Pan-Roasted Sweet Potato and Vegetable Medley

Prep Time: 20 Minutes Serves: 4 Cook time: 20 Minutes

Ingredients:

1/3 Cup Fresh shucked Corn

1/3 Cup asparagus, chopped

1/3 Cup mushrooms, sliced

1/3 Cup sweet potato, diced

1/2 shallot, diced

1/3 Cup Tomato, diced

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

1/4 Cup chicken or vegetable stock

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Preparation:

1. Roast sweet potato in oven at 350ºF for 20 minutes beforehand. Then season the potatoes with salt and pepper and place on a greased cooking sheet in oven for another 10 minutes at 350ºF before adding to the vegetable mixture.
2. Saute shallots and garlic in 1 Tbsp olive oil.
3. Add another Tbsp olive oil to the garlic and shallots, if necessary, and all remaining vegetable, including sweet potatoes.
4. Saute everthing for 5 minutes.
5. Add stock and reduce for 2 minutes and serve.

Nutritional Information

Nutrients per serving (based on 4 servings): 105 calories, 7 g fat, 2 g protein, 1 g fiber, 9 g carbohydrates, 0 mg cholesterol, 67 mg sodium. Excellent source of vitamin A.

Cous Cous

1. 3 medium red bell peppers
2. 10 ounces instant couscous (about 1 1/2 cups)
3. Salt
4. 1/4 cup olive oil
5. 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
6. 1 teaspoon ground cumin
7. Pinch of cayenne pepper
8. Freshly ground black pepper
9. 1 pound ripe beefsteak tomatoes--peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 -inch dice
10. 1 large seedless cucumber, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
11. 1/2 cup Moroccan or other small, oil-cured black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
12. 2 scallions, white and tender green, minced
13. 1 large garlic clove, minced
14. 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Roast the bell peppers over a gas flame or under a broiler, turning, until charred all over. Transfer the peppers to a paper bag and let steam for 10 minutes. Remove the skin, cores, seeds, and ribs and cut the peppers into 1/2-inch dice.
2. In a saucepan, bring 2 1/4 cups of water to a boil. Stir in the couscous and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover and let stand until tender, about 5 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, and cayenne and season with salt and pepper.
3. Fluff the couscous with a fork. Add the roasted peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, scallions and garlic. Pour the dressing over the couscous and toss to combine. Let stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours. Just before serving, stir in the parsley.

Yam and Cheese Sandwich with Pumpkin Seed Pesto

Yam and Cheese Sandwich with Pumpkin Seed Pesto
from the Cafe Flora

1 large yam (about 1 pound), peeled and sliced in rounds, about 1/8 inch thick
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon paprika
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 medium onion, sliced in rounds about 1/4 inch thick
4 sticcola rolls, or other chewy rolls or buns with a tender crust
Pumpkin Seed Pesto (recipe follows)
4 slices fontina or provolone cheese
Sweet hot mustard, Dijon, or your favorite mustard
A couple handfuls spinach leaves

Get Ready. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the yam in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the paprika. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss again.

Roast the Yam. Spread the yam slices on on a rimmed baking sheet large enough to accommodate them in a single layer without crowding. Roast until tender, but not mushy, so that a sharp knife easily pierces the yam slices, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, and set aside. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Brown the onion. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the onion in a single layer, trying to keep the slices intact. Cook undisturbed until one side is browned, about 5 minutes.

Flip the onion rounds over - it's ok if they fall apart at this point - and continue to cook. Flip the onion occasionally until it's tender and browned evenly all over, about 5 more minutes.

Toast the Bread. Slice the rolls in half, and lay them, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Bake until lightly toasted, 2 or 3 minutes.

Make the Sandwiches. Spread each of the 8 halves right to the edges with 1 or 2 tablespoons of Pumpkin Seed Pesto. Layer 4 halves (the bottom halves) with 5 or 6 slices of roasted yam, one-fourth of the onion, and finish with a slice of cheese.

Bake the Sandwich Halves. Put all 8 sandwich halves on a lightly oiled baking sheet, and bake until the cheese melts, about 5 minutes.

Serve the Sandwiches. Remove the sandwich halves from the oven. Spread the top halves with sweet hot mustard. Top the bottom halves with spinach leaves, put the sandwich together, and eat!

Pumpkin Seed Pesto

1/2 cup raw green pumpkin seeds, hulled
Salt
6 to 8 large fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped (about 3 tablespoons)
1/2 cup fresh parsley sprigs, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
Freshly ground pepper

Toast the Pumpkin Seeds by tossing them n a dry saute pan over high heat until they start to pop. Add salt to taste, and set aside to cool.

Mix all the ingredients. Put the pumpkin seeds, sage, parsley, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse several times until the mixture resembles coarse meal. With the machine running, add the olive oil through the feed tube, processing until the mixture is chunky (like chunky peanut butter). Season with salt pepper to taste.

Roasted Tomato and Asparagus Pasta

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 good sized garlic cloves; minced
salt
fresh ground pepper
1 large handful fresh basil; leaves rolled up together then cut into thin strips
1 lb cherry or grape tomatoes (kept whole)
1 bunch asparagus; end snapped off then snapped/cut into 2 to 3 inch segments

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Put all the following, in order, into a large mixing bowl. Toss until the veggies are well coated. Spread out onto a cookie sheet and roast in the oven for 45 minutes or everything starts to look a little burned.

15 minutes before the veggies are due to be done, cook your pasta. Shorter pasta shapes work better for this one.

Scrape it all (including all the oily juices) onto the cooked pasta and toss. Freshly grated Parmesan on top always helps. This pasta is good hot and at room temperature.

Roasted Broccoli

(recipe from Becky)

1 large head broccoli (about 1 3/4 pounds)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin oil
2 large shallots, halved and sliced thin lengthwise
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Ground black pepper
Lemon wedges for serving

1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place large rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Cut broccoli at juncture of florets and stems; remove outer peel from stalk. Cut stalk into 2- to 3-inch lengths and each length into 1/2-inch-thick pieces (see picture). Place broccoli in large bowl with shallots; drizzle with oil and toss well until evenly coated. Sprinkle with salt, sugar, and pepper to taste and toss to combine.

2. Working quickly, remove baking sheet from oven. Carefully transfer broccoli to baking sheet and spread into even layer, placing flat sides down. Return baking sheet to oven and roast until stalks are well browned and tender and florets are lightly browned, 9 to 11 minutes. Serve with fresh lemon wedges.

Italian Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients:
1 pound unpeeled red potatoes (3-4 medium)
2 large carrots
1 large yellow summer squash
1 large zucchini
8 ounces fresh large mushrooms
1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise using Crinkle Cutter; cut each half lengthwise into 1-inch-wide wedges. cut carrots diagonally into 2-inch lengths. Cut summer squash and zucchini into 2-inch pieces. Cut mushrooms in half.
2. Place vegetables in large bowl; toss with oil. Press garlic over vegetables using Garlic Press. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper; toss to coat evenly.
3. Spread vegetables in single layer on Stoneware Bar Pan. Bake 40-45 minutes or until golden brown and crisp-tender, stirring after 20 minutes.

Yield: 6 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 170, Total Fat 9 g, Saturated Fat 1.5 g, Cholesterol 10 mg, Carbohydrate 21 g, Protein 4 g, Sodium 210 mg, Fiber 3 g Fiber 4 g Cook’s Tips: Pantry Italian Seasoning Mix can be substituted for the Italian seasoning.

©The Pampered Chef, Ltd. 2008

Hearty Bean Soup

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 can (11.5 ounces) condensed bean with bacon soup
1 1/2 cups water
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with garlic and onion, undrained
Salt and ground black pepper to taste (optional)

Directions:
1. Heat oil in Generation II Small Covered Saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrot. Cook and stir until onion is transparent, about 2-3 minutes.
2. Stir in zucchini, soup, water and tomatoes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper, if desired. Ladle soup into bowls using Nylon Ladle.

Yield: 4 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 170, Total Fat 4 g, Saturated Fat 1.5 g, Cholesterol less than 5 mg, Carbohydrate 26 g, Protein 7 g, Sodium 750 mg, Fiber 7 g

©The Pampered Chef, Ltd. 2008

African Peanut Stew

This looks really good and I really need to try it!! I saw it on Studio 5

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely chopped (about 1½ cups)
1 medium green bell pepper, finely chopped (about 1¼ cups)
½ cup chopped carrot (2 small)
½ cup chopped celery (1 rib)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons minced, peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 (14½-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 bay leaf
4 cups fat-free chicken or vegetable broth
1 (12-ounce) sweet potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
1½ cups shelled edamame
¼ cup creamy or crunchy natural peanut butter or almond butter
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 (5-ounce) bag baby spinach leaves, torn into bite-size pieces
½ teaspoon salt
Coarsely ground black pepper

Method:

1. Heat olive oil in a 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, carrot and celery; sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

2. Add garlic, ginger and curry powder and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute; do not brown garlic. Add tomatoes and bay leaf; cook, uncovered, until tomatoes are slightly reduced, about 3 minutes.

3. Add broth and sweet potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer about 8 minutes. Stir in edamame and peanut butter until combined. Cook until thoroughly heated, about 2 minutes. Stir in cilantro and spinach until spinach wilts. Season with salt and pepper.

Serves 8.

January 30, 2008 Note: I made this yesterday and it was super good!! I put some cooked rice in it and it tasted really good, this is a must make again!!

Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots

¾ lb carrots, peeled and cut into sticks
1 Tbs butter
1 Tbs brown sugar
Salt & Pepper

Steam carrots 8-10 minutes until crisp-tender. In saucepan combine butter, brown sugar, and salt and stir over medium heat till combined. Add carrots. Cook uncovered about 2 minutes or till glazed, stirring frequently. Season to taste with pepper.

Roasted Potato and Vegetable Salad

Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 1 hr min
Makes: 8 servings

2 lb. red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into thin slices
1 medium yellow summer squash
2 medium carrots, diagonally sliced
1 small red onion, cut into wedges
red and green peppers chopped
2 corn on the cob cut into 2 pieces
8 ounces fresh large mushrooms
Sweet Potato
beef cubes (optional)
1 cup KRAFT Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
Or 1 cup KRAFT Sun dried Tomato Vinaigrette Dressing

PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Toss vegetables with dressing.
SPOON into shallow roasting pan.
BAKE 50 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.

No MEAT Enchiladas

I got this recipe from Yvonne.

Enchilada Sauce

3 Tbsp. Vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 1/2 Tbsp. Flour
1 1/2 Cup water
1 tsp vinegar
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp oregano

Filling

Tortillas
3/4 cup refried beans
onion diced
1/2 cup chopped olives
1/2 cup cottage cheese
diced tomatoes
cheese

1. Heat oil, chili powder and flour in small pan. Add water gradually to make smooth sauce. And add vinegar and spices. Boil-smimmer-3 minutes.

2. To assemble- Place beans, cheese, cottage cheese, onion, olives, tomatoes. Roll up, cover with sauce. Cheese on top.

3. Bake 350 degrees 20 minutes.

Pronto Saucy Meatless Pasta Skillet

Prep Time: 5 min

Total Time: 15 min

Makes: 4 servings

Take 1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained and 1/2 lb. (8 oz.) of your favorite uncooked bite-size pasta and mix & match your recipe from these options...

meatless:

1 can (15 oz.) cannellini beans, drained, rinsed (add with the tomatoes)
2 cups fresh broccoli florets,

1 jar (4-1/2 oz.) sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 cup KRAFT Ranch Dressing, divided,

1/4 cup KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese

Then follow our 3 simple steps:
COOK pasta as directed on package.

MEANWHILE, cook meat in 2 Tbsp. of the dressing in large skillet 5 min. or until meat is browned on both sides, turning after 3 min. Stir in tomatoes, vegetables and remaining 6 Tbsp. dressing. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 10 min. or until meat is cooked through and vegetables are crisp-tender.

TOP with cheese; cover. Let stand 2 to 3 min. or until cheese is melted. Serve over hot drained pasta.

KRAFT KITCHENS TIPS
Jazz It Up For a nice presentation, simply slide the meat, vegetables and sauce out of the skillet onto the cooked pasta.Make Ahead Get a head start on the next night's meal. Cook and drain 1 lb. of pasta. Use half for this recipe, then cool the remaining pasta and toss with a little olive oil. Store in a resealable plastic bag in the refrigerator to enjoy another night.

Lemon and Lime Rice

2 Cups Rice, uncooked
1 Tbsp. Butter or Margarine
1 Tbsp. Chopped fresh cilantro
1-1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel
1-1/2 tsp. grated lime peel
1 juice of a lemon
1 juice of a lime
1/2 tsp. salt

Cook rice as directed on package.
ADD butter; stir until melted. Add remaining ingredients; mix lightly. Serve warm
Yield: 4 servings