Oven roasted veggies

 OK so pretend I'm writing this in the fall... 

 Or not, because you all know how much I love the fall. So it's not THAT weird for me to be posting this in December??

And you can make roasted veggies anytime! Not just in the fall!! 

 OK, so here's the recipe. :)

Chop up ANY root or other veggies.
Here are some ideas:

Carrots
Bell peppers
Potatoes (red, purple, yukon gold, sweet, etc.)
Onions (white or sweet are best)
Brussels sprouts (sliced in half)
Butternut squash
Leeks
Beets
Turnips
Parsnips
Hatch chili peppers
Etc
Etc
(Get the idea? Almost anything works!)

Toss chopped veggies with olive oil to coat, and salt and pepper. 

Roast in 375-425 degree oven (depends on the veggies you're using. Potatoes will take longer to cook.) I put them on a pan with foil so it's easy clean up - easy to make, easy to clean up - hmm, I like the sound of this!

Roast for 30-40 minutes. Brussels are best when they're getting brown and crispy, all other veggies taste great when they're tender. 

See? So forgiving, and SOO easy. Do this same method with broccoli (toss with Olive oil, S&P, roast till brown and crispy) and asparagus (same, just not as long in the oven). YUM! 

Marcoux Southwestern Cornbread

Southwestern Cornbread
Straight from Jeff's Uncle Ken Marcoux

"A family favorite, Carol first created this recipe when we lived in Albuquerque about the time
Marc was born, and won first prize in the Albuquerque Tribune’s Great Green Chili Cooking
Classic."

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies – Hot or Mild, your choice (we like hot!!)
1 ½ tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 cup cream style corn (canned)
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup butter, melted
2 extra-large or jumbo eggs, well beaten (just use a fork to beat them in a large cup!)
2 cups sharp Cheddar cheese, grated - put ½ cup aside for use later in the recipe
1 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies - we like them hot, but use mild if preferred

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Stir together the cornmeal, salt and baking powder. Add corn, sour cream, melted butter,
eggs, cheese and chilies. Stir until well blended.

3. Pour into greased 9-inch round cake pan (or use another pan of similar volume or use
individual muffin cups). Sprinkle reserved cheese over the top of the batter in the pan.

4. Bake for approximately one hour, until the cornbread is nicely raised and beautifully
browned on top. Reduce cooking time by about 20 minutes if using individual muffin cups.
You may want to reduce cooking times for all variations of this recipe and substitute careful
watching the first time you make this recipe because times are for high altitude cooking.

NOTE: If your first batch of cornbread seems dry or crumbly, add about ¼ cup water, milk or
cream the next time you bake the recipe, again this is an altitude issue if it happens

Now from Michelle:
I served this with an easy throw-it-together chili, and it was delightful - both with the chili, and just by itself for a snack!! Yum! Green chilis and the added cheese absolutely make this cornbread.

Pork Sirloin Tip Roast...and Pumpkin Pie

I wish I could capture smells in a post for you ... because the smells that have filled our apartment tonight have been heavenly - enough to make my paper-writing bearable. And enough to make me forget that we have a pile of dishes to clean up after my culinary adventures. But really... sooo good.

We enjoyed some Pork Sirloin Tip Roast, and are about to enjoy the pumpkin pie that just came out of the oven. Enjoy!

Herb Rubbed Pork Sirloin Tip Roast

1 pork sirloin tip roast

herb rub (see this recipe for a version we tried)

6-8 slices of bacon

Rub the roast all over with the herb rub. Ideally you'd let it sit for a bit, but we couldn't wait. Wrap the roast with the bacon (seals the moisture in, and gives it a great flavor) - secure ends with toothpicks, or wrap with butcher twine - whatever you have. We used toothpicks. Bake in the oven for about 1 hour.

Serve with whatever veggies you like. Unfortunately the brussels sprouts I was saving for this went bad :( so we just had sweet potatoes - oh darn! :) I prepped those just like the butternut squash from the other night. These might have turned out even better than the squash with the spices I chose - nice and crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside.

Here's a glimpse of the goodness that is going to come once it's cooled... (try this recipe).

Easy weeknight pork tenderloin

So this meal has become one of my go-to meals when we don't have a lot of time but still want to eat a healthy and delicious meal. Trader Joe's has packages of pork tenderloin pre-seasoned with garlic and herbs in their meat section. Trader Joe's also has pre-seasoned asparagus in a microwave pack. And you can just pick up a few sweet potatoes while you're at it, and you've got this meal made! This is also a pretty cost effective meal... Did I mention I love Trader Joe's?

Bake the pork tenderloin as directed on the package - ~350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes, depending on the size. Let sit for at least 10 minutes once you take it out of the oven.

While that's in the oven, chop up a few sweet potatoes and boil them. Once they're tender, drain, and mash to desired consistency. Use a food processor for smoother results. Add milk, butter, cinnamon, or other spices/flavorings. These should be done around the same time as your meat.

Follow the directions for microwaving the asparagus - 2 1/2 minutes, and you're done!

ENJOY!! :)