Cold Marinated Beet, Hazelnut & Arugula Salad with Roasted Acorn Squash

I had every intention of editing this picture until I noticed that somehow (and yet, not surprisingly) my dog's tongue caught some photo action, resting it's against the place that I take these shots.
There's no way around it, I can't stand cooked beets! I've tried each and every way possible and I still can't get the taste of dirt of out of my mouth. But thanks to my persistence and refusal to admit I didn't like beets, I tried them raw and fell in love. I would have never expected to be able to eat them raw, but when finely shaved or shredded, they add a wonderful, crisp bite to any salad. Here I decided to marinate them in a little maple and thyme before adding them to my hearty fall salad.

One Year Ago Today Delica Squash, Pumpkin Seeds, Mint & Shaved Fennel

Sweet red beets, baby arugula, toasted hazelnuts, tangy pomegranate seeds and tender roasted butternut squash tossed lightly with oil and vinegar.

Cold Marinated Beets
1 small beet, peeled
3 tbl extra virgin olive oil
2 tbl maple syrup
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Use a vegetable peeler to shave off thin slices of raw beet. Toss with the remaining ingredients and marinate for at least 30 minutes in the fridge. Drain from liquid before serving.

Arugula Salad with Roasted Acorn Squash
1 acorn squash, small dice
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp dried thyme
salt and pepper
4 cups baby arugula
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
dressing- evoo, balsamic, salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 425.
Toss the diced squash and shallots with 2 tbl olive oil, red pepper flakes, thyme, salt and pepper. Roast in a single layer on a baking sheet for 25 minutes until tender with caramelized edges.
Combine the arugula, pomegranate seeds, hazelnuts, squash and beets and toss together.
Lightly dress the salad with olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper.

Sausage & Arugula Pizza with Romesco Sauce

Romesco is a Spanish style red pepper sauce that is put together quick and has full, rich flavor. All Romesco sauce includes ground almonds, some sort of vinegar and bread. Mine includes fresh cherry heirloom tomatoes, balsamic roasted-red onions and garlic to make a great sauce for pizza or dipping. This recipe makes more than needed for one pizza, so make sure to use the rest drizzled on top of grilled potatoes, mixed with vegan mayo for dressing or as a dip with vegetables.

Crisp thick crust pizza with romesco sauce, fresh basil and cherry tomatoes, mint, arugula, vegan sausage and a drizzle of good olive oil.

Romesco Sauce
1/4 small red onion, quartered
10 cherry tomatoes
2 red bell peppers, seeded, quartered
2 garlic cloves, smashed
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 tbl balsamic vinegar, divided
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup packed, torn bread pieces, no crust (white or sourdough..especially good to use stale bread)
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp sea salt

Preheat the oven to 450. Combine the onion, tomatoes, red bell peppers and garlic on a baking sheet. Toss with 1 tbl of oil oil and 1 tbl of balsamic. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes until soft and caramelized.
In a food processor, blend the almonds and bread crumbs into fine crumbs with the paprika, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Add the vegetables and remaining 1 tbl of oil and 1 tbl of vinegar. Pulse until smooth.

Sausage and Arugula Pizza
1 ball fresh pizza dough
1 cup Romesco Sauce
3/4 cup Smart Grounds vegan ground beef
1/4 cup vegan mozzarella (like Follow Your Heart of Daiya), optional
1 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tbl fresh chopped parsley
5 fresh mint leaves, roughly torn
2 cups baby arugula leaves

Preheat the oven to 475. Place a pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven to heat up as well.
Press out the pizza dough on a floured counter into a large circle or square.
When the pizza stone has heated up, remove and transfer the dough to the stone. Top with sauce, then crumble the ground beef and mozzarella. Drizzle 1 tbl of oil around the crust.
Bake for 15 minutes or until the crust has cooked through.
Once the pizza is out of the oven, top with fresh tomatoes, parsley, mint and arugula with a drizzle of olive oil.