Veggies 101: Roasted Broccoli

I've had a thing for roasted veggies since I can remember. Something about roasting vegetables takes their flavor up a notch- more than just steaming- and I absolutely prefer most vegetables roasted (there are obviously exceptions here). Being completely honest here, one of my favorite snacks is a big plate of roasted broccoli. It's filling, nutritious and SUPER low in calories. I literally eat the stuff like candy, but without feeling regretful and guilty after like candy would.

Veggies 101: How to Roast Spaghetti Squash

With the holidays coming up, I wanted to share a favorite fall-time basic recipe: How to roast spaghetti squash. This is a veggies 101 post that is simple, but really necessary for every household. Growing up, spaghetti squash was a staple in my mothers home. As I got older a lot of people I would talk to absolutely despised spaghetti squash, and then when I ate it at their house I realized why so many people disliked the squash. It’s a squash that definitely has to be done the right way.

Preheat oven to 425.

First you’ll want to find a fairly large squash, and chop the stem off. Carefully cut the squash into two halves, trying to cut it as evenly as possible (yes, much easier said than done).

Scoop out the seeds and stringy innards with a spoon and discard. (The seeds also roast up nicely like pumpkin seeds.)

Drizzle each half with about 1½ teaspoons olive oil, and sprinkle with salt a pepper. I like to use garlic salt, but normal salt is perfectly fine.

Place squash face down on a foil lined baking sheet. Place in oven and bake for 35-45 minutes.

Check on squash at about 35 minutes. It should start to look dark brown and easily pierced with a fork. Let cool for 10 minutes and shred the squash with a fork. It should come out looking like long “spaghetti-like” strings.

Now comes the DIY part. You can really do anything you’d like here, but a few of the essentials need to be 1) garlic, 2) melted butter, 3) one or two herbs and 4) crushed red pepper. I used fresh basil from my garden that had been frozen in butter, and some rosemary. Growing up my mom would use whatever fresh herb she had on hand. My favorites were always fresh rosemary or dill. Mmmm. So customize it, give it some flare!

Once your spaghetti squash is all strung out, put it in a bowl and add the 2 tablespoons of melted butter, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoons of minced garlic, 2 teaspoons of dried rosemary and your chopped fresh basil. Mix well and salt and pepper to taste.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash

Recipe by The Everyday Veggies 

1 large spaghetti squash

1 Tablespoon olive oil, divided

Salt and pepper

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 teaspoons garlic, minced

2 teaspoons dried rosemary

1 teaspoon chopped basil, fresh

1 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 425.

2. Chop the stem off, and carefully cut the squash lengthwise into two halves. Scoop out the innards and discard. Drizzle each half of the squash with 1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. 

3. Place squash face down on baking sheet and roast for 35-45 minutes, or until its looking brown, and easily pierced with a fork. Let cool for 10 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, shred the squash with a fork. It will come out looking like long spaghetti like strings. 

4. Place in medium sized mixing bowl and add the red pepper flakes, melted butter, garlic, rosemary chopped basil and salt. Serve immediately. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Build a Better Side Salad

I have pretty bold statement to make: I love (love!) side salads. I'm not talking about the sad mix of limp lettuce and few pathetic veggies, all drowned in some heavy, calorie-fest of a dressing so often trotted out at restaurants as salad. As a result of years of veggie training (thanks, mom!!) I learned that a mix of crisp greens, veggies, and even fruits can, with a little thought, round out a meal perfectly. Sadly, I've noticed over the years that many people just don't understand how to do this. So today, we reclaim the side salad!

Let's first talk a bit about what I mean when I say "side salad." I'm talking here about a lettuce-based dish that includes just a few elements meant to complement a meal. I'm NOT talking about main-course salads, which tend to be more substantial and have multiple ingredients, created to serve as a meal. What we want to create is a simple salad to "round out" the meal. Really, the sky's the limit on putting together salads. I really like to mix together unusual ingredients. You can be as simple or creative as you like.

Veggies 101 - Roasted Red Peppers

I adore roasted peppers. Like adore them. Maybe it's because I've spent a good deal of my life in the Southwest, but I find the smell of roasting peppers delicious and intoxicating. When peppers are on sale I have a hard time resisting. It is so, so easy to roast up a few while I'm puttering around the kitchen and then squirrel them away in the freezer. I'm consistently amazed at how easy it is to roast peppers, and they freeze terrifically. I like to stock up when peppers are on sale and roast a whole mess at once. It is also a great way to use up the slightly shriveled specimens you find at the back of your fridge that you had every intention of using for whatever dish but never quite got around to making. (Please tell me I'm not the only one who does this!)

Although "roasted peppers" typically means roasted red bell peppers, don't limit yourself! Any kind of pepper can be roasted. Some of my favorite peppers to roast are bell peppers (any color works here!), jalapenos, and Hatch chiles.

So what do you do with them? Roasted peppers can be used just about anywhere you'd use a non-roasted pepper. Roasted hot peppers are great in salsa and chili. I love roasted bell peppers in sauces, pasta salads, and on pizza. Be creative!

Homemade Pumpkin Puree

Ahh Fall is here. What isn't there to love about fall? Beautiful colors, warm days but cool nights, sweaters, football, soups & stews, apples, and pumpkins. Pumpkins galore. I feel like its a pumpkin recipe frenzy sometimes but that gets a thumbs up by me. I think people forget that pumpkin is actually a veggie. I love throwing it in cinnamon rolls, pies, waffles, pancakes, and soups because its a little extra veggie power ( at least I will tell myself that when I eat another piece of pumpkin pie) But what I feel like happens is everyone goes and grabs the canned goop of last years pumpkins from the grocery store.