Tag Archives: #glutenfree

Oven-Roasted Beets & Fennel

While I was studying in Argentina, every time I ordered a salad they came with beets, and I discovered that I like them. I had never tried them before.

In my opinion, beets are naturally sweet, although my husband says they taste like dirt. Well, he ate these beets and liked them, and that means that this recipe is a W-I-N-N-E-R. I used 2 golden and 2 red beets, because golden beets can have a less earthy and more mellow flavor. The fennel also has a sweet flavor and adds a little crunch to the beets. I love the digestive benefits of this dish, both beets and fennel are great for keeping you regular; you can check out the other great health benefit for fennel here.

I’ve been putting this beet and fennel dish in roasted vegetable quinoa bowls, on salads, or just mixed with other oven-roasted vegetables. I’ll be sharing the recipes soon, so stay tuned…

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Oven-Roasted Beets & Fennel (vegan & gluten-free)

  • Servings: 4 serving
  • Difficulty: easy
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A naturally sweet vegan and gluten-free side that's great in roasted vegetable quinoa bowls, on salads, or just mixed with other oven-roasted vegetables.

Tips: (1) Skip the fennel if you don’t like it (2) Clean the beets thoroughly and leave the skin on for extra fiber (3) Save your greens! According to Dr. Oz, “fresh beet greens are rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, and calcium. You can add a few raw to your salad, or sauté in a little olive oil for a quick and easy side dish.”

Credit: My Real Dish

Ingredients

  • 4 large beets sliced (I used 2 golden and 2 red beets)
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice (juice from ~1 lemon)
  • ¼ teaspoon Redmond Real Salt
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon agave syrup
  • 15 turns on pepper grinder
  • 1 fennel bulb
  • fresh parsley to garnish (optional)


Directions

  1. Heat oven 400.
  2. Clean fennel and beets well. I soaked the beets with Thieves Fruit & Veggie Soak, scrubbed them with a scrub brush, and rinsed them. 
  3. Thinly slice fennel and the beets, ~1/4 inch thick. Place them in a small mixing bowl.
  4. Mix olive oil, lemon, cinnamon, agave syrup, salt and pepper, pour over beets, and toss until evenly covered.
  5. Place on a baking sheet flat.
  6. Cook for ~30 minutes until slightly tender.
  7. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
  8. Serve as a warm side, or chilled over a salad.

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Easy Summer Vegetable Paella (Gluten-free)

It has been almost two years since I have been to Spain. On my last trip, I had the BEST vegetarian paella in Valencia at the Plaza Doctor Collado in Valencia. It was worth every minute of the 40 minute wait; if you ever visit Valencia, go to this tiny restaurant with a lovely patio. I’ve been missing Spain, and this rainy unseasonably cool summer weather has me craving something comforting. On Tuesday, I visited to our local Kirkwood Farmer’s Market, left with tons of fresh local produce, and decided it was time for vegan paella. Hopefully, it will hold me off until next summer when I get to go back to Spain!

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Easy Summer Vegetable Paella (Gluten-free)

  • Servings: ~15
  • Difficulty: easy
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A vegan take on this Spanish dish loaded with tender summer vegetables and saffron-infused rice; it's gluten-free and a simple one-pan allergy-friendly meal.

Tips: to add a ‘seafood’ like taste, add the hearts of palm, or omit if you don’t want a ‘seafood’ flavor.
Credit: My Real Dish

Ingredients

  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon saffron
  • 1 eggplant
  • 1 yellow squash
  • 1 zucchini
  • 8 oz mushrooms (I used Baby Bella Crimini)
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 cup parsley
  • 1 onion
  • 3 cloves minced garlic (2 tablespoons)
  • 2 cups tomatoes chopped or one 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups brown short grain rice
  • 4 cups veggie stock (gluten-free)
  • ¼ cup lemon juice (juice from ~1 ½ lemons) + extra sliced lemons to garnish
  • 1 teaspoon Redmond Real Salt
  • 5 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

  1. Prepare the vegetables. Clean the vegetables using cold water and a vegetable cleaner (I like Thieves Fruit & Veggie Spray and Thieves Fruit & Veggie Soak). Chop the onion and bell pepper, slice the mushrooms, and mince the garlic. Cut the ends off the zucchini and summer squash, and cut them in half horizontally and then slice small cylinders ~1/4″ thick. Slice the eggplant lengthwise in half, thinly slice it in ¼ inch rows, and ¼ inch rows horizontally.
  2. Chop the parsley and juice the 1/4 cup lemon juice in order to prepare the herb sauce. Combine parsley, 1/4 cup lemon juice and 2 tablespoons olive oil into a small mixing bowl and set aside.
  3. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat in a very large pan.
  4. Sauté chopped vegetables, onion and garlic in the pan for ~7 minutes.
  5. Add tomatoes and 1 teaspoon Redmond’s Real Salt and continue to sauté for 3 minutes.
  6. Add rice to vegetable mixture and sauté until mixed well.
  7. Add herb sauce, vegetable broth, saffron and paprika. Bring to a low boil for 10 minutes. Stirring every couple of minutes.
  8. Cut hearts of palm in small cylinders ~1/4″ thick, and add them to the rice mixture.
  9. Cover and simmer on low for 30 minutes.
  10. Serve with a slice of lemon on top.

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Eggplant Tomato Zucchini Mushroom Bake

Fall is here! I’ve been loving this vegan, gluten-free oven roasted vegetable dish so much that I just bought three jars of this Wildtree Bruschetta Blend. I am constantly in need of easy and tasty dishes, that I can serve in many ways so that I can eat them for a couple of nights for dinner without getting bored. I’m a busy momma! I have served this dish over gluten-free noodles, served over rice, eaten as a side dish, and even served as an appetizer bruschetta style on top of a vegan gluten-free baguette. It is so versatile!

One Sunday evening, as I was meal prepping for the week, I pre-made the veggies in the pan and let them marinate overnight. I was amazed at how good the veggies were when they had time to soak in all the herbs and spices! I have also let them marinate after work before going to the gym for a couple of hours and I enjoyed the extra burst of flavor the marinating provides. However, if you are the wait-until-the-last-minute mom like I am, then don’t worry, you can just quickly chop and bake.

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Eggplant Tomato Zucchini Mushroom Bake

  • Servings: 10
  • Difficulty: easy
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Oven-roasted savory herbaceous veggies steal the show in this low-carb meal. Serve it alone, as a side dish, over rice or gluten-free noodles as a main dish, or over a sliced gluten-free baguette as a bruschetta-style appetizer. Features the Bruschetta Blend by Wildtree.

Tip: (1) My favorite gluten-free vegan baguette is Schar (they are reasonably priced on Vitacost or try your local grocery store). (2) If you do not have Wildtree Bruschetta Blend I have tried this when I was out of the spice blend: 1 tablespoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, 1/2 teaspoon organic garlic salt, 1/2 teaspoon organic dried onion, and 30 twists of pepper instead of 11. (3) Marinate overnight for maximum flavor. (4) You can substitute zucchini with a yellow summer squash.

Credit: My Real Dish

Ingredients

  • 3 portobellos
  • 1 medium eggplant
  • 1 zucchini (or yellow squash)
  • 1 large sweet onion
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup balsamic
  • 1 tablespoon garlic
  • 1 teaspoon real salt
  • 11 grinds of peppercorn medley grinder
  • 2 tablespoons Bruschetta Blend from Wildtree


Directions

  1. Heat oven to 400 degrees
  2. Chop vegetables
  3. Add ingredients to a large baking pan, and stir to coat vegetables with sauce and spices.
  4. Cook for 40 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Stir every 15 minutes while cooking.

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Warming Vegan Recipes To Eat This Week

If you are a recent addition to the vegan world, you might have found the vegan lifestyle and food habits easy during the summer months with fresh salads and pasta dishes, but when the weather turns and we face colder nights you may miss an easy crockpot roast or warming stew. The good thing is that you can still enjoy vegan and healthy comfort foods! 

Vegan Curry

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For something warming that hits the spot, nothing can be better in fall than a good old curry. Now that ‘going vegan’ is becoming popular in the world there are loads of curry recipes which are vegan by nature and this makes it much easier for you to find a great spicy dish to enjoy. In previous posts, I shared a Creamy Curried Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup and Hearty Vegetable Lentil Stew with Goda Masala, but here is an additional yummy vegan curry recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 1 can chickpeas (15.5 oz) 
  • ½ cup red lentils
  • 1 onion
  • 1 green chili
  • 1.8 oz (50g) chopped ginger
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 tbsp Garam masala
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 13.5 oz (400 ml) passata
  • 3.38 oz (100ml) coconut milk
  • Rice to serve

Start off by pulsing the onion, garlic, ginger and chili in a food processor. Place into a pan and fry for 10 minutes until fragrant. Add all other ingredients and simmer for 40 minutes. Serve with rice!

Tomato Soup

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Tomato soup is a classic comfort food and it’s one which absolutely anyone can enjoy. The fresh, warming flavor is perfect after a cold day and this recipe is simple and delicious. I prefer mine served with a vegan grilled ‘cheese’ gluten-free sandwich.

Ingredients:

  • 5 medium (500g large) tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 1 onion
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 handful basil
  • 16.5 oz (500ml) vegetable stock.

To start off, score a cross into the top of each tomato and boil them for a few minutes in a pan. Place directly until a bowl of ice cold water and allow the skin to peel off. Sauté onions and garlic until translucent, add all other ingredients and simmer for 1 hour. Blend until smooth.

Butternut Squash Risotto

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For a fall time classic which makes the most of the squashes we have available this season, a comforting bowl of risotto cannot go wrong.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (200g) butternut squash, diced and boiled
  • 1 cup (200g) arborio rice
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 glass white wine
  • 25.36 oz (750ml) vegetable stock

Place some oil in a pan and add the garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add in rice and coat with the oil. Pour in the wine and stir until absorbed. Add the tomato purée and a ladle of stock. Stir until combined. Add cumin and some more stock. Repeat adding stock until all has been absorbed. Add in the butternut squash and cook for 10 minutes before serving with a crisp salad.

There are loads of tasty plant-based meals to enjoy as the weather cools so have fun with a few different recipes and you could end up with some new family favorites! What are your favorite fall favorite comfort foods?

Roasted Figs (Paleo & Vegan)

Figs have a short season so get to your nearest grocery now! I got mine at Trader Joe’s. I’ve been trying lots of new things with the Blonde Coconut Nectar since I used it to create my Blackberry and Blueberry Crisp. I love that its flavor doesn’t compete with the food and it doesn’t have a strong coconut taste either, just a nice sweetness. So I used it to roast the figs with a little cinnamon; sometimes the simplest ingredients are the tastiest.

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I’ve been enjoying them on oatmeal, on salad, pizza, and even a sweet potato with a little vegan butter. Just can’t get enough of these delectable figs! Plus, they are ready in a snap!

Roasted Figs (Vegan & Paleo)

  • Servings: 9
  • Difficulty: easy
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Simple, delicious, Paleo, and Vegan Roasted Figs with only three ingredients. Check out the recipe ideas for ways to eat these figs!

Tips: Figs will stay fresh in the fridge for a week or so. I like to pull out a couple every day to add pizzazz to my typical staples.

Ingredients


Directions

  1. Heat oven to 375.
  2. Slice the figs in half.
  3. Place on a baking pan.
  4. Coat with coconut nectar and cinnamon.
  5. Arrange the figs cut side up.
  6. Cook for ~15 minutes until they are tender and slightly caramelized.
  7. Serve warm, and store leftovers with sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

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I participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. However, the product I am recommending in this post is one of my personal favorites that I frequently eat, make and enjoy.

Peach Upside-Down Cake (Vegan & Gluten-free)

Peach Upside-Down Cake

More Food Allergies

This recipe is for my son, who suffered a summer and spring of mystery hives this year; we discovered after 8 hours in an allergist’s office last month that he is so highly allergic to birch trees that he has developed a birch pollen-food syndrome. He can’t have fruit with seeds like peaches or apples if they are not baked, his peanut allergy is worse and he’s still allergic to eggs and dairy. Furthermore, his igA for gluten was a 93, so he has now joined the gluten-free club with his sister and me. I just sent this kid to kindergarten with a huge list of avoids and a new AUVI-Q®. On a positive note, they seem so much easier to use that epi-pens and they were FREE. Overall, he’s handling it all fine, with the exception of the gluten, but to cheer him up we baked this gluten-free vegan peach cake so that he can enjoy some of the yummy fresh peaches in season right now.

Easy Gluten-Free Recipe

I don’t remember ever eating a pineapple upside-down cake, but it was the inspiration for this peach upside-down cake. I have been playing around with peach pies the summer and still haven’t perfected my liquid ratio. So I decided to take the flavor of the spices that I loved and use them in a peach cake instead! This cake uses a gluten-free cake mix, I used Pamela’s. To make it vegan, I used applesauce 1/4 cup per egg. The cake consistency was perfect!

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Peach Upside-Down Cake (Vegan & Gluten-free)

  • Servings: 10
  • Difficulty: easy
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An old-fashioned favorite with a twist of peaches, made easier with a simple gluten-free cake mix.

Tips: (1) Prepare gluten-free cake mix per box, substituting 1/4 cup applesauce per egg. (2) Serve with dairy-free vanilla ice cream or vegan whipped cream if desired.
Credit: My Real Dish

Ingredients

Peach Topping

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon allspice
  • 4 peaches
  • 2 tablespoons of maple syrup

Cake Batter

  • 1 bag Pamela’s Gluten-free Vanilla Cake Mix
  • 3/4 cup applesauce
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2/3 cup water
  • coconut oil to grease pan


Directions

  1. Heat oven to 325.
  2. Cut parchment paper for 9″ springform pan.
  3. Grease pan and parchment paper with coconut oil (I used cold-pressed unrefined) and a paper towel.
  4. Peel and slice peaches.
  5. Combine 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon allspice and maple syrup.
  6. Pour maple syrup spice mixture over peaches and evenly distribute sauce over peaches.
  7. Pour peaches into spring-form pan and set aside.
  8. Prepare gluten-free cake mix per directions of the mix, substituting 1/4 cup applesauce per egg.
  9. Pour cake batter on top of peaches.
  10. Bake for 38 – 45 minutes.
  11. Set aside to cool.
  12. When cool, quickly and gently flip the pan onto the cake stand and serve.

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Blackberry and Blueberry Crisp (Paleo, Vegan & Gluten-free)

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This pie only has 7 ingredients and takes less than 10 minutes to make!  See video below for the introduction of the recipe and the ingredients that I used.

Here’s how easy it is to make! Hope you enjoy!

Blackberry and Blueberry Crisp (Paleo, Vegan & Gluten-free)

  • Servings: 9
  • Difficulty: easy
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You will love the ease and deep rich slightly sweet flavor of this crisp. With only 7 ingredients, the natural flavor of the berries shines. It's thickened with tapioca flour to make it tree-nut free, gluten-free, and paleo. Serve with ice cream for dessert, or serve without for breakfast.

Tips: See the video for tips and the ingredients I used.
Credit: Loosely inspired by the Bakerita

Ingredients

Fruit Filling

  • 2 ½ cups blackberries
  • 2 ½ cups blueberries
  • 1 ½ teaspoon tapioca flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
  • ⅓ cup tablespoons coconut nectar (I used Organic Coconut Nectar by Blonde

Crumb Topping


Directions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Grease 9-inch pie pan with coconut oil
  3. Add blackberries, blueberries, tapioca flour, cinnamon, and coconut syrup, mix gently to combine. Add berries to the pie pan.
  4. In a small mixing bowl, add date sugar, tapioca flour, and coconut oil (1/4 cup at a time) and combine with a fork until combined.
  5. Spread crumb topping to the top of the berries.
  6. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes

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susanellenlogoweb

I participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. However, the products I am recommending in this post are my personal favorites that I frequently eat, make and enjoy.

Maple Almond Butter Overnight Oats

Lately, I’ve been making a ton of overnight because it’s been too cold to make smoothies. I find the warmth comforting on cold mornings and they are very tasty and easy! I’ve been playing with various ingredients, but this one is definitely a winner! They are filling, and I love the nutty banana maple flavor with a touch of cinnamon.

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Maple Almond Butter Overnight Oats

  • Servings: 4 oz
  • Difficulty: easy
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These Maple Almond Butter Overnight Oats have a nutty banana maple flavor with a touch of cinnamon. They are naturally gluten-free, vegan and gluten-free.

Credit: My Real Dish

Ingredients


Directions

  1. Mash one banana.
  2. Add gluten-free quick oats to a 4 oz jar.
  3. Add almond milk, chia seeds, cinnamon, almond butter, and maple syrup in the jar.
  4. Stir well, add mashed banana, and stir again.
  5. Put the lid on and put the jar in the refrigerator overnight.
  6. Heat them for 50 seconds in the microwave in the morning or serve them cold. I prefer them warm.
  7. Serve with a fruit, nuts, or muesli on top.

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Vegan Cole Slaw

This recipe is an easy traditional Vegan Cole Slaw. I made it for my son’s birthday party, family parties, and brought it to the Super Bowl Party tonight. Of course, I’m lazy and bought a bag of Cole Slaw today, I decided to go to yoga instead of making my own. However, if you decide you want to make your own cabbage, you can process 1 cabbages and 2 carrots in a food processor. Sometimes I finely chop a zucchini that I stir in after, but my husband is not a fan so I have to hide it in tiny pieces!

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Vegan Cole Slaw

  • Servings: ~7
  • Difficulty: easy
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This easy Vegan Cole Slaw tastes like traditional cole slaw with a hint of mustard. It’s naturally gluten-free.


Credit: My Real Dish

Ingredients

  • 1 – 14 oz bag of Cole Slaw. (I used one with cabbage and carrots).
  • 3/4 cup vegan mayo (I used the Trader Joe’s brand)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar ( I used Bragg Organic)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons mustard (dijon also works)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Xylitol (Sweeten to your preference. I bought the XyloBurst Brand made from birch sugar at swansonvitamins.com)
  • pepper to taste
  • salt to taste (I used 4 dashes)
  • Optional: Cayenne (I used 2 dashes of Red Pepper)


Directions

  1. In a liquid measuring cup, measure the vegan mayo, and then add the apple cider vinegar, mustard, and xylitol.
  2. Stir and mix 1/3 of the mixture blending throughout the cabbage at a time, in order to evenly distribute.
  3. Then add the cayenne (optional) and salt and peppered to taste.

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Maple-Glazed Carrot Salad

Sometimes some of my favorite recipes come from trying to find ways to use jumbo bags of carrots from Costco! This salad is one of those recipes. It’s Sunday so I’m not working; I made a stew and had some carrots leftover. My son likes maple-glazed carrots, so I made him some for lunch and then I looked at my salad bowl. Why not add them to my salad?! It was a good experiment.

I’ve talked before about my husband’s limited vegetable preferences. He, of course, is not a carrot lover, but if they are coated in a little maple syrup – that is a different story! However, since he’s not a vegetarian, he added 4 gluten-free chicken nuggets to it, and he ate a huge bowl. I am just happy that he ate his carrots!

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MAPLE GLAZED CARROT SALAD

  • Servings: ~2 large salads
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Credit: My Real Dish

Tip: (1) I didn’t have any fresh lemon when I was making this dressing. So I used Young Living Lemon Vitality Essential Oil. You can use this for so many things, not use cooking. I talk about using essential oils in cooking here. You can purchase the lemon essential oil here. Or, feel free to substitute 1 tablespoon of lemon juice instead. (2) This salad only requires 2- 3 tablespoons of dressing, so you will obviously have remaining dressing. But I stored it in the fridge and have been using it on so many different salads. (3) It serves two large salads as a full meal, or you will have 4 – 5 side salads.

Ingredients

Salad

  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 2 avocados
  • 2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped (~10 cups lettuce)
  • 3 cups chopped carrots
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon vegan butter
  • pepper to taste

Maple-Lemon Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

  • 1 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 5 drops Young Living Lemon Essential Oil  (or you can add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice)
  • 1/16 teaspoon Redmond Real Salt


Directions

  1. First, prepare the carrots. Chop 3 cups of carrots.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon vegan butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.
  3. Add carrots, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup and sauté continuously (~8 minutes until they are slightly tender).
  4. While carrots are cooking, chop lettuce and prepare the salad dressing.
  5. Chop the lettuce and serve with warmed cooked carrots, along with all the salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss. Serve with the Maple-Lemon Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing!

CARROT SALAD

 

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