Better Roasted

I adore roasted tomatoes. Their color and taste deepen after baking and they can really hold their own in a dish. One of my favorite combinations is roasted tomatoes and goat cheese. With the addition of roasted onion, fresh chives, and soy sauce, the pair are taken to another level. The result is an elegant and downright delicious appetizer that suits every appetite. And, lycopene, an antioxidant found in tomatoes, is more readily absorbed when cooked!

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Roasted Tomato & Onion with Goat Cheese

by Aylin @ Glow Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 3 large tomatoes
  • 1 large white onion
  • Dash of salt and pepper
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tsp chives, chopped
  • 2 tbsp goat cheese
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce

Instructions

Stem and cut the tomatoes into fourths, dice the onion, and place them on a baking sheet.

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Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Pop into the oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes, or until the tomatoes and onion are browned and tender.

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Serve with a garnish of chopped fresh dill and crumbled goat cheese or feta. Drizzle with soy sauce. Enjoy!

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Bon Appetit!

xo Aylin

Pink Cauliflower Dip

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Sometimes the only thing that makes  a vegetable appealing is everything…but it. A flavorful dressing, sauce, or dip can make the difference between a blah, force-fed meal and one that you inhale in 5 minutes flat. This dip ensures the latter.

I hate cooking with cauliflower and broccoli. Sure, I love their taste (nothing beats a broccoli and cheese [and lots of it] casserole), but they’re tough, often a hit-or-miss in terms of cooking properly, and can get messy when preparing.

But, I found that by steaming in a covered saucepan with only 1-inch deep water boiling at the bottom, cooks these cruciferous vegetables quickly and hassle-free.

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I either eat them as such, seasoned with salt, pepper, nooch (nutritional yeast), and butter or I puree them to make something a bit more creative.

Pink Cauliflower Dip

by GK

Ingredients

  • 1 head cauliflower, steamed
  • 1 tbsp chopped chives (leave some for garnish)
  • 2 tbsp chopped basil
  • 1 tsp mustard
  • 1/2 roasted beet
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Tonight, I tossed the cooled-down, steamed cauliflower (an entire head) with 1/2 roasted beet, 1 tbsp chopped chives, 2 tbsp chopped basil, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp mustard, the juice of half a lemon, salt and pepper and 1/4 cup of high-quality extra-virgin olive oil.

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The texture is creamy, but light. The taste has an overtone of “what is that?!” (but totally in a good way). The mustard cuts the neutrality of the cauliflower and the garlic – to say nothing of its stellar color – gives it enough oomph to make it gather a crowd on any dinner table or appetizer spread at a party.

This recipe’s flavors are more pronounced when cold, but it pairs wonderfully with white fish or used as a thicker salad dressing for otherwise uninspired greens.

My dip was in good company, aside some broccoli that had been steamed and cooked with garlic. Garnish with chives.

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Enjoy this versatile dip!

xo Aylin