Zucchini, Herb, and Roasted Tomato Salad

Fresh oregano, thyme and basil highlight this brightly coloured salad that delivers garden freshness into a single dish. Add a few cups of cooked cannellini beans and serve atop greens for a light lunch.

zucchini-salad

Zucchini and Summer Squash Salad with Fresh Herbs and Roasted Tomatoes

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
8 medium tomatoes, cut in half (use any variety, as long as you love it)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 medium zucchini, sliced into strips with a vegetable peeler*
2 medium summer squash, sliced into strips with a vegetable peeler*
2 shallots, minced
3 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh oregano, finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted**
Sea salt to taste
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss the tomatoes with 1 tablespoon (15mL) olive oil and garlic. Spread onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with dried basil, oregano and thyme. Roast in oven until the tomatoes are tender and start to shrink, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let come to room temperature.

When the tomatoes finished cooling, toss the zucchini, squash and shallots with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the fresh basil, oregano and thyme. Toss with tomatoes and pine nuts, then season to taste. Serve at room temperature.

*When peeling the zucchini, peel only the outer edges, until you get to the seeds. The middle of the zucchini and squash won’t peel well. Reserve for other uses.

**To toast pine nuts, heat a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Add pine nuts, stirring frequently, until they start to brown and are fragrant, about 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a small dish to cool.

Dining at ‘Ohana in Disney World [gluten-free and vegan]

It’s no secret I love Disney World… and yes, I will get those 2013 reviews up soon!

But recently, I had the opportunity to spend one evening in Orlando, so I took full advantage of this and made dinner plans with my friend Sarah at one of my favourite restaurants!

Sarah runs a comprehensive gluten-free and dairy-free Disney World dining site… and, lucky her, she lives so darn close to the place that she goes ALL THE TIME.

ALL THE TIME.

Colour me jealous. Continue reading

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Pretzel Sandwiches

Sweet, creamy cookie dough. Crunchy salty pretzels. Smooth silky chocolate. Everyone will love these bite-sized sandwiches. For a soy-free batch, I used crispy plantain chips instead of the pretzels… which was a truly awesome experiment.

cookie dough pretzel sandwiches 2

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Pretzel Sandwiches

1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup vegan buttery spread, such as Earth Balance
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup sorghum flour
2/3 cup tapioca flour
2/3 cup icing sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
About 64 knot-shaped pretzels (I use Snyders Gluten-Free)
2 teaspoons coconut oil
Fine sea salt (optional, but recommended)

Put the maple syrup, vegan buttery spread, and vanilla extract in a bowl or a stand mixer. Using a hand mixer or the stand mixer, beat until well combined. Add the flour, icing sugar, and salt. Beat until fluffy and well-mixed. Add 1/3 cup of the chocolate chips and beat until combined.

Lay a piece of waxed paper on a large plate. Use your hands to roll the mixture into truffle-sized balls (about 32). Squish each ball to about 1-inch thick between two pretzels to make a sandwich. Repeat with remaining balls and pretzels. Put in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Nearing the end of the 15 minutes, put the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips and coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 30 second intervals on medium-power, stirring between each one, until melted and smooth.

Dip half of each sandwich into the melted chocolate, then put it back on the waxed paper. Sprinkle with salt, if desired. Freeze or refrigerate until chocolate is set. Store leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer.