Delicious Fall Recipes! You will LOVE this VEGETARIAN Meal

A co-worker of mine was struggling to come up with a vegetarian, gluten-free dinner for her book club the following night. I immediately perked up, my eager facial expression saying, “Ooh, I can help! Please let me help!”

There is so much joy and nourishment in cooking good food for people.

So, I started asking questions about her goals, ability, and of course, her taste in food.

Immediately, I knew the dish: Roasted Cauliflower with Chickpeas & Olives.

It’s a delightfully savory dish, well rounded with the tangy, briny bite of green olives and nuttiness of roasted cauliflower. The roasted chickpeas are transformed into luscious pillow-y bites. Just a touch of red pepper flakes provides some heat while finishing with fresh parsley really brings the dish together in a truly palate-pleasing way.

To accompany this main dish, I suggested a simple salad that’s easy to throw together but refined in its flavors. Both recipes are posted below for your cooking, hosting, and dining enjoyment!

Roasted Cauliflower, Chickpeas, & Green Olives
Makes 4 servings

5 ½ cups cauliflower florets	3 T. olive oil
24 green, Spanish olives, pitted & halved	¼ tsp. sea salt
8 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped	½ tsp. crushed red pepper
1 can chickpeas, rinsed & drained	3 T. fresh parsley, chopped

 

1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Combine 1st four ingredients in a roasting pan or large glass baking dish.
3. Drizzle with olive oil, pepper, & salt. Toss well to coat.
4. Roast for 22 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes.
5. Cauliflower should brown & tender, but crisp. Sprinkle with parsley & serve.

**Add rotisserie chicken or salmon on top

Spinach Asparagus Salad with Dates & Shaved Parmesan
Makes 5 servings

5 cups spinach	1 bunch asparagus
5 T. Shaved Parmesan — just eyeball it	10 dried dates, pitted & chopped
5 T. Mustard Vinaigrette (recipe below)	Sea salt & Pepper

 

1. Slice the asperagus into 1-inch strips & sauté them for a few minutes until tender, but crisp
2. In each individual salad bowl place:
   1 cup spinach
   1/5 of the sautéed asparagus
   2 chopped dates
   1 T. shaved Parmesan
   1 T. mustard vinaigrette
   sea salt & pepper to finish if desired

Mustard Vinaigrette

1 T. stone ground mustard	1 lemon juiced
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil	½ – 1 tsp. sea salt
1 T. raw honey or agave	½ tsp. black pepper

 

1. Add all ingredients in a glass jar or vessel with a tight fitting lid.
2. Shake vigorously to combine ingredients.
3. Taste and adjust to desired palate.
4. Should be pretty strong so you don’t need much. If it’s too strong add some honey/agave and/or olive oil.

Creating delicious, healthy meals year round doesn’t need to be an arduous process — nor does it need to contain heavy, unhealthy ingredients to be satisfying to the soul.

Try these recipes this fall for a warm and satisfying meal with friends!