Asian Roasted Broccoli and Carrots

I've struggled posting new recipes in recent weeks. We're in that end-of-the-school-year frenzy and things have been CRAZY. Band concerts. Conferences. Sports banquets. Field trips. Graduation. Open houses. Field days. Two kiddos have birthdays within two weeks in our house this time of year. And, we just added a new driver in the house - our son turned the big ONE-SIX. {Plus, it's softball season, so my behind is parked in a lawn chair at a ball field quite often these days.} I'm happy for things to be winding down. {Tomorrow is the last day of school. Hallejulah.} I always have more time in the summer to cook and blog. So, look for me in your inbox and newsfeeds a little more often.

For this new post, it's all about roasted veggies - broccoli and carrots to be specific. Charred, roasted broccoli has been like, my love language lately. Roasting vegetables is a thing of magic. And, it's so dang easy.

Truth be told, the Asian glaze really steals the show here. Like, I cannot wait to slather this stuff on grilled chicken and shrimp this summer. The ingredient list for the glaze consists of stuff that many cooks probably keep on hand and it takes like, 2 minutes to whip up.

I was inspired by a recipe from a few years back posted on Damn Delicious. It's genius and I'm so glad that I finally decided to try it out after eye-balling it for quite some time.

NOTE:  I like my roasted broccoli pretty charred on the exterior and still a little crisp inside. If you prefer yours a little more tender on the interior and less charred on the exterior, I recommend cutting the pieces a little smaller than shown here and giving the carrots about a five minute head start in the oven before adding the broccoli.

Yields 2 - 4 servings.

Maple Dijon Hasselback Butternut Squash

Celebrate the beauty, seasonality and deliciousness of butternut squash by making this unique, fun recipe. Hasselback Butternut Squash is both fabulous in taste and a total show-stopper in presentation. The flavors of maple syrup and Dijon marry together in a herb-y glaze that undeniably compliments the roasted shingles of this slightly sweet orange-hued beauty. This is a side dish that will shine served next to a baked ham or roasted turkey. But, it's, also, enjoyable as a main dish served with a salad for a simple fall or winter dinner.

I am not going to lie to you, however. Preparation here is a bit of a time and effort investment, but is definitely worth it.

First the squash will need cut in half lengthwise. Then, you'll need to scoop out the pulp and seeds. Next, the two halves will need peeled.

Peeling a butternut squash is not the easiest task in the world. But, it is totally doable and totally worth the effort. It took me about ten minutes to peel mine. It pays to be sure to have sharp blades on your peeler. {I tried two different ones that I had. One was newer and so much easier to use.}

Following the peeling, the two halves will need to be popped into the oven for about twenty minutes just to start to soften the flesh so that it is easy to slice through. Please do not attempt to make your tiny cuts {shingles} while the squash is completely raw. Very risky and almost impossible.

After slicing, you'll be brushing on a glaze a few different times before and during the roasting process. And, at the end, you'll top the squash with chopped pecans just before hiking the oven temp up to give everything one last blast of really high heat.

Note that if your squash is super large {like mine}, you should be able to get four-to-six servings out of it so long as you're serving it as a side dish and not a main dish. If your squash is petite, you're probably looking at two-to-four servings.

Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese

I think that most of us can agree that Macaroni and Cheese is like, one of the best dishes on earth. It's pretty much one of the ultimate comfort foods in life. I make many versions, but I really like this one because of how incredibly easy it is. It, literally, is just a dump-everything-in-the-slow-cooker kind of recipe. Stir it up, plop the lid on, turn the temp to low and walk away for a few hours. That's it. Seriously. {You don't even boil the noodles first.} The pasta ends up perfectly cooked {not mushy at all}, an amazing creamy sauce is created and the flavors are simply spot on.

This takes just a short time to cook {three and a half hours or so}, so I like that this is something I can get going shortly before the kids get out of school and it's ready just in time for dinner around six o'clock. This, also, would be just perfect as a side dish for Sunday dinner after church.

A warning, however ... this is {obviously} not diet food. It has pasta and butter and cheese and milk and eggs and more cheese. So, it definitely doesn't quite register on the "healthy" scale. But, isn't that what we love about Macaroni and Cheese? It's totally supposed to be a little indulgent and a whole lot of yumminess.

NOTE: DO NOT PRE-COOK THE NOODLES. THEY GO INTO THE SLOW COOKER STRAIGHT OUT OF THE BOX.

Yields 6 servings {as a side dish}

Pan-Roasted Purple Potatoes and Carrots with Garlic-Lemon Aioli

My mother knows that I love to work with unique, fun ingredients in the kitchen. So, it was no surprise that she picked me up a bag of stunning purple potatoes this past week and said, "I knew you could do something cool with them." I decided on pan-roasting them with some carrots in my large cast iron pan. I knew I wanted some type of dipping sauce, so I whipped up a super-quick aioli that totally elevates this dish.

The mayo-based aioli is lemon-y, creamy and garlicky. Having it alongside of the vegetables is a necessity. Plunging those perfectly-roasted potatoes and carrots into that sauce is pretty much heaven on earth. The vegetables themselves come out super tender on the interior, but are not mushy. And, they have just the right amount of crusty sear and crispness on the exterior.

This is a fabulous side dish that takes little prep work and truly highlights beautiful, fresh produce in a simple, yet delicious way.

NOTE: Baby gold/yellow or red potatoes can be utilized for this dish if you can't get your hands on the purple variety.

Yields 2 - 3 servings.

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Refreshing Fennel Citrus Salad with Orange Maple Dressing

As we dance between winter and spring, life can feel dreary and lackluster. The excitement of Christmas, the new year and Valentine's Day is behind us. The promise of warmth, new life and green-hued landscape taunts us as we wait in the ending days of February. Glimpses of sunshine and occasional above-average temps remind us that winter's bitter cold is almost in our rear-view mirrors. Spring is just within reach. We stagger between the desire for stews and casseroles while pining for fresh, vibrant salads and the unleashing of our grills from our sheds. This particular salad is a beautiful ideal bridge between the seasons. All in one a nod to winter produce and yet, a welcome "hello" to the beginning of traditional salad season.

And, it truly could not be easier to assemble. I've presented it within this post as a side salad, but one could easily add a beautifully-cooked filet of salmon on top for a more-complete meal. The salad itself consists of just four fresh ingredients. And, the dressing is comprised of stuff most of us keep on hand. Between the two components, you'll need maybe ten minutes to get this on the table from start to finish.

Yields 2 - 3 servings.

Creamy Balsamic Corn and Sun Dried Tomato Pasta Salad

I am a sucker for pasta salads during the summer. I have a few favorites like, my Veggie Overload Pasta Salad and my Mandarin Orange and Spinach Pasta Salad {with Teriyaki Dressing}. This version is loaded up with fresh-from-the-garden sweet corn, chopped sun dried tomatoes, a variety of other fresh vegetables and some fun, twirl-y pasta. And, although those components are all fabulous in their own rights, it's really the creamy dressing that makes this pasta salad swoon worthy. A hint of fresh garlic, a little oil, a few spices, some dashes of a good-quality balsamic vinegar and creamy mayonnaise get whisked up together to create what I consider the ultimate pasta salad dressing.

Of course, you can choose to switch up the veggies that you use, but this recipe calls for a combination that I find works great together. The sweetness and pop of the fresh corn compliments the chewy, flavor-packed sun dried tomatoes. The cucumber lends a cool, refreshing component to the salad while the radish brings a slight peppery "bite" to the party. And, a subtle onion flavor is present by way of the scallions.

I've chosen an Italian Trottole pasta (such a neat shape), but any small or medium size pasta works here. Just be sure not to overcook the pasta ... you certainly don't want mushy noodles in this fabulous summertime side dish.

Ultimate Loaded Baked Potato Salad

With grilling season and summer gatherings right around the corner, I thought I'd share my recipe for one killer of a summertime side dish. Potato salad is pretty much a staple at most warm-weather get-togethers. {I actually love potato salad so much that I make it two or three times a month from spring until fall.} I've taken the traditional potato salad and given it one heck of a make-over. It's quite the upgrade actually. Here, we've, basically, got the working parts of a potluck favorite combined with everything we all love about a loaded baked potato.

The result of this marriage is something pretty darn amazing. I start with baking the potatoes instead of boiling them. Once removed from the oven and cut into chunks, the potatoes then get a good dousing of vinegar while they are still warm. (I use the vinegar trick for any potato salad recipe that I make. I think I learned it from watching Emeril years ago. He said that he considers potatoes "most vulnerable" while they are still hot and more easily "accepting" of the vinegar.)

For the dressing, a little sour cream is incorporated in with the mayo for the perfect tangy zip and to mimic those flavors found in loaded baked potatoes. Crispy bacon, lots of scallions (or chives) and shredded cheese get folded in for the perfect "bang" in this firecracker of a potato salad.

Yields 8 - 10 servings.