If you’ve been hesitant to try a kale salad, this one is worth the risk!  Kale, apples, cranberries, and walnuts marry together to create a surprisingly delicious kale walnut salad.  We promise you’ll be reaching for a second helping!

Servings: 4

Instructions:

1. Add kale, carrots, and red cabbage to a salad bowl.  Mix together.
2. Sprinkle the apples, dried cranberries, cheese, and walnuts on top of the salad mixture.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together all of the maple dressing ingredients except the salt and pepper.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Drizzle dressing on the salad and gently toss.  Enjoy this surprisingly delicious kale walnut salad as a main meal or as a side dish.

Recipe compliments of OPL Naturalist and Home Chef Yvonne Dwyer

Eat your veggies. Save the planet.

Eating more fruits and vegetables is good for you and the planet.  Discover more delicious, plant-rich recipes contributed by members of the One Planet Life community.  Gather your family and friends and enjoy sustainable eating together!

Butternut Squash Bisque is a hearty and delicious soup that tastes like fall in a bowl!  Serve with crusty bread or a side salad for a healthy, satisfying meal.

Total Time: 1 hours

Instructions:

1. Start with the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic in a pool of olive oil and butter in the pot.  Cook for about 5 minutes and add all of your spices in.
2. Once fragrant, add the chopped butternut squash and broth.
3. Bring to a boil and stir for 20 minutes.
4. Add cream in and stir thoroughly. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before blending.
5. Use a blender or an immersion blender to puree the soup ingredients together.
6. Top butternut squash bisque with chopped sage and a little parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Recipe compliments of Home Chef and OPL Community Member Sarah Biddle

Eat your veggies. Save the planet.

Eating more fruits and vegetables is good for you and the planet.  Discover more delicious, plant-rich recipes contributed by members of the One Planet Life community.  Gather your family and friends and enjoy sustainable eating together!

Wild caught salmon isn’t only a summer staple.  It can be just as delicious in the cooler months!  This recipe pairs baked salmon with a chopped autumnal salad featuring Brussels sprouts, radicchio, apples, and pecans.  Savory and satisfying with a crunch!

Serves 6

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 45 min

Total Time:  65 min

Instructions:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Cut acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Flip the acorn squash cut side down, and make 1 inch horizontal cuts across the acorn squash, creating slices.
• Place the acorn squash slices on a baking sheet.  In a small bowl, combine extra virgin olive oil, maple syrup, ground cinnamon, and ground allspice.  Brush liberally on the acorn squash on both sides. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes until slices are soft.  Cool until able to handle, and then peel the acorn squash skins off.  Cut the squash into cubes, and keep warm until ready to toss into the salad.

To Make the Salad:

• While the squash is cooking, heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the garlic and saute for one minute, then add the thinly sliced brussel sprouts.  Continue to saute for 7 minutes until the brussel sprouts begin to soften but still have some bite to them.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Transfer the brussel sprouts to a large glass bowl and allow to cool slightly.

Bake the Salmon:

• After the squash is done cooking, turn the oven up to 400 degrees.  Place the salmon in a shallow baking pan lined with a Silpat mat or aluminum foil.  Spread Dijon mustard over the salmon, then lightly pack the brown sugar on top of the mustard.  Salt and pepper the fish, then bake in the oven for 12 minutes or until the fish is cooked through.
• Using a toaster oven or a small saute pan, toast the pecans until they are fragrant and brown.  Set aside to cool.
• In a small bowl, combine ⅓ cup of olive oil, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, 2 tsp Dijon mustard, ½ tsp maple syrup, salt and pepper, and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Assemble the Dish:

• In the large bowl containing brussel sprouts, add sliced radicchio and arugula and toss to combine.  Add in the warmed acorn squash, diced apples, apple cider vinaigrette, toasted pecans (reserving a handful for garnish) and feta crumbles, and toss to combine.  Plate the salad and place the cooked salmon on top of the salad.  Garnish with any leftover toasted pecans.

This recipe is from of Home Chef and OPL Community member Kristina Shane.

Eat your veggies. Save the planet.

Eating more fruits and vegetables is good for you and the planet.  Discover more delicious, plant-rich recipes contributed by members of the One Planet Life community.  Gather your family and friends and enjoy sustainable eating together!

Are you looking for a delicious dessert soup?  This recipe for cold strawberry soup is refreshing and delectable, especially when strawberries are fresh on a hot summer’s day.  I have also used this soup as a topping for soft-serve banana ice cream.  

Serves 4

Inspired by NY Times Recipe, Martha Rose Shulman

Instructions:

1. Separate a fourth of the strawberries that look the prettiest. Quarter the strawberries and toss in a large bowl with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and sugar. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for an hour or longer.
2. Place the remaining strawberries in the processor bowl fitted with a steel blade. Pulse strawberries to a coarse puree. Add the remaining lemon juice, orange juice, and honey and process until strawberries are nicely pureed. Taste and add more honey if desired. Chill until ready to serve.
3. To serve, stir the quartered strawberries and their juice into the bowl with the pureed strawberries.  Ladle strawberry soup into bowls, garnish with a dollop of vanilla yogurt with fresh mint leaves.  Sprinkle with cocoa nib if desired. 

Note: I used powdered monk fruit natural sweetener instead of sugar and honey. Since monk fruit is much sweeter than regular sugar, you can begin by using half the amount of monk fruit and add more if you want your soup to be sweeter.

Recipe compliments of OPL Master Naturalist and Home Chef Yvonne Dwyer

Eat your veggies. Save the planet.

Eating more fruits and vegetables is good for you and the planet.  Discover more delicious, plant-rich recipes contributed by members of the One Planet Life community.  Gather your family and friends and enjoy sustainable eating together!

Sicilian Caponata Appetizer

Enjoy this easy, earthy roasted beet salad as a healthy weeknight meal or a first course to a holiday gathering.  Peeling and dicing raw beets can be a mess, but roasting them whole makes the process a breeze: the cooled skins rub off easily, and the beets are tender and easy to cut.

Gluten-free, Vegetarian

Makes 4-6 side salads or 2 dinner salads
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 40-60 min
Total Time: 55-75 min

Dressing Ingredients:

You can also experiment with different salad dressings. I prefer a simple vinaigrette-based dressing for this recipe, which allows the beet and goat cheese flavors to really shine.  I used:

• • 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp honey meyer lemon vinegar (you can substitute with lemon juice and white vinegar)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Remove the beet greens from the beetroot, leaving about 1” of the stem.  Wash beets thoroughly and pat dry, then drizzle with olive oil and salt and wrap in aluminum foil.  Place in a baking dish and roast for 40-60 minutes, depending on how large your beets are.  Check that the beets are fork-tender before turning off the oven, then set them aside to cool slightly.
2. When the beets are cool enough to handle, slice the tops off and then use your fingers to rub the skins off of the beets.  Dice into 1” pieces.
3. Assemble your salad greens and top with the chopped beets.  Drizzle the roasted beet salad with olive oil, vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.  Toss to combine, then scoop onto plates.  Top with crumbled goat cheese and candied walnuts, and serve.

*Side Note: Don’t throw out your beet greens!  Instead, sauté them with a little garlic and olive oil for a delicious and nutritious side.

This recipe is from of Home Chef and OPL Community member Kristina Shane.

Eat your veggies. Save the planet.

Eating more fruits and vegetables is good for you and the planet.  Discover more delicious, plant-rich recipes contributed by members of the One Planet Life community.  Gather your family and friends and enjoy sustainable eating together!

This Spring Vegetable Skillet is a super satisfying meal made with fresh sugar snap peas, carrots, and tarragon.  Brighten your day with this delicious, lemony vegetarian dish.

Servings: 6 servings

Instructions:

1. Peel carrots and cut off tops; cut in half lengthwise.  For larger carrots, cut into quartered lengthwise strips.
2. Place ¼ teaspoon salt in a large saucepan of water and bring to a boil.  Add carrots and peas; cook 3 minutes or until crisp and tender. Drain.
3. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add carrots and peas and cook for 1 minute, stirring to coat.  Stir in remaining ½ teaspoon salt, tarragon, and pepper; cook for 1 minute.
4. Remove from heat; stir in lemon rind and juice.

This Spring Vegetable Skillet is also delicious next to a sandwich or as a featured side at your holiday table!

Recipe compliments of OPL Naturalist and Home Chef Yvonne Dwyer

Eat your veggies. Save the planet.

Eating more fruits and vegetables is good for you and the planet.  Discover more delicious, plant-rich recipes contributed by members of the One Planet Life community.  Gather your family and friends and enjoy sustainable eating together!

Trying to eat locally in the Mid-Atlantic region during the winter can be challenging as we try to support our local farm markets. Fruits and vegetables you may find at the market in cold winter months include winter squash, cabbage, apples, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, garlic, and onions.  Make the most of your farmer’s market’s winter bounty with this Carrot and Dried Fruit Salad with Walnuts.  You’ll love the hint of sweetness the dried fruit imparts!

Makes 4 Servings

Directions:

1. In a small skillet, toast walnuts over medium heat, stirring frequently for about 3-4 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. Prepare dressing:  Combine orange juice, oil, and salt in a small bowl. Using a small wire whisk, beat until well mixed.
3. Stir walnuts, dried fruit, and carrots into the orange dressing. 
4. Refrigerate salad for a couple of hours or overnight. The dried fruit will soften and plump from the dressing. Toss before serving; you may choose to serve it cold or at room temperature.

Recipe compliments of OPL Naturalist and Home Chef Yvonne Dwyer

Eat your veggies. Save the planet.

Eating more fruits and vegetables is good for you and the planet.  Discover more delicious, plant-rich recipes contributed by members of the One Planet Life community.  Gather your family and friends and enjoy sustainable eating together!

This curried carrot and coconut soup is so warming and nutritious!  Carrots are rich in vitamins A and C (essential for cold and flu season) and turmeric has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits.  And even better: it comes together in only 30 minutes!  

Serves 4-6

Vegan, Vegetarian

Adapted from the New York Times recipe

Directions:

1. In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add the shallots, carrot chunks, and spices, and saute for 10 minutes.
2. Add in the broth, being sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to get all of that good caramelization!  The broth should cover the vegetables; if it does not, add a little bit more broth until it does.  Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and allow the carrots to continue cooking for 15 minutes.
3. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until it’s smooth.  You can use a regular blender for this step, just allow the soup to cool slightly before blending.  Adjust the seasoning if needed.  Spoon into bowls and garnish with whatever toppings you like.  Enjoy!

This recipe is from Home Chef and OPL Content Manager Kristina Shane.

Eat your veggies. Save the planet.

Eating more fruits and vegetables is good for you and the planet.  Discover more delicious, plant-rich recipes contributed by members of the One Planet Life community.  Gather your family and friends and enjoy sustainable eating together!

This minestrone soup recipe has been one of my favorite comfort soups for many years.  At the end of the summer season —  when fresh green beans, zucchini, tomatoes, and herbs are still in supply — I like to make this soup and freeze it for the cold months ahead. It is full of vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants, and tastes delicious!  You can serve this by itself or with homemade crackers, a grilled cheese sandwich, or crusty multigrain bread.

Recipe adapted from Italian Cooking Class Cookbook, Beckman House New York

Servings: Makes about 12 cups (3L); 8 – 10 servings.

Instructions:

1. 1. Peel the carrots; chop coarsely.  Chop celery coarsely. Chop onions.  Peel the potato; cut into 3/4 inch (2cm) cubes.  Trim green beans; cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces.  Trim zucchini; cut into 1/2-inch (1.5 cm) cubes.  Coarsely shred cabbage.  Mince garlic.
   2. Heat oil and butter in a 5-quart (5L) Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add onions; sauté stirring occasionally, until soft and golden but not brown, about 6 to 8 minutes.  Stir in carrots and potato; sauté for 5 minutes.  Stir in celery and green beans; sauté 5 minutes.  Stir in zucchini; sauté for 5 minutes.  Stir in cabbage and garlic; cook for 1 minute.
   3. Add broth, water, and liquid from tomatoes to the pan.  Chop tomatoes coarsely; add to pan.  Stir in salt, basil, rosemary, pepper, and bay leaf.  Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low.  Cover, simmer for 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally.
   4. Rinse and drain beans; add beans to soup.  Cook uncovered over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until soup is thick, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove bay leaf.

   Note: This minestrone soup can be served with grated parmesan cheese if desired.

Recipe compliments of OPL Naturalist and Home Chef Yvonne Dwyer

Eat your veggies. Save the planet.

Eating more fruits and vegetables is good for you and the planet.  Discover more delicious, plant-rich recipes contributed by members of the One Planet Life community.  Gather your family and friends and enjoy sustainable eating together!