rosemary

Roasted Vegetables

/ Jodi / 47 Comments

Roasted Vegetables.

You know those times when you get to the end of what you bought for the week and before you get to the grocery store and only have a handful of this and a chunk of that and a sliver of this in the fridge?

One day last week, I wanted to make a vegetable, but only had a bit of this and that.  I had a quarter of a small head of purple cabbage, a bulb of fennel, a half a bag of carrots, a small bag of golden fingerling potatoes.

So I tossed these together with a sliced onion and a few bulbs of garlic, drizzled it with some wonderful olive oil our son and daughter-in-law brought us back from their honeymoon in Greece.  I sprinkled it with salt and pepper and some chopped fresh rosemary.  I roasted it in a 400 degree F oven for about a half hour, and it turned out amazing!

You could throw in any vegetables you have left in your vegetable crisper at the end of the week.  Roasting vegetables makes them taste so amazingly delicious!  They become caramelized and tender and mellow.

I tried fennel raw chopped up on a salad, and have to say it was a bit too strong for my taste.  Maybe I added too much.  But when I roast it, I seriously cannot get enough of it!  It transforms and mellows the flavor into something absolutely divine!

What combination of vegetables do you like best to roast?

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes with Garlic & Rosemary

/ Jodi / 50 Comments

roasted-rosemary-and-garlic-yukon-gold-potatoes

There aren’t many meals potatoes don’t go wonderfully with in my opinion.  I do love potatoes no matter what way they are prepared.

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One of my favorite ways to make them is to roast them.  Add some garlic, fresh rosemary, a dash of salt, and a drizzle of olive oil, and I’m pretty much in heaven.

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And Yukon Golds have become one of my favorite varieties to roast.  They crisp up beautifully on the outside and remain tender and flavorful on the inside.

This recipe is simple, but so delicious and complimentary to most any meal.  They go great with chicken, beef, pork, and even eggs (and are great reheated for breakfast “home fries”).  Sprinkle some cheese on top if you like – parmesan, cheddar, swiss,  or muenster.  Dunk them in ketchup or barbecue or hot sauce.  Dip them in ranch dressing or honey mustard.  Or just enjoy them plain.

Here is how I make them.  Hope you will give them a try.

Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes with Garlic & Rosemary

Ingredients:roasted-rosemary-and-garlic-yukon-gold-potatoes-2

  • 6 medium Yukon Gold Potatoes
  • 3 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Wash and cut potatoes (leaving skin on) into bite-sized chunks.

Spread potatoes evenly in single layer onto a baking stone with sides (stoneware bar pan) or aluminum jelly roll sized pan.  Drizzle with half of the olive oil.  Sprinkle with minced garlic, minced rosemary, and salt.  Drizzle remaining olive oil over top.

Roast for 20-30 minutes until golden brown – tossing with a spatula halfway through cooking time.  Serve immediately.  

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Creamy Cauliflower Risotto and Garlic Rosemary Lamb Chops

/ Jodi / 33 Comments

Creamy Cauliflower Rissoto and Lamb Chops

Last Sunday, I was in the mood to be creative in the kitchen, so I decided to tackle the rack of lamp chops I recently purchased and do something interesting with a head of cauliflower I had.

For the lamb chops, I rubbed them with a simple mixture of fresh rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper and marinated them for 4 hours in the fridge.  When we were ready to eat, I simply pan seared them about 2 minutes on each side in a hot skillet with olive oil.  They turned out amazing!

lamb chops and creamy cauliflower risotto

Here is the recipe for the Creamy Cauliflower Risotto.  I have to say… I absolutely LOVED it!  A little more work than simply roasting cauliflower or mashing russet potatoes, but if you have the time and the inclination, it is SOOOO worth it!

Add some fresh greens, and you have a meal fit for royalty!

Hope you will give this a creative cauliflower recipe a try!  You won’t be sorry.

Creamy Cauliflower Risotto

  • 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 3 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped sweet red, yellow, and/or orange peppers
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup white wine
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 4 Tbsp. butter
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Finely chop cauliflower florets until it reaches approximate size and texture of rice.  (You can use a food processor if you like, but I did not.)  Set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan.  Saute onions, peppers and garlic until caramelized.

Add white wine, and cook for 1 minute.  Add cauliflower “rice” and chicken stock.  Cover and cook on medium for about 10 minutes.

Add butter, and continue to cook for another 5 minutes without lid, allowing some of the liquid to evaporate.  Stir occasionally.

Once the cauliflower “rice” has thickened, stir in the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.  (There really is no substitute for this BEST Parmesan cheese!)  Remove from heat and add Greek yogurt or sour cream and salt and pepper to taste.  Blend with immersion blender to desired creamy consistency.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

*Recipe slightly adapted from GlutenFreeFix

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Onion and Rosemary

/ Jodi / 37 Comments

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon Onion and Rosemary 2

Fresh Brussels Sprouts are so divine – especially when sauteed with bacon and onions and garlic and rosemary and splashed with balsamic vinegar.

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon Onion and Rosemary

If you are looking for a knock-out vegetable dish for a special occasion or a simple veggie side dish for Sunday supper or a weekday dinner, this recipe rocks it all around.

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon Onion and Rosemary 1

It takes a teensy bit more time than throwing a bag of frozen corn in a pot, but it is OH SO WORTH it!

I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of anything Brussels sprouts can’t go with!

Hope you get a chance to try and enjoy this recipe.

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Onion, and Rosemary

Ingredients:Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon Onion and Rosemary 2

  • 1 1/2 pounds fresh Brussels sprouts, trimmed
  • 4 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 5-6 green onions, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped finely
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. If sprouts are very small, cut in half; otherwise cut into quarters. Cook the sprouts until barely tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring, until just crisp, 5-6 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain on a paper towel. Pour out all but about 1 tablespoon bacon fat from the pan.

Add olive oil to the pan.   Add green onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until soft but not browned, about 4 minutes. Stir in rosemary, salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium-high, add the Brussels sprouts, and cook, tossing or stirring occasionally, until tender and warmed through and beginning to brown, about 3-5 minutes. Add the bacon and balsamic vinegar.  Stir an additional minute.  Pour into serving dish and enjoy!

*adapted from this recipe at Eating Well

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Rosemary Roasted Cashews

/ Jodi / 7 Comments

roasted rosemary cashews

I am completely OBSESSED these days with fresh rosemary!

I’ve been adding it to sourdough pretzels, potatoes,  butternut squash, pot roast (My PERFECT Post Roast Recipe coming soon!), chicken, veggies.

I am utterly addicted to the smell – it reminds me of Christmas and winter and Bombay Gin 🙂 , the taste – so earthy and woodsy, the PUNCH – it completely kicks up any recipe it is added to!

rosemary obsession

So when looking for a different snack to take and share at “The Best Book Club Ever,” I came across this recipe, and had to try.

O M G is all I can say!  Served warm, these will ROCK your WORLD!

roasted rosemary cashews 3

Here is the recipe I found on the Food Network’s website from Ina Garten.

ENJOY!!!

Rosemary Roasted Cashews (original recipe can be found on Food Network’s website from Ina Garten)

1 1/4 lbs cashews
2 Tbsp coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp coarse kosher salt
1 1/2 Tbsp melted butter

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place cashews on ungreased baking sheet (I used a stone bar pan) and roast for 10 mins.

While the cashews are warmly roasting in the oven, combine the rosemary, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, and salt.

When you remove the cashews from the oven, drizzle with the melted butter and toss to coat thoroughly.

Then sprinkle with spice mixture, and toss again to coat thoroughly.

Serve warm.

Go Crazy!  I dare you to eat just one!

(If you for some reason I would not be able to understand, are not a cashew fan, I’ll bet this would work great with pecans, peanuts, brazil nuts, hazelnuts, or whatever you fancy!)

roasted rosemary cashews 2

Cheers & Nutty Hugs,

Jodi

 

Rosemary Garlic Pretzels

/ Jodi / 13 Comments

rgp cover
My recent snack OBSESSION is Rosemary Garlic Pretzels.

Those that know me best know that even though I  L-O -V-E  to bake…………..

999,997.4 times out of 1,000,000, I would chose a salty pretzel over a chocolate chip cookie as a snack…

to go with my red wine or G&T especially.

rgp snack bowl

So lately, I have been making these SUPER simple, yet oh so DELISH Rosemary Garlic Pretzels.

All you need to do is take a bag of hard pretzels of your choice, break them into “bite-sized” pieces, and layer them on a baking dish.

rgp ingred

Then you simply drizzle with some olive oil, fresh chopped rosemary, garlic & herb (or your favorite) seasoning, and (the special ingredient) a drizzle of honey.

rgp pan

Bake at 250 for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, and voila!

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A yummy snack!

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And you should probably NOT do as I do and put a jar full on your kitchen counter…..

Yummy for the Tummy

at Life In Between.

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi