Tag Archives: Vegetables

Lemon and Garlic Roasted Brussels Sprouts – Episode 5

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In Episode 5, I’m making one of my favorite “tastes-fancier-than-it-is” vegetables, a lemon and garlic roasted brussels sprouts dish. Brussels sprouts get a bad rap, don’t you think? I can’t say I was much of a fan of them either—until I stumbled upon this particular recipe a few years ago. So often recipes try to drown the natural, cabbage-y brussels flavor with stronger elements—bacon, cheese, sugar, for example—but instead, this recipe creates just a little sweetness through the natural roasting process and then the jolt of lemon just perks and brightens up the whole dish, I think. What I love most about this brussels sprouts recipe is that it works well cold or hot, making it perfect for potlucks and dinner parties. 

Lemon and Garlic Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Roasting brussels sprouts brings out their natural sweetness!

Roasting brussels sprouts brings out their natural sweetness!

About 2 lbs Brussels Sprouts, washed and halved (make sure to leave a little bit of the stem intact so the sprout holds together)

1 tablespoon Olive Oil, divided

3 cloves of garlic, chopped thin

Fresh juice of one lemon

Kosher Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place the Brussels in a large bowl. Add half the olive oil (about a teaspoon and a half; eyeball it) and season with a bit of kosher salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking dish and pop in the oven to roast for 20-25 minutes or until nicely browned, making sure to toss the Brussels a few times for even cooking. When the Brussels are done cooking, begin heating the remaining oil over medium low heat. Sauté the garlic until the edges just begin to brown, then remove from heat and quickly add in the lemon juice. Pour mixture over Brussels and stir well. That’s it!

Photo: Lauren Hunter

Egg and Vegetable Fried Rice (with a Trader Joe’s Cheat!) – Episode 4

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It’s easy to make fried rice a meal when you add a little extra protein, either meat or eggs, and a heaping of fresh veggies. In this episode, I’m going for a vegetarian option, so we’ll be adding eggs, scallion, and other crisp-tender goodness. Oh, by the way, yeah, I start with a bag of Trader Joe’s frozen vegetable fried rice. But believe me, the few little tweaks you see here take the meal from “Okay, that was easy and tasted good” to “Okay! I could even serve that for guests!”

If you’d like to make this recipe from scratch and ditch the prepared rice, just use 4 cups of day-old COLD rice from the fridge, and add about 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, mixed with a few teaspoons water for your sauce at the end.

Egg and Vegetable Fried Rice (with Trader Joe’s Cheat)

Chunky vegetables makes fried rice so much more delish.

Chunky vegetables make fried rice so much more delish.

One bag frozen, prepared veggie fried rice, like Trader Joe’s brand

Two cups fresh broccoli florets

one bunch scallions, roughly chopped

2 eggs, beaten

Two medium-sized chopped carrots

1 Tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce or Teriyaki sauce

1 Tablespoon sesame oil, divided

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil, divided

  1. Heat 1 ½ teaspoons of vegetable oil in wok, over medium-high heat.
  2. Add eggs and scallions, breaking up as it cooks. When egg is light golden brown, push mixture to one side of pan.
  3. Add 1 ½ teaspoons of sesame oil to wok.
  4. Add Broccoli and carrots to wok. Cook over medium-high heat until still crisp (about 3 minutes), combining with egg and scallions.
  5. Add remaining oils and bag of frozen Trader Joe’s vegetable Fried Rice, or 4 cups cold rice. Cook until heated through (and rice is a bit crispy), about 5 minutes.
  6. Just before removing from heat, add soy sauce and stir well.
  7. Serve with Sriracha Sauce, if you’re so inclined. Yum!

Amazingly Simple Pesto Spaghetti– Episode 3

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Pesto is one of my weekly staples. Basically all you need is a food processor or “mini-prep;” you toss the ingredients in and blend and you’ve got a fresh sauce. Sometimes I’ll pair this with store-bought tortellini or ravioli, instead of spaghetti– and if your kids don’t go for the pesto flavor, you can always serve them the noodles with a smidge of butter/olive oil and fresh mozzarella. You can also change up the basil for arugula (or do a mix of both) for more variety.

Pesto & Whole Wheat Spaghetti

Adding fresh tomatoes to pesto spaghetti makes a one-bowl meal.

Adding fresh tomatoes to pesto spaghetti makes a one-bowl meal.

(Serves 2-4)

2 cups Basil

¼  cup Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons  Pine nuts

1 clove Garlic

½ teaspoon Kosher Salt

½ c Parmesan cheese

8 oz Whole wheat spaghetti

1 cup Grape Tomatoes, cut into quarters

Fresh mozzarella

  1. Place the first four ingredients (basil through garlic) into the mini-processor. Chop or grind until a paste forms, stopping down to push basil and other ingredients back down.
  2. Add salt and Parmesan cheese. Blend until smooth. Allow pesto to rest 10 minutes before serving, for flavors to meld.
  3. Divide whole wheat spaghetti into bowls. Place 2 heaping Tablespoons of pesto on each serving.
  4. Garnish with cut tomatoes, and dollops of fresh mozzarella. Enjoy!

Photo: Lauren Hunter

Roasted Family Friendly Vegetables (Broccoli, Carrots, Red Potatoes) from TODAY SHOW!

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For those who have asked, here’s the roasted vegetable recipe I made on the TODAY Show this morning! 

Kids love the sweetness of Roasted Broccoli, Carrots and Red Potatoes.

Kids love the sweetness of Roasted Broccoli, Carrots and Red Potatoes.

Roasted “Family-Friendly” Vegetables (Broccoli, Carrots and Red Potatoes)

 2 heads broccoli

5 large carrots, peeled and quartered

1.5 pounds red potatoes, quartered

3 large garlic cloves, chopped

1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

I love roasted vegetables, especially wintery veggies like roots. But it can be a little time consuming to peel and cube, say, a parsnip—not to mention that offering parsnips to a two-year-old doesn’t always go over so well! So here’s a simple roasted vegetable recipe using veggies that are easy to cut up and will please eaters of all ages (my two-year old Jacob LOVES the broccoli!). Roasting is a great alternative to basic steamed vegetables.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the broccoli florets into bite-sized pieces. Place the broccoli, carrots, potatoes and garlic into a large bowl. Add oil, rosemary, salt and pepper and mix well. Place on a cookie sheet, taking care to tuck the garlic pieces underneath a few veggies so it doesn’t burn  (you also might need to spread the vegetables out over two cookie sheets for even roasting). Roast for 30-35 minutes or until desired doneness, stirring once. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, while the vegetables are still hot.