Broccoli and Carrots with Chili Powder

it’s been cold, real cold.  and it’s hard to keep yourself warm when the wind is gusting so hard it blows your hat down the street.  so when you’ve thrown the towel in against mother nature, you need to make something to bring back the feeling to your fingers.  normally that would mean soup, stews, or even a cup of coffee.  but sometimes spice is all you really need…

broccoli and carrots with chili powder

2 broccoli stalks, cut into florets

1 cup baby carrots, cut lengthwise

2 tbs olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp chili powder

preheat oven to 350.  toss all ingredients together and place on a baking sheet.  bake for 20 minutes. tossing once after 10 minutes.

Herb Crusted Chicken Dinner

it’s friday, the end of a busy week, and you want a good meal.  you don’t want it to be labor intensive, but you want it to taste like it was.  so my plan was to transform a plain chicken breast into a flavorful home cooked meal.  and the best way to make anything taste better is fresh herbs. and it all started on friday morning when i made the marinade…

marinade
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp sage
1 /2 tsp thyme
juice of one lemon
1/4 c olive oil

start with 2 fresh or frozen chicken breasts in a plastic bag, and pour marinade over chicken.  let marinade for 4-6 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. just make sure the chicken is thawed by the time you bake it.

at the end of your day when you’re ready to eat, preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through.

accompany with the following:

• can of cranberry sauce (something about that jellied texture is magically delicious)
• baked potatoes (do them in the microwave, much easier and faster than the oven) and topped with sour cream, butter, and/or salt
• roasted broccoli (salt, pepper, garlic, and olive oil in the same oven as the chicken for 20 minutes)

Roasted Broccoli and Sugar Snap Peas

when i made the orange chile glazed chicken i needed some greens.  and i had these in my frig…good thing.  ina garten makes a similar recipe that i love, so i used the same method here.

Roasted Broccoli and Sugar Snap Peas
2 pounds broccoli florets
1 package of fresh sugar snap peas
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
oil
salt and pepper
1 tbs pine nuts, toasted
1/4 c parmesan cheese, freshly grated

preheat the oven to 400 degrees. on a sheet pan toss the broccoli and sugar snap peas with the slices of garlic, oil, and salt and pepper. roast for 20 minutes. once out of the oven sprinkle with pine nuts and parmesan cheese.

tips

• the best way to toast nuts is in a dry skillet over medium to low heat on the stove top.  watch them closely and toss in the skillet to toast evenly.
• if you have left over nuts, keep them in the freezer.  they last longer this way, and they will defrost quickly when you do use them.
• when you roast garlic it gets sweet and soft.  so the slices are not as pungent as one might suspect.

How to Roast a Vegetable

roasting is one of the simplest cooking techniques.  you put it in the oven and forget about it.  and one of my favorite things to roast is vegetables.  it intensifies the natural flavors and caramelizes the veggies due to their natural sweetness.  here’s the non recipe recipe.  cut the vegetables into bit sized pieces (if it’s asparagus leave it whole), toss with oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  roast between 350 and 400 degrees until vegetables are tender (20-45 minutes depending on the veggie).  it’s that simple.  try it with:

• potatoes
• asparagus
• butternut squash
• zucchini
• cauliflower
• broccoli
• eggplant
• onions
• bell peppers
• tomatoes
• beets
• carrots

you can also switch it up by adding some garlic, herbs, other spices like cayenne or balsamic vinegar.