Broccoli Patties

These may not be very pretty but they’re really good! I probably shouldn’t have put them on a green plate, though 😉

Ingredients:

12 oz. broccoli florets, blanched for 2 minutes in boiling water

1/4 yellow onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 egg

2/3 c. bread crumbs or gluten free crackers

2/3 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Salt & pepper

Dash of chili paste

Directions:

Preheat the broiler.

Saute the onion and garlic in some olive oil.

Place the broccoli, onion, garlic, egg, breadcrumbs (or crackers) in the Cuisinart. Pulse until smooth. Add the chili paste and seasonings. Mix. Add the cheese and mix.

Put the entire mixture into the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.

Grease a baking dish. Place a tablespoon dollop of the broccoli mixture on the baking dish.

Broil on high for about 3 minutes or until brown on top. Turn them over and broil again for a few minutes, making sure they don’t burn.

 

Roasted Baby Potatoes

I love potatoes, especially when they are nice and crispy!

Ingredients:

1 lb. baby potatoes, cleaned and cut in half

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 t. Italian seasonings

1/3 c. grated parmesan cheese

1 t. chopped parsley

2 T. butter, cut into tiny cubes

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400.

Heat an ovenproof skillet on the stove with some olive oil. Add the potatoes, cut side down, and cook until they start to crisp up. Turn them over and cook until bottom turns brown.

Move the potatoes to one side. Cook the garlic until it starts to turn brown. Add the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and mix well.

Turn off the heat and add the parsley and parmesan cheese.

Transfer the skillet to the warm oven.

Roast for about 15 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the butter cubes over the potatoes. Mix well and serve.

Brussel Sprouts & Pancetta

This was super easy and very tasty.

Ingredients:

1 lb. brussel sprouts, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise

3 oz. diced pancetta

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 c. chicken broth

Directions:

Boil the brussel sprouts in salted water for about 4 minutes. Drain.

In a frying pan, brown the pancetta in some olive oil.

Add the garlic and cook until barely browned.

Add the brussel sprouts and brown them in the skillet.

Season with salt and pepper.

Add the broth and simmer until the broth reduces and coats the Brussel sprouts.

Roasted Potatoes

Potatoes are always a big favorite of mine and this was an easy and quick way to cook them.

Ingredients:

3 red potatoes, washed and scrubbed

Olive oil

2 t garlic powder

2 t Italian seasonings

1 t paprika

1/4 parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400. Slice the potatoes into thin slices. Place then in a Ziploc bag and add some olive oil to coat them.

Combine the seasonings, minus the cheese, in another bowl. Mix well. Add the seasonings to the bag and combine well.

Place the potatoes in a single layer in a greased baking pan. Bake them for about 20 minutes until soft.

When soft, remove them and sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top.

Place them back in the oven until they have a nice golden color.

Baby Broccoli

Here’s a nice tasty way to enjoy these tender young broccoli.

Ingredients:

Baby broccoli

Butter

Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cut off the tough part at the bottom of the stem. Place them in some water and microwave on high until the stems have softened.

In the meantime, melt some butter on the stove. When the broccoli are soft, drain them and add them to the butter mixture. Coat them well and salt them.

Remove them to a plate and shred some parmesan cheese on top.

Carrots and Sage – A Perfect Combination

Carrots are comfort food for me – I’m not really sure why since I didn’t eat that much of them when I was little, but for some reason, the taste brings me back to my childhood. This is a little twist on regular boiled carrots – and, I think, just adds to their already sweet goodness.

Ingredients:

Carrots – peeled and cut into 1/2″ pieces

Sage

Butter

Directions:

Boil the carrots in some salted water until soft.

Melt the butter in a pan. Add the sage leaves and cook until the butter begins to brown.

Drain the carrots and add them to the pan with the butter. Mix them well.

Broccolini

These were tender and delicious!

Ingredients:

Broccolini

Garlic, minced

Olive oil

Seasonings

Directions:

Wash the broccolini in cold water. Trim off the base and any hard stems.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccolini and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the broccolini are tender. Drain and place them in some cold water.

Heat the olive oil and garlic in a frying pan over medium heat until the garlic begins to brown. Add the drained broccolini, salt & pepper. Mix well and heat through.

Sautéed Swiss Chard

This is probably my favorite way of eating Swiss Chard – and it’s so easy to prepare.

Ingredients:

1 bunch Swiss Chard – stem removed and chopped

1 onion, chopped

Directions:

Saute the onions in some olive oil. Add the Swiss Chard, salt and pepper. Cook until the chard has wilted and is tender.

That’s it! Easy peasy!

Left Over Polenta & Cheese

What do you do when you have left over polenta? The answer is the tastiest treat ever! My mom taught me this and she makes more polenta so that she can have this!

Ingredients:

Left over polenta – cut into thin slices

Butter

Grated cheese – any kind you like

Dried spices of your choice

Directions:

Heat the butter in a frying pan until it stops sizzling.

Place the polenta slices and cook them until both sides are starting to brown and getting a little crunchy.

Sprinkle some seasonings and top with some grated cheese. Melt the cheese and enjoy.

Zucchini Chips

When I was a little girl and I would visit my Nonna in Italy, she would take me to her little vegetable garden to see her crops! She lived in a complex with lots of apartments surrounding a central courtyard. Within that courtyard, there was a tiny little plot of dirt that the residents could use for their own little vegetable gardens. My grandmother grew just a few things, but it was enough for her. She would let me pick the zucchini because she knew I loved the breaded zucchini that she would make with it. Even though her fried zucchini were delicious and not greasy at all, this is a healthier alternative.

Ingredients:

2 large zucchini, cut into 1/8″ slices

1/2 c breadcrumbs

1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese

Salt & pepper to taste

Garlic powder

Cayenne pepper

3 T. milk

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425.

Mix all the dry ingredients together.

Dip the sliced zucchini in the milk and then into the breadcrumb mixture.

Place each slice on a greased cookie sheet.

Spray some olive oil cooking spray lightly over the zucchini.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Turn them over, spray them slightly, and bake for another 15 minutes until brown.