Steamed Carrots

Place a steamer basket into a saucepan and add water to just below the basket. 

Bring water to a boil on high heat. (Never add carrots before the water is boiling.)

Peel and cut carrots on the diagonal. 

When water is boiling, add the carrots to the steamer basket and cover with a lid.

Turn the heat down to medium.

Steam for about 4-5 minutes until crisp tender. Do not overcook!

Tomato Basil Blender Soup

Ingredients

8-10 tomatoes, halved

2 medium onions, quartered

4 cloves garlic

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/3 cup sliced fresh basil

Salt and pepper, to taste

 

Instructions

Place halved tomatoes, quartered onions, and garlic cloves into a large bowl.  Add oil and season with salt and pepper. Stir well to coat.

 

Pour the vegetables onto a baking tray and roast at 400°F for 30 minutes. Remove tray from oven and let it cool for 5 minutes.

 

Place roasted vegetables in blender along with sliced basil and blend until smooth.

 

Add more salt and pepper if necessary and/or heat soup on stove.

 

Makes 4 one-cup servings.

 

*Can be frozen in Ziploc bags or containers.

 

via Recipe Diaries

Zucchini with Onion & Tomato

Ingredients

3 Tbsp. olive oil

4 small zucchinni

½ medium onion

1 medium tomato

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)

Fresh basil or dried basil (to taste)

Salt

Parmesan cheese

 

Instructions

Cut the zucchini into bite-size pieces.

 

Chop the onion.

 

Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet.

 

Sauté the zucchini and onion until tender and lightly browned (about 20 minutes)

 

Add the rest of the ingredients and cook until the juices thicken a little (about 5-10 minutes)

 

Serve with grated parmesan cheese.

 

via Food.com

 

Easy Yummy Squash

1. Wash and slice squash thin.

2. Layer in baking dish

3. Sprinkle with ranch

4. Sprinkle with Parmesan 

5. Layer more squash repeat Ranch and Parmesan. Keep layering  

Until your out of squash.

6. Add several spoons of butter 

7. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes

 

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

1 pound Brussels sprouts

2 Tbsp. olive oil*

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Fresh lemon juice (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Trim ends of Brussels sprouts, and halve them lengthwise. In a medium bowl, toss the sprouts with olive  oil, salt, and a few grinds of pepper until completely coated with oil.

Arrange on a baking sheet with cut sides down. Roast until sprouts are tend and browned, about 15-20 minutes. Serve warm and season to taste.

*You can rub the sprouts with 1 Tbsp. bacon grease instead of olive oil, and when they are done toss them with a little balsamic binegar and chopped, cooked bacon.

Cheesy Mashed Calulifower and Potatoes

 

Ingredients

1 pound small, red potatoes

1 cup chopped cauliflower

2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 tsp. salt

Instructions

Wash and quarter red potatoes. Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add chopped cauliflower. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 more minutes. Drain and mash with cheese, sour cream, and salt. Serves 4.

via Farmhouse Favorites   

Baked Corn on the Cob

Never boil corn again!

Instead, throw it in the oven, husk and all, at 350°F for 25-30 minutes.

That's it!

The husk will trap in the moisture leaving you with juicy tender corn.

The husk and silk will peel away easily once it is cooked.
Cut off the large end and it slides right out with no silk.

Bonus: keeps more of the nutrients in the corn.

Who knew?!

Creamy Summer Cucumbers

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
1 cup white vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
2-3 cucumbers,  peeled and sliced
1 small onion, sliced thin, white or red

Instructions
Whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar. Pour over the cucumbers and onions, making sure to  coat the vegetable well. Refrigerate overnight for best taste.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Roasting gets Brussels sprouts caramelized on the outside!

Ingredients
2-1/4 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. water
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Instructions
Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 500°F. Toss Brussels sprouts, water, oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl until Brussels sprouts are coated.

Transfer Brussels sprouts to rimmed baking sheet and arrange so cut sides are facing down. Cover sheet tightly with aluminum foil and roast for 10 minutes. Remove foil and continue to cook until Brussels sprouts are well browned and tender; 10-12 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Crockpot Sweet Potato Lentils

Ingredients
3 large sweet potatoes, diced (about 6 cups)
3 cups vegetable broth
1 onion, minced
4  cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tsp. coriander
1-2 tsp. garam masala
1-2 tsp. chili powder
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups uncooked red lentils (masoor dal)
1 can coconut milk
1 cup water

Instructions
• Place the sweet potatoes, vegetable broth, onion, garlic, and spices in a Crockpot. Cook on high for 3 hours, until vegetables are soft.
• Add the lentils and stir once. Replace the lid and cook on high for an additional 1½ hours.
• Stir in the coconut milk and as much water as needed to get the right consistency. 

Serve with Naan.

Via pinch of yum

Perfect Sweet Potatoes

Follow the recipe below to perfectly bake a sweet potato, without having to test and guess when it is done:

• Don’t coat the sweet potatoes in or wrap them in foil. This is often required in baked sweet potato recipes, but it is time-consuming and not necessary. I’ve also found that this helps the skin separate from the sweet potato flesh, making it easier to peel and eat after baking.
• Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork before baking. This improves the texture and helps the sweet potato separate from the skin.
• Don’t place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet – put them directly on the oven rack. I’ve found the baking sheet to be unnecessary.
• Place a sheet of foil over the bottom of the oven. This catches any syrup that may drip from the sweet potatoes. Don’t worry, sweet potato juice isn’t going to gush out and dirty your oven, there are just a few drips that turn into charcoal on the foil.
• Leave the sweet potatoes in the oven after turning off the oven. The residual heat continues to cook the sweet potatoes without burning them, so they get exceptionally tender and moist.

Ingredients 

Sweet potatoes or yams

  

Instructions

Put baking sheet lined with foil on the lowest rack of your oven. (Don't put the foil directly on the bottom of the oven.) This will catch any of the syrup that may escape from the sweet potatoes. For easy cleanup, simply remove the foil and throw it away after baking the sweet potatoes.

Don't preheat the oven. Prick your sweet potatoes each 2-3 time with a fork, then place them directly on the oven rack in the middle of the oven, above the rack with the foil. Turn the oven on to 425°F.

Bake for 45 minutes for sweet potatoes/yams that are 2-3 inches in diameter. For sweet potatoes that are up to 4 inches in diameter, bake for an hour. For super large sweet potatoes, bake for an hour and 15 minutes.

After the time has elapsed, don't open the oven but turn it off. Let the sweet potatoes sit in the oven for at least 30 minutes but up to an hour. Remove from the oven and eat immediately, or remove the skin and store in a container in the fridge.

Makes as many sweet potatoes as you want.
via empowered sustenance

Cream Kale with Pearl Onions

Ingredients

Kosher salt
1 cup pearl onions, peeled
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup homemade chicken stock or store-bought chicken broth
1 1/4 pounds baby kale
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat, add the pearl onions and cook 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, pat dry and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, stir in the flour, nutmeg and some salt and pepper and cook until the flour is well incorporated and the raw flavor cooks out, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the cream and chicken stock, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the pearl onions, then the kale, little by little, and cook until it wilts, about 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, stir in the Parmesan, taste, and adjust seasonings. Serve hot.

via Nancy Fuller/Farmhouse Rules

Cauliflower Fried Rice

1 head cauliflower 
1 Tbsp. sesame oil 
1 Tbsp. garlic 
8 oz beef, chicken, pork, or shrimp 
1 cup diced carrots 
1 cup frozen peas 
2 eggs 
white pepper to taste
3 Tbsp. soy sauce 
green onions for garnish, chopped

Break down a head of cauliflower in a food processor until it’s the size of rice. Heat sesame oil over high. Add garlic and fry until fragrant. Add the beef, chicken, pork, shrimp, or tofu and cook until 80% done. Add carrots and peas, stir until thoroughly incorporated. Push ingredients to the sides of the pan to create a well. Pour in 2 whisked eggs and let it set for 15 seconds. Scramble eggs and fold into the cauliflower rice. Season with white pepper and stir in soy sauce. Garnish with chopped green onions.

via Tasty

Fried Green Tomatoes

This is one of my favorite chick flick movies...

I had never even heard of fried green tomatoes until I saw the movie, and knew for sure that it was something I never wanted to try!

But a few years ago, while driving to New Mexico, we stopped for lunch at a place called The Whistle Stop Cafe and had some Fried Green Tomatoes...

Now, I want to invite some girlfriends over to watch the movie and eat some of these...

Slice unripened green tomatoes. Dust with flour mixed with salt and pepper. Then dip in a mixture of one beaten egg and 1 tbsp. milk. Coat in combination of 2/3 part finely ground cornmeal to 1/3 part flour with salt and chili powder. Pan fry in 2 tbsp. butter and olive oil. Eat hot...

~ TAWANDA ~