Shaved Brussels Salad Dusted with Black Sesame Salt

The Brussels Sprout has such a bad rep, they're really the underdog of all veggies. They sadly lay idle in the supermarket next to the bitter melon (okay, okay, that reference may be slightly exaggerated, no one likes a bitter melon, Brussels on the other hand are love-hate). Regardless, when I moved back from San Francisco I made my mom some crispy roasted maple balsamic Brussels and she forever has loved them. My dad and brother however were never enthusiastic about them, until now. Behold the raw shaved Brussels salad, who would've thought?

2 lbs Brussels sprouts, if you can find them shredded that will save you some work
1/4 cup lemon juice, from 2-3 lemons
2 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/3 cup pure maple syrup (none of that thick sticky diner stuff)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds, toasted over dry heat
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup Bacon Bits (yeah, most bacon bits are vegan surprisingly! Double check the ingredients, but Betty Crocker brand is. If you're GF omit or use 1/2 cup homemade coconut bacon) 
3 tablespoons black tablespoons
1/4 teaspoon good quality salt


Using a knife carefully shred your bag of Brussels and place the shreds in a large bowl, this can be tedious so plug in your favorite playlist and totally make this a jam sesh. At least that's what I did.

In a small bowl whisk together the lemon juice, mustard, maple syrup, and olive oil. Pour your dressing over the shredded Brussels and toss well to coat.

In a pan over medium heat add the sunflower seeds (no oil or non stick spray), and toast for a few minutes. Keep an eye on these to make sure they're not burning underneath. Add the toasted seeds, cranberries, and bacon bits into the salad and toss.

Using a mortal and pester, or a small bowl and a wooden spoon, add in the sesame and salt and grind together. Grinding these two together always give them a deep flavor profile. Dust the salad with the salt and sesame mixture and serve.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Thanksgiving is just around the corner (says the girl who sent out invites in July)! This is my favorite holiday but lately I've noticed the meaning behind it has gotten lost and muted. Thanksgiving represents loved loves, family, friends, and gratitude. It allows for us a chance to come together and celebrate in good health, with good company. It gives us a time to reflect and count our blessings.

This year we are preparing a strictly plant-based Thanksgiving and our menu is beyond extensive. It's important to me to expose others to gourmet plant-based foods this holiday, and honestly, it is not the end of the world to give up meat for 5 hours for one day of one year. I have about four days of prep work alone for the menu, but with my Dad (not a good cook but great under instruction) as my sous-chef, we will put out the best damn Thanksgiving these 21 guests ever had.

And honestly, it would just be wrong to come together to celebrate these things, talk about irony, at the expensive of others, (ie: intolerable and unacceptable treatment of animals raised for food production, the mass environmental destruction it takes to raise said animals, the rights of the small farmer which have been stripped away to keep up with the demands of the meat industry to keep production high and costs low, must I continue?).

With all that said, this is the sweet potato casserole dish I will be making this year. It's got a sweet crunchy topping with the underneath perfectly spiced.

4 large sweet potatoes, cooked (I baked them, you can boil them if you prefer)
2 tablespoons plant-based butter
1/4 cup soy, almond or coconut milk
1/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping:
1/4 cup margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup AP flour (I used chickpea flour to make it GF)
3/4 cups chopped pecans
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Preheat your oven to 350° F. Cut your sweet potatoes in half and scoop out the flesh, discard the skins. In a bowl whip together the potato flesh, plant-based butter, plant-based milk, orange juice, vanilla extract, maple syrup, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon until smooth. Pour into a greased casserole dish. In a small bowl mix together the topping ingredients and then spoon it over the casserole. Bake for 35 minutes, serve warm. 

For Thanksgiving I always say 1/3 of a sweet potato per person when calculating how much casserole to make. At least that's how I figure, we always have so many dishes that everyone just takes a small scoop of everything.

Recipe adapted from Fat Free Vegan