ROASTED VEGETABLE SALAD with ROASTED SHALLOT VINAIGRETTE

I was having one of those days where I was feeling a salad, (I didn’t aaactually feel like a salad.  I don’t know how a salad feels; but my hair may have resembled a salad.)   I knew that Billy would want something more substantial so I figured that by roasting a bunch of hearty vegetables, and serving the warm vegetables over my new favorite greens we would both be satisfied! 



I love this salad mix because it is packed with nutrition, but the greens are still tender.








The Roasted Shallot Vinaigrette is thick and creamy, which also adds to the robustness of the salad.

Roasted Vegetable Salad with Roasted Shallot Vinaigrette is a delightful cool weather salad and can be served on its own.  Feel free to top it off with roasted chicken or a good steak; change the vegetables by adding Oven Roasted Asparagus or butternut squash, and goat cheese would be a yummy substitutefor blue cheese.

Pre heat your oven to 400 degrees.

Start with roasting the beets, they take the longest.

Trim the tops from the beets and wash to dirt from the skin.  There’s no need to peel the beet. 

I leave a little of the stem on, you'll see why in a bit.








Place the beet on a piece of aluminum foil that is large enough to wrap the beet in.  If the beets are small, wrap a couple of them in the piece of foil 

Drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil over the top of the beet, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.





 Wrap the beet in the foil.  Put the foil wrapped beet on a baking dish (trust me; it may save you from having to clean the bottom of your oven).

Roast in the oven for 35 to 50 minutes, depending on the size of the beets.  A paring knife should easily slide into the flesh of the beet.

My beets were large, so I only used one beet in the salad, but I roasted the other beet any way just to snack on later.

 After the beets have been roasting about 20 minutes start the potatoes.  Put the potatoes on a sheet pan; toss them with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, Herbs de Provence (or Italian seasoning), salt and pepper.

If you’re making the vinaigrette, then toss the shallots and unpeeled garlic with the potatoes.


Once the potatoes have roasted for 25 minutes; remove them from the oven, add the green beans, bell peppers and mushrooms to the sheet pan, but keep each kind of vegetable separated. 

Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the top of the veggies, season with salt and pepper.  Return the pan of vegetables to the oven for about another 15 minutes, until the veggies are done.

When the beets are done remove them from the oven (the beets are okay to sit for a while in the foil packs). 

See?  The little stem that I left on the beet acts as a handle.  I use that little handle to lift the beet out of the foil without getting beet stains on my hand!











Grab a handful of paper towels.  Put a beet into paper towel and gently rub to remove the skin.  The beets must still be warm to use this method of removing the skin.

 







Cut the beet into bite sized pieces.

When the shallots are soft and have some caramel color on the outside remove them and the garlic from the oven.  Squeeze the garlic out of its skin.

Add the shallots and garlic to the bowl of a mini processor or a blender; along with a squeeze of lemon juice, Dijon mustard, sherry vinegar (or balsamic), olive oil, maple syrup, salt and pepper. 

Blitz until creamy.

Remove the roasted vegetables from the oven and cut the mushrooms in half.

Toss the lettuce with a little of the vinaigrette, salt and pepper.  I added a little of the beet juices as well.

Put the lettuce on the bottom of a platter or a large bowl.






Arrange the vegetables and blue cheese over the top of the lettuce. 

Keeping the veggies separate is not only pretty, but allows each person to take the veggies that they like.  

If you like drizzle just a little more vinaigrette over the top of the whole salad; or serve the vinaigrette on the side.

ROASTED VEGETABLE SALAD 

Serves 2 

1                            Large beet or 2 small beets 

4              Tbsp.     Olive oil, divided

8                            Fingerling potatoes cut in half length wise

½             tsp.        Herbs de Provence, or Italian seasoning

1 ½         cups       Green beans, ends trimmed and cut in half

½                           Sweet bell pepper, red, orange, or yellow

4              oz.         Mushrooms; whole, with the stem end trimmed

4              cups       Lettuce, such as baby kale, or romaine

3              oz.          Blue cheese, crumbled (goat cheese would also be good)

                               Salt and pepper to taste

                               Roasted Shallot Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

1.        Pre heat oven to 400 degrees.

2.       Trim the leafy tops from the beet(s) and wash any dirt off of the skin.  Do not peel the beets.

3.       Place the beets on a sheet of aluminum foil that is large enough to wrap the beets in.  Drizzle 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil over the top of the beets, sprinkle with salt and pepper and pull the foil up to wrap the beets.  Place the foil package into a baking dish and into the oven for 35 to 50 minutes depending on the size of the beets.  The beet is done when a paring knife slides easily into the flesh.
        *The beets can be roasted in advance if you prefer.

4.       After the beets have been in the oven about 20 minutes you can start the potatoes.  Place the potatoes on a sheet pan.  Toss the potatoes with 1 Tbsp. of olive oil, Herbs de Provence (or Italian seasoning), salt and pepper.  Put into the hot oven. 
         **The shallots and the garlic from step 1 of the Roasted Shallot Vinaigrette recipe can be roasted now as well.

5.       After the potatoes have roasted for 25 minutes, put the green beans, bell pepper, and mushrooms on the same sheet pan with the potatoes, but keep each kind of vegetable separated.  Drizzle the veggies with the remaining 2 Tbsp. of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Roast in the oven for about 15 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked.

6.       When the beets are done, grab some paper towels.  Now remove a beet from the foil and place into the handful of paper towels.  Rub the skin with the paper towels and it will come right off.  This must be done while the beet is still warm.

7.       Chop the beet into bite sized pieces.

8.       When all the veggies are done, cut the roasted mushrooms in half.

9.       Now to assemble the salad:  Toss the lettuce in a bowl with some of the vinaigrette, a little salt and pepper.

10.   Place the dressed lettuce in the bottom of a platter or large bowl, and arrange each kind of vegetable on top of the lettuce in little piles.  Place the blue cheese on the top of the salad.

11.   Serve the remaining vinaigrette on the side. 

ROASTED SHALLOT VINAIGRETTE

2                            Shallots, peeled

2             cloves     Garlic, skin on

4 ½         Tbsp.     Extra virgin olive oil, divided

1              tsp.        Fresh lemon juice

½             tsp.        Dijon mustard

2              Tbsp.     Sherry vinegar, or balsamic vinegar

1              tsp.        Maple syrup

                              Salt and pepper to taste 

1.       Pre heat oven to 400 degrees.

2.       Place the peeled shallots and the unpeeled garlic cloves on a baking dish, drizzle ½ Tbsp. of olive oil over the top, season with salt and pepper.  Roast until the shallots have are a caramel color, about 30 minutes.  
          **The shallots and garlic can be roasted along with the potatoes in step 4 of the salad recipe.

3.       When the shallots and garlic are done squeeze the garlic out of its skin.

4.       Add the shallots, garlic and the remaining ingredients to the bowl of a mini food processor or a blender, and blitz until smooth.

I posted this recipe at:




    &  Simple Meal Fridays . 

BROCCOLI CHEESE and RICE CASSEROLE

Oh boy!  The Presidential Debate is being held here tonight in Boca Raton.  All of South Florida is a buzz, it’s very exciting!  The news anchors are looking spiffy.  The protestors are silently handing out their flyers at Whole Foods.  The People are eager to hear from their candidate.  There are reported candidate sightings. 

Okay, it’s only exciting if you’re into it.  I am semi excited.  I’m good to watch the debates on TV for about 45 minutes then I’m done.  Then it starts to sound like each candidate is just repeating the same thing over and over just using different phrasing.  Really after 30 minutes, I feel like I’ve heard what they have to say. 

I am very concerned, however; that The Voice may be pre-empted for the debate.  I haven’t checked the TV programming, will it only be one hour tonight, or will The Voice be on at all?  Will I see my beloved judges; Adam, Cee Lo, Christina, and Blake? Oh, how this troubles me.  I really do wish the people who schedule the debates would take these things into account. 

Any who…before you watch the debate, or whatever you have recorded and can’t wait to catch up on, you’re gonna need to eat.  Broccoli Cheese and Rice Casserole is great to serve with whatever you have chicken, pork, beef, or on its own with a salad.  The rice is creamy because it’s cooked in milk; broccoli with cheese is meant to be; and cracker crumb topping is just good!

Pre heat the oven to 375 degrees.

 

Start by sweating the onion and garlic in butter, over medium heat.

 

 

 

 

 

Once the onions are translucent, add the water, milk, salt,and pepper.

Heat the water and milk on the stove, bring it to a simmer, but don’t let it boil.

By heating the liquid on the stove the casserole will bake for less time in the oven.

 

 

This baking dish holds the same volume as an 8" x 8" x 2" dish.

Add the rice (I prefer Basmati), broccoli and 1 ½ cups of the grated cheese in a the ungreased baking dish.

I put the rice on the bottom, the broccoli over the rice, then sprinkled the cheese.

*Don’t rinse the rice; the starch will help to thicken the liquid, giving it a creamy consistency.

 

 

 

Pour the hot liquid over the top.

 

 

 

 

Gently mix the ingredients.

Be sure the broccoli is in an even layer.

 

 

 

 

Notice that I put the baking dish on a sheet pan,before putting the casserole into the oven for 20 minutes.

 

 

 

Put the crackers into a zipper bag, and roll a rolling pin back and forth over the crackers; until the cracker crumbs are the size that you like.

 

 

 

 

Mix the cracker crumbs and remaining ½ cup of grated cheese.

 

 

 

 

Sprinkle the crumbs evenly over the casserole, and put it back into the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes; until the rice has cooked and absorbed the liquid.

 

 

 

 

 

Allow the casserole to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Serves 6

 

½                           Small onion, small dice (about ½ cup)

1              clove     Garlic, minced

3              Tbsp.     Butter

1 ½         cups       Water

1 ½         cups       Whole milk

¾             tsp.        Salt

½             tsp.        Pepper

1 ½         cups       Basmati rice

4             cups       Broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces

2             cups       Grated cheese, such as Cheddar, Swiss, or Fontina; divided use

1/2         cups       Cracker crumbs

 

1.        Pre heat oven to 375.

2.       Sweat the onions, garlic and butter in a 2 quart sauce pan over medium heat, until the onions are translucent.

3.       Add the water, milk, salt, and pepper to the sauce pan with the onions, just to heat the liquid to a simmer, but don’t boil it.

4.       In the meantime, into the bottom of an ungreased baking dish (8" x 8" x 2"), add the rice (do not rinse the rice), broccoli, and 1 ½ cups of the cheese (the other ½ cup will be used later).

5.       Pour the hot liquid over the casserole and gently stir, being sure the ingredients are evenly distributed.

6.       Place the baking dish on a sheet pan, just in case the liquid boils over; and place the casserole in the oven for 20 minutes.

7.       Combine the cracker crumbs and the remaining ½ cup of cheese.  Sprinkle it evenly over the top of the casserole.

8.       Return the casserole to the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes; until the rice has cooked and absorbed the liquid.

9.       Allow the casserole to sit for about 5 minutes before serving.

APPLE AND BRIE SMOTHERED PORK CHOPS

A couple of weeks ago I had this hankerin’ for cabbage and apples.  I mentioned this strange craving when I posted this recipe for Tempeh Apple Saute, which was a vegetarian recipe.

I also mentioned that Billy won’t eat soy products; no way, no sir, no how!  Well sometimes I will sneak tofu into a recipe on him.  When he has devoured the meal and declares how delicious it was, I let him know just how sneaky I am.

The conversation goes something like this:  Billy “That was really good; definitely a winner.” 

Me “You reeeeally like it?” 

Billy “Ya, ya, it was great.”

 Me “Guess what was in it?” 

Well then the jig is up, cuz as soon as I ask that he knows the answer is tofu, or tempeh, or some other vegan product.  It is funny (not really funny, more puzzling) to me that even though Billy loves tofu when he doesn’t know he’s eating it, but he won’t touch it if he knows about the tofu.

So I made these yummy, juicy Apple and Brie Smothered Pork Chops for him without a trace of tofu or tempeh.  Pork is just made to be smothered with apples and onions.  The sauce for the pork chops is wonderfully balanced with mustard, vinegar, chicken stock and maple syrup.  I yelled at Billy “Cheese or no cheese on the pork chops?”  He yelled back “Cheese!”  So I covered the already delectable pork chops with Brie cheese, cuz Brie and apples are yummy.  Finally I topped it off with a sprinkle of pecans.

 

Toast the pecans in a large skillet.  Use the skillet that you will cook the pork chops in, so that there will be one less pan to wash. 

Remove the toasted pecans, give them a chop and put them into a bowl. 

*The pecans are optional.

 

 

 

 

Heat 1 tablespoon of grape seed oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Season both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper and add them to the hot skillet.

 

 

When the pork chops have browned on both sides remove them to a plate.  The pork chops do not need to be cooked through at this point, just browned.

 

 Add the onions to the same skillet, and cook for about two minutes.

Add the apples to the skillet, season with salt and pepper.  Cook until the apples have a caramel color on both sides, and the onions are translucent.

 

 

 

Add the vinegar to the pan; do not inhale, trust me. 

I got this vinegar at Ikea, but you can also use apple cider vinegar.

 

 

 

 

Now stir in the chicken stock, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, and fresh thyme (or rosemary).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Be sure to use real maple syrup; if you don’t have it honey is a good substitute.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Add the pork chops back to the pan, turn the heat to medium low...

 

 

 

 

 

 

... and cook covered for about 15 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

Lay a slice of Brie cheese over each pork chop, cover and cook just until the cheese has melted.  The cheese is optional, the pork chops taste amazing with or without cheese.

 

 

 

 

 

 Look how melty and gooey!

 

 

 

Remove the pork chops to a platter. 

Whisk a 1/2 tablespoon of cold butter into the pan juices; taste for seasoning add salt and pepper if needed.

Then spoon the apples, onions and pan juices over the pork chops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the top, et viola!

 

 

 

I served Apple and Brie Smothered Pork Chops with roasted potatoes and steamed cabbage.

 

Makes 2 big servings

1              lb.           Thin sliced pork chops, 4 slices

1             Tbsp.       Grape seed oil

½                            Small onion, sliced

1                             Small apple, cored and sliced

2              Tbsp.     Apple wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar

1              cup        Chicken stock, low sodium

1              tsp.        Dijon mustard

1              Tbsp.     Maple syrup or honey

8                            Sprigs of fresh thyme or 2 sprigs of rosemary

4              slices     Brie or Camembert cheese *optional

½             Tbsp.     Cold butter

      Salt and pepper to taste

¼             cup        Chopped pecans, which have been toasted *optional 

1.        Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

2.       Season both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper.

3.       Put the pork chops into the hot skillet, and brown both sides.  Remove the pork chops to a plate.

4.       In the same skillet sauté the onions for about 2 minutes then add the sliced apples, season with salt and pepper. 

5.       When the onions are translucent and the apples have caramelized some; add the vinegar.

6.       Now stir in the chicken stock, Dijon mustard, maple syrup and fresh thyme (or rosemary).

7.       Add the browned pork chops back to the skillet turn the heat down to medium low, cover and cook for about 15 minutes.

8.       *Put a slice of cheese over each pork chop, cover and cook until the cheese is melted. (optional)

9.       Remove just the pork chops to a platter.

10.   The cooked apples, onions and pan juices should still be in the skillet; stir in the cold butter.  Taste for seasoning, add more salt and pepper if needed.  Spoon the apples, onions and pan juices over the pork chops.

11.   *Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the top. (optional)


Check out more great fall recipes at the Weekend Potluck!