Meatless January – Week 1
One week of meatless meals are behind me. Interested in what we ate? Here’s a brief rundown (dinners only, because seriously this is already probably more than you bargained for).
Tuesday: Chili garlic udon noodles and broccoli with peanut sauce
Wednesday: Apple cheddar dutch baby and a giant salad
Thursday: A large cheese pizza – delivery, not DiGiornio
Friday: Creamy mushroom spaghetti
Saturday: Thai food in Brooklyn with my in-laws for Christmas #4
Sunday: Avocado and Cheddar Omelets
Tonight: Tomato Pie with another giant salad
So far so good. I do have to say, even though I spent a couple years doing the vegan thing back in my 20’s, my reliance on eggs and cheese is now at an all time high, and I’m not sure I could get back there again. But I’m really enjoying activating my brain a little more in the kitchen and I think it’s made me a little more excited every night for dinner.
Next week I’m going to try and focus on salad as the main, instead of the side. I think this is a little hard for me because I grew up in the era of the chicken caesar, and so my thought of an entree salad is a bed of romaine draped with one enormous chicken breast (usually kind of dry and always cut on the bias). Shifting that mentality out of the 90’s and into present day is my task for this week. So I’ll be looking into grains, seeds, and interesting mix-ins and toppings to make hearty, healthy, and interesting meals for Eddie and me. If you have any tried and true dinner salads, or suggestions in general, please send them my way!
Roasted Root Vegetable Salad
So that brings us to this lovely bowl of cozy, winter joy. This is my attempt to make something fresh and green also feel toasty and comforting. Basically a bunch of root vegetables and some apples get roasted in a hot oven, meet up with crisp greens, goat cheese, and crunchy pistachios, and then the whole situation is drizzled in a warming but zingy turmeric and honey dressing. It’s simple yet effective – simultaneously making your house smell insane while still maintaining the profile of a light dinner.
Of course you could drape an enormous chicken breast on top of this (a la the Ruby Tuesdays of my youth), and a lacy fried egg will never be an unwanted salad topper in my opinion. But what I love about this one is that it’s got enough going on to stand completely on its own – like J-Lo in Enough – a seriously bad but seriously addictive movie.
So while I look to more greenery in the next week, what’s on your plate? I’d love to hear more about what you’re eating or would like to be eating in the new year – mostly as a way to live vicariously through the meat eaters of the world because TBH I’ve had one or two mean cravings for a slow roasted ribeye. So tell me what’s up in the comments, or stop by Instagram and give me a shout. And if you make this salad (or any of my recipes), please give it a rating below – I’d love you even more than I already do if that’s even possible.
PrintRoasted Root Vegetable Salad with Turmeric Honey Dressing
This roasted vegetable salad is earthy, zesty, a little bit sweet, and hearty enough to stand all on its own. Root vegetables of any kind can be subbed in here – turnips, radishes, rutabaga, or even squash would be great.
- Prep Time: 20 Minutes
- Cook Time: 20 Minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the salad:
1 T olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 yellow beet, peeled
2 large carrots, peeled
2 parsnips, peeled
1 large pink lady apple, peeled and cored
2 ounces goat cheese
6–8 C Mixed greens or arugula
1/4 C pistachios, shelled and roughly chopped
For the dressing:
1 T honey
1 T lemon juice (or the juice of one lemon)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
3 T extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400° F.
Chop beet, carrots, parsnips, and apple into 1/2 inch cubes. Toss with olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet in one even layer and roast for 20 minutes, or until tender, and just beginning to brown at the edges.
Make the dressing by whisking together the honey, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and turmeric. Gradually stream in the olive oil while continually whisking. Set aside.
Let the vegetables cool for five minutes before assembling the salad.
Toss the vegetables with the mixed greens. Add dressing to your taste and toss to evenly coat, being careful not to add too much. Sprinkle the goat cheese and pistachios over the top and serve.
Notes
If you can’t find yellow beets, substitute with red, but be aware that they tend to stain your hands and cutting board. I find it helpful to either wear gloves, or just chop them last so I can wash everything immediately.
The vegetables can be made in advance and refrigerated. When it’s time to eat, just assemble the salad as usual – no need to reheat the veggies.
This will make more a little more dressing than you need so just a heads up.
Keywords: roasted root vegetable salad, turmeric dressing, hearty winter salad
