Classic Roasted Vegetables

I served these veggies at the dinner party I had at my house last night too. I have to admit I was surprised by how much I liked them. They truly are very tasty!!

CLASSIC ROASTED VEGETABLES

2 medium red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 4 panels
1 medium zucchini, trimmed and cut on the diagonal into 1/4 inch slices
1 medium yellow squash, trimmed and cut on the diagonal into 1/4 inch slices
1 medium sweet onion cut into wedges
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place one oven rack in the upper third of the oven and one in the lower third. Spray 2 baking sheets with nonstick spray, set aside.
2. Add all ingredients into a large bowl. Toss well to evenly coat with seasonings. Divide the vegetables between the 2 baking sheets.
3. Bake the vegetables, tossing occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, 25-30 minutes. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

Mexican-Style Grilled Corn

This corn is really good! We made it a couple of times in the last month. The kids didn't like the sauce, but we are working with them on it.

Mexican-Style Grilled Corn

INGREDIENTS:

AFTER COOKING MIXTURE
- vegetable oil, for the cooking grate
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons sour cream
- 3 tablespoons cilantro, minced (we didn't put this in because we didn't have any at the time)
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper to taste, (optional)
- 4 teaspoons lime juice
- 1 ounce queso fresco, (or Romano cheese)

BEFORE COOKING MIXTURE
- 4 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, (or 1/4 teaspoon table salt)
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 4 to 6 corn ears, husks and silk removed


METHOD:

1. Turn on the grill to high and heat grill with lid down until very hot, about 15 minutes. Scrape the grate clean with grill brush. Dip wad of paper towels in vegetable oil; holding wad with tongs, wiping cooking grate.

2. While grill is heating, combine Before Cooking Mixture (oil, salt and chili powder). Add corn and coat until coated evenly. We found it easiest to put the ingredients into a zip lock back and mix that way.

3. Combine the After Cooking Mixture in the zip lock back, omitting the remaining chili powder.

4. Leave the burners on high and cook corn with lid down, turning corn occasionally, until lightly charred on all sides, 7 to 12 minutes total. Remove from grill and place in bag with After Cooking Mixture, toss to coat evenly. Serve immediately.

Adapted from Cooks Illustrated.

Tangy Broccoli Salad

3/4 cup light miracle whip dressing
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. white vinegar
6 cups of broccoli cut into florets
6 slices of bacon, cooked, crumbled
1 small red onion, chopped

Mix dressing, sugar and vinegar in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients, mix lightly. Special extra: add 1/4 cup raisins just before serving.

Yams in Orange Sauce

We had these yams for Thanksgiving. They are really great. The recipe is from Scott's Great Aunt Helen Beth.


Yams in Orange Sauce

6 yams
1 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons grated orange rind
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
Pinch of salt

Cook yams in salted water for 30 minutes. Peel and slice into a greased casserole. Heat orange juice, butter, sugar and salt in saucepan. When boiling, remove from heat and stir in the dissolved cornstarch. Return to heat and stir constantly until syrup again comes to a boil. Add the grated orange rind. Pour over the yams. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Apple Sausage Stuffing

We had this stuffing for Thanksgiving. It tastes really good. It is the best stuffing I've had in a while. It was excellent all by itself.


Ingredients

	1	lb. sweet Italian bulk sausage
	2	Tbsp. butter
	2	Tbsp. olive oil
	4	cups chopped yellow onions (we put in 2 cups)
	2	cups chopped celery (including some leaves) (we put in 4 cups)
	5	cups chopped green apples (cored)
	2	Tbsp. minced fresh sage
	2	Tbsp. minced fresh thyme
	½	tsp. ground allspice
	12	oz. cubed bread stuffing mix (we used bread crumbs that we had already)
	½ to 1	cup chicken or turkey stock, or water
	~	Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the sausage, breaking it up with a spoon while it cooks. Once the sausage is cooked through, which takes about 10 minutes, remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside in a large bowl.
3. Add butter and olive oil to the skillet; once the butter has melted, add the onions and celery. Saute until the onions are tender, about 15 minutes. Add apples and cook until tender, about 10 minutes, but still keep their shape. Add sage, thyme, and allspice, and stir to combine.
4. Remove skillet from heat and empty contents into the bowl with the sausage. Add stuffing mix and enough broth or water to moisten the bread but not make it soggy. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Butter a large 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Fill dish with stuffing and bake for about 40 minutes, until heated through and golden on the top.

Original Recipe at Culinate Kitchen.