Citrus Rainbow Vegetable Salad

Traveling as a vegetarian (or vegan) can be hard.

I've spent too many airport visits desperately trying to find a sandwich without meat or scarfing down a dry muffin in an attempt to fill my rumbling stomach before a flight. Don't even get me started on road trips, which I've done both as a vegetarian and omnivore (years ago). Let me tell you, omnivoring (is that even a word? It is now) was waaaaay easier. More restaurants are thankfully trying to be more vegetarian-friendly, but I can't even imagine the pain that my vegan friends experience when attempting to get delicious food without having to travel down a back-country road to find a fruit cup.

Basically, I've given up buying things in the air or on the road at this point, and just bring my own. I brown-bag it, if you will. There are a few recipes that are super easy for me to transport and are equally as easy to prepare, since cooking is the last thing I want to be doing on the night before a trip. I can barely manage to remember to pack my toothbrush and deodorant, yet alone make something time-consuming in the same period.

I'm traveling to Arizona at 4AM tomorrow (or, I guess, it will be today by the time I post this on Monday), and I planned ahead. One trip to Whole Foods (yes, I am that person, but how can you blame me? Whole Foods is so cozy and everyone is so granola, plus there are so many kinds of cheese) and I was all set. Because I've found that the one go-to thing that I can pack on a consistent basis without messing it up is roasted vegetables.

You can use whatever combination of vegetables that you like, but I personally enjoy basically eating a rainbow and because of that like to pack in as many colors as possible. Add a touch of salt and pepper, plus some lemon juice, and a roasted vegetable salad works as the perfect pick-me-up. Because, being realistic here, we all know that traveling on a plane or driving for hours in a car isn't always the most invigorating experience. Citrus makes me feel way more refreshed and awake, which helps make the trip just a tad more bearable. Plus this travels so well and can be eaten with fingers if necessary.

It's happened.

Don't judge.

Citrus Rainbow Vegetable Salad
Serves 8 sides, or 4 mains

Ingredients:

• 1 large head broccoli, florets only, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 small head purple cauliflower, florets only, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 small head orange cauliflower, florets only, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• Cooking spray
• 1 large yellow onion, sliced into 1/4-inch half-ringlets
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and quartered
• 5 carrots, sliced into rounds (approximately 1.5cups) 
• 1 cup chopped fresh kale
• 7 cloves garlic, whole but peeled
• 1 large shallot, sliced into 1/4-inch half-ringlets
• Juice of one lemon
• 1/4t salt
• 1/2t pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Meanwhile, combine broccoli, both cauliflower, and one tablespoon of olive oil in a large bowl. Toss to coat the vegetables with oil. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray, and dump vegetable mix onto the sheet. Spread into an even, single layer.
3. Repeat step 2 with the onion, bell pepper, kale, garlic, shallot, and remaining one tablespoon oil. Spray a medium baking sheet with cooking spray, and dump second vegetable mix onto the sheet. Spread into an even. single layer.
4. Put both trays in the oven. Cook vegetable mixture number 2 for approximately 15-20 minutes, and vegetable mixture number one for 25-30 minutes, or until tender. 
5. Remove from oven and immediately transfer both mixtures into the same heat-proof bowl. Pour lemon juice over the vegetable mix, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Best served semi-warm or cool, and can be stored for up to five days in the fridge.

Roasted Garlic

To start off my blog, I really want to focus on some basic ingredients that I call “building blocks.” These are things that a lot of people buy instead of hand-make, because they don’t realize how easy it is to use fresh ingredients to create the same product in a higher quality and with less added sodium, sugar, etc. When you have the option to make it by hand or buy it, I like to go with the former. It creates a mindful cooking experience and has all the benefits mentioned above.

Roasted garlic is like the ambrosia of the vegetable world. It is slightly sweet, with a richness and almost creamy texture that is just to die for. Roasting takes out most of the "bite" that is normally associated with garlic, making it perfect for eating on its own or for sprinkling onto pizza.

I see a lot of roasted garlic how-tos out there that call for tons of olive oil, and let me say: not necessary. Garlic doesn't need oil to be roasted, and taking away the oil doesn't impact the flavor or texture whatsoever. I personally only ever roast my garlic plain, absent of oil, simply because it 1) costs less money and 2)isn’t as greasy.

 
Oil-Free Roasted Garlic
Requires: Aluminum Foil, however many heads of garlic you want, a baking pan, an oven.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Meanwhile, use your finger and rub the outside of the garlic head so that any loose skin comes off. Just the white, dry parts-- you don't need to actually peel it, just give it a good rub.
3. Slice off the very top of the garlic head (where the pointy tops of the garlic poke out).
4. Cut squares of aluminum foil large enough to fit around your garlic heads. Put each head of garlic in the center of a square, and bring the edges together in the middle to seal (almost like a Hershey’s Kiss).
5. Put the garlic packets on a baking pan, and cook for 1 hour. Turn off oven, let garlic sit in there 10 minutes, pull the garlic out, and let it cool enough to touch. Then, just gently squeeze each clove that is trapped in the skin, and it will pop right out.