I've been lurking on the blogs of many of my friends and noticed there is a "recipe tag" going on among them. They are posting four of their favorite recipes and tagging others for more. I've actually printed a number of these recipes because I'm looking for more veggie dishes, though I couldn't resist one of the yummy dessert recipes! So though no one's tagged me for a recipe (not anyone's fault--I'm notorious for not responding to tags!), I thought I would still participate and pass on some of the recipes I thought looked good and will be trying soon. Below is one of my own favorite recipes, followed by three more that I've gleaned from these blogs. I'm especially interested in trying the lentil recipe because of the benefit of eating lentils as a protein-packed meat substitute. (A cup of cooked lentils has 18 grams of protein, but under 1 gram of fat.)
SPAGHETTI SQUASH w/SUNDRIED TOMATOES (I made up this recipe in order to introduce this healthful veggie to my diet. One cup cooked spaghetti squash contains 45 calories. It is an excellent source of folic acid, high in fiber, and contributes a fair amount of potassium and small amounts of vitamin A and niacin to the diet. It is also very low in sodium.)
1 spaghetti squash (they are the football-sized yellow squashes)
1 jar julienned sundried tomatoes in olive oil
Garlic salt or minced garlic, to taste
Fine sea salt, to taste
4 oz. crumbled feta cheese
Optional: grilled chicken breasts, cubed
Pierce the squash with a knife or fork all over--at least eight times. Microwave it for 8 to 10 minutes, until you can smell the squash cooking. Let it cool briefly and then slice it lengthwise. (You may need a potholder if the squash is still very warm.) Using a fork, tease out the middle section with all the seeds and discard. Then pull the "spaghetti strings" of the squash out with that fork and place them in another bowl. Add the sundried tomatoes and toss to coast the squash with olive oil. (You may need to add more olive oil, depending on the volume of the squash.) Add garlic and sea salt to taste. Microwave the squash for an additional minute if it has cooled while you've been preparing it. Add the feta cheese and toss. You can also add cubed grilled chicken breasts if you'd like to make this a main meal instead of a side dish. Serve warm.
Serving sizes vary, depending on the size of the squash, but generally you can count on six side-dish servings and three main-course servings.
ROASTED VEGETABLES (from Christy Greer)
Ingredients:
* any amount of assorted vegetables
(Here are some combinations we enjoy:
-potatoes, onions, carrots, beets
-squash, zucchini, tomatoes, carrots, mushrooms
-sweet potatoes, potatoes, beets, fennel
Basically, put together a colorful combination.)
All you do is chop your vegetables up into similar sized chunks. We prefer them on the larger size, but if I'm stuck for time, I cut them small. (Of course, peel them first if you want.) Spray a large pyrex dish lightly with cooking spray. Toss the vegetables in the dressing (see below). Place them in the dish. Bake at 375 for 30-60 min, depending on the size of your chunks. Take them out of the oven when they are getting browned on the edges.
There are 2 basic dressings that I often do:
ONE
olive oil
balsamic vinegar (1 tbsp)
herbs (basil, thyme & rosemary--fresh is always better, but dry works fine)
garlic powder
salt & pepper, if desired
TWO
olive oil
honey (maybe 1/8 cup)
thyme
salt & pepper
Whisk all the ingredients together for the dressing until blended well. Basically, you can use however much olive oil you desire. The more you use, the more "fried" it will be. I often use about 1/4 cup for a large 15 inch pyrex dish full of vegetables.
I know this was a lengthy recipe, but it really is such a simple, healthy and hearty dish to make. It's great for company because it's easy to make a lot of it. Here is a picture of some roasted vegetables I made recently. I roasted these in my Schlemmertopf (clay pot) instead of a pyrex dish.
PUMPKIN GINGERBREAD TRIFLE (from Jenni Smith--I can't wait to try this one for Thanksgiving!)
2 (14-ounce) packages gingerbread mix
1 (5.1-ounce) box cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix
1 (30-ounce) can pumpkin pie filling
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 teaspoon ground cardamom or cinnamon
1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping
1/2 cup gingersnaps, optional
Bake the gingerbread according to the package directions; cool completely. Meanwhile, prepare the pudding and set aside to cool. Stir the pumpkin pie filling, sugar, and cardamom into the pudding. Crumble 1 batch of gingerbread into the bottom of a large, pretty bowl. Pour 1/2 of the pudding mixture over the gingerbread, then add a layer of whipped topping. Repeat with the remaining gingerbread, pudding, and whipped topping. Sprinkle of the top with crushed gingersnaps, if desired. Refrigerate overnight. Trifle can be layered in a punch bowl.
BAKED LENTILS WITH CHEESE (from Susan Jansen via Nora Shank)
Preheat oven to 375. Combine in shallow 9x13 baking dish:
1 3/4 cups lentils, rinsed
2 cups water
1 whole bay leaf
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon each marjoram, sage, thyme
2 large onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups canned tomatoes
Cover tightly and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and stir in:
2 large carrots, sliced 1/8" thick
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
Bake covered for 40 minutes until vegetables are tender. Stir in:
1 green pepper chopped (optional)
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
Sprinkle on top:
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Bake uncovered for 5 minutes until cheese melts.
This recipe serves 6.
Nora adds this comment to her mother's classic family recipe: "Travis tasted this for the first time a few months ago when I made this family favorite...and he LOVES it... It is good for those omnivores in your life that don't typically like meatless dishes. If they are particularly ravenous, you can add some sliced chicken sausage."