The simple technique of roasting accentuates the natural and delicious flavor of vegetables. I like to vary the vegetables in this dish, using fall or winter root vegetables like pumpkin or sweet potato, eggplant or fennel. The dish is especially good served over couscous or rice.

3 medium zucchinis, ends trimmed
1 medium eggplant, stem trimmed
1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded
1 orange bell pepper, cored and seeded
1 yellow bell pepper, cored and seeded
1 large red onion, peeled and ends trimmed
1 pound cherry tomatoes
3 tablespoons virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, stems trimmed, rinsed and blotted dry, about 7     to  8
2 teaspoons oregano
1¼ teaspoons salt
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Cut the zucchini eggplant, bell peppers and onion into 1-inch dice.
2. Put the cut vegetables and cherry tomatoes in a roasting pan, pour in the olive oil, garlic, tear the basil leaves and add along with the oregano, salt and pepper. Toss lightly to coat and spread out in a single layer.
3. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the vegetables are brown at the edges and very tender. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Serve warm, room temperature, or cold.

Serves 6
© Copyright Nina Simonds 2008

At this same time last year, I visited my dear friend Caroline Courtauld’s English country house, Spencer’s, and its gorgeous gardens (www.spencersgarden.net)

at the height of mid-summer. The stunning 17-acre garden was at its peak and awash in a sea of vivid colors. It was spectacular!!

Unlike most British gardeners, Caroline prefers the French method of growing vegetables alongside flowers instead of the typical English design of keeping the two separate. We feasted that evening on a light spinach soup, steamed zucchini, and the first of the season’s broad beans and pan-seared salmon. All of the succulent, organic vegetables were picked right before dinner.

Caroline & I met on our first trip to China in 1979. We both signed on to one of the first official tourist groups to witness the culturally ravaged (but still extraordinary) country. In addition to being an author and photographer of a number of books on Burma, Hong Kong and China, she is on the board of Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres, an organization established by her late friend, Maggie Keswick Jencks (who was a famous author, landscape designer, and painter) and her husband Charles, the noted architect. The fourteen centers offer help for cancer patients and their families, including information, benefits, advice, psychological support, and courses in stress reducing strategies — and everything is free of charge.

I visited my dear friend, Caroline Courtauld’s, English country house, Spencer’s and its gorgeous gardens www.spencersgarden.net at the height of mid-summer. The stunning 1 ½ -acre garden was at its peak and awash in a sea of vivid colors. It was spectacular!!

As we toured the grounds, Caroline explained that she prefers the French method of growing vegetables alongside flowers instead of the typical English design of keeping the two separate. The garden has an impressive variety of organic vegetables. We feasted that evening on a light spinach soup, steamed zucchini, and the first of the season’s broad beans and pan-seared salmon. All of the succulent vegetables were picked right before dinner.

In addition to her role as Mistress of Spencer’s, Caroline Courtauld is a distinguished author and photographer of a number of books on Burma, Hong Kong and China, as well as a documentary film producer. She is also a Director and passionately involved in Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres, an organization established by her late friend, Maggie Keswick Jencks, (who was a respected author, landscape designer, and painter) with her husband Charles, the noted architect. The fourteen centers offer help for cancer patients and their families, including information, benefits, advice, psychological support, and courses in stress reducing strategies. No appointment or referrals are necessary and everything is free of charge.

Six Servings

2 medium fennel bulbs, about 1 ½  pounds with stalks, rinsed and trimmed,
leaving 1/8-inch of the root base to hold the fennel together
3 sweet potatoes, weighing about 2 ½  pounds
3 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced in half lengthwise, rinsed  thoroughly and drained

Flavorings, mixed together:
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup Balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoons minced garlic

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Cut each fennel bulb lengthwise in half, then cut the fennel into slices about ¼- inch thick and 2- inches long. Cut slices into strips. Put in the bowl .
2. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut each in half. Cut each half into slices about 1-inch thick, cut into strips, then put in the bowl. Cut the leek halves lengthwise again and then cut into strips about 2 inches long. Put in the bowl with the other vegetables.
3. Pour in the Flavorings and toss lightly to coat. Brush or spray a jelly roll pan with a lip. Arrange the vegetables in the pan and cover with aluminum foil. Bake the vegetables about 25 minutes until tender. Uncover and cook another 10 to 15 minutes until they edges are golden brown.
Serve in the juice.

You can make this with just one or two vegetables.  You don’t need all three.  I know it is unconventional to add a bit of flour into the sauce raw, but I got the idea from a fondue recipe that does the same.  Not needing to make a bechamel saves a lot of time.

Serves 8-10
3 cups chopped greens (callalloo, chard, kale, spinach)
3 cups broccoli – florets and spears chopped
1 small butternut squash– peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes (sweet  potato is a good sub here)
16 ounces whole grain elbow macaroni
4 tablespoons butter
2 rounded cups grated cheddar – (10 oz)
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups low fat cottage cheese
1 cup milk (skim is fine)
1 minced clove of garlic
salt and pepper

Get two pots of water boiling, one should be 1/3 full of water, the other 2/3 full.  Both should be salted.  Get all of your ingredients prepped.  Add the callalloo and broccoli into the pot that is 1/3 full of water. Pour through a colander after 5 minutes.  In the other pot, add the sweet potatoes.  After 3 minutes add the macaroni and cook until the macaroni is done – about 6 more minutes.
Strain through a colander but do NOT rinse.  Put back into the empty pot and add the butter and stir well.  Add the milk, garlic and cottage cheese and stir well.  Add the cheeses, add the greens, heat it up a bit over medium heat stirring and season with salt and pepper. 
Serve!

A Tray Of Prosperity

six servings

On Chinese New Year, many families prepare a Tray of Prosperity, a special six-sided platter with connecting containers filled with candied fruits, melon and lotus seeds. These foods symbolize riches, longevity, or the blessing of more children. I like to replace the traditional foods with cut vegetables, a more colorful, healthful version of the traditional prosperity tray.

2 red peppers, rinsed and drained
1 yellow pepper, rinsed and drained
1 package baby carrots, weighing about 1 pound

For the Peanut Dip
1 cup smooth peanut butter, or more as needed
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons rice wine or sake
2 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar or Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon mined fresh ginger
7 tablespoons water, or more as needed

1. Using a paring knife, cut off the top and bottom of the peppers. Remove the seeds and cut each pepper in half along the length. Then cut each half along the length into 3 to 4 strips, removing any white membrane. Cut each strip on the diagonal into pieces about 1 1/2 inches long. Arrange the peppers and carrots in separate piles in a decorative basket, leaving a small space in the middle for the dip.
2. Put the peanut butter in a blender or a food processor fitted with a steel blade, then add the soy sauce, rice wine, black vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, minced garlic, and ginger, blending until smooth after each addition. Add the water and continue blending. The dip should be stiff, but still creamy. If the dip seems too thick, add a little more water; if it seems too thin, add more peanut butter. Scoop into a small bowl and place in the basket of vegetables. Serve.

Serves Four to Six

1 pound boneless chicken meat, skin removed
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 ½ tablespoons virgin olive oil

Seasonings:
2 ½ tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon hot chile pepper flakes (or to taste)

3 cups defrosted, frozen vegetables such as broccoli, asparagus, green beans, and/or shelled edamame *

Sauce
mix all together
¾ cup unsalted, good-quality chicken broth or water
5 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 ½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 ¼ tablespoons cornstarch

1. Trim the chicken of any fat or gristle and cut into ½ -inch cubes . Place in a bowl. Add the soy sauce and toss lightly to coat
2. Heat a wok or a skillet, add 1 ½ tablespoons of the oil, heat until very hot, and add the chicken. Cook over high heat until the chicken becomes opaque and is cooked, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove with a handled strainer and drain. Wipe out the pan.
3. Add the remaining oil and heat until hot. Add the Seasonings and stir-fry briefly, about 15 seconds, then add the defrosted vegetables and stir-fry over high heat for about 1 ½ minutes to heat through. Add the Sauce, and cook, stirring continuously, to prevent lumps, until thickened. Return the cooked chicken and toss lightly to coat and heat through. Scoop up everything onto a serving dish or a platter. Serve with instant couscous or rice.

*You may also use fresh vegetables, but pre-cook until crisp-tender, refresh in cold water, drain and use as directed in the recipe.

Watch the video: Weeknight Dinner: Quick and Easy.

© Copyright Dinner Doctor

ROASTED HOISIN SQUASH OR PUMPKIN
6 servings

3 ½ to 4 pounds acorn, butternut, pumpkin, or other type of fall/winter squash
Spicy Hoisin Sauce, mixed together:
6 tablespoons hoisin or sweet bean sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 ½ tablespoons rice wine or sake
2 ½ tablespoons sugar
1 ½ tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon hot chili paste or crushed dried chilies
2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons minced scallion greens for garnish (optional )

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Rinse the squash and drain. Cut in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Arrange in a roasting pan with the cut edge up. Spoon some of the hoisin sauce over the squash and fill the crevice.
2. Pour about ½ inch of boiling water in the pan and place the squash in the middle shelf of the oven. Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes until the squash is tender. A knife pierced through the center should come out easily. Remove and sprinkle the top with scallions, if using. Cut the squash into serving portions if necessary or serve in the middle of the table. Diners can scoop out squash with the sauce themselves. Serve with steamed rice.

SOURCES
Other urban agriculture projects, some inspired by the Boston-area Food Project have sprung up around the country in the last few years. Check them out in your area. Here are a few sources. Heifer International (www.heifer.org) lists urban agricultural projects all over the United States and Canada, from Added Value and Herban Solutions in Brooklyn, NY, to From Growers to Leaders in Caledonia, Ill., to Dunbar Garden Project in Little Rock, Ark. Other sources are www.southsideclt.org, Providence, RI, www.janusyouth.org/what-we-do/urban-agriculture-services, Portland, Ore. www.thevolunteercenter2.net/org/1270530, St. Mary’s Urban Gardens, San Francisco and San Mateo County, California.

Recipe from Dinner Doctor: Single Millie, Quick and Easy Episode

Serves 4

Assorted Vegetables:

Frozen broccoli, about ¾ pound
Frozen baby carrots, about ¾ pound

Lemon-Soy Dressing:

3 tbsp. naturally brewed soy sauce
3 tbsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp. chopped fresh dill, or cilantro, or other fresh herbs

Instructions:

1. Heat pan
2. Add veggies and heat through high heat
3. Add dressing and herbs and toss
4. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary