Cold Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash Salad

Welcome to Part 2 of my Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash. Need a refresher on part 1? Check it out HERE

Remember me?

Since I have been insanely busy with school lately I have been trying hard to think of dishes that I can make that will transfer into an awesome lunch the next day. However, eating the same thing for 3 days in a row gets boring, so switching it up a bit keeps my tongue and belly happy. So why not take some leftover veggies, add some protein, eat it cold and call it a salad?

This is so unbelievably easy that it can be done the morning of, and really it doesn't even need a recipe but I felt compelled to share because it tastes so darn good.

Cold Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash Salad
Time: 5 mins            CPS: $0.60                 L of D: Undergraduate

- Left over Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash (recipe here)
- 1/2 cup Chickpeas
- Small handful of Dried Cranberries
- 1 Tsp of Balsamic Vinegar
- A bit of lemon zest

Put all ingredients in a dish. Pour over balsamic vinegar (I just wanted an extra little kick to boost the flavour).

Eat cold. I found it best at room-temperature

Yep. THAT IS IT. I am not lying to you. But here is my suggestions for a few additional ingredients you may want to add if you are feelin it.


- Sliced Almonds?
- Goat cheese?
- Feta cheese?
- Anything you want really!

Warm Beet and Brussels Sprouts Salad

BRUSSELS SPROUTS!!!!

Everyone hates these little guys. Why wouldn't you? They are mini cabbages. I always hated them as a child.

Well you would think I was pregnant or somethin because I have had some massive cravings from them (no worries friends and fam - I am NOT preggers and if I was.. what a horrible way to find out eh?!)

Red and Golden Beet Salad with Red Onions and Oranges

I found golden beets at the market today! How exciting! Well, it is exciting for me - shut up I know I am a foodie nerd. Listen, I watch the food network all the time and they always use beets with beautiful colour - red, golden, rainbow.. simply amazing. And I NEVER get to do that! One reason is because I am poor, but mainly it is because of where I live. There isn't a whole whack of variety in produce all the time. And that is okay with me, because that means they are not shipping food from all over the world only to rot in my fridge a day after I get it.

Anyways, I found these bad boys and I think they were super cool. So I wanted to show em off in a gorgeous salad. So I did. And I liked it.

It is super easy, light and refreshing. Makes me feel... summery.

Beet, Avocado, Goat Cheese and Arugula Salad

It's April. Which is the end of the semester. Which means papers, assignments and final exams. Which means a lot of late nights and even more coffee.

Since it is just the beginning, I am trying to make sure I start the month off right by actually eating some veggies. Not sure how long it will last... but hey... at least I am trying right?

Well I am mac and cheese yesterday. But no one has to know about that really.

Quinoa with Corn and Edamame

Last post we learned how super awesome quinoa is.

But, I also learned that on its own... is pretty plain Jane. Nothing against Jane or anything, but that is just not how we roll over here at the Gourmet Student.

We put the extra in extraordinary.

Plus I was bored and needed to use the edamame in my freezer because they were starting to look a little .. blah.

Spiced Carrot Salad with Pumpkin Seeds

Are you that annoying person in class munching on carrots? Crunch, crunching away while the prof is lecturing.Chopping your jaw down on those orange nubbins? Crunch crunch crunch.... crunch... Please just stop, I can't hear what the prof is saying...I can hear inbetween crunches.... I can't hear my friend next to me.... I can't even hear my own thoughts!!!!!!! CRUNCH CRUNCH.

Not you? Okay... that is totally me. I admit I am a carrot munch cruncher. BUT I know I am not alone.

Grilled Eggplant, Tomato and Basil Salad

Its hot. Wicked hot. So unbelievably hot that I have barely left my bedroom in 2 days because I have a tiny little air conditioner jammed in the window.

My one bedroom apartment has begun to melt. The doors won't close properly because the wood has expanded due to the humidity, the floors have begun to sweat. Whether to open or close the windows is in constant debate.

The thought of turning on my oven, or even a burner on the stove top just makes me sweat. Last night I went to Subway for dinner just so I can sit in an air conditioned building for half an hour.

But I can't live off Subway (Well ya I could, Jared did it).

Which leads me to -  salads and bbq.

Lime, Shrimp, Avocado and Cilantro Salad

Summer is here! Oh baby oh baby! Well technically it has been here for a while, but lately.. the temperature.. wooo ...sky rocketing! The weather is warmer, the sky is clearer, the produce is more vibrant and the stove becomes my enemy because it heats up my apartment to a million degrees celcius. Solution? Befriend my BBQ and learn to cook without the use of heat. Can we do it? I am sure as heck going to try.

This salad is so incredibly fresh and jam PACKED with flavor. No seriously, the flavor just explodes with every bite. I kid you not. 

Ultimate Taco Salad

Holy taco salad. Love em. Filling, easy to transport and CAN be super healthy. With all the components to make a darn good taco, or excellent nachos, lets make a healthier version and add a whole lot of lettuce to it. Haha, why does everything seem healthier if it is on lettuce? With a combination of protein, calcium, vegetables and carbs, you have a complete meal in one bowl.

Warm Beet Salad

Lately I have been seeing a lot of trendy salads popping up in restaurants all over the place and sometimes at a hefty price. So when I find a salad I love, I try to replicate it at home, that way I can have much more at a lower cost.

Beets have a bad wrap for being a pain in the butt to work with. Which yes I agree, they can be. They stain your fingers, take forever to cook and you have to peel them! Bah! Well I came up with a few tricks that make the process a little easier.
1) Instead of buying a bunch of little beets, I buy 1 BIG beet
2) I wear gloves, or just plastic bags on my hands while peeling. Or just suck it up and work quickly and wash your hands directly afterwards. Lemon juice also helps getting the purple stain out of your skin
3) I slice them and grill them on the barby

Now I know that winter is on the way and this is clearly a salad I did more often in the summer, so for some people the bbq is not an option. Which is fine, you will just have to spend a little longer cooking them. But there are so many ways of cooking them, that you can choose your preference.

Warm Beet Salad

1 large beet

1-2 cups of spinach or spring mix
1/4 cup of walnuts (I like to toast them but this is optional)
Goat cheese (as much or as little as you like)

Dressing
2 Tbsp of Red wine vinegar
1/2-1 tsp of Dijon Mustard
1 small shallot
2 Tbsp of Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
*Note, you do not have to use this dressing, I happen to love it ESPECIALLY with this salad, but I don't always have shallots on hand, and I really think it is the shallots that make it awesome. But whatever there are a ton dressing that work, I recommend a vinaigrette. 

Get your gloves on an peel that beet.
BBQ: Cut into big slices, drizzle with olive oil and place on grill. It will take about 5-8 minutes on either side until there are some nice grill marks on it.
OVEN: Cut up the beet into slices or chunks. Just remember the smaller the pieces, the quicker they cook. Put in oven at 450 degrees for about 20-30 minutes depending on the size of the beets.
You will know they are done when the beets are tender and you can easily slide a fork/knife into it.

In the meantime, make your dressing. Chop up shallot, whisk together with dijon and red wine vinegar. While whisking slowly add in olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. (I sometimes like to add my goat cheese right into the dressing so it kind of soaks up the flavor). Set aside.

Set up your greens on the plate, and sprinkle the walnuts over it. Once the beets are done, add to salad and crumble goat cheese over top (if you didn't add it to the dressing) and drizzle dressing over entire thing. I like to do this as soon as the beets are done cooking because when the goat cheese hits the warm beets, it slowly melts and gets all yummy.

Enjoy your salad and your purple poop the next morning!

Cooking Tip for 1: Like I mentioned earlier, buy 1 large beet and it makes life easier. Also you can find jarred pickled beets. They are tasty as well and can be heated in the microwave. I would just recommend reducing the amount of vinegar in the dressing if you choose these bad boys.

Apple, Raisin, Toasted Walnut and Spinach Salad

Lately I have had so many apples kicking around my house and my goal is to find interesting ways to utilize them. One unique way I thought of is to use them in a salad. Apples add a sweetness and a crunch (a double whammy!) that pair nicely with the tart dressing.

Salads are a staple in most people's diet, so different variations keep things interesting. I know that when I find a combo I love, I can add way more spinach (or whatever) without realizing that I am just eating a plate of greens. Salads are also great to take for lunch, if you leave the dressing separate to minimize soggy-ness.

Salads are meant to be healthy. But it doesn't mean they have to be boring.

Apple, Raisin, Toasted Walnut and Spinach Salad

2 cups of Spinach
Handful of Walnuts
Handful of Raisins
1 Apple

Dressing
1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp of Dijon Mustard
2 tbsp of Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

For the dressing, start by whisking all the ingredients together. Or, you can do it Michael Smith-style and put it all in a small jar and give it a shake! Set aside.

Put the walnuts in a dry pan over medium heat. Toast them until you can start to smell them (about 3 minutes) rolling them around in the pan every once in a while. Once you can start to smell them, glue yourself to that stove-top because the time from perfect toast to burnt can be about 30 seconds. When they are golden brown, remove from pan (or they will continue to toast).

Cut up your apples. I chose to do them like little matchsticks. That way they were easier to put in my mouth. But really? Who cares, just slice em 'n' dice em how you like em.

Put your salad together with ingredients. It's a salad, you can figure out how to do this step =)

Cooking for 1 Tip: There is no tip, this is perfect for one person as is!