Autumn Veggie Mix

Autumn Veggie Mix :

Ingredients:
Golden Beets
Brussel Sprouts
Carrots
Fennel
Garlic
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive oil

You should have a similar amount of golden beet and brussel sprouts, a little less carrots, a little less fennel, and last - garlic (only 3/4 a bundle)

Start roasting beets with olive oil - they take longer than you think, the bigger they are the longer they take. I recommend cutting them in half before you cook, so they cook quicker. Start with 45 minutes on 350 degrees. then check them until the outer skin comes off semi-easily.

Chop up carrots and cook in a skillet with olive oil, add crushed garlic soon after... they are done when they are all almost tender (5-8 minutes).

Cut up brussel spouts and fennel, place on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle balsamic vinegar over and place in oven at 350 degrees for 20 or so minutes

Add previously baked, peeled, and chopped beets

Add previously pan fried carrots and garlic cloves

Bake for another 15 or so minutes until all veggies are tender

Serve hot! yum! 

great side for a party! 

Chicken Cattiatore

Chicken Cacciatore !!

Ingredients:

Chicken breast or legs and thighs (preference)
a can of diced tomatoes
a can of chicken broth (or 1/3 of a carton)
cooking white wine (12oz)
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
half of an onion
5-6 cloves of garlic
parsley
oregano
basil
salt
pepper
sugar
flour to thicken sauce
lemon

preheat oven to 350 degrees

Start with boiling chicken broth in pot and chopped carrots for a couple minutes
chop up rest of veggies
add rest of veggies to boiling chicken broth

Place chicken in a baking pan (pan should be 2 inches or so deep)
pour cooking white wine and can of tomatoes over chicken, in pan
sprinkle one or two handfuls of flour
sprinkle seasonings to taste
once veggies are tender, pour them over chicken in pan

Bake covered pan of everything (except pasta) in oven for an hour to an hour and 20 minutes

Boil water for pasta and boil pasta towards end of the hour - or - make your own! http://mycookingisamazing.blogspot.com/2012/09/my-homemade-pasta.html

squeeze a little lemon over served pasta!
serve warm! eat! and enjoy!

Lentil Soup

 Lentil Soup!

Ingredients:

• A cup of Lentils (dry and raw)
• A cup of Barley
• 1/2 sweet onion
• a couple stalks of celery
• a couple carrots (regular size)
• 2 small tomatoes
• 4-5 cloves of garlic
• one carton of chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup of cooking white wine
• parsley
• bay leaves
• oregano
• cumin
• sage
• salt
• pepper
• parmesan cheese (optional)
• olive oil
• spicy Italian sausage (optional)

Start:

1. Boil water for barley - cook on low for 35-40 minutes until tender
2. Chop up all veggies
3. Cook Italian Sausage, I like to take the casing off or use bulk, but you can always chop up and put in soup at the end
4. Pour broth and white wine in pot, bring to a boil, then simmer low
5. Pour in lentils, cook for a 15 minutes
6. Then add chopped up carrots, celery, onion and garlic, cook for 15 minutes
7. Add all seasonings, a pinch to a tablespoon of each (to taste)
8. Add chopped up tomatoes at end... simmer a couple more minutes
9. Keep barley separate from rest of soup
10. When ready to serve, add a couple tablespoon of cooked barley per bowl of soup!

        Done! wasn't that easy!!! so nice and tasty!

*Optional:
can add a drizzle of olive oil to serving size bowl of soup
can add grated parmesan cheese to top off serving size bowl of soup

Veal Marsala / Scallopini

Veal  Marsala / Scallopini

I believe this dish is best mixed, so here is what I do.
You can cook this a lot quicker than you think. Less than 30 minutes.

Ingredients:
Thin slices of Veal (Scallopini)
flour
pasta (you can make your own here: http://mycookingisamazing.blogspot.com/2012/09/my-homemade-pasta.html)
1-2 cups Marsala wine (for cooking)
1-2 cups chicken broth
half a carton of mushrooms
1 carrot
1/4 onion
garlic cloves
green onion (chives)
lemon for flavor
capers
parsley
salt
pepper


Start with sauce:

• pour in marsala wine and chicken broth - same amount for both
• chop up carrots and start to boil low for about 5-8 minutes
• Add in the mushrooms in pieces
• Add in crushed garlic cloves (I like a lot) and chopped up onion
• keep cooking on medium heat until veggies get semi-tender
• Put a handful of flour into sauce and stir to thicken
• Add some capers, squeeze some lemon, sprinkle parsley, salt and pepper to taste
• Keep on a simmer while preparing other steps (15-20 minutes)

Boil water and cook pasta (or make your own http://mycookingisamazing.blogspot.com/2012/09/my-homemade-pasta.html)

Prepare veal:

• rinse veal in water 
• Take thin slices and place in a pile of flour, cover meat with flour, place to the side
• In a large pan - pour in a generous amount of olive oil for cooking
• place floured veal in pan, flip meat after 20-30 seconds, remove quickly (a minute total). Thin slices cook VERY quickly. 
• place veal in tin foil - wrap up and place in a warm oven, do not over cook! 

When pasta is done - serve while hot!

I like adding a little more fresh lemon and capers on top of the plate - YUM YUM!!!

Butternut Squash Soup!

VEGAN!! I am not even a Vegan!

You can pick any kind of squash you want:
butternut, or try a medley of up to 3 fall type squashes

Use 1.5 lbs - 2 lbs. of squash.
I recommend skinning the squash before beginning (with a veggie peeler)

Ingredients:
squash of your choice (ex. butternut)
vegetable broth
coconut milk (from a can)
half of an onion
a couple carrots
a couple stalks of celery
a handful of garlic cloves
sesame oil
honey
parsley
nutmeg
cumin
salt
pepper

START:

• steam the squash - I like to chop up squash and use a rice cooker
• you can also roast in oven with water on bottom of pan, cover with tin foil
• boil carrots, celery, onion, garlic in some vegetable broth for 8-10 or so minutes. 
• take all cooked veggies and puree them in a blender with some more vegetable broth (the more broth, the easier it is to puree)
• pour everything in a pot and start to cook on low
• add a couple table spoons of each seasoning: parsley, nutmeg, cumin, salt, pepper
• pour in a 1/4 cup of coconut milk or more to taste
• add a couple scoops of honey and stir
• pour a tablespoon or so of sesame oil into soup
• simmer for 30 minutes of so!

Now you are done! Let cool, and enjoy! 

Avocado sandwich~!

Do I have a simple a delish snack for you!

A piece of whole wheat bread - toast it~!
drizzle sesame oil on bread
half of an avocado - spread on bread
add a couple slices of heirloom tomato
add thin slices of onion
sprinkle salt and garlic power over veggies
pour over some balsamic vinegar 
top with spinach -or- alfalfa

eat it! yum! I like it open faced - so good!
If you don't like it, just make me one ! :)