Jeweled Holiday Salad with California Endive, Roasted Beets and Butternut and a Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Autumn brings color into our lives with not only with falling leaves, but with colorful produce filling the tables at local markets.  Brightly hued butternut squashes contrast beautifully with vibrant bunches of greens and brilliant baskets of pomegranates.

Endive Instagram!

But have you thought of California Endive?  For years I'd walked past those little torpedo-like greens simply because I didn't know what to do with them.  Then a few years ago a girlfriend served the leaves with a savory filling at a holiday gathering, and I've been hooked ever since.

A member of the chicory family, endive is related to radicchio, escarole and frissee.  Its crisp texture and sweet nutty flavor bring a mild bitterness to your recipes, and endive is good either cooked or raw.

A California girl through and through, an opportunity landing in my inbox to promote California Endive shines right up my alley.  But the opportunity didn't stop there... A box filled with brilliant, perfectly formed red and green California Endives arrived packaged with a can of Italian Nudo Olive Oil and a Bottle of Rios do Chile Carmenère along with a challenge to create a fall themed side dish suitable for your holiday table.  My kind of challenge!!

I have to admit to using the olive oil for a few days before getting to my fall challenge.  Do you recall the Smashed Avocado Toast topped with Oiled Tomatoes? Yep... that was the Nudo Oil.  We tired the toast with Nudo oil and again with a generic oil from my pantry, and Liv actually noticed the difference without me saying anything.  This Nudo oil is a keeper.

Here's were my food blogger job brings me incredible satisfaction as well as introductions that grow into relationships.  Nudo Italia features a concept that swells my heart... I think it's best said in their own words:

Jason Gibb and Cathy Rogers set up Nudo in 2005 after buying and restoring an abandoned 21 acre olive grove in Italy's Le Marche.

Their love of the Italian countryside inspired their now famous adopt an olive tree programme which allows people all over the world to adopt an Italian olive tree and receive its oil. The programme involves a collaboration between a group of small scale, artisanal olive producers in Le Marche, Abruzzo and Sicily. Each olive farmer keeps responsibility for the care of their grove, and all the olive oil goes into the Nudo adoption programme.

In giving financial security to the olive farmers, the programme makes viable the traditional farming methods which, quite simply,produce the world's best olive oil.

A love of simple natural food is the starting point for all Nudo products. They are all made from 100% natural, high quality, locally sourced ingredients. Why use artificial preservatives when olive oil is one of the best preservatives there is - and the most delicious?

Real oils pressed from trees raised with the love of the land owners keeps the quality high and the oils special.  Most exciting for me is the Il Fico Grove owned by Saverio Adamo.  While I didn't actually visit the grove near Alcamo on the Trapanese Coast of Sicily, my husband and I spent a day in the area, and I believe we drove nearly right by.

Trapanese Coast of Sicily seen from Erice ~ 2010

But back to our challenge... with beautiful California Endives and this fabulous olive oil, a colorful holiday salad seemed to be the proper venue to let the pure flavors of the ingredients shine.

Returning to a favorite of my Mom's, I roasted brightly hued butternut with garnet colored beets and fragrant sweet onions with the Nudo Oil and seasoned it all with a few dashes of dried oregano.  Moments later my kitchen sent aromas into the air that had us all swooning.

Red endive adds holiday flair

Pairing the endive with fresh organic Farmer's Market greens (our mix had frisee, spinach, baby lettuces and arugula), I loved the contrast of the red endive with the emerald greens.  Truly a holiday mix, the roasted vegetables and pomegranate completed our rainbow.

But what about that Chilean wine you may ask??  As I tinkered with the salad, wine in the recipe just didn't seem right.  However, the Rios de Chile in my glass as I chopped, roasted and sliced made for a lovely evening.

Inviting my husband to partake as I prepped the salad (he was just home from a week long business trip), he took a sip and let out a long sigh along with an "Ahhh... that hit's the spot, did you pick this wine yourself?".

I'll admit here that my expertise in wine tasting doesn't go much beyond "Yep... that's a good one!" or "No, this one really isn't for me", but in this case, the Rios de Chile falls into the first category, "Yep... that's a good one!".  I wouldn't hesitate to bring a bottle to a gathering for any holiday this season, and I impressed my husband with my choice.  Here I'll leave you with the more professional tasting notes from the Pacific Wine Group:

"Intense ruby red with violet tints.  In the nose, aromas of dried fruits, red pepper and spice stand out.  In the mouth it is elegant, with soft round tannins, it's a wine with good persistence."

Wine with good persistence... while I'm not exactly sure what that means I like the phrase.  This wine made my salad prep a pleasure, and paired beautifully with our meal as we finished off the bottle.


Using the red endive for more of a holiday feel, this recipe will go beyond the holidays for me.  Filled with goodies like the roasted butternut and beets, the salad is hearty enough for a light lunch as well as and ideal vegetarian side to a holiday gathering.  Bright and jeweled with the colors of fresh California produce, the Italian oil and Chilean wine brought a bit of an international affair to our table.

Thank you to California Endive, Nudo Italia, and the Pacific Wine Group for the products that led me to this fun post filled with fresh produce and trips down memory lane.  We have a recipe here that's earned a spot in our regular rotation.

Lentils with Butternut, Pearl Onions and lots of Lime

This time of year things get busy.  Really busy.  Hence, I'm all over a quick meal based on what I have on hand and with ingredients that allow me moving fast.

Enter Melissa's Produce and the San Diego Food Blogger's Fall Challenge.  With Melissa's bringing ingredients right to my doorstep, some of my favorite San Diego Food Bloggers and I are putting together recipes "Chopped" style based on what's in our Melissa's Produce Box.

Including butternut squash, pearl onions, shallots, dried cranberries, pine nuts, baby Dutch yellow potatoes, steamed potatoes, and packages of steamed (ready to eat!) fava beans, black eyed peas and garbanzo beans, our directions to use three or four of the ingredients had me immediately eying the squash and pearl onions.  The rest would follow.

My experience with pearl onions dates back more years than I care to share.  As a little girl I remember adults at parties garnishing cocktails (I think they were martinis) with pearl onions, and I recall vividly thinking those little globes would never be a part of my life.

My next experience came in the form of a winter stew, filled with way too many pearl onions that had been cooked for far too long.  Again... I made the vow to avoid those pearls.

However, being an onion lover, my interest piqued with the bag of perfectly formed little onions in my Melissa's Box.  Could I incorporate them and be pleased with the dish??  In a word... Yes!

Short on time and patience after a day of driving (I had spent over 3 hours behind the wheel and never left an 8 mile radius), I've never been so thankful that someone had done the shopping for me.

Grabbing the squash, I quickly had it peeled and seeded, then chopped into cubes, and the pearl onions also peeled quickly after a few minutes in boiling water.

Drizzling them both with a splash of oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, I tossed the pan into the oven and grabbed a package of prepared lentils (Love this Melissa product... they just weren't in our box), a box of broth and Melissa's steamed and peeled garbanzos.

Placing the lentils, broth and garbanzos into a pot I added a small scoop of red curry paste and stirred until heated through.  Some 20 minutes later the vegetables were roasted to perfection and I simply added them to the lentils.  Upon tasting though, the flavor was a bit flat.  A dash of salt helped, but what really had this dish dancing was a squeeze of lime.  Actually, a few squeezes of lime and a handful of chopped cilantro.

I toyed with the idea of garnishing with the pine nuts, and I know they would have been fabulous here, but the freshly roasted butternut squash seeds were simply irresistible.

Bright and flavorful in about 30 minutes, this dish pleased the whole family and brought a bowl of healthy ingredients to the table.

My thanks to Melissa's for providing me with the challenge box, I think this one ranks up there as my favorite to date.  How can you go wrong with roasted butternut?  And those pearl onions...???  They won't be a stranger in our house any more.  Melissa's made a stressful day just that much easier.  Thank you!

Black Bean and Butternut Squash Ragout

I'm still not openly embracing fall, but I'm admittedly happy to be seeing my beloved butternut squash at the local farmers markets.  Appearing in earnest just a few weeks ago, my pantry now always has a few hourglass shaped squash stashed away and ready for a quick supper.

Then along came the most recent Vegetarian Times Magazine in addition to a fabulous Facebook photo with a version of this Black Bean and Butternut Ragout, and I planned this must make meal featuring my butternut.  Simple ingredients mix together in less than half an hour, and spooned over prepared rice or quinoa I had a fairly quick, super flavorful meal that appealed to my entire family.

Low in calories and with no saturated fats or cholesterol, butternut squash is a rich source of dietary fiber.  With more vitamin A than pumpkin, the brilliant hues of the butternut bring high levels of beta-carotene (noted as a deterrent against breast cancer as well as macular degeneration) and a 1-cup serving will give you nearly half the daily recommended dose of antioxidant-rich vitamin C.  Add to the mix the fact that the butternut earns its name with its luscious, buttery texture, and we have a true winner.

Combined with black beans, onion, and summer squash, then spiced with adobo, a squeeze of lime brought a lovely brightness to this dish.  A cilantro garnish tops off the fresh flavors and has this beauty of a bowl just as good the next day for lunch.

While fall may or may not be what you are craving now, I can guarantee this butternut dish will ease you into the season.

Quinoa Salad with Squash, Beets and Arugula

You all know how much I love my local farmer's markets.  With no less than 6 surrounding me with fresh, local and organic produce, my heart sings with happiness as I shop to my heart's content.  Unfortunately, Liv's extreme dance schedule occasionally leaves me without time to actually visit my favorite markets. 

Enter a fairly new service in our San Diego area - Naturally to Your Door, Delivery of Farm Fresh Fruits and Veggies.  I've since forgotten which local blog I first read about this service on, but I've used them numerous times over the last year when my personal market time is not to be found.  Ordering online on Saturday, Sunday or Monday, Naturally to Your Door features in season and organic produce from some of my favorite local farms (Suzi's ranks right up there).  With choices from individual items to a preset CSA-like box, your shopping is covered and a few days later dropped at your door.  (Note... Naturally to Your Door has not idea we are writing about them, nor did we receive any sort of compensation to mention their company.  This company is simply one I love, whole heartedly support and wish to share).

While I've enjoyed all of my delivered boxes, last week's preset box ranks up there as a favorite and brought me everything I needed to embrace autumn with some of my favorite fall salad ingredients.  Squash, beets, arugula and a heavy pomegranate had dinner on my doorstep.

Roasted squash and beets have become some of my most loved ingredients, and the kabocha squash included in my box worked perfectly into my veggie mix.  Commonly called a "Japanese Pumpkin", the beta-carotene filled kabocha brings a natural sweetness and rich, pleasing texture.  Mixed with ruby-red beets, chopped onions and a touch of oregano, the veggies roast in the oven for about half an hour before exiting with brilliant colors and flavor as well as filling the house with an incredibly delicious aroma.

Cooled and then dressed with a simple white balsamic vinaigrette and then served over oiled arugula, this salad has me obsessed.  Crumbled feta or goat cheese finishes the salad beautifully, and a sprinkle of pomegranate literally makes the salad pop.

While I may not be loving the shorter and cooler days of Autumn (I keep telling Liv I'm moving to Australia in search of my own endless summer...), this fall-like salad is making my transition just a little easier.

Butternut Squash and Beet Quinoa Salad

Some 20 years ago I cooked my very first Thanksgiving, and from that day forward my collection of family favorites evolved into a menu that has remained almost constant for the last few years.  This year however, I daringly changed things up and thankfully was met with resounding success. 

With our schedules somewhat of an issue, Liv Life celebrated our 2012 Thanksgiving last Friday with a simple family affair featuring most of my traditional dishes plus a little something new.  Bringing in my latest obsession, quinoa, was a bit risky.  The kids have not been as receptive to quinoa as I would have hoped, and as their vegetable eating habits (like my husband's...) are also a touch, shall we say, lacking, adding two of my other favorites, butternut squash and beets, to the quinoa added even more risk.

Roasting the vegetables with drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of oregano, the house took on the aroma off autumn in no time.  The beets turned a beautiful crimson red as they roasted, while the butternut took on hues of brilliant pumpkin.  Enhanced with chunks of onion, the veggies were tempting enough to eat on their own, however tossing them with quinoa and arugula added the protein/flavor punch I was looking for.

Dressing the concoction with a simple oil and white balsamic vinegar combo brought a delightful tang, and the sprinkle of pomegranate contrasted beautifully with the savory flavors.  Feta and walnuts added additional texture, and the only other thing needed was a fork.

Beautifully jeweled hues had the salad looking the epitome of autumn, but it was the mixture of flavors and textures that had me weak at the knees.

My Dad's eyes lit up at the list of ingredients, however the rest of the family hesitantly scooped small servings next to their traditional mashed potatoes and turekey.  Dad and I gushed about the dish, and keeping my eye on everyone else, I was thrilled to see nearly everyone reach for the new dish for a larger helping after their initial tastes.

A perfect Thanksgiving dish that can be made ahead of time, this healthy addition is one you can feel good about serving whether your meal is simple or formal.  Flavorful and filled with textures, my only advice is to make extra... it also makes a fabulous day after Thanksgiving breakfast.

South of the Border Chicken and Butternut "Stoup"

I love the word "stoup"...  A perfectly apt description for the thicker soup that is not quite a stew.  Filled with all the soupy goodies, yet not brothy like a watery chicken noodle soup or bullion scattered with a few sliced scallions.

Stoups are thick, hearty and filling, and easy to make as they are all in one pot.  Perfect for that crock pot, however I always forget I have one and make mine on the stove.

Stumbling upon a recipe printed from way back in December of 2000, this stoup fit the bill on our "freezing" and rainy San Diego afternoon and warmed our bones while filling our stomachs.  Yes, I stood out in the drizzle while I grilled my chicken (nearly got frostbite...), but I'm guessing it would do just as well baking in the oven before being shredded.

Spiced with cumin and smoked paprika, black beans, butternut squash, corn and a can of tomatoes round out the ingredients for the pot, and a steaming bowl of flavor topped with your favorite garnishes such as avocado, grated manchego and cilantro will warm your hungry family from head to toe.  Word has it that the stoup is sure to ward off any frostbite you receive from the outdoor grilling as well.