Oven Roasted Glazed Carrots

 

Who would have thought that carrots could bring such joy. They're bright and packed with a variety of nutrients and health benefits, with that aside, this sweet savoury side dish is casual and will enhance any meal. There are no measurements, except for the olive oil, because it is far easier to just gauge it according to your taste. With using such an in the moment intuition this dish retains its ease, tasty flavour and delightful simplicity.  

Oven Roasted Glazed Carrots

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6 - 8 medium large carrots, peeled and chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

few splashes of white wine vinegar

salt and pepper

a few shakes of vegetable herb spice mix

a nice drizzle of honey 

about 1 teaspoon cinnamon

 

Place the chopped carrots into a large bowl. Toss with olive oil then add all the other ingredients. Toss the carrots again to coat evenly. Set aside the bowl and allow the carrots marinate for 10 to 15 minutes.

In the meantime preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC) and line a large baking tray with baking parchment. 

Once the oven has reached its temperature and the carrots are done marinating, place and spread the carrots on the prepared baking tray. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until just tender. 

 

Scalloped Potatoes

 

It's simple, it's seasoned and it's layered and creamy. Scalloped potatoes, by far one of the easiest dishes you can make. I say that because really and truly it is just a matter of thinly slicing the potatoes, haphazardly layering them around a casserole dish, chopping onion, making a simple cream sauce, to go over and bake. A comforting tender flavourful dish known for its creamy rich texture that will complement just about any meal. 

Scalloped Potatoes 

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Serves 6 

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

3 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour

1 teaspoon dried or fresh dill

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 1/2 cups 2% milk

6 medium large potatoes, peeled or unpeeled, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Heat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Grease the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 oven proof baking dish.

In a small bowl whisk together the flour, dried dill, salt and pepper. Set aside. 

Melt the 1/4 cup butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally until tender. Stir in the seasoned flour mixture. Cook and stir constantly until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat.

Stir in the milk and heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for 1 minute.

Spread the potatoes in the baking dish. Pour the sauce over the potatoes. Cut the 1 tablespoon of butter into small pieces and place on top of the potatoes. Cover an bake for about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 1 hour, or until potatoes are tender. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. 

Notes: for ham scalloped potatoes stir in 1 1/2 cups cubed cooked ham into potatoes before pouring sauce over the potatoes. For added flavour add mustard powder and paprika to the flour mixture. 

Leftovers #66 ~ Coconut and Cashew Basmati Rice

 

Having leftover Basmati rice almost never occurs whether that's because I have my portions correct so it all gets ate or what, however there are times when I am a bit off with my portions causing me to have leftovers. This is a quick way to reimagine that leftover rice. It's mildly fragrant, scrumptious and enhances the leftover rice, only taking a few minutes and a few ingredients. 

First, chop and dice about half a yellow onion. Then warm a bit of oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat, I used avocado oil. Once the oil is hot, add the diced onion to the fry pan and give a stir, allow the onions to sauté for about 3 to 4 minutes then add 1 to 2 teaspoons cumin seeds. Give a stir to infuse the onion and cumin seeds together and keep stirring as you don't want the seeds to burn. Once the cumin seeds become fragrant and toasty add some dried shredded coconut to the pan, how much and how sweet will be up to your preference. Keep stirring until the coconut becomes slightly toasted. Add the leftover basmati rice, I had about 4 cups, and gently break up the clumps while sautéing, making sure the rice get incorporated with the oil, onions, seeds and coconut. Take a handful of cashews and roughly break them into bits and add them to the rice mixture and stir together, allowing the cashews to get toasted. Now at this point you could add some coconut milk or chicken broth and cook until the liquid is absorbed, however I had neither so I kept it simple which worked really well as I wanted a more lightly fragranced drier rice then a moist sticky one to go with the spicy Tikka Masala I was serving.

Food Photo of the Day ~ Sautéed Brussel Sprouts

This is becoming my favourite side dish... sautéed brussel sprouts. The pomegranate seeds  over top of the green give this dish a festive feel. 

Steam brussel sprouts until just tender. Allow to cool slightly. Slice each one in half. Over medium high heat in a large frypan; warm a tablespoon or two of oil, I used rice bran oil, place the cut brussel sprouts into the frypan's warm oil. Sauté until slightly golden. Then add a tablespoon of blood orange balsamic vinegar, adjust the amount of flavoured vinegar to your taste. Stir to coat evenly and allow the vinegar to be reduced. Place the sautéd brussel sprouts into a serving dish. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds over top and serve. Delicious simplicity at it's best! And all will be merry and bright with this as a holiday side dish. 

Yesterday was terribly cold, so trying to stay as warm as possible! - JD 

Leftovers #38 ~ Pasta Salad

The last time I made a pasta salad, with leftover pasta, I used greek yogurt which tends to make a more thick sticky dressing. This time, sour cream was used and it was lighter  and more creamier. Reminiscent of shop pasta salad however far more tastier and less fat. 

Pasta Salad

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2 cups leftover pasta, any shape will do... I had penne

half of a green pepper, chopped 

half of a red pepper, chopped

1/3 cup of diced red onion

For the dressing:

1 cup light (low fat) sour cream

3 tablespoons light (low fat) mayonnaise

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, or any vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon mixed herbs of your choice, I used a premixed maple bacon seasoning

some fresh ground pepper

Place leftover pasta into a large serving bowl. Add the chopped veggies. Toss. Set aside.

In another bowl combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, mixed herbs, and the ground pepper. Stir.

Pour the dressing over the pasta and veggies. Toss to coat evenly. Cover and place in the refrigerator to chill and mallow for a few hours.

Notes: revive leftover pasta by placing it in a colander and run a bit of warm water over the pasta and allow to drain. 


Hope everyone had a great weekend! - JD  

Food Photo of the Day ~ Red Cabbage

Red cabbage is an easy side dish that has all the right elements... sweet, sour, and crunch. As the cold weather gets more frequent I tend to make this dish more often as it goes with just about anything; and the prep may put some muscle in your arm. There is a fair bit of chopping. With a sprinkle of chia seeds this has a more up to date appeal plus added fibre. 

Hope everyone had a great weekend, we did. It seems like week has been a fast one that has one going in many directions. - JD  

Easy Pan Fried Potatoes

The classic starch... the potato. Which offers a variety of vitamins and minerals, the two highest vitamins are C and vitamin B6. When we do Sunday Roast most often one of the sides are some form of potatoes. Everyone has their favourites and everyone raves about my oven roasted potatoes. This time, I decided to do pan fried potatoes instead. They are very similar to their oven roasted counterparts. I call these easy pan fried potatoes because they are just that... easy and utilizing the stove top range is a fast way to create a tasty dish. 

Easy Pan Fried Potatoes

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1 x bag of mini potatoes

some oil, to spray the pan with

some herbs and seasonings

salt and pepper to taste

First, wash and cut the mini potatoes in half. Place the cut potatoes into a large pot and cover them with cool water. Place on a burner according to size of pot. Boil on high until the potatoes are semi soft. A fork should be able to pierce into the potato but not go all the way through. You still want a bit of firmness. 

Once they are done, drain and set aside. Take a large frying pan and spray the inside bottom of the pan with the oil. You can use whatever oil you like, I used an Extra Light Olive Oil, if you do not have a spray oil then pour some oil into the pan and spread with your fingers, wiping your hands clean afterwards. Place the fry pan on the according size burner and turn the heat to medium high. Add the potatoes to the frying pan and then add the herbs or seasonings and salt and pepper. Toss to coat; stirring occasionally to make sure the potatoes are not sticking. Fry for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are slightly golden and the light side of the potato starts to crisp up.  

Friday is here... the weekend is hours away. Plenty of football and baking to keep me going. - JD

Zucchini

Looking for an easy side dish this weekend? Then how about try grilling zucchini. Wash and then cut the zucchini lengthwise. Not too thin. Drizzle a bit of olive oil and add some salt and pepper and toss. Then place them on the barbeque or in a pan. A few minutes each side. Until they have those classic brown markings and not too transparent. It's a delicate balance. When serving them I usually drizzle balsamic vinegar, tis the season. I use balsamic vinegar a lot in the summertime. Some other alternatives would be to grate or shave parmesan cheese over top and serve. You may also like to add fresh rosemary and lemon juice with the oil and salt and pepper. Regardless, grilled zucchini can accompany any of your summertime dishes with ease. Have great weekend! - JW