Hiiii and happy Friday!!!

It feels so, SO good to be back in this space sharing a recipe with you today. We've been eating it non-stop this past week, and I hope you'll be doing the same very soon.

Kale Salad with Roasted Delicata Squash and Orange Maple Hemp Dressing | edibleperspective.com

I really don't know where to start with this post. There are so many things I want to update you on! I know it's been a little quiet here for the past few months or so, but I truly appreciate you sticking with me and still visiting this space for my previously posted recipes. I know you're not looking to read a novel on a Friday, so how about a Cliffs Notes version instead?

We MOVED, again! If you follow on Instagram you're probably in the know and have seen some photos of my new work space. We moved a short distance from our last house and will not be renovating anything, possibly every again. Famous last words. Or for at least 5 years. I still feel like it's all a dream! There were many reasons for our move, but one of the big ones was so I could have a larger space and more light options for photography. I was thinking about looking into renting a studio space, but our new house ended up being exactly what I needed.
After nearly 1 year I finally updated my recipe pages (up top)! I still don't have all of the recipes listed (before 2013), but I did start to divvy them up by larger categories (like, breakfast!) and then sub-categories within those lists. Hopefully, this will be a big help! You can now also search for recipes by a long list of keyword ingredients. I haven't entered in all of the keyword info for each post, but it's a start! Baby steps...
At the end of last year, I developed 18 recipes for Ancient Harvest that will be appearing on their product packaging! Look for their re-brand to launch sometime in the next few months. So excited for this! All 18 recipes are obviously gluten-free but also vegetarian and/or vegan. But they're very easy to add whatever your protein of choice is.
I've had a very steady stream of freelance photography work coming in since December. I am actually currently booked through the end of April! I cannot even believe this is reality and am beyond grateful and excited for all of the work (and my amazing clients...seriously).
I had my very first collaboration shoot last week with Room 214 and Glutino at our new house. It was a BLAST. Be on the lookout for my photography to start popping up on Glutino's Instagram feed in February!!
Also, be on the lookout for a new website coming soon from Love Grown Foods with a bunch of my work featured there as well! (p.s. Have you seen their new KIDS cereals?? Let me just say, they are not only for kids. I am in love.)
I have a handful of other photo projects coming in the next few months that I cannot WAIT to tell you about. Maybe I'll start doing some recap posts with my freelance work..?

Slightly longer than I initially intended....per usual.

Sliced Delicata Squash for Shredded Kale Salad | edibleperspective.com

Things have been exciting around here to say the least!

I must admit, I was quite burnt out by the end of last year and my recipe creating brain was completely shut off. I tried to look around for recipe inspiration but nothing was making sense in my head. I was cooking old standby meals for dinner and actually using my cookbooks. It was kind of nice to give myself a bit of a break and wait for inspiration to hit. I didn't want to come back to this space with anything that was forced, so I simply decided to wait.

And then my latest food obsession provided me with just the inspiration I was looking for.

Delicata Squash recipe | edibleperspective.com

The ingredients for this salad fell into place pretty naturally in my head. I love it when that happens.

The dressing was modified from a new favorite of mine on Gena's blog. I was really digging the creamy but not too heavy consistency of her dressing and have made it numerous times in the past few weeks. But for this salad, I wanted something a bit brighter in flavor and with some sweetness. That's when I thought to use orange juice in place of water and infuse it will a little maple syrup.

The dressing helps soften the bitterness of kale and cabbage and helps bring out the natural sweetness in the squash. It's a total winner.

Shredded Kale and Cabbage salad recipe | edibleperspective.com

Orange Maple Hemp Dressing | edibleperspective.com

Roasted Delicata Squash | edibleperspective.com

Print Recipe!

dressing adapted from: Gena's Lemon Hemp Dressing

Kale Salad with Roasted Delicata Squash and Orange Maple Hemp Dressing

serves 3-6, gluten-free/vegan

for the salad:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 small delicata squash, halved lengthwise + seeds scraped
1 medium head lacinato kale, stems removed
1/2 small head red cabbage, cored
1 sweet red apple, cored
1/3 cup salted pistachios
salt + pepper

for the dressing:

1/2 cup hulled hemp seeds
scant 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest
1 small clove garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat your oven to 400° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place squash halves cut side down and slice into 1/2-inch thick pieces. Place on the baking sheet and toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and a hefty pinch of salt and pepper. Roast for 15-18min. Flip slices and roast for another 15-18min, until starting to turn golden brown. Remove and let cool for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, stack your kale leaves and slice into thin ribbons. Using a mandolin (or very carefully with a knife), thinly slice your cabbage. Toss together in a mixing bowl and massage in 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil for about 60 seconds. Place in the fridge.

Place all dressing ingredients in your blender and turn on working up to high. Scrape the sides as needed. Taste and adjust salt if needed. Pour into a jar. Dressing thickens a bit as it sits.

Just before serving, chop your apple. Place kale and cabbage mixture on a large serving plate, top with squash, apple, and pistachios. Serve dressing on the side.

Notes:

Leftovers will keep well for 1-2 days without dressing.
There will likely be more squash than can fit on top of your platter. I like to serve this salad with the extra squash on the side, or save the extra pieces to eat the next day. Feel free to cook only 1 squash if desired and decrease olive oil to 1 tablespoon for roasting.
One of the nights we ate this, I mixed in cooked and cooled quinoa and Gena's lemon tempeh. It was outstanding together and made for a very satiating dinner (leftovers were also great!).

Kale Salad with Roasted Delicata Squash and Hemp Dressing | edibleperspective.com

Happy weekend!

Ashley

Breakfast Tostadas with Refried Black Beans and Cabbage Slaw

vegan, gluten-free // serves 4

You can make these tostadas as fancy or as simple as you like. If you know you’ll be short on time, prepare the refried black beans a day in advance, then throw the cabbage salad together in the morning. If you’re preparing them for brunch on a leisurely morning, it’s worth your while to make the cashew queso (see the Flavor Upgrade at right), too. It’s the ultimate comfort food sauce—tangy, salty, and versatile. Once you try it, you’ll want to smother everything with it, from baked potatoes to steamed broccoli to rice and beans.

Refried Beans

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large white onion, chopped

1 poblano or jalapeño chile, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

3 cups (510g) cooked black beans (see page 000)

1 ⁄2 teaspoon salt

1 1 ⁄2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 ⁄2 cup (120ml) vegetable broth, or as needed

2 1 ⁄2 tablespoons lime juice, divided

Tostadas

3 cups red or green cabbage (or a mixture of both), finely shredded

2 green onions, green parts only, chopped

1 1 ⁄2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 teaspoons agave nectar

Salt and pepper

8 (6-inch/1) corn tortillas

1 large Hass avocado, sliced

1 ⁄2 cup (20g) chopped fresh cilantro

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C).

2. To make the refried beans, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and chile and sauté until the onion is tender and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the black beans, salt, chili powder, and cumin and cook, stirring occasionally, until everything is heated through, adding the vegetable broth as needed to prevent sticking. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice. Transfer to a food processor and pulse until fairly smooth, without many whole beans—or to whatever texture you prefer; alternatively, you can use a potato masher or even a fork to mash the beans.

3. To make the slaw, put the cabbage, green onions, oil, lime juice, and agave nectar in a bowl and toss until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Place the tortillas in a single layer on two baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, until crispy. To assemble each tostada, spread about 1 ⁄4 cup (60ml) of the refried beans on a tortilla. Top with 1 ⁄4 cup (60ml) of the slaw, a few slices of avocado, and 1 tablespoon of the cilantro.

Flavor Upgrade
Cashew Queso: In a blender or food processor, puree 1 cup (130 g) cashew pieces that have been soaked for at least 3 hours then drained, 1 ⁄3 cup (25g) large-flake nutritional yeast, 3 ⁄4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 ⁄2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (265ml) water, 3 tablespoons tomato paste, and 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice until totally smooth. Drizzle on top of each tostada before serving.