Moroccan Bread Salad

Today I'm going to share my all-time favorite dinner salad with you.

Yes, favorite.

This meal-size salad has garlicky, toasted, homemade bread croutons in it. And crunchy, toasted almonds. Plus protein-rich chickpeas and some creamy, garlic-seasoned cheese.

To be honest, I'm not sure how it is that I've been blogging about food this long, and still have yet to share the Moroccan Bread Salad recipe. It kind of feels like I've been hiding something from you.

I spotted the Moroccan Bread Salad in a Rachael Ray Magazine when Adam and I first got married. We had just entered the new world of "cooking," and were quickly turning into recipe-hungry cooking machines. Everything was so new and exciting--and I mean everything. Neither one of us had ever purchased or used cumin before. I had never even heard of cumin.

Embarrassing.

So I bought my first bottle of cumin, made this recipe, and instantly knew it was a keeper. We often feature it when we have friends over for dinner; we even made a bowl-ful for Christmas dinner at Adam's parents' house once.

Make it. Eat it. Love it.

And forgive me for holding this one back for so long.

Moroccan Bread Salad

(recipe from Rachael Ray Magazine)

This recipe is quite simple to throw together--you can prep most of the ingredients while the seasoned bread cubes are toasting. And, while purchasing a hearty loaf of peasant bread is perfectly acceptable, isn't it so much more fun to use a loaf of homemade bread?

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
• 3 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. cumin
• One 1 lb. peasant loaf, torn into 1 inch pieces
• salt and pepper
• 4 ribs of celery, chopped
• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 4 oz. Swiss or seasoned Havarti cheese, cut into small cubes
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds, toasted
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

2) In a large bowl, combine 1/4 cup olive oil, the garlic and cumin. Add the bread and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Place in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake until toasted, tossing occasionally (it took about 12 - 14 minutes for mine to toast).

3) Meanwhile, mix the celery, chickpeas, cheese, almonds, vinegar, and remaining 1/4 cup olive oil in the same bowl. Add the bread and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

Waldorf Re-Mix

I'm a sucker for salads that include both veggies and fruit.

Add some toasted nuts into the mix, and I just may reach food nirvana (I just invented food nirvana. Don't question it.).

So when I stumbled upon a recipe for Waldorf Salad in my Moosewood Restaurant's Low-Fat Favorites cookbook, I knew it would be a winner in our house.

This salad combines the best parts of an old-school Waldorf Salad (fruit + veggies + nuts), while nixing the less-than-desirable part (creamy over-the-top mayonnaise sauce). Instead of the creamy sauce, we go with a light, oil-free orange juice dressing.

Paired with spinach salad and a slice of Irish Soda Bread, this was an easy dinner to pull together. The salad is quite reminiscent of one of my ol' favorites: Apple-Almond-Bulgur Salad. I noted few differences between the two, although I found the Waldorf Salad a bit more filling and suitable as a "main course" salad.

Eat up, friends, and enjoy this hearty salad while it lasts. Tomorrow? We're talking homemade (and arguably "healthy?") peanut butter cups.

Stay tuned.

Waldorf Salad, Re-Mixed

(recipe adapted from The Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites)

The one things missing from this delightful salad? Grapes! If you have them on hand, I recommend halving a handful and tossing them right into the mix.

Salad Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 - 1/2 cups diced apple
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins
• 3 TBSP lemon juice
• 1/3 - 1/2 cup toasted almonds, chopped

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 TBSP honey
• 1 tsp. ground coriander

Directions:

Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients. Pour over salad and stir to coat. Enjoy!

Dough-Lovers Anonymous

I love vegan cookie dough.

Although the risk of salmonella poisoning never stops me from devouring regular cookie dough, I hold back nothing when it comes to consuming vegan cookie dough. Is there a 12-step program for dough-loving fools like myself? I fear I'll one day reach a point where I simply turn off the oven, grab a spoon, and call it quits on baking altogether.

Okay, probably not. But I'm close.

This weekend I made some vegan dough and (reluctantly) baked them into chewy, yummy Chocolate-Cherry-Almond Cookies. Think Black Forest Cake meets Sugar Cookie. I love taking the flavors of decadent desserts and baking them into bite-size cookie form.

These cookies are adapted from a recipe I found in my favorite dessert cookbook: Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. This cookbook has taught me the basics of vegan baking, and I've learned that flaxseed and canola oil are truly the best friends of stellar vegan cookie.

And friends, this is one seriously stellar cookie.

Do you have any favorite vegan dessert recipes? Share your link below!

Chocolate-Cherry-Almond Cookies

(recipe adapted from one found in Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar)

For me, the essence of a good cookie is in its chewy-ness factor. Do NOT give me a cake-like cookie. A cake-like cookie is just what it is: a miniature cake that simply doesn't fit in the cookie category. These cookies are definitely rocking a perfect chewy factor.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup canola oil
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 6 TBSP vanilla almond milk (unsweetened)
• 2 heaping tablespoons of ground flaxseed
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 - 1/4 tsp. almond extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup oat flour (whir one cup of oats in your food processor)
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or white chocolate chips (or a rockin' mixture of both!)
• 3/4 cup chopped, toasted almonds
• 1/2 cup chopped dried cherries

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat 2 large baking sheets with cooking spray.

2) In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, sugars, milk, flaxseed, and extracts until thoroughly combined. Stir in the flours, baking soda, and salt. Fold in the almonds, chocolate chips, and cherries.

3) Drop dough by spoonfuls onto the baking sheets and bake for 10 - 11 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. Eat up!

Crunchy-Toasty-Nutty

I know I made granola bars just a couple weeks ago, but I still wasn't satisfied with the softness of the final product.

When it comes to granola, I like a good solid crunch. I crave that toasty flavor. And don't even get me started on the nuts. Lots and lots of nuts.

Since the granola bars didn't completely fill the crunchy-toasty-nutty criteria I set, I decided to make plain old granola. You know, the kind you can grab a handful of and really sink your teeth into.

SUCCESS! Boy did this recipe fill my crunchy-toasty-nutty void...to the tenth power. You can serve it a zillion ways: stirred into yogurt, sprinkled on your morning bowl o' oats, mixed into a peanut butter-banana sandwich, or as an ice cream topping.

But me? I like to eat it plain and simple...one handful at a time.

Of course you can dress this recipe up with your tasty preferences (one of the beauties of granola). And I promise: If you crave the crunchy-toasty-nutty kind of granola, this recipe will certainly not disappoint.

Bonus holiday gift idea: Load your granola up in a clear jar (recycled nut butter jar?) and include it in a small basket with some sugared pecans, a cute tea towel, and a gift card to your local health food store.

Now, let me leave you with something to look forward to: Oreo Truffles will be made--and promptly eaten--on Saturday. Holy yum, I can hardly wait.

Crunchy-Toasty-Nutty Granola

(Hungry Spoon original)

This granola makes a great yogurt mix-in, but my favorite way to eat it is one dry spoonful at a time :)

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of oats
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup ground flaxseed or wheat germ
• 1/2 cup flaked coconut
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds
• 1/4 cup oil
• 3 TBSP honey
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• Optional: Dried cranberries

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a large baking sheet (or two) with cooking spray.

2) In a large bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, flaxseed, coconut, and nuts. In a small bowl, combine the oil, honey, and extracts. Pour liquid mixture over oat mixture and mix until thoroughly combined.

3) Place granola in a single layer on baking sheet(s). Bake for 8 minutes, remove from oven and toss/stir. Bake for another 5 - 10 minutes, or until toasty. Be sure to check back often! It can get too toasty (read: burnt) very quickly! Stir in cranberries when granola is finished baking.

Cold Weather Comfort Casserole

After last night's vegan-licious dinner chili, I was craving something on the cheesey side tonight.

Hint: Think a little sharp cheddar, a load of veggies, some hearty pasta, and big smile on my face.

You guessed it: An innovative combination of grown-up mac n' cheese, and a vegetarian version of turkey tetrazzini (these are words Adam used to describe the dish after his first bite).

Let's get one thing straight: Mac n' cheese gets a bad name from the impostor "cheeses" that have invaded the inner shelves of grocery stores. With options like Kraft's orange cheese-flavored powder, and Velveeta's squeezable pouches of cheesy goo, it's no wonder most healthy adults run in the opposite direction of these boxed products.

Tonight's "Grown-Up Mac n' Cheese/Vegetarian Tetrazzini" recipe, inspired by Clean Eating, offers the perfect solution. All the goodness of a traditional comfort food casserole, without Sponge Bob shaped noodles, powdered cheese product, or meat. Just use whole wheat pasta, high-quality cheese, and loads o' veggies, and you've got a classy grown-up meal on your hand.

I would recommend using penne or rotini pasta for this casserole. I resorted to spaghetti because it was the only lonely box of pasta in the cabinet.

So tonight, if you're shielding yourself from the outdoor temperature of 4 degrees like I am, bake up a batch of this warm and comforting casserole. Afterwards, I recommend a spirited present-wrapping session (Adam is currently sporting his Santa hat as he enthusiastically wraps the gifts).

Grown-Up Mac n' Cheese/Vegetarian Tetrazzini

(adapted from a Clean Eating Magazine recipe)

Nothing warms you up on a cold day like a warm, hearty casserole. The chopped almond topping adds a great healthy crunch, and a nice change from the traditional bread crumb topping.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup skim milk
• sprinkling of flour
• 2 cups reduced-fat cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
• 1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 8 oz. whole wheat pasta
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 - 1/2 cups broccoli forets
• 1 - 1/2 cups cauliflower florets
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1/3 cup chopped almonds

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat a 2 qt. casserole dish with cooking spray.

2) In a saucepan, whisk together the milk and a little flour over medium heat. Stir constantly and bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for about 3 - 4 minutes. Stir in cheeses and salt, stirring until melted. Stir in yogurt, cover, and set aside.

3) Cook pasta according to package directions. Three minutes before pasta is done, add the carrots, onion, broccoli, and cauliflower. When pasta is done, drain veggies and pasta and return to pot. Stir in cheese mixture and parsley and pour into casserole dish. Sprinkle with almonds and bake for about 20 minutes, or until heated through.

Simple Side Dish

Do you remember those first recipes you dabbled in when you were learning how to cook?

Good times, right?

My early-learning adventures in cooking began as a graduate student. At the time, I had never heard of cumin, I thought fat-free cheese was a perfectly acceptable substitute for the real deal, and I was unaware of the differences between margarine and real butter.

My first recipes included vegetarian chili, marinara sauce with spaghetti, and bean burritos. Once I learned to make these bad boys, they quickly became the three-meal rotation I cooked every week. Yep, every week. I've always been a creature of habit.

Also topping the list of "first foods" in my cooking journey was Carrot and Celery Amandine. Adam discovered it on Allrecipes.com (shortly after our discovery of the bean burrito recipe), and it quickly entered into the rotation. Soy sauce gives it a flavorful taste, and toasted almonds provide the crunch I need when I'm eating cooked vegetables.

Tonight, we returned to our early days of cooking and made Carrot and Celery Amandine to go with our leftover Tofu Sandwiches. Brings back memories :)

What were your first recipes when you began cooking?

Carrots and Celery Amandine

(courtesy of Allrecipes.com)

This simple side dish is the perfect accompaniment to a sandwich dinner.

Ingredients:

• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• a dash of olive oil
• 2 TBSP water
• 2 TBSP low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1 - 1/4 cups chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/4 cup chopped, toasted almonds

Directions:

Heat a little olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and saute until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute for one additional minute. Add the carrots, celery, water, soy sauce, and sugar. Stir to combine, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until vegetables are tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Stir in chopped almonds.

Curried Bulgur with Roasted Veggies

It's no secret that I'm a bit of a bulgur fanatic. After discovering this gem of a grain last year, I've been singing its praises ever since. Quick to prepare, perfect for salads or main dishes, and it's flavor can vary vastly depending on the liquid you soak it in.

Who needs couscous when you've got bodacious bulgur (I'm only mildly embarrassed that I just used the word "bodacious.")

Tonight's dinner recipe screams simplicity (not an angry scream; a friendly, cooking-happy scream). Better yet, it highlights one of my favorite flavor combos: curry, fruit, and toasted nuts. You could boost the protein-punch in this one by adding a can of rinsed, drained chickpeas. Additionally, I recommend adding a chopped red bell pepper--unfortunately I didn't have one on hand tonight.

Alongside our Curried Bulgur with Almonds and Apricots, we served roasted cauliflower. From beginning to end, dinner was ready in about 40 minutes.

If you're looking for more creative grain salad ideas, you might want to check out my Ode to Grains. (I know, I can't believe I wrote an Ode to Grains either).

Finally, what are your favorite cookbooks right now? I would love to hear what cookbooks and cooking magazines you're running to the most lately. We've definitely been heavy on the Moosewood volumunes and my old Cooking Light recipes, but I'm seeking some creative inspiration!

Curried Bulgur with Almonds and Apricots

This curried grain dish serves perfectly with roasted cauliflower. I included a little of both in each bite I took :)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups broth (chicken or veggie)
• 1 cut uncooked bulgur
• 1/2 tsp. curry powder (or more if you're a curry fanatic)
• Dash of cinnamon (maybe around 1/4 tsp.?)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• a little olive oil
• 1 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds, toasted

Directions:

1) In a small saucepan, bring broth to a boil. Remove from heat; stir in bulgur, curry, and cinnamon. Cover and allow to sit until broth is absorbed (20 - 30 minutes).

2) In a small skillet, heat a little olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened and lightly browned, 6 - 7 minutes.

3) Add onion, apricots, and almonds to bulgur; stir until combined (You can also add chopped red bell pepper and chickpeas here, if desired.). Serve with roasted cauliflower (recipe below).

Parmesan-Roasted Cauliflower

(adapted from a recipe in The Biggest Loser Cookbook)

You haven't tasted cauliflower until you've tried this recipe. When I got this cookbook a few years ago, I made this recipe every week for quite some time!

Ingredients:

• Florets from one head of cauliflower
• a little drizzle of olive oil
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. (or more!) of garlic powder
• salt to taste
• sprinkling of dried parsley
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

2) In a large bowl, drizzle just a bit of olive oil over the cauliflower florets (about 1 tablespoon?). Stir pepper, garlic powder, salt, and dried parsley in. Sprinkle some freshly grated Parmesan in and combine well.

3) Bake for 15 - 20 minutes, or until lightly browned (stirring once halfway through the cook-time).