Pumpkin Salad with Avocado, Pecans, and Pomegranate Vinaigrette

New Year's resolution-making already for 2015: more blogging! It's been over a month since I've posted, but since then: my job in Sydney finished, my Australian visa ran out, we've packed up and shipped all of our possessions, and I've moved back to Texas temporarily while I wait on the state department to approve the hubs to join me in the USofA. Needless to say, it's been busy.

But we're still cooking, and this is my first post from the Southern homeland I still call home. Have done a swift transfer from summer-weather salads to winter-themed dishes here in Texas, even though the weather is not quite frosty yet. The beautiful, delicious salad recipe shared below is just perfect for the holiday season, weather you're in the northern or the southern hemisphere. I made it in Sydney on Thanksgiving last month with my wonderful in-laws and will be making it again in Texas on Christmas for my family here.

This salad makes a beautiful addition to your holiday spread.

The sweet pumpkin, savory rocket (arugula) and crunchy pomegranate seeds and pecans make a mouthwatering combination, and the flavors are holiday season appropriate without adding another heavy, starchy side to your dinner table. I've used both kent pumpkin and acorn squash in this recipe with success, and butternut or any other slightly sweet squash would also work well. If you can't source avocados where you are (they're plentiful in Australia this time of year, and thankfully in Texas we have access to avos from Mexico and Cali), just leave them out-- the salad will still look and taste divine. This festive dish is also gluten-free, dairy-free, and paleo-friendly. Win.

pumpkin, avocado & acorn squash over greens, topped with toasted pecans,
pomegranate arils, and pomegranate vinaigrette

Hope to be back before the month and year are over, but all best to you for December. And especially warm wishes to my family and friends back in Sydney, where the past week has been a tense and difficult one. May peace abound as we move forward into the New Year.

Pumpkin Salad with Avocado, Pecans, and Pomegranate Vinaigrette
Serves 6-8
Adapted from How Sweet it Is

1 acorn squash, or half of a kent pumpkin or butternut squash (no need to remove the skin!)
4-5 cups rocket (arugula; can substitute shredded romaine or another lettuce)

1 avocado, sliced into long, 1/4 inch-wide slices

1/2 of a medium sized pomegranate (for about 1/2 cup pomegranate arils)
1/2 cup pecans, chopped into large chunks

Pomegranate Vinaigrette
makes 1/2 cup

3 tablespoons pomegranate juice
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced

pinch each of freshly ground salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 395F/ 200C. Slice the squash or pumpkin into 1/4-inch slices (if using acorn squash, cut in half from bottom to top, then slice horizontally from bottom to top so you end up with scalloped slices of squash).

Place squash slices on a lightly greased or baking paper-lined baking tray, and place into a pre-heated oven. Roast at 395F/ 200C for 20-25 minutes, turning the slices over halfway through cooking, until the slices are cooked through and beginning to brown slightly. In the last 5-6 minutes of baking, place the pecans on another baking tray and place them in the oven to toast. Remove squash and pecans from oven and set aside to cool.

While the squash is roasting, remove the arils (seeds) from your pomegranate and set a 1/2 cup aside (refrigerate the remaining arils for another use). Then make the pomegranate vinaigrette by whisking all ingredients together thoroughly.

On your serving platter or bowl, arrange the rocket leaves, and pour half of the vinaigrette evenly over the leaves. Arrange the squash slices over the rocket, then arrange the avocado slices in between the squash slices. Pour the remaining vinaigrette evenly over the salad, and sprinkle the pomegranate arils and pecans on top. Serve immediately.

Salad will keep, covered in the fridge, for 24 hours.

* Prep tip: The squash can be roasted up to a day ahead and placed in the fridge, ready to be used when you are ready to assemble the salad. The vinaigrette can be mixed up and stored in the fridge up to two days before serving.

Thanksgiving down under

Happy December, all. I hope all the American folks had wonderful Thanksgiving celebrations, at home or abroad, with family or friends. For the first time since we've lived in Sydney, we had friends visiting during Thanksgiving, so it was a treat to invite them over for a friendsgiving feast. Each of us contributed a family recipe, and the results were delicious. 

Thanksgiving dinner 2013: a delicious combination of family recipes
from friends visiting Sydney

Besides turkey baked with a paprika dry rub, my mom's cornbread dressing, mashed potatoes and turkey gravy, roasted brussels sprouts with lemon mustard parsley dressing (from the great White on Rice Couple blog), and my friend's great-grandmother's sweet potatoes topped with brown sugar-pecan streusel, we also had some mouth-watering desserts. 

chocolate chip pecan pie, mini and uber-mini pumpkin pies, vanilla bean whipped cream

Instead of one big pumpkin pie, I made a few personal servings in 4-ounce le cruset dishes and mini-pie-shots in espresso mugs-- these topped by a dollop of my friend's vanilla whipped cream were just right... paired slices of her boyfriend's homemade chocolate chip pecan pie (sans corn syrup!).  

gooey chocolate chip pecan pie (no corn syrup here!),
and an espresso-sized shot of pumpkin pie with vanilla bean whipped cream

More importantly than enjoying some fantastic food, however, we all learned a little more about each other through the shared family recipes, which sparked conversations about quirky traditions and stories from Thanksgiving holidays past. I haven't spent Thanksgiving with my family in Texas in nine years, but have had some great meals with friends in England and Australia every year abroad. This year might have been one of my favorites. 

Thankful for friends and family, and the incredible people I've been able to meet (and food I've been able to eat!) in my expat travels over the last decade. And thankful for you for stopping by-- may you continuously find things for which you are thankful wherever life takes you.

Sweet Potato Molasses Muffins

Mid-November does not equal fall here in the Antipodes, but with all of the recipes and photos online of pumpkin, spice-filled delights, this American is craving a little Thanksgiving flavor.  I wish I'd made these last week when my wonderful parents-in-law were in town, but between birthday celebrations, watching the hubs perform at the Opera House (yep, he's pretty amazing), and visiting Sydney's best beaches and restaurants, we didn't have a chance.

The mum-in-law and I did combine our collective baking skills to recreate a family favorite cake of hers: chocolate yum cake.  We baked a gluten-free chocolate spice cake in a bundt pan, covered it with a mixture of honey, cream, and poppyseeds, and slathered a melted chocolate layer over the top. If she gives permission I may post a version here, it's different and delicious.

Back to fall flavors... I had half of a sweet potato and a ripe banana I needed to use up, so I scanned the web for muffin recipes and ended up adapting Kathy's vegan cinnamon pumpkin muffins over at HealthyHappyLife. The results were perfect: beta carotene blast from the sweet potato, aromatic spices, and the deep undertones of molasses.  Plus, these muffins have a great texture and bake up nice and tall.

sweet potato molasses muffins hot out of the oven

They can easily be made gluten-free by using all g-f flour, and vegan by using almond or soy milk in place of the dairy milk. Happy fall to folks in the northern hemisphere!

Sweet Potato Molasses Muffins
adapted from HappyHealthyLife
makes 12 muffins

2 cups flour (I used approx. 1 c spelt flour, 1 c gluten-free blend, and few teaspoons almond meal)
pinch of ground sea salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice or cloves
1 tablespoon natural or brown sugar
1 1/4 cups cooked, mashed sweet potato
1/4 cup skim milk (or almond milk, soy milk, etc)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons agave or brown rice syrup
2 tablespoons molasses
1 'flax egg' (1/4 cup warm water + 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds, let sit, stir till thick)
1/4 cup mashed ripe banana (or applesauce)
2 tablespoons rice bran oil (or other vegetable oil)

Preheat oven to 175C / 350F, and line a muffin tin with muffin cups or squares of parchment paper. Spray the inside of each paper liner lightly with oil.

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl (flour through sugar).  In a medium sized bowl, mix the wet ingredients thoroughly (milk through oil).

Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients.  If you're baking with gluten-free flours, there's no need to worry about overmixing (as you won't activate the gluten which can make the mixture tough), but if you're baking with gluten-containing flours, be sure to just mix until ingredients are incorporated, even if a few lumps of flour remain.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin, filling almost to the top.  Bake at 175C / 350F for 18-23 minutes, until done.  There should be a crisp, thick outer shell, and no crumbs should remain on a toothpick when inserted.  Allow to cool before serving.

These will keep for a couple of days, covered, at room temperature, or can be frozen and reheated in the microwave at 80% power for 15 second intervals.

Katie's Carrot Souffle

A very good friend of mine from college had her first baby this week, a healthy little boy.  He's precious, and he does not yet have any idea what a wonderful family he's been born into.  He also has no clue what's in store for his taste buds.  You see, his mom's a great cook, and she simply can't resist baking and cooking delicious food for people to enjoy.  She loves to see their faces light up as they eat a homemade gourmet dinner or a bakery-perfect baked good.  She's always whipping up something creative in the kitchen, which was an advantage for myself and our other roommates in college!  

In honor of my friend and her new addition, I'm sharing one of my favorite recipes of hers, a carrot souffle.  It's similar to a sweet potato souffle, but, rather than heavy or syrupy, this souffle is light and fluffy.  It's also full of vitamin A, good for your eyes!

Katie's carrot souffle: yum!

I've reduced the butter and sugar from the original recipe to make a slightly lighter souffle. If you have unrefined demura cane sugar or turbinado sugar on hand, use a tablespoon of it as part of your sugar measurement.  This is a delicious side dish to serve for dinner any day, and it's also a great addition to a Thanksgiving or Christmas buffet.  

I've only made this recipe in a round, 1.5 quart dish, but I'm sure it would also work well baked in four or five individual 8 oz ramekins, reducing the cooking time to about 20-25 minutes.  

Katie's Carrot Souffle

5-6 servings

1 lb carrots, washed and peeled
pinch of salt

1/3 cup butter, melted

3 eggs

1/3 cup sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or 2 1/2 tablespoons gluten-free flour plus 1 teaspoon Xanthum gum if cooking gluten-free)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

Chop the carrots into 1/2-inch coins.  Place them in a pot of boiling water with a pinch of salt and cook for about 15-20 minutes, until tender and a knife cuts through them easily.  Drain the carrots, reserving 2 tablespoons of the cooking liquid, then return them to the pot with the reserved liquid.  


Mash the carrots thoroughly with a potato masher until smooth (or blend with a food processor or blender), then add the melted butter, stirring well to combine.  Add the eggs one at a time, stirring well after each addition.  Whisk  in the remaining ingredients, stirring until just combined.  


Pour into a lightly greased 1.5 quart baking dish.  Bake at 350F/ 175C for 40-45 minutes, until about doubled in size and the middle looks set.  Serve immediately, or chill overnight and re-warm in a hot oven (covered with foil) or microwave before serving.