Roasted Chili Garlic Asparagus – Quick, Easy and Wow!!!

Tags

low sodium, Roasted Chili Garlic Asparagus, side dish, vegan, vegetable, vegetarian

I sprained my ankle last week and it’s still hurting, so I’ve been trying to keep my meals pretty easy. I need to keep off my feet as much as possible! Last night I made chicken and mushroom risotto in my pressure cooker, yum!!! I thought this roasted asparagus recipe would be a quick and simple accompaniment to the risotto and it was a great add! The tender asparagus was bursting with flavor; fresh, garlicky with a little spice!

Chili Garlic Asparagus

2 tbsp olive oil

1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces (cut off the bottom inch or so of the stalks and discard)

1/2 tsp red chili flakes

2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In an oven safe skillet, pour in olive oil. Add asparagus and toss, so coated with oil. Sprinkle on chili flakes and garlic and toss. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. You can cook them more or less depending on the texture you like. These came out pretty soft, but not mushy.

Enjoy!

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Barbecued Asparagus – BBQ Sauce on Asparagus??? Yes!!!

Tags

Asparagus, barbecue sauce, bbq, grill, Grilling, vegan, vegetarian

Last weekend we did an all BBQ dinner for 4th of July.  Our favorite, and probably easiest entry, was the Barbecued Asparagus. Now you’ve probably grilled asparagus before, but have you doused it in BBQ sauce??? It not, you HAVE to try this! It is so very delicious!!! It was the easiest thing in the world and it could easily be done stovetop or in the oven too, if you don’t have a grill handy. I think our family has found our new favorite way to eat asparagus!

Barbecued Asparagus

Serves 4-5

1 bunch Asparagus (I like to buy the thinner spears as they are not as woody as the thick ones)

1/3 cup BBQ Sauce (I usually like my asparagus a little spicy, so I used the Kinders Sweet Sriracha variety)

Trim about an inch off the cut ends of your asparagus and discard. Cut the asparagus into bite size pieces, about 1 inch and place in a medium mixing bowl. Pour barbecue sauce over asparagus and toss gently. We used a grill basket to cook the asparagus in. I like it with the holes and not a solid bottom, so the veggies get the smoky flavor of the grill. Spray your basket with non-stick spray and then add your veggies. Put on a hot grill and cook for 5-7 minutes stirring occasionally. We like our asparagus to still have some crunch to it, but if you like yours softer you can cook it longer.

Enjoy! I hope you’re having a fantastic summer!!!

Thanksgiving – Three Berries in One Wonderful Cranberry Sauce

Tags

blueberries, blueberry, Pioneer Woman, raspberries, raspberry, very berry cranberry sauce

One of the things you can do a couple days in advance of the holiday is make your cranberry sauce. I’ll admit that I have often used canned cranberry sauce, because I had yet to find a homemade recipe that made the work of making from scratch worthwhile. That definitely changed after I made this last year!

I recently watched the TV special Pioneer Woman’s Ultimate Thanksgiving again. One of the recipes she shared on that special was Very Berry Cranberry Sauce. I made this recipe last year and my husband and I agree; YUMMMMM! It will definitely be gracing our Thanksgiving table again this year!

It has the usual tangy flavor and bright color that you would expect from cranberry sauce, but this sauce sports more than just cranberries! It also has raspberries, blueberries and a surprise ingredient. Whiskey!!! I was worried that the whiskey would overpower the fruit flavors, but that was not the case at all! That flavor is really not distinctive, it blends in to simply make a great, fruity tasting sauce! The 3 different berries are what really make it!

So thanks to Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman! I would like to share her recipe.

Very Berry Cranberry Sauce

2 bags fresh cranberries
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup whiskey (I used Jack Daniels)
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup raspberries
Put the first 5 ingredients in a large saucepan and stir. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. When boiling, lower heat to low and allow to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining berries and cook for an additional 4 minutes. I noticed a lot of whole cranberries still, so I used my potato masher to gently mash it a little and break up the berries. Remove from heat, cool and refrigerate until cold and thick.
The original recipe says it makes 24 servings. I can believe it’s that many small servings. It makes quite a bit.
Super simple and it tastes fantastic! 
Happy Thanksgiving!!!

A Favorite Thanksgiving Side Dish – Sweet Potatoes and Apples

Tags

side dish, Sweet Potatoes and Apples, Thanksgiving, vegan, vegetable, vegetarian

About 20 years ago (man, I’m old!), I was at an office potluck and a co-worker of mine brought the most wonderful sweet potato dish. Keep in mind, prior to this I did not like sweet potatoes. My mom didn’t cook them much at all growing up, so my only exposure was that dish where they’re covered in marshmallows and to top it off, I don’t like marshmallows much either! Anyway, this dish my coworker brought was both sweet and savory. In addition to the sweet potatoes, there were apples in the dish.

I asked her for the recipe and she said she didn’t have it. Her mother had made the dish for her to bring, so I asked her to please ask her mom for the recipe. She comes back into work and tells me that her mom won’t give her the recipe. It’s a “secret” family recipe. What’s a girl gotta do to get that stinkin’ recipe!?! Thanksgiving was coming and my friend said that her mom would make those sweet potatoes every year, so I gave her marching orders to hover around her mother and take copious notes. Well she came through!!!

This dish has been a family favorite for the last 20 years and it always gets rave reviews when I share it with others. I’ve taken it to a few church potlucks and the such.

Not only is this dish delicious, it’s also pretty darn easy to make. Nothing complicated, but the flavors come together wonderfully! The recipe I have is pretty rough and these days I usually just make it from memory. It’s kind of a vegetable lasagna as you’re simply layering the ingredients and it’s easy to increase/decrease the recipe based on how many people you’re feeding. I hope you and your family enjoy it as much as we do!

Sweet Potatoes and Apples

4-5 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in half, short-ways

2 – 15 oz cans apple pie filling
Butter or margarine
Brown sugar
1 tbsp Brandy
Place sweet potatoes and 1 tbsp brandy into large pot of water making sure to cover potatoes. Bring to a boil and let boil for about 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove potatoes from hot water and slice into ½ inch slices. Spray a baking pan with non-stick spray and spread one layer of sweet potatoes, then thinly cover this with a layer of pie filling (about ½ can or more if you need it), spoon dots of butter over apples about a teaspoon or so 2-3 inches apart. You just want them spread apart. Then sprinkle about 1/3 cup brown sugar. Now repeat these layers. I usually try to end with the brown sugar on top. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes until warmed through and bubbly. If you’re making a bigger batch, it may need to cook longer.
You really can’t go wrong with the amounts of the ingredients, so play with it and see what looks good to you. It’s amazing how much flavor that little bit of brandy in the water adds!

Thanksgiving Dutch Apple Pie – A Traditional Favorite

Tags

baking, dessert, Dutch Apple Pie, Thanksgiving, vegan, vegetaria

Yesterday I was a baking fool! First I made cranberry pecan muffins. These were only so-so, so I won’t burden you with that recipe! BUT then, I went on to bake an apple pie and chicken pot pie. Now these two recipes are worth sharing! Today I’ll start with the Dutch Apple Pie. This was my first time ever baking an apple pie! I decided to keep it basic and use a frozen ready made pie shell and went with a dutch topping, instead of crust. The pie was fairly easy to make and it was delicious!!! If you’re looking for a pie to serve at your Thanksgiving dinner, this is an easy version that can fit into your busy cooking schedule. Pies even freeze pretty well, so you can make it ahead and freeze for the big day.

Now I say this was pretty easy, but this is coming from a girl who was blessed to receive a Kitchen Aid spiralizer for Christmas last year. This particular spiralizer has a spiral slicing blade along with a peeling blade, so I did not have to peel and slice 8 cups of apples! Having to do this manually would make this pie more time consuming to make. If you don’t have a Kitchen Aid mixer, but you think you might make this more if you didn’t have to peel and slice apples consider investing in an hand crank apple peeler/corer that attaches to a table. We have an antique one of these and they work great!

Lastly, I cannot take credit for this recipe. This is a Betty Crocker recipe minus the portion to make your own pie crust. I substituted a frozen pie shell.

Dutch Apple Pie

1 frozen pie shell (set out and let thaw for 10-15 minutes)

Filling

8 cups peeled and sliced apples (I used about 5 medium sized apples)

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Topping

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Preheat ove to 400 degrees. In large bowl, toss Filling ingredients. Pour into pie plate, mounding apples toward center.

In medium bowl, use pastry blender or fingers to mix butter, 1 cup flour and the brown sugar until a crumb forms. Sprinkle evenly over top of pie. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon granulated sugar on top.

Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until pie crust and crumb topping are deep golden brown and filling begins to bubble. Transfer to cooling rack to cool.

Enjoy!

Garden Fresh Salsa – The Perfect Use for Tomatoes From Your Garden!

Tags

fresh, salsa, tomato, vegan, vegetarian, zucchini

One of my favorite foods in the world is salsa!!! And it gets even better when it’s made with tomatoes fresh from your own garden! If you’ve never grown you own tomatoes, you need to give it a try! Store bought tomatoes have a fraction of the flavor as home grown. I had lot of tomatoes on the vine. I had originally planted them with the intention of making marinara sauce, but salsa was calling to me!!! This recipe is easy to make. It just involves some chopping, but it is worth the effort! It is so flavorful and when you’re making your own you can adjust the heat level to your liking. You can’t beat the flavors of salsa made with fresh, garden grown tomatoes, cilantro and peppers!!!

I find the salsa is best made ahead and allowed to chill in the fridge. Letting the salsa rest a few hours to a day, allows all the flavors to mingle and blend together nicely.

Healthy tip: For me it’s all about the salsa! The chips are a vehicle to shovel the salsa in my mouth. Another vehicle I use is sliced zucchini. I put my mandolin slicer to work and slice up a bunch. It’s a great alternative for all kinds of dips.

Garden Fresh Tomato Salsa

4 cups tomatoes, diced

1/2 red onion, diced

Salt

Pepper

Seasoned salt

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Juice of 1 lime

1/2 tsp Red pepper flakes

1 clove garlic, diced or pressed

1 1/2 Serrano chilies, seeded and diced very finely

1 tbsp olive oil

In a bowl, mix tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime juice, red pepper flakes. In a sauce pan, saute garlic and chilies in olive oil until slightly browned. Add garlic and chilies to other ingredients in bowl and stir well. Store in fridge for several hours before serving. You can eat immediately, but the flavor is better if allowed to mingle a bit.

Enjoy!

Grilled Watermelon – You Threw What on the Grill???

Tags

barbecue, fruit, Grilled watermelon, Grilling, melon, vegan, vegetarian

OK, I’m new to the grilling fruit concept!!! I realize this might not be ground-breaking news to some of you, but I thought I would share this for those of you that are like me and are late to the party. I was recently introduced to the idea of grilling watermelon on one of the many TV cooking shows I watch. We were barbecuing and had some watermelon on hand, so I thought we should try it. It was very good!!! The sugar in the watermelon carmelized a bit changing the texture and the barbeue adds a smokey flavor. It was delicious!!!

There is definitely still a place in my heart for ice cold watermelon!!!  But those watermelons are pretty big, so throw some of the slices on the grill and give it a try!!!

You really only have to grill them a couple of minutes on each side, depending on how hot your grill is. I just cooked them until I had some decent grill marks.

Enjoy! For all my U.S. Readers, I hope you have a safe and wonderful 4th of July weekend!

Ratatouille with Black Beans and Zucchini – A Healthy Choice as a Side Dish or Main

Tags

Black Beans, main dish, onion, Ratatouille, side dish, tomatoes, vegan, vegetarian, zucchini

It’s that time of year here in California where the zucchini is in great form and is plentiful! I had some beautiful, organic zucchini and wanted to do something a little different with it. I decided to make something with beans rather than the typical potato, rice or pasta side dish. This ratatouille like dish that I threw together hit the spot! It had a variety of flavors highlighted by fresh, organic veggies and herbs. It was the perfect side dish to our barbecued chicken. 

You could also make it with a little more sauce and serve it over rice or pasta as a vegetarian main dish. Leave out the Parmesan cheese and you have a satisfying Vegan dish!

Ratatouille with Black Beans and Zucchini

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed (Tip: Fresh cooked beans would taste the best or you can go the quick route and use canned, like I did. To reduce the salt in canned beans, be sure to rinse them well.)

3 zucchini, sliced

3 Roma tomatoes, diced

1/2 medium red onion, diced

3 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped (or you can use dried)

1 tsp cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 tbsp garlic infused olive oil (or use regular olive oil and add a clove of fresh garlic to the mixture.)

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Add olive oil to large saute pan or wok. Heat over medium heat. Add all ingredients and saute until onions and zucchini soften. I like my zucchini more on the al dente side. Top with Parmesan cheese just before serving.

Enjoy!

Quick red cabbage sauerkraut

Tags

Pickles, Sauerkraut, Sides, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian

Our family just loves red cabbage sauerkraut, but I’ve never made it myself. Gonna have to give this recipe a try! This was originally shared by another food blogger. 

It’s very evident from the changes in food on these pages that I am susceptible to food fads and trends. Just this weekend, we put our juicer out for the council collection as green smoothies have faded out of our diets.  Our kitchen now has evidence of embracing (perhaps a bit after the fact) fermentation […]

http://beachkitchen.com.au/2016/05/15/quick-red-cabbage-sauerkraut/

Fresh Beets with Blood Orange, Raspberry, Wine Sauce – I’m a Beetliever!!!

Tags

beets, blood orange, raspberry, red wine, vegan, vegetarian

  I have never liked beets! They are one of those foods I keep trying, because everyone else seems to like them. Beet salads have been popular. Tried one and didn’t like it. But I have seen the light!!! I saw a cooking show (Don’t remember which one. Yes, I watch too many!) where the chef cooked fresh beets in a blood orange and red wine sauce. This really appealed to me. I took a peak on the Internet to see if I could find the actual recipe, which I could not, but I found another recipe that also involved raspberry vinegar and a light bulb went off! I just happened to have all these ingredients and guess who likes beets now?!?

My husband and older daughter love the typical pickled beets that people put on salads. I can’t stand those! I got some fresh beets in a recent organic produce delivery and right about that time I saw this cooking show with a movie theme. One of the chefs had the horror movie theme and decided to make a bloody red beet dish. This is what inspired my recipe.

With this dish you still get the beet flavor, but with an incredibly tasty sauce. The dish was served warm, but the beets still had a good texture to them. They weren’t too mushy and not too crunchy. Just right!

Fresh Beets with Blood Orange, Raspberry and Wine Sauce

2 blood oranges, juiced

1 tbsp raspberry vinegar (Thanks to my friend Rachel for the home made raspberry vinegar!!!)

1/3 cup red wine

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp thyme

3 large beets, peeled and cut into a large dice

1/4 cup water

2 tbsp raspberry pecan vinaigrette 

Whisk together first 6 ingredients in a skillet and bring to a simmer. While this is simmering, peel and cut up beets, and then add to the skillet. Cover and simmer on medium low for 30-40 minutes until tender. I had to cook mine little longer than expected and the liquid started drying up, so I added the water and vinaigrette. I didn’t want to just add more vinegar and have that over power them. Basically, keep them moist and simmer until tender, but not mushy!

There were other people at dinner that were on the fence about beets that loved this dish. If in doubt, give it a try!!! I served them warm, but I think these would also be good chilled and served with a green salad.