Balsamic Roasted Veggies

Ingredients

• 1 small butternut squash, cubed
• 2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 3 Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed
• 1 red onion, quartered
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme(or 2 tsp dried)
  
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary (or 2 tsp dried)
  
• 1/4 cup olive oil
•   4tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (245 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, combine the squash, red bell peppers, sweet potato, and Yukon Gold potatoes. Separate the red onion quarters into pieces, and add them to the mixture.
3. In a small bowl, stir together thyme, rosemary, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Toss with vegetables until they are coated. Spread evenly on a large roasting pan.
4. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, stirring every 10 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked through and browned.

Don't worry if you don't have all the vegetables to make this, I use whatever root-ish veggies I have on hand and just use the recipe for the sauce. The last time I did it I used turnups, parsnips, onion, potato, pepper, zucchini, and mushrooms. Also feel free to play with any spices you have on hand. Just make sure  you stick to the italian theme! This is a great way to get your veggies in the winter!

Whole Wheat Pitas (with pockets!)

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup warm water (110-115 degrees)
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup gluten*
1 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine first 4 ingredients. Add the gluten and 1 cup of the flour, along with the yeast, and stir to mix. Add remaining flour and knead to make a soft dough. (Add additional flour if necessary during kneading.)
Alternately, if you have a bread machine, you can put the ingredients in the pan in the order listed and use the dough cycle. Skip to step 3 if using your bread machine! :)
2. Put your dough into a bowl, lightly oil the top, and cover. Set in a warm place to rise, until almost double (about an hour). I like to turn my oven on for a minute or two, then turn it off, and let the dough rise in there, since our house is cool.
3. Punch dough down and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Using a sharp knife, cut dough into 8 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into a 6- or 7-inch circle.
4. As you roll the rounds, set them aside on a lightly floured countertop or table, and cover loosely with a towel. Let rise for about 25-35 minutes, until slightly puffy. (The rounds will still be thin though! :D)
5. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place 2 rounds, side-by-side, onto a wire rack, such as is used for cooling things. Place rack in the middle of the oven. Bake for 4-5 minutes, until puffy and just slightly browned. (If bread is too browned, it will be dry and not pliable.)
6. Remove rack from oven and immediately wrap/layer pita breads in a damp towel, to soften. Continue baking the remaining breads, layering them between damp towels as soon as they're baked. Allow breads to completely cool.
7. Cut pita breads in half, or split the top edge, and fill as desired. :)
8. Store pitas in a plastic zipper bag in the fridge for a few days, or place in the freezer for longer storage. To re-warm pitas, wrap them in a damp towel and then wrap in foil. Place in a warm (200-250 degree) oven for about 20 minutes.

Courtesy of http://www.tammysrecipes.com/whole_wheat_pita_pockets

Roasted Corn Salad

• 3 ears sweet corn
• 1/2 cut fresh basil
• 1 c cucumber cubed
• 1 c tomato cubed
• 1 1/2 TBSP olive oil
• 2 TBSP lime juice
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• extra olive oil for grilling

Brush corn with olive oil and grill, either on a grill or under the broiler until kernels are brown and begin to pop. Slice corn off of cob and combine in a bowl with basil, cucumber, and tomatoes. Mix remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Toss the salad with the sauce and refrigerate until chilled. 

Spicy Cucumber Salad

Dressing
½ cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
½ fresh green chile, seeded and minced
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root

2 medium cucumbers
¼ red onion, very thinly sliced
coarsely chopped roasted peanuts (optional)

Stir together the rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, chile, black pepper, and ginger root in a serving bowl.

Peel the cucumbers, halve them lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Slice the cucumbers, crosswise into ¼-inch-thick crescents. Add the cucumbers and the onions to the dressing and refrigerate.

Serve cold, garnished with chopped roasted peanuts, if desired.

Reprinted from Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special

Greek Pasta Salad

½ pound pasta shells

¼ cup olive oil
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
½ teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons water
1 green or red bell pepper, diced

5 artichoke hearts, drained and quartered (14-ounce can)
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 celery stalk, sliced
2 scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (2 teaspoons dried)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (1 teaspoon dried)
salt and ground black pepper to taste

1 cup grated or crumbled feta cheese
Greek olives

Bring a large covered pot of water to a rapid boil. Cook the pasta shells, uncovered, until al dente, and then drain. Rinse them under cold water until cool, and drain again.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the eggplant. Cover and cook for 3 minutes on medium heat. Stir in the salt, garlic, lemon juice, and water. Cover and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, until the eggplant is almost tender. Add the diced red bell peppers, and if you are using dried herbs, add the dill and oregano. Simmer a few minutes more, until the peppers are cooked but still have some crunch.

While the eggplant and peppers are cooking, place the artichoke hearts, cucumbers, tomatoes, celery, scallions, fresh dill, and fresh oregano in a large salad bowl. Add the cooked eggplant and peppers. Stir in the pasta and toss well. Add salt and pepper and more lemon juice or olive oil to taste.

Serve at room temperature topped with the feta and some olives.

Note: this salad can be refrigerated to serve later, but the pasta may absorb the flavors and need an additional dash of lemon juice and olive oil just before serving.

Reprinted from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home