Roasted veggies for the veggiphobic

We eat a lot of vegetables, at least 5 servings a day, as part of me "practicing what I preach." Oh, plus we just really like vegetables. I can honestly say that we have been very successful in moving the meat portion of our meal out of the center of the plate.

Roasting is probably the most common thing we're doing these days. I don't think there's a vegetable in the world that can't be improved in a 450 degree oven. And these can hardly even be called recipes, once you do it once or twice, you start to improvise and experiment with whatever is lying around the house. The trick is the high oven temp and using just enough oil to lightly coat things -- we're not oven frying here.

Roasted Asparagus
Use really thick stalks, not the little stringy ones that come in spring. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper, rub with olive oil. Lay them all out flat on the baking sheet and put in a 450 degree oven. Watch them. Roll them around about every 8 minutes. When they are brown and green and crispy, pull them out and eat them.

Roasted Cauliflower
Cut up a head of cauliflower into mouth sized chunks. Toss with 1/8 cup of white wine vinegar, 1/8 cup of dijon or whole grain mustard, and 1/8 cup of olive oil. Spread on the baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast at 450 degrees until brown spots start to show, stirring them around every 10 minutes or so.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Quarter the sprouts, toss them with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast until the outer leaves start to look crispy, tossing every 10 minutes or so. You can also chop some slab bacon into a small dice and toss that in with them.

Salmon Cakes for Valentine's Day

When I asked my mother what heart-shaped food she wanted for Valentine's Day, she did not hesitate a minute before she said... "salmon cakes." Not brownies, cupcakes, or caramels. Salmon cakes. I think I might be finally getting through to her. Anyway, this is a simple recipe that we've been eating a lot since last May, when we bought a case of canned salmon while we were in Alaska. The original recipe calls for cooking a fillet and flaking that, but the bones in the canned salmon give it that added shot of calcium. So that, the heart-healthy omega-3's, and the dark leafy greens along side of it, render a meal that is a little more in line with showing mom I love her than a box of chocolates.


Happy Valentine's Day! For a round-up of other heart shaped foods, go here:

http://kochtopf.twoday.net/stories/4625274/




Salmon Cakes

8 ounces salmon, canned or cooked fillet
4 T. chopped green onion
1/2 cup small dice red pepper
1 T mayonnaise
4 T sour cream
2 T lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
16 whole wheat crackers
4 T egg or egg substitute

Mix salmon, red pepper, green onion, mayo, sour cream, lemon juice and black pepper.
Turn the crackers into crumbs (with your hands, a food processor, a mallet) and add, with the egg, to the salmon mixture. If not using little heart shaped molds bought just for the occasion, divide the mixture into 4 balls, pat into patties, and saute in an oiled pan until crispy and brown on both sides.

Serve with sauteed spinach and a sauce made from 2 T sour cream, 1 T lemon juice, and Old Bay seasoning to taste.