Thank you all so much for joining in on the recipe exchange! I’m super excited to try all of them. To give you all your due, and so you don’t have to comb through the comments of the last post, here are all of the contributors, links to their blogs and the posts where they talk about the recipe (in alphabetical order by first name, of course).
*Anna fulfills my longtime desire for a delicious recipe for Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps.
*Camilla shares a link her favorite farro salad, which is perfect for entertaining.
*Mary points us to a post including a plethora of favorites, including lasangne and fajitas!
*Natalie shares a neat site and gives us a recipe for the perfect, easy dish that will impress family and friends (but not stress you out).
*Raquel links us a to a super yummy vegan soup recipe.
*Sara gives us a link to what looks like a crazy delicious Italian Sausage and Pasta Soup
*Shawnee gives us a super-yummy vegetarian recipe for Mozzerella Stuffed Arancini.
*Tricia shares a link to a fat free butternut squash soup on Nigella.com.
Thank you all for playing! You rock. Now I can pack all of my cookbooks without a worry that I won’t be able to come up with something to make for dinner. I’ll announce the winner of the totally randomly selected prize shortly.
I promised you some recipes too, right? They share a roasted summer vegetable theme. Here goes:
Whole Grain Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Feta
1.5 cups Trader Joe’s whole grain mix (if you can’t find this, substitute 1 cup quinoa, lentils, barley, wheatberries or whatever your favorite whole grain is, and if you can’t find/don’t like those, try whole wheat couscous or orzo)
1 large eggplant, cut into bite size chunks
2 medium zucchini, cut into bite size chunks
1 large red bell pepper, cut into bite size chunks
1 yellow summer squash cut into bite size chunks
1 onion, sliced into half-rings
2T olive oil
3T crumbled feta cheese (you can omit if you don’t like it, or substitute diced mozzerella)
1/2 t salt
ground pepper
Pre-heat oven to 400.
Throw all of your vegetables into a large bowl, and drizzle with olive oil. Toss so that they are all nice and coated with oil. Sprinkle over salt and a few generous grinds of pepper and then toss again so they’re evenly coated. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray, then spread the vegetables in a relatively even layer on the baking sheet. Place in the oven and roast for 20 minutes, stirring after 10.
Prepare your starch/grains according to the package directions. When they are done, put them in a large serving bowl, then add the roasted vegetables and toss so that they are all mixed up together. Add the crumbled feta and toss again. Taste to be sure there is enough oil, salt, and pepper to suit you. If you are not using feta, you will likely want to add more salt. That’s it! Easy, healthy, delicious and satisfying, especially if you’ve got good vegetables.
Buttermilk Cornbread Soup
*a less caloric version of my favorite buttermilk cornbread
1 lb package frozen sweet corn kernels
2 cups chicken stock (or veggie stock if you prefer)
1 cup buttermilk
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
2 T olive oil, divided
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil (this really is important, as corn kernels are tricky little guys and very difficult to get off the baking sheet and into the soup pot without the help of the foil).
Toss corn kernels, 1T olive oil, a few generous grinds of pepper and salt in a large bowl. Spread in an even layer on the baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, stirring after 10.
Heat remaining 1T oil in your soup pot over medium heat and sautee the onion until it is soft and translucent. Add the garlic and sautee for another minute. Add your nicely roasted corn kernels and stir to combine, then pour in the stock. Bring the whole thing to a boil, then lower to a simmer for 10 minutes. Using an immersion blender, a food mill, or a regular blender in batches, puree the soup until it is smooth. If you want it *really* smooth you can pour it through a seive back into the soup pot. Add the buttermilk, stir to combine, and simmer until heated through. Then eat! It is a very sweet, mild soup with a great corn flavor. It can definitely stand a little bit of extra salt, or mix-ins like sour cream, cheese, corn chips, crackers or whatever you like.
Yay for cooking!
In other news, I promise there will be a post with pictures very soon! It is a crafty friends jackpot week here in San Francisco. Yesterday I got to spend the afternoon with the lovely Susan, and today we’re going on a top secret crafty mission with Christina, Natalie and Tricia. Can’t wait!