Good-for-You Everyday Meals Day 3

Whew...it's been a fun week here on EMM...3 days of new recipes from Gooseberry Patch from their latest cookbook, Good-for-You Everyday Meals. We've already enjoyed an overnight oatmeal recipe; and a fantastic chicken dinner you're family will love. Today, I am ending this fabulous week with a veggie dish that is hands down, my new favorite roasted vegetable recipe; and one that could easily be served a couple different ways.

I love roasted vegetables. In fact, I think folks out there who turn their noses up at veggies, or maybe their kids do, should try roasting them before they write them off completely. Cooking veggies in the oven with oil and seasonings just does something magical to them. It gives them an almost "nutty" flavor, developing the sugars more than if boiled or steamed; and results in sweet, tender, and delicious dishes.

I've made a ton of roasted veggie recipes, trying different combinations, different spices and herbs...and without a doubt, this is definitely in my top 3 of all time. The minute I saw onion soup mix in the recipe, I had a hunch it would be dynamite because I already make a roasted red potato recipe using it, and they are out of this world yummy.

I love all the colors this dish has, along with the variety of veggies themselves. I served them along side a beef roast, but there is no doubt they could easily be a main dish for a scrumptious meat-free meal. Or even better, make them when having a large group over, and let them play double duty as a side dish for those who do eat meat, and a main dish for those who don't! Plus, it's totally adaptable to include your favorite vegetables.

As other Gooseberry Patch recipes I share, I will give it to you as published, with any changes I made in the note below.

In case you are coming to the party a little late, be sure to stop by Monday's post to see how you can win a copy of Good-for-You Everyday Meals for yourself!

Sisters' Baked Harvest Vegetables
Found on page 151 Submitted by Stacy Lane, Laurel, DE
4 potatoes or 2 potatoes and 2 turnips, peeled and cubed
1 bunch broccoli, cut into bite-size florets
2 c. green beans, trimmed
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4" rounds
1 zucchini, cut into 1/4" rounds
1 yellow squash, cut into 1/4" rounds
1/2 c. olive oil
1 (1.35 oz.) package onion soup mix

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all vegetables in a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Drizzle with oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with soup mix and toss again. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes until all veggies are tender. *NOTE* I omitted the green beans and broccoli, but added 1 extra potato and carrot.  I also substituted parsnips for the 2 turnips. I also sprinkled with a little parsley at the end before serving.

Shared on The Country Cook Mar. 7, 2014

Vegetables at Very Good Recipes

Bitter Cold

Has the deep freeze of winter found it's way to your neck of the woods yet? I can honestly say, it found us in Indiana, and much sooner than what we are normally used to. Sure, we live in the Midwest, and during winter we know it's going to get cold...very cold, but when the wind chill factors are in the negative digits 2 weeks before Christmas, before the first official day of winter, they seem even more harsh to our bodies that are trying to adapt.

We're talking the kind of cold that takes your breath away the second you step out into it. The kind of cold that you feel like you have to squint when you're outside. Not because the sun is too bright...there is no sun...but you're afraid your eyes are going to freeze open! That kind of bone chilling cold is exactly what we were dealing with the day I made this soup.

We love soup, anytime, but no other time more than when we are freezing. When the thermometer can't get above zero, it just makes the soup taste better. It fills you up, thaws you out, and helps your body to feel more human-like again.

Now, if you're like my husband and after reading the recipe ask "Um, where is the protein?", don't worry. You won't miss it! Yep, it's all veggies, of every color you can think of, hanging out to make something so delicious I guarantee you will be making it again and again during these cold winter months. Plus, you can add other veggies, substitute others out, the possibilities are endless!

If you feel like you will never be warm again, think about hot sunny days spend on the warms sands of a beach somewhere. Go to that happy place in your head; and then make this soup!

Slow Cooker Veggie Soup Adapted from Hometown Christmas
3 (14 oz.) cans chicken or vegetable broth
3/4 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, with juice
2 medium zucchini, diced
2 medium yellow squash, diced
8 small red potatoes, diced
3 medium carrots, diced
1/2 TBS dill weed
1 TBS dried oregano
1 TBS dried parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste
Green Onions, for garnish

Place all ingredients, except green onions in Crock Pot. Stir to combine. Cook on HIGH for 1 hour. Reduce heat and cook on LOW for 6 more hours. Garnish with green onions before serving.

Soup at Very Good Recipes

Harvest Time

Anybody else "reaping what you sewed" back in May and June, but in a good way? Tons of gardens across the country are providing their owners w/ beautiful fruits and vegetables; others, stricken by the extreme heat and dryness not so much. We fall in the middle somewhere. We currently have enough tomatoes (5 different varieties) to feed our house, and the neighbors. Seriously.....I am giving them a gallon size bag full about every other day. We've had a few butternut squash ripen and a few more on the way. A couple cucumbers survived and just yesterday Alex found his first pumpkin--grown from "Giant Pumpkin" seeds from the grand champion at the state fair last year. (We're keeping our fingers crossed!) However, although we are enjoying all of what our garden has to offer, zucchini and yellow squash did not fare so well. Luckily though, someone's did b/c there is an abundance of them at the farmer's market and local grocery stores. (Kudos to Walmart for buying locally grown produce) If you enjoyed my Stuffed Yellow Squash why not give this a try too? Courtesy of Rachael Ray this is a simple side dish that is filled w/ beautiful colors. In fact, while it is very "summer like"  the colors themselves remind me of autumn. The yellows and reds that fill the horizon w/ just a tad of green leftover. If you have a crisper drawer full of zucchini and yellow squash, lucky you! If not, go find a couple at a road side stand and saute this up for supper tonight!


Sauteed Yellow Squash Adapted from Rachael Ray


2 medium yellow squash, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
2 TBS butter
1/2 TBS olive oil
1/2 TBS vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 TBS fresh chives, chopped

In a large skillet over medium heat, add oils and butter. Once the butter has melted, add the squash and red pepper. Season w/ salt and pepper. Saute until squash is tender, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Add chives  and test for salt and pepper.

Shared on It's A Keeper Sept. 15, 2011
Shared on Around My Family Table Sept. 15, 2011
Shared on Simply Sweet Home Sept. 15, 2011
Shared on Miz Helen's Country Cottage Sept. 15, 2011
Shared on Jane Deere Sept. 16, 2011
Shared on Six Sisters' Stuff Sept. 17, 2011

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Vegetable With a Kick

So I'm walking through the produce aisle at the store last week and I'm thinking "we need something different". Green beans, Brussels sprouts, cucumbers, tomatoes, these are all things we eat on a pretty regular basis. But I was in the mood for something new, something we'd never tried before. I spotted the yellow squash and zucchini and thought, "mmmm, maybe something w/ those". Well, I've done each steamed w/ butter, salt and pepper a thousand times, and we just had zucchini in our butter bean soup last week, so yellow squash it was. I bought 2 and decided I would turn to my trusty friend the Internet and fellow foodie bloggers to come up w/ something. ComposeWell, it didn't take long b/c as luck would have it over at For The Love of Cooking there was a simple, and very "new" way to prepare these 2 yellow squash that were sitting in my crisper drawer destined to be cooked, or forgotten about depending on what I found. I was already planning a pasta dish tonight, so I'm thinking what better side than an "Italian" vegetable. And w/ Alex, if I put marinara and cheese on anything, heck it could be a shoe tongue, he will think it's the greatest thing ever!

Stuffed Yellow Squash

Olive oil or cooking spray
2 yellow squash
1/2 c. marinara sauce
2 TBS Parmesan cheese, grated
2 TBS Italian seasoned Panko bread crumbs (I'm using Italian seasoned "regular" bread crumbs b/c I have them)
Salt/Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Coat a baking dish w/ a bit of olive oil or cooking spray. Cut the yellow squash in half lengthwise & slightly scoop out the filling down the center. Season squash w/ salt and pepper. Spoon the marinara down the center of each, equally. Sprinkle Parmesan on top of marinara and top w/ bread crumbs. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Shared on Everyday Sisters Sept. 4, 2011