Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts

More and new veggies are on my list of 2010 to-dos. Last night, I finally made brussels sprouts. I realize they aren't exactly an earth shattering new vegetable, but my mom did not make them when I was growing up so they were new to me.

I knew boiling/sautéing them wasn't going to work (texture didn't sound appealing and I had three pots on the stove last night). Plus, my Mad Hungry cookbook said roasting them was the best way to eat them (in her opinion).

At the grocery store, I picked small sprouts with tightly formed leaves. They were really, really good. Crunchy, salty and fresh tasting. The only issue I have is the smell. Brussell sprouts are related to cabbage and you can smell it.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Small, closed sprouts
Salt & pepper
Olive oil

Heat the oven to 350 or 375. Wash the sprouts, slice off the ends and remove any sad/overly green leaves. Toss with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, or until you can easily pierce the sprouts with a fork.

Next time, I might hit them with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice after the come out of the oven.

Greek salad dressing and the salad, too

This salad dressing is the root cause of why practically half of the meals I consumed in August either involved Greek salads or had me wishing I had a Greek salad in front of me.

I found it at a random TV station's Web site that popped up during a Google search for "Panera greek salad dressing recipe." Their recipe makes two cups, but since I half it and only make one cup at a time, I'm posting my halfsies recipe along with my modifications and secret ingredient. The original recipe is available at the link above.

Jennifer's WBIR Panera Greek Salad Dressing

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced green onion
• 1 teaspoon oregano
  
• 1 teaspoon basil (I used dried, but you could do fresh, too)
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon or whole-grain mustard
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Squeeze of lemon juice (Secret ingredient that MAKES this dressing. Not sure how much I actually squeeze in here. Maybe about a small wedge's worth)
• 1/2 cup and 2 Tablespoons olive oil

Whisk together all ingredients except olive oil in a mixing bowl. Slowly pour in the olive oil while whisking.

For the salad itself, I go with romaine lettuce, kalamata olives, red onions, grape or cherry tomatoes and feta. If you like cucumbers, those would fit in nicely as well. The salad is best tossed with the dressing so everything is coated. Drizzling the dressing on top just doesn't cut it. Enjoy!

Broccoli Casserole

This casserole shows up at every single one of my family's holiday celebrations plus several other times during the year when we just want something warm and delicious. Comfort food, indeed.

Ingredients
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 8 oz. jar of Cheez Whiz
1/2 - 3/4 bag of frozen broccoli (thawed)
1 - 2 cups of Minute Rice
1/2 cup celery (diced)
1/2 cup onion (diced)

Instructions
Mix soups and Cheez Whiz in casserole dish. Mix in vegetables. Mix in rice. Bake at 300 degrees for one hour. Cover with foil for the first 30 minutes, then uncovered for the remaining time.

Bistro Sun-dried Tomato Pasta

Here's a tasty pasta dish I found by lurking online. It's from Erica in Utah.


Ingredients

*4 C penne pasta

*1 C halved grape or cherry tomatoes

*1 4 oz. package crumbled feta cheese

*1 C Italian seasoned dressing (Dry packet of dressing, prepared. Not the bottled stuff.)

*1/3 C fresh basil leaves (torn)

*1/4 C chopped red onion

*1/4 C chopped sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil)

*2 chicken breasts cooked & cut into strips

Instructions

Toss together and enjoy hot or cold.

Does cilantro taste like soap to you?

I read this article about cilantro the other day and thought it was very interesting. I never had any idea that cilantro tastes like soap or metal to some people! I guess I think of it like onions. I love the taste it adds, but I'm non-plussed by the actual vegetable itself. For me cilantro is what makes guacamole and fresh salsa so yummy, but I hate the smell of it and I don't like it when its on noodles.Read the article here. How about you ladies?

Photo from http://www.recipes.howstuffworks.com/