Category:  Vegetables

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It’s January 2020 and time for post-holiday diets! Here’s an easy, vegan dish that can be served alongside any delicious food you like.

Prep time: 25 -3o minutes
Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients:
3 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
3 to 4 leeks, rinsed and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
12 ounces fresh spinach leaves, rinsed & spun dry
salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. In a 12-inch skillet, heat the oil.

2. When oil is hot (but does not smoke), add the carrot rounds and saute on medium-high heat for 1 minute.

3. After 1 minute, add the leeks and saute on medium-high heat for 2 minutes.

4. After 2 minutes, add the spinach leaves and saute on medium high-heat for 2 to 4 minutes.

5. Cook vegetables for 2 to 4 minutes longer or until carrots are crunchy-tender and leeks and spinach are tender.

6. Add salt and black pepper, to taste. Serve immediately.
Text & Photograph ©2020 Nancy DeLucia Real

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Take it easy on Thanksgiving – toss pumpkin cubes with paprika, Dijon and a few more ingredients. This Paprika-Dijon pumpkin side be absolutely  “délicieux” (that’s French for “delicious”)!

Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 35 to 40 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients:
10 to 12 cups peeled & cubed pumpkin
2/3 cup chopped red onion
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons honey (you can add more, to taste)
Juice of 1 lime
1-1/2 teaspoons salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. In 16X14 baking pan, toss all ingredients together until uniform.

3. Place baking pan with pumpkin mixture on a rack set in center of oven.

4. Bake pumpkin for 30-35 minutes, stirring once or twice during the process.

5. After 30-35 minutes, taste pumpkin. It should be tender but not fall apart or purée.

6. When pumpkin is done, transfer pan tu upper rack, 6 to 7 inches away from top oven broiler.

7. Broil the pumpkin for 5-7 minutes or until it turns golden brown. You may have to stir it every 2-3 minutes until evenly roasted.

8. Serve pumpkin as a side with your turkey dinner on Thanksgiving.

9. Alternatively, serve pumpkin with any meat, poultry or fish dinner.
Text & Photograph ©2019 Nancy DeLucia Real

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Tired of the same old, same old cauliflower? Here’s a roasted, spicy version of this otherwise boring vegetable.

Prep time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 cauliflower head
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon dried, red chili pepper flakes
2 tablespoons chopped mint leaves
2 tablespoons chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Cut cauliflower into florets measuring about 2 inches each. Set aside.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the cumin, olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and chili pepper flakes; set aside.

4. Place cauliflower in a 4-quart saucepot; cover with cold water.

5. Bring cauliflower to a boil; boil 2 minutes.

6. Drain cauliflower.

7. Coat each cauliflower floret with the cumin-oil dressing.

8. Place cauliflower florets on a baking sheet and roast in oven for about 20 minutes.

9. After 20 minutes, remove cauliflower from baking sheet and transfer to a serving bowl.

10. Mince the mint and parsley leaves; toss them into cauliflower. Taste and adjust salt leaves, if needed.
Text & Photograph ©2019 Nancy DeLucia Real

Here’s a Thanksgiving recipe my family and I have made for years. The potatoes and yams get the “Italian” from the rosemary, garlic and olive oil. You mix the ingredients together and the oven does the rest! Happy Turkey Day!

Prep time: 15 minutes for peeling & cutting
Prep time: 30-40 minutes for roasting
Serves: 8 to 10

Ingredients:
4 medium-large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled & placed in a bowl with cold water
4 medium-large yams, peeled & added to potatoes in bowl with cold water
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Two 3-inch sprigs fresh rosemary, removed from stem, chopped with shears & set aside in a small bowl
3 cloves garlic, peeled & crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Drain potatoes and yams; dry them with paper towels.

3. On a chopping board, cut potatoes and yams into 2-inch chunks; immediately transfer them to a large 16 x 10-inch Pyrex® baking dish or rectangular, disposable aluminum baking pan.

4. Add the olive oil, chopped rosemary leaves, garlic, salt & black pepper; toss together until all ingredients are uniform.

5. Place Pyrex® baking dish or aluminum baking pan with potatoes & yams on a rack set in center of oven.

6. Roast potatoes and yams, uncovered, for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, check doneness by tasting a potato (potatoes will take a few minutes longer to bake than the yams). If potato is still a little firm, roast for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.

7. Serve immediately as a side to turkey, meat or seafood.

Text & Photograph ©2018 Nancy DeLucia Real

Cook time (lentils): 20 minutes
Prep time: 15 minutes
Serves: 8 to 12

I got tired of lentil soup and decided to reinvent lentils. This recipe combines lentils with apples, herbs, olive oil and other seasonings. Serve my Lentil, Apples & Herbs on July 4th!

Ingredients:
1 lb (16 ounces) lentils, cooked per package directions; drained & cooled
1 red onion, peeled & finely chopped
4 celery stalks, bottom white tips discarded & stalks finely chopped
1 apple (any variety)
Juice from 1 lemon
extra virgin olive oil, to taste
white or golden Balsamic vinegar, to taste
5 sprigs fresh mint leaves (plus extra, for garnish)
2 sprigs fresh oregano leaves
salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. After lentils have cooked, drained & cooled, transfer them to a large serving bowl.

2. Add chopped red onion and celery to bowl with lentils; set aside.

3. Cut apple into fourths; core apple.

4. Cut apple fourths into 1/8-inch thick slices; cut slices into slivers; set aside in a small bowl.

5. Immediately add lemon juice to apple & gently toss; set aside.

6. Add olive oil, Balsamic vinegar to lentils; set aside.

7. Meanwhile, finely chop 5 mint and oregano leaf sprigs (discard stems).

8. Add chopped mint, oregano, salt and ground black pepper to lentils in bowl; toss.

9. Drain lemon juice from apple slivers; toss apple slivers into lentil salad.

10. Taste the salad and, if needed, adjust seasonings.

11. Serve Lentils, Apples & Herbs immediately or prepare up to 4 hours ahead and refrigerate (covered).

12. The salad will keep (refrigerated) up to 3 days.
Text & Photograph ©2018 Nancy DeLucia Real