Category Archives: Vegetables

Roasted Beet, Pistachio, and Goat Cheese Salad

May 16, 2020

roasted beet goat cheese salad

My kids might hate zucchini (in healthy forms, anyway) but they have a thing for beets. Our love for beet salad started when we ordered it at an Italian restaurant and realized how amazing roasted beets are paired with goat cheese! Now I make my own version at home- beets tossed with a sweet honey-orange vinaigrette, goat cheese crumbles, and toasted pistachios- and we can’t get enough!

I usually buy the pre-roasted beets (Love Beets or Trader Joe’s brand) because they’re so convenient, but by all means, you can roast your own beets: Place them in some foil, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Wrap the foil up and bake in a 400 F oven for 40-60 minutes until they are easily pierced with a knife. Let them cool before peeling off the skin. Whichever way you go just BE CAREFUL when you handle the beets- they are a mess and can stain clothing!

Roasted Beet, Pistachio, and Goat Cheese Salad

INGREDIENTS

4-6 roasted beets OR 16 oz. packaged roasted beets, diced
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1-2 tsp. honey, to taste
1/2 tsp. stone ground mustard (this is my favorite, you can sub Dijon but it’s stronger so I’d use 1/4 tsp.)
salt and dash of freshly ground black pepper, to taste
~1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
~1/4 cup toasted pistachios

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a small bowl, whisk to combine the orange juice, olive oil, honey, and mustard. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
  2. Place the beets in a large bowl and pour the dressing over top. Toss to coat. Add the goat cheese and pistachios and gently stir to combine. 

Serves 4.

Zucchini Cornbread

May 15, 2020

Zucchini isn’t very popular around here. I’m alone in my love for it in our home. My kids definitely complain when it makes an appearance, unless it’s in a baked good (muffins, even cake!). I still make it and serve it every so often and am convinced they’ll eventually come around. I tried to sneak it into grilled cheese sandwiches once and now when I make grilled cheese my 4-year-old checks hers thoroughly for signs of zucchini before proceeding to eat. Haha. They might have questioned what little green specks were doing in their cornbread when I first made this one, but one bite and they no longer cared. This zucchini cornbread is delish!

This cornbread is super moist and just the right amount of sweet. It doesn’t need any toppings but adding a little butter and honey never hurts! It can be made with half white whole wheat flour for a heartier version. I’ve also made it with half cornmeal, half flour for a stronger cornmeal flavor.

Zucchini Cornbread

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour*
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk or milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
4 Tbsp. butter or coconut oil, melted
2 cups unpeeled shredded, drained zucchini (can also use yellow squash)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  3. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the buttermilk (or milk), eggs, and melted butter (or coconut oil) and zucchini. Stir just until combined.
  4. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes until the top springs back lightly to the touch and/or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

*You can use half white whole wheat flour and half all-purpose flour, but you may need to add an extra 1-2 Tbsp. buttermilk/milk if the batter seems too thick.

To Make Muffins: Divide batter into 12 lightly greased muffin cups and bake for approx.15-20 min until a toothpick comes out clean.

Adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

Mexican Street Corn Salad

May 2, 2020

Have you ever had elote (Mexican street corn)? We discovered it in on a trip to San Diego several years ago and now get it from a taco truck at our city famers market. Elote is fresh corn, usually served on a stick piping hot and coated in sour cream/mayo, cotija cheese and seasoned with lime, garlic and/or chili powder and salt. It’s delicious. And messy. (See picture below. If you can’t tell, Gwen is a fan.)

This salad is elote in a bowl. Just as tasty and a bit less mess. It’s great with freshly picked summer corn but adaptable to frozen. I use pre-roasted frozen corn (found at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods) which makes it even easier and something we can enjoy year-round. It’s great for a picnic or bbq or pairs with just about any Mexican dish. We had it with beef taco salad– amazing on the side or thrown right on top!

Mexican Street Corn Salad

INGREDIENTS

4 cups corn (about 5 ears), cut from the cob (or frozen corn- Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods have roasted frozen corn and it’s delicious)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
6 green onions, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, diced (or pickled jalapeno, to taste)
4 Tbsp. lime juice (from about 2 limes)
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1/2 cup Cotija cheese, crumbled

DIRECTIONS

  1. Cut the corn off the cob. I used 5 ears to get about 4 cups. You can also use canned corn or frozen corn. If using frozen, no need to thaw it out.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the corn and stir it around. Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes or until the corn starts to char, which is why we’re using high heat. If using frozen corn, you will need a couple minutes extra to get the right charred bits. (If you’re using pre-roasted corn like I did, just warm it in the skillet, no need to char it further.)
  3. Transfer the corn to a large bowl and let it cool for a couple minutes.
    To the same bowl, add the remaining ingredients. Stir everything together until well combined. Adjust lime juice and salt and pepper as necessary. Garnish with additional cheese and cilantro, if preferred, and serve.

Adapted from Jo Cooks

Scalloped Potatoes

April 27, 2020

My kids are so used to sweet potatoes around here that I have a hard time getting them to eat white ones. They’ll eat french fries, of course, and tater tots. But even mashed potatoes aren’t their favorite. So I’ve been experimenting with different ways to prepare potatoes and found a winner. (Well, Dustin and I think these are amazing, and so does the one year old at least!) This is a classic cheesy scalloped potato dish, with a creamy white cheddar sauce. It went wonderfully with our herb marinated pork tenderloin and roasted carrots for Easter dinner. Next up are the no-knead buttermilk rolls I also served alongside.

Scalloped Potatoes

INGREDIENTS

3 Tbsp. butter
1 cup yellow onion, chopped
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 3/4 cups milk (whole or reduced fat)
1 1/4 cups sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
2 3/4 lbs. red potatoes (I’ve also used russet potatoes)
1 Tbsp. fresh parsley or chives, chopped (optional)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and saute 3 minutes. Add flour and garlic and saute 1 minute. While whisking pour in milk. Bring to a light boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste (you’ll need about 1 tsp. kosher salt). Set pan aside until ready to assemble.
  3. Peel potatoes and slice into 1/6-inch slices using a mandolin (I do it by hand with a sharp knife). Spread half of the potatoes into an even layer in prepared baking dish (be sure each slice is separated). Pour half the sauce evenly over potatoes. Spread over remaining half of potatoes and finish by covering with remaining half of sauce.
  4. Bake in preheated oven until potatoes are tender when pierced with a toothpick or fork, about 55 – 70 minutes. Garnish with parsley or chives if desired and serve warm.

Makes a 9×13 pan.

Adapted from Cooking Classy

Roasted Whole Carrots

April 25, 2020

Every so often I notice the bags of pretty colorful carrots at the grocery store and, finally, for Easter this year I bought some! These were mini carrots found at Trader Joes and I roasted them whole, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Carrots are one of the best roasted vegetables (though I like just about every vegetable roasted- it improves them all!) because they get extra sweet and taste more carrot-y. Before serving I added some fresh dill (parsley or chives will also work). Yes, vegetables can look and taste great!

Also on our Easter dinner menu: this herb marinated pork tenderloin (the fresh herbs and lemon make it soo flavorful!), classic cheesy scalloped potatoes, and no knead buttermilk dinner rolls- those two recipes coming next!

Roasted Whole Carrots

INGREDIENTS

1 bunch whole carrots (about 1 lb.), peeled and stems removed (I used baby rainbow carrots)
olive oil (enough to coat carrots, about 1 Tbsp.)
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

for serving:
fresh dill, chives or parsley, chopped

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a large baking pan with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray.
  2. Place carrots on the prepared pan and drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, and toss to coat. Spread carrots out so they are not touching each other.
  3. Bake in preheated oven for 20-30 minutes until the carrots are tender and caramelized. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with fresh dill, chives, or parsley and serve.

Adapted from Rachel Cooks