roasted vegetables with a lemon-tahini dressing

Another David Lebovitz (<3) recipe. The dish he created in an effort to clear out his refrigerator, is now one of my favorite, staple recipes. I'm trying to eat less meat/chicken these days, so this has been in frequent rotation when I'm looking for something flavorful, filling, and vegetarian . You can use any combination of vegetables and add more herbs, like dill as David suggests for a more Mediterranean feel. I'm back on my kabocha pumpkin kick so added that to the mix, but besides a few minor adjustments, I stuck pretty closely to the original. I think I'll add some Garbanzo beans next time. 


Ingredients:
3/4 cup wild or mixed brown rice
6 cups peeled and cubed root vegetables (I used carrots, kabocha pumpkin, beets. Broccoli also tastes great)
Olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
2 spring onions or green onions, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley and chives (or other favorite herbs)
Toasted almonds or sunflower seeds (optional)

To make Lemon-Tahini Dressing, combine:
1/4 cup Tahini (essentially a sesame paste; also used to make hummus)
1 tablespoon of fresh squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons water
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon soy sauce
*Add more lemon juice or salt if needed. 

Cook rice according to instructions. After cooking, move rice into a bowl and let cool.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss the vegetables with olive oil, salt and freshly ground pepper.

Spread the vegetables in an even layer on a baking sheet, and bake for 30-45 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked through. Stir once or twice while baking to keep vegetables from burning. Remove from heat and let cool.


This dish is best served at room temperature. When you're ready to serve, arrange rice in a bowl, top with plenty of vegetables, drizzle with a generous amount of dressing on top, and add a few spoons of the green onion/herb mixture. Finally sprinkle with almonds! Stir and feast. :)

Make ahead: If you plan on making enough for leftovers or for the lunch the next day (which I always do), just keep all the elements separate (rice, vegetables, and dressing). Otherwise, the tahini dries out the dish.

Serves 4-6. 

mini pumpkin pies

Fall is near. And these mini pumpkin pies are adorable (and tasty too).




This was my first time making pie from scratch...and surprisingly, it was a lot easier than I expected. It helped doing it alongside some excellent baker friends, but I feel good about adding this to my baking repertoire. :)

1) Roll the dough for your pie crusts.
This pastry crust instruction is great (this makes enough for about 72 mini pies so feel free to cut it down)

After you prepare your dough, flatten and cut circles with a biscuit cutter (or cookie cutter or small cup) to give you circles that are slightly bigger than the muffin mold.

2) Press dough inside the muffin molds. Chill in the refrigerator.

3) Prepare your pie filling. The options are endless here, but we opted for a Pumpkin Pie filling

Pumpkin Pie Filling
recipe via here (also on the side of the Libby's can!)

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 can (15 oz.) Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin

Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl. In a separate large bowl, beat eggs lightly. Add pumpkin and dry ingredients and stir. Gradually mix in evaporated condensed milk.

Fill the pie crusts. Here's a clean and efficient way to fill your pies: use a baster! (Erica's genius idea)

Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes or until crust is golden brown; top off with whipped cream and enjoy.

j. crew fall

Some of my favorite looks from J. Crew's fall 'looks we love.' I like that these looks don't require a whole new wardrobe, (especially since I've been trying edit & trim my closet--eep!), yet look so fresh & polished. And I love the messy hair that goes with.