sprouts and let roast for another 10 minutes, or until the brussels sprouts are fully tender.
Place the oranges in the oven at the same time and roast for about 15 minutes, until puffy and starting to brown.
While roasting, bring a large pot of water to boil and cook noodles according to package directions.
In a bowl, toss the roasted veggies with as much dressing as you would like.
Portion noodles in each bowl, then pour the veggies overtop, and add 1-2 segments of roasted orange [skin removed] to each bowl. Add more dressing if desired.
Top with sesame seeds.

notes: Sub 1-2 sweet bell peppers if you can’t find the mini variety.

for the dressing:

1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup fresh squeeze orange juice
4-5 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 teaspoons orange zest
2 teaspoons minced ginger
1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt + pepper

Place all dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until fully combined and smooth. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper if needed.
Refrigerate excess in a sealed container for 4-5 days.

notes: Dressing thickens as it sits. Add more rice vinegar or orange juice to thin out if needed. Toasted sesame oil lends a deep, toasted flavor. I do not advise subbing another type of oil.

A bright + refreshing, wintery, veggie-loaded noodle bowl.

The end.

Ashley