From KitchenDaily:

The leaves are turning and the markets are full of pumpkins and squash. What better time to roast your veggies. You can add as much or as little as you like to this medley. Sometimes I’ll toss in a turnip or I’ve even added celery root. Of course if you add a lot of veggies you may need to increase the butter so you can coat them all. And you might run out of space; but can you ever have too many veggies?

Roasted Autumn Vegetables
4 Tablespoons butter, softened
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pint brussel sprouts, cut in half
3-4 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
3-4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 small butternut or other winter squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 onion, coarsley chopped
2 Tablespoons sage
2 teaspoons thyme
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Heat the oven to 425 F. Put butter, garlic, sage and thyme in a large roasting pan and melt.

2. Place remaining vegetables in roasting pan and stir to coat.

3. Bake for about 30 minutes. Stir half way through the time. The vegetables are done when they are golden and can be easily pierced with a fork.

Last weekend I decided it was time to experiment with the bulgar wheat in my pantry. It was time to break out of my two-bulgar-recipe-rut. This is what I made and it turned out quite tasty.

Ingredients

olive oil
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can of diced tomatoes, with juice
1 can of white beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup of vegetable stock
1 cup of bulgar wheat

Directions

1. Saute carrots and onion in olive oil until soft
2. Add garlic, tomatoes, and stock; Bring to a boil.
3. Add beans and bulgar wheat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and let it sit for another 10 minutes to absorb liquids.
5. Serve with freshly grated pepper and parmesan cheese.

When I first moved to D.C. I lived in a group house. Luckily we all liked each other and half of us were vegetarian so we would make dinner together at least once a week. I managed to capture a few recipes on paper before we went our separate ways. This one is easy, fast and quite tasty.

CM’s Spicy Soba
1 lb soba noodles (buckwheat noodles)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2-3 Tbsp garlic chili sauce (Siricha)
1 pinch of sugar
2-3 sliced green onions (optional garnish)
2-3 Tbsp sesame seeds (optional garnish)

1. Boil soba and drain in cold water
2. Mix soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, chili sauce and pinch of sugar to make sauce.
3. Combine sauce with soba
4. Add garnish
5. Serve immediately

This is a variation on a recipe from Bon Appetit. It is pretty easy and quick!

Pasta with Pesto, Beans and Broccoli
8 oz chunky pasta (I’ve used ditalini and penne)
1 lb broccoli, cut into 2 inch chunks
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper
1 can cannelli (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained
1 cup pesto
1 Tablespoon vinegar

1. Cook pasta in large pot of salted water for about 3 mins. Add the broccoli and continue boiling until the pasta is al dente and the broccoli is almost tender.

2. Drain the pasta and broccoli and leave in the pot.

3. In a separate medium saucepan, bring vegetable broth and red pepper to a simmer. Add beans and simmer until the beans are heated, about 4-5 minutes.

4. Add bean mixture, pesto and vinegar to the pasta and broccoli. Stir well.

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…You’ve made a great meal. – Dead Kennedys

I bought a soup cookbook a few weeks ago and was inspired to make minestrone this weekend. Normally I follow recipes to the letter, but not this time.

Sarah’s Minestrone

3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
2-3 ribs of celery, sliced or chopped (or both)
1-2 carrots, sliced or chopped (or both)
1-2 Tbls olive oil

Combine in large heavy saucepan and saute for about 2 mins.

2 cans diced tomatoes
1 Tbls italian seasoning or equivalent mixture of oregano and basil

Add tomatoes and spices and simmer for 15 mins.

3 cups vegetable broth
1 can navy beans or kidney beans (drained)
1-2 cups of chunky pasta – digitalini, elbow macaroni, etc

Add broth, beans and pasta and simmer for 15 mins.

Serve with a freshly ground pepper and sprinkle of parmesean cheese.

I made this for a recent work potluck and there weren’t any leftovers to take home. It pairs well with tomatoes or as a foil for hamburgers. It is perfect for summer picnics. I think I clipped the original recipe from Better Homes and Gardens but I’ve tweaked it a bit.

Ingredients:

2 large sweet onions, thinly sliced (break out your mandolin!)
2 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
3/4 cup white vinegar
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 dried chilies (optional)
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon dill

Directions:

1. Combine onions and cucumbers in a large bowl.
2. Combine vinegar and remaining ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to boil and cook 1 minute or until sugar dissolves.
3. Pour hot vinegar over the onions and cucumbers. Toss to make sure everything is coated with the vinegar.
4. Cover and chill 4 hours or overnight.