Zucchini Roasted with Thyme

Does it get any easier than a 4-ingredient recipe? This is a real quick, healthy side dish for weeknight meals or alongside something more complex.

Serves 2

4 Zucchini
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a baking sheet with pam or drizzle olive oil.

Thinly slice the zucchini lengthwise and toss with olive oil and salt. Sprinkle with thyme and roast for about 30 minutes or until desired softness. Enjoy!

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Oven-Roasted Wild Mushrooms with Goat Cheese and Chili Oil

This is actually a Bobbly Flay recipe that I stumbled upon on GroupRecipes.com.

It’s a wonderful mix of earthy, spicy, and rich flavors and it’s quite simple to make. If you’re short on time or don’t have a blender, buy some chili oil at the store which will work just as well as making your own.

• 8 cups mushrooms (I used cremini, oyster, shitake, and hen of the woods), stems removed and cut into sizeable pieces
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
• 1/2 cup chile oil, recipe follows or use store bought
• 8 ounces goat cheese, cut into 8 slices
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
  Chile oil:
• 1 cup olive oil
• 2 ounces dried New Mexico peppers
• 1 ounce dried arbol chile powder
• 2 tablespoons ancho powder (or regular chili powder works fine if you can’t find arbol or ancho, like me)
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. Place all chili oil ingredients in a blender and puree. Strain mixture through a fine strainer. Reserve. This may be done up to one day in advance.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the mushrooms with the olive oil, and shallots, then season with salt and black pepper.
  4. Arrange the mushrooms evenly in one layer in a heavy roasting pan and roast for 15 minutes or until tender. Drizzle with 1/2 cup of chile oil and top with the slices of cheese. Bake until hot, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven, garnish with thyme, and drizzle with the remaining chile oil. Serve with lots of crusty French bread or as a side dish.

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Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Porcini Mushrooms

For some reason I’ve been geeking out on brussel sprouts lately. I see them on a menu and can’t wait to order them. Perhaps it’s because I never had to eat them as a child, I feel as if I’ve been cheated of some childhood rite of passage. Make me eat those sprouts, darnit! Anyway, I felt it was high time that I prepped some at home and I was very pleased with how this recipe turned out.

Think brussels sprouts are gross? Wait until you try this deliciously simple recipe, perfect for weeknight meals. After roasting in the oven for under twenty minutes, the sprouts will be soft to the touch and the outsides should peel off, while the insides remain tough and crunchy. You can make a bunch of these in advance and then keep them in your refrigerator, like I did. They actually soak up additional flavor over time.

Ingredients:
20 brussels sprouts
2 tbsp olive oil
2 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
2 tsp garlic powder
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400F. While the oven is preheateing, fill a small bowl with hot water and soak the porcinis in the bowl. In a larger bowl, toss the brussel sprouts with olive oil, salt, and garlic powder.

When the oven has reached 400 degrees, place brussel sprouts on a baking sheet and roast for approximately 16 minutes, depending on your desired level of softness.

When the sprouts are done, pour the porcini and water mix on top of the sprouts in the pan. Dump the sprouts and porcinis (with water) into a bowl, and toss to coat. The porcini water will soak into the sprouts, giving them a delightful earthy flavor. Serve now, or place in your refrigerator for future enjoyment.

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Wasabi Edamame with Black Sesame Seeds

Here is a fast way to jazz up some frozen edamame for weeknight meals. This dish is inspired by the edamame with lime oil that I had at Kuma Inn.

Ingredients:
1 bag frozen, shelled edamame (16 oz.)
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp black sesame seeds
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 lemon
1 tsp wasabi paste (or more if you like extra heat)

Place the bag of frozen edamame in a bowl and in the microwave for 3 minutes. (Yes, the microwave!) In the meanwhile, whisk together soy, sesame oil, and wasabi paste in a small bowl. Juice the lemon into the small bowl.

When edamame is finished, add sesame seeds and sauce from the small bowl. Ey Voila! A protein rich, delicious, healthy side dish

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Steamed Broccoli with Pine Nuts and Sundried Tomatoes

Here is a quick and healthy side dish that can be made ahead of time and enjoyed for weeknight meals. For a more robust meal, pair with the protein of your choice. Some sauteed salmon or a turkey burger would be a great fit.

Serves 2 people as a side dish.
Difficulty level: Easy

1 lb. Pre-cut broccoli florets or whole bunches with stems chopped off, cut into bite-sized florets
2 oz. pine nuts
2 oz. sundried tomatoes packed in olive oil
1 tbsp olive oil
Pinch of salt

Fill a large pot with about an inch of water and bring to a boil. Place the broccoli florets in a steamer if you have one or directly in the boiling water with a cover.
Steam broccoli for 6 minutes or until it begins to change color to a deeper green. Be careful not to overcook and turn the broccoli to mush.

While the broccoli is steaming, toast pine nuts in a small skillet over low heat until the pine nuts turn a pale brown color.

Drain broccoli in a colander, shaking off any excess water. Place broccoli in a large bowl and toss with olive oil and a pinch of salt.

Coarsely chop the sundried tomatoes, releasing extra oil as you chop. Use the oil to flavor your broccoli or discard for a lighter dish.

Add the sundried tomatoes and toasted pine nuts to the broccoli, toss and enjoy!
Serve either hot or cold.

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