Orange Ginger Glazed Carrots

This year we decided to make these tasty carrots to go with our Thanksgiving meal. They were great! I was surprised at how non-sweet they were. Usually when I read "glazed" I think sugary, but the natural tastes of the carrot and the orange juice stood out. This is definitely a keeper for my home.

Orange Ginger Glazed Carrots
1 lb. baby carrots, washed
1 tsp. orange zest
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp. butter
3 tsp. freshly grated fresh ginger
2 Tbsp. honey
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 cup water
Stir together all the ingredients over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer, stirring occasionally for 30-35 minutes or until the liquid evaporates.

* I found this recipe via Pinterest, it was a Southern Living recipe.

Scalloped Potatoes

Sometimes when I am really organized and really on my game, I will make a HUGE meal and then use the leftovers in other recipes during the week. Today I made a ham- a really big ham, so big that I even froze some of the meat! In our house when you have ham, you must have scalloped potatoes. I have to share this recipe because it is so yummy!  These potatoes are cheesy, flavorful and, did I mention they are cheesy? We love cheese here! Try these out the next time you have ham or pork chops or whatever, these will be memorable!

Scalloped Potatoes
4 cups thinly sliced potatoes
1 small onion, diced
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
Dash Cayenne Pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded Sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
Several dashes paprika for color

Spray a 2 qt. casserole dish, set aside. In a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour and let it cook for a minute. Pour in milk, add garlic, salt and cayenne. Stir well until well combined. Reduce heat and add 1 cup of the cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted and incorporated. Remove from heat. In your casserole dish, place a layer of the potatoes and then sprinkle with the onion. Spoon some of the cheese sauce over the layer. Repeat until your dish is nearly full, ending with cheese sauce. Sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese and the paprika. Bake uncovered in a 350° oven for 1 hour

Potato, cheese and Onion Enchiladas

My husband and I are on the tail end of eating vegetarian for a week. It has been easier than I thought it would be. It gave me the chance to dig out old recipes and try them again. This is one such recipe. It has been sitting in my recipe binder for forever, bypassed for more exciting and newer recipes. No more! I really like these enchiladas because they are cheap. They are also really tasty, but there are weeks when I need a little wiggle room in the ole' grocery budget! Potatoes, tortillas, cheese, green onions and tomato sauce- all cheap ingredients. Give this one a try when you need a different recipe and when you need a cheap meal in a tight week!

Potato, Cheese and Onion Enchiladas
4-6 potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 cup sliced green onions
2- 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 Tbsp oil
12 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup chili powder (Yes I said 1/4 CUP!)
1/2 cup water
12 - 8 in. flour tortillas
Fully cook potatoes in boiling water until they are tender. Drain and let cool. Transfer to a large bowl, and combine the potatoes with half of the cheese, all the onions and the salt. Mix well. Taste and add more salt if needed. In a sauce pan, combine tomato sauce, oil , chili powder and water. Heat to boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes on low. Preheat oven to 350°. Spoon enough of the sauce into a sprayed 13 x 8 inch baking dish so that it covers the bottom of the pan in a thin layer. Using a pasty bush, brush the sauce on one side of a tortilla, place 1/3- 1/2 cup of the potato mixture in the center and roll up. Place in prepared dish. Continue until you have filled the pan. Top with remaining sauce and cheese. Bake for 15- 20 minutes. Serve with any desired toppings- sour cream, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce.

Gazpacho- Summer Soup

Summer time is always a challenge for me. Cooking a healthy meal without heating up the whole house. I found this recipe that is full of vegetables and is served cold. You don't even turn on the stove! Perfect for all these 100° days. Serve this with a good loaf of bread.

Gazpacho
(As found in The Pioneer Woman Cooks : Food From My Frontier)
2 garlic cloves
1/2 red onion
1 large zucchini
1 large cucumber
2 celery stalks
5 Roma tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
Several dashes Tabasco
Dash of salt
Dash of pepper
4 cups tomato juice
Avocado slices
Cilantro, rough chopped

Mince the garlic cloves. Slice the onion. Place both in a food processor. Dice the zucchini, cucumber, celery and tomatoes. Place half the veggies in the food processor, reserve the other half. Pour in the olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar, hot sauce, salt, pepper and  2 cups of the tomato juice. Blend well.  Pour the blended mixture into a large bowl, and add in the other half of the chopped veggies. Stir. Then pour in the remaining 2 cups of tomato juice. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Ladle into bowls and top with sliced avocado and cilantro.

Roasted Asparagus

Have you ever had asparagus roasted before? Let me tell you, it is the absolute best way to have asparagus! At least I think it is. It gives those happy little spears such a wonderful nutty flavor. Mmmm! My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

Roasted Asparagus

1 bunch asparagus, washed and trimmed (basically you just cut off a chunk from the fatter woody side that has dried up a bit)

Olive Oil

Kosher salt 

Pepper

Lemon Wedges

Lay out your spears on a baking sheet. Drizzle with a fair amount of olive oil. You want them lightly coated, not swimming in the oil. Sprinkle with the Kosher salt and pepper. Roast in a preheated 425° oven for ten minutes. Serve with lemon wedges. 

I have been experimenting with roasting, and it is my very favorite way to make vegetables. So yummy!