Zucchini is definitely a favorite of mine. With multiple ways to prepare, it never gets old. In the summer my favorite way to prepare zucchini is typically grilled. But this summer, I’ve had a new favorite method of preparation.

Light and refreshing, this raw zucchini and carrot salad will easily become a summer favorite. With just a few ingredients you have a healthy and simple salad ready in no time. Thinly sliced, then marinated with lemon, olive oil and fresh herbs you will be amazed at how flavorful just a few fresh ingredients can be. 

Best part is, It only gets better with time. This salad is a great make ahead dish for any occasion. The longer it sits, the better it gets, trust me. So hurry up and grab all the zucchini you can, you’ll want it for this one!

A few final notes:

• The carrots add a nice crunch and a little sweetness to the salad, but feel free to leave out and just use all zucchini. Get creative with it, I have also added diced cherry tomatoes and thinly sliced sweet onion.

• I typically use a combination of dill, mint and parsley for the herbs. But use whatever you have on hand, you can try different combinations or use just one.

Before you go, if you are looking for any other great summer salad recipes you will LOVE this crunchy Asian Broccoli Salad or this sweet and salty Fig and Arugula Salad!

Finally, if you make any of these recipes and decide to share on Facebook or Instagram be sure to tag @Kitchencartographer & #kitchencartographer. I would love to see your kitchen creations!

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Raw Zucchini and Carrot Salad

Ingredients

Ingredients

• 2 zucchini thinly sliced
• 1 summer squash thinly sliced
• 1 carrot thinly sliced
• 3 tbs lemon juice
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs dill minced
• 1 tbs parsley minced
• 1 tbs mint minced
• Salt
• Pepper

Instructions

Directions

1. Use a peeler or spiralizer to thinly slice the zucchini, squash, and carrots thin into ribbons.
2. In a large bowl, toss together zucchini, squash, carrots, lemon juice, olive oil, and minced herbs together until mixed well.
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Taste again before serving and adjust seasoning as necessary.

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I’ve been SO excited about the first hints of spring that have been popping up in the last couple of weeks. I knew that winter had been tough this year, but I had no idea how much I missed warmer weather until recently.

In the last two weeks I have been in full on spring MODE. I have been cleaning, redecorating, buying ALL of the house plants and most importantly getting an early start on the garden, because this year I am determined to have a successful crop.

A little background for you— we have lived in our little house now for two summers. The last two summers I have “tried” to grow a vegetable garden and have been unsuccessful. I say, “tried” because in all honesty I didn’t put in as much effort as I should have and just kind of expected things to grow and they didn’t (shocker). This year though, I am way ahead of the game. I have been doing my research and planning and I am feeling confident!

So with warmer weather on my mind and an anticipation of a bountiful crop, I bring you this bright, summery, Asian inspired broccoli salad. Fresh broccoli, shredded carrots and red cabbage come together with a creamy almond butter ginger dressing for some seriously crunchy flavor.

This is going to be a perfect way to use up the broccoli from my garden this summer (because it WILL be successful and we WILL have tons of broccoli). But seriously, whether you have garden overflowing with broccoli or not, this salad is going to be the perfect salad for all of your summer cookouts.

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Asian Broccoli Salad

Cook Time

20 mins

 

Ingredients

• 4 cups finely chopped broccoli
• 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
• 3 cups shredded red cabbage
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro optional

For the dressing :

• 1/2 cup all natural almond butter
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger or very finely minced
• 2 cloves garlic pressed or very finely minced
• 4 tbs rice vinegar
• 2 tbs tamari or gluten free soy sauce
• 2 tbs water

Instructions

1. Finely chop the broccoli into bite sized pieces and place into a large bowl. Shred the carrots using a food processor or a grater and place into the large bowl with the broccoli. Thinly slice the cabbage like you would for a slaw and place into the large bowl. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl combine almond butter, lime juice, grated ginger, pressed garlic, rice vinegar, Tamari and water. If it seems a little thick till add water one tbs at a time until consistency is to you liking. Consistency can vary depending on how well the almond butter was stirred and if it was cold or not.
3. Add dressing to your liking to the slaw mixture. Stir well to combine. Serve immediately and enjoy!!

Recipe Notes

If you make the dressing ahead of time and put it in the fridge it will thicken. Add a bit more water to soften before adding to the slaw. Or make sure to take it out of the fridge about an hour before using to let it come back to room temp and soften.

Cranberry sauce has always been one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving. When we were kids, my mom would always make it the night before and I would love to watch the cranberries burst and pop in the pan until they cooked down to a delicious thick sauce.

We used to make just a simple cranberry sauce but somewhere over the years we started adding other flavors. Our family sauce is now infused with orange, apple and cinnamon. It is still quick and easy and even now, I think it’s fun to watch the cranberries pop!

If you have never made homemade cranberry sauce, then this is a must try. It is so easy to make and can be made ahead of time for Thanksgiving dinner. It is usually even better the next day anyway.

P.S. If you have any leftover sauce, use some to top yogurt or a little vanilla ice cream! 🙂

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Orange and Apple Spiced Cranberry Sauce

Prep Time

8 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

28 mins

 

Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 12 oz bag of fresh cranberries
• 1 orange zest and juice
• 1 apple peeled and diced (I like to use Granny Smith)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 cup sugar

Instructions

1. In a medium sized saucepan, over medium heat, add fresh cranberries, orange juice, orange zest, diced apple, cinnamon stick, water and sugar.

2. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the sauce has thickened. Should be only about 15 minutes.

3. Once desired thickness has been reached, remove the pan from heat and take out the cinnamon stick. Then, either serve immediately, or let cool in the fridge and serve later!

Green bean casserole has always been a staple for us on Thanksgiving. But, ever since I became gluten-free it hasn’t quite been the same. Over the last few years we have tried a variety of different cream of mushrooms soups. We have yet to find one that we actually like. This year, I decided I would make the whole thing from scratch, including the crunchy onions.

Not only is this green bean casserole gluten-free but, it is also dairy free and completely vegan! And while you may think this is a lot more work than traditional green bean casserole, it is really not that bad! The key is making things ahead of time. The cashew cream can be made whenever. Personally, I like to make a big batch all at once then freeze then in 1-cup portions. Then, the sauce and the crispy onions can be made the day before. That way,  on Thanksgiving Day all you are left with is assembly!

So if you haven’t settled on a green bean casserole recipe yet, this gluten-free, dairy free and vegan take on the classic is definitely worth trying!

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Green Bean Casserole

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 lb Green beans

Crispy Onions:

• 1 medium onion
• 1/4 cup ground flax seed
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup Almond meal courser than almond flour, but you could really use either
• 1/2 cup gluten-free panko
• 2 tbs nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp salt

The cream sauce:

• 2 cups almond milk
• 1/2 cup cashew cream
• 8 oz baby bella or white mushrooms diced
• 1/2 large onion diced
• 1 sprig thyme miced
• 3-4 leaves of fresh sage minced

Cashew cream:

• 1/2 cup raw unroasted and unsalted cashews
• 1/4 cup water

Instructions

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit

Cashew cream:

1. Soak the cashews in a bowl with just enough water to cover for at least 3 hours or overnight
2. Drain the soaking liquid and add cashews to a blender with 1/4 cup water. Blend till smooth then set aside.

Crispy onions:

1. Prepare a baking pan with parchment or non-stick baking sheet.
2. In a large bowl combine ground flax and water, stir to combine. The mixture will seem watery at first but will thicken as it sits. It should be the consistency of watery pancake batter. You are looking for a batter that will be thick enough to stick to the onions and the breadcrumb mixture but not so thick that it will just get clumpy. If it seems too watery or too think add flax and water as needed.
3. Take a medium onion and cut it in half so when you slice it you are getting half rings. Thinly slice the onion and add to the bowl with the flax mixture. Use your hands to toss the onions in the flax mixture.
4. In a small bowl combine almond meal, gluten-free panko, nutritional yeast and salt, stir to combine.
5. Pour the breadcrumb mixture over the onions and toss to combine. Now, it will look like quite a mess and will seem like the bread crumbs are not sticking but I promise they will!
6. Pour the coated onions out onto the prepared baking tray and separate them out as much as you can so there aren’t any big piles. The more you can space them out the better they will cook.
7. Place into the oven and set the timer for 20 minutes. They will cook for a total of about 40-50 minutes but you will want to check and stir them after the first 20 minutes then about every 10-15 minutes after that until they are crispy. When you check on them make sure to give them a good stir and break up any big clumps or flip them over so they get crispy on both side. Some clumps are okay as they will naturally stick together and once they are crispy you will be able to break them up to use as topping on the casserole anyway.
8. Once crispy, remove form the oven and set aside. If making ahead of time, let cool completely then seal in an airtight container in the fridge.

For the sauce:

1. Heat a large saucepan with olive oil and add diced onion and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until the onions have started to caramelize and brown slightly.
2. Add the almond milk, cashew cream, sage and thyme. Making sure to scrape up any browned bits form the bottom of the pan. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. If making the day before, let cool completely then store in the fridge for later use.

Assembly:

1. Set oven heat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Wash and trim the tips off of your green beans.
3. Heat a large pot with boiling water. Add the green beans and bring the water back up to a boil. As soon as the water is boiling again remove the green beans form the water and place into a baking dish.
4. Add the cream sauce to the baking dish with the green beans and toss to coat evenly. If you made you sauce ahead of time I would suggest reheating it in the microwave or on the stovetop before adding.
5. Top the casserole with the crispy onions in whatever pattern your would like then place into the oven.
6. Set the timer for 20 minutes, after the first 10 check just to make sure the onion topping is not getting too crispy if it is, you can cover with foil. Otherwise, cook uncovered for the whole 20 minutes.
7. Before removing the casserole make sure it is bubbling to ensure that is has heated all the way through. Remove from oven and serve immediately!

Currently, we are doing everything we can to enjoy ALL of the fresh seasonal produce. And right now, we are all about squash. This maple chili glazed acorn squash is the prefect way to spice up (literally) all your weeknight sides.

Just a touch of maple syrup, chili flakes and salt take this acorn squash to a whole new level. It is seriously my new favorite thing. I was initially worried  about adding maple syrup would make it too sweet because of the natural sweetness of the squash. However, that is not at all an issue at all. As it bakes, it forms a slightly sweet and chewy crust that is perfectly balanced with the salt and chili.

You can bet this is going to be a recipe we will be making over and over in our house this fall. If you give it a try, let me know how you like it!

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Maple Chili Glazed Acorn Squash

Cook Time

30 mins

 

Ingredients

• 1 acorn squash
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs pure maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp salt
• one pinch of chili flakes or to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Prepare baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
3. Using a very sharp knife slice acorn squash in half down the long end. Using a spoon scoop out and discard the seeds.

4. Place the cut side down and slice into half rings. About 1/4 inch thick.

5. Add sliced acorn squash to prepared pan with olive oil, salt, maple syrup and chili flakes. Toss with hands to coat.
6. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the squash is tender and starting to crisp slightly.
7. Remove from oven and serve immediately. Enjoy!