Simple is Good

If you live in my neck of the woods you’ve probably been spending a lot of time with your air conditioning - the temps have been brutal but hey there is no such thing as climate change right? 😀

One of my goals in retirement is to do one “useful” thing every day. Today I did many; I took our used and abused electronics to be recycled, got groceries, cleaned the upstairs, watered and weeded the garden, and turned the last of the shredded zucchini into bread -I’d say it was a productive day. I also went for a walk and did 30 minutes of yoga. 

After all that work, I decided that dinner needed to be simple. I had a head of cauliflower, mushrooms, and tomatoes in the fridge and combined it with some leftover rice. I toasted a small baguette of whole wheat bread and added some Muhhamara (roasted red peppers and walnuts) from Costco to round out the meal. It was a warm-weather delight. 

Ingredients:

2/3 head of cauliflower -broken into florets

1 package of baby portobello mushrooms - cleaned and quartered

1 container of grape tomatoes

2 - 3 cloves garlic - minced

olive oil

Italian seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Chop all vegetables as indicated above and place them in a large bowl. Add olive oil, and spices; stir to combine. Put all vegetables on a sheet pan and roast for 25 - 30 minutes or until cauliflower is crisp-tender. 

Serve with rice, and bread, and enjoy!

Retirement is the Life

Wow - it’s been way too long since I last blogged. When I retired I thought one of the things I would have more time for is cooking and blogging - that is definitely not the case; at least in the warmer weather months. 

I’ve been volunteering at a community garden, participating in a garden research project, I am on the education committee, doing an occasional stint at the Arboretum, and tending my own yard/gardens. Before I retired my father-in-law told me I would be busier in retirement than I was when working - he was spot on.

We have also been getting out and seeing friends again. There is nothing like Minnesota patio dining be it on your own deck or at a restaurant, they are both fun. Last weekend we had the fab 6 over for a Mediterranean-themed dinner; salmon with pesto, sun-dried tomatoes (from my garden last year), artichokes, and olives. Accompanied by Briam (zucchini/potato/onion/tomato) dish and a chickpea salad. Ellen brought a lovely fruit plate and Ann a to-die-for rhubarb tart.

Briam takes roasted vegetables to a whole new level of deliciousness. You need a few simple pantry ingredients: potatoes, zucchini, red onions, and tomatoes. The key is the spices; fresh garlic, parsley, and a generous drizzle of EVOO. On the bright side this dish is vegan, low carb, and gluten-free.

Ingredients:

1 ¼ lb gold potatoes (about 3 medium-size potatoes), thinly sliced into rounds (about ⅛-inch thick)

1 ¼ lb (2 to 3 zucchini), thinly sliced into rounds (about

¼-inch thick)

Salt and pepper

2 tsp dried oregano

scant 1 tsp fresh rosemary 

½ cup chopped fresh parsley

4 garlic cloves, minced

Extra virgin olive oil

1 28-oz canned diced tomatoes with juice 

1 large red onion or 2 smaller red onions, thinly sliced into rounds (if large, you'll want to cut the onion in half first, and then slice).

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Place sliced potatoes and zucchini in a large mixing bowl. Season with kosher salt, pepper, oregano, and rosemary. Add fresh parsley, garlic, and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Toss to make sure the vegetables are well coated.

Grab a large round pan or skillet (I used the Pampered Chef Roc Crok everyday pan) pan. Pour ½ of the canned diced tomatoes in and spread to cover the bottom of the pan.

Arrange the seasoned potatoes, zucchini, and sliced onions in the pan in rows (simply going around the shape of the pan and alternating.) If you have any of the extra virgin olive oil and garlic mixture left in the mixing bowl, pour that all over the veggies, then top with the remaining diced tomatoes from your can.

Cover the pan with foil (tent foil a bit so it is not touching the veggies). Bake in 400 degrees F heated oven for 45 minutes. Take the pan out briefly to carefully remove the foil, then place it back in the oven,  uncovered, and roast for another 30-40 minutes or until the veggies are soft and charred and most of the liquid has evaporated.

Remove from oven. Serve warm or at room temperature with an added generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.