Lazy Saturday Night In

It's not often that I choose to stay in on a Saturday night, but after a crazy day of running errands, nothing sounded more appealing to me than cooking a healthy dinner and snuggling up on the couch to watch some mindless TV with Daniel.
After enjoying a delicious everything bagel this morning from our favorite spot, Brooklyn Bagel, I knew we needed something healthy. A salad usually satisfies that need but I didn't want one of my usual raw green salads. I wanted something really hearty and flavorful. So I decided to try a warm salad that uses all of my favorite hearty vegetables. Asparagus, brussel sprouts, red onion and some cherry tomatoes for a little pop of color. Last week I had some leftover basil and I made my reduced-fat pesto which I knew would be delicious as a dressing for my warm salad.
So with nothing on the agenda on a rainy Saturday night, I decided to get to work on Warm Vegetable Salad with Pesto Dressing and Homemade Croutons.

What you Need:

Pesto (I make mine with less olive oil, a healthier nut and 1/2 the cheese):
1 bunch of basil
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pecorino 
**This pesto is going to be a little more dry than the pesto you may be used to, but trust me the flavor is still there**

Salad:
1 bunch of asparagus, about 20 stalks, chopped into 2 inch pieces
12 brussel sprouts cut in half
20 cherry tomatoes cut in half
1/2 Red Onion
Package of mixed greens, spinach or kale salad (whatever lettuce you prefer)
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
1 Lemon (optional)

Homemade Croutons:
Day old baguette
Olive Oil
Salt
Red Pepper Flakes
Any Italian Seasonings


First let's start with the pesto so the flavors have time to combine. I made mine a week before and had it in the freezer. 

Instructions:
Put all pesto ingredients in a food processor and combine.
Really, that's it. You can add the juice of 1/2 a lemon too if you're into it.
Set aside (do not put in the refrigerator because it will cool down the warm salad too much when you combine)

Next is the salad. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Chop asparagus, brussel sprouts, red onion and cherry tomatoes and combine in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil (not too much otherwise it defeats the purpose of being healthy) salt and pepper. Use your hands to coat the veggies evenly. Next transfer to an oven safe dish and let roast for approximately 20 minutes or until the brussel sprouts start to crisp. (Check periodically to ensure the veggies don't over cook)

While the veggies are cooking, you can work on the croutons. Croutons are super easy and I don't know why I don't make them myself more often! Cut up the bread into small cubes. They don't have to be perfect. Drizzle with a little olive oil and the seasonings. Use your hands to mix. Transfer to a baking sheet and let cook in the oven about 5 mins. Open the oven and turn them over. Let cook another 2-3 minutes and then remove. They should be golden and crunchy.

Remove the vegetables from the oven and pour into a serving bowl. Now begin to add the lettuce of your choosing, stirring until it starts to wilt. Add the pesto and continue stirring until all veggies are evenly coated.
Serve with lemon wedges, croutons and a little bit more pecorino if you want (yum). 

Enjoy!