Oven Baked Tomatoes

As I mentioned, I had an abundance of delicious tomatoes that I was using to make baked fried tomatoes, and wanted to attempt a "Battle Royale" Fried tomato.  Here's the second version I made after the first, which I posted yesterday.

These were not my favorite way to make fried tomatoes. I think I'm used to a breadcrumb variety, so when I encounter the (decidedly more Southern!) cornmeal variety, I'm not satisfied.  I found these to be a bit bland, so added some salt and pepper and Italian spices to the coating in the second batch with improved results.  Definite add some of your favorite spices too; it will amp up that flavor for you!

Oven Baked Fried Tomatoes Source:  What's Cookin Chicago
Ingredients:

3 beefsteak tomatoes
1 egg, whisked
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 C. panko
1/4 C. fine corn meal
1/4 C.  all purpose flour
2 t. kosher salt
1 t. fresh ground pepper
canola oil

1.  Preheat oven to 450.  Remove the tomato core and slice into 3/8" slices.
2.  Prepare your dredging station by adding egg to one shallow dish, buttermilk to another, and the combined panko and corn meal to a final dish.  Dredge each tomato slice by dipping first in the egg, then the buttermilk, and then the breading, pressing to adhere.  Set aside.
3.  Drizzle 2-3T canola oil on an ovenproof skillet (I used cast iron, which adds a great flavor; highly recommend!) and heat till oil is shimmering.
4.  Moving quickly, sear each side (about 1-2 minutes).  Transfer your skillet to the oven for 10 minutes.  Serve hot!

Parmesan Tomatoes

I wanted fried tomatoes, and went a little overboard in the produce aisle, buying a LOT of big beautiful, local beefsteak tomatoes.  (in my defense, these were delicious; I couldn't stop snacking on them!)

So I got creative, and made them two different ways.  There's this baked "fried" tomato recipe on allrecipes that I have made and LOVE, but I can never seem to find it there (of course I have it in my PAPER recipes, but I never thought to look there).  So I made these as the first method of making baked fried tomatoes.

These were tasty, but not quite what I was looking for.  They pretty much were nothing like fried tomatoes, other than they were tomatoes.

They were definitely good, and I'll have to give them another shot when I'm looking for something ooey and gooey and tomatoey.

Parmesan Tomatoes From allrecipes, NRWilson

• 4 ripe tomatoes, sliced
• 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon brown mustard
  
  
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
    
    
    1.  Preheat the oven to 350.  
    2.  Lay tomatoes out on a baking sheet lined with foil or Silpat.
    3.  In a small bowl, mix together ingredients from mayonaise to salt and pepper.  Spread the mixture over each tomato slice.  Top with cheese and sprinkle with parsley.
    4.  Bake about 15 minutes until cheese is starting to brown.
    5.  Serve with mashed potatoes and corn!

Vegetable Tian

Our CSA has been going what my husband would call "buck wild" with squash this season.  It's been great, except for the obvious problem of my husband's HUGE dislike of any and all gourds.  I was really scared when I received this recipe in the "Farmstand Favorites" recipe swap.  I made it anyway, on a night he was not supposed to be home for dinner.

I made a few, slight, modifications based on what was left from our CSA basket.  I used red onions and red potatoes, and am still using up 8-ball squash.

 I was really sad that the nice Parmesan crust didn't form on mine like it did on the photos that accompany the original recipe, but it was really tasty anyway.  I believe this is meant as a side dish, but I made it as the main.

My boys really weren't into it so much.  I really enjoyed it, but it isn't hefty enough to be a complete meal.  Definitely a great side dish, though!

Thanks, Lauren, for a great recipe, and thank you Jen for hosting a great swap!

Vegetable Tian Source:  Ina Garten via For the Love of Cooking

• 2 tbsp olive oil (divided)
• 1 large red onion cut in half and sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1-2 red potatoes, scrubbed unpeeled
• 1 zucchini
• 1 yellow squash
• 3 large Roma tomatoes
• Sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• Dried thyme, to taste
• 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat a baking dish with olive oil cooking spray. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onions and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 60 seconds. Spread the onion mixture on the bottom of the greased baking dish.
2.  Slice the potatoes, zucchini, squash and tomatoes in 1/4 inch thick slices. Layer them alternately in the dish on top of the onions, fitting them tightly into a spiral, making only one layer. Season with sea salt, black pepper and dried thyme, to taste. Drizzle the last tablespoon of olive oil over the top.
3.  Cover the dish with tin foil and bake for 35 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Uncover and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top and bake for another 25-30 minutes or until browned.

Sugar Snap Peas

I'm not a great planner of side dishes.  I joined a CSA this year with a friend, and we have been loaded with peas and sugar snap peas, so I turned to the internet to find me a way to prepare them rather than just steaming.

These were so good, and I was able to better customize to what was getting close to going bad in the fridge with the simple substitution of a red onion for shallots.  I think I probably wouldn't like the shallots as much!

My son raved about these!  My husband did too, and went looking for the leftovers the next day for lunch!

Sugar Snap Peas Source:  CJCOLLINS on Allrecipes.com

 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound sugar snap peas
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped red onion
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
2. Spread sugar snap peas in a single layer on a medium baking sheet, and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with shallots, thyme, and kosher salt.
3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in the preheated oven, until tender but firm.

Roasted Asparagus

This week's recipe swap was a Celebrity Chef recipe.  I am so happy to have received a veggie side dish, since I'm always looking for great and easy ones.  I was sad to see it was asparagus, because while I love it, my husband won't eat it and I had a feeling my children would react the same way.

I thought this was delicious and couldn't possibly have been more simple.  Of course my husband didn't take any, but my children had no choice.  My 2 year old, who won't even try many foods, ate about one stalk while my 4 year old ate a few bites, especially after I called them "Truffala Trees."

Thank you so much to Dawn for this easy recipe from Ina Garten, and Sarah for hosting the swap.  Check out Sarah's blog for the whole Recipe Swap run down!



Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan Source:  Ina Garten via Simple Gourmet Cooking

2 1/2 pounds asparagus, ends trimmed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

lemon wedges, for serving

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place asparagus in a single layer on a sheet pan. Drizzle asparagus lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the asparagus and return to the oven for another two minutes. Sprinkle lightly with lemon juice and serve with lemon wedges.

Adapted from Ina Garten

Sauteed Green Beans with Tomatoes and Basil

When I was growing up, my mother ALWAYS served macaroni and cheese with stewed tomatoes on the side.  While I wasn't nuts about it then, I crave it like nuts now.

So when I was making tonight's macaroni and cheese dinner, I knew I needed to serve a nice fresh veggie side dish and stumbled upon this, and thought it would be an excellent compliment.

I was absolutely right.  This was really tasty, very easy side dish.  I didn't have any shallots around, so just skipped them, but you could very easily use onions if you'd like.

Sauteed Green Beans with Tomatoes and Basil by Giada di Laurentiis

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 large shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Parmesan Crisps, recipe follows

Directions

Cook the green beans in a large pot of boiling water until just crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water. Drain well; set aside.

Melt the butter and oil in a heavy, large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Add the beans and cook until the juices evaporate and the beans are almost tender, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Stir in the wine and basil. Simmer 2 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl, and serve.

Radiatore with Grilled Chicken and Eggplant

I love when some chef or magazine or whatever gives me a meal plan for the whole week that will reuse ingredients.  Problem for me, of course, is that there are so many "No makes" that those same folks love to add.  So it turns out that I pick and choose from the predone menu, sort of defeating its purpose.

Rachael Ray is one such organization (chef?  magazine?  I'm not sure how to categorize her, and since I'm sure her people are doing this anyway, organization seems to be the best word choice) that does this helpful tool for email subscribers.  That's where I found the recipe for Radiatore with Grilled Chicken and Eggplant.

This was almost a meatless meal for us, since putting frozen chicken in the fridge overnight didn't get it defrosted, but I put the bagged chicken in some water and let it sit on the counter, defrosting MOST of it well enough to grill.  Like so many pasta dishes, this one lends itself to substitution as your kitchen needs dictate.

One note, though, is that the recipe suggests grating the tomatoes and garlic.  Don't.  Put it in your food processor, and save yourself the blood that I shed doing this DUMB task.

We all enjoyed this one (of course, except for the child who will not eat), and I love that it's full of veggies (I'm thinking some cooked broccoli would be delicious next time), excusing me from making a side dish (what?  That's not what I'm supposed to do??)  If you're one of those lucky people who don't have a groundhog living under their deck, eating all their container vegetables, you could use whatever your garden is growing (I'm really starting to think about the suggestions of certain people that we gas or maybe take a shotgun to that groundhog...  I know my friend Lishie has a recipe for Groundhog Stew on her blog....I keeed I keeed of course.)

It's funny, one of the nights this week I made one of Rachael's recipes, my husband commented that we typically don't like her stuff.  I don't think I told him that THIS was one of her's, so I guess I need to give credit where credit is due, and he'll embrace RR recipes again!

Radiatore with Grilled Chicken and Eggplant Source:  Rachael Ray

• 2 large tomatoes (12 oz. each)
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 tbsp. EVOO, plus more for brushing
• Salt and pepper
• 2 sprigs basil, plus 1/2 cup basil leaves, torn
• 1 box (12 oz.) tricolor radiatore pasta
• 1 eggplant (1 lb.), sliced crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick rounds
• 1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Preheat a grill to medium-high. Shred the tomatoes on the large holes of a box grater set in a bowl. Stir in the garlic and 1 tbsp. EVOO; season with salt and pepper. Add the basil sprigs and let sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes. 2. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta until al dente; drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot.
2. While the pasta is cooking, brush the eggplant with a little EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Lightly oil the grill grate and grill the eggplant, covered and turning halfway through, until grill marks appear and the flesh is soft, about 10 minutes. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and grill, covered and turning halfway through, until nicely marked, about 10 minutes. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes.
3. Chop the eggplant and chicken and add to the pasta. Add the torn basil leaves and the onion. Remove the basil sprigs from the sauce and discard. Toss the sauce with the pasta, adding some of the reserved pasta cooking water to thin the consistency, if desired; season with salt and pepper.

Oven Roasted Broccoli

It's not typical for me to think about side dishes.  They're usually at the last minute consideration, meaning it's frozen veggies nuked.  Something made me buy a head of broccoli at the store the other day, which worked out great for our carb heavy, veggie and protein light, dinner that evening.

We've been on an Alton Brown kick of late, ever since my husband started DVRing Good Eats.  So, I went directly to the AB page on Food Network's website to find a great broccoli recipe, and found this one.

I liked that it gave a nice flavor to the broccoli and made it very tender.  The addition of panko gave it a nice, unexpected, crunch too.  My anti broccoli 1 year old at least kept TRYING this broccoli, rather than throwing it on the floor.  He had a tough time with the stalks, but the problem didn't seem to be the taste.

Oven Roasted Broccoli from Alton Brown

Ingredients

• 1 pound broccoli, rinsed and trimmed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan or sharp Cheddar

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the broccoli florets into bite size pieces. Cut the stalk into 1/8-inch thick, round slices. Place the broccoli into a mixing bowl and toss with the olive oil, garlic, kosher salt and pepper and set aside.

Spread the panko into a 13 by 9-inch metal cake pan and place into the oven for 2 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove the panko from the oven and add to the bowl with the broccoli mixture. Toss to combine. Return the mixture to the cake pan, place in the oven and roast just until the broccoli is tender, 8 to 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven, toss in the cheese and serve immediately.

Charred Cauliflower and Grape Tomatoes

I often forget to make sides.  Of course, most meals I cook don't involve much in the way of veggies, so getting some on the plate typically consists of throwing some frozen veggie into a bowl and nuking it to hot.  It's veggie but it's not the world's most flavorful thing on a plate.

So I stumbled across this recipe while doing some meal planning, and thought it looked yummy and easy to put together, so I added it to the meal plan (despite having done this, I still almost forgot to make it).  Tonight's dinner was A's request of mac and cheese, and I didn't add any veggies to it, so I thought it would be a great idea. 

This was really tasty.  It wasn't a great pairing with said mac and cheese, but it was delicious on its own.  And so very easy; I was able to do the whole thing while the mac and cheese baked in the oven.

Sorry for the awful picture; I forgot to adjust the white balance.  I'm also just realizing it's totally blurry.  Great job.

Charred Cauliflower and Grape Tomatoes Source:  Wegmans

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 head cauliflower, broken into small florets, wipe dry (about 5 cups)
12-16 super sweet grape tomatoes, wipe dry
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp curry powder

Directions:

1. Add 1 Tbsp oil to large skillet on HIGH, until oil faintly smokes. Add cauliflower; reduce heat to MEDIUM-HIGH. Cook 4-6 min, stirring occasionally, until darkened on the edges. Remove from pan; wipe pan of excess oil.
    
2. Add remaining Tbsp oil to skillet on HIGH, until oil faintly smokes. Add tomatoes; reduce heat to MEDIUM-HIGH. Cook 1-3 min, until they're blackened on one side.
    
3. Return cauliflower to pan with tomatoes; reduce heat to MEDIUM. Season to taste with salt; add curry powder. Saute 1-3 min, until cauliflower is heated through. (Tomatoes should remain whole, not collapse.)

Dave Lieberman's Veggie Skewers

For E's first birthday party, I decided to make vegetable skewers to healthy up our burgers and hot dogs, and found this recipe from Dave Lieberman on the Food Network's website.  I made these again to go along with some burgers for the family.

Not only are these super tasty and super healthful, but they're also so fast and so easy too.  It's really a no brainer recipe, but one I never would've thought of on my own.  I added whole mushrooms because they were on sale, and a great addition to any veggie skewer; a no brainer!

Veggie Skewers from Dave Lieberman

Ingredients

• 3 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers (or a combination of), cored, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium zucchini, trimmed, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1-inch slices
• 1 medium yellow squash, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1-inch slices
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 to 4 pinches salt
• 10 to 15 grinds pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 medium red onion, cut into 2-inch chunks*

Special Equipment:

• wooden or metal skewers

Directions

If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in plenty of water for about 10 minutes if grilling on an indoor grill pan or for 30 minutes if grilling on an outdoor grill to prevent them from burning up.

Place all of the veggies in a large bowl or baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and garlic. With your hands, toss to combine well. Stick onion pieces in with the vegetables to coat with the marinade; avoid tossing once onion is added so that the onion does not fall apart.

Alternate the vegetables with the onions on wooden or metal skewers. The onions will get nice and juicy rubbing up against the other veggies. You can do this up to a few hours before you grill them.

Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat.

Arrange the skewers on the grill pan and cook, turning often, until slightly charred, about 15 minutes. Remove from grill and serve hot or at room temperature.

*Cook's Note: To get skewer-able chunks of onions, cut the onions in half through the core and then cut each half into quarters. Remove 2 or 3 of the innermost layers, leaving the larger outermost layers. They will fit nicely on your skewers.

Chicken, Gruyere, and Veggie Quesadillas

Wow, long time no post.  No, I haven't forgotten about you, my two very dear readers, I've just been making a lot of old standbys in the past few weeks... homemade chicken nuggets, tacos with homemade taco seasoning, and pierogie bake, among other things.




Tonight, I had litle in the fridge and no meal planned.  To avoid the grocery store on a weekend, I took out some frozen chicken breast this morning.  But no plan.  As the time to start cooking approached, I realized I had some gruyere in the fridge that was intended for something or other, so turned to Mr. Google and searched for recipes with chicken and gruyere.  This recipe from Mark Bittman, which appeared in Cooking Light's April 2011 issue was the most promising thing that turned up. 

The original recipe included mustard greens, which don't typically appear in my fridge when it's well stocked, let alone when it's at the dregs.  So I turned to my dreg filled fridge and dug out some veggies I thought would go well with the recipe, and threw in some tomatoes and red pepper.  Inspired and brilliant; it was excellent.

I liked this preparation of the quesadillas; we typically cook it in a skillet, but I thought it was much easier to get them crispy this way.

I took pictures of this lovely meal, but the camera cable has disappeared in my disheveled and disorganized home.  One day they'll get uploaded....

Chicken, Gruyere, and Veggie Quesadillas, adapted from Mark Bittman as appearing in Cooking Light's April 2011 issue

• YIELD: 2 servings (serving size: 2 quesadillas)
• TOTAL: 26 MINUTES
• COURSE: Main Dishes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts(about 5 ounces), diced into small pieces
• 2 cloves pressed garlic
• Dash of kosher salt
• 4 (6-inch) whole-wheat tortillas
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Gruyère cheese
• 1 plum tomato, seeded, juiced, and diced
• 1 red pepper, seeded and diced 

Preparation

• 1. Preheat oven to 400°.
• 2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt over chicken; toss to coat. Add chicken to pan; cook 2 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic; cook 3 minute.  Remove chicken from pan with a slotted spoon.
• 3. Pour oil remaining in the skillet into a jelly-roll pan and spread; arrange tortillas in a single layer on pan. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cheese evenly over each tortilla; evenly divided chicken, then tomatoes and peppers, over each tortilla. Bake at 400° for 5 minutes or until cheese begins to melt. Remove pan from oven; carefully fold each tortilla in half, pressing gently to close. Bake quesadillas an additional 10 minutes or until browned and crisp, turning carefully after 5 minutes.
• Let cool

Mark Bittman, Cooking Light
APRIL 2011

Porrrk Chops and Appleshauce

For the latest recipe swap, the theme was grilling.  I got a whole meal plan from the lovely Kelly.  We've only had a grill for about a year, so I really didn't know how to grill the pork chops, and so went to the internet.  I found a website that gave great instructions, but my instant read thermometer is still lacking it's battery, so I sort of guessed.  Argggh, they weren't all cooked all the way.

At any rate, M's first comment was "this is a really interesting rub."  I thought it was really tasty, but was nervous The Boy wouldn't like it, claiming it was "too spicy."  He didn't like the pork at all, but didn't say why.

I thought this was an interesting take on pork chops; my husband typically doesn't like them, generally saying they are too dry.  While he wasn't over the moon about this preparation (but he's generally anti pork chop in the first place), he didn't say he didn't like them.

As I said, Kelly gave me a whole meal plan.  In addition to the grilled pork chops, she also gave the recipe for the big hit of the night, Garlic Red Mashed Potatoes.  Everyone (except for the Babe, who seems to have an anti mashed potato texture thing going on right now) enjoyed these. 

Finally, Kelly made roasted asparagus (which I LOVE, but hubby will not touch), so I chose to make Roasted Broccoli, using a recipe from Food Network Kitchens.  Well, the parts that weren't blackened were pretty tasty, but those that were were pretty bad.  I couldn't figure out how to peel the broccoli stalks, despite reading a few tutorials online, so so just used the florets.  Gotta learn how to do that so I don't feel so wasteful.

Also, like Kelly, I made applesauce to go along.  Another hit here; I used Baked Applesauce, but since it was my intent to feed it to both kiddos, I used four small apples and one T of brown sugar.  It was still devoured by all four of us, so I will continue to reduce the sugar.

 

Thank you, Kelly, for the inspiration to make a complete meal using fresh ingredients!  I probably never would have tried pork chops on the grill without the recommendation.

Asparagus!

I love asparagus.  It's also one of the many things on my husband's do not eat list.  Nonetheless, when I saw bunches of them at the entrance of our grocery store, I grabbed a nice looking bunch.  I made them last night, alongside a tasty but not very photogenic meal from Cook's Country magazine, and served them to the boys and me.

Astonishingly, I didn't have any regular lemons on hand, but did have some Meyer lemons around, so I used them.

This was so simple, so light and fresh and delicious.

Lemon-Parsley Asparagus Food Network Magazine May 2011
Also found here
Boil 2 bunches asparagus 4 to 5 minutes; drain. Mix 1/2 cup chopped parsley, 1 tablespoon each lemon zest and juice, 1 minced garlic clove, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and salt and pepper in a bowl. Drizzle the asparagus with olive oil and top with the parsley mixture.

Roasted Cauliflower

I've never had Souvlaki before, so when I was making it for dinner tonight, I googled "what sides to serve with souvlaki?" and was taken to this post, in which a responder suggested this side dish.  WHEW, now there's a train of thought.  It was kismet, since I had just bought a bag of frozen cauliflower the day before.

This made a damn good, and so very easy, side dish!  It was very light, but also picked up a lot of the great flavors from the souvlaki.

I don't typically make side dishes, mostly because I forget, but largely because I'm so busy preparing the main meal, I don't have time to deal with making a side dish.  I usually will just buy those boxes of frozen side dishes, but now that we're ALL eating from the table, those don't go very far.  This, however, is super easy--all you have to do is toss it with some oil, garlic, and a few other things you already have in your pantry, toss it in the oven, stir it once, and serve it.

Yummy!

Roasted Cauliflower, Source:  RouxBe Cooking School

Step 1: Making the Dressing

To make the dressing, crush the garlic over a large bowl. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil and then set aside, while you prepare the cauliflower.

• 1 clove garlic
• zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
• freshly cracked pepper (to taste)
• 2 to 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Step 2: Preparing and Roasting the Cauliflower

• 1 whole head cauliflower (I used half a bag of frozen cauliflower)
• parmesan cheese (optional)

To start the cauliflower, preheat your oven to 450° degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the large florets from the cauliflower and cut them into even-sized pieces. Any of the very large florets can be sliced in half. Place the cauliflower into the dressing and toss.
To roast the cauliflower, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Lay any flat pieces of cauliflower cut-side down, so they caramelize nicely. Roast for about 10 minutes before tossing. Return to the oven for about 3 or 4 minutes, until it's almost cooked through.
Once it is almost cooked through, grate some fresh parmesan cheese over top, if desired. Place back into the oven for another minute or so, just to melt the cheese.
Transfer to a serving dish and enjoy.

Winter Vegetable Hash

Meatless Wednesday!

I found this recipe on allrecipes, and figured it was a great choice.  It used up several things in my fridge from the co-op, seemed easy enough, and would mean a meatless meal for the week.  Yes, it had squash in it, but I figured it would be easy enough for BAJ to pick them out and wouldn't affect the flavor.

I started preparing it, and discovered the acorn squash (merely a week old and kept in the fridge) had gone moldy inside.  So, having read some of the reviews, I made modifications and threw in whatever I had around the house.

So, I started with the oil and the butter, then added my onion and potatoes.  I was chopping as I went, so I let those go for awhile, added some carrots and celery, then some red pepper and shallot.  Finally, I added in the mushrooms.  I seasoned with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.  I also added some balsamic.  Then, when the potatoes were soft, and the carrots were slightly crunchy, I added the kale and the sage (which I diced) until the kale was good and wilty.

I enjoyed it enough to eat two platefuls, but certainly not enough to make again.  BAJ, however, started by picking out the kale, then finally just stopped eating because he really didn't like it.  The Boy went through his, "I don't like that, even though I haven't even tasted it" routine, then finally had a taste.  He said he liked it, but then wouldn't eat any more.

Ah well.  You can't always win, but at least I didn't waste the vegetables without even trying something, like sometimes happens with stuff from the co-op!

Here's the original recipe, in case someone stumbles onto my blog looking for the vegan website christinacooks.com and wants to try.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, diced
• 1/2 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 small acorn squash, diced
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch ground black pepper
• 1 cup chopped kale
• 4 sprigs fresh sage

Directions

1. Place oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Melt butter and mix in potatoes, mushrooms, pepper, squash, and shallot. Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cook 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender.
2. Mix kale and sage into skillet. Continue cooking 5 minutes, until kale is wilted. Serve and enjoy!

Stuffed Zucchini Boats

This week, my produce co-op gave us an enormous zucchini.


With no idea what to do with it, I took the recipe they provided, which also used up a lot of the other ingredients in the box.  Mind you, my husband doesn't like zucchini AT ALL, so I made it for lunch one day for Little Man and me.



It sounds like it would be good, but I couldn't muster more than a few bites.


Ingredients:
1 very large zucchini or yellow squash, washed and cut in half lengthwise
1-2 hot peppers, washed, seeded, and chopped (opt)
2c bread crumbs
1-2 tomatoes, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, pressed
1lb ground turkey or mased tofu, (opt)
1-2 onions, chopped
1 bunch Swiss chard, washed, boiled for 2 minutes, drained and chopped
cheese or soy cheese

Saute onions in a large skillet with garlic and chopped hot peppers.  Add ground turkey or tofu and cook till browned.  Ad Swiss chard greens and mix well.  Season with salt and pepper.   Remove from heat and add bread crumbs and chopped tomatoes.  Scoop seeds out of zucchini halves.  Stuff zucchinis wtih veggie mixture; top with cheese and place on an oiled baking sheet, covered with foil.  Bake in a 425 degree oven for about 1/2 an hour, or until squash is tender.  Uncover in last 5 minutes of cooking so cheese can brown.  Serve with tomato ketchup or tomato sauce.

No Bake Stuffed Peppers

I really need to put my meal plan on here, because the sheet of paper I do it on has gotten lost two weeks in a row. I know Stuffed Peppers was on there, and had the ingredients ready, so to the internet! I found this in my Reader, and it's from Sing for Your Supper.

This was pretty easy to put together, and though we couldn't get Little Man to eat much, we both enjoyed it a lot. This will definitely be making it into our rotation; it's like the perfect meal--veggie, lean protein, and some whole grains!

2 medium bell peppers (any color)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon basil
1-15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 pound lean ground beef I used ground turkey
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups rice, cooked
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Cut peppers in half lengthwise. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, drop the peppers in and boil for 5-6 minutes. In a small bowl, mix tomato sauce, basil and sugar and set aside. Brown meat and onion in a large skillet; drain. Stir in 1/2 the tomato sauce, 1/2 cup of the rice and the salt I just guessed--maybe a teaspoon or two. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes; stir in cheese. Spoon meat mixture into peppers and place into skillet. Pour remaining tomato sauce around peppers; cover and simmer. Top with additional cheese, if desired. Serve on top of remaining rice.

Carrots

This is a wonderful recipe that comes from my America's Test Kitchen cookbook. I chose it to accompany the Chicken Saltimbocca I made because I had a ton of carrots, and the flavors in both were similar (thyme, lemon). These were delicious! My husband actually made these while I took care of other things.

Spanish Sausage and Vegetable Kebabs, Take 2

I decided that, with the arrival of our brand new grill, it was time to try out Robin Miller's taken on kebabs again (We tried it previously on the Foreman with lackluster results). It was my very first time grilling! I think the photo came out beautifully, if I do say so myself!

I thought they were much better with the addition of char from the grill, but M still wasn't impressed. I'm now inspired, though, and want to make kebabs all the time!

I followed this one close to exactly as written, from Robin Rescues Dinner.

Lemon Pepper Shrimp Scampi with Green Beans

When I am meal planning, I always ask my husband if he has any requests. Typically, his response will be "I want some kind of shrimp." Some of those real home chefs might think this empty palette a wonderful thing. I am not a real home chef. I'm just someone trying to cook some "slop," as my mom always used to say. He's a "finicky," shall we say, kind of guy, so I get frustrated sometimes.

This meal was a success.

I found it in my Google Reader, and was pleased to see I had everything necessary to make... all the shrimp recipes in my magazines called for fish sauce or clam broth... what's up with that? I found it on the Sweet Savory Southern blog, which has all kinds of tasty treats. You can find the recipe here.

I did things a little differently... Obviously, I used spaghetti (whole grain!) instead of orzo. But, I also used olive oil instead of all that butter. I heated the oil and added the garlic (way more than a teaspoonful). I got it fragrant, and then added the shrimp, which I had seasoned with both salt and pepper. I cooked it all the way, then added the lemon juice and some more pepper. This seemed to cut down on steps, which made sense to me.

I also served what has quickly become my signature side dish. It's my take on ATK braised green beans. I heated some olive oil, and added some diced onion. I added some chicken stock and green beans, and simmered until the beans were soft (I think I did 10 minutes?), and added some Craisins into the mix about halfway (I usually add them at the beginning, but forgot)... stirred a few times while simmering.

We both enjoyed the meal as a whole, and even got The Boy to eat some pasta and some beans.

Lemon Pepper Shrimp Scampi

• 1  cup  uncooked orzo (obviously I subbed spaghetti)
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt, divided
• 7  teaspoons  unsalted butter, divided
• 1 1/2  pounds  peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp
• 2  teaspoons  bottled minced garlic (I used fresh)
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper

1. Cook orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Place orzo in a medium bowl. Stir in parsley and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cover and keep warm.
2. While orzo cooks, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle shrimp with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add half of shrimp to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until almost done. Transfer shrimp to a plate. Melt 1 teaspoon butter in pan. Add remaining shrimp to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until almost done. Transfer to plate.
3. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in pan. Add garlic to pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in shrimp, juice, and pepper; cook 1 minute or until shrimp are done.