New Year, New Ideas...

Hello,

Happy New Year!! I hope everyone's New Years celebration was all that you wanted it to be and more.  I kept my celebration to a minimum, stayed up  until the count down and then went to bed.

With a "New Year" comes "New Ideas" in the kitchen.  I know everyone is thinking about their New Years Resolutions, which we make every year.  Like most it is to get healthy and drop a few pounds.  Some will keep them, many will start, and most will say "Screw it!!"  This year I like many others, will try and get healthy and drop a few pounds.  I am starting in my kitchen! 

"Roasted Cauliflower w/Garlic and Parmesan"

I personally love to eat my vegetables, but eating them the same way every time can get "BORING".  I love roasted vegetables.  You  can pretty much roast anything.  To try and get a variety of vegetables into my diet I wanted to try cauliflower.  By the way I don't like cauliflower.  I love broccoli, but cauliflower to me just has a different taste I can't get pass.  So in thinking of the idea "You can roast anything" I decided to see if I could make cauliflower taste delicious.

I made "Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic and Parmesan Cheese".  It was "DELICIOUS"!!!
Cut your cauliflower into florets not to large.  In a bowl  mix a little garlic, salt, pepper, a little Parmesan Cheese and olive oil.  Mix everything together with the cauliflower, put it onto a cooking pan and roast 400F degrees until the stems are soft to your liking.  There should be some color on your cauliflower.  If you already like cauliflower you will love this dish and if you don't you will now love cauliflower.  Enjoy!!!

Mo

To Steam or To Blanche....

Hello,

You remember when you were growing up and your mom told you to "Eat your VEGGIES", and you made that face because they were green but not a bright green but a army green.  I do remember those years the green beans were cooked up and the broccoli was falling apart.  "Sorry Mom!!"  Today when I tell my kids to "Eat your VEGGIES", they make that face I made but the green vegetables are bright green and not mushy.  

"Green Beans with Roasted Red and Yellow Peppers"

Roasted Vegetables

Hello,

"Roasted Lemon and Rosemary Parsnips and Carrots"

I don't know many people who actually like to eat parsnips or even carrots and I am one of those people.  One day out of the blew something told me to make "Carrots and Parsnips" for sale at my job.  Along with the voice of information I also heard "Lemon and Rosemary".  No I don't really hear voices in my head no matter what my dear friends and family may tell everyone, but I do get a desire or feeling that says, "That would be a good combination".  So I listened to my feeling and I was so right.  I personally do not like parsnips only, but together with these spices I really like the combination.  Peel carrots and parsnips, I really do not like to leave the skin on my carrots because it always look dirty even after you wash them.  I like to cut them on alternating angles to make the vegetables look nice.  To the vegetables add  chopped fresh rosemary, dry rosemary will not work here because it is to hard and won't have an opportunity to get soft in the roasting process.  Also add lemon zest and the juice of those lemons, zest is the skin of the lemon but only the yellow portion not the white stuff.  I like to use a small grater or zester.  Try to be verIy careful when you squeeze the lemons for the juice because lemons tend to have a lot of seeds and no one want to enjoy a dish and eat seeds.  I also add olive oil, salt and coarse black pepper.  Put all the vegetables on a baking dish and roast on a low temperature of 350 degrees.

INGREDIENTS:

CARROTS AND PARSNIPS

FRESH ROSEMARY

LEMONS

OLIVE OIL

SALT AND PEPPER

I hope you all enjoy it.  I think this would be a great side dish to pork loin or even roasted chicken.  Maybe even add some red skin potatoes to the mix and you have a new dish.  Let me know how it works for you.

Mo