Did You Get Your Veggies Today?

I don't know about y'all, but thank the lord above, I love vegetables. I hate trying to type the word "vegetables", but I love them none the less.

Most people I would say/guess, do not heart veggies as much as I do. So, I thought I would share a few fun ideas to spice up your veggie dishes and find ways to better incorporate this most beneficial food group into your daily fixins'.

Ive got lots of veggie tricks up my sleeve, but the first, is roasted broccoli.

Wat You'll Need:

- a bushel of broccoli

- olive oil

- garlic powder

- salt and pepper

Pre-heat over to 375 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. Cut stems off broccoli (or broccolini = hybrid of broccoli and kale aka fancy broccoli) and break into small pieces. Lightly drizzle with olive oil, garlic powder and salt and pepper and toss so all are pieces are evenly coated.

Toss in oven and cook for about 15-20 minutes, checking after 15. You'll want the broccoli just lightly browned.

This cooking method makes this veggie much more flavorful and exciting, especially for those of you who don't enjoy veggies. You can do the same thing with cauliflower, brussel sprouts, squash, asparagus, or any other fibrous veggie that can take he heat.

I hope you'll try this! Its much more fun than good old fashion blanching or steaming.

Serve with baked fish, brown rice, or steak, chicken, really whatever you fancy~

TRY IT!

Cliche?

I hate cliches, yet I often use them when giving advice, making suggestions or trying to motivate people.

Ironic.

The one I use the most and say without merit most for time is "Never Say Never". Just sort of rolls off my tongue.

I usually get a smirk or a look where I know the person is saying "GFY" in their head. But, this last weekend I experienced the ultimate "Never Say Never" moment, and I will never take this "cliche" for granted again.

I cannot stop thinking about it and how remarkable it really was. I am infected by joy, excitement, and belief that anything is possible. Anyone who is a Seattle fan, sports fan, football fan, fan of the underdog, knows what I am talking about. Pure magic (sorry Sullivan :)). Maybe a little faith and luck had something to do with it as well.

The universe has spoken.

"Never Say Never". A cliche? Maybe not so much after all. Maybe words to live by when facing what we perceive to be the impossible?

So next time your are looking for a little inspiration, think about those impossible moments that became possible, and remind your self that nothing is unattainable.

New Recipes

So, I decided part of my 2011 New Year's Resolution would be to cook more. I really love to cook, just don't often have the time or energy to do so. This time of year I do however, usually get a few more opportunities for some weekend down-time to make a nice meal.

One of my favorite Food Network cooks is Giada. I was watching her holiday episode a few weeks ago and her pot roast recipe tickled my fancy. I am not a huge stew, pot roast, pot pie kinda gal, but this recipe looked really good and super easy for someone like me who doesn't always cook meat very well.

Stracotto (Pot roast in Italian of course..., said with her weird accent followed by a totally English word and no accent)

Ingredients:

5lb boneless beef chuck (I used 2lb and cooked for about 1:55)

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

olive oil

2 onions, chopped (I used one for a 2lb roast)

6 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

1 C red wine (I would recommend a cabernet blend)

1 15 ounce can/box of beef broth (low sodium is best)

1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms

1 large sprig of fresh rosemary (chopped)

6 sprigs of fresh thyme (chopped)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Pat beef dry w paper towel and season all sides with s and p. In large Dutch oven or 6-qrt pot, add olive oil and brown beef on all sides, just a few minutes on each side. Remove and set aside.

Next add more olive oil and saute onion until translucent. Add garlic and cook for about a minute. Then add wine, and scrape brown bits off the of bottom of pan. Then add broth and dried mushrooms. Return beef to pot, bring to a boil, then cover and place in hot oven. Cook for about 3 hours or until meat is tender to the fork (falls apart).

When meat is done, remove and set to side to rest with foil tent. Remove about a cup of sauce and blend in food processor or blender, then add back to pot (this makes it thicker). Bring sauce to a boil and add herbs, a little butter and s and p. Then place meat back into pot to reheat, and serve.

SO good. Serve with a glass of the wine used in recipe.

As a side, I was inspired by all of the potatoes and zucchini I had in my pantry so added a few other ingredients and came up with this gratin recipe.

Potato & Zucchini Gratin

Ingredients:

3 average size zucchini, washed and sliced

small yellow potatoes, washed and sliced

kosher salt and pepper

olive oil

1 tbls butter

1.5 C gruyere cheese, grated

1/4 C panko bread crumbs

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

Drizzle olive oil on bottom of 2 inch deep baking dish. Place sliced potato and zucchini and alternate in rows until entire dish is filled.

Drizzle a little more olive oil, salt and pepper on top of vegetables. Next top with grated cheese, bread crumbs and butter (break apart cold butter in little pieces).

Toss in hot oven and cook for about 45 minutes or until top is browned.

I really liked the combination of the zucchini and potatoes, with the flavor of the gruyere. It was just the right type of cheese to use for this. You could also use a white cheddar or even parmesan or asiago cheese.

A perfect Sunday night meal.