I had one lovely Golden beet in my hand and I wondered what to do with it. I decided to slice it up with my mandoline and make beet chips – something I’d never done before. I turned the oven on to about 325 F and laid them on a Silpat mat. I sprayed the slices lightly with olive oil and gave them a sprinkling of sea salt. It only took a few minutes (with an eagle eye on them in case they burned, which they quickly do) and the result were crisp, sweet beet chips. The perfect healthy snack!

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Categories:	Veggies	9 Comments
Tags:	beet chip • beets • golden beets • roasting • root vegetables • snacks • veggie chips

You like potato and I like potahto,
You like tomato and I like tomahto,
Potato, potahto, tomato, tomahto,
Let’s just call the whole thing delish!

Alright, alright, I’ll keep my day job. I know I can’t sing for squat, but my taste buds sure struck a fine cord when they tasted this dish. Tender, buttery new potatoes and sweet little red tomatoes lightly salted and roasted – the perfect side to just about anything: fish, poultry, a big fat juicy steak, or just a simple tossed green salad.

Roasted Potatoes and Tomatoes

• Preheat oven to 475 degrees F,
• Rub potatoes with softened butter or olive oil (or a bit of both! Restaurants do it, so can we!),
• Toss in a bowl with salt and fresh cracked pepper to thoroughly coat,
• Place potatoes in a roasting pan or on a cookie sheet and roast for about 30 minutes or until softened, turning frequently to brown all sides,
• Add tomatoes about 15 minutes prior to pulling the entire dish out of the oven.

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Categories:	Veggies	6 Comments
Tags:	Food • foodista • potatoes • roasting • side dish • tomatoes

People either love or hate squash. In my case, it’s both. Frozen squash, that generic brick of yellow sludge that some of us grew up trying to conceal in our napkins – hate it. Worse, our mothers said it was good for us — kiss of death.

Fresh squash on the other hand is a wonder, especially this time of year when varieties are plentiful and story book colorful. They’re almost too pretty to eat, but not quite.

This preparation combines microwave and conventional cooking to reduce the overall time involved. I had more than enough squash for one meal so I did a savory topping and a sweet topping.  As a bonus you get toasted seeds, not much extra work and a really fine treat. You can “teriyaki” them or not as you like. I like.

With a glass of wine in hand the time will fly and you will have lots of tasty squash left over to puree or use in another meal. The seeds will all get eaten up before you finish the bottle of wine, guaranteed.

INGREDIENTS:
Winter squash, each squash quartered and seeds and pulp removed
Olive oil or melted butter for brushing
1/4 c Brown sugar
1-2  large cloves garlic, put through a press or chopped
1/2 t Ground cinnamon
1/4 t Ground cloves or ginger or both
1/2  t pepper or other savory spice (we also added some dried oregano)
water. orange juice, white wine or chicken broth
Soy sauce, teriyaki sauce or Ponzu sauce for seasoning seeds, optional

PREPARATION: microwave stage
Select a microwave and oven-proof casserole large enough to hold the squash
Brush bottom of pan with oil or butter
Quarter squash and scrape out seeds and pulp.  A melon baller or grapefruit spoon with serrated edge works well for this
Discard pulp and place seeds (some pesky pulp will remain attached) into colander and set aside
Place squash quarters skin side up in the pan
Brush skins with olive oil or melted butter
Fill pan about 1″ deep with your chosen liquid
Cover tightly and microwave on high setting until the squash is fork tender, approximately 20 minutes

SEED PREPARATION:
Select a pie tin or other oven-proof shallow pan for roasting seeds. Brush with oil.
Run seeds in colander under cold water and rub between fingers to remove pulp
Pour seeds out onto a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and pat dry
Place seeds into oiled pie tin or pan and spread in a single layer

OVEN STAGE AND SEED ROASTING:
Preheat oven to 375 and set rack at mid level with another rack below at lowest level
Remove pan of cooked squash from microwave and pour off accumulated liquid
Turn squash pieces skin side down, cut side up
Brush “savory” pieces with butter or oil and top with garlic and pepper
Brush “sweet” pieces with butter or olive oil, then top with combined brown sugar and the other spices
Place pan uncovered into oven on middle rack
Place seed pan into oven on lowest rack.

Bake squash until the toppings are nicely browned and melted, approximately 10 minutes. Watch so they don’t burn
Bake seeds until they dry out and begin to “pop.” They will burn easily so keep an eye on them and stir occasionally
The seeds are done when golden brown
If you wish to “teriyaki” flavor the seeds, brush until moistened with soy sauce, teriyaki sauce or (my favorite) Ponzu sauce
Return to oven until the seeds dry again, then remove, cool until you can’t wait any longer, then dig in

These same techniques and toppings work well with pumpkin and the seeds are extra tasty.

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Categories:	Veggies	1 Comment
Tags:	Food • foodista • pumpkin • roasting • seeds • squash

My step-father makes the best stuffed roasted peppers. Really, they truly are the best. I’ve tried to think of a word that perfectly describes them, and the only one that best sums them up is this: bitchin’. Yup, they are that good.

Bitchin’ good.

Here’s what I think is the key (other than all the yummy goodness he puts inside): roasting the peppers. And roasting good quality peppers. Roasting them brings out their natural sweetness and adds a wonderful smokey flavor, otherwise they’d just be plain old good stuffed peppers, right?

Stuffed Roasted Peppers
From “Dr. Bob”

3-4 large peppers
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 lb ground beef
1 small can tomato sauce
½ can tomato paste
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cilantro
3 tomatoes, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded (you may use chili sauce or hot sauce instead)
1 cup cooked rice
1 cup cooked corn
Cheddar cheese

Fire the peppers on the grill or under the broiler until they’re black, then put them in a paper bag for a few minutes. Once cooled a bit, remove the peels (they should just slide off). For longer peppers (e.g. pasilla) make a slit down the center to remove the seeds. Keep the cap on for presentation. If your peppers are the regular bell pepper size then remove the cap to stuff from the top. Then, without cutting through the pepper, slice a bit off the bottom so the pepper will stand upright.

Sauté the chopped onion. In a large saucepan brown the ground beef, then add the onions. Add 1 small can tomato sauce and 1/2 can tomato paste. Mix in the minced garlic, diced tomatoes, and jalapeno pepper. Add the cooked rice and corn, then mix well.

Stuff peppers and cover with grated Cheddar cheese.

Bake at 325 degrees for 30 mins.  Serve with refried bean

Note: for a vegetarian version use tofu or soy meats.

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Categories:	Uncategorized	8 Comments
Tags:	fire roasted • fire roasted peppers • Food • foodista • peppers • roasted peppers • roasting • stuffed peppers • Veggies

I hated beets as a kid. I only liked my grandma’s pickled beets because they were sweet. But as an adult I can’t get enough of them. And what’s easier than tossing a bunch in the oven to roast? Mix them up with a few other root vegetables and you have the perfect healthy meal. Colorful too!

Another oh so tasty dish is this simple crimson soup. It’s wonderful served hot or chilled, and looks beautiful in your bowl.

Roasted Beet Soup
This recipe is delicious with either golden or red beets.

3 Tablespoons butter
9 medium beets (should measure 8 to 9 cups once cut)
4 1/2 cups chopped onions
4 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
6 cups (or more) chicken broth
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons crème fraîche or sour cream

Roast beets whole with skin on in a 375 degree oven for 1 hour or until tender. Remove from oven and let cool to touch. Cut off the ends and remove the skin. It should come off quite easily. Chop into ½ inch cubes to measure 8-9 cups.

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, ginger, and lemon peel. Saute for about 2-3 minutes, then add the broth and beets; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; let stand 20 minutes.

Puree soup in blender in batches until smooth. Return puree to pot. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice to soup and thin with more broth, if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Garnish with crème fraîche or sour cream.

Makes 8 servings.

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Categories:	Soup • Veggies	4 Comments
Tags:	beets • Food • foodista • recipe • roasted beets • roasting • Soup • vegetables

Unless you have some fancy-schmancy dinner party planned, I find it best to go to the farmer’s market with nary a menu in mind, and let the recently harvested fruits and veggies dictate what I’ll be serving. Coming home with my fresh loot, I spread everything on the counter, take a step back, and look at colors and textures. Then, it all starts to come together.

When food is this fresh I don’t mess around with too many ingredients. I prefer the natural flavors and aromas of the food to reach their full glory all on their own, without much coaxing from me. When I saw the beautiful golden and red beets, tender fingerling potatoes, fragrant fennel, and the deep green and orange of the Japanese pumpkin, Kabocha, I got giddy with grilling glee!

Slowly roasting vegetables releases their natural sugars, creating a delicious caramelization that marry all their glorious earthy flavors into one beautiful dish.

Balsamic Roasted Vegetables
Use as much or as little of each vegetable, or add your own market picks. The beauty of roasting is there are no rules!

Golden beets
Red beets
Fennel
Red onion
Fingerling potatoes
Kabocha (or acorn squash)

Clean and top the beets and, along with the fingerling potatoes, drizzle with olive oil. Roast whole at 400 degrees until softened, but not completely cooked (about 30 minutes). Remove from the oven and carefully peel the beets, then cut in half. You can leave the fingerlings whole, and slice lengthwise in half before serving, or halve them and continue roasting (both ways are delish!)

Quarter the fennel and red onion lengthwise, and cut the kabocha into 1/2 inch wedges.

Toss all the veggies in a bowl and drizzle enough olive oil to sufficiently coat. Then, add a big splash of balsamic vinegar, a couple hearty pinches of Kosher salt, a few good turns of fresh ground black pepper, and a small sprig of fresh rosemary. Let roast another 30-40 minutes, turning every so often to get an even roast.

Go to your local farmer’s market this weekend and let us know what you created!

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Categories:	Cooking tips • Herbs • Veggies	3 Comments
Tags:	beets • fennel • fingerling potatoes • Food • foodista • kabocha • potatoes • roasted vegetables • roasting • rosemary • vegetables • Veggies

There’s never a bad time for a roasted chicken. Especially when the weather is still a bit crisp, and you feel like tucking in for the evening and enjoying a good meal. The smell of roasting bird wafts through the house, taunting your hunger. You almost want to grasp fork and knife in hands and bang on the table, urging it to cook faster.

But roasted chicken can all too often turn out dry. One way to avoid unwanted dryness is to soak your bird in brine, which locks in moisture and enhances all those wonderful flavors we so desire. Another excellent way to ensure your bird comes out of the oven juicy-licious is to roast it on a vertical roaster. Vertical roasting helps sear the inner cavity, keeping all those desireable natural juices and flavors in the meat and not in the pan. Roasting vertically also allows fat and grease to run off, much like rotisserie cooking.

We decided to combine moisture-retaining efforts and both brined and vertical roasted. Crazy, I know. But that’s just the kind of wild, recklessness we throw down in the kitchen every day (OK, that’s a slight exaggeration).

If you want to skip the brining step (it does take at least 24 hours) and get down to the roasting bit, then pull out your roasting pan and place the vertical roaster in the center. Our preparation was simple and no-frills, but you can certainly add more veggies, herbs and seasoning.

To prepare our bird for roasting we rough chopped a large sweet onion and placed it in the bottom of the roasting pan. We sprinkled a bit of fresh cracked pepper in the inner cavity, but did not season with salt since we had already soaked it in the salt water brine. We respectfully placed our bird on the vertical roaster and gave her a little massage with olive oil. Then, we sprinkled the outside with pepper, squeezed the juice of one lemon over the top and popped it in a 375 degree oven for about 45 minutes (time will vary depending on size).

Finger lickin’ good!

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Categories:	Cooking tips • Meat & Poultry • Seasoning & Spices • Uncategorized • kitchen equipment	1 Comment
Tags:	brine • brining • chicken • Cooking tips • Food • foodista • kitchen equipment • poultry • recipe • recipes • roast chicken • roasting • vertical roaster