Honeycrisp Apple Salad with Candied Walnuts & Dates

This delicious kale salad is seasoned with a simple vinaigrette dressing, topped with sweet honeycrisp apple, chopped dates, and candied walnuts. This is a great salad to pair with a autumn meal. Enjoy!

Preparation + Cook time=  20 minutes

Makes 6 servings

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 cup of candied walnuts (recipe below)
• vinaigrette dressing (recipe below)
• 1 bunch of kale, chopped
• 1 honeycrisp apple, chopped
• 7 dates, chopped
• 1/4 cup of chopped red onion

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Ingredients for the candied walnuts:

• 1 cup of roughly chopped walnuts
• 2 Tbsp of maple syrup or honey
• 1 Tbsp of coconut oil
• 1 tsp of cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp of salt

Instructions for the candied walnuts:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a bowl, mix together all of the ingredients.
3. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Put the walnut mixture on the baking tray.
4. Bake for 8 minutes. Take the tray out of the oven and shake the walnuts around. Bake for another 5 minutes.
5. Take the tray out of the oven and let the walnuts cool down for at least 20 minutes.

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Ingredients for the dressing:

• 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 2 tsp of honey mustard
• 1 Tbsp of honey or maple syrup
• dash of salt and pepper

Instructions for the dressing:

1. Whisk together all of the ingredients in a jar.
2. Set aside.

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To prepare the salad:

1. Put the chopped kale in a large salad bowl.
2. Pour in the dressing and massage into the kale until it is evenly mixed in.
3. Add the candied walnuts, apple, dates, and red onion. Toss. Serve up!

 

 

Autumn Vegetable Couscous

I am very excited for autumn to begin! That excitement motivated me to create this autumn vegetable couscous. This couscous dish is filled with hearty vegetables seasoned with fragrant fresh herbs, sweet gala apple chunks, and chopped walnuts. Enjoy!

Preparation + Cook time= 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower, chopped small
• 1 large yam/sweet potato, chopped small
• 3 Tbsp of olive oil, divided
• 1 Tbsp of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp of maple syrup
• 1 1/4 cup of uncooked couscous
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 tsp of minced garlic
• 1/2 cup of fresh parsley, chopped
• 3/4 cup of chopped gala apple
• 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Get out two roasting pans. Put the chopped cauliflower in one of the roasting pans. Cover with 1 Tbsp of olive oil, the fresh rosemary, and a dash of salt and pepper. Put the chopped yams in the other roasting pan. Cover the yams with 1 Tbsp of olive oil, 1 Tbsp of maple syrup, and a dash of salt and pepper. Put both pans in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. The vegetables should be tender.
3. In the meantime, cook 1 1/4 cups of couscous in about 1 1/2 cups of water. When fully cooked, drain the water and set aside.
4. Make the dressing in a small bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, 1 Tbsp of olive oil, 1/4 tsp of minced garlic, 1/2 cup of chopped parsley, and 1 Tbsp of maple syrup.
5. Once the vegetables and the couscous are done cooking, mix together the roasted veggies, couscous, dressing, chopped apples, and chopped walnuts. Top with more fresh parsley as garnish.

 

 

Benefits of this recipe:

-Sweet potatoes are high in fiber, maintain a healthy blood pressure, and reduces inflammation. The high levels of vitamin C and E provide an immunity boost, support eye health, and prevent degenerative damage.

-Cauliflower helps lower cancer risk, fights inflammation, decreases risk of heart disease, provides high levels of vitamins and minerals, improves digestion and detoxification, helps balance hormones, and preserves eye health.

The information on the benefits of the ingredients was researched from http://www.draxe.com