Whole Roasted Carrots with Thyme

Whole carrots, vegetable brush, fresh thyme

Serves 6 

(Allow 1 carrot per person + 1 or 2 extra) 

Ingredients: 

6 whole carrots with the tops on (preferably organic) 

1 TBS olive oil 

Salt & Pepper 

2 tsp fresh thyme 

Directions: 

Pre-heat oven to 375F. 

Cut the tops off, leaving about 1" of green on the top of each carrot. Using a vegetable brush, run the carrots under water and clean the carrots by scrubbing any soil off, especially around the green top. Dry the carrots and trim the tip. If you don't have a veggie brush, peel the carrots. 

Place them in a baking pan and drizzle them with the oil. Shake the pan so the carrots roll and are covered in the oil. Add pepper and fresh thyme.

Roast the carrots in the oven for 30-40 minutes depending on the size. Shake the pan occasionally for even browning. 

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with salt. 

Serve whole with serving tongs. 

These can be done ahead, and then warmed up for company. Left over carrots are nice chopped and put on a salad. 

* The organic carrots with the tops on tend to be sweeter and have thinner skins. 

You can use dried thyme or an Italian seasoning if you don't have fresh thyme. 

For fresh thyme, use you thumb and forefinger to strip the leaves off the stems by pulling the leaves off from the top of the stem to the bottom. 

Roasted Red Peppers with Plum Tomatoes & Basil

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 whole red peppers 
• 4 medium Italian Roma tomatoes 
• 4 whole anchovy fillets (optional) 
• 1 clove fresh garlic 
• 4 teaspoons of olive oil 
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper 
• 4 whole basil leaves, fresh 

Preparation

1. Cut the peppers in half, leaving the stalks on so they keep their shape.  Remove the seeds.  Lay the peppers on a lightly oiled roasting tray.  
2. Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for about 15 seconds.  Drain and put them in ice water till cooled.  Remove the skins.  Cut the tomatoes into quarters and place 4 pieces in each pepper half. 
3. Slice the garlic into slivers.  Divide the garlic among the peppers. 
4. Chop the anchovy fillets and add one fillet to each pepper. 
5. Spoon a teaspoon of olive oil into each pepper.  
6. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper.  If you omitted the anchovy fillets, add some salt to each pepper. 
7. Bake in a 400F oven for about 1/2 hour. 
8. Transfer to a serving dish or individual plates and spoon juices from the pan over the peppers. 
9. Chop the fresh basil leaves and sprinkle on top of peppers before serving. 

Tips

• Before blanching tomatoes, core them at the top and cut an "x" across the bottom.  This makes them easier to peel. 
• Basil bruises easily so handle it lightly.  Roll the leaves up then finely slice them to get a nice 'chiffonade' - thin strips of basil. 

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Per Serving:  (1 pepper) 93 Calories; 5g Fat; 3g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber,;3mg Cholesterol; 159 mg Sodium

Flat Mini Potatoes

Serves 4

Ingredients:

12-15 mini gold potatoes
1 TBS olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 TBS chopped chives
1 Tsp large flaked salt
freshly ground pepper
Sour cream to serve

Directions:

Pierce the potatoes with a fork. Microwave the potatoes in a glass dish for about 5 minutes on high. They will cook at different rates. Remove the soft ones, and return the others for another minute or two till soft.
Using a meat pounder or a can, press each potato till it's flattened as shown.
Brush a baking sheet with olive oil and place the potatoes on it. Brush the potatoes with olive oil and season with pepper. Add the garlic.
Bake at 375F for 15-20 minutes till heated through and a bit crispy on the edges.
Remove from the oven, top with the chopped chives and large flake salt.
Serve with sour cream or dairy substitute.

Note: You can also use chopped parsley and/or chopped rosemary.

Chicken Thighs Wrapped in Prosciutto

Serves 4

Ingredients:

8 chicken thighs, boneless & skinless
8 slices of prosciutto
1 TBS Olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
Grated lemon rind
1 tsp Fresh rosemary
Steak seasoning

Directions:

Brush the chicken thighs with olive oil & lemon juice. Sprinkle with the seasoning (not too much as the prosciutto will add salt). Sprinkle with the chopped rosemary and lemon rind.  Wrap each thigh around the middle with a piece of prosciutto.

Barbecue 3 1/2 minutes on each side until cooked through. Total about 7 minutes depending on size.

Serve with flat mini potatoes, roasted carrots, green beans.

Leftovers can be sliced and served cold on a salad.