My husband "doesn't like" veggies, but I found if I cook them right he'll eat them right up. I discovered some posts on food blogs about roasting veggies and after a few tries have a pretty good formula for it. I'll post a list of the things I use most often, but you can sub almost any veggie in the list with something else. Also, thick veggies (carrots, etc) might need a good parboil before being added.
2 c. broccoli.
2 c. cauliflower
1 c. zucchini, cut into 1/4 in. coins
2 c. carrots, cut into 1 in. pieces
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed (see below)
2 c. brussel sprouts
2 tbsp EVOO
salt and pepper to taste
In a large bowl, mix the EVOO, salt, pepper and veggies.
Mix to coat.
Roast, uncovered, at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.
Toss and roast another five minutes.
Be amazed at how much people love your veggies!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Roasted Chicken
This is more like a method and less a recipe. Roasted chicken is the one thing that will always impress your guests. It makes the house smell awesome when they arrive and it looks wonderful out of the oven. Carve and amaze further. This is my general method. The herbs could be mixed and matched depending on your end result.
1 chicken, about 5lbs.
fresh rosemary, 2 twigs
8 garlic cloves
olive oil
herbs to taste (dried, I used a rub)
salt and pepper
Open chicken and remove giblets. Rinse and pat dry.
Coarsely cut garlic cloves.
Season chicken cavity with salt and pepper.
Insert garlic and rosemary into cavity.
Lightly oil the outside of the chicken with olive oil.
Rub with salt, pepper, and herbs.
Roast breast up for about 2 hours. Carve and serve.
The reason why I call this a method is because you could change the seasoning and change the flavor. Lemons in the cavity, peppers on top? Lemon pepper chicken! Rotisserie seasoning, and nothing inside! Rotisserie flavor!
For those new to roasting, your supermarket should sell a 'poultry mix' or 'roasting mix' of fresh herbs for the cavity of your chicken. Just don't forget to add some garlic!
1 chicken, about 5lbs.
fresh rosemary, 2 twigs
8 garlic cloves
olive oil
herbs to taste (dried, I used a rub)
salt and pepper
Open chicken and remove giblets. Rinse and pat dry.
Coarsely cut garlic cloves.
Season chicken cavity with salt and pepper.
Insert garlic and rosemary into cavity.
Lightly oil the outside of the chicken with olive oil.
Rub with salt, pepper, and herbs.
Roast breast up for about 2 hours. Carve and serve.
The reason why I call this a method is because you could change the seasoning and change the flavor. Lemons in the cavity, peppers on top? Lemon pepper chicken! Rotisserie seasoning, and nothing inside! Rotisserie flavor!
For those new to roasting, your supermarket should sell a 'poultry mix' or 'roasting mix' of fresh herbs for the cavity of your chicken. Just don't forget to add some garlic!
Butternut Risotto
I am swimming in squash. As in, the one I roasted the other day left me with FOUR butternuts on the counter. Since my parents were coming for dinner, I decided to try something new: Butternut Squash Risotto. I saw a ton of recipes online and based this one off what I liked from all of them, and kept the health benefits in mind. My dad, who was previously rumored to call my falafel "fal-awful" because it didn't have meat, took seconds of this! It went great with roasted chicken and roasted veggies, which I guess I need to post recipes for.
2 c. rice (arborio is best, but any should work)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic (ahem, 4, ahem!), chopped
1 c. dry white wine
4 c. chicken stock (veggie would work, beef would not work)
1 c. water
12 oz. butternut sqaush puree
1/2 c. parmesan cheese, freshly shredded
salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste
extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
In a small saucepan, boil stock and water. Set aside.
Spray a saucepan with olive oil (WHAT? you don't have a Misto, yet?! If you don't have one, use up to 2 tbsp in the pan, but a Misto controls the calories a little).
When the oil is hot, add garlic and onions. Cook until tender, about 2 minutes.
Pour in rice, and toast about 3 minutes.
Add wine and cook until almost evaporated, about three minutes.
Add in about two ladles-ful of broth (about 1.5 cups). Simmer until evaporated. Continue adding broth and simmering until the broth is gone.
In the last 3 minutes of cooking, add in the squash puree, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
In the last minute, add in parmesan.
Enjoy the compliments from this one! I had two people I thought would hate this take seconds!
2 c. rice (arborio is best, but any should work)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic (ahem, 4, ahem!), chopped
1 c. dry white wine
4 c. chicken stock (veggie would work, beef would not work)
1 c. water
12 oz. butternut sqaush puree
1/2 c. parmesan cheese, freshly shredded
salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste
extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
In a small saucepan, boil stock and water. Set aside.
Spray a saucepan with olive oil (WHAT? you don't have a Misto, yet?! If you don't have one, use up to 2 tbsp in the pan, but a Misto controls the calories a little).
When the oil is hot, add garlic and onions. Cook until tender, about 2 minutes.
Pour in rice, and toast about 3 minutes.
Add wine and cook until almost evaporated, about three minutes.
Add in about two ladles-ful of broth (about 1.5 cups). Simmer until evaporated. Continue adding broth and simmering until the broth is gone.
In the last 3 minutes of cooking, add in the squash puree, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
In the last minute, add in parmesan.
Enjoy the compliments from this one! I had two people I thought would hate this take seconds!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Swedish Meatballs (bork, bork, bork)!
Today I got an intense craving for swedish meatballs. These didn't turn out quite as expected, but were still quite tasty. I used a recipe I found online as a guide; as always, and made it my own. This isn't super healthy. But sometimes? I don't care!
2 slices white bread (I used a leftover Amoroso roll)
1/4 c. milk
2 tbsp butter
1/2 large onion
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 lbs. ground meat. (traditionally would be a mix of chuck and veal or pork)
2 egg yolks
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 c. flour
3 cups beef broth (i used almost 5, cause I like lotsa gravy)
1/4 c. cream (light works fine, I used 1/3)
1/2 pack egg noodles
Break the bread up into small pieces and place in a small bowl. Pour milk over top. Let sit.
Peel and grate half a large onion into a dish. Mince garlic and add to bowl. Add meat, yolks, pepper, allspice, bread mix, and salt. Mix well.
Roll meatballs from mix.
Heat a skillet and add meatballs, but don't crowd (this is key- if they are crowded, you can't turn them). Brown meatballs on all sides and place on a baking pan. Keep in warm oven until all meatballs are cooked.
Start water for egg noodles. I boiled mine in beef stock to make them extra tasty.
Add butter (optional, I did it for flavor) to the skillet you cooked the meatballs in.
Stir in flour and mix until flour becomes brown and bubbly.
Gradually stir in beef broth. Stir it until it becomes the desired consistency. I like mine really thick so I stirred for 10 mins.
Stir in cream, and whisk until desired consistency.
Add meatballs to gravy mix. Simmer a few minutes, and then serve over noodles.
NOM.
you can freeze the meatballs before or after they're sauced. If its before, spread them in a single layer on a baking dish, freeze, then bag. Otherwise, throw balls and gravy into a freezer bag and save for a night you don't feel like cooking.
2 slices white bread (I used a leftover Amoroso roll)
1/4 c. milk
2 tbsp butter
1/2 large onion
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 lbs. ground meat. (traditionally would be a mix of chuck and veal or pork)
2 egg yolks
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 c. flour
3 cups beef broth (i used almost 5, cause I like lotsa gravy)
1/4 c. cream (light works fine, I used 1/3)
1/2 pack egg noodles
Break the bread up into small pieces and place in a small bowl. Pour milk over top. Let sit.
Peel and grate half a large onion into a dish. Mince garlic and add to bowl. Add meat, yolks, pepper, allspice, bread mix, and salt. Mix well.
Roll meatballs from mix.
Heat a skillet and add meatballs, but don't crowd (this is key- if they are crowded, you can't turn them). Brown meatballs on all sides and place on a baking pan. Keep in warm oven until all meatballs are cooked.
Start water for egg noodles. I boiled mine in beef stock to make them extra tasty.
Add butter (optional, I did it for flavor) to the skillet you cooked the meatballs in.
Stir in flour and mix until flour becomes brown and bubbly.
Gradually stir in beef broth. Stir it until it becomes the desired consistency. I like mine really thick so I stirred for 10 mins.
Stir in cream, and whisk until desired consistency.
Add meatballs to gravy mix. Simmer a few minutes, and then serve over noodles.
NOM.
you can freeze the meatballs before or after they're sauced. If its before, spread them in a single layer on a baking dish, freeze, then bag. Otherwise, throw balls and gravy into a freezer bag and save for a night you don't feel like cooking.
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