Roasted Cauliflower revisited- with the addition of a sweet onion, garlic, thyme, and Parmesan. Another way to make your veggies taste like candy. If you really don’t like onions, go ahead and leave them out. But they caramelize and crisp and are arguably the best part. I can’t actually remember if I added the Parmesan partway through cooking (as the recipe instructs) or at the end. (I tend to skim recipes and miss such details- oops.) No matter, either way it’ll probably taste the same.
Roasted Cauliflower with Parmesan
INGREDIENTS
1 head cauliflower
1 medium onion, sliced (optional- I used a sweet onion)
4 thyme sprigs (or a sprinkling of dried thyme)
3 large cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. olive oil
~1 tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (or Pecorino)
fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Cut 1 head cauliflower into florets; toss on a large rimmed baking sheet with the onion, thyme, garlic, and olive oil; season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast, tossing occasionally, until almost tender, 15- 20 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, toss to combine, and roast until cauliflower is tender, 5-10 minutes longer.
We eat so many sweet potatoes that white ones are a treat (Dustin thinks so, anyway). I’m not that fond of starchy white baked potatoes (rather boring), but boiling baby potatoes until tender, smashing, and then roasting them is another story! Coated in olive oil and a generous sprinkle of salt and fresh black pepper, they turn crisp and golden- almost potato chip-like on the exterior. Serve with a juicy burger or fish and some ketchup, of course, on the side.
Smashed Roasted Potatoes
INGREDIENTS
1 lb. small Yukon gold or fingerling potatoes
1 tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/6 cup extra virgin olive oil
DIRECTIONS
1. Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 20 minutes, until a knife slides through easily. Drain and set aside to cool.
2. Preheat oven to 450 F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray. Place potatoes on the baking sheet and using a potato masher, smash each potato gently. Season with kosher salt and pepper; drizzle with half of the oil. Carefully turn potatoes to coat.
3. Roast in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes. Drizzle with remaining oil, turn to coat, and continue roasting until crispy and golden brown, another 15-20 minutes (depending on the size of your potatoes). Serve immediately.
Now for the sweet potato casserole that we’ve all fallen in love with. Usually I just bake or roast sweet potatoes and serve them simply, with some chives and sour cream. This dish is decadent, more of a dessert really. One of our relatives brought it to Thanksgiving dinner and after going back for seconds, and thirds, and fourths for Clara, I made sure to come home with the recipe. It comes from two very similar Cooking Light recipes, actually. And you have options with the topping. You can go for the one with marshmallows- or without. Both toppings include butter and pecans and brown sugar (and a dash of cinnamon if you wish). I’ve made it both ways now and think they’re equally delicious. The marshmallow topping (not pictured) gives it more of a crispy “crust”. It can absolutely be prepared ahead of time, refrigerated, and baked just before serving.
Sweet Potato Casserole
INGREDIENTS
2 ½ lbs. sweet potatoes (about 4 large), peeled and chopped
1 cup half and half (or part milk and part sour cream)
½ cup brown sugar
¾ tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
Pecan Crumb Topping:
1/3 cup flour
2/3 cup brown sugar
½ cup chopped pecans
1/8 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. melted butter
dash cinnamon (optional)
Marshmallow Pecan Topping: 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup chopped pecans
dash cinnamon (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
2. To prepare potatoes, place potatoes in a large pot, and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until very tender. Drain; cool slightly.
3. Place potatoes in a large bowl. Add half-and-half, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add eggs; beat well (mixture will be thin). Scrape mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
4. To prepare pecan-crumb topping, combine flour, brown sugar, pecans, and salt in a medium bowl. Pour in butter and mix with fingers until crumbly. Sprinkle over potato mixture.
To prepare marshmallow topping, sprinkle miniature marshmallows over top of casserole. Combine flour, brown sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in pecans, and sprinkle over potato mixture and marshmallows.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
This is the best recipe I’ve found for basic yellow rice. Pairs well with Mexican, Mediterranean, Indian, or any Middle Eastern cuisine. Or with anything off of the grill. (Citrus-Marinated Chicken- or actually turkey- pictured above.) For a simple variation, throw in a handful of frozen peas to steam with the rice during the last 5 or so minutes of cooking.
Yellow Rice
INGREDIENTS
2 tsp. canola or grapeseed oil
1 medium shallot, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups white or brown jasmine or basmati rice, well-rinsed (brown rice will take much longer to cook, check package for directions)
2 1/2 cup low-sodium or homemade chicken broth
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. turmeric
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallot and garlic; saute until just beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add rice, broth, salt, and turmeric. Bring rice to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 18 minutes (adjust cooking time accordingly for brown rice). Fluff with a fork and serve warm.
Today is Clara’s 2nd birthday! I know it’s her day, but I feel a big sense of accomplishment myself. I’ve been a mama for 2 whole years. My baby is practically grown, my job is almost done, right?! Hah.
Dustin is in Colorado interviewing with two more dentists and missed her big day. So we’re saving most of the celebrating for this weekend. But I did serve her pizza- which I made– followed by frozen custard- which I bought– for dinner tonight and mid-meal she declared, “pizza and ice cream are my favorites!”. And she requested I re-sing her the birthday song about five times before bed. So a birthday success, I’d say.
Because it’s almost Cinco de Mayo and we sure love Mexican food around here, we’re having a fiesta for her on Saturday. Every party I plan revolves around the food. Decorations, games, etc. are all an afterthought. So I’ve been working on her party menu for some time and tested a few new dishes that didn’t make the menu, but are definitely worth repeating. This is one of them. It’s traditional Mexican/Spanish rice kicked up a notch. The rice is cooked beforehand and then simmered for a short time with tomatoes, garlic, black beans, cumin, and chili powder and finished with fresh herbs. You can add a jalapeno and made it as spicy as you wish. This Mexican rice is vibrant and fresh. Serve it with enchiladas or stuff it in a burrito or top it with grilled chicken or fish and devour a bowlful.
Mexican Tomato Rice and Beans
INGREDIENTS
1 cup uncooked medium grain white or brown rice
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed (or not if you like it extra spicy) and minced (optional)
15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/4 cup fresh oregano, chopped (or 1 tsp. dried)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium saucepan, combine the rice with 2 cups cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 20 min (if you are using brown rice increase the cooking time according to the package directions). Remove from the heat and let the pan stand, covered, for another 5 min.
2. While the rice steams, set a fine sieve in a bowl and drain the can of tomatoes. Pour the tomato juices into a 1-cup liquid measure. Add enough water to the tomato juices to equal 1 cup.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in the oil and stir-fry the garlic and jalapeño until the garlic browns and the jalapeño smells pungent, about 1 minute. Add the black beans, salt, cumin, and chili powder; stir two to three times to incorporate the mixture and cook the spices, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato juice and water mixture and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans absorb much of the liquid, 5-7 minutes. Add the tomatoes, oregano, cilantro, and cooked rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is warm, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve immediately.
/ COMMENT / Share