This recipe is another kitchen sink recipe, which came together not unlike last week's soup (or really, like most of the food created in this house). It was inspired somewhat by the colours in this slaw, and coincidentally is dressed with another tahini-based dressing, this time only slightly adapted from Bowl + Spoon by Sara Forte. In my experience, you simply can't go wrong with any tahini dressing (at least any I have found), and I love this one for its sophisticated, citrusy twist with a little kiss of spice. Variety is so good, and I highly recommend giving this dressing a try!
Here, I've used my handy julienne peeler to shred raw butternut squash, which when added to the salad delivers a sweet, crunchy, and almost meaty bite that I personally find rather satisfying. In fact, this salad is a total meal in itself; you've got your greens, your oranges, your protein from the tempeh and even a little more from the sesame tahini. It's a riot in the bowl, too - just look at all that colour! :) Kept in the fridge, it will do well for a few days dressed, or simply chop all the veggies before and dress as you intend to enjoy. You'll be well fed for days with this one, so long as you don't mind the prep time to make it all happen in advance. I personally love nothing more than music-fuelled kitchen times, and I'm so grateful every day for the blessing of access to quality ingredients, a home I love to cook in, and the very best of all? My precious family of weirdos I get to share it all with. Yup, life is good.
For those of you on my new updated mailing list, I'd love to know what you think of (finally) receiving posts again. You may not have received a post for a while (I'm so sorry!), as I only just realized that the plug-in I was using had pretty much peaced out on me at some point last year. Some of you were...but I had no way of knowing who, and with my less than frequent posting habits last year, I didn't even notice until just a few weeks ago! And with that, it was time for some rather quick action. So, I hope you don't mind hearing from me (just a little) more ;)
Of course if you are new to the blog, I'd like to formally welcome you here! Feel free to subscribe or keep in touch in any way that works for you. Wishing you all a wonderful week! XOX
Winter Veggie Slaw with Citrus Tahini Dressing
1.5 cup tempeh, cubed1 tbsp cooking oil (I am digging grapeseed)
soy sauce to taste
1/2 small green cabbage, thinly shredded (about 2 cups shredded)
1/2 small red cabbage, thinly shredded (about 2 cups shredded)
1 heaping cup peeled raw butternut squash, shredded (I use this to shred it)
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced and then halved
1/2 English cucumber, sliced and chopped into one-inch cubes
1 bunch curly green kale leaves, stemmed and coarsely chopped
black sesame seeds and roasted cashews to garnish
cilantro leaves to garnish
Citrus Tahini Dressing
~ slightly adapted from Sprouted Kitchen Bowl + Spoon
1/2 cup tahini
2 tbsp yellow miso
2 tbsp maple syrup or honey
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
juice of one large orange
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tsp Sriracha
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
Start by adding all of the dressing ingredients to a blender and blending until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a clean jar or bowl and set aside. Next, heat a saute pan and add 1 tbsp of grapeseed or other cooking oil. Add the cubed tempeh, (add a sprinkle of salt to coat) and cook on medium high, stirring here and there, for about 6-8 minutes. At the end of cooking, add a splash of soy sauce to the tempeh and cook for a further minute or two until crispy. Remove from heat and set aside.
Prepare all of the veggies and mix together in a large salad bowl. Add the tempeh and dressing to taste and mix well until all the veggies are dressed. Serve garnished with black sesame seeds, cilantro leaves, and toasted cashew pieces. This salad makes a generous portion, enough to feed a party of 6-8 as a side, or a hungry family for a few days.
