Roasted Cauliflower

Last week, I was trying out some possible Halloween recipes for Baby Boo Bash -- mummy dogs (hot dogs wrapped in crescent rolls with mustard eyes) and pumpkin mandarin orange cups.  And I needed a vegetable.  Jack had picked out some orange cauliflower for his lunch veg and I hadn't gotten around to chopping it up, so I figured I could use the orange (Halloween-colored) cauliflower with our "scary" dinner.  I looked for a quick and easy recipe with few ingredients and that baked at the same temperature as my mummy dogs, and this is the one I found.  It was a huge hit with me -- saying a lot since I'm not cauliflower's biggest fan -- and Jack and Brian.  Ben, our non-vegetable eater, didn't try it, but did appreciate the color.

Emeril's Oven Roasted Cauliflower

Ingredients

• 1 large cauliflower, about 2 pounds, cut into 1 1/2-inch flowerets
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked white pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the garlic. Toss to mix well and place in a large baking dish or shallow roasting pan. Place the pan in the oven and roast the cauliflower, turning once or twice, until tender and caramelized around the edges, 30 to 35 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, stir the garlic into the pan.

Remove the pan from the oven and serve immediately.

Lemon Quinoa Cilantro Chickpea Salad

We're having a playdate tomorrow with some friends from work and their boys (ages 2 and 6 months) and both of my friends are vegetarians.  This gives me a perfect excuse to try a recipe that I've been wanting to try, but that my chickpea-hating husband made sounds of disgust at.  I think it will be delicious -- it has tons of my favorite ingredients in it.

Lemon Quinoa Cilantro Chickpea Salad
1/2 c. dry quinoa
2 c. vegetable broth or water
2 c. spinach
1 bunch cilantro
1/4 c. onion
2 cloves garlic
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed
1 c. cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 avocados, diced

Dressing:
Juice of two lemons
zest of one lemon
2 tsp dijon mustard
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp agave nectar (I'm planning to use honey)
1/2 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Cook quinoa according to directions and cool.

Process spinach, cilantro, onion and garlic in food processor until finely chopped.  Add to a bow with quinoa and garbanzo beans.

Whisk together the dressing ingredients.  Add to salad and toss.  Mix in tomatoes and avocado.  Let sit in fridge for 10-15 minutes and serve.

I'll update tomorrow on how the salad goes over!

UPDATE:
The salad was a hit!  Both friends took home leftovers because they liked it so much, and I think I can convince Brian to eat it tonight even.  Yummy, bright flavors -- I'll be making it again!

Bruschetta Chicken

• • This is one of my favorite chicken recipes from Cooking Light. I can't believe I haven't posted it yet.  We're having this tonight with Italian-stuffed Zucchini Boats.

     

    Ingredients

    Salsa:
  • 2 1/4 cups chopped tomatoes (about 2 medium) 
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil (I use dried when it isn't summer)
  • 1 tablespoon thawed orange juice concentrate 
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Chicken:
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 
  • Cooking spray
  • 
    
  • Preparation
  • To prepare salsa, combine the first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and chill 1 hour.
  • To prepare chicken, preheat grill.
  • Combine oregano and next 10 ingredients (through 1/4 teaspoon salt) in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag; seal. Marinate chicken in refrigerator 1 hour, turning occasionally.
  • Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 6 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Serve with salsa.
  • Ruth Powers, Cooking Light JULY 2005
  • Italian Stuffed Zucchini Boats
  • Ingredients
    2 medium zucchini
    2 garlic cloves, minced
    1 medium tomato, seeded and finely chopped
    1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mushrooms
    1/2 tsp. dried basil
    1/2 tsp. dried oregano
    1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
    2 Tbsp. olive oil
    3/4 cups Sargento® Artisan Blends® Shredded Parmesan Cheese, divided
    2 tsp. fresh basil, chopped
    
    
    Directions
    Preheat oven to 400° degrees F.
    
    
    Cut zucchini in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp and seeds, leaving 1/4-inch shell (use a small spoon for this). Reserve pulp from two zucchini and chop. Combine zucchini pulp, garlic, tomato, mushrooms, basil, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, olive oil and 1/2 cup cheese in a medium bowl. Divide mixture among zucchini shells.
    
    
    Place stuffed zucchini in a 13 x 9 baking dish; cover with foil. Bake for 25 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake uncovered 5 minutes more or until cheese is melted. Top with fresh basil.

Roasted Broccoli

Total Time:

25 min

Prep

5 min

Cook

20 min

Yield:

4 servings

Level:

Easy

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Ingredients

• 1 head broccoli
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Peel the outer layer of the broccoli stalks. Cut the broccoli lengthwise keeping the stalk and broccoli florets intact. (The longbroccoli spears should resemble trees.) Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Toss to coat and roast until nicely caramelized, about 15 minutes. Turn broccoli over and sprinkle with grated theParmesan. Cook until the Parmesan melts, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl or platter and serve immediately

Butternut Squash Chowder Even MY Family Will Eat

Brian found this recipe online a week or so ago, and I've been dying to try it.  Aside from the laborious chopping of the butternut squash (is there an easier way to do this?!?), it was a piece of cake and so yummy I went back for a second bowl.  Even Jack ate everything in his bowl, in spite of protests that he doesn't like squash.  We told him to just eat the apples instead.  Sneaky, huh?


Roasted Butternut Chowder with Apples and Bacon
Makes 4 servings
Time: About 1.5 hours

Roasting the squash, onion, and apples, then simmering them until they break apart, leaves you with a thick, rich soup that you’ll turn to every fall. Try the mixed root vegetable variation, too; it’s just as good. And to sweeten the pot, add a pinch of nutmeg or allspice just before serving.

1 butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into cubes
1 large onion, chopped
2 large apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
4 bacon slides, or one 1/2-inch-thick strip slab bacon, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
salt and black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage, or 1 teaspoon dried
1/2 cup dry white wine or water
6 cups vegetable or chicken stock or water

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spread the squash, onion, apples, bacon, and garlic in a deep roasting pan or on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with the oil. Roast, stirring every now and then, until the squash, onion, and apples are tender and browned and the bacon is crisp, about 45 minutes.

2. Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Stir in the sage and white wine and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom. If you’re using a roasting pan that can be used on the stovetop, position the pan over 2 burners and put both of medium heat. Otherwise, transfer the contents of the pan to a large pot or Dutch oven and set it over medium heat.

3. Add the stock and cook until the squash, onion, and apples break apart and thicken and flavor the broth, about 25 minutes. You can help the process along by breaking the mixture up a bit with a spoon. Taste, adjust the seasoning, and serve.

Roasted Root Vegetable Chowder: Substitute any combination of celery root, turnips, parsnips, and rutabagas for the butternut squash.

For more recipes from Mark Bittman’s Food Matters, check out our feature “Family Food Matters: 3 healthy dinner recipes from Mark Bittman.”

Sinfully Yummy Corn

I picked up some sweet corn at the farmers market on Wednesday, so I decided to try this recipe, suggested by an email from Cooking LIght. However, it's not actually from Cooking Light, but from their sister magazine: Southern LIving. Cooking Light would be appalled by the contents of this recipe. Leave it to the region that spawned Paula Deen to come up with a recipe this naughty. And this delicious.

Creamy Fried Confetti Corn

Ingredients
8 bacon slices, chopped (I used Trader Joe's nitrate-free bacon)
4 cups fresh sweet corn kernels (about 8 ears)
1 medium-size white onion, chopped
1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper (I just had green, so I doubled the green pepper)
1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, cubed
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Preparation
Microwave corn, wrapped in saran wrap, for 5 minutes. Let cool, then shuck from cob.
Cook chopped bacon in a large skillet until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings in skillet. Set bacon aside.
Sauté corn, onion, and bell peppers in hot drippings in skillet over medium-high heat 6 minutes or until tender. Add cream cheese and half-and-half, stirring until cream cheese melts. Stir in sugar, salt, and pepper. Top with bacon.

Salad-on-a-Stick

If you ask Jack if he wants a salad, his response may vary from, "Um, yeah, okay..." to a firm "no". But if you ask him if he wants salad on a stick, his little eyes light up and he answers with a resounding "Yes!".

I saw the concept on a Rachael Ray episode about kid-friendly foods and decided to replicate it for Jack's birthday party.

Salad-On-A-Stick
Bamboo Skewers
Cherry or grape tomatoes
Cucumber, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
Orange and yellow peppers, in 1 inch pieces
Salami, cut in 1-inch rounds
Marinated mozzarella balls
Dressing for dipping (we used Ranch and Italian)

Bacon and Cheese Make Even Cauliflower Taste Good

Since Jack has become such a huge fan of broccoli ("brock-lee!"), I've been looking for ways to branch out from steamed and roasted broccoli, so last night at the grocery store I decided to buy him some "white broccoli" (a.k.a. cauliflower). I saw a Giada At Home recipe that used bacon, gruyere, and buttered breadcrumbs to make a cauliflower casserole, so I decided to give it a try. The Cauliflower and Bacon Gratin turned out delicious. Brian loved it, I loved it, and Jack ate it. (He seemed to love the country ribs we served with it a bit more.) The casserole is rich and creamy with lots of flavor. The only change I made to her original recipe is using a combination of Panko breadcrumbs and regular breadcrumbs, and I left out the salt because the bacon and gruyere were salty enough. Next time, i wouldn't bother with the capers. They're too pricey for the minimal impact they have on this dish. With these modifications, this is a definite keeper!