“Our character is what we do when we think no one is looking”

H. Jackson Brown

When I was little I hated carrots. My mom would pile them on my plate and I would just stare at them. I was never one of those kids that snuck them under the table to our dog, instead I was hard headed. I made up my mind and decided that carrots were not for me.

Now that I am older and wiser, roasted carrots are one of my favorite veggies. I am still hard-headed and credit the carrots for building my character!

Recipe:

1 lb bag of carrots, washed and peeled

1 tbsp olive oil

coarse kosher salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Wash and peel carrots. Then slice on a diagonal into 1/2″ to 3/4″ slices.

Toss carrots in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season with salt and then place carrots on a baking sheet.

Roast for 20-30 minutes according to if you prefer them lightly roasted or slightly burnt. Makes 4 servings.

Notes:

Roasted carrots are delicious. They develop a sweet flavor similar to sweet potatoes.

So yesterday I revealed my updated and healthier version of a favorite hole in the wall dish, lemon-caper chicken. As promised, here are the two easiest side dishes ever. Even the most celebrated cook would think you took hours mashing these potatoes!

Recipe:

1 1/2 to 2 lbs yukon gold potatoes, washed and partially peeled

roasted garlic

1/2 cup milk, heated

To roast garlic:

Peel away paper skins from a whole head of garlic. Cut off the pointed top, place on a sheet of foil (root side down), drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil making sure oil covers the exposed cloves. Close foil to make a loose pouch and place on cookie sheet in a 375 degree oven. Bake for about 45 minutes, until garlic is tender and cloves easily squeeze out.

For potatoes:

Place whole potatoes in large pot and fill with cold water, just enough to cover the potatoes. Bring water and potatoes to boil and let cook for 35-40 minutes. The potatoes will become tender and break apart when they are done. Drain the water, reserving a little of the cooking liquid.

Mash potatoes with a potato masher or fork, add warm milk, 3 -4 roasted garlic cloves, salt and pepper to taste. Continue mashing until desired consistency. If you like a creamier mashed potato add a little more milk. To keep warm place over a low heat and stir frequently so potatoes don’t stick to the pan.

For asparagus:

1 lb asparagus

olive oil

salt and pepper

lemon zest

Wash and trim asparagus spears and let dry on a paper towel. Place prepped asparagus of a cookie sheet sprayed lightly with olive oil.

Spray asparagus with olive oil spray or drizzle a little olive oil over asparagus, toss the asparagus to make they are coated evenly. Season with salt and pepper then top with fresh lemon zest to taste.

Place in a 425 degree oven and bake for 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Notes:

The leftover roasted garlic is great spread on warm bread or rolls in place of butter. You can even use it in a pasta dish.

This is my favorite way to eat asparagus, I took note from the Barefoot Contessa on this one. Roasting vegetables makes them so flavorful and really easy to prepare.

Here’s a trick for trimming the asparagus, hold a each end and gently bend the asparagus spear, it will naturally break off its stem.

One of my dearest friends frequently asks for recipe advice and I gladly pass along recipes I have collected over the years. She has been my friend since high school and I still remember the day we met. We sat outside school waiting for our rides when we discovered that our mothers were from the same small town and that we shared the same love of casseroles made famous by that little town and its great cooks.

When you think about it good recipes and good friends are a lot a like, no matter how much time passes you can always rely on both!

Recipe:

8 lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions

1 bag spinach

1 rotisserie chicken

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

2 tsp olive oil, divided

1/4 cup onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, whole

1/4 cup chicken broth, low-sodium

1 tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1/8 tsp oregano, dried

1/8 tsp basil, dried

salt and pepper

1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese, low-fat

1 egg

1 tbsp basil pesto

1/4 parmesan cheese, shredded

1/4 cup half and half

Heat 1 tsp of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat and saute spinach until wilted. Season spinach with salt and pepper while cooking. Place cooked spinach in a bowl and set aside.

In the same saute pan, heat another teaspoon of olive oil, add onions and whole garlic cloves cooking until tender. Break up garlic cloves as they cook.

Cook 8 lasagna noodles according to package directions. Let sit in water until you are ready to use. 

Once onions and garlic have become tender, add chicken broth, deglaze the pan stirring up the bits from the bottom. Let liquid reduce for about 2 minutes then add crushed tomatoes, sugar and spices. Turn heat to medium-low and let simmer while you are preparing the rollups.

Take the white meat off of the rotisserie chicken, shred and set aside.

In a large bowl combine ricotta cheese, egg, basil pesto and cheese. Then add spinach, season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Pull two noodles from the water and place on paper towels to absorb excess water. Then put a spoonful of ricotta on noodle and spread the length of the noodle. Top with the shredded chicken and loosely rollup.

Spray a baking dish lightly with oil spray and spread a few spoonfuls of the marinara sauce in the bottom of the dish. Place rollups in baking dish.

Season the marinara with salt and pepper if needed. Then add 1/4 cup of half and half , stirring together well. Top rollups with marinara and place in a 350 degree oven baking for 30-40 minutes.

Notes:

I love using rotisserie chicken in all types of recipes such chicken salad, quesadillas, casseroles and soups. It saves a ton of time and they taste really good.

This dish may seem like a lot of steps but it really on take about 20 minutes to prepare and then 30 minutes or so to bake. I think it’s easier than assembling a lasagna.