Roasting brings out the sweetness of almost any vegetable because it caramelizes the natural sugars in it. The flavors aren’t diluted by water (even steaming involves water and evaporation of flavor) and the texture is tender but not mushy. The Panko add a nice crunch while the Parmesan adds a little zing. You could also use bleu cheese instead of Parmesan. My family won’t eat bleu cheese so I only use it for my portion.

Start with an organic, firm head of cauliflower with no brown spots. Don’t separate the florets, just slice the whole thing thinly.

Place the sliced cauliflower in a 13x 9 inch pan that has been rubbed with cut garlic and then olive oil. I like to use a glass pan for this. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake it at 375F until it begins to get golden at the edges and is tender.

Mix:

• 1 1/2 cups of Panko crumbs
• 1/2 cup Parmesan
• Pinch of salt and pepper

Sprinkle over the cauliflower and put back into the oven.

Bake for another 5 to 7 minutes, or until crumbs begin to brown. Remove and serve.

Absolutely simple, delicious, and a bit different. Because of the textures involved this goes great with fish add a little lemon zest to the crumbs) or roast chicken.

images:Marye Audet

Post from: Baking Delights

Soup is the best food ever.  Really. Think about it.

It is versatile, generally inexpensive, and is there a better way to get rid of the leftovers in the fridge? I think not.  You can toss everything into a slow cooker or cook it in a stock pot on top of the stove and the results will be the same.  Hot steamy goodness that makes the house smell like home.

As you can see, Chef Kyrie takes her soup seriously.  Real seriously.  She likes it with ABCs in it, or spaghetti rings, or the new pasta shapes that you can find in some grocery stores.  She is not a big eater but I can always  guarantee that she will eat vegetable soup.

The biggest secret for a fantastic veggie soup?  Use V-8 juice as the base.  Ready made flavor right there.  One thing that I do is to keep a plastic storage container in the freezer.  Whenever we have leftover vegetables they go right into the container.  When it is full then I make soup…a meal that is virtually free.  You can adjust anything in this anyway you want, use what you have.

The vegetables listed below are suggestions and approximations.  You just need to throw it together, it iwll work every single time…and you can’t say that about very many things.

Vegetable Soup

2 large cans V-8 juice

2 onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

4 carrots, cubed or sliced

2 cups of green beans

1 cup peas

2 cups corn

1 cup lima beans

2 cups chopped, fresh spinach or kale or chard

1 lb of small shaped pasta, cooked

grated parmesan to garnish

Mix everything but the pasta and parmesan together.  Slow cook for 8 hours or simmer on the stove for at least an hour for flavors to blend.  About fifteen minutes before serving add pasta and simmer.

Serve in bowls with parmesan sprinkled on top.

8-10 servings.

images:(c) marye audet 2009

Post from: Baking Delights

I love spinach but several of my family members absolutely do not!

There is something about the combination of balsamic vinegar and bacon and spinach, though, that wakes up your taste buds and lets them know that you know what you are doing.

This recipe goes together fast and easy.  If you can’t make homemade croutons then use good sour dough croutons from the store.  I used a combination of baby greens in this recipe with really good results as well.

SERVES 8

• 1/4 lb bacon
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 c balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 3 pounds fresh spinach
• 2 cups sour- dough croutons (homemade is best)

Heat the oil in a large skillet and add the bacon and the onion.  Saute, stirring until the bacon is crisp and the onions begin to caramelize.  Stir in the spinach and balsamic vinegar.  Cook for three to five minutes until spinach is wilted. Salt and pepper to taste, stir in the croutons, and serve.

image:marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

Carrots are not often served cooked around here. Not because we don’t like them but because my kids will go through a five pound bag of organic carrots in about two days..so if I want to do carrots I better have them on the menu for the day I shop.

These do not have a heavy flavor..the aroma of the anise and vanilla are delicate and the flavor is more of a nuance than anything. Still, they have a nice complex flavor, not too sweet,  and are a good side to chicken or pork. Probably fish too, but we don’t eat fish much.

These are not particularly sweet.  I added a little sugar to enhance the sugars in the carrots but don’t think of these as being glazed, because they aren’t.

I did these in the microwave, but you could do them on top of the stove. Don’t cook too long, you want them to have a little texture.  I just peeled the carrots and left them whole, but of course you could slice or julienne, adjust the cooking time accordingly.

I garnished with a little chopped parley for the picture..but if I had chopped mint I would have used that.

These would also be cool with a combination of the purple, red, and orange carrots, with maybe some parsnips thrown in as well.

Anise & Vanilla Carrots

• 4 lbs carrots, peeled
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 star anise
• 2 inches of vanilla bean or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• pinch of salt
• coarsely ground pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter

Place the lemon juice, zest, sugar, butter, anise, vanilla bean (if using extract add it after the sauce is cooked) , salt and pepper in a microwave save casserole or in a pan if you are using the stove.  Bring to a boil and remove from heat.  Allow to steep for about five minutes.

Add the carrots and cover.  Steam until the carrots are just tender, about 8 minutes.  If you are using the stove top do not let them boil dry-add a little water if needed.  Stir once in awhile and bring the sauce up over the carrots as they cook.

If you used vanilla extract add it just before serving.

Serves 8

Image:marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

MMMM! I love fresh green beans from the garden.  WE picked out first harvest yesterday, fresh beans and cilantro!

I planted a variety, some are the yellow wax type, some are regular green, and some are purple! The purple ones turn green after they are cooked,but Chef Kyrie is happy..happy..happy. She has an imaginary friend named Purpley and so we have decided that these are from Purpley’s garden.

I can’t wait until they really get going and I am canning them for fall.  Fresh, organic green beans….lightly steamed and eaten before they have been off the plant for an hour.  YUMMY.

By the way….

I am having a tough day today.

Image: Marye Audet 

Post from: Baking Delights

I don’t know if you have seen the February issue of Bon Appetit but they have gone green, for this month anyway.  I was in love with the issue from the beginning to the end!   One of the recipes that looked especially good was the Brussels sprouts. I was curious because exactly half the family likes them and half do not.

Amazingly, even the half that DO NOT like them, Sam-I-Am, liked these. Alot.  Matthew said, “these are really good.”

I replied, ” They are Brussels sprouts”

He said, “No they aren’t, because I hate Brussels Sprouts.   These are a distant relative of Brussels Sprouts.  BROOOOOOOsel Sprouts.”

To which I rolled my eyes and said, “whatever”

All of that to say, that even if you don;t like them these are worth a try. Use fresh, small Brussels sprouts, organic if possible, for the best taste. Oh, and I made a few changes to the recipe.

I steamed them before sauteing, and then quartered the sprouts. When I added the lemon I sprinkled about a half teaspoon of cardamom on it as well and then tossed. And, me being me, I added butter.  This recipe is my adaption.

3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

1  chopped onion

2 lbs Brussels sprouts steamed until just cooked, then quartered

1 c shelled pistachios

1 tsp cardamom

sea salt crystals to taste

pepper to taste

3 tbs lemon juice

3 tbs butter

Heat the oil in the pan.  Saute onions and Brussels sprouts in pan until sprouts begin to brown a little. Add cardamom, pistachios, butter, and salt and pepper.   Drizzle lemon juice over and serve immediately.

Post from: Baking Delights

Thanksgiving make-ahead recipes make all the difference for me. I don’t know about you but I really enjoy having relaxed holidays. With my schedule there is no way I could put on the type of dinners that I enjoy doing and doing it all at the last minute. Some people have (probably correctly) labeled me as extreme, weird, and OCD. I will gleefully admit to all of those, and smile at them contentedly over my after dinner espresso Thanksgiving Day, as I sit in a clean dining room, full of awesome food, and enjoying my family…knowing the kitchen mess is only the plates and serving dishes.

So, last week was the turkey. If you missed it the link is here . All of the whys and hows are explained. This week I want to share one of my favorites with you, which also freezes well, and will convert the most dyed in the wool sweet potato hater. Oh, and if you were expecting low fat or healthy…not here. Sorry.

I am giving this recipe in steps because, although it is easy, it takes time. Break it up any way you want.

Bourbon Spiced Sweet Potatoes

serves 12-16 (1/2 cup servings)

Step 1- you can do this the day before you want to make them.
8 lbs sweet potatoes (yams)

wash yams and bake in a 350F oven for 1 1/2 -2 hours until completely done. Be sure to do this on a baking sheet because the sugars will ooze out sometimes and make a mess. Don’t microwave them because the flavor is just not as intense.

Cool

Step 2-

Cut and scoop out the flesh from the yam. Put the skins in your compost pile. Put the flesh into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth.

Step 3-

Processed sweet potatoes

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup good quality bourbon

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

a pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper

Put potatoes in bowl of a mixer. Add the spices and sugar. Mix on low. Whisk butter, cream, vanilla and bourbon Turn mixer up to medium and slowly add the liquid ingredients until mixture is fluffy and creamy. Turn it into a greased freezer to oven casserole dish. Cover with waxed paper, then aluminum foil and freeze.

Step 4-

1/2 lb pecans or walnuts (hickory nuts if you have access to them would be awesome)

2 Tablespoon butter melted

2 Tablespoons Brown sugar

Spread nuts on a baking sheet in the oven. Toast at 325 for 10 minutes. Mix butter and brown sugar in a bowl and add pecans. Toss to mix well. Spread on baking sheet again and toast about 10 more minutes, stirring often, and watching carefully they don’t burn. Let cool and store in an airtight container.

Day Before Serving-

Get casserole out of freezer and place in refrigerator to thaw.

Thanksgiving Day -

Bake uncovered at 325 for one hour. Sprinkle with the candied nuts the last 30 minutes of baking.

Post from: Baking Delights

 For the tappanade

1 can black olives

1/2 c green salad olives

1/4 c onion

3 cloves garlic, peeled.

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tsp italian seasoning

1 tbs olive oil

pulse together in food processor until coarsely pureed. Set aside.

16 flour tortillas, whole wheat homemade is best, but whatever you like.   

For filling:

2 zucchini-sliced in 1/8″ thick slices LONGWISE.

1 tbs olive oil

1 tbs italian seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 c chopped red onion

1/2 c chopped tomato

other vegetables as desired.

1/2 c cheese, such as mozzerella, romano, or feta

  Drizzle slices of zucchini with oil and rub with salt, pepper, and italian seasoning. Heat grill (or broiler) up and grill quickly on each side…just until you have good grill marks and zuccini is tender without being mushy.

  Heat tortillas until they are pliable. Working quickly spread about a tsp of tapanade down one side of the tortilla, top with one slice of zucchini , sprinkle with onions, tomato, and cheese (and anything else you desire.) Roll tightly. This makes 16, or what I consider to be 8 servings.

These would be great for picnics, or even cut in smaller pieces and served as appetizers.

Post from: Baking Delights