Fall into Spring

It’s been a hard week. My father passed away and we will soon be traveling to Fargo to celebrate his life. If I were to celebrate his life with his favorite food we would be having brats - he loved them. When I was a child we would go camping and he would cook them over the fire and serve them with beans. Later, he would do them on the grill - actually the last meal I shared with him included brats. 

I admit once in a while when I smell brats cooking on the grill I’m tempted to try one, but the urge only lasts a short time or it goes away after I try a bite. On the flip side I love baked beans (vegetarian that is). I’ll eat them warm or cold, alone or with a heavy grained bread, for breakfast, lunch or dinner - doesn’t really matter. 

All this talk about brats makes me think of Spring and grilling season. Spring has officially arrived in Minnesota; the garden is planted and the spinach, kale and collard greens are coming up! This year we’ve planted squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, herbs, broccoli, cauliflower, beans, peas, peppers, watermelon and eggplant. We’re skipping the carrots this year - too much real estate not enough return. 

I threw this salad together after looking in the fridge to see what we had. This salad is perfect for lunch or dinner and it’s vegan and gluten-free. I wanted to use lentils but realized half way through the chopping that we were out so I substituted navy beans. Next time I’ll use lentils I think they would pair better with the balsamic. With that being said it was delicious and hit the spot.

INGREDIENTS

1 large sweet potato, diced into ½ inch cubes

3 med carrots - 1/2 inch chop

2 tsp Herbs de Provence

2 Tbsp pure maple syrup

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 yellow onion, diced

16oz brussels sprouts, thinly sliced

1 can beans (lentils, white, black) your choice

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

⅓ cup pepitas

½ tsp salt + pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 425F.

Combine sweet potato, carrots, Herbs de Provence, maple syrup, 1 tbsp olive oil, and a pinch of salt in a medium boil. Spread onto prepared baking sheet and roast for about 11-13 minutes. Toss and roast until golden, another 11-13 minutes.

Heat ½ tbsp olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes set aside. 

Heat ½ tbsp olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Add Brussels sprouts and cook until golden brown, 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add balsamic vinegar and remaining 2 tbsp olive oil to brussels sprouts and combine with onions, sweet potatoes and carrots. Adjust seasoning, top with pepitas and serve!