Category: Vegetables

Crunchy Onion Spuds

These are an easy variation on roasted potatoes – and delicious!  If desired, you can add additional herbs such as parsley, oregano, marjoram, or basil.

Ingredients:

  • 2 large onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 2 pounds baking potatoes, such as russets, unpeeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 c butter, melted
  • 1 (1 ounce) package onion soup mix (dry)Directions: 
  1. Preheat your oven to 450°.
  2. Combine the onions and potatoes in a 9 x 13 pan.
  3. In a small bowl combine the oil, butter and soup mix.
  4. Pour over vegetables and mix well.
  5. Roast in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
  6. Reduce heat to 325°.
  7. Bake, stirring frequently, an additional 40 minutes or until golden.

Serves:  6

Source: Take five – Orange County Register.  Ann Cook

How to Roast Any Vegetable

The way to get anyone to eat Brussels sprouts!!  I like to “finish” the roasted vegetables with a splash of balsamic vinegar – adds a touch of je ne sais quoi.

What Vegetables to Roast
Root vegetables — like potatoes, parsnips, sweet potatoes, and carrots — are old standbys when it comes to roasting, but take a look and you’ll find all sorts of roasting candidates — from broccoli and Brussels sprouts to zucchini, onions, bell peppers, and cabbage. Even tomatoes can be roasted.  If you’re not sure if a particular vegetable can be roasted, give it a try. It might not end up being your favorite way to eat that vegetable, but it’s definitely worth the experiment to find out.  Note:  if veggies are damp from washing or juice, dry them with paper towels.

Dice or slice the vegetables into bite size pieces.  Smaller cooks faster.

The Oil
Toss them with some good-tasting oil – olive, avocado, or other. Use enough to give the vegetables with a slick, glossy coating, but not so much that you have puddles in the bottom of your bowl — a tablespoon or two will usually get the job done.  Add salt and pepper and any other spices that strike your fancy.  Add a couple of garlic cloves (or more – roasted garlic is really good).

You can toss with your hands or put them in a Ziploc bag and mush them around.  Be sure they are really coated.

The Process

Give the vegetables space.  Spread the vegetables out onto a baking sheet. You want to see a bit of space around the veggies. Crowding will make the vegetables steam instead of roast.  You might want to line the pan with foil, parchment, or Silplat mat to make cleanup easier.

Make sure your oven is hot before you put the vegetables in to roast  – around 425°. Roast until the vegetables are tender enough to pierce with a fork and you see some charred bits on the edges. Those charred bits are what make roasted vegetables so good, so even if the vegetables are already tender and cooked through, keep roasting until you see the vegetables start to turn toasty around the tips and edges. It’s the sugar caramelizing.

3 Ways to Roast Mixed Vegetables

Roast vegetables individually: First, and easiest, you can roast the individual vegetables on separate trays and combine them after roasting.
Pair “vegetable friends”: Second, you can pair together “vegetable friends” — ones that roast at roughly the same rate. For instance, you could roast cauliflower and broccoli together, or butternut squash with potatoes.
Roast in stages: Third, you can add different vegetables to the baking sheet in stages — start roasting the hardest, longest-cooking vegetables first, and then add softer, quicker-cooking vegetables later on. If the baking sheet starts to get full, split the vegetables between two pans so you don’t crowd the them.  A little extra roasting time is unlikely to hurt.

Cooking times are for roasting vegetables at 425°F.

Root vegetables (beets, potatoes, carrots): 30 to 45 minutes, depending on how small you cut them
Winter squash (butternut squash, acorn squash): 20 to 60 minutes, depending on how small you cut them
Crucifers (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts): 15 to 25 minutes
Soft vegetables (zucchini, summer squash, bell peppers): 10 to 20 minutes
Thin vegetables (asparagus, green beans): 10 to 20 minutes
Onions: 30 to 45 minutes, depending on how crispy you like them
Tomatoes: 15 to 20 minutes.

Serves:  Plan on about 1/2 pound of veggie per person.

Source:  Mostly from Donna Barasch with some from Kitchn.com

 

Baked Beans II

An easy way to make canned baked beans taste homemade! 

Directions:

  • 1 c bacon, cooked
  • 2 c onion, diced
  • 1 Tab minced garlic
  • 3 cans baked beans 28 oz each
  • 1 ½ c chili sauce
  • 1/3 c Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1/3 c mustard
  • 1/4 tsp oregano
  • 1/4 tsp dried red chili
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 c brown sugar

Directions:

  1. Mix it all together.
  2. Place in an oiled casserole.
  3. Heat, covered, in the oven for an hour, uncovered for another 1/2 hour.  (or in a crock pot until the onions are soft.)

Serves:  25

Source:  Cathy Painter – an old family recipe

 

Roasted Green Beans

Another roasted vegetable.  They really are better than boiled or microwaved.  You can add Parmesan cheese, and/or lemon.
Ingredients:

  • 2 1/4 lbs green beans – frozen or fresh
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 -2 tablespoon olive oil (or just enough to lightly coat beans)
  • 1 – 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp coarse ground pepper
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes
  • 2 Tab balsamic vinegar

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
  2. Wash, dry well, and trim green beans. Or defrost and dry the frozen beans.
  3. Coat a large baking sheet with the olive oil.
  4. Place the green beans on the sheet and toss with garlic, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and balsamic.
  5. spread them out in one layer.    They brown best when they are not crowded.
  6. Roast for 8 minutes, stir green beans, and roast another 7-12 minutes until the beans just start to crisp on the end.  (They may take longer – depends on ???)
  7. Remove from oven and serve.

Serves: 4

Source:  Confections of a Foodie Bride

Refried Beans in a Crock Pot

A little stirring, no burned pan bottom, and if you use a liner – no cleanup.  What’s not to like??  Just remember – this is not fast cooking!

Ingredients:

  • 1 #10 can refried beans
  • 1/2 lb cheese (Jack, cheddar, mixed)

Directions:

  1. Put it all in the crock pot.
  2. Stir whenever you walk by.

Serves:   20-25

Source:   Ran out of large pots

 

Easy Creamed Spinach

Quick and easy!  You can vary the cheese – Rondelé, goat cheese, chèvre – almost any soft creamy cheese will work.  Add bacon and your reputation is golden!  I topped it with crispy onions.

Ingredients:

  • 1 c (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 2 (10-ounce) boxes frozen spinach (about 2 lbs fresh)
  • 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • Kosher salt and ground white pepper
  • grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

  1. Cooke the spinach in boiling water 3 minutes.
  2. Drain well.
  3. Stir in  the cream cheese and let melt.
  4. Place in serving dish.
  5. Sprinkle the  Parmesan cheese and nutmeg on top and season with salt and pepper.

Do-ahead Directions:

  1. Defrost spinach.
  2. Squeeze dry.
  3. Grease casserole with butter.
  4. Place half the spinach in the dish.
  5. Sprinkle half the cheese over spinach.
  6. Spread remaking spinach over cheese.
  7. Sprinkle remaining cheese over casserole.
  8. Cover with foil
  9. Refrigerate until ready to cook.
  10. Bring to room temperature.
  11. Heat oven to 325°.
  12. Place covered dish in oven.
  13. Heat for 20 minutes.
  14. Uncover and stir in salt and pepper.
  15. Sprinkle on topping – cheese, crispy onions, pine nuts etc.
  16. Return to oven and heat for 10 minutes.

Serves:  6

Source:  Suggestion from a friend.

Roasted Potatoes and Onion

It is hard to beat onions and potatoes.  This recipe makes them even better with butter and onion soup mix.
INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 lbs russet potatoes, scrubbed, cut into wedges
  • 2 onions, cut into chunks
  • 1/3 c olive oil
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
  • 1 envelope onion soup mix (1.2 oz – 1 heaping Tab.)

Directions: 

  1. Preheat oven to 450°.
  2. Combine all ingredients in large roasting pan.
  3. Toss well.
  4. Bake until potatoes are crisp and golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour 10 minutes.
  5. Season potatoes to taste with salt and pepper.

Serves: 8

Source:  Epicurious – Bon Appetite, October 1992, Carol Rock

Remy’s Ratatouille

If you to loved the movie Ratatouille, you will love making this casserole at home! If you have not seen it, I highly recommend watching it! I promise Ratatouille will make you fall in love with joy of cooking!

Ingredients:

  • 1-2 c tomato sauce (good quality tomato basil sauce)
  • 2 garlic (cloves, minced)
  • 3-4 thyme (sprigs)
  • 2 Tab olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp chili flakes
  • 1 egg plant Or Brinjal (thin eggplant, thin sliced)
  • 1 yellow squash (thin sliced)
  • 1 zucchini (thin sliced)
  • 1 red bell pepper (thin sliced)
  • 2-3 potatoes (medium size, thin sliced)
  • salt and black pepper
  • oil spray
  • béchamel sauce

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven at 375 °.
  2. Bring 2 cups of water to rolling boil.
  3. Season with salt.
  4. Drop slice red potatoes in water and boil for 3-4minutes or until par cooked.
  5. Drain on a paper towel and set aside.
  6. While potatoes cook and cool down, slice rest of veggies – squash, bell pepper and eggplant.
  7. Spray baking dish with cooking spray.
  8. Spread layer of tomato sauce, minced garlic, thyme, red chili flakes, salt and olive oil.
  9. Mix well while still leaving well spread.
  10. Drizzle béchamel sauce on the top, swirl into the tomato sauce.
  11. Layer sliced veggies on top. Make a spiral stack of vegetable slices for presentation just like in the movie Ratatouille.
  12. Drizzle with olive oil.
  13. Sprinkle salt, thyme,and black pepper on top.
  14. Cover with parchment paper.
  15. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until all veggies are tender. You will see tomato sauce bubbling on the sides.
  16. Let it cool for 5 minutes.
  17. Serve with side of crusty bread to scoop the sauce. Enjoy!

Béchamel Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tab unsalted butter
  • 1 Tab Flour
  • 1 c milk (2% or whole milk)
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg

Directions:

  1. Microwave 1 cup of milk in microwave safe container.
  2. Set aside
  3. Heat 1 Tab butter in sauce pan.
  4. Add 1 Tab flour and cook until raw flavor of flour goes away. 1-2 minutes. Don’t let flour turn brown.
  5. Add warm milk 1/4 cup at time and stir well to avoid lumps.
  6. Add all of milk and continue coking until sauce thickens and coat back of a spoon.
  7. Season with salt, nutmeg, and black pepper.
  8. Set aside.

Serves: 6

Source:  Chef de Home

Roasted Balsamic Onions

Dark, sweet-tart balsamic vinegar adds tangy depth to roasted onions.  A very sophisticated addition to your dinner party.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound onions (any kind, but if they are large cut in quarters)
  • 1 c balsamic vinegar (not the best stuff)
  • 4 Tab olive oil
  • 1 tsp chopped rosemary or thyme
  • 1 Tab chopped garlic
  • 2 Tab brown sugar

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°
  2. In a large bowl, toss the onion quarters with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sugar, garlic and rosemary.
  3. Place in large baking dish.
  4. Cover.
  5. Roast 20 minutes or until onions are soft.
  6. Uncover and cook 5 – 10 minuets more or until liquid is almost evaporated and onions are browned.
  7. Cool.
  8. Store covered in the refrigerator.

Serves:  4

Source:  Greg Strickland, Executive Chef, Vi Highlands Ranch
True balsamic vinegar is made by aging boiled Trebbiano grape juice in barrels for 12 to 25 years and can cost $50 to more than $200. Many versions at supermarkets are made from regular wine vinegar with added sweeteners — they cost $3 to $14.

 

Sautéed Onions for 50

This is really a no brainer – but we like to document how to do it for a crowd.  You can use frozen pre-diced onions (3 – 4 pounds) but bigger pieces are nicer.

Ingredients:

  • 6 onions (1 1/2# )
  • 1/2 # butter
  • 1 c red wine

Directions:

  1. Peel the onions.
  2. Cut in half – top to bottom.
  3. Slice thin.
  4. Melt butter in frying pan.
  5. Saute onions until just golden.
  6. Add wine.
  7. Simmer until wine is almost gone.
  8. Serve hot.

Serves:  Makes enough to serve with beef/chicken for 50

Source:  Margie