So you have a vegan entree, my mushroom tart, and a holiday dessert, my peppermint stick shake, and an amazing Christmas morning breakfast recipe, my vegan pancakes. Now we need some Season's Green-nings happening on the holiday feast table. So today I am sharing a creative spin on a plain old cold salad. My HOT + COLD Butternut Apple Maple Toasty Pecan Holiday Salad with Tahini-Ginger-Citrus Dressing. This salad recipe is perfect for a feel good entree or holiday feast side dish.
So countdown to a healthy 2015 with plenty of greens. And there is a nice #SeasonsGreenings giveaway to go along with this post! Yup, holiday recipe + giveaway season rolls on..
Psst.. Have you entered? Three days left until we choose a winner, $2700 prize! 12 Days Vegan Xmas
Tahini Dressing:
Dole Salads asked me to "think outside the salad bowl" this holiday season, but I just HAD to use a bowl for this recipe. But my creative twist: blending HOT and COLD ingredients to make one sassy savory sweet salad.
HOT + COLD salads are my fave. I have been making them for a long time, but I guess I have never actually talked about the technique here on my blog. It is pretty simple, you may already be making them yourself. But the idea is to top a giant bowl-ful of chilled, crunchy greens with something hot-from-the-skillet or hot-from-the-oven. Anything from roasted veggies to baked tofu to skillet-sizzled legumes and veggies and more!
Reasons I love HOT + COLD salads:
* The hot ingredients lightly wilt and SOFTEN the greens, while still keeping them RAW and fresh!
* RAW MEETS COOKED. I love raw veggies, rich in enzymes and jam-packed with fresh nutrients, but I also adore cooked foods. So this gives me the best of both worlds.
* You can add more FLAVOR OOMPH to your salad. Cooking ingredients (like squash, onions, beans, lentils, apple, pear and more) brings out the flavor in them - intensifying the yumminess of your salad. You add hearty and bold flavors to each bite. You are seasoning the cooked ingredients too, which further adds FLAVOR.
* More FLEXIBILITY is allowed with salads, you can make them entree salads, protein-infused (try tempeh or legumes in your HOT mix).
* More VEGGIES for your bowl. Forget more bang for your buck, adding HOT ingredients gives you more veggies per square inch of your serving bowl! Why? Cooking foods (usually) reduces them in size quite a bit. So you can add more of them to your serving dish.
* If you are adding VEGAN CHEESE to your salad like I did in today's recipe, you will find that the hot stuff lightly softens the cheese, further combining the flavors.
..speaking of vegan cheese. Oh man guys, there are SO SO SO many brands out there that are incredible now. And I mean AGED tree nut cheese that really tastes like gourmet aged cheese, without the dairy. Here are some brands I love.. List of vegan cheese brands: DrCow, Treeline, MiYoko's Kitchen, Daiya blocks, PunkRawk Labs.
Another yummy salad to try!.. This Winter Citrus Salad from Dole - This medley of citrus, pomegranate and greens is every bit a colorful showpiece. Layers of baby kale, citrus and green beans are arranged with delicately sliced red pears. Add a sprinkle of mint leaves for a cheerful finish, and serve with citrus vinaigrette:
Or Butternut Tartines (just easily sub VEGAN CHEESE in place of the parm) - perfect for a party App.
Get my recipe + enter the giveaway below!..
Butternut Apple Maple Toasty Pecan Holiday Salad
By Published 12/22/2014
Delicious vegan salad with Dole greens, green apple, butternut squash, pecans, vegan cheese and tahini dressing.
Ingredients
- 1 package DOLE® Power Up Greens™ Baby Kale and Greens
- Saute:
- 1 ½ cups butternut squash, diced
- 1 small green apple, diced
- ½ cup raw pecans
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup, grade B
- 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Optional fresh herbs: 1 sage leaf, finely chopped OR ½ teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- skillet: 1 teaspoon virgin coconut oil + ½ cup water
- Fold-in / toppings:
- 2 tablespoon dried cranberries
- 2 large Natural Delights Medjool Dates, chopped
- Optional: ¼ cup vegan aged cashew cheese, sliced and chopped
- Ginger-Tahini-Citrus Dressing:
- ¼ cup tahini, Artisana brand used (raw, texture is thick and creamy)
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ - ½ cup fresh orange or tangerine juice - add less for a thicker dressing -- + a pinch of zest
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup (or 1 Medjool date + 1 tablespoon water)
- ⅛ teaspoon fresh ginger, grated with a microplane
- a few pinches of cayenne or cinnamon for extra spice
Instructions
- Warm a skillet over high heat, melt 1 teaspoon virgin coconut oil into the pan. Then add the butternut squash and carefully add in ¼ cup water. Cover pan with a lid if oil starts to splatter too much during cooking process. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Then flip squash and add another ¼ cup splash of water. Reduce heat or cover with lid if splattering occurs. Your goal: brown the edges of the squash, while softening the texture to make it tender. Keep cooking until this is achieved. Once your squash cubes are tender, move onto step two.
- To the warm skillet, over high heat, add the apple, pecans, 2 tablespoon maple syrup, salt, cinnamon and optional fresh herbs. Saute until sizzling and maple syrup absorbs into mixture, and apples become lightly browned. Reduce heat and add the apple cider vinegar. Saute for another minute, turn off stove, and set hot skillet aside.
- In a blender, process all the dressing ingredients until a creamy tahini dressing forms.
- Add the Dole Power Up Greens to a large mixing bowl. Add a drizzle of the dressing and toss well.
- Add the greens to large serving bowl and pour the skillet mixture over top. Add the cranberries and optional vegan cheese over top. Serve with extra dressing on the side.
Yield: serves 6Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 15 mins. Total time: 25 mins. Tags: salad,cheese,dole,greens,recipe,holiday,butternut,pecans,apple
It is easy to get green-inspired with greens like this from DOLE® Power Up Greens™ ..
*This is a sponsored post by Dole Salads, but all opinions are my own. Thank you to all my HHL sponsors who make my website possible! I only work with brands and people that I love and adore.
Tracy says
This is so amazing! I seriously think I could eat this every day...Thanks so much for such a nourishing & delicious meal!!
Kathy Patalsky says
so glad you liked it!
RockMyVeganSocks says
I'm totally digging this hot + cold salad idea. Although it's been warming up again here in NorCal, it got a little chilly last week and I was craving warm-ish foods. I love the idea of combining apple with butternut squash - sweet & tart. Yum!
Jordyn Manucci says
Try new preparations of veggies
Valerie says
Less lazy meals out and more good ol' home cookin'! 🙂
Elin Roberts says
I hope my entries stick now. It kept dumping my points for having tweeted about contest. Did it 3 times.
Nichole says
Meal plan for sure!
Elin Roberts says
To eat real food=not processed crap.
sharadabean says
Plan meals in advance
Paige Callahan says
Prioritize sleep every single night!
Rebecca P. says
To eat REAL food!
disqus_n6P3gaQ2GK says
Being conscious about the sourcing of my foods!
Mara says
Lots of veggies.
Kristy says
My number one trick to a healthy happy 2015 is to stay active and cook up yummy delicious nourishing foods/beverages
Christina says
I'm going to make vegetables the center of most of my meals!
Krista says
I am going to eat more veggies this year!
Kristina says
Move more and try to obsess less about every little thing that I put into my body.
Riss Wynings says
My trick is to do the things that make me happy! Sometimes I need to just sit and read a book, and sometimes I just need to go hard at the gym! It makes me feel so much better than forcing myself to do things I don't want to.
Barrie says
Number one trick is going to be sure I eat enough and give my body the nutrients it needs to be healthy.
Emily says
Yoga, long walks with the dogs, and lots of green smoothies.
Mackenzie Rifkin says
I always try and remember that everything in moderation is key to being happy and healthy. I tend to be an all or nothing person, and I always end up feeling burnt out and stressed. Keeping in mind that rest and little indulgences are just as important as exercise and eating healthfully allows me to be happy with who I am and how i feel!
AnnaZed says
My tip is: ride your bike!
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{in the contest I am Margot Core on the Rafflecopter}
Melissa K. says
Continue to treasure and care for the relationship with my honey! AND, eat at home more!
Jennipher Hulse says
My tip is: eat out as little as possible.
Jennifer says
Number Trick is think ahead! Prepare what you will eat ahead of time and plan for crazy cases of the munchies! 2015 will be a breeze!
Kathy Patalsky says
I like that!
Katherine B says
Yummy!! Mine is going to be to eat more salads. Just making sure I always have lots of fresh, healthy food in the house!
saniel says
#1trick prepare meals for week ahead, salads in jars, dressings on side, leftovers in containers, bulk and freeze meals. It makes dinner time easy and planned lunch for work.
Corrina R says
My #1 trick for 2015 will be more aware of what I am putting into my body. Trying to go completely plant based 🙂
Kathy Patalsky says
Good for you Corrina!
Cynthia Winter says
My number one trick is a daily walk.
Kathy Patalsky says
must do! I always feel better too when I get some fresh air and start moving!
Hannah says
I definitely want to eat more leafy greens this new year.
Kathy Patalsky says
🙂 always a GREAT idea!
Rachel S. says
#1 tip water water and more water.
Kathy Patalsky says
and more water. YES
eatrunsail says
#1 Tip to making 2015 healthy? I am making sure we eat at least one large serving of leafy green veggies every day... it's easy at our house... we love them!
Kathy Patalsky says
That is great!
Ashlee says
I'm adding this to my Christmas menu! The ginger tahini sauce got me : )
Kathy Patalsky says
Enjoy it! It is soooooo good
Tara Cormican says
Going to start eating healthier and continue to do raw fruits and veggies for breakfast! in 2015
Kathy Patalsky says
I love raw fruits for breakfast!
Tara Cormican says
Me too! I go in phases - last year I started off with juicing, switched to Bolthouse 100% carrot juice, then went on a grape kick, now I'm really into bananas 🙂 But whatever one I end up with doesn't matter to me as much as getting in the good stuff at the beginning of my day... hoping to increase the fruit and veggie intake throughout my day in 2015! Too bad I don't have a personal vegan chef! 😉
Debi359 says
I love a combo of cooked and raw foods. This looks great! Happy Holidays!
Kathy Patalsky says
Thank you Debi! You too
Heather McClees says
This looks so yummy! I'm making a tahini dressing to go over roasted Brussels sprouts for Christmas!:) Lots of love Kathy!!
Kathy Patalsky says
Thank you Heather! Happy holidays! And yummmmmmmmmmmmmm on the tahini + brussel sprouts
Inspired Life says
Yum Yum Yum, I can't wait to make this. I too love hot/cold salad but never really knew why. You've articulated the 'why' so well.
Kathy Patalsky says
oh good! I didn't want to "state the obvious" but sometimes the simplest ideas should be said out loud! 🙂
Claire Elizabeth says
My number one way to stay health is to pray and continually remind myself that God has given me a sound mind and my body is the temple of His Holy Spirit. What better way to stay encouraged to give my body good food, fuel, and fun (exercise)! 🙂 <3
Kathy Patalsky says
that is great Claire! Spirituality can be so important to your wellness and stress management too.
Marsha A. says
eat better and exercise more
Kathy Patalsky says
yes agreed!
Marina D says
Take some time for yourself to eat right, exercise, and be happy!
Kathy Patalsky says
🙂
Ashley P says
Eat more whole plant based foods!
Kathy Patalsky says
yay to that
Millie | Add A Little says
This looks so amazing Kathy! Wishing you a wonderful Christmas!! 🙂
Kathy Patalsky says
thank you! You too Millie!
Chris says
Cooking and eating more whole foods and buying less junk food.
Kathy Patalsky says
yes and yes 🙂
Steel Springs says
Eat minimally processed, home cooked foods, but don't stress too much about every little bite. I'm going to try to look at the big picture this year.
Kathy Patalsky says
I like that!
Kara says
Don't eat packaged items with ingredients that you can't picture what they are. 😛
Kathy Patalsky says
🙂 yes yes yes!
gargupie says
Consume food with less than five listed ingredients (spices not included) 🙂
BabyJune says
Eating vegan!! 🙂
Kathy Patalsky says
🙂
Karlie says
Walking in the sunshine + plant based foods !
Kathy Patalsky says
ahhh sunshine 🙂 yes!
J HL says
Find time for yourself, to check in, without judgement, and to treat yourself and the planet gently.
Kathy Patalsky says
I like that!
Tracy says
Whole foods plant based...words I live by!
Kathy Patalsky says
Good words... 🙂
Christina says
#1 trick is to write/type out goals and then bullet points with how I am going to achieve those goals!
Kathy Patalsky says
writing it down! .. so important 🙂
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bellagirl07 says
My #1 tip for a healthy 2015 is NO fast food.
heather [email protected]
Kathy Patalsky says
good one! break that habit and your life will change for the better. cooking in your own kitchen with healthy whole foods changes your world!
apunc1 says
make more smoothies during the summer!
Kathy Patalsky says
i love that one!
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Natalie @ Feasting on Fruit says
Cook more, buy less 🙂
Kathy Patalsky says
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