Summer Rolls with Peanut Miso Lime Dipping Sauce
Category Archives: Side dishes
Tofu Beets and Greens Summer Rolls with Peanut Miso Lime Dipping Sauce
Kale Salad with Creamy Cashew Dressing and Crispy Tempeh Croutons
This is my current salad obsession and I’ve been making it weekly for the past couple of months. By now, everyone has heard of all the health benefits of kale and about what a superfood it is. It’s true it really is super and not just for the high amount of nutrition in each bite (super crazy amounts of vitamin k, tons of beta carotene & vitamin C, plus a good source of calcium and magnesium), it’s also highly versatile and my go to green for everything from salads, chips, sautés, soups and pesto. One of my favorite things about using kale in salads is how well it holds up to time, which makes it fantastic to make ahead, bring to a party or save leftovers. One of my least favorite things about so many kale salads you find out at shops and restaurants, is the “way too big to enjoy eating” leaves. So my biggest tip for making kale salads great at home, is to be sure to tear or cut your leaves into very small bite size pieces. Smaller bites of kale will be much more tender and a lot easier/more enjoyable to chew.
Now I don’t usually get kale salads when I’m out due to the aforementioned giant leaves issue, plus I cook so much at home I like to get dishes I don’t often make myself, but, I was having lunch with Colin’s sister Glynis at Sweet Grass Grill in Tarrytown and they had a kale salad that intrigued me. It had a creamy cashew truffle dressing and was served with crispy grilled salmon on top. I loved the idea of the creamy vegan dressing and I’m a sucker for tender salmon with a crisp exterior. The salmon did not disappoint and the dressing was fantastic, although I will say when I thought about it later I had no memory of the truffle in it. I went home and searched online for a recipe and found a big fat nothing. So instead, I decided to make up my own, starting with a base of cashew cream and adding to that some of my favorite salad dressing ingredients. I tend to like my salad dressings with a bit more acid and a hint of sweetness and since I don’t usually do creamy dressings this was a bit of a departure for me, but I have to say I love it and it has become a regular in our weekly meals. 
The first many times I made this kale salad with creamy cashew dressing, I used orange juice for my sweet component, but the last time I sadly found myself with none on hand, so I substituted maple syrup, using about a third of the amount since it is sweeter and I can’t say which I like better as they’re both delicious. 
Next on to the Tempeh croutons, I really wanted to make this entirely vegan (although if you’re not, adding a few shards of shaved Pecorino cheese over the top is fantastic) and also make it a complete meal in itself, so I needed a protein and wanted a bit of extra texture too. If you’ve never had tempeh before give it a try. It’s made from soy, but completely different from Tofu. It is fermented which makes it very easy to digest, plus an amazing probiotic. It’s also high in both protein and fiber, which is a rare combination. When marinated and roasted it develops great flavor and a nice crispy texture. I’ve tried a few different brands and really prefer Lightlife to all others. 
This salad, complete with the tempeh is a perfect main course, but also makes a nice side salad with or without the tempeh, to a more substantial meal and any leftovers are great for lunch or an after school snack if you have a kale salad loving kid like I do.
Kale Salad with Creamy Cashew Dressing
and Crispy Tempeh Croutons
Author: Sweet Green Kitchen’s Jen Jones
Ingredients:
Dressing:
¼ cup Raw Cashews – soaked in water to cover for at least 2 hours
2 Tablespoons Water
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
3 Tablespoons Orange Juice Or 1 Tablespoon of Maple Syrup
½ Tablespoon Shoyu or Soy Sauce – I use low sodium
1 small clove Garlic
1 teaspoon chopped fresh Rosemary
Sriacha Sauce – a few drops or more to taste
Tempeh Croutons:
1 package Tempeh – diced into bite size pieces (I use Lightlife Soy or Flax)
1 small clove Garlic
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Shoyu or Soy Sauce
Red Pepper Flakes – a sprinkling
Salad:
1 large bunch Curly Kale – cut or torn into small bite size pieces / ribs removed
Cranberries or Currants – about 2 Tablespoons
2 Tablespoons Sunflower Seeds
Flaked Sea Salt and Rosemary
Directions:
Dressing: After soaking cashews, drain and rinse. In a high speed blender (I use my Magic Bullet), add cashews, water, olive oil, vinegar, orange juice or maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic, rosemary and sriacha. Blend until completely smooth and creamy. This can be made hours ahead or even a day, refrigerate dressing if preparing in advance.
Tempeh Croutons: Combine the Tempeh and remaining crouton ingredients and allow to marinate, either a few minutes, a few hours or even overnight (refrigerate if marinating more than a few minutes). Pour into a baking pan and bake at 350 F for 15-25 minutes, turning once, until desired crispness. Remove from the oven and set aside until ready to serve.
Salad assembly: To a large bowl, pour a little of the dressing into the bottom of the bowl and then add in the kale in batches, pouring a little bit of dressing in layers. Top with the remaining dressing. Mix in the cranberries or currants and a bit of extra rosemary. Toss to completely coat all of the kale with the dressing. Then top with sunflower seeds and a little flaked sea salt to taste. Give it a final toss.
Top each serving of salad with some of the Tempeh croutons.
Optional add ins:
Shaved Pecorino Romano
Pickled shallots
Grilled Salmon
Lemon Dijon Asparagus
Lemon Dijon Asparagus
Author: Sweet Green Kitchen’s Jen Jones
I found the most beautiful fresh asparagus at the Croton-on-Hudson farmer’s market the last two Sundays. It was sold loose and I was able to pick through and choose each individual spear, they ranged from super skinny and spindly to medium and large, and oh so very tender. I decided they were too lovely to roast or steam and they were absolutely delicious raw, so I chose to delicately bathe them in a light and lemony Dijon vinaigrette, so so good.
Ingredients:
Asparagus – about 20 spears, roughly 1/2 pound
Dressing:
2 teaspoons Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Zest of 1/2 Lemon
1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
Flaked Sea Salt – to taste
3-4 sprigs of Thyme 
Directions:
Snap or cut off the ends of each Asparagus stalk. IF your Asparagus is not quite as fresh, you may also wish to peel off a little of the stalk’s skin at the bottom. Place in a shallow dish.
Mix together the dressing ingredients and pour over the Asparagus. Mix around so each spear is equally covered in the dressing.
Serve cold or at room temperature, whatever you prefer. Enjoy!
Click here for printable version
Tofu Summer Rolls with Miso Dipping Sauce
Tofu Summer Rolls
Author: Sweet Green Kitchen’s Jen Jones
These summer rolls are so flavorful, light and fresh tasting, perfect for the warm days of Spring and Summer. They make a great appetizer or party hors d’oeuvres and are perfect as a light lunch or dinner served alongside a nice salad or Asian slaw.
Ingredients:
1 12-ounce package of Extra Firm Tofu – drained and pressed
1 Avocado – thinly sliced
1 Mango – thinly sliced
Fresh Mint leaves
Baby Arugula
Rice Paper a.k.a. Spring Roll Wrappers
Flaked Sea Salt (or other Salt)
Miso Marinade/Dipping Sauce Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon White Miso
1 Tablespoon lite Soy Sauce or Wheat Free Tamari (to make it gluten free)
2 Tablespoons Apple Cider or Rice Vinegar (or 1 Tablespoon of each)
2 teaspoons Honey, Agave or Maple Syrup (Agave or Maple to make it Vegan)
1/4 teaspoon (more or less to taste) Sriracha Sauce
1 Tablespoon Olive or Sesame Oil
Alternate (Miso Cashew) Dipping Sauce Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon Cashew Butter (Almond or Peanut Butter would also be good)
1 Tablespoon White Miso
1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
2 teaspoons Honey or Agave Syrup
1 teaspoon lite Soy Sauce or Tamari
1 teaspoon Water
1/4 teaspoon (more or less to taste) Sriracha Sauce
A sprinkling of white or black Sesame Seeds – optional
Directions:
Starting with drained and pressed Tofu, slice the Tofu block into approximately 8 even slices and the then halve each slice lengthwise, leaving you with about 16 strips. Season lightly with salt.
Meanwhile heat a large non stick pan and drizzle a bit of oil (I use olive, canola or coconut oil).
Saute each piece of Tofu over a medium to high flame, adjusting temperature as needed, until golden brown on both sides. Beware of splatters when cooking.
Whilst cooking the tofu, prepare the Miso Marinade. Add the cooked Tofu to the Marinade and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to a few hours or even overnight. Refrigerating the cooked tofu allows the texture to firm up and also gives it time to absorb the flavors of the marinade.
To make the Summer Rolls:
Fill a pie dish or other similarly sized bowl with warm water. Working one at a time, soak 1 Rice Paper wrapper in the water until it softens. Beware, if you’ve never worked with rice paper wrappers before, they are delicate and prone to tearing, but don’t worry about small tears they should still wrap up fine.
On a flat surface, like a cutting board lay out the softened Rice Paper (you can place a paper towel on top of your board if you like to help absorb a bit of extra moisture and prevent it from sticking to your board).
Begin to layer your filling – start with 2 -3 leaves of Mint placed vertically down the center of the rice paper. Next, line up 2 slices of tofu on top of the Mint, then 2 slices of Mango and 2 slices of Avocado, finishing with a small handful of Arugula and a little sprinkle of flaked Sea Salt.
Now to wrap, if you’ve ever rolled up a burrito this is very much the same. Start by folding up the ends over the filling, then , fold up one side over all the filling tucking it to make it tight, then roll the whole thing over the last end until it is completely wrapped, tucking as you go to make a nice tight roll. Using a sharp knife cut the roll in half (I like an angled cut). Now repeat.
Place the completed rolls on a platter until done and then serve with either the leftover marinade or the miso cashew dipping sauce. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes: These rolls take a little pre planning as you need to first cook and marinate the tofu before moving on to make the rolls, if you want to save time, you can use already baked and marinated pre-packaged tofu.
Click here to view printable version
Perfectly Roasted Cauliflower
Perfectly Roasted Cauliflower with Chick Peas
Author: Sweet Green Kitchen’s Jen Jones
I love roasting vegetables and do so regularly. It’s amazing what a little olive oil, salt & heat can do to elevate a simple vegetable to something complex and sweet.
I’ve been roasting cauliflower for years and loving it. But I recently starting doing it just a little differently and I’m forever changed. The secret is to cut the whole head into slices rather than breaking it up into florets. Slicing the cauliflower allows more of the surface to come in contact with the roasting pan and leads to perfectly roasted carmelization. The chick peas complete the dish, elevating it beyond a simple plate of vegetables. When roasted the chick peas develop a beautifully crisp exterior while maintaining their creamy interior. It’s so simple, yet so delicious.
I also prefer roasting my vegetables at a slightly lower temperature than what you may be accustomed to. Roasting at 375 F, rather than the more standard 400 – 450 eliminates the possibility of burning while still allowing a lovely carmelization, and let’s face it anyone with kids underfoot or any other life distraction has probably burned a few vegetables, or maybe that’s just me…
Ingredients:
1 head of Cauliflower
2 -3 Garlic cloves
Olive Oil
Salt
Thyme
1 15 ounce can Chick Peas – drained
Directions:
Preheat Oven to 375 F.
Prepare 1 or 2 large rimmed sheet pans by drizzling them with Olive Oil.
Wash the Cauliflower and remove any leaves. On a large cutting board, first cut the Cauliflower in half and then cut each half into approximately half inch slices. You can leave the slices large or break them up into bite size pieces if you prefer.
Lay each slice of Cauliflower on the rimmed baking sheets and turn them over in the olive oil.
Chop the Garlic in large pieces, about 4-6 pieces per clove depending on the size of your cloves.
Top the Cauliflower with the chopped Garlic. Sprinkle with Salt and Thyme. Drizzle with a little more Olive Oil. At this point you can either add the drained Chick Peas to the pan with the Cauliflower or if you prefer hold off and add the Chick Peas at the half way point.
Note: Cooking the Chick Peas for the entire time will yield a crunchier but also slightly drier result. If you choose to add the Chick Peas at the half way point, they won’t be quite as crisp, but still absolutely delicious.
Position pans in the lower third of the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes, then flip the Cauliflower and Chick Peas over or add the Chick Peas to the pan at this point if you didn’t already. Bake another 15 minutes more on the second side. If using 2 pans rotate their positions in the oven when you flip the Cauliflower. The pan towards the center of the oven may take a little bit longer to cook than the pan in the lower part. The Cauliflower should develop a beautiful golden carmelized color.
Remove from pan with a spatula (or eat right off the pan as we often do in our house) and Enjoy! 
Recipe Notes: Roasted Chick Peas and Cauliflower are a great accompaniment to any main dish. We like them tossed with pasta or as a side with Quinoa Fritters or even with Tabbouleh.
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