Mango Vegetable Spring Rolls with Ginger-Date Dipping Sauce

Today's recipe is one I adapted from Tone it Up, an online fitness and nutrition community I have been following for the past couple of years. Trainers Karena and Katrina are two personal trainers who have developed a uniquely interactive online health and lifestyle website. They primarily post fun workout challenges and videos, but I especially love to browse their site for healthy recipe inspirations. These Mango Vegetable Spring Rolls are just one of the many health conscious dishes that they created for their nutrition plan. They spring rolls are crisp and colorful, and the date sauce is absolutely to. die. for. I may or may not have licked the bowl.

This recipe is easily adaptable in that you can use whatever veggies you have on hand, which is exactly what I decided to do when I had a craving for something fresh and an abundance of produce just begging to be used. But the best part about this recipe, besides the fantastic flavor of course, is that the spring rolls are raw, vegan and gluten free- a triple threat. This is exactly the sort of thing to have for a post-Thanksgiving detox meal after the turkey and mashed potato leftovers are long gone. Your waistline (and your taste buds) will thank you!

adapted from Toneitup.com
Ingredients
for the dipping sauce:
1/4 cup gluten free tamari
6 dates
2 tsp. fresh grated ginger
1 garlic clove
3 tsp. toasted sesame oil
2 tsp. white miso
2 tbsp. lime juice

for the spring rolls:
1/2 cup baby spinach leaves
1 mango, sliced into matchsticks
1/2 bell pepper, sliced into matchsticks
1 carrot, peeled and sliced into matchsticks
1 avocado, thinly sliced
1/2 cup basil, chopped
8 chives
4 rice paper wraps

Instructions
1. To make the dipping sauce, place tamari, dates, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, miso and lime juice in a food processor and blend until smooth. If the sauce appears too thick, thin out by adding water 1 teaspoon at a time and pulsing until a desired consistency is reached.
2. Dampen the rice paper wraps by soaking them individually in a shallow bowl filled with lukewarm water for 15-30 seconds. Spread on a flat, clean surface. Bundle spinach in the center of the wrap followed by 1/4 of each of the remaining ingredients.
3. Grab end of rice paper closest to you and fold over ingredients, tucking as you go. Fold in each side and continue to roll away from you. Halve diagonally and serve with dipping sauce.

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Roasted Sweet Potato and Ricotta Flatbread with Arugula + Pomegranate

I catered a 1 year old's birthday party recently, but judging by the array of delicacies I prepared this menu was clearly for the adults. There was beef tenderloin on potato crisps with horseradish creme, smoked salmon on potato cakes with meyer lemon and capers, ahi tartare and more! But one dish in particular rose from the underdog ranks to a sweeping victory: my Roasted Sweet Potato and Ricotta Flatbread.

These humble grilled flatbreads adorned with bright, seasonal colors and flavors were gobbled up at an alarmingly faster rate than their fancier counterparts, and I can see why...it was one of those instances where all the ideal flavors and textures are perfectly aligned in one bite; the warm, chewy flatbread accented with char and flecks of fresh thyme. The rich, creamy ricotta balanced by a juicy burst of pomegranate juice. The softness and caramelization of roasted sweet potato challenged by a crisp, peppery note from the arugula. Not to mention those perfect jewel-toned fall colors jumping out at you from the hours d'oeuvres tray- who could resist??

makes 3-4 flatbreads
Ingredients
for the flatbread:
1 pkg. active yeast
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. fresh thyme
3/4 cup water
1 tsp. olive oil

for the toppings:
1 tbsp. olive oil, divided
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch dice
1/2 cup ricotta
1 cup arugula
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
salt and pepper

Instructions
1. In the bowl of a food processor combine the yeast, sugar, flour, salt and thyme. Pulse to combine. Add the water in a steady stream until the dough forms into a ball. Knead dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic.
2. Coat a bowl with 1 tsp. olive oil, place dough in bowl and cover with a dishtowel. Leave to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, toss sweet potato with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, spread in a single layer on a foil lined baking sheet and roast in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, turning once with a spatula. Set aside.
4. When the dough has doubled in size, punch down and knead lightly into a smooth ball. Cut dough into 3-4 pieces and with a rolling pin roll into 6 inch long roughly shaped rectangles.
5. Preheat a grill pan over medium heat. When grill is hot add flatbreads and cook about 1-2 minutes each side (do not flip until bubbles begin to form on surface). Remove from heat when bread begins to puff.
6. Brush flatbreads with remaining 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Evenly divide ricotta and sweet potato amongst each flatbread, season with salt and pepper and place on a baking sheet. Heat in a 400 degree oven for a few minutes until ricotta is warm. Remove from oven and scatter flatbreads with arugula and pomegranate seeds. Cut into squares or slices and serve immediately.

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Roasted Fennel, Leek & Charred Lemon Stuffing

The holidays are quickly descending upon us, people. And while I am so filled with the spirit of the season that I can hardly contain myself, I also must admit that I can already feel that familiar sense of stress and anxiety that inevitably overwhelms us all at some point this time of year begin to creep its way into my being...I'd like to think that with each year I manage to handle it all with a little more grace and poise, but my mind is already churning over Thanksgiving travel plans, holiday baking strategies, Christmas gift ideas and my own wish list (hello, Vitamix!).

However, there is one thing I can check off my seemingly endless holiday to-do list, and that is my Thanksgiving stuffing recipe. Stuffing may be an afterthought to some people, but for me it is the absolute star of the show, especially when done right. Carbs are my weakness, so I have had a soft spot for this particular side dish for as long as I can remember. Every year I toy with a different stuffing recipe, but I'm so excited to share this one with you today, because folks, this one's a keeper.

I started with a bread of extraordinary quality- a Lemon Cracked Pepper Loaf from local bread purveyor Crazy Good Bread Co. It inspired me to create a recipe that would enhance its bold citrus flavor. If you like sourdough bread then you'll flip for this bread. Then I thought of the typical stuffing additions and elevated them slightly to make this stuffing extra special. I replaced onion with leeks, celery with fennel and plain button mushrooms with silky shiitakes. For a final touch I charred a lemon on the grill and squeezed the juice into the stuffing mixture before baking. This stuffing is vegetarian, but if you're inclined to add sausage as many people like to do, I recommend using one studded with fennel seeds to accent the roasted fennel. Enjoy, I know I will!

Ingredients
2 fennel bulbs, chopped
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 leeks, trimmed and chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
1 lemon
2 loaves day-old Crazy Good Bread Co. Lemon Cracked Pepper Bread, cubed
3 cups low sodium chicken stock
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat fennel with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and spread on a foil-lined baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper and roast, stirring occasionally, until fennel is lightly browned, approximately 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat remaining olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and add leeks. Cook until leeks begin to soften, approximately 3 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, stirring.
3. Zest lemon and set aside. Cut lemon in half and place each half on a hot grill pan, pulp side down. Grill until surface is charred, about 5 minutes.
4. Remove leek mixture from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Add roasted fennel, thyme, lemon zest, juice from charred lemon, bread cubes and stock. Stir to combine.
5. Transfer to a greased casserole dish, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Garnish with charred lemon slices, if desired.

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