Crispy Ranch & Lemon Roasted Sprouts

 

1½ lbs Brussels sprouts

⅓ cup oil olive oil

3 tsp. ranch seasoning powder

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. ground pepper

½ tsp garlic powder

⅛ tsp. red pepper flakes

½ tsp. zest of lemon

3 tsp. fresh lemon juice

⅓ cup sliced almonds

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

 

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Cut off the hard ends of the brussels sprouts. Remove any yellow outer leaves.

Cut in half. Rinse under cold water. Drain and dry well on a kitchen towel.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together oil, ranch powder, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, lemon zest, and lemon juice.

Add in Brussels sprouts. Using your hands, toss and coat the sprouts well in the seasoned oil mixture.

Transfer to 2 large baking sheets, with parchment paper. Oil the parchment paper well with vegetable oil. Place facing the cut side down on the sheet about 1½-2 inches apart. Discard any fallen out leaves.

Bake in oven 18-25 minutes.

With 5 minutes remaining, add the almonds.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and salt.

This recipe can be found here.

Zucchini Chips

2 zucchini
2 Tbsp. olive oil
sea salt

Preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C). 

Cut the zucchini into thin slices. Place the slices on a large cutting board or a tea towel placed on the kitchen counter.

Salt carefully and let sit for 10 minutes. Remove excess liquid with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.

Brush or spray oil on the zucchini. Place the slices on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Place the baking sheets in the oven and slowly cook them until the chips have turned a nice brown color. Set a timer and check after an hour. If they do not appear crisp, lower the heat to 150°F (75°C) or lower and continue to bake them until they look dry.

Make sure to pay attention towards the end. Burned zucchini has a bitter flavor. Shift the positions of the baking sheets in the oven to make sure the chips cook evenly.

Remove the chips from the oven when they are dry and let cool on a rack (without the parchment paper). Enjoy as they are or serve with a dip.

Tip!
Experiment with different seasonings. Try cayenne, or garlic and parmesan. Trust your instincts!

Zucchini & Yellow Squash with Sun-dried Tomatoes

10 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil

¾ cup warm water

¼ cup chicken broth

5 Tbsp. olive oil

1 large onion, finely sliced

5 cloves garlic

2 yellow squash, cut into thin strips

2 zucchini, cut into thin strips

salt & pepper

Slice the tomatoes into thin strips.

In a large frying pan heat the oil and stir in the onion.  Cook over low heat until it softens but does not brown.

Stir in the garlic, squash, and zucchini. Cook for about 5 minutes.

Stir in the tomatoes, their soaking liquid, and the chicken broth.

Season with salt and pepper.

Raise the heat slightly and cook until the veggies are just tender.

Serve hot or cold.

This recipe can be found here.

Roasted Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into bite-size florets (about 8 cups)

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper

2 tsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. roughly chopped fresh thyme leaves

Preheat the oven to 450°.

Toss the cauliflower with the olive oil, garlic, and red pepper on a baking sheet; sprinkle with the salt and thyme and toss again. Roast until golden and tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

This recipe can be found here.

Roasted Jicama

1 cup jicama, cut into 1" cubes
1 small potato, cut into 1" cubes
1 small onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced finely
1 tsp rosemary

Preheat oven to 400°.  Toss all the ingredients together.  Spread in baking pan.  Roast for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

adapted from here

"Kathy's" Chicken Salad

2 cups diced, cooked chicken

½ cup diced celery

¼ cup sliced green onions

1 ½ cups shredded or thinly sliced cabbage

1/3 cup dried cranberries

¼ cup chopped cilantro

¼ toasted slivered almonds

¼ cup Major Grey’s Mango Chutney

¼ cup mayonnaise

½ tsp. cider vinegar

kosher salt

black pepper

Combine chicken, celery, onions, cabbage, cranberries, cilantro, and almonds in a medium-sized bowl. 

Whisk together the chutney, mayonnaise and cider vinegar in a small bowl.  Add the dressing to the chicken mixture and gently combine.  Season with salt and pepper.

For best results, chill at least 30 minutes before serving.

This recipe can be found in Savoring the Seasons with Our Best Bites

Sweet and Sour Chicken Stir-Fry

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

¼ cup cold water

1 (8 oz.) can pineapple chunks, drained and juices reserved

3 Tbsps. ketchup

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

2 Tbsps. brown sugar

1 tsp. rice vinegar

3-5 tsp. vegetable oil, divided

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast diced into 1 inch pieces

½ tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger

3 cups broccoli florets

½ medium bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch squares

½ onion, diced

hot cooked white or brown rice

Start cooking your rice so it will be ready.

Combine cornstarch and water in a medium sized bowl and stir to dissolve.  Add the reserved pineapple juice*, ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, and vinegar to the bowl and stir to combine.

*If you’re using a stainless steel pan, save pineapple juice for de-glazing it

Heat 2-3 teaspoons of the oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken, salt, pepper, garlic, and ginger.  Stir-fry until the chicken is cooked and no longer pink, 3-4 minutes.  Remove chicken from pan and cover to keep warm.

Add the remaining 1-2 teaspoons oil to the pan and add the broccoli, onion and bell pepper.  Stir-fry over medium-high heat until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the broccoli is bright green, 3-5 minutes.

Return the chicken to the pan and add the pineapple chunks and sauce mixture.  Bring to a simmer and cook until everything is heated through and the sauce has thickened, 1-2 minutes.  Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.  Serve over the hot cooked rice.  If desired, top with sesame seeds and chopped fresh cilantro or parsley.

This recipe can be found here.

Zucchini with Corn and Cilantro

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 3 1/2 cups cubed zucchini (about 1 pound)
• 1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 
  

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and corn; cook, stirring occasionally, 7 to 8 minutes or until zucchini is crisp-tender.

Remove from heat, and stir in cilantro and remaining ingredients.

This recipe can be found here

Brussels Sprouts with Pecans and Cranberries

1 lb. fresh Brussels sprouts, rinsed and trimmed
3 oz. coarsely chopped pecans
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
¼ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper
4 oz. coarsely chopped dried cranberries

Slice the Brussels sprouts using the thinnest slicing disc of a food processor.

Set a 10-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the pecans. Cook, stirring continually, until the pecans darken in color and begin to give off a toasted aroma, approximately 2 minutes.

Add the butter to the pan and stir to combine. Once the butter has melted, add the Brussels sprouts, salt and pepper and cook, stirring continually, until the color brightens and the sprouts are just tender, approximately 6 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat, add the cranberries, toss and serve.

This recipe can be found here.

Bissara (Fava Bean Dip)

Approximately 1 cup shelled fava beans

Zest and juice of one lemon

Few tbsp. of olive oil, to get your preferred dip consistency

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

Few sprigs of cilantro

1 jalapeno

1 clove of garlic

Salt to taste

Steam cook (or sauté) the fresh fava beans for about a minute along with garlic and jalapeno.

Place them in a blender/food processor along with other seasoning, blend them and with a running motor add some olive oil until it reaches your desired dip consistency.

Add salt to taste.

Sweet Potato Hash

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 red onion, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)

1 red bell pepper, diced (about 2 cups)

2 pounds sweet potatoes, quartered and cut into 1/4-inch slices

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Pour the oil into a large skillet and place over high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and saute, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the potatoes, cumin, salt and red pepper flakes, lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender and some are browned. The potatoes will begin to stick as they cook. Just continue to turn with a spatula.

Find this recipe here.

Oven Roasted Corn on the Cob

Ear/s fresh corn

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place corn husks directly on the oven rack and roast for 30 minutes or until corn is soft.  No need to remove the silk!

Peel down the husks and use as a handle when eating.

This recipe can be found here.

Roasted Brussells Sprouts

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more kosher salt ( I like these salty like French fries), and serve immediately.

(from foodnetwork.com)