Chef's Corner: What to do with those winter veggies
Since snow is just around the corner, its time to make use of all the typical cold-weather veggies in the markets right now. These recipes turn hearty veggies into delicious meals!
Oven Roasted Veggies with Feta
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
18 peeled baby carrot
12 baby potatoes
12 peeled white baby turnips
1 cup pearl onions
12 peeled garlic cloves
18 ears of baby corn (canned)
3 roughly chopped Portobello mushrooms
3 chopped celery stalks
3 cups kale: washed, spines removed, and roughly chopped
1 bouquet garni
1 cup pitted Kalamata olives
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup crumbled Feta cheese
1 cup torn fresh basil leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat your oven to 450° F. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots, potatoes, and turnip. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and sauté for 10 minutes. Add the pearl onions, garlic, and corn. Cover and sauté for 10 minutes longer. Add the mushrooms, celery and kale. Stir and sauté for another 10 minutes uncovered. Add the bouquet garni and stir to mix. Transfer to the oven and roast uncovered for 10 minutes Reduce heat to 350° F and roast for 10 minutes longer or until the veggies turn a nice golden brown Remove skillet from oven and transfer the veggies to a large serving platter. Squeeze the lemon juice over top. Garnish with the Feta cheese and basil. Serve immediately.
Maple-Glazed Sweet Potatoes
4 large sweet potatoes, 3 inches in diameter, yield 3 stars per yam
1 1/2 cups orange juice
1/2 cup maple syrup
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Place each sweet potato on its side and slice crosswise into 1/2- inch rounds. Place the rounds in the baking dish. Pour the orange juice and syrup over top, and cover tightly with aluminium foil. Bake for 40 - 60 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are soft to the touch of a fork, then remove the foil and bake for approximately 30 more minutes, or until the sweet potatoes start to become candied. Keep a watchful eye on rounds and remove early if the pan juices reduce to the point of burning. To avoid any breakage, serve directly from the baking dish with a spatula.
Cheesecake Factory Pumpkin Cheesecake (veggies can be sinful too!)
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
5 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup canned pumpkin
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
whipped cream
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Make the crust by combining the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter and 1 tablespoon sugar in a medium bowl. Stir well enough to coat all of the crumbs with the butter, but not so much as to turn the mixture into paste. Keep it crumbly. Press the crumbs onto the bottom and up about two-thirds of the way up the sides of the springform pan. You don't want the crust to form all of the way up the back of each slice of cheesecake. Bake the crust for 5 minutes, then set it aside until you are ready to fill it.
In a large mixing bowl combine the cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, and vanilla. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the pumpkin, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice and continue to beat until smooth and creamy. Pour the filling into the pan. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes. The top will turn a bit darker at this point. Remove from the oven and allow the cheesecake to cool. When the cheesecake has come to room temperature, put it into the refrigerator. When the cheesecake has chilled, remove the pan sides and cut the cake into 8 equal pieces. Serve with a generous portion of whipped cream on top.
Oven Roasted Veggies with Feta
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
18 peeled baby carrot
12 baby potatoes
12 peeled white baby turnips
1 cup pearl onions
12 peeled garlic cloves
18 ears of baby corn (canned)
3 roughly chopped Portobello mushrooms
3 chopped celery stalks
3 cups kale: washed, spines removed, and roughly chopped
1 bouquet garni
1 cup pitted Kalamata olives
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup crumbled Feta cheese
1 cup torn fresh basil leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat your oven to 450° F. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots, potatoes, and turnip. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and sauté for 10 minutes. Add the pearl onions, garlic, and corn. Cover and sauté for 10 minutes longer. Add the mushrooms, celery and kale. Stir and sauté for another 10 minutes uncovered. Add the bouquet garni and stir to mix. Transfer to the oven and roast uncovered for 10 minutes Reduce heat to 350° F and roast for 10 minutes longer or until the veggies turn a nice golden brown Remove skillet from oven and transfer the veggies to a large serving platter. Squeeze the lemon juice over top. Garnish with the Feta cheese and basil. Serve immediately.
Maple-Glazed Sweet Potatoes
4 large sweet potatoes, 3 inches in diameter, yield 3 stars per yam
1 1/2 cups orange juice
1/2 cup maple syrup
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Place each sweet potato on its side and slice crosswise into 1/2- inch rounds. Place the rounds in the baking dish. Pour the orange juice and syrup over top, and cover tightly with aluminium foil. Bake for 40 - 60 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are soft to the touch of a fork, then remove the foil and bake for approximately 30 more minutes, or until the sweet potatoes start to become candied. Keep a watchful eye on rounds and remove early if the pan juices reduce to the point of burning. To avoid any breakage, serve directly from the baking dish with a spatula.
Cheesecake Factory Pumpkin Cheesecake (veggies can be sinful too!)
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
5 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup canned pumpkin
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
whipped cream
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Make the crust by combining the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter and 1 tablespoon sugar in a medium bowl. Stir well enough to coat all of the crumbs with the butter, but not so much as to turn the mixture into paste. Keep it crumbly. Press the crumbs onto the bottom and up about two-thirds of the way up the sides of the springform pan. You don't want the crust to form all of the way up the back of each slice of cheesecake. Bake the crust for 5 minutes, then set it aside until you are ready to fill it.
In a large mixing bowl combine the cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, and vanilla. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the pumpkin, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice and continue to beat until smooth and creamy. Pour the filling into the pan. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes. The top will turn a bit darker at this point. Remove from the oven and allow the cheesecake to cool. When the cheesecake has come to room temperature, put it into the refrigerator. When the cheesecake has chilled, remove the pan sides and cut the cake into 8 equal pieces. Serve with a generous portion of whipped cream on top.
