Cooking Method: Roasting

Asparagus with Mushrooms & Parmesan

It's prime asparagus season. I picked up some very thin ones at the farmer's market last week. Here it is prepared with wine soaked mushrooms.

By Leslie Blythe

Roasted Rainbow Vegetables

I had my last catering job of 2013 last night (unless, I get a last minute call!). I made Coq au Vin and a side dish of roast rainbow vegetables. I found some organic carrots of "many colors" at Trader Joes's. These carrots are red, orange and yellow. I also bought their red, gold and purple potatoes. You can use any fresh herbs you like. I used rosemary and thyme. It's SO colorful!

By Leslie Blythe

Roasted Squash with Lemon Tahini Sauce

Roasted Squash with Lemon Tahini Sauce makes an excellent side dish. You can really use any kind of squash. My sister-in-law, who lives in England, brought me a stack of recipes she has cut out of magazines. This recipe my nephew, Will, made. Oddly enough, it's from Bon Appetit. It was excellent. You can really use any kind of squash. I used a Kabocha and an Acorn squash in the recipe.

By Leslie Blythe

Moroccan Chicken with Apricots, Almonds & Chickpeas

This wonderful Moroccan chicken dish is meant to be cooked in a tagine. A tagine is a unique type of ceramic or clay cookware that's popular in Morocco. The bottom is a wide, circular shallow dish used for both cooking and serving, while the top of the tagine is distinctively shaped into a rounded dome or cone. The word "tagine" also refers to the dish which is slow-cooked inside the cooking vessel. Typically, a tagine is a rich stew of meat, chicken, or fish, and most often includes vegetables or fruit.

However, you can easily make this dish in a Dutch oven or crockpot.

By Leslie Blythe

Spicy Dr. Pepper Shredded Pork

The Pioneer Woman makes this Spicy Dr. Pepper Shredded Pork, which looked really good. It reminded me of Coca Cola basted ham (I guess that's for another blog). I made it in a crockpot. Also, I put in about half of the chipotle chiles and it was very spicy, which I love. You can serve it with tortillas or rolls.

By Leslie Blythe

Honey & Lemon Glazed Roast Chicken

Honey & Lemon Glazed Roast Chicken has a great combination of flavors! This little free-range, organic, antibiotic free, chicken is delicious!

By Leslie Blythe

Spanish Roasted Potatoes with Tomato Sauce

I am always looking for new ways to make potatoes. "Patatas Bravas" is a classic Spanish tapas dish and is served in bars all over Spain. The sauce has a slight bite from the Tabasco, hence the name bravas, which means "fierce." They are also called "angry" potatoes. You can serve them with toothpicks as a snack or as a side dish.

By Leslie Blythe

Roasted Balsamic Potatoes, Onions and Broccoli

Some of my best recipes have come off the packages of products. This one I found on the side of a bag of Pacific Gold Baby White Potatoes. It was one of those things that I happened to have all the ingredients and I have a daughter whose is mad keen for balsamic soaked anything. It goes well with Uncle Russell’s Flank Steak.

By Leslie Blythe

Spicy Caramelized Cauliflower with Raisins

Golden raisins, called "sultanas" outside the US, are made from the sultana grape, treated with sulfur dioxide to maintain their golden color, and dried either on the vine or on special drying racks. I love using golden raisins in salad and a variety of sautéed dishes. In the past, I have made Spinach with Raisins & Pine Nuts, Sautéed Brussels Sprouts With Bacon & Golden Raisins, and Swiss Chard with Golden Raisins & Almonds. Last night I used cauliflower. Adding red pepper flakes really compliments the sweetness of the raisins.

By Leslie Blythe

Eggplant Pizzas

My husband and I had this at a local French restaurant. What a fantastic appetizer! I could have eaten several plates of it. I took this dreadful picture at the restaurant. The chef came out of the kitchen and was watching me. I told him I was in love with his wonderful eggplant pizza. This recipe is loosely based Julie Child’s version.

By Leslie Blythe