So this sandwich is the s***. I have always been a huge fan of sandwiches but due to a sluggish metabolism I can’t eat nearly as many as I would like. I can however dream…..and that is what this beauty started as. I eat roasted veg every week. I love roasted vegetables and toss them in with most of my weekly dishes. Because I eat so many roasted vegetables I’m always thinking of new ways to incorporate them into my meals. The idea of this sandwich was just too good not to bring to life. Enjoy. serves 4

• 1 large head of cauliflower, sliced in slabs (remove the leaves, then leaving the core intact cut into 1/2 inch slices)
• 2 large red peppers, sliced
• 2 cooking onions, sliced in rounds
• 1 head of broccolini
• 2 small zucchini, sliced length ways
• 2 avocado, sliced
• 8 slices of jalapeño havarti cheese
• 8 slices of light rye bread
• safflower oil

Spice mix for veggies:

• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 1/2 smoked paprika
• 1/2 – 1 tsp salt
• pinch of pepper
• 1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder

For the sauce:

• 4 tbsp mayonnaise or vegenaise
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1-1/2 tsp sriracha, adjust to taste
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 1/2 tsp garlic, minced
• splash of worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp honey (more or less depending on how sweet you like it)

To make -

1. preheat oven to 425.
2. brush oil on both sides of the sliced veggies (minus the onions and red peppers)
3. season both sides with spice blend.
4. lay on baking sheet. Bake for 25 -35 minutes flipping half way through (the broccolini and zucchini will cook a little faster, remove when nicely charred)
5. while the vegetables are baking drizzle some oil in the bottom of a medium sized pan and toss in the onions and peppers. Cook on med-high until caramelized, about the same amount of time as your other vegetables will be roasting for. Stir often.
6. make your sauce. Toss all of the sauce ingredients in your food processor and pulse until fully combined. set aside.
7. when your roasted veggies are done, remove from oven and set aside.
8. place your bread directly on the rack of your oven. 4 of those slices should have 2 slices of havarti each. remove from oven when toast begins to brown and cheese is beautiful and bubbly.

Assemble - first cover the bottom of the non cheesy rye with cauliflower. Now place in layers the zucchini, broccolini, peppers and onions and avocado. Slather the cheese covered rye with a generous amount of sauce and sandwich those beauties together. Devour.

These are so good and so easy. Make them, you won’t be sorry.

Serves 6

• 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 1/2 cups chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 3-4 tbsp, red Thai curry paste
• 3-4 tbsp coconut cream, the thick stuff on the top of the can of coconut milk
• 1 tbsp safflower oil
• 1 small mango, cut into strips
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1 ripe avocado, cut into strips
• cilantro
• plain yogurt
• sriracha ( if you like )
• 6 mini naan

Preheat oven to 400. Toss the cauliflower and chickpeas into a medium-sized bowl. In a small bowl mix together the curry paste,coconut cream and oil. Stir the curry mixture into the cauliflower and chickpeas. Make sure everything is evenly coated. Dump the cauliflower mixture into a baking dish and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for a few minutes. Pop your naan bread in the oven for a minute to warm.

To serve: On a mini naan add a little plain yogurt. Top with the cauliflower mixture then add the mango, red onion, avocado and cilantro. If you want you can also add a splash of sriracha. Enjoy.

*Recipe adapted from Sprouted Kitchen // serves 6

SALAD:

3/4 lb brussel sprouts, halved

3/4 lb cauliflower florets

3 cups kabocha squash, peeled, seeded and cubed into bite sized pieces

2tbsp safflower oil, plus more if needed

1 tbsp white balsamic

3/4-1tsp sea salt

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

few pinches of cayenne

1 cup of cooked white beans such as great northern, cannellini etc, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup of pomegranete seeds

2 cups of arugula

VINAIGRETTE:

1 tbsp horseradish

1 large clove of garlic, peeled and minced

1/2 shallot, minced

1 tsp honey

2 tbsp of white wine vinegar

1/4 cup of safflower oil

sea salt and pepper to taste

handful of fresh chives or parsley

if desired a little goat cheese or parmesan for topping

Preheat oven to 400. In a large bowl toss to coat the brussel sprouts, cauliflower and squash with oil, balsamic, salt, pepper, nutmeg and a few pinches of cayenne. Empty onto a large rimmed baking sheet ( or two if needed ). Roast for 35 minutes until edges are browned.

While the vegetables are roasting make the vinaigrette. In a food processor combine the horseradish, garlic, shallot, honey, white wine vinegar, safflower oil, salt and pepper and herbs. Blend until well combined.

When the Vegetables are removed from the oven add the beans to the hot tray and toss together. Let the vegetables cool for a few minutes then empty to large mixing bowl and add the pom seeds, arugula.Toss.

TO SERVE:

Evenly distribute salad into bowls give each bowl a generous drizzle of dressing and a sprinkle of goat cheese or parm. Enjoy!

*To make this salad a meal I added some wild rice to the mix, delish.

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kittchen

A few weeks ago, while visiting my Dad, I offered to cook dinner for my family. I decided I was going to make a tomato tart. I had never made a savory tart before but for some reason I was obsessing over making the perfect tomato tart. Long story short at around 9:30pm when I finally pulled the tart out of the oven and took my first bite…to my horror…I had to spit it out. It was disgusting. The only way I can describe the texture is to say it was kind of the consistancy of egg jello with a little tomato and a under cooked crust. DISGUSTING. I hate spending a long time in the kitchen only to wind up starving with nothing to eat but a quick hotdog after having wasted so many ingrediants on such a huge fail of a meal. Since my first savory tart didn’t work out I was determined to redeem myself. This tart did exactly that and more. It is one of, if not the best tarts I have ever eaten. The flavours come together creating little ( or big ) bites of heaven in my mouth. I have had this recipe bookmarked for some time now and can not explain how happy I am that I finaly made it. Thank you Smitten Kitchen for yet another amazing recipe.

1 package butter puff pastry sheets ( usualy come with 2 in the package )

1 small head of cauliflower, cut into bite sized pieces

1 large onion, sliced

4 tbsp olive oil (this is just a guide, use as much or as little as you need )

1 heaping tbsp dijon mustard

2 large eggs, slightly beaten

1/4 cup light cream ( or full fat if you feel it nesessary )

7oz cream cheese, room temp and cut into 6 cubes

3 tbsp regular fat plain yogurt

1/3 cup parmesan, grated

1 cup gruyere, gouda or swiss cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425, making sure the rack is positioned in the center of the oven. Toss the chopped cauliflower with olive oil and spread out on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for 40 min flipping half way through. Remove from oven and set aside.

Reduce oven temprature to 350.

Unroll your pastry and gently place one sheet in a 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom making sure to press the pastry onto the bottom and up the sides. Trim any excess. Line the crust with a sheet of tinfoil then fill with pie weights or if you are like me and do not have pie weights you can use dried beans ( I used chickpeas ) bake for about 20 min then remove the weights and foil and continue to bake for another 5 min or until the crust is golden. remove from oven and set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add some olive oil and the onions. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook for 40 minutes or so, stir ocasionaly to prevent burning. You will know the onions are done when they turn that beautiful golden brown. Remove from heat.

In a stand mixer on medium speed mix together the cream cheese, cream and yogurt. On low speed mix in the egg. Lastly, fold in the shredded cheese of choice. I  used gouda because that’s what my husband heard me ask for when I called him and  said “please pick up gruyere or swiss” on your way home.

Spread the dijon over the bottom and sides of the tart shell. cover with a thick layer of onions. cover with cauliflower. Pour cheese mixture over the cauliflower and top with parmesan cheese. Place the tart on a baking sheet and bake for 40-50 min or until the center has set. I went for a run while the tart was baking. My husband says it neede about 48-50 min but I was not around to see the exact cooking time..so keep an eye on it near the end. Remove from oven and Transfer to a rack. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes before serving. Serve with a heaping side of fresh green salad with a basic vinagrette. so good.

*Note – The origional recipe called for a few fancy ingredients I didn’t have and honestly dont think they will ever be regular ingredients in my kitchen. However if you happen to have gruyere and marscapone and truffel oil or salt sitting around please go to Smitten Kitchen and follow her recipe I know it will be amazing.

*Tip – Next time I will make my own crust as well as bake the cauliflower and carmalize the onions the day before. This will make the whole process far less time consuming, as making this tart took every second poppy was napping and a little more.