Food Photo of the Day ~ Roasted Butternut Squash

Simple and sweet. The butternut squash was peeled and diced and oven roasted, with a light drizzle of olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper, until nicely tender. Placed in a serving dish and glazed with an orange balsamic vinegar just before serving. The ultimate winter warmer vegetable. 

Stay warm! - JD  

Roasted Vegetable Penne

Looking for a quick mid-week... weekend meal this roasted vegetable penne has everything plus a few minutes to spare. Oven roasted vegetables are well paired with this cheesy, garlic pasta and will quickly gather family and friends around the dinner table.   


Roasted Vegetable Penne 

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Serves 6 

500g penne

4 peppers, any combination of red, yellow and orange

2 zucchini
1 pint of brown mushrooms, thickly sliced

2 shallots, diced
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon mixed herb seasoning mix

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup of reserved pasta water (water from the cooked pasta)

2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese 

Preheat oven to 400ºF and line the baking tray with a piece of baking parchment paper.

Place the prepared peppers, zucchini, mushrooms and shallots into a large bowl. Toss with the 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, balsamic vinegar, and mixed herb seasoning mix. Once nicely coated place on the prepared baking tray and roast in the oven until tender and brown... about 20 to 25 minutes.

In a large pot cook penne according to package. Before draining reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water.

Place the drained pasta back into the pot over no heat. Stir in the reserved water, the 1/4 cup of olive oil, and the crushed garlic while the pasta is hot. That way it will cook the garlic a bit. Stir in the roasted vegetables and cheese. Sprinkle with a bit more cheese. Serve.

Have a good weekend everyone! - JD 

Roasted Cauliflower with Kale and Brown Mushrooms

This is one of the most simplest dishes and my favourite. Super delicious and healthy. Love those oven roasted veggies.    

Oven Roasted Cauliflower with Kale and Brown Mushrooms

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1 head of cauliflower, cored and cut into florets

bunch of Kale, chopped

8 brown mushrooms, thickly sliced

4 scallions (green onions), chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

mixed herbs or seasoning mix (I used a blend of dried crushed chili peppers, sea salt, and dehydrated lime) 

about 4 tablespoons of cold water in a glass  

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Place the cauliflower florets in a large bowl, add cold water and soak for 20 minutes. 

In the meantime wash and chop the kale, set aside. Wash and slice the mushrooms, set aside and chop the scallions and set aside. 

Drain the cauliflower and pat dry. Place in a large, 9 x 13 inch oven proof baking dish. Drizzle with the olive oil. Generously sprinkle with mixed herbs. Toss to coat. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes; turning every 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned. Sprinkling each time with about 2 tablespoons of cold water.

When the first 10 minutes are up, being careful remove the hot dish from the oven and add the chopped kale and sliced mushrooms. Lightly toss to incorporate. Do not worry if the dish is heaping, it will bake down. Sprinkle with cold water and place back into the oven to  roast for another 10 minutes. 

Again, once those 10 minutes are up carefully remove the baking dish from the oven and add the scallions, toss to incorporate. Sprinkle with cold water and place back into the oven and roast for the remaining 10 minutes. 

Serve immediately as a main dish or as a side dish.  

Hope everyone had a good weekend! - JD