I have a couple of new favorite veggie dishes to share…

One of them, the Roasted Carrots, I’ve made many times.  There’s not much to this recipe, it can be found in The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook and if you’ve roasted vegetables before then you really don’t need to follow anything in writing to cook these up.  If you haven’t noticed, I am a huge fan of roasted vegetables.  Cooking them this way really brings out some natural flavors and sweetness and you gotta love the slightly crisp texture you get when you roast them just right.

Roasted Carrots
Recipe from Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook and Food Network

12 carrots
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill or parsley

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

If the carrots are thick, cut them in half lengthwise; if not, leave whole. Slice the carrots diagonally in 1 1/2-inch-thick slices. (The carrots will shrink while cooking so make the slices big.) Toss them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Transfer to a sheet pan in 1 layer and roast in the oven for 20 minutes, until browned and tender.

Toss the carrots with minced dill or parsley, season to taste, and serve.

Now my newest favorite veggie dish is Bobby Flay’s Roasted Green Beans with Shallots and Almonds…his original recipe calls for hazelnuts instead of almonds, but I had some trouble finding hazelnuts so decided sliced almonds would work just fine.  What I loved about these green beans is not only were they super easy and roasted, but the lemon zest that is added with the almonds as a topping.  The lemon really added a burst of flavor for me that I almost wasn’t expecting.  The shallots cooked along with the green beans and added a subtle sweet onion flavor to the slightly crisp beans.  This was so easy and such a nice way to change up your everyday green beans.  Try it…you’ll like it!

Roasted Green Beans with Shallots and Almonds
Recipe adapted from Bobby Flay, Food Network

1 pound green beans, trimmed
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 shallots, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1 tablespoon finely chopped lemon zest
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Toss the green beans in a large baking dish with the oil and shallots and season with salt and pepper. Roast until just cooked through and golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes. Combine the hazelnuts, zest, and parsley in a small bowl. Transfer green beans to a platter and sprinkle with the almond mixture.

Blogger Tip…

Now a few people have asked me how I set up my Printable Recipe links…I’ll tell ya, it’s taken me some time to finally figure this one out myself, and I will have to credit my husband on this one.  He introduced me to Google Docs, which according to Wikipedia is:

Google Docs is a free, Web-based word processor, spreadsheet, presentation, and form application offered by Google. It allows users to create and edit documents online while collaborating in real-time with other users.

Fancy huh?

What you would do to get started is first get yourself a Google account if you don’t already have one.  Once you have access to Google docs it’s pretty easy to go from there.  You should be able to easily get to it from any Google page, you should see the word Documents at the top left corner on the page or listed under the “more” category.  Here are the steps I take to get my Printable Recipes links on my blog:

1.  Create New (drop down) Document

2. Copy and paste your recipe into the document.  Edit as you like.

3. Save

4. Share (drop down) – Publish as web page

5. Share (drop down) – Get the link to share

6. Copy/Paste that link into your blog post as your “Printable Recipe”

There you have it!  I’m amazed at how much there is to learn in regards to blogging and website upkeep…it kinda hurts my brain sometimes. 

Hope this helps some of you!

(Gina and her best friend Amber, Thanksgiving 2008)

Working on my Thanksgiving menu and shopping list today…thought I’d share with you some of the recipes I am trying out or improvising…in case you are still looking for ideas!

Sage Roasted Turkey

Nonna’s Stuffing

(Sammy with his great grandmother, “little” Nonna, Thanksgiving 2008)

Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Pecan Topping
(will create my own version based on this Southern Living recipe I have made before)

7  medium-size sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 7 pounds)
1  teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, cut up
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 cups chopped, toasted pecans

Bring sweet potatoes, salt, and water to cover to a boil in a large Dutch oven. Boil 15 to 20 minutes or until tender; drain.

Mash potatoes, or press though a ricer; stir in butter, and maple syrup. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish.

Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Top evenly with pecans and brown sugar, and bake 8 more minutes or until golden.

Roasted Green Beans with Shallots and Hazelnuts

Roasted Carrots

Apple-Orange Cranberry Sauce

Pioneer Woman’s Pear Crisp with Vanilla Ice Cream

Good Ole Libby Pumpkin Pie

Last year at this time we took a family vacation to the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee.  It was the first time both of my kids saw snow and the first time in a long time any of us felt that cold!  It was a beautiful place to visit.  Since I have no food pictures to share this time around, here are a few photo memories from just a year ago… and in case I don’t get the chance to post again this week I want to wish everyone and their families a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving holiday!!

(Look a little closer and you’ll see the Barefoot Blogger’s November recipe Herb Roasted Onions I cooked up with it…recipe to come soon!)

This fish was simply delicious.

The recipe actually called for a yellow pepper cilantro pesto but I didn’t have yellow peppers on hand (and plus they are super expensive at the grocery store so I don’t normally buy them – but I do love them!). I made the pesto with cilantro, parsley, pine nuts, garlic and parmesan and of course olive oil. I loved this pesto and can’t wait to use it again on something else.

If you don’t have or don’t like Mahi, any other fish should work well with this rub. I would love to try it on salmon next time!

Barbecued Mahi-mahi with Cilantro Pesto
Adapted From Bobby Flay on “BBQ with Bobby Flay” (Food Network) and found on Ezra Poundcake

Barbecue Rub:

2 tablespoons Spanish paprika
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon chile de arbol powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Cilantro Pesto:

1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley leaves
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly grated pepper

Mahi-mahi:

4 Mahi-mahi fillets, 8 ounces each
4 teaspoons olive oil
“Barbecue” Rub
Cilantro leaves

Combine all the rub ingredients in a small bowl. Place peppers, garlic, pine nuts, cilantro and cheese in a food processor and process until combined. With the motor running, add the oil and process until emulsified and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Heat grill (or grill pan) to high. Brush each fillet on both sides with oil. Rub 1 side of each fillet with 1 tablespoon of the barbecue rub and place on the grill rub side down and cook until slightly charred and a crust has formed, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the fish over and grill for 3 to 4 minutes longer or until cooked to medium doneness. Top each fillet with a few tablespoons of the pesto and garnish with cilantro leaves.