Roasted Veggies

I love vegetables! I mean, I truly adore them! I will eat a bowl full of veggies over fruit any day. I try to make at least 2-3 meals a week that are mostly vegetarian. I have found that roasting veggies is an easy way to make sure that my family is getting a lot of veggies in one serving. A few years ago my friend and neighbor, Kim P. made me one of her signature dishes with roasted veggies. Her veggies contained a root vegetable, that up to that point, I would have never, ever have eaten---they were BEETS! yuck! Well, after that dinner, I was hooked on roasted beets, their earthly loveliness is like nothing I have ever tasted. I love, love them roasted---and now, I will even eat them in a salad and pickled. 

Since, that dinner I have more perfectly, perfected the art of roasting vegetables. I used to throw them in with whatever meat I was cooking, but have since found that they taste much better roasting them by themselves and slowly. I use mostly root veggies, but, really, any veggie will do. They are the perfect side dish to the Sunday Roasted Chicken. I use the leftovers later in the week for all sorts of other dishes, such as, pizza toppings, a frittata, a pasta topping, risotto topping or a delish Roasted Veggie Winter Tart that I make (I will post that recipe sometime). Whatever I am making at the beginning of the week usually, will work in other dishes that I have mapped out for that weeks' menu. It is a very cost and time effecient way of cooking.

Ingredients:
1 small sweet onion (such as a Vidalia onion)
1 small red onion
1 yam or sweet potato
1 russet potato
3-4 carrots
1 bunch of beets (there are usually 3-4 beets per bunch)
3 celery stalks
& whatever other veggies strike your fancy---Roma tomatos are good to use, winter squashes ie.zucchini, mushrooms, or any other veggie in season or root veggie you like.
1 tsp Balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp Olive oil
Tbsp crushed garlic
1 tsp Provencal herbs (or a mix of thyme, lavendar & rosemary)
Salt (I almost always use Kosher salt and save table salt for eggs or baking) and Pepper (fresh cracked is my preference).

Directions:
Wash & chop all veggies (chop chunky---not fine)

Washed and chopped

Put veggies in a ziplock baggie and then add

all spices, oil and vinegar 

 

Coat all veggies with the spices, oil and vinegar. I find that putting it all in the ziplock is the best way to make sure all your veggies are evenly coated. However, if you don't have any on hand or you don't want to be wasteful---a bowl works fine too.

Line a cookie sheet with tin foil (if you want---I like to do it this because it makes for easy clean up, again you can skip this step if you don't have any foil or you don't want to be wasteful).

Dump veggies onto sheet;

spread veggies out with a wooden spoon (any spoon will do ;)

Roast veggies in a preheated 325 degree oven and roast until a fork goes easily into the potatos & beets, since they are the bigger veggies they will take a little longer than the others. Usually around 40-50 min. Check the veggies about every 15 min and stir them...you are basically, carmalizing the veggies in the oven. You want to make sure they are all coated with the sugars that are being released from the veggies.

Remove from oven and Viola!

Roasted, luscious, rich goodness!!

 

Transfer to a bowl (it's the same one I used at the beginning & yes, I washed it ;)

Sunday Roasted Chicken with Veggies

My favorite dinner of the week, Sunday dinner. I have always loved the idea of Sunday dinner. My dad's mom always had a family style Sunday dinner every---well, Sunday. I have taken over this family tradition. I usually make some sort of roasted meal that I can turn into other meals throughout the week.

Ingredients:
One 2- to 3-pound farm-raised chicken, or organic (or whatever chicken you perfer)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons thyme
1 teaspoon garlic powder (or whatever garlic you have on hand will work fine)
1 stick unsalted soft (not melted) butter
2 carrots
1 large onion
2 large potatos
A bunch of beets (there are usually 3 stalks in a bunch)
Olive oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Rinse the chicken, then dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out. 

Now, mix the butter with the salt, pepper, garlic and thyme, to a paste. Rub the chicken with the butter paste, like you were rubbing it with suntan lotion. This is how it will get it's nice brown skin when you take the foil off later. Place the chicken in a large dutch oven or deep pan.

Now, wash and cut up all your veggies in large chunks and them all around the chicken. Drizzle just a little of the olive oil onto your veggies. Cover in tin foil, the put the chicken in the oven. I leave it alone—I don't baste it. Roast it until it's done, 50 to 60 minutes (the last 20 min or so take off the foil and let it brown). Remove it from the oven. Baste the chicken with the juices & let it rest for 15 minutes. Then serve!

Roasted Tomato Soup w/Mozzerella Cheese Sammies

Ingredients:

5 Roma tomatos
3 large garlic cloves
1 jar of roasted peppers (or can roast them yourself....I had a jar on hand and used it)
2 celery stocks
2 carrots
1 medium onion
1 can tomato sauce (29 oz)
1 can chicken broth (14.5 oz)
2 can crushed tomatos (14.5 oz)
1 can tomato paste (4 oz)
fresh basil (I used about 8 leaves)
1/4 tsp salt, pepper, thyme, ginger, oregano, white pepper, paprika and mustard (dry).
1 tsp brown sugar

Garnish:
sour cream or cream fraiche
Parmesan cheese

Sammies:
Good bread
Mozzerlla cheese...whatever kind you want to use.

Directions:

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Wash and slice the Roma's and the garlic throw them in a ziplock bag add olive oil and a little s & p. Shake. Place on cookie sheet. Roast at 250 for about 2 hours. Shut stove off and leave in warm oven until ready to use.

Cut all veggies and place in food processor (don't worry if you don't have any of this stuff....just chop fine and blend at the end or leave chunky if you like it that way). Place veggies in a hot soup pot w/ olive oil and 1/4 pat of butter. Omit butter if you want.

While this is all cooking and getting nice and translucent. Take out the cookie sheet of Romas & garlic slide them into the food processor add roasted peppers and about a 1/4 tsp paprika pluse until blended. Add to veggies.

Then add all your canned goods, and spices including fresh basil. Cook for about 45 min on low until bubbling. Shut off and let simmer.

Make your grilled mozzerlla cheese sammies....bread, cheese and grill. Laddle your soup in bowl and garnish. Yum...that's what for dinner tonight folks!

Turkey Leftover Stuffing Meatloaf

I found this recipe a few years ago from the Rachael Ray website. I now, use my leftover Sage Stuffing for the recipe. It is modified from it's original version. If you want her original version got to Rachael Ray and look it up. Here is my version:

Ingredients

Use leftover Thanksgiving Stuffing (about 2 cups)

2 pounds ground all-white turkey (or a mix of dark and white meat)

1 Tbsp poultry seasoning

1 large egg

Salt and ground black pepper

1 cup chicken stock

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
 
In a medium-size bowl, add the stock and the stuffing (basically, you are remoisting the stuffing...however, if you find that your stuffing is pretty moist then omit the stock or the loaf will be too wet). Toss around, letting the stuffing soak up the liquid, then add it to the bowl with the turkey. Mix everything together well, then throw it into a bread pan or loaf pan. Coat with olive oil, transfer to the oven and roast until brown and cooked through, about an hour.


I usually use up all the rest of the sides from Tday...green beans, mashed potatos, cranberry sauce. Delish!

Pumpkin Curry Soup

I used fresh pumpkin for my soup. I have made this every year for the past 10 years. Every year, I do something a little different this year was no exception. Sometimes, I use different squashes, but always the same basic recipe.

Ingredients:

3-4 cups fresh pumpkin (or any squash acorn is really good, butternut squash is just as yummy). You can use canned if you want (it is just not the same ;)

1 Large onion (or 2 med-small ones), finely chopped

2-3 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp flour

3 cups chicken stock

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp poultry seasoning

1/2 tsp curry (you can add more if you want a stronger curry flavor...I like just a hint)

1 cup 2 % milk (you can use heavy cream if you wish, I do sometimes, however, I do not always have it on hand and I find whole milk or 2 % works just fine)

Fresh Pumpkin or any squash~ wash squash, cut in half, discard seeds and the stringy stuff inside (sometimes I roast the seeds, but usually, I toss them). Cut squash in large pieces, and steam till tender. Cool, scrape and mash, then set aside.

Next, in a medium pan on medium heat, melt butter, saute onion till tender, add flour, cook flour with onions for 2-3 min. Gradually, add in chicken broth (it works best if all ingredients are ready to go!), the pumpkin, let cook for about 15 min, then add all seasonings. If your soup is not smooth...at this point you can use some sort of hand held blending device to make it smooth...I like mine a little more chunky. Then add milk. Let simmer...do not boil...or cook on high.

Laddle in to bowls, sprinke with a little parmesan cheese and fresh pepper. Delish!!! It is even better the next day or couple days.

Sage Stuffing

Ingredients:

8 cups of coursely chopped bread (you can use any kind of bread or stuffing bread some boxes have two bags use both)  

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh sage 

1 cup (one stick) unsalted butter

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped 

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 cup finely chopped celery

1 medium apple chopped

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 cup turkey giblet stock or low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup parmesan cheese (for topping)

about....1 tsp salt, pepper, poultry seasoning
 
PreparationPreheat oven to 325°F.




If you are using fresh bread crumbs: spread all bread crumbs in 2 shallow baking pans and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven until dry, about 15 minutes total. Cool crumbs in pans on racks, then transfer to a large bowl and stir in sage, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning.

Melt butter and olive oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, then add onions and garlic cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add celery and apple cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl with crumbs and toss well. Add egg and stock, toss well.

Transfer stuffing to a buttered 2 1/2- to 3-quart shallow baking dish. Top with parmesan cheese. Bake, covered, in middle of oven 30 minutes, then uncover and bake until browned, about 30 minutes more.

Note:

*Stuffing can be assembled (but not baked) 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature before baking.

Pumpkin Pie Spice Cookies

These cookies are to die for! Beware...you cannot eat just one...and everyone will be coming back for seconds and thirds. My boys love these cookies. They would eat a whole batch if I let them.

Ingredients


*2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
*1 1/2 cups white sugar
*1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork.

 
2 cups confectioners' sugar

3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency.

NOTES:

*You can use 1/2 white flour, 1/2 wheat flour, however, your cookie will come out a little more dense vs cakey.
*You can use 1/2 brown sugar and 1/2 white sugar with the same results.
*If you want substitue with 1cup fresh pumpkin or 3/4 cup persimmon pulp (the persimmon pulp is a little more watery than the pumpkin squash).
*Lastly, you can add walnuts, and or raisins or cranberries.