Fruits/Vegetables

Oven-Roasted Green Beans

I’ve become a big fan of fresh green beans.  I remember eating canned green beans a lot as a kid and now I won’t even touch them.  Fresh green beans are so much better and now that most grocery stores carry steam-in-bag green beans, they can be made in no time.  I never thought about roasting green beans until I came across this recipe for Oven-Roasted Green Beans.  Fresh green beans are tossed with olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper and roasted in the oven for 8 minutes.  The green beans come out so crisp and flavorful that they will complement any meal.  These don’t take much longer to make than microwaved green beans and they are so much better! 

The ingredients:

Place trimmed green beans in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil.

Sprinkle salt and pepper over the beans and toss until all the beans are seasoned.

Lay the beans flat on a baking sheet and roast in a 425°F oven for 8 minutes.

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

Moroccan-Spiced Oranges

I tend to eat fruit salads faster than I can gobble up whole fruit so when I had a bundle of oranges left in my fridge, I found this recipe for Moroccan-Spiced Oranges. Now, I’ll be honest, the “Moroccan-spiced” is nothing more than cinnamon. Cinnamon with oranges? Yep. Typically, you only think of cinnamon pairing well with apples but I’m here to tell you that cinnamon with oranges is pleasantly surprising. I don’t know what it is but something about the warmth of the cinnamon contrasting against the citrus of the oranges really tastes refreshing. Crunchy sliced almonds and silky chopped dates round out this salad which would be great as a dessert if you are trying to keep things light. Even if you aren’t sure about this recipe, grab the cinnamon next time you peel an orange. You just might like it.

The ingredients:

Combine orange wedges, slivered almonds, dates, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon in a bowl. Mix well.

Chill for 20 minutes. Serve alone or with yogurt or ice cream.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Like It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

Grilled Asparagus with Balsamic Vinegar

I’ve come a long way with vegetables since I was a kid (I only liked corn and raw carrots).  I always attempted to eat green veggies but never, ever liked them.  I don’t really remember ever having asparagus at our dinner table but it has become one of my favorite vegetables ever.  Some people don’t like aspargus because it’s too mushy but guess what?  That means it’s not cooked right!  Veggies get a bad rap and I think it’s primarily because people aren’t sure how to cook them properly.  Asparagus should only be cooked until they are bright green, whether they are steamed, roasted, or grilled.  Remove them from the heat when they are bright green and they’ll be crisp and perfect everytime.

I usually steam my asparagus but that gets boring after a while.  This recipe for Grilled Asparagus with Balsamic Vinegar has introduced me to grilling asparagus for a little something different.  Fresh asparagus is tossed with a little bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper and grilled until perfectly green.  Since we are in the middle of the winter, I used my trusty indoor grill so any grill pan will do.  After the aspargus is grilled, it is sprinkled with a little bit of balsamic vinegar for an added flavor punch.  This recipe isn’t groundbreaking but it’s simplicity is what appeals to me.  Finding any new way to cook a common vegetable is a great way to keep the boredom out of the kitchen.  I couldn’t keep my hands off this asparagus!  If anyone would have told me that as a kid, I never would have believed them.

The ingredients:

Snap off the ends of the asparagus spears (tip: snap off the end of one asparagus spear and cut the remaining spears in the same spot).  Place in a dish and toss with olive oil, salt, and black pepper.

Preheat your indoor grill (I set mine at 350ºF).  Place asparagus spears on the grill coated with cooking spray and grill for 2 minutes on each side until spears are bright green.

Place spears in a bowl and sprinkle with balsamic vinegar.

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

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