Post created for That's It Fruit Bars. #thatsit
Perfect for autumn, this warm salad was made for Thanksgiving. But it's such a delicious side dish, you should try it anytime you can find fresh cranberries, Israeli couscous and That's It apple-pear bars. The flavors are a delight. Pan-fried Brussels sprouts, caramelized sweet potatoes, peppery cashews, the sweet tang of dried apples and pears, all tossed together in a maple-lemon vinaigrette. Prepare the forks. This dish is ta-die-fer.
As a foodtographer, you might imagine the pantry gets pretty full of all.the.things. I hit the grocery store at least 4x weekly, and shoot between 10-15 recipes per week. So ingredients and leftovers and extras tend to fill every spare space in the house. I rarely need to grab extra snacks. There is always something to taste test, coming out of the studio kitchen.
Except, for the last year or so, when I hit the grocery store, I tend to beeline straight to the energy bar section, stocking up on That's It fruit bars. With an ingredient list so short, you can read it in 1 second flat, these non-GMO, no-preservative, gluten-free goodies are one of the only snacks I feel right about snacking on. Everything else feels like a sneak. But That's It bars feel like a fun new way to eat the good stuff. (And don't even get me started on their line of That's It Truffles. I'd eat them for breakfast, lunch and my own wedding. Gorgeous, minimalist ingredient list, flavor perfection).
So when I was tossing together a Thanksgiving-inspired salad, and wanted something LIKE raisins (but not so raisin-y and more pear-y and apple-y), I flung open the cupboard and realized I already had the perfect little stir-in. Diced up a few That's It bars, tossed them with favorite fall veggies and creamy pearl couscous. And thusly, this salad was born.
It's a good one, guys. As mentioned above, a lot of recipes go through this kitchen in a day. But this is the kind of recipe that leaves you standing over a giant bowl, spoon in hand, shoveling big bites into your boca. Walking out the room, then running back in for one.more.bite because it's that darned yum.
Ideal autumn side dish. Perfect Thanksgiving table salad. So good, you'll love it instantly. And if that's all you expect from a salad, that's this salad. This is it, because of That's It.
- 1 large sweet potato
- 4 Tbsp olive oil or ghee
- 2 cups Brussels sprouts, sliced
- 3/4 cup fresh cranberries
- 3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 8 oz Israeli couscous, cooked
- 3/4 cup roasted cashews
- 1/2 cup diced purple onion
- 4 That's It fruit bars (pear + apple), diced
- 2 fresh lemons (juiced and zested)
- fresh thyme
- salt and pepper