It's All About Roasted Veggies

I love roasted veggies!  They are super easy to make, and they are great on their own or as an ingredient in another dish.

They also meet all five of my requirements for a great weekday meal:  (1) healthy; (2) doesn't taste healthy; (3) very little hands-on time; (4) my husband's not afraid to make it or I can make it ahead of time; and (5) I can have it on the table within 15 minutes of getting home (even if my husband didn't help).  I usually make them once or twice a month on a Sunday.  That way I can play with my son while the vegetables cook in the oven.  When they are done, I pack them away and warm them up for dinner another night. 

I am a big fan of zucchini and potatoes because the leftovers taste great in a frittata, but I try to mix it up.

Regardless of the combo of vegetables, I follow a simple formula:

1. Preheat Oven to 425 Degrees Fahrenheit
2. Cut/Prep vegetables
3. Toss vegetables in a little olive oil and salt
4. Roast for 30 to 60 minutes. 

The exact cooking time depends on the vegetables involved. 

Leftover Magic:

• Make a frittata using leftover roasted zucchini and potatoes
• Add leftover veggies to pasta
• Toss leftover veggies, with avocado, romaine lettuce, and a balsamic vinaigrette for a quick salad
• Add your favorite homemade (or jar of) tomato sauce to leftover veggies (I do this often with zucchini or a zucchini/corn mixture).
• Puree leftover veggies to make Barefoot Contessa's Roasted Vegetable Soup (and freeze extra).

It's All About Israeli Couscous

I love Israeli couscous.  Because I am always short on time, I typically cook a large batch of it on a Sunday.  Then I give it quick makeovers throughout the week (for lunch and dinner) - to try to squeeze at least three different meals from it.  Here are some of my favorite ways to dress up this grain:

1. Applies and Dried Cherries
2. Zucchini Onion Mixture
3. Roasted Zucchini (just mix leftover roasted zucchini into couscous, warm, and serve)
4. Sauteed Pepper (just like the Zucchini Onion Mixture, except you saute diced peppers and onion in a pan instead of zucchini and onion). 
5. Lentils (just mix cooked lentils into the couscous, warm, and serve)
6. Plain
7. Greek (Zucchini Onion Mixture and Feta Cheese, and sometimes I add kalamata olives).

Recipe Index

Main Courses

• Onion Chicken 
• Moroccan Chicken 
• Salmon Four Ways
• Grilled Chicken with Easy Marinade
• Roasted Salmon Nicoise 

Side Dishes

• Israeli Couscous with Zucchini 
• Israeli Couscous with Apples and Dried Cherries 
• Leftover Magic with Israeli Couscous
• Healty-ish Mashed Potatoes 
• Roasted Veggies Formula 

Salads

• Pear Pepita Salad
• Global Warming Salad 
• Santa Fe Salad 
• Strawberry Summer Salad 

Appetizers

• Easy Breezy Caprese Skewers

Breakfast

• Hash Brown Frittata 

Desserts

• Rainbow Cake

Drinks

• Red, White, and Blue

Israeli Couscous with Zucchini

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups Israeli couscous
• 3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or follow ratio of liquid to couscous on couscous box, may need 4 cups)
• 3-4 zucchini (Italian squash), thin half-moon slices
• ½ onion, diced

Directions:

1.      Bring chicken broth to a boil

2.      Heat a medium sized pan, add 1 tbsp olive oil and sauté onions for 2 minutes

3.      Add zucchini to pan and stir occasionally until zucchini is tender

4.      After the chicken broth comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer and heat a medium saucepan on medium-high heat

5.      Add the couscous to the saucepan with the 2 remaining tbsps of olive oil and cook, stirring occasionally until slightly browned and aromatic, about 3 to 5 minutes.

6.      Add the boiled chicken broth to the saucepan and return to a boil.

7.      Simmer for 12 to 20 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated (check directions on couscous box – as times may vary)

8.      Transfer the zucchini mixture to the cooked couscous and stir to mix

Leftover Magic:

• I usually make extra zucchini/onion mixture to use for other meals.  I can make it last for three meals!  The first night, I serve it as a side by itself.  The next, I add it to couscous.  The last night I use it as a base for Greek Orzo.  One time prep, for three meal components.  That's my kind of recipe.    
• If I have leftover Roasted Zucchini I will add it to the cooked couscous instead of making the zucchini/onion mixture.
• I also like to make extra couscous to use for different recipes throughout the week.  Sometimes if I make 2 cups of the couscous, I use half of it for this recipe and half of it for another recipe.

Israeli Couscous with Apples and Dried Cherries

(adapted from Israeli Couscous with Apples, Cranberries, and Herbs - by Giada De Laurentiis)

This is a staple on my monthly menu rotation every spring and summer.  I love this as a side dish for barbeque, but I also love it as a main course for lunch (especially if you add grilled chicken).  This dish is company worthy, and is one of my go-to dishes whenever we are invited to a pot luck.  Every time, without fail, people ask for the recipe. This one is definitely a keeper, and it belongs in my hall of fame.

Couscous Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups Israeli couscous
• 3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or follow ratio of liquid to couscous on couscous box, may need 4 cups)
• 1 teaspoon fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 2 medium apples, diced (I usually use Gala apples)
• 1 cup dried cherries
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted or not (I never toasted them, but I googled how, and it turns out that all you have to do is preheat the oven to 350 degrees (Fahrenheit), arrange the almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet, bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown, and cool).

Vinaigrette Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

1. In a small pot, bring the chicken broth to a boil.
2. In the meantime, in a large pot, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat. 
3. Add the couscous and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is slightly browned (about 3 to 5 minutes). 
4. Pour the boiled chicken broth into the pot with the couscous, stir a couple times, and return the broth to a boil.
5. Cover the pot and simmer for 12 to 20 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated (check directions on couscous box – times may vary). 
6. Transfer the cooked couscous to a large bowl and set aside to cool.
7. Add the parsley (if using), rosemary, thyme, apple, dried cherries, and almonds to the cooled couscous. 
8. Make the vinaigrette - in a small bowl, combine the vinegar, maple syrup, salt, and pepper and whisk in the olive oil until smooth. 
9.  Pour the vinaigrette over the couscous and toss to coat evenly.

Leftover Magic:

Since you are making the couscous anyway, make some extra plain coucous and set it aside. Then, during the week, easily transform it to another dish.  I like to add sauteed onions and zucchini or cooked lentils (which I buy pre-cooked at Trader Joes, yes, I know how easy it is to cook lentils, no I still don't think its worth doing myself). 

Valentine's Day Feast

As much as I enjoy heading out to dinner on a fake holiday and waiting over an hour for a table (even though I have a reservation), this year we decided to spend Valentines Day with an economic-friendly night at home. For a quarter of the price of a fancy dinner, I made my husband a four course meal in the comfort of our home and pajamas.

The Menu:

Citrus Salad

This is a popular salad in our household. I usually just mix together baby spinach, apples, oranges, sliced almonds, and Brianna's Homemade Dressing, and it's a huge hit every time.

For Valentine's Day I tried to fancy things up by shedding the apple in a food processor.

Lentil Soup

I first came across the recipe for this soup when I wanted to make a lentil soup for New Year's Eve a couple of years ago. It is one of my favorite soups. I follow the recipe exactly as written, except: (1) Before I add in the pasta I puree two cups of the soup in a blender (and hopefully I remember to expose the whole in the blender top and cover it with a towel - trust me, you don't want to forget to do this); and (2) I throw in the pasta 10 minutes before I am ready to serve the soup (even if it is ready before then) because the pasta absorbs the liquid in the soup very quickly.

As an added bonus, this soup is great for leftovers. I either eat it later as a stew (I wasn't kidding about the pasta absorbing the liquid quickly), or when I reheat it, I add chicken broth to turn it back into soup.

If you didn't believe me about that pasta, above is proof of the stew leftovers.

Chicken Picatta

This is one of my husband's favorite dishes when we eat out, but I've never made this dish myself before. I thought I would give it a try, and it turned out great! I even made a "healthier" version by using margarine instead of butter, but you could not tell. Another bonus: It turns out chicken picatta takes about 9 minutes to make. This might end up on our weekly dinner menu rotation.

For a fun Valentine's Day touch the entree was heart shaped.

Mashed Potatoes

The grocery store didn't have the potatoes I usually use for making mashed potatoes, so I grabbed baby red potatoes instead. My secret to making them is that I heat the milk and butter before I add them to the potatoes, and I mash the potatoes with the skin still on the potatoes.

For a special touch, I packed the mashed potatoes into an egg ring (thanks to my bridal registry) and packed them down with a spoon. After I lifted the egg ring, I had perfect round patties of mashed potato.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries and Raspberries

It was probably just as fun making these as it was to eat them. Although the original plan was to sprinkle white chocolate stripes across each of them, the white chocolate did not cooperate.

I had some extra chocolate after dipping the strawberries, so I dipped a couple of raspberries in the chocolate (why should it go to waste?). The raspberries were great. I think I might make them again as a bite sized dessert.

Next time, I also might experiment with milk chocolate (and, I will do proper research about how to properly melt white chocolate).

Raspberry Tartlettes

I bought frozen filo dough tart shells, and I filled the shells with a mixture of vanilla pudding and fat free cool whip. I topped each tartlette with a raspberry. They were OK, but I would make some adjustments if I made these again. I probably would have spread melted chocolate on the bottom of each tart to fix the texture and to make them a little less bland.

Festival of Lights

It is a well-known secret that I have been vying to host a holiday party. Unfortunately, I never have had the opportunity, as there are plenty of other "hosts" in our family. Is it a coincidence then, that I finally got to host a holiday party for the holiday that is all about miracles and never loosing hope? I think not!

The Breakdown:

Although my husband sometimes thinks I'm crazy, I love putting together a beautiful table, wonderful meal, and enjoyable atmosphere, and the smiles on my guests' faces is more than worth the effort!!!

The Decor

Since Hanukkah is the festival of lights, I decided to do a candlelit dinner for our 18 guests.

The Tablescape

I used blue tablecloths by Origins from Bed Bath & Beyond. These are actually my favorite table cloths (I own them in multiple colors) because they look great, they are stain resistant, and they are pretty reasonable (especially if you have BB&B coupons to spare).

Instead of using a table runner, I created a faux table runner with silver Hanukkah gelt, and I spread the candles down the middle of the "runner."

Since I didn't have enough napkin rings for all of our guests, I used garland I found at Crate & Barrel to create napkin holders. Then, I tucked a dreidel under each garland, so that every guest could spin their own dreidel at their leisure.



I took the left over garland from the napkin holders, and hung it from the chandelier.


Flowers
I had been eyeing these silver containers at Gelson's for some time now, and I finally broke down and treated myself to them. I placed floral foam on the bottom and arranged white hydrangeas and roses in each container.



Seating Cards



When I have a lot of guests, I prefer to make seating cards. My husband thinks it's too formal, but I personally think that when you have a lot of guests over for a sit down dinner, you really should use seating cards. First, everyone always asks you were they should sit anyway, and second, it allows you to strategically place your guests so that you can ensure that everyone is having a good time.

I made the seating cards using scrapbooking paper that I had on hand. I cut 4x4 pieces of white paper and folded them in half. Then I attached a 1x4 piece of silver paper to the center of one of the folded sides.

I found a great free dreidel font online by Artsylady. The first initial of every name is set inside a dreidel, but the best part was that the English letters resembled Hebrew letters. A lot of our guests know how to read Hebrew, and they got a real kick out of the font on the cards.
Additional Decor
I bought 4 napkins to match the tablecloths, so I could add a little color to the living room. I set two of them on an entry way table, where we were planning on lighting the channukiahs. I then set the other two on the coffee table. I placed a centerpiece over the napkins to hide the place where they overlapped. I then spread out mini dreidels and silver Hanukkah gelt.

I also repurposed a candle holder I bought from Bed Bath & Beyond for my husband's birthday. It originally came with sea shells, but ironically I've never used them. For my husband's birthday, I lined the inside with fragrance beads (also from BB&B), and I placed orchids on top of the beads.



This time, I left the beads in, but I placed mini dreidels on top of the beads.

The Menu
First Course: I like serving a first course because it allows me to have time to greet my guests. Then when they sit down to have the first course, I have plenty of time to heat the main course.

• Israeli Salad


• Winter Salad

Main Course: I found it was helpful to have two serving plates for each dish so my guests didn't have to wait until the serving plates went by 17 other people before they could enjoy.

• Brisket


• Moroccan Chicken


• Schnitzel


• Mashed Potatoes


• Latkes


• Zucchini and Corn in Tomato Sauce

Dessert: Everyone was so full after dinner, so I waited to serve dessert until after we opened presents. I cleared the dishes from a section of the table, and served dessert buffet style, so everyone could sit where ever they wanted.

• Apple Cake


• Sufganiyot


• Cookies


• Fruit

I wish I could post pictures of the amazing family and friends that enjoyed the holiday with us...but, alas, I choose to stay anonymous.

Healty-ish Mashed Potatoes

Although some of my favorite mashed potato recipes call for butter milk or cream, I love this healthier version.

Ingredients:

1 package baby yukon potatoes

2 garlic cloves, peeled

2 tbsp. skim milk

1 tbsp. non-hydrogenated margarine

Salt to taste

(if you like your potatoes really creamy, use 1/4 cup skim milk and 2 tbsp of the margarine)

Directions:

1. Add potatoes and garlic cloves to pot, and cover with water


2. Bring to boil over medium high heat


3. Reduce to a simmer, and cook for about 35 minutes or until fork tender


4. Drain potatoes


5. Place potatoes in a large bowl
6. Mash the potatoes using a hand-held potato masher


7. Heat the milk and margarine in a small pan (optional, but worth the effort)


8. Add milk and margarine to potatoes


9. Continue to mash the potatoes mixing the ingredients together

10. Add salt to season to taste
11. Enjoy!