stuffed mini peppers

 

A friend shared this recipe and it is SO good!  It's quite possibly my very favorite way to eat mini sweet peppers.

stuffed mini peppers (adapted from fifteenspatulas, suggested to me by my friend Tiffany)

1 pound mini sweet peppers

8 ounces light cream cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 jalapenos, seeded and finely chopped (1/3 cup measured)

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

De-stem peppers then cut each in half. 

In a large bowl, stir to combine the cream cheese, parmesan, garlic, jalapeno and black pepper.

Fill the cut peppers with small spoonfuls of filling.

Roast the peppers for about 20-25 minutes, until the peppers are soft and the cheese is golden on the edges.

roasted zucchini with herbs and feta

 

I had a big zucchini to use that I got in a big box of produce from a co-op I just joined so looked for a recipe and this looked so good...and it was!!  Excellent recipe.

roasted zucchini with herbs and feta (love & lemons)

1 pound zucchini, about 3 medium, cut into 1-inch half-moons (my zucchini was big so I quartered it)

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

freshly ground black pepper

lemon wedges, for squeezing

crumbled feta cheese or parmesan cheese, grated

fresh herbs for serving

Preheat oven to 435 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.  In a large bowl, toss the zucchini with the olive oil, italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder, and several grinds of black pepper.  Spread it evenly on the prepared baking sheet and roast for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.

Remove from the oven, transfer to a serving dish, and squeeze with lemon.  Sprinkle with cheese and herbs, if desired.

roasted bell peppers

 

Great recipe!  Loved it.

roasted bell peppers (slightly adapted from healthyrecipesblogs.com)

4 bell peppers

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.

Cut the bell peppers into quarters then remove the seeds and membranes.

Put the following into a gallon sized ziploc bag: oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano and red pepper flakes.  Add the bell peppers.  Seal bag.  Coat the bell peppers with the oil and seasonings.

Place peppers on the lined baking sheet.  Roast until tender and charred in spots, about 20 minutes.  Serve immediately. 

roasted vegetables for vegetable sandwiches

 

Hall of fame.  These roasted veggies are perfect for a roasted veggie sandwich.  Toast some ciabatta bread, smear with basil or tomato pesto, pile on the veggies and top with some cheese.  You can even melt the cheese.

roasted vegetables for vegetable sandwiches (adapted from Eating Well)

1 zucchini, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and thinly sliced

1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and thinly sliced

1 onion, sliced

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven 450.  Toss vegetables with oil, garlic, salt and pepper .  Put on a prepared baking sheet.  Roast the vegetables until tender and starting to brown, 30 to 35 minutes.  Let cool.

korean vegetable pancake

 

One of my college roommates used to make these vegetable pancakes and they were SO good.  This is a great recipe!  Our family loves these.

korean vegetable pancake (maangchi.com)

serves:2

for a large 12-inch pancake

about 2 1/2 to 3 cups of sliced vegetables:

4 green onions, cut 1" long

1/3 cup leek, thinly sliced

1/2 cup zucchini matchsticks

1 jalapeno, sliced

3 ounces white onion, sliced

few mushrooms, sliced

also for the pancake:

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup water

vegetable oil

for the dipping sauce:

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons white vinegar

1 teaspoon korean hot pepper flakes (gochugaru)

1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Make the dipping sauce by combining dipping sauce ingredients.

To make the batter, combine the green onion, leek, zucchini, jalapeno, mushrooms and onion.  Add the flour, salt, and 3/4 cup water.  Mix it well with a wooden spoon.

Heat up a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Add about 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and swirl it around to coat the skillet evenly.  Add the batter to the skillet and spread it out evenly.

Turn down the heat to medium.  Cook 4-5 minutes until the bottom turns crunchy and light golden brown.  Grab the handle of the skillet and twirl in around so the pancake moves and is cooked evenly underneath.

Turn or flip over the pancake.

Increase the heat to medium high and add 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable oil along the edges of the pancake.  Lift up one edge with your spatula and tilt the skillet so the oil flows underneath the pancake.

Cook for 3-4 minutes until both sides turn light golden brown.

Flip it over one more time and cook another 2 minutes.

Serve right away with the dipping sauce.

bengal barbecue veggies skewers

 

Our last trip to Disneyland my daughter ordered veggie skewers in Adventureland at Bengal Barbecue.  They have the best skewers!  I wanted to find a copycat recipe so we tried these.  We couldn't remember if they tasted the same or not (she thought they tasted just like them) but this is a terrific recipe!

bengal barbecue veggie skewers (adapted from alldaymom)

1 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise then cut into chunks

1 yellow squash, cut in half lengthwise then cut into chunks

carton button mushrooms

1 red onion, cut into chunks

1 green bell pepper, cut into chunks

2 tablespoons oil

spice mixture:

1 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder

Wash and cut veggies.  In a zip-lock bag, mix 2 tablespoons oil with the spice mixture.  Add the vegetables and coat vegetables with the spice mixture.  Assemble the vegetables on the skewers.  Grill until cooked to perfection (I did not cook directly over the flame but on a rack a few inches above).

roasted cauliflower (for tacos)

 

Fantastic!  SO delicious!  I LOVE this roasted cauliflower.  I made it with the intention that my vegetarians would have roasted cauliflower tacos while the rest of us had smoked pork tacos but all of the pork taco lovers also loved the roasted cauliflower!  I loved the two side dishes tonight- the roasted cauliflower AND the mexican marinated carrots.  So much flavor!!

Note:  I'm going to use this roasted cauliflower for vegetarian tikka masala bowls.  It will be perfect for those.

roasted cauliflower (the minimalist baker)

1 giant head (or two small) cauliflower, chopped into bite-sized pieces

2 tablespoons oil

1 tablespooon ground cumin

2 teapsoons chili powder

2 teapsoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon salt

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Shake cauliflower in a gallon size ziplock bag with the oil, cumin, chili powder, paprika and salt. 

Pour onto a baking sheet and spread the cauliflower evenly on the baking sheet. 

Bake 20-25 minutes until the cauliflower is tender.

veggie stuffed zucchini

 

These were really yummy!  I wished for leftovers.

Note to self:  Omit the peppers next time for the picky kid in the family.

veggie stuffed zucchini

3 zucchini, cut lengthwise in half and insides scooped out (dice the insides)

1/2 cup onion, diced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 cup mushrooms, diced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil (I used 1 tablespoon fresh)

2 tablespoons chopped parsley, fresh

1/4-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

handful of mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare a 9x13 casserole pan with cooking spray or line with foil.

In a large skillet heat a tablespoon of oil or water.  Add onion, garlic, pepper, mushrooms and cut up zucchini "insides".  Turn off the heat.  Add seasonings and Parmesan cheese.

Take zucchini that has been prepared to be stuffed and place them in the 9x13 pan.  Stuff each zucchini half with the stuffing.

Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.  Bake for 35-40 minutes until cheese starts to bubble.

baked sweet potato fries

 

I tore this out of my Costco Connection magazine.  Great recipe!

baked sweet potato fries (Costco Connection magazine, October 2021)

1 pound sweet potatoes, scrubbed and dried (peeling is optional)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

coarse salt, to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Line a large baking pan with parchment paper or foil.  

Slice the potatoes lengthwise into 1/2-to 1/2-inch thick wedges.  Whisk the oil, chili, onion and garlic powders; add salt in a large mixing bowl.  Add the potato wedges.  Toss evenly to coat.

Spread the potato slices and any lingering oil onto the baking pan in a single layer.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, turning the fries over midway through cooking until the sweet potatoes are tender inside and slightly brown around the edges.  Sprinkle with extra salt if desired.  Serve warm.  Makes 4 servings.

spinach zucchini bites

 

These bites are scrumptious!  They are easy to make and so, so good.  We enjoyed them with grilled chicken and pasta salad full of veggies.

spinach zucchini bites (adapted from punchfork.com)

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained (I cooked some fresh spinach and diced it to equal 1 cup)

2 cloves garlic, minced

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

1 large zucchini, sliced into 1/2" rounds (I had 13 rounds)

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan, spinach, garlic and crushed red pepper.  Season with salt and pepper.  Spread about a tablespoon of cream cheese mixture on top of each zucchini coin.

Bake until zucchini is tender and cheese is melty, 15 minutes.  For more color, broil on high 1-2 minutes.

easy picked onions

I love picked onions.  Makes my mouth water just thinking about them.  I needed some pickled onions for some tacos I was making and found this simple recipe which is better than the recipe I had been using.  So quick and easy!!

easy pickled onions (shared appetite)
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sugar (I used 1 1/2 teaspoons)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

Combine vinegar, water, sugar and salt in a medium bowl or large liquid measuring cup.  Whisk together until sugar and salt is fully dissolved.
Place onion in a jar or bowl (I used a mason jar).  Pour vinegar mixture over and let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour if you're in a rush.  Preferably, cover and refrigerate for at least a day.  Pickled onions will last a few weeks stored in the refrigerator.

roasted brussels sprouts

My oldest came home from college a vegan so that's new.  We're eating so many veggies we'll having them coming out of our ears before long.  We don't all eat vegan but we're definitely accommodating.  These brussels sprouts are delicious.  So simple.  I roasted them much longer than the recipe called for to make sure I got the blackened yumminess.

roasted brussels sprouts (food network, Ina Garten)
1 1/2 pounds brussels sprouts
3 tablespoons olive oil (I used 2 tablespoons)
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut off the brown ends of the brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves (mine didn't have any).  Mix them in a bowl or plastic bag with the oil, salt and pepper.  Pour them onto a sheet pan and roast for 35-40 minutes (I roasted them for an hour or more) 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 salt if desired and serve immediately.

roasted mixed potatoes

These were a hit!  (Photo taken before the potatoes were roasted).  One of my kids asked if I would please make them every night.  

roasted mixed potatoes (pass the peas, please)
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into rounds then lengthwise
5 small red potatoes, cut into rounds then lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Place foil over a cookie tray and preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a ziplock bag, pour in oil and add seasonings.  Add cut potatoes.  Zip the bag and shake the potatoes until they are coated in oil and seasonings.
Place in the oven and roast for 35 minutes.

lighter eggplant parmesan

I found a gorgeous eggplant at Trader Joes and wanted eggplant parmesan but nothing too heavy or fattening.  This turned out to be a GREAT recipe.  Is it still "lighter" if you eat half the 9x13?

lighter eggplant parmesan (adapted from skinnytaste)
1 large eggplant, 2 pounds
1 tablespoon olive oil
12 ounces fat free ricotta
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Parmesan/Romano blend
1 medium egg
1 1/2 cups mozzarella
1 jar Classico pasta sauce

Slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch thick slices.  Lightly salt the slices and put in a colander to release excess moisture for about a half hour.  Lay on paper towels to soak up any extra moisture.  Preheat overn to 450.
Brush eggplant lightly with olive oil on both sides and place on cookie sheet.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning half way through.
In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, egg and 1/4 cup grated cheese.
In a 9x12 baking dish, put a little sauce on the bottom of the dish and put a layer of eggplant to cover the bottom of the dish.  Top with 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture, mozzarella cheese and sauce.  Add another layer of eggplant and repeat until everything is used up.
Cover with foil and bake until cheese is melted and everything is bubbling, about 30 minutes at 400 degrees.  Remove foil and bake an additional 8-10 minutes.  Take it out of the oven and let it sit about 10 minutes before cutting.  Enjoy!
(My eggplant gave me 12 slices so my first layer was 6 slices and I topped those with another 6 slices.  It turned out pretty!)

easy ratatouille

My husband grew some beautiful tomatoes so I've been trying to incorporate a lot of fresh tomatoes into our meals.  I adapted this recipe to do so and it's delicious!  Even the kids didn't mind eating all these brilliant vegetables with their keilbasa sausage on the side, of course.

easy ratatouille (adapted from i heart nap time)
4 fresh tomatoes, diced into medium chunks
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 zucchini, thinly sliced
1 summer squash, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
dried thyme
parmesan cheese for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Spread the tomatoes over the bottom of a 9x9 dish.  Stir in the onions, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Layer the zucchini and yellow squash.  Fill the red pepper in the gaps.  Drizzle the olive oil on top.  Sprinkle thyme and remaining salt and pepper over top.
Bake covered with foil for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.  Top with parmesan cheese if desired.

cup o' veggies

Yesterday my girls went to Activity Days and I was asked to help out.  What a great day to help!  Tables were covered with colorful fruits and vegetables and divided into several stations so the girls could assemble healthy and fun snacks.  I made ants on a log as a child and I've seen the spiders but I always forget about the cup o' veggies when it's time to picnic or potluck in the summertime.  The girls loved assembling them.

cup o' veggies (Sis. Quiner)
veggie sticks- bell pepper, carrots, cucumber, spring peas, celery, jicama
skewer veggies- olives, cherry tomatoes
dip such as ranch, Italian or Caesar
clear, plastic cups

Prepare veggie sticks.
Make veggies skewers by putting a piece or two of the selected veggies on the end of a skewer.
Pour 1-2 tablespoons of the dressing into the bottom of a clear plastic cup.
Fill the rest of the cup with veggies and skewers.

back burner ratatouille

Hall of Fame!  This simple recipe blew me away.  What was crazy about this recipe is that my kids LOVED it and asked for seconds and thirds.  Maybe it's because they picked the eggplant, zucchini and basil that we used.  Whatever it was, we're keeping this recipe because it's super duper healthy and scrumptious.  Thanks, Angeli for recommending this recipe!

back burner ratatouille (my friend Angeli found it at allrecipes; I adapted it slightly)
28 ounces crushed tomatoes
2 yellow zucchini, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 small eggplants, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 onion, diced
1 teaspoon salt
15 fresh basil leaves
sprinkling of garlic powder
sprinkling of black pepper

Pour tomatoes into a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat; add zucchini, eggplant and onion; stir once.  Sprinkle salt over vegetables.  Bring mixture to a boil and simmer until the vegetables start to cook down, 10 to 15 minutes; stir in basil, garlic powder and pepper.
Cook covered over low heat for 2 hours.  Adjust seasonings and serve.

What I have to say- I may have spelled the name of this dish wrong.  That's okay.  It's charming.

roasted broccoli

This broccoli deserved a better photograph.  This is seriously the best broccoli I have ever eaten.  My friend Kiana shared it at our last gourmet club.  It's one of those recipes that you ought to go out of your way to get a head of broccoli so you can try it tonight with whatever you've got planned.  She said to make this broccoli you have to sacrifice one of your baking sheets because you end up warping your pans.  She has a pan reserved for this recipe.

roasted broccoli (my friend Kiana)
1 large bunch broccoli (trim away the outer peel from the stalks otherwise they will turn tough when cooked)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
ground black pepper to taste
lemon wedges for serving


Adjust oven rack to the lowest position, place a large rimmed baking sheet on rack and heat oven to 500 degrees.  Cut the broccoli at the juncture of the florets and stems; remove the outer peel from the stalk.  Cut the stalk into 2 to 3-inch lengths and each length into 1/2-inch-thick pieces.  Cut the crowns into four to six wedges, depending on size.  Place the broccoli in a large bowl; drizzle with the oil and toss well until evenly coated.  Season with the salt, sugar and pepper to taste and toss to combine.
Carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven.  Working quickly, transfer the broccoli to the baking sheet and spread into an even layer, placing the flat sides down.  Return sheet to the oven and roast until the stalks are well browned and tender and the florets are lightly browned, 9 to 11 minutes.  Transfer to a dish and serve with lemon wedges.

 

beckham place creamed corn

We spent a glorious week at a family reunion in Southern California a few weeks ago.  While there we enjoyed some wonderful meals with family.  One afternoon Grandpa grilled salmon and Grandma made sides, one of which was this creamed corn.  My son calls it "cheesy corn" and loved it the first time he tried it.  He talks about the cheesy corn almost Grandma made and he has turned his nose up at the corn I have served since because I did not have the recipe until now.  Grandma says that her daughter got this recipe while working at a Scottish restaurant many years ago.

beckham place creamed corn (Grandma Anne got the recipe from Beckham Place)
2 packages (20 ounces) frozen kernel corn (it tasted like fresh corn to me!)
8 ounces whipping cream (Grandma likes to cook healthily so used half and half)
8 ounces homogenized milk
1 teaspoon salt
4-5 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons flour

Combine all ingredients except last two and bring to a boil.  Simmer 5 minutes.  Blend butter with flour, add to the corn, mix well and remove from heat.  Serves 8.
Variation: Put finished corn in a heat proof casserole.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and place under a broiler until evenly browned.

curried cucumbers

Amy brought these curried cucumbers to our couple's gourmet club dinner.  It was the perfect accompaniment for our spicy chicken tikka masala.  I thoroughly enjoyed these cucumbers and know this recipe is a repeat for sure.

curried cucumbers (my friend Amy C.)
3 cucumbers, peeled and sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup mayo
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon parsley
1/2 teaspoon seasoned pepper blend
1/2 teaspoon original salt free Mrs. Dash

Combine sour cream, mayo, curry, garlic salt, parsley, seasoned pepper blend and Mrs. Dash in a medium sized bowl.  Stir in cucumbers and red onion.  Chill for 2 hours.  Salt and pepper to taste.