Roasted Green Bean and Tomato Salad

Roasting is a great way to bring out a vegetable’s sweetness. For this dish I combined two of my favorite vegetables with a little olive oil, salt and pepper for this simple, clean salad. If you’re not a big fan of garlic, you can use one small minced shallot instead. A great addition to this would be some fresh herbs. I think Italian parsley would give the salad a lemony kick and just the right amount of green. This salad would be also be wonderful with a barbecued chicken breast or baked tofu. Make it a day ahead for a potluck at work or a friend’s barbeque. The flavors will only get better and better with time.

What You Need:

12 oz green beans, cut in to 1 ½” pieces

1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 ½ Tbs extra virgin olive oil, divided
3 cloves garlic, grated or mashed
Zest of one lemon
2 cups whole wheat rotelle, cooked in chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste

What To Do:

Combine 2 Tbs oil, zest and garlic in a bowl and set aside.

Cook pasta in chicken broth according to packages instructions, drain and then set aside.

While the pasta cooks, roast beans and tomatoes with ½ tablespoon oil, salt and pepper in a 400* oven for 15-20 minutes or until tomatoes burst and green beans are still crisp.

Toss hot vegetables and pasta with the flavored oil and allow to cool completely before refrigerating. Taste and determine if it needs more salt or pepper and season accordingly. Allow salad refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but preferably over night.

Serves 7 (1 cup servings)

Bon Appétit!
Mary

Black Eyed Pea Soup with Potatoes, Corn, and Spinach

Whenever it rains, I can’t help but want a warm bowl of soup. This vegetable soup is hearty, while still light and delicious. To make this vegetarian, substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth. A great alternative to spinach would be kale or Swiss chard. This soup can be made a day ahead by following the recipe, but leaving out the spinach until you are ready to serve. Great for a cold rainy day!

What You Need:

1 – 15 oz can black eyed peas, drained

2 – 32 oz boxes low sodium chicken broth
1 small onion, diced
2 ears corn, kernels removed
1 potato, 1" dice
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 ½ cup shredded carrot
8 oz green beans, cut into 1” pieces
1/3 cup Italian parsley, minced, plus more for garnish
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

What To Do:

Heat oil in a soup pot over medium heat until hot. Combine celery, carrot and onion and sauté for 9 minutes. Vegetables will be softened, but not completely cooked.

Add broth and diced potato and bring to a boil. Boil for 6 minutes and then add corn and beans. Bring soup back to a boil and cook for another 3 minutes.

Turn off the heat and add spinach, beans , corn and parsley. Stir well and then put lid on pot. Once spinach wilts slightly, serve with warm bread or grilled cheese.

Serves Many

Bon Appétit!
Mary