Colorful Roasted Winter Vegetable Salad

Melinda — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:19:47 +0000

I was tasked with bringing something healthy and vegetarian to a Super Bowl party this past Sunday. I had already planned a big trip to the farmers market on Saturday, so I also chose to stick with seasonally appropriate ingredients. Here were the delicious results of this quest. Apologies for the lack of pictures, I was running a little too late to take time to photograph.

Ingredients:

Salad

1 head cauliflower, chopped into small florets

2 large carrots, sliced into ½ inch thick disks

1 pound (approximately) Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and sliced in half

5-6 medium-sized golden Yukon potatoes

2 bunches kale, cut into approximately 2-inch squares

Olive oil

Sea salt

Dressing

1 head garlic

Juice of three lemons

2 tablespoons sesame tahini

¼ cup grated parmesan

1 red onion, diced

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice the top off of the garlic, exposing the tips of the cloves. Place in a large enough square of aluminum foil to cover and pour a tablespoon of olive oil on top. Wrap foil around garlic and place in the oven. Roast for approximately 45 minutes or until cloves are soft and light brown in color.

Meanwhile, toss the kale with approximately 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a few dashes of sea salt. Spread evenly over two large baking sheets and cook in the preheated over for 8 to 10 minutes, or until crisp. Remove kale from oven, place in a large bowl to cool.

Toss the rest of the vegetables with approximately 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil and a few more dashes of sea salt. Spread evenly over the two baking sheets. Roast in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cauliflower begins to brown and potatoes are soft. Remove from over and let cool.

Heat two tablespoons olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft and translucent. Chop roasted garlic into very small pieces. Mix onion and garlic with lemon juice, tahini, and parmesan. Add salt and pepper and adjust any other elements of the dressing to suit your specific taste.

Combine vegetables and dressing in a large bowl and toss to coat. Serve with an additional sprinkling of parmesan cheese, if desired. Can be served warm or cold.

Blueberry Meyer Lemonade

Melinda — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:54:27 +0000

For anyone with a juicer and plentiful access to Meyer lemons, this lemonade is sure to keep your thirst quenched. Blueberries are a “super food” and, as such, are rich in anti-oxidants and are known to protect your brain, eyes, cardiovascular system and prevent against certain cancers. Lemons are rich in vitamin C and also contain anti-oxidants and protect against certain cancers. I am lucky enough to have a prolific Meyer lemon tree in the backyard and am always searching for ways to utilize these sweeter, fragrant lemons. If you don’t have a juicer, I’d recommend quartering the recipe, throwing the ingredients into a blender with a lot of ice, some water and sugar, and serving up a unique summer smoothie.

Ingredients:

10 Meyer lemons

1 quart ripe blueberries

3 tablespoons raw sugar

2+ quarts water

Directions:

Peel the lemons and wash the blueberries. Alternating the fruits, feed through juicer. Pour liquid into large pitcher, mix in sugar (3 tablespoons leaves the juice with a bit of tartness – you can add more or less sugar to fit personal preferences). Dilute juice with one quart water, adding more as needed to suit your taste. Garnish with a sprig of mint, if desired, and drink up!

I cook with wine... » Lemons

Colorful Roasted Winter Vegetable Salad

Blueberry Meyer Lemonade