Roasted Beets

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch beets (about 1 1/2 pounds), scrubbed, peeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place beets on a large piece of foil on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Fold foil around beets and crimp ends to form a packet. Roast until tender when pierced with a knife, about 45 minutes.
Transfer beets to a large bowl and drizzle with vinegar, honey, and orange juice. Top with orange zest and thyme.

Source: http://www.marthastewart.com/873232/roasted-beets-orange-and-thyme

Sweet Peppers and Pasta

Ingredients:

• 4 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 large red and yellow bell peppers (3 pounds), cut into 2-inch-long julienne
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 pound penne

Directions:

Cook garlic in oil in a large heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until golden. Add peppers, wine, and salt and pepper to taste, then cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
While peppers are cooking, cook pasta in a 6-qt. pot of boiling salted water until al dente and drain. Toss pasta with peppers and season with salt and pepper.

Source:http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/sweet-peppers-with-pasta-102237

Blackberry Cobbler

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons cold butter
• 1/4 cup boiling water
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 4 cups fresh blackberries, rinsed and drained

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• In a large bowl, mix the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 1/4 cup boiling water just until mixture is evenly moist.
• In a separate bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in cold water. Mix in remaining 1 cup sugar, lemon juice, and blackberries. Transfer to a cast iron skillet, and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Drop dough into the skillet by spoonfuls. Place skillet on the foil lined baking sheet.
• Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until dough is golden brown.

Source: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/65155/blackberry-cobbler-ii/?internalSource=hn_carousel%2002_Blackberry%20Cobbler%20II&referringId=1473&referringContentType=recipe%20hub&referringPosition=carousel%2002

Eggs in a Nest

Ingredients

2 T olive oil
2 cups leek OR 1.5 cups onion OR 1 cup shallots, sliced*
12 oz potatoes in 1-inch cubes, about 4 cups**
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/4 tsp Spanish smoked paprika, divided
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp ground black pepper, divided
4 cups thinly sliced Swiss chard or other hardy leafy green, about 1 bunch***
4 large eggs
1/4 cup (1 oz) shredded sharp/aged cheese – Parmesan, fontina, gruyere – whatever you have****
Variations

One of the reasons I love this dish is because it’s so adaptable! Here are a few simple swaps, to adjust based on what you have in your fridge.

* Any onion-y thing will do; I suggest smaller amounts as the flavors get stronger

** Use a firm potato (preferably yukon gold, red, or fingerling), not a starchy one (like Idaho or Russet), for best results. Learn more about different types of potatoes.

*** I like Swiss chard because it has just the right texture for this dish. I like to chop up the tougher stems and add them in with the potatoes, to give them more cooking time. Spinach would not be hardy enough, but collard greens or kale could work well. Thinly slice these hardier greens so they cook properly in the timeline for preparing this dish, and be sure to remove and discard their very thick stems.

Rainbow Swiss Chard is so pretty!
RAINBOW SWISS CHARD IS SO PRETTY!
**** Really, any sharp cheese will do! Using an aged cheese imparts more flavor and allows you to use less, keeping this dish super healthy. I usually use Parmesan, because I always have it on-hand.

This dish is vegetarian, but you could add bacon or pancetta bits if you like.

Directions

Heat a large skillet or pot over medium meat, and add oil. Once the oil is heated through, add your onion, a sprinkle of salt, and cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add in potatoes, garlic, and Swiss chard stems (if using). Cover the pot with a lid and cook for about 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Stir occasionally, and if you notice things are sticking to the pan, deglaze the pan with a little bit of broth, water, or wine, and put the lid back on.

Once potatoes are basically cooked, add in 1 tsp paprika, another sprinkle of salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Add chard leaves and cook 4 more minutes, uncovered, stirring constantly.

Here’s the fun part! Using your stirring spoon, create 4 egg-sized spaces in the veggie mixture. Crack 1 egg into each space, and sprinkle remaining salt,  pepper, and paprika over the eggs. Cover the pot and cook 5-6 more minutes, until egg whites are firm and egg yolks are your desired state of cooked. I like mine a little runny, but to each his/her own!

Sprinkle cheese over the whole mixture, and serve.

Tahini Beet Salad

Ingredients

1 lb beets, tops and bottoms cut off, skinned, and cut into chunks
salt to taste
1 T olive oil
1 T lemon juice
1 clove garlic
3 T tahini
any herbs you have on hand (I was trying to use up some parsley so I used that)
Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, toss beet chunks with a drizzle of olive oil and a generous amount of salt.

Spread beet mixture onto a large piece of aluminum foil; fold ends in and over to make a sealed packet.

Roast beets for 40 minutes, until relatively tender. I usually just throw this packet in while I am cooking something else (a squash, lasagna, casserole, whatever – even if it’s not 400 degrees it’s no big deal).

beet salad in food processorRemove beets from oven and let cool.

Add beets, any herbs you are using, and 1 minced garlic clove to food processor; pulse until chopped.

Add lemon juice and tahini; stir with a spoon or pulse a few times until combined.

Add salt/pepper to taste.

Serve with warm pita bread, crackers, or veggies.

Chickpea and Roasted Red Pepper Salad

Ingredients

2 roasted red peppers, or 1 jar, chopped or slivered
3 cups of chickpeas, rinsed (2 15-oz cans)
1/3-1/2 cup of sliced fresh basil (or do a mix of other herbs, like mint and parsley)
3 T of capers, rinsed (optional but adds a lovely saltiness)
1/4-1/3 cup crumbled feta (I like Bulgarian feta in brine… sooooo creamy!)
Dressing

2 T of fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp of salt
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 T of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Directions

Combine all the salad ingredients in one bowl. Whisk together the dressing ingredients in another. Combine. That’s all, folks!