Brussels Sprout, Fig and Walnut Salad

Who else thinks Brussels sprouts are the most underrated vegetable?!??! Because they are. It’s a fact. If I unwrapped a Tupperware full of roasted Brussels sprouts on Christmas morning, I don’t think that I would be mad about it. These little green bundles of joy are one of my favourite winter side dishes. Today we’re getting even more festive and mixing some roasted sprouts with figs and walnuts to make an AMAZING quinoa salad that is a perfect take on a classic accompaniment to your holiday dinner.

Like many other great recipes, we’re starting this one off by roasting a vegetable! Brussels sprouts are chopped in half, then given a nice massage with some salt, pepper, and olive oil. They go in the oven cut-side down (so they get nice and crispy) on a parchment lined baking sheet. But guess what? You get quadruple the roasty deliciousness because at various stages during the cooking time, the figs, walnuts, and some garlic get added onto the pan. The result is some crispy Brussels sprouts, caramelized figs, golden brown walnuts, and amazingly aromatic garlic.

Since we’re on the topic of garlic, let’s talk about the dressing, shall we? It starts with some tahini, lemon juice, and maple syrup, which would all make an awesome dressing on their own, but when they get combined with the roasted garlic, everything gets kicked up a notch. Actually, like, quite a few notches. This dressing is creamy, full of flavour, and is the best thing that you could possibly drizzle all over those roasted sprouts, nuts, and figs on a bed of quinoa. Because yes, there’s quinoa in here too. Talk about hearty and delicious!

This salad is a great side dish for dinner with your family, or just lunch on a weekday. Add a protein like some cooked chicken or chickpeas, and you’ve got a filling and super tasty meal! The best is when you get a bite of Brussels sprout, fig, and walnut all together…. MMMMMM!

Hope you enjoy!

Brussels Sprout, Fig, and Walnut Salad

Serves: 4-6

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Salad:

  • 1/2 tbsp olive oil
  • 12 Brussels Sprouts, halved
  • 1 cup shelled Walnuts
  • 3 figs, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the Dressing:

  • 2 tbsp tahini
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • 3 cloves of garlic, skins on, wrapped in tinfoil
  • 2 tbsp water
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Place the Brussels sprouts on a parchment lined baking sheet and toss them with some olive oil and salt and pepper. Place them in the oven to roast.
  3. After 10 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and add on the packet of garlic. Place back in the oven and roast for another 10 minutes.
  4. Take the baking sheet out of the oven and sprinkle on the chopped figs and the walnuts. Place back in the oven and continue to roast for a final 10 minutes.
  5. Remove the pan from the oven, and carefully unwrap the garlic packet. Remove the cloves from their skins and use a garlic mincer to mince the roasted garlic into a small bowl. Add in the rest of the dressing ingredients and stir to combine.
  6. Spread the cooked quinoa on the bottom of a large serving dish. Scoop all of the roasted Brussels sprouts, figs and walnuts on top. Finally, pour the dressing over everything and toss the salad so that it is evenly mixed together. Serve warm and enjoy!

I’ll see you guys Friday with another festive recipe!

Yours Truly,

Olivia:))

Fall Harvest Bowls

A part of shifting into fall mode for me is roasting all of those awesome fall veggies and making some hearty bowls. And of course I had to throw some sweet potatoes into this one- you know me and my sweet potatoes. Bowls are just a simple, healthy dinner idea that are quick to make and great for meal prep and busy evenings. Today I’m featuring a bunch of delicious fall ingredients, tied together with an apple cider vinegar dressing. Yum!

You guys like Brussels sprouts, right? I love them, and so I roasted a bunch of them up with my sweet potatoes till they were nice and crispy. I also got out my frozen corn. Frozen corn is like the most underrated thing. It’s so tasty and it’s ready in less than five minutes! Sometimes I just eat it as a snack. So so far we’ve got Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, corn, and some delicious dressing.

Next is quinoa, some avocado, and a soft boiled egg. I’ve been big on eggs lately too. They’re fast to cook and are a great source of protein.When you’ve got that golden yolk just bringing everything together in your bowl it’s just perfection😍 On top of all that I sprinkled some pumpkin seeds for an extra touch of fall, and then voila! You’ve got the perfect fall bowl that’s simple, healthy and so yum.

Hope you enjoy!

Fall Harvest Bowl

Serves: 2

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Bowl:

  • 1 medium sized sweet potato, peeled and cut into cubes a couple of centimetres big
  • 8 Brussels sprouts, washed with the outer leaves removed, and cut in half
  • 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup quinoa
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 cups frozen corn, defrosted
  • 1 avocado
  • 2 eggs
  • Handful of pumpkin seeds to sprinkle on top (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the Dressing:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Toss the cubed sweet potatoes and halved Brussels sprouts in a bowl with the olive oil and some salt and pepper. Dump them on a parchment lined baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes, until soft and caramelized.
  3. While the veggies are roasting, bring the quinoa and water to boil in a small pot. Lower the heat for a simmer, then cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit until needed.
  4. In another pot, bring water to a boil and add in the eggs. Depending on the egg size, I boil my eggs for 7-8 minutes for a runny yolk. If you have small eggs I would do 5-6 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a boil of cold water after boiling to prevent them from continuing to cook.
  5. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients, then set aside.
  6. Build your bowls! To each bowl, add in half the quinoa, corn, roasted veggies, avocado, and an egg. Drizzle with the dressing and then sprinkle with pumpkin seeds to finish.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Yours Truly,

Olivia:)