After a long weekend of self-indulgence, I've been craving some serious greens. My new favorite salad dressing is a creamy Maple Tahini dressing which is easy to whip up for a quick dinner. It pairs well with kale, spinach, and even chard.  This easy salad is a serious crowd pleaser. Top it with goat cheese and candied pecans for a luxurious touch.



Mixed Greens Salad with Roasted Beets and Maple Tahini Dressing
Serves 4

Ingredients

Salad:
Assorted Salad Greens (spinach, baby kale, chard)
Candied Pecans
Goat Cheese

Beets:
Olive oil
A pinch of salt
4 Beets

Dressing:
1/4 cup Tahini
2 teaspoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/4 cup water

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil.
2. Peel and chop the beets into small pieces. In a mixing bowl, toss the beets with a pinch of salt and olive oil. Spread them evenly over the baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes.
3. While beets are baking, grab a small mixing bowl and whisk together salad dressing ingredients.
4. In a large bowl, combine greens, dressing, pecans, and goat cheese.
5. Once beets are done, toss into the salad
6. Enjoy!

Fall is here and the leaves are finally changing. This also means that pumpkin EVERYTHING is available in the grocery store.  If you're looking for something less basic and more gourmet, check these five amazing recipes

Steve and I have recently been trying to cut down our daily meat consumption for two reasons: cost and ethics.  Ethics along the lines of the meat industry in the United States isn't sustainable and as a result the meat we eat probably isn't the best for us.  We still eat meat, just less of it.  As a result, tofu has become a weekly staple and I've been experimenting with different ways to cook it.  One of my favorite cooking methods has been baking it to give it a nice crunch.  Baked tofu cubes are awesome on salads, mixed with vegetables in a rice bowl, or even as a small snack on their own. Last night when I was craving something spicy, I decided to use one of my spice mixes to flavor my tofu.  The result was amazing.




Crunchy Tikka Tofu
Adapted from Baked Tofu - The Kitchn

Ingredients:
1 block of extra firm tofu
1 Tbsp of Tikka spice mix (I used Mr. Kook's brand mix)
2 Tbsp of corn starch
Canola oil cooking spray

Tools:
Baking sheet
2 plates
Paper towels
Tin foil
A heavy can
Mixing bowl

1. Pat the tofu dry with paper towels. Line a plate with a paper towel and set the tofu on top. Set a small plate on top of the tofu and weigh it down with something heavy (a can should do).  Press the tofu for 15 minutes or so.  The paper towel should absorb a lot of liquid in this process.
2. Preheat oven to 350 F 
3. While oven is preheating, cut tofu into the size you want.  I cut mine into bite size cubes.
4. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the Tika spice mix and the cornstarch until blended
5.  Toss the tofu in the mixing bowl until all pieces are nicely coated
6.  Line a baking tray with tin foil and spray cooking spray to prevent sticking
7.  Cook your tofu for approximately 20 minutes
8.  Serve warm or let cool and store in an air tight container

I love food.  I love cooking it.  I especially enjoy eating it.  I spend all day thinking about all the delicious things I can consume through out the day.  Often I day dream about what I can make for dinner.  I love checking out new restaurants and I am obsessed with brunch.  Food is the cornerstone of my family.  We constantly find ourselves brought together by healthy, delicious meals together.  Ok, occasionally it's the delicious, totally bad for you ballpark nachos that brings us together for a sports event.  Regardless of whether it's a healthy meal or total comfort food, I love to cook for myself, my friends, and my family.  Wondering where I find most of my recipes?

Gimme Some Oven
I love Gimme Some Oven.  She has a lot of fun and easy recipes that are perfect after a long day at work.  I'm looking forward to trying the skinny honey lemon chicken.

Skinny Taste
Looking for something healthy tonight for dinner? Check out the amazing blog Skinny Taste.  Her recipes are typically easy, delicious, and nutritious.  Major win. My personal favorites are the zesty lime and shrimp salad, the mushroom stroganoff, and the chicken and asparagus stir fry. I can't recommend this blog enough.

Tasting Table
This one is definitely more gourmet but damn are their recipes amazing.  It's also a visually appealing blog.  Try not to get hungry looking at all the pictures.

Damn Delicious
Damn Delicious has lots of Asian dishes with skinny alternatives.  She also provides tons of crockpot recipes, one pot recipes, and quick dishes.  My favorites are the one pot pasta, lighter general tso's chicken, and the Southwestern chopped salad with cilantro lime dressing.

The Kitchn
This blog is affiliated with my favorite decor blog Apartment Therapy.  They have lots of great information on kitchen tools, ingredients, and techniques as well as a wealth of recipes to choose from.  I found this amazing, hearty white bean, kale and sausage soup on the Kitchn and it is perfect for a cold winter day.

Adapted from Cooking Classy

• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 4 eggs
• 2 Tbsp packed light-brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 4-5 slices sour dough bread or french bread
• Butter or Non-stick spray

Preheat a non-stick skillet over medium heat with butter or non-stick spray.  In a mixing bowl whisk together milk, pumpkin puree, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger until well combined. Pour into a shallow dish.

Dip bread into egg mixture then rotate and coat opposite side. Transfer to the skillet and cook until golden brown on bottom then flip. Serve warm with butter and maple syrup.