I feel confident calling this the best ever chicken salad because I brought it to a party, and everyone who tried it commented on it.  It was perfect combination of textures. Pomegranates, pecans, celery, apples, white meat chicken. I used the Best Body Mayonnaise  (Amazon) as it is 100% avocado oil.

You can make this a keto friendly recipe by eliminating the apple, but do keep the pomegranate.

Use a Good Rotisserie Chicken for Chicken Salad

It all started when a friend dropped off two rotisserie chickens from Whole Foods to keep us covered for dinners, after my mother passed away. I cut off all of the white meat, discarding any skin or bones, and froze the dark meat for another time.

You can roast your own chicken, using my easy one hour oven roasted chicken recipe. 

I was shocked at how much chicken I ended up having and would say one chicken is probably all you need for several servings.  The day before my mother died, I stopped at Whole Foods with the intention of making soup and had organic celery on hand. I had made her this roasted pumpkin which was her last dinner with us and still had pomegranate arils left. I also had a few very crisp gala apples, and fresh parsley (for the soup I never made). I always have pecans on hands, and chose to roast them for just about 3 minutes.

What is the Key to the Great Chicken Salad?

As easy as chicken salad is to make, there are important components to making it the best.

• The chicken has to be pulled, not cubed. Use a food Processor.
• The mayonnaise has to be healthy. I use Better Body Foods because it doesn’t have canola oil.
• There has to be some crunch, either from celery or apples or both. (I know some people hate celery).
• There needs to be a little bit of sweet, which is where my pomegranate comes in. It’s a better choice than using dried cranberries if you’re looking for a lower sugar option.
• It needs nuts, and I prefer roasted, chopped pecans.
• Don’t forget the salt and pepper, and a smattering of parsley.
• Add a little honey if your mayonnaise doesn’t have flavor.
• Add fresh herbs. I added rosemary for a holiday feel.

My Favorite Food Processors (My Amazon Picks)

Braun 12 Cup Food Processor that does everything. I use this for shredding carrots, squeezing lemons, chopping nuts and processing my chicken. This is the processor for life.

Kitchen Aid 5 Cup Food Processor – great for the small jobs. You can use this for the chicken salad, but you might have to do it in batches.

I know this can be used to make the best chicken salad sandwich, but I like to serve it in a pretty bowl, topped with chopped pecans, pomegranates, and a smattering of parsley and rosemary. It’s so perfect for Christmas parties and Christmas brunches.

You can use this same recipe to make the best ever turkey salad.

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Pomegranate Spells Holiday Time

The pomegranate arils perfected this chicken salad, adding a touch of tart and sweet with some texture. I wouldn’t leave these out. I get so excited when pomegranates hit the grocery in winter as I throw them into almost every salad and some hot dishes like last week’s roasted pumpkin. Just a tablespoon or two makes a difference.

How to Crack Open a Pomegranate

Score the six ridges of the pomegranate and break at the ridges over a bowl of water. The frustrating part can be the pulp mixing with the pomegranate arils. Break over a bowl of cold water. The arils will sink to the bottom and you can use a slotted spoon to remove the pulp from the top. Then drain the arils.

Nutrition Value for Best Chicken Salad

If you want this to be a keto friendly (zero net carb) recipe,  take out the apple. It was as if everything was pre-planned to make the best ever chicken salad. This low carb and a paleo recipe, full of healthy fat, protein and fruits and around 4 net carbs per serving.  If you remove the apple, it’s zero net carbs and keto friendly.

More Party Foods from Spinach Tiger

• Pimento Cheese Egg Salad
• Loaded Deviled Eggs
• Party Caprese Salad
• Keto Texas Sheet Cake
• Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs
• Italian Sausage Balls
• Sourdough Camembert Wreath
• Feta Olives Salad
• Ricotta, Peas, Pesto Appetizer
• Cowboy Caviar
• How to Make a Cheeseboard

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Holiday Chicken Salad

Pulled chicken, with pomegranates, rosemary, and pecans make a very festive chicken salad made with Rotisserie chicken.

Course Appetizer, Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken salad

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound white meat chicken Pulled from rotisserie chicken or poached
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1 cup mayonnaise Better Body Foods
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate arils
• 1/2 cup pecans chopped
• 1 small gala apple with skin diced
• 1 tablespoon parsley chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to taste or to taste
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped or more to taste
• 1 tablespoon honey optinal

Instructions

• Pull chicken off bone. Don't use any skin. I find using a food processor makes the texture I like for chicken salad.
• Add diced celery, diced apple to chicken.
• Add mayonnaise according to need. I used quite a bit. Add optional honey if desired. It does add an extra something.
• Toasting pecans is optional. No more than 3 minutes. Chop somewhere between fine and course, keeping in mind how that will be for eating. Add in, but save some for topping.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Add in rosemary and parsley, but also save a little for the top.

Prepare Pomegranate

• Score the six ridges of a pomegranate.
• Break open over a bowl of cold water. The pomegranate arils will sink to bottom.
• Add two tablespoons of arils, and save a little for the top.

Poached Chicken Breasts Option

• Add about 2 inches cold water over the chicken breasts and bring to boil. Once the water is boiling, skim off the scum off the top, and turn down the heat. Take out of the water as soon as the chicken reaches 165 degrees F. in the middle. Cool completely before making the chicken salad.

The post Best Ever Holiday Chicken Salad with Rosemary and Pomegranates appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Friends, I’m happy to be back partnering with Minerva Dairy Amish Butter and bringing you a most delicious golden cauliflower soup with butter fried almonds and pomegranate.

I got the idea from the golden latte I love at a favorite coffee shop. Turmeric drives that beautiful golden color and I’ve added curry for heat and coconut milk for a smoothy wonderfulness.

On the way to this soup, I’ve discovered a wonderful recipe roasting a whole cauliflower with lots and lots of butter.

I smeared the Minerva Dairy butter all over a whole cauliflower and sprinkled with turmeric. You could stop right here and or proceed with this exquisite, creamy, golden soup.

When it comes to vegetables, nothing enhances them more than good butter.  I love Minerva Dairy Amish Butter, which is 85% butterfat, churned for the past 125 years by over six generations of butter makers, using old fashioned butter churns. The butter is made from pasture-raised cow milk, ensuring the highest quality, and greatest taste.

Minerva Dairy Butter can be purchased unsalted, with sea salt or garlic herb. You can make this soup with any of these choices, but garlic herb is a great choice for added flavor.

I was not shy in smearing the butter over the cauliflower before roasting. Cauliflower has a reputation of being a boring or bland vegetable. The good news about that is how it lends itself to creativity and exciting flavor profiles, which transforms it into so many exciting recipes.

Roast at 400 degrees F. for about 40 minutes. You can check at 35 minutes by using a meat thermometer, as 165 degrees F. seemed to work well.

Why Roast Cauliflower Whole?

You might be asking if you shorten the time by cutting up the cauliflower first before roasting. Yes, you can do that, but you do risk having uneven roasting, some browning of different pieces. I wanted a very golden soup, and this method of roasting whole worked well and was less prep time.

I wouldn’t fret too much because it will all go into a super blender (such as a Vitamix) to puree.

 Garnish Golden Cauliflower Soup with Almonds, Pomegranate

Creamy soups need to be garnished. I saved some of the tidbits of cauliflower for topping and added in butter fried sliced almonds and cool crisp pomegranate arils. It’s a perfect medley of textures and the pomegranate helps to cool off the spice.

You can use a chicken broth or coconut milk when pureeing the soup. I like a combination of both. If you don’t use coconut milk, you can add in about 1/3 cup heavy cream.

You can make this golden cauliflower soup as mild or as spicy as you like. I added in a teaspoon of mild curry powder, which still has a kick to it and was enough spice for us, but feel free to make this to your own taste.

This is also great left over. I was eating this three days later and enjoyed every single spoonful!

Take a look at more Minerva Dairy Butter at their website, as they have a few different types of butter to try, including sea salt and garlic herb.

Some of the other Minerva Butter Recipes:

Italian Sausage Stuffed Biscuits (using Minerva Garlic Butter)

Blueberry Peach Slab Pie (Make this with apples for the holidays)

More Cauliflower Recipes You Will Love

Whole Roasted Cauliflower (the recipe related to this soup).

Shaved Cauliflower Salad

Popcorn Cauliflower, Flash Fried

Baked Cauliflower with Butter and Parmesan

Cauliflower Hash with Poached Eggs

Mashed Cauliflower

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Golden Cauliflower Soup

Golden Cauliflower Soup with Turmeric, Coconut Milk, butter fried almonds, Pomegranate seeds.

Course Soup

Cuisine Mediterranean

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 large head cauliflower
• 2 shallots
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons turmeric spice divided
• 1 teaspoon mild curry spice
• 1 can coconut milk (13.5 ounce) can use 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups hot water or broth
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Trim off the stems of the cauliflower.
• Mix butter with 2 tablespoons turmeric. Rub butter all over cauliflower.
• Roast cauliflower and whole shallots together.
• Check at 20 minutes. Shallots may need to be removed.
• Continue roasting for another 20 minutes or until softened. I discovered an internal temperature of 165 Degrees F. is good.
• Once you take cauliflower out of the oven, cut into pieces that will fit in your blender. RESERVE a few end tidbits for garnish.
• Using a heavy-duty blender, put in coconut milk, 1 cup broth, cauliflower, shallots, curry spice, making sure to put liquid in first. Add turmeric a little at a time. You may not need it all.

  You can use boiled hot water in place of broth. Add more broth as needed. You want the soup texture to be creamy but thick enough to hold the toppings.
• Season with salt and pepper, and taste for spiciness. You may want to add in more turmeric and curry powder, a little at a time.

Make Almonds

• Melt 1 teaspoon butter in frying pan. Toast almonds for a minute or two until golden.

Garnish Soup

• Pour soup in bowls. Add cauliflower tidbits, chopped parsley, pomegranate arils, almonds.

The post Golden Cauliflower Soup with Toasted Almonds appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Think about serving this spectacularly presented roasted chicken with a bread salad, arugula, nuts, cranberries, and squash for Thanksgiving instead of turkey.

The late Judy Rodgers brought  the simple roast chicken to international fame at the Zuni Cafe in San Francisco. The first time I ate at the Zuni Cafe I had this dish, served for two, which is served with a bread salad, currants, and pine nuts.

It was so memorable, that I bought the Zuni Cafe Cookbook just for this one recipe.

I’ve probably made at least thirty Zuni style chickens in the last few years. It’s my go to for casual nights and company. One year I made two of them for Thanksgiving, complete with the bread salad creating my own twist of Autumn accompaniments. You could also make this Festive Harvest Salad. 

HOW WILL I KNOW WHEN THE ROAST CHICKEN IS DONE?

The chicken is done at 165 ° F. Using an instant read thermometer, insert into the inner most part of the thigh without touching the bone. The juices should run clear.

My Culinary Heroes

A few years ago in early December Judy Rodgers passed away, and although I didn’t know her, I felt sad at the news, and grateful for how a chef I never got to meet touched my life. She studied cooking with Alice Waters, another one of my culinary heroes.

I have Alice’s book,  the Art of  Simple Food and the Zuni Cafe cookbook in my kitchen. This means a lot because most of my cookbooks are up in my office; only the really special books get to stay in the kitchen.

Holiday Roast Chicken

I always use a cast iron pan that is a little larger than my chicken so I can squeeze in carrots. You haven’t lived until you have had carrots caramelized in the chicken fat!

However, a roasting pan will work in a pinch and give you a lot of room for vegetables. It might not brown the chicken on the bottom as easily. Do not use a glass dish or stoneware, because your oven will be 450 degrees F. (230 degrees C.)

Thanksgiving Chicken

You might just consider chicken instead of turkey this holiday. Or perhaps, you still haven’t mastered the roast chicken. Once you try this special technique, you will never fret over roasting a chicken again, and you will be amazed as even the white meat will be tender and tasty, while the skin remains crisp.

Zuni Cafe Roast Chicken

Zuni cafe roast chicken is really easy; it just takes three days. Well not really, but let me explain.

First you salt the chicken and wrap loosely in plastic for three days. This is a dry brine, which tenderizes the chicken. You also take your hand under the skin and loosen it and stuff in herbs underneath. A jar scraper like this tool  works to get under the skin.  I usually do that the morning I’m going to roast it.

Whether you have 3 days or 30 minutes, you can still make this chicken.

I’ve done it using the three day method and I’ve done it last minute.  If you have a very good chicken, even 30 minutes works, but try to take at least 24 hours to salt that chicken. I highly recommend you purchase an air-chilled chicken. These roast twice as beautiful and tender as other chickens.

What is an Air-Chilled Chicken? 

It means exactly that. Chicken must be chilled to 40 degrees F. within four hours. Air chill blasts cold air during a a three hour process, instead of sitting chicken in chlorinated water. You will taste the difference and see the difference in roasting.

Did you ever notice when cooking chicken, it leaks water instead of fat? That is from chicken that is not air chilled. You do want that yummy chicken fat in the bottom of the pan. 

By the way, that’s how I brine my turkey, but I use a different unique technique for Roasted Turkey.

Take the chicken out at hour before roasting, and preheat the oven to a  very hot, 450 degrees F.  hot. Be ready for the smoke alarm to go off.

The Zuni Cafe makes their chicken in a brick oven, but I simply roast it in a cast iron pan. If you don’t have a cast iron frying pan, do put that on your Christmas List or order one right now.

This is the best part. Heat the pan for ten minutes and then put the chicken in the oven, breast side up and listen for the sizzle. Depending on size, the chicken takes about 30 minutes on each side, maybe less if the chicken is under 3 pounds.

Let’s Review How to Roast a Zuni Cafe One Hour Chicken

1. Purchase a Four Pound Chicken (Air Chilled preferred)
2. Salt and cover with plastic for three days (one day works too)
3. Take out an hour before roasting. 
4. Loosen Breast skin. Place herbs underneath. Sage or Rosemary. 
5. Heat oven to 450 Degrees F. or 230 C. 
6. Heat cast iron pan for ten minutes. 
7. Dry chicken with paper towels. 
8. Place on hot cast iron pan. Listen for sizzle.
9. Roast for about one hour, until chicken reaches 165 degees F. 75 C. 
10. Rest chicken ten minutes before carving. 

Make Bone Broth with the Bones

Ideally, you want a very good chicken. I wait for the organic whole chickens to go on sale and grab them. It’s worth it. Once the chicken is carved, make bone broth.

Get out your crock pot and put the chicken carcass in cold water. Cook on low for twenty four hours. You will have nutrition and a good stock for later. Freeze in muffin tins and place in plastic bag. Use with the next chicken to make a gravy or a sauce. Make a chicken pie with the leftovers.

This is how I cook, always thinking about the next meal and how I can use everything to make life deliciously easy.

More Ideas for One Hour Roast Chicken

Italian Roasted Chicken Cacciatore

Roast Chicken with Figs

Ten Things to Make with Left Over Chicken

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Thanksgiving Roast Chicken, Zuni Cafe Style

A twist on Thanksgiving, make a chicken in less than hour adapted from the Zune Cafe Cookbook by Judy Rodgers

Course Entree

Cuisine American

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

Roast Chicken

• 1 4- pound organic chicken
• salt
• fresh herbs such as rosemary sage, thyme (I used all three)

Bread Salad

• 8 oz. Tuscan bread or similar peasant style chewy bread with crusts cut off torn in pieces
• salt freshly ground pepper
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar or white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts or pecans or nuts of choice
• 1/2 pomegranate optional
• 1 tablespoon golden raisins or dried currants
• arugula or other green such as frisee
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or as needed
• 3 tablespoons chicken broth or lightly salted water
• 1/4 cup slivered scallions
• 2-3 garlic cloves

Instructions

• Three days in advance (can be less) clean chicken, salt inside and outside. Loosen skin between breast and as much as leg and thigh you can without ripping skin.
• Wrap loosely in plastic wrap or plastic bag. Refrigerate.
• Take chicken out one hour before roasting.Stuff chicken with herbs underneath the skin.
• Preheat oven to 450 F. If making the bread salad, now is a good time to toast the torn bread pieces.
• Heat a cast iron frying pan in oven for at least 10 minutes. You can use a baking sheet, but cast iron pan is perfect for this high heat.
• Put chicken in heated pan, breast side up.
• Turn chicken over after 25 minutes, at which time chicken should easily yield. If not cook a little longer.
• I like to turn the chicken back over for the last five minutes. Chicken should be golden brown. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before carving.

Bread Salad

• This can be made prepped while chicken is in the oven.
• Brush bread with olive oil. Toast bread and nuts until golden, about 5 minutes.
• Combine olive oil with champagne vinegar.
• Put currants or raisins in red wine vinegar to moisten. Set aside.
• When ready to assemble toss bread and arugula with olive oil mixture.
• Toss bread with olive oil mixture.
• Saute scallions and garlic in a little olive oil. Add currents or raisins and add to the bread salad.
• Drizzle some of the pan juices (from the chicken) onto the bread salad. Season with salt.
• Put chicken on platter with bread salad.
• Serve with optional pomegranate garnish, and roasted squash.
• Baked squash recipe can be found here.

 So tell me, do you have a culinary hero and do you always have turkey for Thanksgiving? Would you consider a Thanksgiving chicken?

The post Holiday Roast Chicken, Zuni Cafe Style with Bread Salad appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

You can absolutely trust my culinary view and opinion, as I only collaborate with brands and products I love, and I’m happy to share these products with you. I made this salad last year for Spectrum Foods and am republishing because it’s so beautiful for the holidays.

I have made this colorful, vibrant Festive Kale Salad most recently for a dinner party. Everyone loved it, but I especially received compliments on the vinaigrette made with Spectrum® Rosemary Olive Oil, honey and apple cider vinegar.

Spectrum® has been producing high quality olive oils for thirty years and has recently come up with a culinary line of infused olive oils such as rosemary, cayenne, garlic and chili sesame and more.  These can be used for dressings, sauces, a light sauté and as finishing oils.

I’ve enjoyed many Spectrum® products while developing recipes, as they make oils for various cooking needs, including more than 30 varieties of seed, nut and plant oils, including coconut oil, apple cider vinegar (which I used here), and avocado oil. I also use the Spectrum® olive oil baking spray.

The extra virgin olive oils come from Spain and Tunisia, each estate grown and produced in small batches, using no chemicals and expeller pressed to ensure the highest quality.

I hope you know by now that Spinach Tiger strives to bring you the freshest food using ingredients that are better for you and this is why I stand by the Spectrum® brand. I use organic ingredients as much as possible, so naturally want to use an organic olive oil.

I can feel confident that this gorgeous salad is getting adorned with an olive oil I can trust.

Festive Kale Salad with Honey Rosemary Vinaigrette Screams Merry, Happy, Joyful Food

There is so much beauty in this festive kale salad which is packed with various textures, sweet, salty and holiday flavors. It is the one salad you can take to a gathering to wow the guests or make a splash at your next dinner party.

There are a lot of components to this salad, such as apples, figs, oranges, and pomegranates, because these come to mind during the holidays and are readily available. This can be the “fruit you have on hand salad” but don’t leave out the butternut squash, which we’ve made the star of the show. You can switch apples for pears or use both. You can also add in dried cranberries for pomegranates.

Roasting Butternut Squash for the Festive Kale Salad

Butternut Squash often perplexes cooks, because it’s difficult to cut into. I suggest microwaving for two to three minutes to slightly soften, and peel with a potato peeler. Once peeled, slicing into discs is fairly easy. The smaller end will have the most seeds, but you should be able to get a good amount of discs without seeds. Roast these for twenty minutes, brushing lightly with oil. Once cooled, you can use a cookie cutter to cut them into stars.

Honey Rosemary Vinaigrette with Spectrum® Organic Rosemary Olive Oil

Just as Spectrum® tests their oils with their own internal quality team to meet high standards for any and all type of cooking, I tested this dressing at least three times to get the right oil with the right vinegar to make sure your salad will taste its best.

We all agreed that for this Festive Kale salad, the Organic Rosemary Olive Oil won hands down for bringing a winter holiday flavor profile, and it pairs perfectly with Spectrum’s apple cider vinegar.  The rosemary flavor is well balanced and does not overpower the greens, yet delivers a nice herbal lift.

I will be making a second recipe, a Spicy Italian Soup with Sausage using Spectrum^® Extra Virgin Cayenne Olive Oil. You will want to come back for that one. Do please follow me on Instagram as many of my process pictures end on stories.

Much love during the upcoming happiest time of the year.

This Honey Rosemary Vinaigrette would be a great choice for any of these additional kale salads from Spinach Tiger.

Tuscan Kale Salad

Autumn Potluck Kale Salad

Chopped Kale Salad with Toasted Almonds

More Butternut Squash Recipes

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut Squash with Brussels Sprouts

Butternut Squash Risotto

Butternut Squash Stacks with Crispy Quinoa Pancake

Butternut Squash Cocktail

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Festive Kale Salad with Butternut Squash, Honey Rosemary Vinaigrette

Festive Kale sale with Butternut Squash, Figs, Prosciutto, Pomegranate, Nut with a Rosemary Olive Oil Vinaigrette.

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 bunches lacinato kale see notes
• 1 to 2 cups or handfuls arugula
• 1/2 navel orange peeled
• 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
• 4 figs cut in halves or quarters
• 6 slices proscuitto sliced thinly, torn into pieces
• 1 medium sized butternut squash
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 1 to 2 gala apples or mix of apple and pear
• Honey Rosemary Vinaigrette
• 3 to 6 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 6 tablespoons Spectrum® Rosemary Olive Oil

Instructions

• Microwave butternut squash for 2 to 3 minutes to slightly soften.
• Peel butternut squash with a potato peeler. Cut into 1/2 inch discs crosswise and remove seeds.
• Brush lightly with olive oil and roast at 400 degrees F. for 20 to 30 minutes until softened.Turn over at 15 minutes.
• Roast walnuts for 4 to 5 minutes at 400 degrees F.
• Cool Squash. Then cut into stars with cookie cutter. There will be some left over you can use for another recipe or add into the salad.
• Roast
• Peel orange, cut into bite sized pieces, making sure to remove pith.
• Slice apple and or pears with skin on, thinly or if you prefer, you can dice.
• Remove arils from pomegranate.
• Chop kale into small bite sized pieces, less an inch.
• Toss kale with vinaigrette, just enough to wet leaves.
• You can add more later if needed. (recipe below). Let kale sit in vinaigrette for 20 minutes if you have time.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Add arugula to the kale.
• Arrange on large platter or large bowl.
• Add, oranges, sliced apples. Toss until combined. You may leave some sliced fruit on side if serving at party. You can choose to keep figs and prosciutto on side of platter, instead of in the salad.
• When ready to serve, add prosciutto and figs.
• Top with walnuts, pomegranate seeds.
• Top with butternut squash.
• Season again with sea salt and black pepper.
• Taste to see if you need to add more vinaigrette.
• Instructions for Vinaigrette
• Mix vinegar with honey until well incorporated. I do this in a jar.
• Add olive oll. Mix well.
• Taste for acid. You may need to add more vinegar if not acidic enough or more olive oil. This will depend on your own taste. We like kale salad with a lot of acid. Add salt and pepper before you add more vinegar, as that affects flavor.

Notes

Lacinato kale also known as dinosaur kale or Tuscan kale is the long leaves with thick ribs. Remove the ribs before chopping. You can use a curly kale, but I always prefer this kale as a better option for salads.

The post Festive Kale Salad, Butternut Squash, Honey Rosemary Vinaigrette appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Middle Fork Kitchen Bar roasted the sugar pumpkin in their wood burning oven. The genius roast pumpkin recipe was finished off with ricotta cheese, molasses and pomegranate. It seriously wow’d us. I knew I was going to come home and roast a pumpkin.

What is a sugar pumpkin?

Often known as sugar pie pumpkins, they weigh between two and four pounds and are sweeter and less stringy than the larger counterparts. These are the pumpkins we also make pumpkin pies with. When you roast a sugar pumpkin long enough to get a char on the outside skin, the sweet flesh pulls away and is scrumptious.

How to Roast a Sugar Pumpkin

Roasting a sugar pumpkin was much easier than I expected. While squash are hard to cut through, capping off the top of the two sugar pumpkins I roasted was a snap.

They are full of seeds, lots of seeds for little guys, and there’s quite a bit to remove until you have just pure, sweet flesh, and I used an ice cream scoop.

Once that’s done, set the oven for 400 degrees F., rub the inside with olive oil and roast on baking sheet for 20 to 30 minutes. You’ll know when it’s done, as the flesh starts to separate from the skin.

Once roasted, I filled with a dollop of ricotta, drizzled a chocolate balsamic, and sprinkled with pomegranate seeds. I paired this with roast chicken, and the combination is sublime.

Each bite was the perfect bite, and I can’t gush enough over this. I love roasting a chicken, but you could easily pick up a chicken at the store, grab a pumpkin and in under 30 minutes have a super delicious, big fat healthy dinner that is restaurant worthy, lower carb (even with the pomegranate) and a true celebration of Fall.

Is this Roast Pumpkin Okay on a Low Carb Diet?

Pumpkin is perfectly okay on a low carb diet and has many benefits. One cup of cooked pumpkin is 49 calories, and 6 net carbs.

A 3 pound pumpkin will give you about 2 cups of pumpkin.

Eating 1/4 serving of this recipes is 6 net carbs with the ricotta cheese and pomegranate arils.

How to Serve Roast Pumpkin

Roasted Chicken with pumpkin is delicious, but imagine eating this with roasted turkey. Great idea for the main day or leftovers. I think pulled pork or pork chops would also pair amazingly well.

The Benefits of Pumpkin

One of the things that’s very important to me is to present vegetables as often and as beautiful and enticing as possible.

Pumpkin is considered a superfood, as it’s nutrient dense, low calorie, low carb, approved for low glycemic diets, rich Vitamin A, Lutein and Zeaxanthin which some say protect eyesight.

Well, friends, there you have it, so eat more pumpkin. Most of my recipes here at Spinach Tiger are for sweet pumpkin desserts and now I feel obliged to start cooking more savory roast pumpkin recipes.

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Play around with Roasted Pumpkin Recipe

Play Around with Roasted Pumpkin Recipe

I could think of several ways to turn this roasted pumpkin recipe into a full fledged entree.

• Stuff with cooked and crumbled Italian Sausage.
• Stuff with Pulled Pork or Carnitas.
• Stuff with bacon beef taco meat.

Print

Roast Pumpkin

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Ingredients

• 1 3 pound sugar pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper each or to taste
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or maple syrup

Instructions

• Cut off the to of the pumpkin about one or two inches from top.
• Scrape out all the seeds, and stringy flesh
• Rub the inside the with olive oil.
• Roast at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.
• Squeeze some orange an option when it comes out of oven.
• Add ricotta cheese.
• Season with Salt and Pepper
• Drizzle with a syrupy balsamic or maple syrup.
• Add Pomegranate arils

The post Savory Roast Pumpkin Recipe appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Hale Kale the Gang’s All Here. The gang of 5,222, 000 recipes for kale salad that is, four of which are mine.

Why should I bring you another one?

Answer 1: I understand kale, and kale must be understood to taste good.

Kale salads can go very very wrong. I’ve had plenty of $9 bad kale salads in upscale restaurants. I know what it takes to make them go right. Kale needs dressed up to taste balanced so I almost always bring in fruit and nuts.

This kale salad helps with winter blues because it has ingredients that are especially good for your brain like blueberries and walnuts.

Blueberries contain anthocyanins, and are considered a super fruit for the brain, which you can read about in this article. 

Pomegranates are only super healthy as everyone knows by now, (if not, read this), and they give a nice sweet, juicy crunch and add brightness which helps to balance the fat and the fibrous texture of the kale.

Shredded brussels sprouts, another super food with very similar benefits as kale, adds a burst of light green, and make up about 20 percent of the salad, but you could go as high as 50% or even more and make this same salad.

Walnut oil is high in Omega 3 Fatty Acid and makes a wonderful wintery vinaigrette.

Answer 2: The nutritional value of kale is nearly epic in the greens business. 

There are many vitamins and nutrients in kale, but the overwhelming vitamins are A, C, K  as each cup is 34 calorie cup is over 100% of the RDA.

Thus, kale is one of the most nutrient dense foods in the world.

Nutritional Value of Kale

Each cup has 34 calories, 6 grams of carbs with a high fiber content.

Why I am So Crazy to Insist You Eat Kale

The list for the health benefits of kale is growing including it’s fight against several cancers, especially the very deadly colon cancer.

I am not a doctor, nor am I a nutritionist, but I have common sense and food plays a major role here in the prevention of cancer due to organosulfur compounds known as glucosinolates. This is just as much over my head as maybe it is to you, but it’s important to me to control what I can with what I choose to eat.

I have lost two best friends to colon cancer (both members of my wedding party) and the husband of a good friend is back in surgery today. If you’re a praying person, his name is Jeff. 

This is serious business, but my wish is to make healthy eating a joy.

I like kale for a few other reasons. 

It’s one of the better make ahead salads. In fact, you can put your dressing on in the morning and take it to work for lunch. This salad is best made ahead, because the vinaigrette helps to break down the fibers in the kale.

It’s great for weight loss without starvation. Your body knows kale is nutrient dense and high in fiber, thus, even on a lower calorie regimen, you are getting your nutrition.

 This salad is particularly good for your brain and your focus, as blueberries and walnuts are particularly good power foods.

I promise you that this is a good salad, good enough for every day, for specials days and that it will disappear.

It can be fortified with extra protein by adding red quinoa as I did here, or salmon as I did here or here.

There are two main types of kale. I prefer the lacinato kale, also known as Tuscan kale or dinosaur kale, but I will eat the curly kale when I pick it myself at my friend’s farm.

What You MUST DO When Making this Kale Winter Salad.

• Taste for salt.
• Taste for acid.
• Dress ahead.
• Remove fibrous stems.
• Chop finely.
• Eat Plenty

Sweet Potato Kale Apple with Warmed Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

Tuscan Kale Salad, Raisins, Almonds, Pecorino, Lemony Dressing

Chopped Kale with Toasted Almonds

Kale Salad with Cider Maple Vinaigrette

More Kale Salads

More Salads from Spinach Tiger

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Kale's Winter Salad with Walnut Viniagrette

A winter's kale salad with pomegranite, shaved brussels sprouts and walnut viniagrette.

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 bunch kale
• 4-8 brussels sprouts depending on size and your decision
• 1 pomegranate
• 1/4 cup toasted walnuts
• salt
• pepper

Walnut Vinaigrette

• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons good balsamic vinegar or champagne vinegar
• 3 tablespoons walnut oil
• 3 tablespoons olive oil or use all walnut oil
• squeeze of lemon

Instructions

• Wash, dry and trim kale, removing stem. Finely chop to about one inch pieces.
• Wash dry and holding the end of the brussels sprout, slice thinly.
• Roll pomegranate on counter to all sides, slice through skin and remove arils.
• Toast walnut for approximately five minutes at 375 degrees. Chop coarsely.
• Toss kale and brussels sprouts with vinaigrette.
• Add pomegranate and nuts.

walnut vinaigrette

• Mix mustard and vinegar together until well incorporated.
• Slowly add oil.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Add lemon if you need more acid.

Notes

Notes for Substitutions
Replace pomegranate with blueberries and apples.
Replace walnut oil with olive oil.
Replace walnuts with pumpkin seeds.

The post Kale Winter Salad with Walnut Vinaigrette appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Acorn squash is nutrition dense, tasty and adaptable, dresses up the table, and you can even eat the skin.  Let’s start with the nutrition.

Acorn Squash is Nutritious

I’m a mindful eater, not a dieter, but I pay attention to what I eat because healthy food tends to make me smile more.

Acorn squash at 58 calories for a few slices (1/4 of a squash) throws out a few more calories than some other squash varieties, but is loaded with fiber, at 9 grams per cup. 1 cup is 13 net carbs.

Fiber is filling and helpful when the weather chills and we want more gut sticking, satisfying foods.  Acorn squash also has a significant amount of Vitamin C, a good amount of Vitamin A, magnesium, thiamine and potassium. Check out the nutrition section of the recipe.

Of course, healthy food needs to taste good, and acorn squash not only tastes great, it’s pretty. The edges are scalloped and it roasts in the oven so beautifully.

Acorn Squash is Delicious

In this recipe, I’ve glazed the slices with olive oil and pepper jelly because I wanted it to taste a little spicy. If you don’t have pepper jelly, you might have something like chili oil or Sriracha that you could add to the olive oil. You can even leave out the heat altogether; just don’t leave out the salt or it will be very bland.

I threw in some sage leaves in the last 15 minutes and then crumbled them over the squash. Sage is an underused herb. I grow it and it’s so bountiful in the garden right now and I’m finding lots of places to put it. It’s not as overbearing as dried sage and leaves a fragrant Autumn flavor that pairs well with sweeter foods.

Acorn Squash is Festive

I added in pomegranate arils to offset the heat and bring in color and texture. This is an easy and beautiful Holiday side dish and since you can eat the skin, it’s easy to prepare and plate.

So tell me, what sides will you be serving at your holiday table?

More Squash Recipes

Autumn Butternut Squash Cocktail

Butternut Squash Brussels Sprouts Side Dish

Butternut Squash Soup

Spaghetti Squash with Italian Sausage

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Acorn Squash Nutrition Dense, Delicious and Festive

Acorn Squash Nutritious Dense, Delicious and Festive makes a great Holiday side dish.

Course Vegetable

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 56kcal

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 acorn squash
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons pepper jelly or any spicy jelly
• 6 sage leaves
• salt
• pepper
• 1 tablespoons pomegranate arils

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Wash outside of the squash
• Trim the stem and bottom of the squash
• Carefully slice inch size pieces. It's easy if you cut lengthwise first and then slice each half.
• Mix olive oil with pepper jelly.
• Brush olive oil mixture over both sides of squash.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Bake for 15 minutes. Turn over. Bake another 10 to 15 minutes and put the sage leaves in pan.
• Top with pomegranate arils and serve.
• crumble sage leaves over the squash

Nutrition

Serving: 140g | Calories: 56kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Fat: 0.1g

The post Acorn Squash Nutrition Dense, Delicious and Festive appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Often times, a cocktail will illicit a memory. Manhattans take me back to my hopeful college days, where I worked as a waitress, catering to a sophisticated retro crowd that also ordered stingers and gimlets.  Martinis take me back  to my travels with co-workers and good times we had around our love of vodka in what seems like another life ago.  This Pomegranate Christmas cocktail takes me back to December 1, 2009,  when I hosted an online food bloggers event to remember those who died of AIDS. It was called Red to Remember and many food bloggers participated in raising awareness by cooking a red dish which was posted in this round-up.

This year I meant to post something red again in time for World AIDS Day, but something terrible happened. I didn’t remember, at least not in enough time. I could have kicked myself a bit because I should have kept “Red to Remember”  a yearly event. My memory was jogged when  Kristina, a fellow food blogger,  not only remembered World AIDS Day, she remembered me and my story  with a private  tweet.  Her compassion jolted my senses and I took a moment to grieve and reflect before I  jumped over to her blog,  Former Chef,   to find her latest post, a lovely cranberry cocktail. It was red and took my breath away.  I remembered my  original red to remember post, pomegranate sorbet made with dark rum had an accompanying cocktail that never got any love.  I think it was waiting for today.

On December 1, World AIDS Day was mentioned in the news . Some of it was heart warming, some confusing. The biggest news of the day was that of a 13-year old honors student who was denied access to Milton Hershey private school on the basis of his HIV positive health status. The decision is controversial and there is a petition circling, asking the school to reconsider. The news struck home because I grew up near the  Milton Hershey campus. It reminded me how destructive this disease is beyond the physical implications.

The private boarding school, established in 1909, was started to help underprivileged  deserving students have a better chance in life. It’s a big mess, a law suit has been filed, and a new dialogue on living with HIV is taking place.  The irony of the lawsuit is Milton Hershey’s affiliation with Hershey Foods, which not only owns Hershey Chocolate but other boutique brands like Scharffen Berger, a favorite of many food bloggers. Reading the history of Hershey is fascinating on many levels, and it will be more interesting to see what comes of this current controversy.

I have just traipsed through the muddy waters of a personal story, but I try to keep it real. It still makes me nervous to talk about it, but I can’t seem to let it go. This post was ready for days, but I had hesitation because I know the stigma still exists and it’s uncomfortable.  Perhaps this was my way of coping with loss during the holidays. This still a Christmas cocktail, and I  raise my glass to the two men I have dedicated this blog to. Sometimes there is a joy inside a sadness and this Pomegranate cocktail will always have a special meaning and memory for me.

Tell me, do you have a certain cocktail that reminds you of a significant time in your life?

The Pomegranate Christmas Cocktail is refreshing as a starter with appetizers but is also a great dessert, because of the sorbet.

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Pomegranate Christmas Cocktail Remembers

A cocktail to remember World Aids Day, made with sorbet and champagne.

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup pomegranate sorbet.
• 1 bottle Champagne
• 1/4 cup pomegranate arils

Instructions

• Put 1/4 cup sorbet into martini glass.
• Freeze pomegranate sorbet in martini glasses or dessert long stem glasses.
• Pour champagne in as you serve. Keep in mind this sorbet is made with dark rum, so it's extra good.
• Garnish with pomegranate arils.

1. Freeze pomegranate sorbet in martini glasses or dessert long stem glasses.
2.  Pour champagne in as you serve. Keep in mind this sorbet is made with dark rum, so it’s extra good.
3. Garnish with pomegranate arils.

More Pomegranate Cocktails

Christmas Cocktail from Jamie Oliver

Pomegranate Martini from In Good Taste

Pomegranate Cosmopolitan from Whisk A Food Blog

Pomesake Sparkler from Kahakai Kitchen

The post Pomegranate Christmas Cocktail Remembers appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Are you as busy as I am? You might even be busier, but Christmas time is the worst time to compromise your food choices.

If you are like me, you still want delicious, and, I hope you want something nutritionally sound. But, it has to be fast, because the competition for your food dollars is very steep. Pizza at the door or burgers through the window almost make sense as we rush from store to store or have a kitchen full of flour, sugar and sprinkles.

This week I started thinking about this blog and how difficult it has been for me to spend a decent amount of time in the kitchen. Thus,we have been eating fast food, but it’s not a McChristmas. I hope to share several ideas for fast, real food, as my schedule for cooking is getting tighter. The key to healthy eating during the holidays is a decently stocked pantry and an open mind.

I love breads made with fruits and nuts, so why not pasta. Pasta used to be eaten almost exclusively with either a “red” sauce or a “white” sauce. But, we now know those choices are limiting and pasta is much more versatile.

This is a fruit and nuts pasta that I think is just perfect in keeping with holiday flavors. I paired it with an incredible loaf of fig and pistachio bread that I purchased on my recent trip to California. I bought it the day before I left and stuck it in the freezer the night I got home. (I was already thinking ahead).

Don’t be afraid to step outside the box a bit and try new combinations. You might be surprised how good pomegranates taste in a pasta dish.


First course or entree? Unlike true Italians, I usually just eat pasta as an entree. But, this would be a lovely first course for a festive dinner.

Tell me readers, what “fast” food are you eating during the holiday rush?

Recipe
1 pound whole wheat pasta (preferably very thin spaghetti or angel hair)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, smashed, chopped
1/3 cup white wine or few splashes vermouth (optional)
1/3 cup sliced almonds
Italian parsley, chopped
1/2 cup pecorino cheese, freshly grated
Pomegranate arils (optional, but recommended)

Prepare by taking all ingredients out and having them in place.
Boil water for pasta, adding lots of salt.
While water is boiling, heat butter and olive oil in pan. Add garlic and almonds. Once garlic is golden, add white wine, and cook down on medium-low heat, until. Add parsley. Add cooked pasta.

Angel hair pasta does not take longer than 4-5 minutes, and in this case you will be putting pasta back into frying pan, so be sure to cook al dente. Drain pasta, reserving a large splash of starchy water. Add in a tablespoon or so of pasta water. Toss and heat for about a minute. Toss with pecorino cheese and parsley. Top with pomegranate arils. Serve immediately.

Variations:
• Exchange almonds for pistachios, walnuts or pecans.
• Flavor olive oil with oranges.
• Add lemon or orange zest at the end.
• Replace parsley with some baby spinach leaves.
• Exchange pomegranate with dried fruit.

The post Whole Wheat Angel Hair with Toasted Almonds and Pomegranate appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

The green salad is much beloved. It’s on just about every menu just anywhere. It affords the largest stretch of creativity, jumbling lots of ingredients into one big bowl and tossing with any number of dressings. It’s the easiest dish to prepare and at the same time, the most difficult. A good salad requires a bit of finesse because you are balancing acid, fat, and salt amidst cold greens. It can be spectacular delivering a big punch, a cleansing of the palate, and satisfying refreshment. In all of my circles of friends throughout the years, I am most known for my salads, but I don’t present them here very often, because on the surface they seem overdone in recipe world and ordinary. And, no matter how much my salad could win best in show, it’s really the TASTE that makes the difference.

This is the salad we are having on Christmas Eve. I know it’s a winner because I took it to a party last night and it was gone in the first five minutes. It was huge party where everyone brought a dish and I was the only salad. People think salad is not an exciting or appealing dish to bring to a party, but I disagree. A gorgeous, delicious salad that is dressed in a bright vinaigrette is probably more welcome than one more Christmas cookie.

Of all the things I could possibly bring to a dinner or to a party, I most enjoy bringing the salad. I know how to make people happy to eat greens and make it almost feel like dessert.

Many home cooks can beat me out on pastry or sauces, but not salads. It’s my territory and for a few reasons:

• I love salads, I need salads.
• I understand vinegar and the myth of balsamic.
• I understand salt and the demise of Morton’s.
• I most often pair some kind of fruit and cheese into my salad (what’s better than that?)
• I am not afraid of fat (bring on the oil, cheese, nuts, prosciutto).

About Salad Greens
If you have fallen into the spring greens trap, or the delicate mixed greens trap that you find in a bag at the grocery or in a big bin at $8 a pound, perhaps it’s time to give an old lettuce a new try. Romaine is a great lettuce for wintery ingredients and happens to be packed full of nutrients. When I think of winter salads, I think of adding cheese, nuts, and fruits such as pear, apple, orange and pomegranate. Romaine holds up underneath these ingredients quite well.

The crispy prosciutto, winter pears, and pomegranate, bring the salt, the sweet, and the tart. I chose a ricotta salata, not to be confused with ricotta cheese. It’s sheep’s milk cheese that crumbles like a feta or slices and is milky, mild, and salty.

Instead of cheese, try white chocolate. This salad would be perfect with a shaving of white chocolate. I did that here and it was delicious and quite the surprise. You don’t need a lot, and you still want to add your salt and pepper. It’s still not a dessert although I often prefer my salad at the end of a meal.

The Salad Dressing
This is the hardest thing to teach with words. All greens are different. You will grab different amounts on different days, and the ingredients change things also. You need to taste! You need to get an idea of what a good salad should taste like. Just tasting the dressing doesn’t necessarily mean anything either because the taste can only really be tested on the salad you are eating. Now that’s unfair of me to say this, isn’t it? I should be able to give you a perfectly measured out recipe for a dressing, and I probably could do that. But, that is not how I make my salads. So I will give you some guidelines and invite you to play with your dressing, while abiding by a few of my own food rules.

Fat and Acid: A good salad tastes good by the right mix of fat and salad. I never drench my salad with oil, but I toss each leaf to glistening. If I”m adding cheeses, nuts, fruits, etc., I toss my greens first and get the flavors right. I prefer to toss with oil first, vinegar or lemon second, and then add in my ingredients and toss again. Many balsamic vinegars are not true to the process and should not be used for anything except perhaps a reduction in a sauce. If you taste, and you pucker, don’t use on your salad. There are some moderately priced, aged balsamics that are worthy. There are also some very expensive balsamics that can cost up to $100. These are used for special occasions, so think of balsamic that will “add” to your flavor profile but not necessarily be the main acid to the dressing. What I’m saying is mix it up. Use your wine vinegar for the zing and add in balsamic for the flavor. In this case, I used a blackberry pear balsamic that was part of the gift bag we received at the food buzz festival. It’s a small bottle and I used a tablespoon just at the end, drizzling it on.

You could mix your dressing together first, but truthfully, I don’t like to waste dressing, and the dressing I make today might not work for the salad I make tomorrow. (There are times, however, I do make a dressing that is emulsified).

Amounts of Ingredients: I have no true measurements here for the pomegranate, cheese or crispy prosciutto. If you look at the picture above, I used about 3 times the amount of romaine as remaining ingredients you see. I hope that helps.

Recipe for Holiday Salad of Romaine, Pear and Pomegranate

• 20-25 romaine lettuce leaves (about 3 heads)
• 1 cup of pomegranate seeds
• 4 slices prosciutto de parma crisped in oven (can sub with bacon)
• 1 pear, sliced in quarters and then again in thin slices
• 2 oz ricotta salata shaved over salad
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Balsamic Vinegar (something sweet) I used ……blackberry with pear
• Rose wine vinegar (or good quality red wine vinegar)
• Grey sea salt or sea salt
• Freshly ground cracked pepper

Rip lettuce leaves into large bite size pieces. Toss with olive oil, enough to glisten each leaf. Less is more. You can add more later, but you can’t retract oil. Toss with red wine vinegar, just enough to taste the brightness. Add in 3/4 of each of the rest of the ingredients. Toss. Taste again. Add salt and pepper to season. Garnish with remaining ingredients. Drizzle balsamic over dressing (about 1 Tablespoon) just before serving.

Note: Taste and taste again. Be your own judge. You want to taste, sweet, salty, tart and richness. It shouldn’t bee too salty, too sweet, or too tart, but work together to feel refreshing and satisfying. You may need to douse a bit more red wine vinegar on at the end.

Option: Instead of cheese, try a shaving of white chocolate. I know this sounds unusual. It is, but it is also so festive and wonderful, and really pairs well with the fruit and the blackberry balsamic vinegar.

The post Holiday Salad of Romaine Lettuce, Pear, and Pomegranate appeared first on Spinach Tiger.