Lunchtime fun - Freekeh Salad and Hazelnut Butter Cups

Having friends over for lunch is really just an excuse for me to get creative in the kitchen without my wife rolling her eyeballs at me. I can justify: "But we're having guests!" So even though we have a baby, I am still making meal plans that involve 3 days of prep or wait, maybe that's happening because we have a baby!

Anyhow to continue my trend of unusual and interesting grains, one of my friends who knew that a) I love free food and b) I'm a bit of a foodie, bestowed upon me four packages of freekeh. Freekeh instantly reminded me of bulgur, but is actually roasted green wheat. I love both the texture and the nutty flavor. Can't wait to try out some more recipes with it!

Freekeh, roasted squash, and kale salad  - serves 8-10 (who doesn't love leftovers)

1 1/4 c. uncooked Freekeh
1 whole carrot, chopped or diced
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 bay leaf
1/2- 1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp tarragon
3 c. water


1 delicata or butternut squash, or 2 kabocha squashes, 1/2- 1" chunks, roasted (use 1 1/2 -2 c.)
1 -2 bunches of kale, destemmed and chopped into small pieces, sauteed (1 -2 c. cooked)
1/4- 1/3 c. dried cranberries
1/8 - 1/4 c. chopped parsley
goat cheese
toasted pumpkin seeds

Dressing
1/3 c olive oil
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
2 Tbs lemon juice
zest of 1/2 lemon
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp whole grain mustard
1 Tbs honey
2 garlic cloves minced
salt/pepper

Instructions
1. I prepped the squash and kale the night before - you'll probably need about 35 min - 1 hr to roast the squash (350 degrees F) til tender.
2. Lightly toast the freekeh in a bit of oil, then add the carrot, onion and herbs, sauteeing for 2- 3 minutes. Add the water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook 20 minutes until freekeh is tender. Remove from heat.
3. Toss freekeh with squash, kale, cranberries, and parsley. (I give variations in the vegetable amount because I just eyeballed it until I was happy with the amount and colors of the veggies compared to the freekeh).
4. Make dressing, adjust to taste, and then use about half on the salad. Let sit in fridge, preferably overnight, but at least a couple of hours. Then taste again and use more dressing, salt and pepper as needed. Serve sprinkled with pumpkin seeds and goat cheese.


This recipe also looks gorgeous to try: pomegranate, kale, and squash freekeh salad

Hazelnut butter cups - makes 23-24
Adapted from Scaling Back
One of my friends who tried these started tapping her feet immediately after her first bite - she said you know something tastes amazing when that happens. I love how simple this recipe is and how impressed people are by the effort to make these from scratch. Plus they're just a bit more elegant than Reese's by substituting hazelnuts for peanuts. I'll happily confess that I intend to try these again with almond butter!

Ingredients:
1 cup toasted hazelnuts 
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp kosher salt (this is important that you use kosher! If you substitute table salt, use much less)
3 Tbs honey
9 oz dark chocolate
1-2 tsp coconut oil

1. Process the hazelnuts, cinnamon and salt in a food processor until nut butter is formed. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in honey. Taste - it should taste a bit salty, a bit sweet, and full of hazelnut flavor.
2. Line mini-muffin tins with muffin cups (I used parchment cups)
3. Melt chocolate and coconut oil together until smooth. Spoon ~ 1 tsp into the bottom of each muffin cup. Use 1 tsp to scoop a ball of hazelnut butter, flatten into a disk, and place into each muffin cup. Spoon another ~ 1tsp of chocolate on top of the hazelnut butter and put in the fridge to chill.
4. Try not to eat them all in one sitting.