I love the vegan clothing and awareness company BEETxBEET and that they stand up for our animal friends, but I love owner, activist and girl boss Jacky Wasserman even more. We've been friends for a few years now after meeting at a vegan Oktoberfest and interviewing her about her company back where she first started. She works her ass off saving animals and making rad clothing, which has expanded from a few humble t-shirts to hats, notebooks and sometimes even customized cup cozies! She's had some great new, clever shirts come out lately so we decided to team up and create a recipe based on each of her most popular styles - and pair them each with a giveaway of the t-shirt itself! We made some great meals we think you guys are going to love - and then got to eat them ALL. Haha, but only to make sure they tasted perfectly before we shared them. Promise. (Ahh, the life of a food blogger. It's rarely glamorous, but it is full of taste-tests!) 

The first shirt we're repping is one of my personal faves, the 'In Plants We Trust' shirt. It is available in Men's + Women's styles, but I especially love this crop-top cut version. We paired it with a Cranberry Apple Salad with Pepitas + Apple Cider Vinaigrette because it is the perfect fall meal - and it's packed with plants! The tart apples and tangy dressing help balance out the sweet of the cranberries, and the pepitas make a great crunch at the end. This salad is packed with good-for-you ingredients and is a great starter before a meal or as a meal in itself. 

You can get the recipe by scrolling down a  bit. To enter the giveaway to WIN your very own 'In Plants We Trust' tee, scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page and fill out the widget. We'll let the widget randomly choose one winner and we'll email that person directly for size information + gender preference. GOOD LUCK! 

INGREDIENTS
Apple Cider Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon each salt + pepper
​
Salad:
4 cups mixed greens
2 green apples, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 cup dried cranberries 
1/2 cup pepitas

DIRECTIONS
In a blender combine online oil, garlic, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. If you don't have a blender or would prefer more of an oil + vinegar style dressing, simply mince garlic and whisk all ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.

​In a large mixing bowl toss together the mixed greens, thinly sliced apples, cranberries + pepitas. Drizzle with dressing and serve! 

​NOTES
Extra dressing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.

Serves 4.

This simple salad was originally something I though might make it into my upcoming cookbook, Homestyle Vegan, but didn't make the cut. It's delicious and one of my favorite ways to get my greens in, but wasn't quite the caliber of comfort food I wanted in the book, so I'm serving it up here instead! I know what you’re thinking - so many GREENS! But I promise, this salad is a game changer. It’s incredibly simple to make but packs a ton of good-for-you ingredients and tastes incredible. We dress it in a light, tangy champagne vinaigrette that’ll leave you craving more. 

Looking for other salad inspiration? Try our Golden Beet Salad with Balsamic + Cashew Ricotta, ​Strawberry Walnut Kale Salad with Creamy Champagne Vinaigrette, or Mexican Wheat Berry Salad!

INGREDIENTS
Salad:
5 ounces (135 g) lacinato kale, rolled and thinly sliced
5 ounces (150 g) brussels sprouts, trimmed and shredded
3/4 cup (50 g) green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup (70 g) pine nuts

Champagne Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
1 small garlic clove
2 tablespoons (30 ml) champagne vinegar 
1 tablespoon (15 ml) maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons (8 ml) lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon dijon mustard
pinch each of salt + pepper
​
DIRECTIONS
Place prepared kale, brussels, green onions and pine nuts in a large bowl and toss to combine. 

Prepare the dressing by blending olive oil, garlic, champagne vinegar, maple syrup, lemon juice, dijon mustard, salt and pepper in a high-speed blender or food processor until creamy. 

Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Enjoy immediately!
​
​NOTES
Don’t have any champagne vinegar? Use whatever vinegar you have on hand, instead!​

You can prepare the veggies and dressing separately ahead and dress as needed.

​Serves 4.

It's getting all kinds of wintery up in here! Okay, so not like actually wintery because I live in Southern California where there is seemingly eternal sunshine - but winterish. Definitely more wintery in some places than others, but tomorrow it is officially December. Almost Christmas, and New Year's and 2016...but before that, we have a hard, long holiday season where the weather is cold and the sweets are always around and maybe you just can't possibly stomach another baked good. I get that. So here I am, offering friendship and a meal that'll pick your immune system off the floor and right the balance of good bacteria in your belly. It's packed full of fall + winter foods and drizzled with a tangy cranberry vinaigrette, which nicely rounds out the sweet and savory flavors. It's easy, it's delicious - let's EAT! 

INGREDIENTS
Salad:
4 cups spinach mix OR mixed greens 
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 medium sweet potato, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
2 persimmons, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch wedges
1/4 cup pomegranate arils
1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Cranberry Vinaigrette:
3/4 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sweet white onion, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon champagne OR apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup OR agave nectar
1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Wash spinach and arrange on a serving plate or in a large bowl. 

Slice sweet potato rounds, arrange onto a lined baking sheet and drizzle with the coconut oil. Add a sprinkle of salt + pepper, if you like. Roast them for 20-25 minutes, flipping about halfway through.

While the sweet potato roasts, prepare the persimmons, pomegranate arils, and pepitas and set aside. 

When the sweet potato is finished, dress the greens with the sweet potato slices, persimmon wedges, pom arils, and pepitas. 

To prepare the vinaigrette, simply combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or high speed blender until dressing comes together. Adjust to your tastes as needed. 

Toss the salad in the vinaigrette or drizzle it over the top, serve, and enjoy!

NOTES
Serves 2-4, depending on portion size. 

Another easily customized dish. Don't have sweet potatoes? Use squash! Don't have pumpkin seeds? Try sunflower seeds or dried cranberries. The must make here is really that tangy, fall-friendly vinaigrette - it tastes great!