Last weekend we were pleased to have old friends visit. Judy and Ab have recently moved to another city and we miss them. Typical of Judy, she has met lots of new people, including one who introduced her to smoothies and the Magic Bullet. I love gadgets but had never heard about this one, then suddenly I’m seeing recipes everywhere for smoothies. Here’s one that I found in the latest issue on Cooking Light. Called the Green Machine, it’s made with spinach, greek yogurt, and honeydew melon. YUM!!
Category Archives: Vegetables & Fruits
Crusty Brussels Sprouts
Crusty Brussels Sprouts
Crusty Brussels Sprouts
Author: Pat
Recipe type: Vegetable
Prep time:
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Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 24 small brussels sprouts
- 11/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup grated hard cheese
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Wash the brussels sprouts and trim the stem ends.
- Cut in half from stem to top and gently toss with ½ tablespoon olive oil in medium bowl.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in your largest skillet over medium low heat. Don’t overheat the skillet, or the outsides of the brussels sprouts will cook too quickly.
- Place the brussels sprouts in the pan flat side down (single-layer), sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt, cover, cooking for about 5 minutes; the bottoms of the sprouts should only show a hint of browning. Pierce one of the sprouts with a fork or the tip of a sharp knife to gauge whether they’re tender throughout. If not, cover and cook for a few more minutes.
- Once tender, uncover, turn up the heat, and cook until the flat sides are deep brown and caramelized.
- Add more salt, if needed, freshly ground black pepper, and dust with grated cheese.
Sauteed Spinach
Sauteed Spinach
Author: Pat
Recipe type: Vegetable, Side Dish
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Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds baby spinach leaves, washed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic
- Kosher salt to taste
- Black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 tablespoon butter, optional
- Lemon
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot on medium heat.
- Add garlic and saute until fragrant (less than a minute).
- Add spinach, salt and pepper to the pot and toss with the garlic and olive oil using tongs.
- Continue cooking spinach until beginning to wilt, about 4 minutes.
- Remove spinach from pot and toss with butter and a squeeze of lemon.
Microwave Sweet Potato
Microwave Sweet Potato
Author: Pat
Recipe type: Vegetable
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Serves: Varied
Ingredients
- ½ to 1 Sweet Potato per person depending on size of potato
Instructions
- Scrub the sweet potato but do not peel.
- Trim ends and prick with knife in several places to prevent the potato from exploding during cooking.
- Microwave on high for five minutes.
- Turn potato over and microwave for an additional five minutes. (Cooking times may vary depending on the wattage of the microwave.)
Roasted Asparagus
Roasted Asparagus
Author: Pat
Recipe type: Side dish, vegetable
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Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, optional
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Arrange asparagus in single layer in baking pan.
- Drizzle with olive oil.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Roast in oven for 18-20 minutes or until crisp tender.
- Remove asparagus from oven and drizzle with balsamic vinegar, if desired.
- May be served warm or at room temperature.
Greek Potatoes
Greek Potatoes
Author: Pat
Recipe type: Side Dish
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Serves: 8
Ingredients
- 16 new potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- kosher salt
- fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Put potatoes into a pan large enough to hold them in a single layer.
- Add olive oil, water, garlic and lemon juice.
- Toss ingredients together and arrange in single layer.
- Bake for 30 minutes, turn potatoes with spatula to bring browned sides up.
- Bake for an additional 30 minutes or until nicely browned.
New Potatoes with Shallots and Herb Butter
New Potatoes with Shallots and Herb Butter Author: Pat
Recipe type: Vegetable
Prep time:
Cook time:
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Serves: 6 generously
Ingredients
- 18 new potatoes, all red, all gold, or a mixture.
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup finely chopped shallots
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped
- Optional: Could add fresh dill, chives, or rosemary. Be creative. Use what’s on hand.
Instructions
- Scrub potatoes but do not peel.
- Cook potatoes in boiling water until tender, 15-20 minutes.
- Drain potatoes.
- Reduce heat to low and add remaining ingredients.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are translucent.
- Potatoes can be made ahead and reheated or kept warm over very low heat.