Roasted Root Vegetable Salad

 This past weekend we went to a friend's house and I helped her make this salad to serve for dinner. She invited a few guests over and we had fun chopping and roasting veggies together in the kitchen.  The weather has finally turned a little bit cooler and this salad was the perfect introduction to fall.  It features all those delicious veggies that beg to be used this time of year- butternut squash, parsnips, turnips and carrots.  The veggies are roasted in the oven with some shallots and then mixed with a delicious vinaigrette.
  
This salad was a definite favorite at dinner.  It is a nice side dish and is so delicious!
Here is the recipe for Roasted Root Vegetable Salad 

Mollie's Quite Surprising Mashed Parsnips

I have mentioned how much I love The Vegetable Dishes I Can't Live Without by Mollie Katzen.
It is just a never ending supply of great ways to try vegetables.
I had some parsnips and I was flipping through this book to find a new way to eat them.
I decided on the recipe for Mashed Parsnips because it completely transforms the parsnips into a smooth puree which is a way that I have never experienced them.

Parsnips have a sweetness to them but also an interesting little bite. I can't really describe it.
The balsamic vinegar in this recipe really plays well with the sweetness of the parsnips. It cuts it and also just really makes them taste delicious.
This kind of reminded me of sweet potatoes, but not completely. It just is really hard to describe for some reason!

Here is what Mollie has to say about them- " Parsnips are out there, just waiting for you to discover them. Here's a good way to do that. I guarantee that you will be Quite Surprised by their subtle sweetness."

This is a side dish that can be made in less than 30 minutes and really just has a few steps, so it is quick and easy.


Recipe for Mollie's Quite Surprising Mashed Parsnips

Risotto with Roasted Butternut Squash, Parsnips, and Turnips

A couple of days before we left for DisneyWorld, I tried to use up the veggies that I had in my fridge and decided it was the perfect day for risotto.
The thing about risotto is that everyone thinks it is complicated for some reason. I used to think that and I don't even know why.
When I actually tried it and made it at home, I realized that it is easy.
You don't even have to stir it the entire time. You can walk away and do something else, come back, add more broth, stir, and do something else again.
It's easy; once you have tried it and once you make it at home, you will want to try it again.

I wanted to top my risotto with some roasted veggies and I had a butternut squash, turnips, and parsnips, so I decided that is what I would use.
I also used up the rest of my fresh herbs that I had on hand, which happened to be-sage, rosemary, and oregano. Thyme would also be tasty here or whatever herbs you like to use to flavor your veggies.
You could also use whatever combination of vegetables that you like- roasting them in the oven is the key.

I got my veggies in the oven and then started on my risotto. The veggies ended up being done just a few minutes before the risotto, so they were ready to serve at the same time.

I have also heard that risotto doesn't taste good warmed up or as leftovers. This is absolutely false, in my opinion. These leftovers were good cold, straight out of the fridge and tasted great warmed up too.


Risotto with Roasted Butternut Squash, Parsnips, and Turnips by Mary Ann
Risotto:
1 Tbls olive oil
1/2 large white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 3/4 cup arborio rice
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/4 t 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
Roasted Veggies:
1/2 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed
2 parsnips, peeled and cubed
2 turnips, peeled and cubed
1 Tbls fresh rosemary
1 Tbls fresh oregano
1 tsp fresh sage
1 Tbls olive oil

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. On a large baking sheet combine your squash, parsnips, turnips and chopped herbs. Drizzle with olive oil and toss.
Roast for 25 minutes or until tender.

In a large, heavy saucepan, or dutch oven type pan, over medium high heat, warm 1 Tbls olive oil.
Add onion and saute until soft and translucent, abt 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add rice and stir, for about 2 minutes, making sure that the rice is mixed with the onion and coated with oil.
Add 1 cup of chicken broth and stir.
At this point you can stir continuously, or make sure you stir every few minutes.
Add 1/2 cup to 1 cup chicken broth, once the rice has absorbed the broth that is already in the pan. Continue to stir and add broth, until the rice is creamy and all the broth has been absorbed.
This process should take about 25-30 minutes.
Grate fresh Parmesan into your risotto until it melts and is combined evenly.
Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Scoop the risotto into bowls and top with the roasted veggies.

Vegan Tuesday-Red Lentil-Cauliflower Curry with Poppy Seed-Cornmeal Roti

One of my favorite blogs is Pink Stripes. Wendy bakes up the most wonderful treats and makes the most delicious looking food. She started doing Vegan Tuesdays awhile ago and I actually bought the cookbook- Veganomicon, because of all the wonderful looking recipes that Wendy was making from it. I tried a recipe from this cookbook a couple months ago-Butternut Squash & Pumpkin Seed Rice Paper Rolls, and really liked it.
My brother in-law was coming to town for an overnight visit and I wanted to make something amazing for dinner. I have raved and raved about red lentils and I had some in the pantry, so I grabbed Veganomicon and looked up a recipe that had red lentils in it. I chose the Red Lentil-Cauliflower Curry. The recipe suggested pairing the curry with Poppy Seed-Cornmeal Roti, which is a unleavened flatbread, and I thought that sounded like the perfect accompaniment. I actually picked up some Whole Wheat Pastry Flour the last time I went to Whole Foods and used that in the roti, since it was suggested as a way to make it a little bit more tender. Since we were having red lentils anyway, I decided to start the whole meal off with Garlicky Red Lentil Dal. (In case you missed the post about that dip, it really is the best tasting dip I have ever had.) We used the Roti to eat the dip and also ate it along with this wonderfully tasting curry.
It was a great dinner and everyone loved it. Eating vegan is more delicious than I ever would have imagined. Not that I am going to be doing it every day, but I think I can handle it once a week. To see what Wendy made for this week's Vegan Tuesday, check out her blog- Pink Stripes and while you are at it, stop by Veggie Num Nums, because Michele has joined in the fun too.

Red Lentil-Cauliflower Curry
Poppy Seed-Cornmeal Roti



Up Next- Caribbean Pork Tacos with Pineapple Salsa

Blogiversary Giveaway- Creamy Parsnip Soup, Curried Carrot Soup with Grilled-Cheese Croutons, and Glazed Lemon Mini-Cakes

Since yesterday was my blogiversary, I decided to do a little giveaway. Now, I don't know if anyone out there loves cookbooks as much as I do. Maybe you do or maybe you don't. Whatever the case may be, I am going to give 1 lucky winner a copy of Everyday Food:Great Food Fast. This cookbook is really a great asset. It is similar to the magazine Everyday Food, which comes from the kitchens of Martha Stewart Living. What I particularly enjoy about this cookbook, is that it is arranged by the seasons of the years, featuring ingredients that are fresh and available during that particular season.
Here is an editorial review that was featured on Amazon.com- "If you are a fan of Everyday Food magazine (and you should be), you will be wowed by Great Food Fast, a gorgeous full-color cookbook filled to bursting with recipes for fresh, flavorful food that is easy to prepare. Organized by season, Great Food Fast features simple recipes for year-round cooking, including no-cook pasta sauces, main-course soups, one-dish meals, and more." --Daphne Durham
I decided to showcase a couple of the winter recipes (since it is still snowing and cold around here) from this book. I made the Creamy Parsnip Soup, Curried Carrot Soup, and Glazed Lemon Cakes. I added the super cute Grilled-Cheese Croutons that I saw in Family Fun Magazine to the Carrot soup, just for a fun topper.
Both of the soups were very good and easy.
The Parsnip soup was a little bit sweet, due to the apples and parsnips, but nice and thick also. I think I used too much of the leeks, which led to a green color soup, instead of the nice white color pictured in the book, but it still tasted great.
The Curried Carrot Soup was the definite favorite. Carrots and curry make a great combination. We loved the grilled cheese croutons on top. I didn't follow the recipe- I just used the same idea. I make grilled cheese sandwiches in my Foreman Grill, which eliminates the need for any butter. The next day we had the carrot soup for leftovers and stirred in some leftover, cooked brown rice.
The Glazed Lemon Cakes were amazing. I used buttermilk in them and that led to a very light, moist cake. I made them smaller than the recipe suggested, but that just meant there were more of us that were able to enjoy them.
So, now that you have a sample of the recipes, in order to win this cookbook, please leave me a comment telling me what your favorite season of the year is and why. I will randomly chose a winner on Tuesday @ midnight and contact you in order to get shipping information. If you don't have a blog, leave a comment with your email address, so if you are the winner I will be able to contact you. The winner will be announced in my post on Wednesday Feb. 25.
My favorite season is Summer. I love hot weather, fresh fruit and vegetables from the garden and lots of sun!
Good Luck Everybody!

Creamy Parsnip Soup from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast
Prep: 20 minutes Total: 50 minutes
To prepare leeks: Trim and discard root ends and dark-green parts. Halve lengthwise; thinly slice crosswise. Wash in several changes of cold water until all grit is removed.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound prepared leeks, sliced (2 cups)
1 pound parsnips, trimmed, peeled, and cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
2 apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium baking potato (about 1/2 pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 can (14.5 ounces) reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper
Leek garnish (see below) (I omitted this step)
Directions
Heat butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add leeks (reserving 1/2 cup for garnish). Cook, stirring, 5 minutes.
Add parsnips, apples, potato, broth, and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
Working in batches, puree soup in a blender until smooth. Return it to pot; stir in cream. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with Leek Garnish.
To make leek garnish, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high. Add reserved 1/2 cup leeks; cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 3 minutes.

Curried Carrot Soup adapted from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast
Prep: 20 minutes Total: 40 minutes
Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon curry powder
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth (about 3 1/2 cups)
2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)
Directions
Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large (4- to 5-quart) saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, curry powder, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
Add broth, carrots, and 3 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover, and simmer until carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.
In a blender, puree soup in batches until smooth; transfer to a clean saucepan. Add more water to thin to desired consistency. Reheat, if necessary. Stir in lemon juice. Serve garnished with cilantro, if desired.

Grilled-Cheese Croutons from Family Fun Magazine
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon thyme
6 thin slices of bread
3 ounces Cheddar, thinly sliced

Step 1 Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. In a small bowl, combine the butter and thyme. Spread one side of each bread slice with the butter mixture. Place 3 slices in the pan, buttered side down. Top with the cheese, then with the remaining 3 bread slices, buttered side up. Cook, turning once, until toasted on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes per side.

Step 2 Remove the sandwiches from the pan. Let them cool slightly, then cut them into 1-inch squares. Makes about 60 croutons.

Glazed Lemon Cakes from Everyday Food: Great Food Fast
Prep: 15 minutes Total: 50 minutes
Ingredients
Makes 6.
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for muffin tin
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for muffin tin
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk, or plain low-fat yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated, plus juice, plus 2 tablespoons more lemon juice for the glaze
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 6-cup jumbo muffin tin(I used a normal sized muffin tin). In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, vanilla, and lemon zest and juice of 1 lemon. Set aside.
With an electric mixer, cream butter and granulated sugar until light. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of buttermilk mixture.
Divide evenly among muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in tin, then cool completely on a rack.
Set rack over wax or parchment paper. In a small bowl, stir confectioners’ sugar with remaining lemon juice until smooth. Pour over cakes, spreading to edges with a knife.

Up Next- Tuesday's with Dorie- Caramel Crunch Bars and a Mixed Berry Cobbler Rewind

Cream of Tomato Soup and Roasted Parsnips Fries

We needed a quick dinner on a very cold and dreary night. I was craving tomato soup. I found this quick recipe and realized we had everything we needed for it, so I whipped it up. We had cheese toast on the side and roasted some parsnips to go with it. The soup warmed us up and I am totally convinced that a little time roasting in the oven can turn any vegetable into a delicious treat.

Cream of Tomato Soup from Sara Moulton via the Food Network
Prep Time: 20 min Inactive Prep Time: 0 min Cook Time: 30 min
2 tablespoons butter (I used 1 Tbls olive oil)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 small carrot, peeled and finely diced

2 tablespoons flour

2 pound fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, or 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, juices reserved (I used crushed tomatoes)

2 cups reduced-sodium canned chicken broth

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1 bay leaf

1 cup light cream or milk (I used skim milk)

Salt and pepper

In a large nonreactive saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and carrot and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes without allowing to color. Add tomatoes with their juices, broth, tomato paste, basil, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer stirring frequently, 15 minutes.

Remove and discard bay leaf. In a food processor or blender, puree soup in batches until smooth. Return to pan and stir in cream. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer until heated through, 3 to 5 minutes, and serve
Roasted Parsnip Fries

2 parsnips, cut into very small slices or pieces

1-2 Tbls olive oil

salt and pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place parsnip fries on a large baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat all pieces evenly. Roast for 15-20 minutes, stirring once, or until crisp and golden.

Coming Tomorrow- A quick appetizer from Rachael Ray

Roasted Vegetable Gratin

Basically if I see a recipe that has butternut squash in it, I am determined to make it. My family has started teasing me about it, because we eat alot of squash. What can I say? It is delicious. I saw this beautiful dish in Family Circle and immediately put it on the menu. It was delicious. Wonderful. I love roasted vegetables and polenta. Yum. Yum. Yum.

Roasted Vegetable Gratin from Family Circle Magazine
Ingredients
1 small butternut squash (about 2-1/2 pounds), peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 medium parsnips (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large sweet red pepper, cored, seeded and sliced into 1/4-inch strips
1 medium red onion, peeled and cut into 1-inch wedges
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tube (18 ounces) heat-and-serve polenta
1/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup shredded Asiago cheese
8 sprigs fresh thyme
Directions
1. Heat oven to 375°F.
2. Toss squash, parsnips, red pepper and onion with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place vegetables in a large roasting pan and roast at 375°F for 45 minutes, stirring twice.
3. Coat a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Slice polenta into 12 slices, each about 1/2-inch thick. Fit slices into the bottom of the baking dish.
4. Spoon vegetables over polenta slices. Drizzle with half-and-half and sprinkle with cheese. Scatter thyme over top.
5. Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Up Tomorrow- Barefoot Bloggers-Banana Sour Cream Pancakes and Craving Ellie- Fried Rice with Scallions, Edamame and Tofu

Barefoot Bloggers- Root Vegetable Pot Pie with a Phyllo Crust

Deb of Kahakai Kitchen chose this week's Barefoot Bloggers recipe. I am a few days late in posting, but at least I got it in, right?
I am going to have to talk to Ina Garten. She just makes her savory dinner recipes too rich. I have said it before and I will say it again- there is no way I am going to use 12 Tbls of butter to saute onions for the base of a dish. I save my butter and cream for dessert. So, this Pot Pie is quite different than the original, but it was really tasty.
I omitted all the butter and replaced it with 2 Tbls of olive oil. I omitted the fennel, well, I basically just redid the recipe. Asparagus isn't in season, none of the grocery stores had pearl onions- so I decided to go with turnips and parsnips instead. I love roasted carrots and those 2 aforementioned veggies with rosemary, so that is where this recipe got it's new look. I kept the squash because I am a fan of it and the potatoes too. I topped it with phyllo to keep it light and it tasted wonderful. I will make this again- my way, so that I can enjoy whatever goodie I am baking. Delish!

Root Vegetable Pot Pie with Phyllo Crust heavily adapted from The Barefoot Contessa

2 Tbls olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups good chicken stock

2 Tbls dried parsley

1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

splash of heavy cream

1 1/2 cups large-diced potatoes

2 carrots, peeled and cubed

2 parsnips, peeled and cubed

2 turnips, peeled and cubed

1 1/2 cups peeled, 3/4-inch-diced butternut squash

8 sheets phyllo dough

cooking spray

Heat the oil over medium heat in a dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pan. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 8-10 minutes . Add the flour, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Slowly add the stock, parsley, and rosemary, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the heavy cream and season to taste. The sauce should be highly seasoned.

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Lift out with a sieve. Add the carrots, parsnips, turnips, and squash to the pot and cook in the boiling water for 8 minutes. Drain well.

Add the potatoes, and mixed vegetables to the sauce and mix well.

Spray an 11x7-inch casserole dish with cooking spray. Transfer the vegetable/sauce mixture to the prepared dish.

Place 2 sheets of phyllo on a cutting board and spray heavily with cooking spray. Layer 2 more sheets on top and spray with cooking spray. Repeat until all phyllo is used. Carefully place phyllo sheets on top of vegetable mixture and gently press down around the edges.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until phyllo is crisp and golden.

Up Tomorrow- Thai Peanut Noodles with Tofu and Edamame