Dinner - Beet & Carrot salad, Asparagus & Goat Cheese Pasta salad with Spicy Maple Glazed Pecans

I spent the day cooking with Sherri working again on Gluten-Free desserts. Unfortunately my kids thought everything we made was a “fail” so feeling a little let down. They haven’t gotten used to the different tastes and textures of gluten-free flours yet.

Luckily, a few of the things I made for dinner yesterday were really enjoyed so I thought I would share them with you here.

Spiced Maple-Glazed Pecans (adapted from Martha Stewart’s recipe)

4 cups pecan halves
3 Tbsp melted butter
1 tsp coarse sea salt
4 Tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp cayenne (if you like a little more spice, make it 3/4 tsp)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix all of the ingredients together well making sure that every pecan is coated. On a large cookie sheet, covered with either parchment paper or a Silpat, pour out the pecans into a single layer. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until fragrant and gently toasted in colour.

Emily ate an entire mason jar of these with her friend after school! Delicious with the fresh Beet and Carrot Salad which follows – or with an Apple, Pecan Chicken salad that I’ll post tomorrow.

Beet & Carrot Salad

3 carrots, grated
3 beets, grated
zest of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh lemon balm (mine was just about 1″ high!), chopped
1/2 cup fresh chives, chopped

Dressing:
Juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp flax oil
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp maple syrup

Combine all of the fresh ingredients and then pour the dressing over top. Toss to combine and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Delicious the day after too. Serve with the pecans above.

Asparagus, Goat Cheese and Pasta Salad

250 g kamut penne pasta (1/2 a bag)
4 cups water
1 tsp sea salt

1/2 bunch asparagus, tips off and cut into 2″ pieces
1/2 red pepper, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled
1 tsp fresh thyme
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 cup fresh chives, chopped
freshly ground pepper
dulse flakes

Dressing:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp flax oil
1 Tbsp walnut oil
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Cook the pasta in boiling, salted water for 8 to 10 minutes until al dente. Before pouring out the water, blanche the asparagus pieces in the water for 1 minute. Pour out the water and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Allow to cool (this is when I made the other salad).

To the pasta and asparagus, add the red pepper, cheese and herbs. Pour the dressing over top and serve. I saved some of the fresh chives to sprinkle on the top but some broccoli sprouts would be attractive also.