Roasted Olives with Orange and Rosemary

I love olives and Tim doesn't but he loved these. I was looking for a little appetizer to have before we went full on with the Lasagna and Sausage and Peppers.  It was an Italian Christmas in memory of my Mom who is no longer with us.  She loved my lasagna and Eggplant - one of the few things she was proud to have taught me.  She didn't like a lot of my cooking . She adored Tim's cooking. He could do no wrong. I had gone by Eataly in the city to pick up a couple things for Christmas meal and lugged them up from the city to have them for our meal.  The olives were delicious.  Definitely have to have to serve them warm.

ROASTED OLIVES WITH ORANGE AND ROSEMARY

INGREDIENTS:
2 Oranges
1 pound large green olives without pits ( Castelvetrano)
3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary
2 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
3 Cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
2 Pinches Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1/4 Teaspoon Fennel Powder

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grate the zest of one orange, remove the zest of the second orange with a vegetable peeler, and then juice both oranges.  In a 9 x 13 inch glass or ceramic baking dish, toss together the olives, olive oil, 2 sprigs of rosemary, the thyme, the rind removed with the peeler, orange juice, garlic, and 1 pinch crushed red pepper.  Bake, tossing every 10 minutes, until olives are slightly shriveled and juices have reduced to a glaze, about 30 minutes.
While the olives are still hot, break the remaining sprig of rosemary over the top.  Sprinkle with the finely grated zest, the fennel powder, and one more pinch crushed red pepper. Toss, and serve while still hot.

Honey Garlic Vinaigrette

Honey Garlic Vinaigrette

        Ingredients

• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 
  
• Directions

• In a container, combine oil, vinegar, honey, and garlic. Cover, and shake until blended. Set aside for 45 minutes, to allow flavors to combine. Shake again before serving.

We needed a new salad dressing for our dinner party and we tried this and it was very good. 

A great update to a classic bruschetta.

Cauliflower Toasts

1 small head cauliflower (2 pounds)
4 tablespoons good olive oil
1⁄4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 ounces Italian mascarpone cheese, at room temperature 6 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated
4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, julienned
1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 large slices country-style bread
Paprika
Freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
Flaked sea salt, such as Maldon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Turn the cauliflower upside down on a cutting board. Cut off and discard most but not all of the stems, then cut the florets into small, 1⁄2-inch clusters. Place the florets on a sheet pan, toss them with the olive oil, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper, and spread them out in a single layer. Roast for 25 to
30 minutes, tossing two or three times, until the florets are tender and randomly browned. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
Set the oven to broil and arrange a rack 6 inches below the heat.
Transfer the florets to a large mixing bowl and add the mascarpone, stirring to coat the florets evenly. Stir in the Gruyère, prosciutto, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper.

Toast the bread in a toaster until lightly browned, and place in a single layer on a sheet pan lined with foil. Mound the cauliflower mixture evenly on each toast and dust with paprika. Broil the toasts for 2 to 4 minutes, until browned and bubbling. (Watch them carefully!) Transfer to plates and sprinkle with Parmesan, the chives, and sea salt. Serve hot.

Apricot Skewers

APRICOT SKEWERS

Attempting to live the "Vitaly" Life this summer. Sans Vespas - we make do with a pool and some new Italian cookbook recipes.  Found this appetizer in a magazine recently and it looked good. We tried it and it was good - the trick is to make the bite combos of apricot, cheese and ham  a manageable portion.  The rosemary is pretty and decorative but doesn't really do anything for the flavor.  It was good however and definitely worth posting and saving.

Ingredients:
1 6 oz bag dried apricots
1 cup white wine
   rosemary sprigs
1/4 lb thinly sliced prosciutto, cut
1 pt. bocconcini (1 oz balls)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

In a small saucepan, simmer dried apricots in white wine over medium-low heat until plump. Drain and reserve liquid.  Use a rosemary sprig to skewer apricots, then add a strip of prosciutto and a bocconcini ball. Return the wine to the saucepan and reduce slightly to a syrup.  Drizzle skewers with wine syrup. Sprinkle with pepper.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Capers and Dijon Mustard

This is the recipe I promised to post a couple days ago.  I could eat Brussels sprouts at every meal. Sometimes, it is all I eat for dinner - a lot of the time.  Tim knows how much I like them and looks for new ideas on how to cook them.  This was pretty fantastic.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Capers and Dijon Mustard

2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnut
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 45 degrees.
2. Cut Brussels sprouts into quarters.  Spread in an even layer on a large rimmed baking sheet.  Drizzle with 3 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper.  Roast until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.  Add walnuts and cook stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted 4-6 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Stir in mustard, capers and vinegar.
4. Add the brussels sprouts to the pan and stir to combine with the sauce.  Season with more pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Butternut Squash Soup

While we were experimenting with butternut squash - this was another recipe we tried.  Very healthy, Zero points and easy and awesome!

Butternut Squash Soup

4 cups vegetable broth
12 oz. butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 to 11/2 inch cubes
1/2 large Vidalia onion, cut into 2 inch cubes
1/2 small apple, peeled and cut into 2 inch cubes
1/4 tsp table salt, to taste
1/4 black pepper to taste
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg to taste

In a large stock pot, combine broth, squash, onion, and apple; cover pot and bring to a boil over high heat.  Uncover pot and reduce heat to low; gently simmer until squash is very tender, about 10 minutes.
Puree soup in pot using an immersion blender ) or puree soup in a regular blender in batches; be careful not to splatter hot liquid).
Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg; server.  Yields 3/4 cup per serving.

Watermelon Feta and Mint Salad

Trying to catch up with my neglectful postings.  As part of our new clean healthy living diet - Tim (Mr. Beach Body himself) has been experimenting with a lot of recipes which we have been enjoying and here is another one I have forgotten to post.

WATERMELON, MINT AND FETA SALAD

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 dash hot pepper sauce ( Tabasco)
31/2 cups cubed watermelon
2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 Tbsp chopped sweet onion
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves

1. Combine oil, lemon juice, salt, peper, and hot sauce ( if desired) in a medium bowl; whisk to blend. Set aside.
2. Combine watermelon, cheese, onion, and mint in a large serving bowl.
3. Drizzle with dressing; toss gently to blend.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

You can't have a great meatloaf without great potatoes - these were great!

INGREDIENTS

2 1⁄2 lbs red potatoes, unpeeled, quartered

3 garlic cloves, peeled

2 tablespoons butter

1⁄2 cup milk 

1 teaspoon salt 

1⁄4 cup grated parmesan cheese 

DIRECTIONS

Put potatoes and garlic in lg pan.

Cover with water.

Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes, until potatoes are tender.

Drain well.

Mash with the butter, milk, and salt.

Stir in the parmesan cheese.

Potatoes Au Gratin

Because we still have so many potatoes from our garden from last summer, with the roast, this was a perfect side Saturday night.

Scalloped Potatoes Au Gratin

Olive oil spray

3 pounds yellow potatoes, like Yukon gold, unpeeled, sliced into 1/4-inch slices

3 cups cold milk (1 percent low-fat)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large or 2 small sprigs thyme

1 3/4 cups grated Gruyere cheese (6 ounces)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 2 quart, shallow baking dish with olive oil spray.

Put the potatoes into a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are just tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool somewhat.

Put the milk and flour into a large saucepan and whisk until the flour is dissolved. Add the garlic and thyme and heat over a medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil and is thickened, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat, discard the thyme sprig, and stir in the salt. Add 1 cup of the cheese and stir until melted.

Arrange half of the potatoes in the baking dish. Pour over half of the cheese sauce. Add the remaining potatoes and top with rest of the sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake for 25 minutes, until bubbling. Put under the broiler and broil on high until the top is browned, about 2 minutes. Serve hot.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Tim trying out soup recipes this winter.  

• 1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves (3 to 4 pieces)
• 2 cups cilantro stems and sprigs plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
• Two 14 1/2-ounce cans low-sodium chicken broth, skimmed of fat
• 3 cups water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons corn oil
• 4 plum tomatoes
• 2 small onions, halved lengthwise (unpeeled)
• 4 garlic cloves (unpeeled)
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 1/4 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 3/4 cup rinsed, drained canned chickpeas
• 5 fresh corn tortillas (5 1/2-inch diameter), cut in 1/4-inch-wide strips
• 1/2 small avocado
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tablespoon minced jalapeno
• 3 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream

1. 
   In a large saucepan, combine chicken, 2 cups cilantro, broth, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer gently until chicken is just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate; let cool. Cut into 1/2-inch dice. Strain broth through a fine strainer lined with several layers of cheesecloth; reserve. Wipe out pot.
   
2. 
   Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in a cast-iron skillet on medium-high until hot. Add 3 tomatoes, onions, and garlic; cover and cook, turning vegetables occasionally, until skins are nicely charred, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. When vegetables are cool enough to handle, remove skins, stems, and cores; discard. Place tomatoes, onions, and garlic in a blender with 1/2 cup reserved broth; blend until smooth. Scrape mixture into saucepan; cook, stirring, over medium heat until thickened and darker, about 6 minutes. Stir in remaining broth, 1/4 teaspoon salt, corn, chickpeas, and chicken. Remove from heat.
   
3. 
   Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place tortilla strips on a rimmed baking sheet; toss with remaining tablespoon oil and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Bake until golden and crisp, about 12 minutes, turning once or twice. Cool.
   
4. 
   Finely dice avocado; gently rinse with cold water. Place in a bowl. Finely dice remaining tomato, and add to avocado with lime juice, jalapeno, chopped cilantro, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt. Re-warm soup; ladle into bowls. Garnish with avocado mixture, sour cream, and tortilla strips.

Homemade Slowcooker Split Pea Soup

Tim is obsessed with soups lately and these were a couple he made lately.  The split pea slow cooker soup is one of my favorites!

• 10 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 pounds dried green split peas, picked over, rinsed, and drained
• 1 medium onion, diced small
• 4 small carrots, diced small
• 1 celery stalk, diced small
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced small
• 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled)
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 2 small ham hocks (1 1/4 pounds total), with several 1/2-inch slits cut into skin
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

1. 
   In a medium pot, bring broth to a boil, then carefully pour into a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add split peas, onion, carrots, celery, bell pepper, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, and ham hocks; season with salt and pepper.
   
2. 
   Cover and cook on high until split peas are creamy, 6 hours, stirring occasionally.
   
3. 
   Remove ham hocks from pot. Discard skin and bones; dice meat. Discard bay leaves. Lightly mash peas with the back of a wooden spoon. Return ham to soup and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Testing Thanksgiving Recipes - Bacon Glazed Carrots

Two bacon recipes in one night - yum!  Great thinking Tim!  I can eat bacon 24/7.  Also a VERY GOOD side dish for Thanksgiving.

BACON GLAZED CARROTS

1 pound of baby carrots
3 bacon slices
1 small onion, chopped
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cook carrots in boiling water for 15 minutes or until carrots are tender.  Drain and set aside.  In a large skillet cook bacon until crisp.  Remove bacon and drain on paper towels.  Crumble and set aside.  Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings in skillet.  Saute onion in bacon drippings over medium-high heat for 3 minutes or until tender.  Stir in brown sugar, pepper and cooked carrots.  Cook for 5 minutes or until carrots are glazed and heated through.  Serve with crumbled bacon on top.

The Best Cream Corn Recipe Ever - Slow Cooker Creamed Corn

I love creamed corn, corn pudding, corn anything!  Tim was starting to test new recipes and this was one of them this weekend.  This HAS to be the best side dish.  I could have made a complete meal of this alone!

Slow Cooker Creamed Corn

Cook Time 3 Hours 15 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

3 (15.25 ounces) cans whole kernal corn, drained
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces cream cheese, cubed
1/2 cup ( 1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into thin slices

Place corn into a slow cooker. Stir in milk, sugar and pepper until well combined.  Without stirring, tap with butter and cream cheese.  Cover and cook on high heat for 2-3 hours.

Uncover and stir until butter and cream cheese are well combined.  Cover and cook on high heat for an additional 15 minutes.

Serve Immediately.

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Smashed Baked Potatoes

Smashed Baked Potatoes - Yum!

24 ounces Dutch yellow baby potatoes ( we had to substitute mini red potatoes)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large pot of boiling water, cook potatoes until tender, about 15-20 minutes; drain well.

Place potatoes onto the prepared baking sheet.  Using a well glass, carefully smash the potatoes until
flattened but still in one piece.  Top with olive oil, garlic and thyme.

Place into oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.

Brussel Sprouts and Bacon Salad

Tim also made a couple great sides for dinner.  We love brussel sprouts and this was just one more great way to enjoy them!

Brussel Sprouts and Bacon Salad

6 slices thick cut hardwood smoked sliced bacon, diced
12 ounces brussels sprouts, trimmed, finely grated or shredded with a knife
1/4 cup sliced almonds

For the Lemon Vinaigrette
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons sugar

To make the vinaigrette, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and sugar in a small bowl; set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes.   Transfer to a paper towel - lined plate.

To assemble the salad, place brussels sprouts in a large bowl; top with bacon and almonds.  Pour the dressing on top of the salad and gently toss to combine.

Green Beans with Cashews

Green Beans with Cashews

1 1/2 pounds green beans , trimmed

1/2 cup cashews with sea salt

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

Cooking spray

2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

2. Combine first 6 ingredienests in a shallow roasting pan coated with cooking spray.

3. Bake at 500 degrees for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.  remove from oven, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese .

Black Bean and Avocado Salsa

Always looking for a new variation on guacamole!

Black Bean and Avocado Salsa

1 1/2 cups chopped tomato
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 times)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 (15 ounce ) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 ripe peeled avocados, chopped

1. Place first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl; stir well. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Add chopped avocado just before serving; toss gently.  Serve with tortilla chips or chopped celery, cucumber or carrots.

Turmeric Roasted Vegetables

I could easily go Vegan. I love vegetables and this was so easy and so tasty!

Turmeric Roasted Vegetables

1 medium to large head of cauliflower, outer leaves removed and cut into florets
6 medium size shallots, peeled and left whole
1 container cherry tomatoes, washed and cut into halves
1 can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
3 bay leaves
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon nigella seeds ( you can substitute pumpkin seeds)
1/2 teaspoon ground sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped finely

1. Preheat over to 330 degrees. F. In a large mixing bowl place all the vegetables and bay leaves.

2. Mix the water, oil, lemon juice, turmeric, seeds, sweet paprika, cumin, salt and pepper together and pour over the vegetables.  Mix to combine ensuring they are evenly coated in the liquid.

3.  Place in oven and roast for at least one hour or until cauliflower florets are golden.  If you like your veggies really moist remove after this time, if you want the flavors more developed and a more caramelised dish then roast around one and a quarter hours.

4. Scatter chopped parsley and serve.

Braised Cabbage

Perfect side dish with the Beef and Red Wine Pot Pie!

Braised Cabbage
3 T olive oil
8 slices of very thick cut bacon cooked and crumbled
2 T butter
1 onion , sliced
4 garlic cloves, sliced
2 sticks of celery, sliced
1 large carrot, peeled and sliced
1/2 T caraway seeds
1 t fennel seeds
3/4 head of cabbage, thickly sliced
1/4 cup chopped parsley leaves
Salt
Pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy - based saucepan and saute the bacon until it's crispy.  Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels.

Lower the heat and add the butter to the pan.  Add the onion, garlic, celery, carrot, caraway seeds and fennel seeds and sweat for about 5  minutes, or until the vegetables are soft but not colored.

Add the cabbage to the pan, cover with a lid and sweat for around 5 minutes or until the cabbage begins to soften.  Season then increase the heat and cook stirring frequently, until the pan juices have evaporated. ( it took ours around 15 minutes but we wanted it browned and nicely caramelized).

Stir through the fried bacon and parsley and serve.  If you wish, you could also add a splash of lemon juice or red wine vinegar.  the slight tartiness is a nice add to the buttery richness.

Corn Salad with Radishes, Jalapeno, and Lime

There are just not enough radish recipes.  I love radishes.

Corn Salad with Radishes, Jalapeno and Lime

3 cups fresh corn kernels ( about 3 large ears)
6 radishes, thinly sliced
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and ribs removed, finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and season with salt to taste.  The salad can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.