Roasted Beet Pasta

image from bevcooks.com 

Life has gotten in the way of regular posting, but this recipe was too delicious not to share. I used 8 frozen beet cubes. We enjoyed this with some homemade burgers. It was delicious!
6 medium-sized beets, cleaned and cut into a small dice
6 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
6 sprigs thyme
6 cloves garlic
1/2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar

1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
1 cup vegetable stock
1/2 cup skim milk
2 tsp. sugar
1 pound pasta
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 Tbs. poppy seeds
Mint leaves, for garnish
Preheat oven to 400. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the diced beets with 1 Tbs. oil, thyme sprigs and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Roast for 40 minutes. Check for done-ness at the 30-minute mark. Transfer beets to a food processor. Add the garlic, balsamic vinegar, vermouth, half of the cheese and the 2 remaining Tbs. oil. Pulse until it’s as smooth as you can get it. Transfer beet mixture to a small saucepan. Add the stock and cream and bring to a light simmer. Add the sugar, remaining cheese and another pinch of salt. Simmer on medium-low while you prepare the rest of the meal. Taste it. Oh I know. Toast the poppy seeds in a small skillet until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Cook the penne until al dente. Drain and return to skillet. Pour the sauce over the pasta and toss to combine. Look. At. That. Color. Give it one more taste. Season accordingly. Serve pasta garnished with a good sprinkle of the poppy seeds and the mint leaves. And more cheese. Absolutely more cheese. *Recipe adapted from bevcooks.com.

Thanksgiving Feast

Yes, I know that I have fallen way behind on posting things.  I doubt that I can truly catch up.  The holidays have gotten away from me and I rarely have a few minutes to sit at the computer.  In the past three weeks we mostly have had a few frozen soups from our freezer and some pasta with a sauce mixture from frozen vegetable cubes.  

My parents supplied much of the traditional Thanksgiving meal, but we brought some of our vegetables to add to the mix.  These are nothing new, but something that everyone enjoys just the same.

Carmelized Brussels Sprouts1 pound brussels sprouts
2-3 tablespoons olive oilA few heavy pinches of sea salt and/or other seasonings
Trim your sprouts if they have too much stem. Then steam them in skillet for 6-7 minutes until they are just beginning to turn bright green. Next you need to brown them in a shallow skillet with olive oil over medium/high heat. Lay them in the pan in one layer and just let them cook for 4-5 minutes. You can shake the pan a bit to make sure they don’t stick, but resist the temptation to flip them early. You want to get them slightly crispy, but try not too burn them. Then flip and cook an additional 3 minutes. Drizzle on more olive oil as needed, sprinkle on the sea salt or other seasonings. We cook until nicely browned.

image from phamfatale.com

Pan-Fried Potatoes
Diced or chopped potatoes Olive oil
Seasonings
Heat olive oil in pan. Add potatoes. Cook until desired. We like them brown and crunchy. We add salt and seasoning a few minutes before they are finished.

Arugula Endive Salad with White Wine Vinaigrette

This was really not for the kids, but my husband and I enjoyed it thoroughly!

For the vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons white wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
For the salad:
4 ounces arugula
2 heads of endive, chopped
1/3 cup toasted walnuts
Directions for vinaigrette:
Mix the wine, lemon juice, honey, mustard, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running gradually blend in the oil. Season the vinaigrette to taste with more salt and pepper, if desired.
Directions for the salad:
In a large bowl combine the arugula, endive, and walnuts. Toss with 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette to coat and adding more vinaigrette, if desired. Serve immediately. Any remaining vinaigrette can be saved in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days and should be brought up to room temperature before using. * Recipe from Giada De Laurentiis at food.com