I absolutely love the flavours of vegetables that have been roasted (bbq or oven) and this recipe is no exception.
- 1 large yellow zucchini
- 4 small Italian eggplants, sliced in half lengthwise
- 1/4 cup olive oil (good quality)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed
- 1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tsp. crushed dried fennel seeds
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced in half, lengthwise
- 2 large potatoes, peeled and cut in half, lengthwise
Heat bbq to high heat (450) or your oven – same temperature. Cut the squash lengthwise into 3/4 inch thick slices. Liberally brush the sides of the eggplants and squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Arrange on a large oiled baking pan.
Now cut the red pepper lengthwise into 3/4 thick slices and toss with the remaining olive oil.
Basically, do the same with the remaining vegetables, making sure to rub with more oil and season. Sprinkle the fennel over the potatoe pieces and roast until the vegetables have become tender and golden brown in colour. This should take about 30-35 minutes. Turn the vegetables over once during the cooking time.
Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
In a word YUM!
Potato Gnocchi
Gnocchi appears to be the latest ‘in’ food item. Homemade is great and you can change the ingredients and herbs for different, yet exciting flavours.
This recipe will serve 6-7 people
- 1 1/2 lbs. Russet potatoes scrubbed
- 1 cup flour (you might need more)
- 1 large egg yolk, beaten
- pinch of salt
- generous pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 tbsp. good olive oil
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Pierce the potatoes in several places and bake until tender (about 1 hour).
Cool slightly and cut the potatoes in half, scooping out the flesh into a potato ricer. Rice the potatoes on a parchment lined baking sheet and let cool.
Line another large baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl. Add the flour and toss to coat.
Form a well in the center and add the egg yolk, nutmeg and salt,. Stir this with a fork until evenly moistened. “It will look a little shaggy”.
Turn this out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough until it comes together, sprinkling with flour, very lightly, if it is sticky.
Form this dough into a ball and cut into 4 wedges.
Roll the dough between both hands and work surface to form a 3/4 inch thick rope. Cut each rope into 3/4 inch pieces and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Working in batches, cook the gnocchi in a large pot of boiling water until they rise to the surface. Continue to simmer until completely cooked through and tender (about 4 minutes).
Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl. At this step, you can lightly saute until it just starts to turn golden OR just drizzle olive oil and toss to coat.
**You can add 1/2-3/4 cup of pure pumpkin puree and some sage for a different flavour and serve with roast chicken.
Wheat Crisps
These little things are great with a salad, bowl of soup or something to put cream cheese and pepper jelly or salmon on top, etc. The ideas are endless.
- 1 large baguette (24″ or so) Artisan-type would be awesome
- 1/4 cup good quality olive oil (approx.)
- Sea salt for sprinkling
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut bread on the diagonal and place on cookie sheets. Brush tops with olive oil and bake in the middle of the oven for about 15-16 minutes. Remove from the oven and VERY LIGHTLY sprinkle some salt on top.
Very yummy and can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days.
Serve on a plate with summer berries, thinly sliced deli hams etc.
Roasted Vegetables
When serving a dinner, say, with chicken, it is always nice to have roasted vegetables to accompany it.
- Take enough cherry tomatoes,
- nugget potatoes
- 1 red onion cut into quarters and then halved again
- egg plant that has been salted and rinsed, cut into 1 inch circles,
- couple stix of celery, peeled
- 1 tbsp. chopped fresh dill
- Couple of fresh mint leaves, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1/2 cup good olive oil
Brush all the vegetables in oil. Place in a roast pan and cook covered for about 30 minutes in a 350 oven. Uncover and stir the vegetables to turn them over and bake for another 25-30 minutes.
This makes my mouth water just thinking about it. This is a great combination because of all the flavours and textures. Enjoy!