Brazilian Kale/Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts Salad

When family gathers for a big meal, I like to bring more than one item. Must be a mom thing - I always want to make sure everyone gets enough to eat!

Brazilian Kale

One bunch of kale, sliced thin
2 T. coconut oil (or whatever oil you have)
5 garlic cloves, minced
One onion, diced
1/4 c. vegetable broth
1/2 t. liquid smoke
Salt to taste

Saute the garlic and onion in the oil until softened. Add a handful of kale and stir until wilted. Continue adding handfuls of the kale until you've cooked all of it. Sprinkle it with the broth and liquid smoke and let it steam for about 5 minutes. Season with salt, as desired. Serve. Enjoy!

Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts Salad

3 c. Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed, sliced in half
Olive oil
Salt to taste
1-1/2# butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into cubes
Olive oil
3 T. maple syrup
1/2 t. cinnamon
2 c. pecan halves
1 c. dried cherries

Lightly grease a cookie sheet with oil. In a separate bowl, mix Brusssels sprouts with 2 T. olive oil and salt. Spread the Brussels sprouts on the cookie sheet cut side down, and roast at 400F for about 20 minutes. After about 10 minutes, flip them over for even roasting.
Lightly grease a second cookie sheet with oil. In a separate bowl, mix the squash with 1 T. olive oil, maple syrup, and cinnamon. Spread the squash on the cookie sheet and roast at 400F for about 20 minutes. After about 10 minutes, turn it over for even roasting.
In another large bowl, combine the Brussels sprouts and the squash with the pecans and cherries. Mix well. Serve. Enjoy!

Shepherd's Pie with Sweet Potato Topping

My husband detests sweet potatoes. I like them. My kids will eat them, but I can't say they are huge fans. Admittedly, when I was younger, I didn't like them, either. They've grown on me as I've gotten older, very likely because of the plant based diet I consume. Since becoming a vegan, I've discovered so many new and different ways to use vegetables I had never done before, just always falling back on the tried and true, the usual, the known. I don't cook that way anymore. I love experimenting!

Shepherd's Pie with Sweet Potato Topping

One onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
6 cloves garlic, diced
1 t. cumin
1 t. turmeric
1 t. crushed red pepper
2 c. lentils
8 c. vegetable broth
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 t. cinnamon
12 handfuls of fresh spinach leaves
Zest and juice of 2 lemons

Saute the onion, carrots, and celery using water or a little oil. Add the garlic and saute until everything is soft. Add the spices, lentils, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer about 45 minutes. Add spinach and lemon and cook until the spinach wilts.
While the lentils are cooking, add the potatoes and cinnamon to a large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer while the lentils cook. When done, drain and mash.
In a large casserole dish, add the lentils mixture. Top with the mashed sweet potatoes, spreading over the entire mixture. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Serve. Enjoy!

A couple of notes. Let the dish sit for 10 minutes OUT  of the oven. It makes a difference. Also, I bought this awesome dicer from a thrift store and used it to cut the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. It cuts in uniform cubes and is just a lot of fun to use! Another thing I did was I discovered a potato ricer hidden in my cabinets. I suspect my dad gave it to me some time ago, but I had forgotten about it. It is super cool to use. You add the cooked potatoes and smash. The potatoes come out the numerous holes. I did it right over the casserole dish, and then just moved them around to cover. I'll try to take pictures of these items on a later post.

For the record, my husband still refused to eat it. But the kids and I liked it!