Creamy Mustard Dressing

July 30, 2015

A few weeks ago, the boyfriend and I went to dinner at a local bar and I got their house salad. Typical vegan. Normally, a house salad is a huge letdown and totally unsatisfying but the house-made dressing was a total game changer. As soon as we left, I knew I had to recreate it on my own! I think my version of Creamy Mustard Dressing is as good as (dare I say better) than the original and is totally addicting!

The mustard dressing at the restaurant was a little tangy, a little sweet, and perfectly balanced. It was bright yellow so I knew that yellow mustard played a key role. I used just plain old yellow ballpark mustard but spicy mustard is also to. die. for. Just make sure you pick a mustard you really like since it’s the main ingredient.

I made this dressing a little creamier with the addition of tahini. As you know, I am completely obsessed with tahini dressings like my Tahini Balsamic Dressing. For this particular rendition, I left the dressing pretty thick. Keeping it thick makes it firm up in the fridge and works as a spread too.

This stuff can be used in so many ways. John has been loving it on his turkey sammies. I even saw him put it on a hot dog (yes, occasionally I let him bring that junk into our house…). I’ve dolloped it on top of veggie burgers and roasted veggies. Used it as a dip for crackers. ~~Eaten it with a spoon~~. I mean….

To eat it on a salad, I just put a little in a small bowl and whisk in some water until it’s thinned out.

Whether you keep it thick, or thin it out for a ready-to-go dressing, the flavors in this Creamy Mustard Dressing will blow you away. Hurray for clean, homemade dressings with restaurant-level taste!! Be on the lookout for a delicious way to use it in a salad!

Creamy Mustard Dressing

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Creamy Mustard Dressing is so delicious, it can be used on more than just salads! Try it on sandwiches, wraps, roasted veggies, or just crackers!

Ingredients

½ cup tahini
1/3 cup mustard (your favorite variety)
2 Tbs. maple syrup
¼ cup water, plus more for thinner texture
½ tsp. each salt + pepper

Instructions

Add all ingredients to a jar and whisk until well combined. Use only a few tablespoons of water for a thick spreadable mixture, or more for a traditional dressing. Keep in mind it will thicken up in the refrigerator.

http://areyoukitchenme.com/creamy-mustard-dressing/

Herb Pesto Zoodles

July 28, 2015

Summa’ summa’ tiiiimmmeee… Anyone else basking in the glory of hot summer days?? Herb Pesto Zoodles will cool you off and refresh even the stickiest evenings!

This past weekend, John and I traveled to Virginia Beach to meet up with his best friend and spend some time doing beach-y things and hanging out. It was a blast! We had drinks on the boardwalk, swam in the ocean, and napped on the beach. John had oysters for the first time and bought his first ever pair of flip-flops! Gasp!

After a few too many drinks and about 25 hours on the road, (I know. Gag.) I’m very ready for some light and clean meals. Now, I did a pretty good job packing healthy snacks and finding good restaurants but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t eat a totally non-vegan donut before we left. It was covered in coconut…. That’s healthy right?!

Oh well. No harm in indulging every now and then.

P.S. If you ever go to Virginia Beach, PLEASE check out Green Cat for their smoothies and bowls. I was in acai bowl, green juice, succulent, trendy jewelry, white girl heaven.

Ok back to these Herb Pesto Zoodles. I say herb pesto because why should pesto just be limited to basil?! I love basil, but like I said in my Simple Herb Salad post, I have a lottttt of herbs in my garden to use up. Why not throw them in the blender and pour it over everything??

I left this dish raw because it’s refreshing but also to preserve some of the sensitive nutrients that can be destroyed by heat. I also left the oil out of the pesto sauce to keep the calories and fat down. I promise you won’t miss it!

I leave you with these hilarious pictures of John who decided he’d had enough of always waiting for me to take a million pictures of our dinner before we eat. He laid down on the brick patio where I set up my mini photo studio with the cat and insisted I take his picture. You’re welcome for these. Enjoy.

Herb Pesto Zoodles

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Yield: 2-3 servings

Light, refreshing, and deliciously healthy, Herb Pesto Zoodles make the perfect summer meal! With no added oil, and plenty of raw greens, it's detoxifying without chugging green sludge!

Ingredients

2 medium zucchini
1 cup spinach
1 cup mixed herbs (I used basil, parsley, and mint)
Juice of ½ a lemon
¼ cup walnuts
1 T nutritional yeast (optional)
1 clove garlic
¼ tsp. each salt & pepper
4-6 Tbs. water

Instructions

Add all ingredients except zucchini to a food processor or blender (I used my bullet attachment) and blend until will combined. Add more water for thinner consistency.
Use a spiralizer, julienne peeler, or julienne attachment of a mandolin to turn the zucchini into noodle-like shapes.
Toss about half the pesto with the noodles and serve immediately. Enjoy!

http://areyoukitchenme.com/herb-pesto-zoodles/

Asparagus and Ancient Grains

July 23, 2015

Happy summer lovelies! Are you all sweating your buns off like we are here in Columbus?! We worked an Art Crawl in our neighborhood this weekend and I was embarrassed at how much sweat was pouring from every crevice of my body. Sorry for that visual… Good news is today’s recipe can be served hot OR cold! Aka Asparagus and Ancient Grains might just become your new daily dinner!

I’m going to be brief today because A.) I was too hungover tired this weekend to type up this post and B.) I’ve been a busy bee around the house as we get ready for a long weekend beach trip.

I made this dinner with pearled barley, which has an almost risotto-like creaminess to it. Next time I would definitely use a chewier, less creamy grain like faro or wheat berries. But it would also be delicious with quinoa or other ancient grains.

Here are some fun ideas of grains you could swap in:

Farro
Wheat berries
Spelt berries
Freekeh
Quinoa
Einkorn
Buckwheat groats
Amaranth
Teff

With all of those possibilities, you could go in a lot of different directions! You’ll usually find these grains in the “healthy” section of your grocery store. Or, if you don’t want to buy a whole bag, try a store that has bulk bins so you can just get a cup or so. Either way, I challenge you to try a grain you’ve never cooked with before! You might just surprise yourself!

Asparagus and Ancient Grains

Cook Time: 55 minutes

Yield: 8-10 servings

Asparagus and Ancient Grains make for a hearty yet fresh summer dinner! I challenge you to try a grain you’ve never used before!

Ingredients

1 cup grains (see list above)
2-3 cups of water (depending on the grain)
2 spring red onions or shallots
¼ cup olive oil
3 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 lb. fresh asparagus
¼ cup craisins
1/3 cup pistacios
¼ cup fresh parsley
1 cup arugula
½ tsp. salt and pepper

Instructions

Cook grain according to package (or Google) directions. My pearled barley took 2 cups of water and 45 minutes of simmering.
Slice onions into thin pieces and asparagus into bite-sized pieces. Add them to a pan heated over medium with a splash of olive oil. Sautee for 5 minutes, until just softened.
Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper, set aside.
When grains are cooked and vegetables are softened, add all ingredients into a large bowl. Pour the dressing over and toss to combine. The heat from the warm ingredients will lightly wilt the arugula. Enjoy!

http://areyoukitchenme.com/asparagus-and-ancient-grains/

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