Mojo de Ajo Asado aka Roasted Garlic Mojo

Tags

garlic, gluten free, lime, Mexican, roasted, sauce, vegan, vegetarian

After hearing an interview with Rick Bayless on NPR, I knew I had to check out one of his cookbooks. I LOVE MEXICAN FOOD! I have never met a dish I didn’t like. I also appreciate Rick’s approach to this cuisine. It’s not that fried, unhealthy “Mexican” that can be found in every average Mexican restaurant in the US. This is homemade, home grown Mexican.

Mojo de Ajo Asado aka Roasted Garlic Mojo (from More Mexican Everyday)

• 4 heads of garlic, separated into unpeeled cloves
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1 tsp salt

In a large iron skillet, scatter the garlic and roast, turning regularly until evenly spotted brown. You may need to do two batches. (This method is super easy!) Allow the roasted garlic to cool then remove the clove from the peel. Add to a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Turn the processor on and slowly pour the olive oil into the garlic. Stop the processor and add the lime juice and the salt. Pulse until incorporated. Store in a glass jar. Lasts several months. Makes 2 cups.

Rick suggests adding a chili flakes for heat, stirring it to mayo for a quick aioli, using it to saute shrimp, or spreading onto bread before grilling it. 

 

Advertisement

Grilled Cheese with Smoked Gouda, Roasted Mushooms and Onions

Tags

gouda, grilled cheese, mushroom, onion, roasted, sandwich, smoked, vegetarian

These little sandwiches are pretty dang tasty. Umami overload. My favorite. Next time I will add roast beef or pastrami. A delicious meal with very little effort.

• Servings: 2
• Time: 35 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 4 tbsp butter
• 4 slices good bread
• 1 cup smoked gouda, shredded

Preheat oven to 400°F. On a baking sheet,  toss sliced mushrooms and onion in olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast the veggies for 20 to 25 minutes, until lightly browning around the edges.

In a non-stick skillet, melt the butter. Take the four slices and dip them in the melted butter. Be sure that the butter is evenly coating the four sides. Remove the skillet from the heat. Assemble the sandwiches in skillet in this order- bread (butter side down), 1/4 of the cheese, roasted onions and mushrooms, 1/4 of the cheese, bread (butter side up). Lightly press together to help things settle. Grill over medium heat until each side is lightly browned and the cheese is melty. Inspired by this recipe.

 

Rosemary Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Sitka Spruce Salt

Tags

fingerling, gluten free, potatoes, roasted, rosemary, side dish, sitka salt, spruce, vegetarian

One of the best side dishes is roasted potatoes. Simple. Frugal. Delicious.

Rosemary Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Sitka Spruce Salt

• 1 lb fingerling potatoes
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
• Olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Sitka spuce salt for finishing

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Halve each of the fingerling potatoes. Place in a cast iron skillet and drizzle with olive oil. Add rosemary, salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until tender. Right before serving, sprinkle the potatoes with the finishing salt. Serves 2 to 3.

Herb and Citrus Roasted Chicken

Tags

chicken, citrus, easy, gluten free, herb, meat, oven, quick, roasted

Busy fall weekends full of football and pumpkin patches and hiking through the leaves needs a quick main dish that required only a bit of prep for a lot of flavor. This recipes gets you there…

Herb and Citrus Roasted Chicken (from the Comfort of Cooking)

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 whole lemons, one juiced and one sliced
• 2 whole oranges, one juiced and one sliced
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 4 lbs of chicken thighs (leave the bones and skin intact)
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp dried rosemary
• Chopped fresh herbs), for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, garlic, sugar, lemon juice, orange juice, Italian seasoning, paprika, onion powder, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper.

Place chicken in a rimmed 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Place parts skin side up and spread them out evenly in the pan. Pour olive oil mixture all over chicken, turning pieces to coat all sides. (If you marinated the chicken in this mixture, still add it all in). Arrange slices of lemon, orange and onion around and under the chicken. Sprinkle all over generously with thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper.

Bake uncovered for about 1 hour, or until chicken is cooked and juices run clear. Remove parts to a serving platter and garnish with additional chopped fresh herbs, if desired. Serves 8.

Oven Roasted Garlic Cauliflower

Tags

cauliflower, garlic, gluten free, pine nuts, roasted, side dish, vegetarian

I bought two heads of cauliflower a couple of weeks ago and never used the second one. They hold surprisingly well in the fridge and I was able to rescue this head before it ruined. I have prepared many salads with cauliflower but I was feeling a little over the mayo coated flavor. Instead I am getting more into roasting vegetables. Zucchini. Mushrooms. Onions. Carrots. The cauliflower roasted just as well as the previously mentioned veggies. The citrus and parsley make the flavor of this dish so fresh and appealing. It does with just about anything, especially grilled meat.

Oven Roasted Garlic Cauliflower

• 1 whole head garlic, cloves separated and peeled
• 1 large head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into large florets
• 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
• 3 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
• 2 tbsp freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower and garlic in two tablespoon of olive oil, two teaspoon of salt, and one teaspoon of pepper.  Spread out onto a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, tossing twice, until the cauliflower is tender and the garlic is lightly browned. Scrape the roasted cauliflower back into the empty mixing bowl, along with the garlic and any pan juices.  Toss well with remaining tablespoon of oil, parsley, pine nuts, and lemon juice.  Salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4.

Roasted New Potatoes and Onions with Truffle Oil

Tags

garden, gluten free, Kentucky Proud, new potatoes, onions, roasted, side dish, truffles, vegetarian

My dear in-laws gave me an ice cream bucket full of new potatoes last week. They are divine. I tend to make simple recipes with new potatoes. I prefer to let their gorgeous flavor and texture shine though. These potatoes are about as simple as they can get but they are packed with amazing flavor.

Roasted New Potatoes and Onions with Truffle Oil

• 1 lb new potatoes, washed and diced
• 1 onion, sliced
• Salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
• Olive oil
• Truffle oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a cast iron skillet, add your onions and potatoes. Toss in desired amount of olive oil (don’t use too much as you will be adding more oil later). Bake until potatoes are tender, stirring half way through (about 30 minutes). Remove potatoes from the oven and add the truffle oil. Toss to distribute evenly. Now would be the time to add fresh truffle shavings if you were lucky enough to have those. Adjust salt and pepper if needed. Enjoy!

Roasted Parsnips with Thyme

Tags

food, new things, parsnips, roasted, side dish, thyme, vegetable

I am embarrassed to say I have never tried parsnips before. It seems so hard to believe now that I think about it. I grew up on a farm. I have my own garden. How have I missed these delightful root vegetables? The first thing I noticed was the really awesome smell, like carrots and earth. It made me want to eat them. The hubby wasn’t as impressed but he is weird like that sometimes.

Roasted Parsnips (thanks to Stefan for the inspiration)

• 1 lb parsnips
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh thyme to taste

Start by cutting the ends off the parsnips and peeling them. Reserve the peels and trimmings. Cut the parsnips into 1/6 inch slices. Put the parsnip peels in a pot or saucepan and add just enough water to cover them. (I also added the thyme stalks for additional flavor.) Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for 30 to 60 minutes. Discard the peels and reserve the parsnip stock.  Preheat the oven to 350F. Parboil the parsnip slices in the parsnip stock with a bit of salt for about 8 minutes. Drain the parboiled parsnips. Combine the parsnip slices with the olive oil and thyme leaves in an oven proof dish. Toss to mix, making sure they are coated with the fat on all sides. Roast for 45-60 minutes until golden, flipping the slices halfway. Season with salt and pepper.

Roasted Garlic and Parmesan Beer Cheese

Tags

appetizer, beer, cheese, food, garlic, parmesan, roasted, snack, Southern

Who doesn’t love beer cheese? In this part of the country, beer cheese is typically made from cold packed cheddar cheese. Everyone has their own secret recipe. Asking someone to share is like asking for the President to hand over state secrets. Though this is not the traditional beer cheese, it is just as tasty. The Beeroness has some really cool recipes in addition to this one, so I suggest you check them out!

One Year Ago: Bacon Bok Choy

Roasted Garlic and Parmesan Beer Cheese (varied from this Beeroness recipe)

• 2 large heads of garlic
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 12 oz cream cheese
• 1 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, plus an additional 1/4 cup for top
• 6 oz smoked Gouda or smoked mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup Shock Top
• 1 tsp red chili sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tbs cornstarch
• Parsley to garnish

Roast garlic for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a food processor, add cream cheese, parmesan, gouda, beer, red chili sauce, salt, pepper and corn starch. Squeeze the roasted heads of garlic until the soft cloves comes out, add the roasted cloves to the food processor.  Pulse until ingredients are well combined. Add to a baking dish, top with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese.

Bake until melted and the top has started to turn a light golden brown.  Remove from oven and garnish with parsley. Serve with pita chips.

Oven Roasted Tomatoes

Tags

Dinner, food, Italian, roasted, Supper, tomatoes

Last time I went to the grocery, I bought a carton of baby tomatoes for my salad. But during the week, I just wasn’t feeling tomatoes on my salad. Weird, I know. Rather than let them go to waste, I roasted them to use on my Mushroom Pesto Pizza. They were very tasty and I can imagine using them with pasta, shrimp… the combinations are endless.

Oven Roasted Tomatoes (adapted from Ina Garten’s recipe)

• 1 carton of baby tomatoes, halved
• 4 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Arrange the tomatoes on a foil lined sheet pan, cut sides up, in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle the garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper over the tomatoes. Roast for 20 minutes, until the tomatoes are concentrated and beginning to caramelize. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Salad with Salt-Roasted Beets, Pecans, and Blue Cheese

Tags

beets, food, inspiration, lemon, roasted, salad, salt, vinaigrette

Having foodie friends is a great way to get inspiration. They tell you about fabulous things they have made or tried. That is how today’s recipe came about. My friend, David (a co-worker and fellow foodie), raved about a dish he tried at a local winery-salad of salt roasted beets with baby arugula, goat cheese, red onion, and truffle vinaigrette.

Pause for a collective yummmm! 

I didn’t eat the dish so obviously I can’t recreate it. But I can be inspired!

Salad with Salt-Roasted Beets, Pecans, and Blue Cheese 

• 3 beets, washed and tops removed
• Salad greens (arugula would be ideal but I had spinach on hand)
• 1/4 pecans, toasted lightly
• 3 small spring onions, thinly sliced
• Blue cheese
• Salt
• Lemon Vinaigrette (see below)

Spread a thin layer of salt on the bottom of small oven safe glass dish or roasting pan the pan. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the beets in the pan on top of the salt. Cover well with foil; bake about an hour, or until tender. Remove from oven and allow to cool enough to handle.

Combine the greens, pecans, onion, and blue cheese. When cool, gently peel the beets with the edge of a knife, being careful not to gouge out any of the meat. (Do this wearing something you aren’t in love with. These things are very magenta!) Slice the beets thinly and quarter into bite sized pieces and place on top of the salad. Apply Lemon Vinaigrette as desired. Serves 3.

Lemon Vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Combine the above ingredients well. Refrigerate any leftovers.