Simple Roasted Vegetables

Simple, yet delicious Roasted Vegetables

 

Winter is a time to cook with different vegetable, that you don't find during the spring and summer seasons.  We like to add sweet potatoes and squash to our supper meals.  

Roasting the vegetables in the oven is an easy way to prepare a great side dish meal.  The vegetables are healthy for you.  Using the oven helps to heat your home, and it allows the delicious scents of your meal to waft through the house.  

This is our go-to recipe for making roasted vegetables. 

Vegetables

2 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 bell peppers, seeds and membranes removed and cut into 1-inch pieces (optional)
4 carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 onion, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2 butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
**see notes below for other vegetables

Dressing

4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, wine vinegar or Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. rosemary
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425°.

In a large bowl, combine potatoes, peppers, carrots, sweet potatoes, onion and squash.  You should have about 6 cups of vegetables. 

In a small bowl, combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, rosemary, thyme.  Mix thoroughly.  Season the vegetables with salt and pepper as desired.  You can also add some Cajun seasoning if you like.  Pour the dressing over the vegetables.  Toss the vegetables until they are evenly coated.  

Spread the vegetables out in a single layer on a baking sheet. There should be space between the vegetables, and none of them should be on top of one another.  If you need to, divide the mixture between 2 baking sheets.

Bake for 18 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven and shake or turn the vegetables over to ensure even cooking.  Put them back into the oven for another 15 minutes or so, until they are tender and golden.

Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Serve warm.

Notes

You can also use broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, zucchini, turnips, rutabaga, beets, or parsnips if you have them.

You can use russet potatoes, gold Yukon potatoes or any potato that you have on hand. For peppers, you can use any color pepper you like or have on hand.  I often use peppers that I've frozen that came from my garden.

For seasonings, you can add almost any seasoning you like.  We basically stick with salt, pepper, garlic and red pepper flakes.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup 

Happy New Year!  It is now 2025.  

We just got our first snow and the temperatures have cooled down considerably.  Winter has finally arrived. It is time to start making some delicious, heart-warming soups.  Here is one of our favorites.

 Ingredients

2 Tbs. butter
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbs. flour
6 c. chicken stock
1 1/2 c. wild rice
1 pound chicken breasts
2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. rosemary
1 tsp. thyme
1 c. heavy cream, milk or evaporated milk

Directions

In a cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter.  

Add the onions, garlic, celery, and mushrooms.  Season the mixture with salt and pepper.  Sauté until the onions are translucent. This takes, about five to seven minutes.

Sprinkle the flour over the top of the onions, garlic, celery, and mushrooms, stirring to combine. Whisking constantly, slowly pour in the chicken stock. Cook and stir until the mixture comes to a boil.

Add in the chicken, wild rice, oregano, rosemary, and thyme. Bring the contents to a boil. Cover and lower heat.  Continue to simmer for about 35 to 45 minutes until rice is tender and the chicken is fully cooked. The internal temperature of the chicken should be 165°.

Remove the chicken from the soup and place on a plate or cutting board.  When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and the bones.   Cut or shred the chicken meat into bite sized pieces.

Return the chicken meat to the pot.  With the heat on medium, return the mixture to a simmer.  Pour in the heavy cream. Cook and stir until warmed through. 

Serve and enjoy!  You can sprinkle some Parmesian cheese over the top of the soup as well.

Notes

You can use chicken 6 cups of hot water and mix in 4 to 6 cubes of chicken bouillon or 4 to 6 teaspoons of chicken bouillon powder.    Taste the broth before adding the heavy cream or milk, to see if you have enough chicken flavoring to suit your taste.  If you are using bouillon, do not add the salt to the mixture.  Your soup will be too salty.

You can also add diced carrots to the dish as well.  Just add them at the beginning of the recipe when you sauté the onions, garlic, celery and mushrooms.  

In my location, we don't have fresh mushrooms.  So I use the canned mushrooms.  Sometimes I drain the liquid out before using, but most times I do not. It adds flavor to the dish.

Mother's Coffee Bars

 

This is an old recipe that my mom used to make many years ago. It had a delicious blend of spices, raisins and a hint of coffee.   I made this cake as well when my kids were small and my parents were still with us. 

Life happens, and I had lost this recipe.  Last night, as I was looking through a box of newspaper clippings, I came across the recipe once again.  It brought back precious memories of family time, good times.  

 I know what I will be making for the dessert tonight.

Ingredients

2 c. brown sugar
1 c. shortening
2 eggs
1 c. cold strong coffee
3 c. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. raisins
1 c. nuts (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch cake pan. 

Cream sugar and shortening until light and fluffy.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Mix in the cinnamon, cloves, soda, and salt.

Add the flour alternately with the coffee.  

Stir in the raisins and nuts if desired. 

Pour into prepared baking dish and bake for 20 to 30 minutes. The bars are done when a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Frost with a thin layer of powdered sugar icing, if you like.

BBQ Pork Chops

 If you don't have much time to cook, here is a simple recipe for BBQ Pork. It is good with pork loin, or pork chops. This is a delicious recipe that your family is sure to love.  

 

Ingredients

6 thick pork chops
3/4 c. ketchup
1/3 c. hot water
2 Tbs. vinegar
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Directions

Preheat oven to 375.

Place chops in a large cast-iron skillet or an ovenproof pan or baking dish. 

Combine ketchup, hot water, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, pepper, chili powder, paprika, onion powder and garlic powder.

Pour the sauce over the pork chops. 

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn the meat over. Bake another 20 minutes, or until the pork registers at least 145° with a meat thermometer.  

Remove from the oven and allow the meat to rest for about 5 minutes.  Serve with mashed potatoes or French fries, and a salad for a great meal.

Notes

The internal temperature of pork should be cooked to the right temperature to ensure it is safe to eat.

145° to 150° gives you a medium rare pork chop.  Medium is 150° to 155°  Medium well is 155° to 160° Well done is 160.°

Sunshine Carrot Jello Salad

If you are looking for a salad that is like a burst of sunshine, this Carrot Jello Salad is sure to please. For a pretty presentation, you can pour the jello into a mold, but we usually just leave ours in a pretty bowl. 

This is an old recipe that my grandmother used to make and serve for special meals. It was a taste treat that was not overly sweet for a salad dish. In fact, the carrots added just enough sweetness to make this delicious.

Ingredients

1 (3 oz.) package orange flavored jello
1 c. boiling water
1/2 c. cold water
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 c. carrots (about 2 medium-sized carrots) shredded

Directions

Empty the package of orange jello into a heatproof bowl that will hold at least 4 cups. 

Pour boiling water over the jello and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved.  This takes at least 2 minutes. 

Stir in cold water. 

Add pineapple and stir until combined.  

Place in the refrigerator for about 20 to 40 minutes or until the gelatin is thickened, but has not set up.  

Bring In a large bowl, prepare lemon gelatin according to package directions, using reserved pineapple juice in place of some of the water. Refrigerate until thickened, about 1 hour. 

Remove the gelatin from the refrigerator.  Stir in the grated carrots. Place the bowl back in the refrigerator and refrigerate for about 3 hours, or until the jello is firm.

Notes

Lemon, lime, strawberry or strawberry banana jello will work too if you don't have orange, but for me, it won't be as good. 

Instead of buying already grated carrots, grate your own carrots.  This gives you a better flavor.

Some other foods you can add to this jello are, mandarin oranges, raisins, celery, sliced pimentos, and stuffed olives.

Chicke Nuggets

 Chicken Nuggets

 

Instead of going to a fast food place or restaurant, why not save some money and make your own chicken nuggets.  This is a simple recipe, made with tender white chicken meat.  Each piece is coated with a spicy buttermilk batter and then dipped in seasoned flour. You can bake the chicken nuggets, or deep-fry them.

Ingredients

3 large boneless, chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 c. flour
1 Tbs. paprika
2 tsp. kosher or sea salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 c. buttermilk

Instructions

Heat oven to 400°. You'll need a baking pan. You can line the baking pan with parchment paper.

 

In a bowl, add the chicken. Pour in the buttermilk and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour. 

In a low sided bowl or pan, combine flour, paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper and baking soda.

 

Remove a few pieces of chicken from the buttermilk and allow the excess to drip off. Place a few pieces of the chicken in the flour mixture. Toss them in the flour until all sides are coated. 

Place the chicken on a baking pan.

Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn the chicken nuggets over.  Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the chicken is golden and crisp.  You can also deep-fry the chicken nuggets is a deep fryer.

 

Serve and enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce. 

 Home-Made Noodles

Making your own noodles at home is easy. It just takes a little time, but your efforts are so worth it.  These taste so much better than the ones you buy at the store.  You can roll the noodles out by hand with a rolling pin, or you can use a pasta maker machine.  

Ingredients

3 eggs
3 tablespoons milk or water

1 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups flour - approximately
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

In a bowl, beat the eggs until frothy. Add the milk and olive oil.  Beat until the mixture is thoroughly combined. 

Sift flour, salt, and baking powder onto a large cutting board. You can also use the top of your clean counter. With your hands, form a well in the center of the flour. It needs to be big enough so when you add the liquids in the center, it does not run over the top of the flour.

Pour the liquid ingredients into the well. Using your fingers or a fork, pull in some of the flour from the inside of the well and mix it with the liquid. You want to keep the outside of the flour ring intact until the egg mixture is thickened so it won't run away   Continue mixing in the flour until you have a stiff dough. It is important to dust your hands and work surface with flour to keep the dough from sticking.   

Tips:  The humidity in the air when you are making noodles can cause the dough to be too wet, or too dry.  If the dough is too sticky, knead in more flour. Sometimes the dough becomes too dry to knead properly.  When this happens, add water in 1-teaspoon increments until the dough holds together.

Continue to knead the dough for approximately 6 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Sprinkle the work surface with flour to keep the dough from sticking as you work. Don’t add too much flour that the dough is dry. You want it to be slightly sticky. How do you know when it has enough flour? By touching the dough with your fingers. You’ll want the dough to stick to your fingers, but release cleanly away when you pull away. 

If possible, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes. This relaxes the dough, making it easier to roll out.

Set up your pasta machine according to manufacture's directions.

Remove the plastic wrap and cut the dough in half. Place one of the doughs back in the plastic wrap while you roll out the other one.  

 

If rolling the dough out by hand. Lightly flour the surface you will be rolling the dough out on. Roll the dough into a narrow rectangle using a floured rolling pin. Place the dough into the pasta machine and run it through the rollers. Repeat this for five or six times at the lowest setting. 

Change the setting one number thinner. Run the dough through the pasta machine, one time. If the dough begins to stick in the machine, dust both sides of the dough with flour. Each time you put the dough through the rollers, change the setting to the next thinner number.  Continue doing this until you have the pasta dough as thin as you need for your recipe. 

Now it is time to put the dough through the cutting blades on your pasta machine.

Lay the cut pasta on a lightly floured pan or countertop. At this time, you can cook the noodles by dropping them into boiling salted water and cooking for about 20 minutes. Or you can leave the pasta out until thoroughly dry.  After the noodles are dry, place them in a plastic bag or large jar.  Seal tightly.