Glazed roasted vegetables

 I wanted to repost this recipe because it is one of my favorites and one that I am asked for often. I like adding different vegetables as this recipe works with a variety of vegetables! I often add brussels sprouts or winter squash chunks.  Just remember that if it is a softer vegetable, like brussels sprouts, mushrooms  or zucchini, you could wait to add them until half way through the cooking time. 

Glazed roasted vegetables

Four large servings

1 very large sweet potato

3 parsnips

3 carrots

1 red onion

Could add a rutabaga , Delicata squash, turnip , chopped butternut squash, brussels sprouts etc if desired

8 or so dried figs, quartered, optional 

½ -3/4 cup pecan or walnut halves, optional

Olive oil

Glaze

1 ½ TBSP molasses

1 TBSP  balsamic vinegar

3 Tsp honey

1-2 tsp mustard

2 tsp olive oil

1 tsp thyme or rosemary, crushed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut vegetables up in small bite sized chunks. Mix in a bowl with 1 TBSP olive oil and 1 tsp balsamic vinegar.

Use a large baking sheet (about 13x18 ish). You may cover in foil for easy clean up. Oil pan with 1 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil. Place vegetables on the baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper and crushed red pepper. Do not cover. Place in 400 oven for about 20 minutes minutes, turning a once during cooking with a spatula.

Remove from oven and add quartered figs and walnuts. 

Mix molasses, honey, balsamic vinegar, mustard and olive oil

Drizzle over veggies and turn to coat.

Return to oven and bake another 10 -20 minutes

Check for doneness after it has been in about 30 minutes. It is done when vegetables are soft with a nice crispy crust. 

This photo doesn't do these glazed veggies justice

Recipe by Denise Birdsall 2011. All rights reserved

Winter Squash Risotto

 

How I LOVE this time year! The changing colors of the leaves is a brilliant backdrop to all of my favorite fall meals! I do love cooking all the fresh spring vegetables and the lovely summer of salads but my favorite things to cook are the warm pots of soup, the abundant harvest of apples with all the goodies I can make with them, slow roasted oven dishes and baking with the  spicy pumpkin flavors this time of year!

Perhaps my most anticipated fall treat is in October when all the winter squash are in season! Yay! I love some of the less well known varieties such as Kabocha or Japanese pumpkin, Buttercup, and Delicata squash. They are only available to me for a short time so I literally fill up my shopping basket with them!

     

A winter squash risotto is perfect match of flavors- creamy rice with pumpkin richness and warmth. We had this lovely dinner with a couple of delightful new friends and they loved the warm and homey fragrance of roasting root veggies which greeted them at the door.

I have a similar risotto recipe on this blog with kabocha and bacon but I wanted to make a vegetarian option which can easily be made vegan. This risotto stars either creamy kabocha pumpkin or bright butternut. Feel free to use any winter squash that has a flavorful puree. You can even make this risotto with canned pumpkin puree in a pinch!

Risotto is a rice dish made with arborio rice which is short grain and starchy. It is cooked slowly while stirring to create a lovely creamy texture.

Risotto is an easy dish to make but there are some important guidelines. Heat a good quality, lower sodium broth in one pan and keep just below a simmer. In another large pan, sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil/butter or vegan margarine and then add the rice stirring until coated to build a flavorful base. As you cook rice, add liquid and stir constantly- a figure 8 motion works well to stir everything well. Stir in the broth, a little at a time (about a half cup) and cook until it is just about absorbed. Then add a bit more liquid. Taste the rice about 15 minutes in and if it is not close to being al dente ( tender with a bit of texture in center) then add more water or broth to pan to heat it and add to rice. For this risotto I add squash puree to the broth. If you prefer you could add diced roasted squash to the risotto towards the end of the cooking process instead.  

There are a few topping ideas if you would like to up the flavor. These include tomato and onion, mushroom and kale, or roasted pepitas.

For a festival of winter squash flavors, serve this with a side of roasted Delicata and onions. Or roast a wider variety of winter vegetables with different flavors and textures such as sweet potatoes, parsnips and carrots. To make your roasted veggies extra special, see my recipe for glazed roasted vegetables.

 

Winter squash risotto

·        About 2 ½ - 3 cups kabocha squash, Or Butternut Or pumpkin puree (roasted and mashed see notes*)

·        4 cups vegetable broth or low sodium chicken broth plus extra water as needed up to one cup

·         

·        1  ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

·        1 ½ TBSP butter or vegan alt margarine or coconut oil

·        Small onion, finely diced

·        3 garlic cloves, pressed

·        ½ -1 teaspoon dried thyme

·        ½ tsp herbs de province

·        ½ tsp garlic seasoning or garlic powder  

·        ½ teaspoon salt, more to taste at the end

·        ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

·        1 ½ cup arborio rice

·        1 cup dry white wine

·        ½ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese or vegan cheese or skip the cheese if needed

You will need a medium sauce pan and a larger dutch oven or deep wide pot. You may also need a saute pan for toppings though you could make them ahead in the dutch oven.

See optional toppings**

Place broth in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add 2 ½ cups of winter squash puree* Reduce the heat so the broth remains steaming, but is not boiling.

Heat oil and butter in a large dutch oven or deep pot over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 3 minutes.

Add thyme, herbs, salt, pepper and cook for one minute Add rice; stir until translucent, about 2 minutes.

Add wine and stir well, until wine is almost absorbed by the rice, about 3 minutes.

Stir in broth about a 1/2 cup at a time , reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring constantly, until the liquid has been absorbed. Continue adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring after each addition until all the liquid has been absorbed, and cook until the rice is tender and creamy. This usually takes about 20 minutes.

As you are coming closer to the end of the broth, taste test the rice. It should be al dente, tender with just a bit of bite in the center.  If it has a way to go, add more water to the broth pot and heat it up before adding it to the rice.

Also taste for salt and seasonings as well as if it has enough of the squash puree. Add more as needed. Remember that too much squash can make the finished risotto a bit heartier or thick, which is fine but if you are looking for light and creamy go easy on extra squash puree.

Add ¼ cup of parmesiano Reggiano, blend it in. You can skip the cheese or try a vegan alternative. If I was skipping I would add nutritional yeast for flavor.

Top finished risotto with extra parmesan.

* Roast kabocha or butternut squash

Scrub the squash. Puncture several times. Then place in microwave for 3 minutes or so to soften skin a bit. Or you could place whole squash in the oven for 8 minutes or so to soften, remove and cut in half to remove seeds.

Next, carefully cut squash in half. Take care, this is the dangerous part!

Next up, remove the seeds. I like to use a grapefruit spoon to do this. You may remove some of the stringiness after cooking.

Drizzle with olive oil and brush or rub on the squash. Place on a baking sheet , cut side down. You may line your baking sheet with foil or parchment for easy clean-up.

Bake at 400°F for 30-45 minutes for kabocha or 40-50 for butternut or until very tender. The time is dependent on the size and on how dry the squash is so keep an eye on it.  Let it cool slightly, so you can hold it. Then, use a spoon to scoop the flesh of the squash away from the skin.

Place a 2 ½ cups or so of the cooked squash in food processor or high-speed blender and blend for a minute. Add a bit of broth and blend until smooth. If your squash puree is already smooth just by mashing or if you are using canned pumpkin you may skip this step.

Optional toppings**

I like to serve this with roasted winter vegetables such as sweet potatoes, delicata squash, parsnips, carrots, and onion. Just start roasting them about 20-30 minutes before risotto starts so they are both done at the same time .Or if it is easier, you can roast the vegetables when you roast the squash for the risotto and just heat them up to serve.

In addition, you can add flavor, color, and texture by topping the finished risotto with one of these or other desired topping.

Option one

·        1 TBSPN olive oil

·        1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half

·        1/2 c diced onion

·        2 cloves garlic , pressed or chopped

·        Splash of balsamic vinegar, optional

Saute the tomatoes, onion, garlic on medium low for 10 -15 minutes until soft and starting to brown a bit. Add more oil if it is sticking. Turn down the heat and continue cooking for 5-10 minutes. Add a splash of balsamic along with the garlic and kale if you like.

Option two

·        1 TBSPN olive oil

·        1 cup sliced mushrooms (shiitake or baby bella,or other variety)

·        1/3 c diced onion

·        2 cloves garlic, pressed or chopped

·        1 cup shredded kale or spinach

Saute mushrooms and onions for several minutes until liqu44id releases. Add garlic and kale and sauté for a few more minutes.

Option 3

Roasted pepitas and fresh parsley

Lemon Orzo Salad with arugula, tomato, olives and artichokes

 

1 cup whole wheat or regular Orzo (May substitute gluten free orzo, Israeli couscous, or other small pasta)

1/3 -1/2 cup each of Kalamata or black olive 

1/3 cup green olives. slice if desired. (May use all of one or the other olive)

One half red onion, minced

4-6 oz Jar of marinated artichoke hearts, quartered, drained

½ - ¾ up crumbled feta or goat cheese

Small red bell pepper, diced

12 or so grape tomatoes

2 cups arugula, torn

Cucumber, peeled and seeded, diced optional

½ - ¾ up crumbled feta or goat cheese

Dressing: 

Lemon, small, finely zested and juiced

1/2 cup olive oil plus  1/4 c lemon flavored olive oil or 3/4 c olive oil 

Optional- Up to quarter cup of white balsamic vinegar or rice vingar etc. if needed. 

To taste Salt, Lemon pepper, garlic powder, sugar or honey. Start with about 1/2 tsp and add more as desired.

2 TBSP mayonnaise, optional

Note: all amounts and items are flexible

Cook orzo according to package instructions. Rinse with cool water. 

In a large jar or container with lid, add zest and juice of the lemon. Shake or whisk together with olive oil and seasoning. Taste and add more of anything needed.  If dressing is too tart add water or more olive oil. If it needs more flavor, add seasoning or some white balsamic vinegar. You may not need all of the dressing on this salad so reserve some for another use. 

Place cooked, rinsed, well drained orzo in a bowl. Add dressing, a 1/4 cup at a time until orzo is coated. Add all ingredients except red pepper, arugula, cucumber. and feta cheese.   Mix well and refrigerate about a half hour. Prep cucumber by cutting in quarters lengthwise and slicing off seeds. Add the rest of the veggies and cheese.

 Add more dressing if it looks dry or lacks flavor.  

Baba Ghanoush (Grilled Eggplant Dip) and Tzatziki Bowl with Vegetable, Olives and Pickles on Rice

 I realized that I have not been putting any of my recipes here on my blog this year! I will try to correct that!

I recently started making “Bowls”. Bowls are a rather newly popular culinary term for a one dish meal of healthy and delicious ingredients, usually a grain base with a variety of vegetables and sometimes a protein to which various toppings, dressings and sauces are added that take this humble meal to the next level.

For today’s bowl I wanted to use up some food that I already had in my fridge.

 Last night, I made baba ghanoush, a smoky grilled eggplant dip, and had it with dinner with pita chips. I wanted to enjoy the left-over eggplant dip with something else, so I tried it in a bowl recipe for lunch today.

I’ve been experimenting with Bowl recipes. They are so full of flavor AND Nutrition! This bowl used up a lot of leftovers such as brown rice cooked earlier in the week (I always cook a bit extra rice and put it into containers to freeze or refrigerate until needed), baba ghanoush (eggplant dip) from last night and a half cup of Greek yogurt left over from our smoothies. I had a couple jars of olives open and a mason jar of quick pickled radishes and onions. I like the way one can create a fun and satisfying meal from various odds and ends in a bowl!

This bowl is very versatile. Although I made it with eggplant dip- Baba Ghanoush- you could also make this bowl with hummus. I used a tzatziki dressing (cucumber, yogurt with lemon and dill) but it could be made with tahini dressing. I used shredded carrots, sliced red onion, cucumber and cherry tomatoes along with a few pea pods but any vegetables could be added!  I also added pickled radishes and onion and two kinds of olives but not everyone likes those so feel free to add or not. The base was brown rice, and it was topped by red leaf lettuce, but these can be changed up as well with quinoa or a lettuce base!

Baba Ghanoush and Tzatziki Bowl with Vegetable, Olives and Pickles on Rice

Place 2/3 cup or so cooked brown rice, hot., in the bottom of a large shallow bowl. Repeat for other servings (You may use cooked quinoa)

Top with vegetable such as sliced cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, a shredded carrot or other veggies. Roasted cauliflower or broccoli might be great!

Add kalamata and/or green olives, if you like olives

Add pickled radishes and onions* if you have any on hand

Surround the outside of the bowl with torn lettuce

Mound Baba ghanoush **in the center.

Drizzle with tzatziki ***and sprinkle with a fresh parsley if you have it

 

Enjoy!

 

Here is the bowl just before and added the lettuce and drizzle of Tzatziki. This shows one way to arrange vegetables in groupings, but you could also just scatter each item over the rice. You can see my bowl was not wide enough for a proper presentation. 

*Quick Pickled Radishes and Red Onion

If you have a chance to make pickles for your bowl they really add a bit of zing and color! You can pickle radishes, onion, 

 I change this recipe often trying to figure out the perfect amounts but basically it is vinegar, water, sugar and salt with radishes and onions.

In a Saucepan, heat: 

½ c water. Reduce to simmer.

Add ½ cup white balsamic OR red wine vinegar (makes a vibrant pink color) OR other sweeter white vinegar

Stir in ¼- ½ cup sugar (You could try 2-3 TBSP maple syrup or 2 TBSP sugar for a tart flavor).

Add 3 tsp kosher or sea salt, More if needed

Stir until dissolved.

You may add red pepper flakes or a drop or two of hot sauce or sriracha, dried chili, peppercorn, etc

Add a bunch of thinly sliced radishes and a thinly sliced red onion.

Turn off the heat. Let it sit on the stove, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes until cool.

Pour into clean mason jar and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours and up to 1-2 weeks or more.

 

** Baba Ghanoush

Look up a recipe or try this one

I washed and cut one large eggplant in half end to end

Brush with olive or avocado oil. Sprinkle with salt smoked paprika and cumin.

To roast in oven, heat oven to 425 and line a pan with foil. Place eggplant cut side down and roast for 30-40 minutes until eggplant skin is blistered and eggplant is soft and collapses a bit.

To grill, heat grill to very hot. Place eggplant skin side down. Grill until soft, about 15-25 minutes. Watch while grilling so it does not catch on fire or over cook. Try not to over oil so it won’t flow onto heat source. If you have a smoker cylinder or can, it would impart and nice smoky taste. I might even use my smoker next time before grilling or roasting for a quick flavor boost.

Let it cool . scoop out insides, and salt them. You might want to leave the pieces in a sieve to drain a bit if they are not dry enough.

While eggplant is cooking, dice half an onion and heat low and slow with olive oil in a pan to caramelize. It can take 20 minutes or up to 40! During the last 5 minutes add 3-4 garlic cloves pressed. Generously Salt and pepper and a sprinkle of smoked paprika and cumin. Cool.

Into Blender or food processor:

 About 1 TBSP Lemon juice

2-3 TBSP olive oil

Optional- ¼ cup tahini, 2 TBSP parsley, more seasoning and spice

Place everything into a blender ( vitamix or other powerful blender is best) or food processor. You may also mash by hand for a chunkier dip. Add a TBSP of lemon juice. 2-3 TBSP or more of quality Extra virgin olive oil. If desired, add ¼ cup tahini, you may also throw in a couple TBSPs parsley.

Blend to desired smoothness. Taste and add more salt, smoked paprika, lemon juice,, pepper, garlic powder or pressed garlic, etc

Cool or serve warm.

Note: recipe may be doubled. This will stay a few days in the refrigerator or can be frozen but texture may be off.

 

***Quick Tzatziki

This is a quick and easy recipe I used for the bowl today. You can look up more traditional recipes.

Grate ½ cucumber , salt and place in sieve to drain slightly .

In a bowl blend together:

Add between 4-6 oz thick Greek yogurt

Add a ½ tsp grated lemon zest and tsp lemon juice

 ½ tsp dried dill or dill seasoning mix

Add in drained cucumber

Salt  to taste

 

Holiday Brisket

 

This brisket has a mildly sweet and sour flavor, but it is not overpowering. This should be made a day or two ahead of time and then sliced and reheated before serving. This gives the meat a chance to get very tender.  It can even be frozen until needed! Serve with roasted vegetables, a salad and perhaps mashed potatoes* or for Hanukkah, latkes!

5-6 lb brisket

Sprinkle of Salt, pepper, 1 tsp each -garlic powder and onion powder, paprika

1-2 onion, thinly sliced

4 or 5 carrots sliced lengthwise

Vegetable oil

Sauce: one can cranberry sauce, jellied

1 bottle chili sauce 

2 TBSP brown sugar + extra to sprinkle on top

4-5 cloves garlic finely minced

¾  cup red wine

1 cup beef broth

1 TBSP balsamic vinegar. More if needed

3 tsp Worcestershire sauce, optional

 

Preheat over the oven to 300°.  Rinse brisket and pat dry. Rub generously with salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder, paprika. Let it sit for 10- 20 minutes.

Heat oil in large wide pan. Brown brisket for several minutes on each side. It may be too big for pan but just move it around until all is browned.

Mix sauce ingredients together.  Place onions and carrots in the bottom of a large roasting pan. If it is aluminum, place a piece of parchment paper in first to line the pan. Pour a bit of the sauce into pan and place brisket over then pour the rest of the sauce on top. Sprinkle with a bit of brown sugar. Cover with parchment paper ( to reduce reaction to foil) and aluminum foil.

Place in oven for 4-5 hours until brisket is tender or reaches internal temperature of 200 °. Remove from oven. Place brisket into a glass baking dish, reserving cooking liquid, and cover with plastic wrap. Pour sauce into another container. Discard carrots but keep onions with the sauce. Cool and refrigerate both brisket and sauce.    

To serve- heat oven to 350. Skim all the fat off top of the cold sauce. Heat sauce in deep pot on medium high heat to reduce for 15 -20 minutes. Add beef broth and salt if needed for taste. Trim away fat from brisket and slice brisket thin, across the grain and return to glass baking dish. Pour sauce over brisket, getting in between slices. Tightly Cover baking dish with aluminum foil. Heat for about 30-40 minutes until heated through.

* Dairy free mashed potatoes can be made by cooking potatoes in chicken broth and using a bit of non- dairy milk such as soy or cashew and margarine. 

Lobster Tails in the Air fryer

 I love air fryers. I first bought a Cosori air fryer and was simply amazed by fish, potato and vegetable recipes I could make in it as well frozen foods like fish fillets or fries. I recently upgraded to a Ninja Foodi Grill which can also grill or dehydrate. Any air fryer could do this recipe well!

Lobster tails were on sale so I picked up a couple. It is the first time I have tried cooking lobster at home. They turned out great!

 

Lobster Tails in the air fryer

You may double this if the tails fit inside your air fryer

Two 5-8oz lobster tails

2-3  Tbsp unsalted butter melted

  2 cloves garlic pressed or minced

1/2 tsp salt, paprika, garlic powder, lemon pepper

1 tsp lemon juice

Extra butter for dipping

1.               Prepare butter mixture by combining butter, garlic, seasonings and lemon juice.

2.               Butterfly lobster tails – cut  through the top of the shell and loosen the lobster meat with a butter knife around the edges. Remove the meat as far back into tail as possible and place the meat on top of the shell.

3.               Place in Air Fryer basket and spread a spoon or so of butter mix over top of lobster meat. Remember do not let the spoon touch lobster as you will use any left over on finished lobster. Close Air Fryer basket and cook on 390 degrees Fahrenheit for 4 minutes.

4.               Open Air fryer basket and and spread a little more more butter on top, cook for an additional 2-4 minutes until done.

5.               Lobster shell will turn red and meat will be firm but tender, and an opaque pinkish white color when done.

6.               Check with thermometer if needed, Temp should be no less than 135 f

7.               Serve with dipping bowl of left over butter with a bit of extra butter added in.

 

 

Mushroom Onion Gravy

It is nice to have an easy gravy recipe that is versatile, easy, and delicious. This one works well with meat, chicken, potatoes, or rice. Tonight I made it to top Better than Beef burgers and mashed potatoes which I made in the instant pot and it really made a nice quick and flavorful meal.

It can be made ahead and reheated adding a bit of water or broth  if needed.

 This is a pretty basic way to make gravy that you can change up for different dishes. If you are not a fan of mushrooms, just leave them out and make this with onions. You could increase the garlic or maybe add a bit of minced celery if you so desired. You could vary this by using different broths such as beef , turkey or chicken or making it with wine instead of sherry. You could add a bit of Miso paste if you had some on hand. And if you want to skip the flour add a slurry of corn starch at the end ( See notes below.)

Mushroom Onion Gravy

2 ½-3 TBSP Butter

6 oz mushrooms, sliced thin

Half an onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed, or 1 tsp garlic powder, optional

2 tsp soy sauce

½ tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp thyme, optional 

3 TBSP flour

3 TBSP sherry or masala…or dry wine, ( slightly optional)

3-4  tsp of balsamic maple glaze (Recipe below)  OR about 2-3 tsp balsamic vinegar and 1 tsp maple syrup or sugar 

1 cup vegetable broth, extra water/broth if needed

Salt and pepper if needed to taste

Heat butter in heavy skillet. Add onions and cook for 3 minutes. Add mushroom and garlic .Sauté until softened and liquid is partly evaporated.

Add soy sauce, seasonings  and cook for another minute. 

Sprinkle with flour. Stir for 1-2 minutes. Add sherry and stir well then slowly add broth stirring constantly until well incorporated. Continue to stir and heat at a bubbling simmer for 2 minutes until gravy is at desired consistency. If it looks too thick, add a bit more broth or water and continue to stir or whisk. 

This gravy may be made a day or so ahead and stored covered in refrigerator . To serve- heat on low, add water if needed for consistency. Serve over potatoes, rice, chicken or meat. 

DB 2020

 

Balsamic Maple Glaze  - I often make  this glaze to keep in my refrigerator when I need it. I often use it  or as an addition to gravies and sauce. I drizzle it over  roasted veggies or  pan seared brussels sprouts. I add it to salad dressings. It is also good on chicken or meats. It can even be used be a sauce for fried chicken tenders just go light so it is not overpowering.

Combine about a 1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar and ¼ cup of real maple syrup in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a slow boil, without stirring, and cook until mixture is thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. (You should have about 1/2 cup of liquid.) Do not breathe in over the pan, it will be pungent. Remove from heat, and cool to room temperature; sauce will thicken to syrupy consistency upon cooling. Add a bit of salt to taste. Keep refrigerated, tightly covered for two weeks or more. I am not really sure how long it will last as I usually go through it quickly.

Note: If you prefer not to use flour , you may skip that and then, after broth has been added, slowly stir in a mixture of 3 tsp cornstarch blended well with 2-3 TBSP cold water. Stir well while heating and simmer until desired consistency.