Roasted Root Veggies

It's always difficult to decide what to bring to family potluck holiday dinners. This year was especially tough for me because I knew the dish that I brought could possibly be the only dish that I could eat - so I knew I needed to be selective in the process. When I was asked to bring a type of vegetable, it was not too difficult for me to know that I was going to roast some good winter vegetables. I love roasted veggies! There is something about a vegetable once it's roasted, it takes on an entirely new flavor and aroma. I love them! If it wasn't for roasting veggies, I probably would not have tried brussel sprouts and now they are one of my favorites. I digress. This was a recipe I found by Chef Owen May with Michelle May MD from Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat: How to Break Your Eat-Repent-Repeat Cycle.

Roasted Root Vegetables
Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 45 minutes

     3 medium baking potatoes, peels left on, cut into ½" cubes
     2 medium sweet potatoes, peels left on, cut into ½" cubes
     2 yellow onions cut in eighths
     ½ pound of baby carrots
     2 tablespoons olive oil
     1 tablespoon dried parsley
     1½ teaspoons kosher salt
     ½ teaspoon black pepper

Pre-heat oven to 450F degrees.

Wash and cut up baking potatoes and place into a large plastic bag.

Trim any tough pieces off the sweet potatoes, cut up and add to the bag.

Place baby carrots in the bag.

Cut off each end of the onion then peel. Cut the onion in half then cut each half into quarters to make eight pieces. Place into the bag.

Add olive oil, parsley, salt and pepper to the vegetables in the bag. Seal the bag and shake until all of the vegetables are coated.

Dump vegetables into a large shallow baking dish (a cookie sheet works well) and spread vegetables evenly over the bottom.

Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until vegetables are golden brown and slightly crisp on the outside and tender on the inside.

Serves 6.

Recipe Review:
Root Veggies were perfect for the main holiday meal at my relatives house to go along with ham and many other appetizing dishes. Since we feed an army when we gather for the holidays, I quadrupled the recipe and roasted them on two shallow cookie pans. I pre-warmed my slow-cooker and once the veggies were finished roasting in the oven, I added them to the slow-cooker for the commute, and plugged it in as soon as we arrived. I was nervous that they might get mushy, but they kept their shape and retained great flavor. I was asked by a few relatives how I made them, so without further adieu, I will not keep you waiting!

Notes: You may substitute other seasonal vegetables such as winter squash or pumpkin. When using less dense vegetables, add them 10 minutes after the potatoes to prevent over cooking. You may also try different herbs or spices such as rosemary or paprika for new flavors - but the parsley was perfect for our Holiday meal.

Cajun Salmon & Garlic Cauliflower and Mushrooms

In the mood for some fish! I made this recipe before and can't begin to explain how much I enjoyed it. Backstory: I hated salmon. Hated! I've tried to make salmon over a handful of times and every time I ate two bites and would end up giving my serving to the Mister. He's never minded. This recipe was the first time that I actually wanted seconds - and the easiest way I've ever made it!

Cajun Salmon

Prep Time: 2 minutes; Cook Time: 10 - 15 minutes

2 Fillets of Wild Salmon

SEASONINGS:

     Extra Virgin Olive Oil

     Sea Salt - just a pinch

     Fresh Ground Black Pepper - to taste

     Cajun Pepper - to taste

Preheat Oven: 415 - 425F degrees.

Start by brushing wild salmon fillet(s) with EVOO, then season fillets of wild salmon on both sides.

Place seasoned salmon fillets on broiler pan. If skin is still on, place skin side down and put in oven for 10 - 14 minutes. 10 minutes if they are fresh. 14-15 minutes if they are frozen. Cook until done to your liking.

Servings: 2 filets.

Recipe Review:

Seriously unbelieveable!!! This recipe is officially a staple in my weekly menu. I have made this recipe over a handful of times now, and everytime I use fresh wild salmon fillets from Super Target in their fresh fish section. The fillets are about $7/each, and leaves you full and satisfied.

Garlic Cauliflower and Mushrooms    

Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 40 - 45 minutes

     3 cups cauliflowerets
     1 cup chopped fresh mushroom
     1/2 cup chopped red onion
     1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
     2 teaspoons lemon juice
     2 teaspoons cider vinegar
     1/2 teaspoon salt
     1/4 teaspoon pepper
     2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
     1/3 cup chopped green onion

Heat oven to 350F degrees. Spray square baking dish, 9x9x2 inches, with cooking spray.

Mix all ingredients except green onions. Spread evenly in baking dish.

Bake uncovered 40 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and golden brown. Sprinkle with green onions.

Recipe Review:
For a salmon side dish, I usually roast whatever veggies I have in the fridge. This time I used some mushrooms and cauliflower. If you really love garlic, you'll love the recipe! If I make this side again, I will definately cut back on the garlic and possibly take out the apple cidar vinegar. I didn't enjoy these flavorings together. I love the simple but amazing EVOO and spices with roasted veggies, and this was quite a different taste.

Risotto Cakes

I still can't believe I made Roasted Garlic & Mushroom Risotto the other night. I also can't believe it turned out ok! Usually I'm the crazy girl that makes up a million excuses why it didn't work out whenever I try something for the first time. But, this worked! It's now time to conquer the leftovers and the perfect thing to make would be risotto cakes. The bigger question is, will I be 2 for 2 with risotto in the kitchen after this recipe? 

 Risotto Cakes
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes

     3 cups leftover risotto from Roasted Garlic and Mushroom Risotto
        recipe
     2 large eggs
     1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
     1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
     1/4 cup grated Parmesan
     Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
     1/4 cup canola oil

In a large bowl add the leftover risotto, eggs, corn, bread crumbs, and Parmesan and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Mix to combine well. Form into 12 balls about the size of a walnut, then flatten into patties and arrange on a baking sheet.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the patties and cook until they are golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the patties from the oil to a baking sheet lined with a brown bag or paper towels to drain the excess oil. Transfer to a serving tray and serve hot.

12 Servings.

Recipe Review:
Woo-hoo! I am officially 2 for 2 with Risotto. After my first bite was one of those, 'Oh, this is the reason people cook!' I used EVOO instead of canola oil to fry them up. They had delicious flavor - the Mister thinks next time I should substitute green or red pepper instead of the corn, but I loved the corn. I'm sure I'll surprise him and make 1/2 with peppers & 1/2 with corn next time since he's so willing to try all my cooking adventures and be honest about them. This was another one of those little, easy recipes really are the reason why one spends time in the kitchen! :)

Cooking for a Guest

What excitement! I'm done with the elimination diet and it's time to celebrate - gluten-free style! We have a guest for dinner and I'm going to keep it simple and fresh. Stuffed chicken breast with asparagus that the Mister can be in charge of, sweet potato wedges that can roast while we cook and some risotto. I've never made risotto, but it's the one thing that I love to order whenever it's on the menu and I think it will go great as a side for this meal. I've heard it's time consuming - the consistent stirring doesn't let you get far from the kitchen, but goodness, it's worth a try.

Spring Stuffed Chicken
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes

     3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
     5 sprigs thyme, leaves stripped and chopped
     1 lemon, juiced and zested
     1/4 cup parsley (about a handful), chopped
     4 chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each), butterflied and
        pounded to 1/4-inch thick
     4 slices proscuitto cotto or any good quality ham
     4 slices fontina cheese (about 4 ounces)
     Salt and freshly ground black pepper
     1/2 cup dry white wine
     1 large bunch of asparagus

Place a large, tall-sided skillet with 1-2 inches of water over high heat and bring up to a boil to cook the asparagus.

Working with one chicken breast at a time, line the breast with the tip closest to you. Place your hand flat on top of it and, with a very sharp knife, cut into the center of the thickest part of the breast. Carefully and slowly, work your way down to the tip end, cutting into the chicken.

The goal is to butterfly the breasts, cutting them just shy of completely in half. Open up the chicken breast as if it were a book and pound it out slightly under a piece of plastic wrap with a heavy skillet. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

In a small bowl, combine the thyme, lemon zest and parsley. Lay each butterflied chicken breast out on a flat work surface so each breast is open. Sprinkle the insides of each chicken breast with the thyme and lemon zest mixture. Add a slice of proscuitto cotto to each piece and top with a slice of fontina cheese.

Fold each piece over to enclose the ham and cheese in the chicken breasts. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Pre-heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with three turns of the pan of EVOO, about 3 tablespoons. Add the seasoned, stuffed chicken breasts to the hot skillet and brown for 5 minutes.

Gently flip the chicken over and continue to brown for another 5 minutes. Add a 1/2 cup of dry white wine to the skillet and cook until the wine has reduced by half.

Once you have the chicken working in the skillet, add a generous amount of salt to the skillet with the boiling water. Simmer the spears for 3-5 minutes until just tender.

Drain the asparagus and squeeze the lemon juice over the top. To serve, plate asparagus, top with the chicken breasts and spoon sauce over the top.

4 Servings.

Recipe Review:
The Mister made an incredible main dish!!! He sure was proud of it too…and he should have been! It was so flavorful. The thyme, proscuitto cotto, fontina cheese, parsley and lemon zest added so much to our typical, plain chicken flair - we giggled because we used to wonder why we got sick of making chicken (Plain + BBQ sauce = boring!) This stuffed chicken was very moist - even the next day as one piece was actually leftover.

Sweet Potato Wedges
Prep Time: 5 minutes; Cook Time: 40 minutes

     2 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into wedges
     Extra-virgin olive oil
     2 Tbsp. Cajun spice mix

Preheat oven to 400F degrees and place a cookie sheet into the oven. In a large mixing bowl, toss sweet potatoes in olive oil to evenly coat. Toss onto the hot cookie sheet and spread out into one even layer. Bake for 20 minutes, then use a spatula to turn. Bake for a further 20 minutes until crispy and golden. Dust with Cajun spices and serve.

Serves 4-6.
Recipe Review:
AWESOME!!! After making these and realizing we love the flavor of sweet potatoes, this opens so many doors for more vegetable choices in the house. The Mister added a little bit of real maple syrup for some added sweetness - but they don't even need it. They are like little candies - it seems wrong to call them a vegetable! :)
 

Roasted Garlic & Mushroom Risotto
Prep: 10 minutes; Cook: 25 minutes (plus 1 hour to roast garlic)
 
     1 head garlic
     2 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
     2 (14.5-ounce) cans chicken broth
     3 cans water
     1 medium onion, chopped
     1 (8-ounce) package sliced mushrooms
     Salt and freshly ground black pepper
     2 1/2 cups long-grain rice
     2 tablespoons unsalted butter
     1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.

Slice the top off the head of garlic. Put it on a large square of aluminum foil and drizzle 1 teaspoon of the extra-virgin olive oil over the exposed cloves. Wrap the foil around and over the garlic. Roast until it is soft, about 50 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Pour the 2 cans of broth into a saucepan, over low heat, and add 3 cans of water. Bring to a simmer.

In a large, heavy bottomed skillet, heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and cook until the mushrooms release their juices, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook for 1 minute to toast.

Add 2 ladles full of hot broth to the pan and gently stir the rice. Cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Adjust the heat so that the pan is just gently bubbling. Continue adding broth and stirring until all the broth is used and the rice is cooked but not mushy, about 20 to 25 minutes. Once the rice has absorbed all the liquid and is nice and creamy, stir in the butter, Parmesan and the garlic pulp. Cover and let rest for 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot.

Reserve 3 cups for Risotto Cakes.

4-6 Servings.
 
Recipe Review:
First time ever making risotto from scratch! I had roasted the garlic the day before so we didn't have to wait for that an hour while it cooked. As for the long-grain rice, I used a basmati rice and it worked great. It cooked well and soaked up all the other flavors. I'm sure you could use arborio as well. I also used the Kraft shaker for the parmesan cheese which had good flavor, but was also the reason for only 4 stars vs. 5. So, next time I'm determined to use a good, organic brand of cheese such as Organic Valley. This dish needed a little bit of salt & pepper but the flavor was excellent. LOTS of leftovers - going to make risotto cakes tomorrow night with the extras!

3rd Anniversary

Roasted Garlic Beef & Vegetable Stir Fry
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes

     2 teaspoons cornstarch
     1 cup water
     2 tablespoons soy sauce
     1 tablespoon roasted garlic & bell pepper seasoning
     1/2 teaspoon ginger, ground
     1 tablespoon oil
     1 1/2 pounds boneless beef sirloin steak, cut in 1/4-inch strips
     3 cups asst. vegetables (broccoli florets, mushrooms, red bell
        pepper strips & snow peas)
     Cooked rice (optional)

Mix cornstarch, water, soy sauce, seasoning and ginger in small bowl until smooth. Set aside.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add beef in several batches; stir fry 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove from skillet. Repeat with remaining beef, adding additional oil if needed. Add vegetables to skillet; stir fry 3 minutes. Return beef to skillet.

Stir soy sauce mixture. Add to skillet; stirring constantly, bring to boil on medium heat and boil 1 minute. Serve with cooked rice, if desired.

6 Servings.

Recipe Review:
Absolutely incredible! This was our first time making stir fry from scratch - and boy do we need to do this more! We decided on stir fry for our 3rd Anniversary because we live for rice and veggies lately. The rich beef and vegetables flavor surprised us in this recipe because we weren't expecting something so great in such a quick, easy and tasty dish! I think that substituting tamari sauce for the soy sauce gave it a richer flavor, which makes it one we will make again!

Fried Rice
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes

     2 ½ cups of cooked rice (can be cold)
     2 or 3 eggs
     ¾ cup frozen peas
     ¾ cup frozen corn
     ¾ cup chopped, peeled carrot
     3 cloves of garlic minced
     3 tablespoons oil
     2 tablespoon gluten-free soy sauce (I used San J Organic
        Tamari instead)
     Salt & pepper, to taste

Heat wok (or deep pan) to piping hot. Water droplets should dance across the pan excitedly!

Add 1 Tablespoon of the oil and heat thoroughly. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and carrots. Stir fry until the food is half way done. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Return the work to piping hot again. Add the remaining 2 Tablespoons of oil and heat again. Add rice and stir fry (fry while stirring continually to avoid the rice sticking) until the rice has been heated through.

Add pepper to taste.

Add remaining veggies (in this case, frozen peas & corn) and continue to stir fry until the peas & corn are warmed and the rice is host.

Return the garlic and carrots to the pan.

Add soy sauce (2-3 Tablespoons to taste – depending on the saltiness of your soy sauce). NOTE: Fried rice is typically NOT dark in color but rather a light golden color with the soy sauce brining more flavor and a tinge of color. This is unlike most American fried rice restaurant recipes.

Continue to stir fry until well combined and everything is practically cooked perfectly.

Add eggs. Continue to stir fry until the eggs are distributed and cooked through.

Recipe Review:
This was such a fabulous meal! I was so glad that we decided to make the fried rice 'homemade' as well. But now that we've made it, I don't know if I'll ever enjoy the stuff from restaurants again because this was so great! The only thing that was missing was the scrambled egg pieces, but even without the eggs, it was incredible. I researched soy sauce, only to find out that almost all soy sauces have gluten in them, so we used organic tamari sauce instead. The peas and corn were a great addition. The fried rice could be eaten as a dish alone - but it was great with the beef & veggie stir fry. 

Spaghetti Squash Primavera

First encounter with spaghetti squash and it was a good one! I was a little nervous with this recipe because my mom was over for dinner and I always love to impress her with my new developing skills in the kitch! The veggies were all in season and it was a fabulous dinner.

There were lots of leftovers - started to get sick of it by the fourth meal. Next time I make it, I will try freezing in individual servings for a quick meal on a busy day.

Great robust flavor! It was an excellent way to cook my veggies and protein all in one dish together.

Spaghetti Squash Turkey Primavera
Prep: 20 min. Cook: 41hour 20 min.

     1 large spaghetti squash, halved, cooked and seeded

     12 ounces ground white meat turkey or ground beef cooked

     1 tablespoon olive oil

     1 large onion, minced

     4 garlic cloves, minced

     2 green onions, minced

     8 ounces mushrooms

     4 carrots, sliced

     1 medium zucchini, sliced/quartered

     1 medium yellow squash, sliced/quartered

     Two-28 ounce cans chunky tomato sauce

     1 tomato, chopped (optional)

     2 teaspoons capers (optional)

     2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano

     2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

     2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Place each squash half cut side down on a cookie sheet and bake uncovered for about 45 to 60 minutes or until a fork goes easily into the shell. Allow to cool and scoop out the strands of squash with a large spoon and set aside.

Brown the pound of turkey.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion, garlic and scallions and saute for 2 minutes. Then add the cooked turkey and cook for 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms, carrots, zucchini, yellow squash & tomatoes and bring to a boil, lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Add the capers, oregano, red pepper flakes and parsley; simmer for 5 minutes. If the squash has cooled too much, reheat it in the microwave, covered for 2 to 3 minutes. Top the squash with the sauce and serve.

Options -

*Add some butter and seasoning to the squash before you cook it to add a little flavor.

*Cook the veggies in a little olive oil before adding to sauce if you want them cooked more.

Serves 6-8.

Recipe Review:
This is the perfect recipe for the end of the fall harvest season. Add or delete veggies as you see fit. I used a large 4 pound spaghetti squash and didn't cut it in half to cook it. Instead I only punctured it with lots of knife slits to roast it. It took a while to cook through - next time I will try 2 smaller ones and cut them in half to cut down on prep time.