Zucchini Fritters with Roasted Tomatoes

These are a good starter and a nice way to present zucchini.  The Roasted Tomatoes are flavourful and work really well with the fritters.  From Food and Drink Autumn 2010.

Roasted Tomatoes
2 cups grape tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Zucchini Fritters
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 eggs
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini, approx 1 zucchini
1 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (basil, oregano, tarragon, thyme, parsley and or sage)
Vegetable oil

• For the roasted tomatoes, preheat oven to 400F.
• Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.  Combine tomatoes, garlic and oil in a bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Place, cut side up on baking sheet.  Roast for about 25 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature.
• For the zucchini fritters, preheat oven to 300F.  Place an ovenproof cooling rack on a large baking sheet and place in the oven.
• Combine flour, baking soda, salt and pepper in a large bowl.  In another bowl, using a fork, whisk together eggs and yogurt.  Stir in zucchini and herbs.  Pour over flour mixture and combine with a fork just until evenly moistened.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Pour in a thin layer of oil an swirl to coat pan.  Drop a heaping tbsp of batter for each fritter into pan, being careful not to crowd the pan, and flatten slightly.  Cook for about 3 minutes or until dry around the edges and bottoms are browned.  Flip over and cooked through.  Transfer to rack in the oven.  Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil and adjusting the heat as necessary between batches.
• Top hot fritters with roasted tomatoes and place on a serving platter.

Garden Vegetable Platter

1 lb fresh asparagus
1 lb yellow squash, peeled and cut into 2 cm slices
1 medium zucchini, cut into strips
3 carrots, peeled and cut into strips
1 red pepper cut into slices
Olive
salt and pepper to taste

Wash asparagus and snap off ends.  Place all vegetables on a cookie tray and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.  Place in 400F oven and roast for 10 minutes, flip and roast for another 5 minutes or until done.

Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

A delicious and easy recipe, true comfort food!

Approx 1 kg small red potatoes per 6 people
Olive Oil
Fresh Rosemary
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400F.  Line a baking pan with olive oil.  Add potatoes and stir them around until coated with oil.  Sprinkle with rosemary leaves, salt and pepper.  Bake until done, approx 1 hour.

**other fresh herbs such as sage, fennel, bay leaves, parsely and basil can be added or used according to taste.

Roasted Maple Glazed Chicken with Roasted Seasonal Vegetables

The original recipe called for Cornish Hens…but I switched for chicken.  I feed a family of 4 and it just seemed a better fit - besides the kids would never eat a "baby chicken".  Roasted vegetables are one of my favourite foods.  This one has fennel, which I am just starting to use.  Give it a try if you haven't used it - it definitely has a different flavour.  If you are not adventurous - just omit it and add some more squash or sweet potatoes.

Roasted Vegetables
1 small pepper squash, cut into 8 wedges
2 red onions, cut in 1/2 inch thick rings
3 portobello mushrooms, halved (or use cremini mushrooms - about 8)
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and cut in 6 pieces
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
2 tsp fresh thyme

Chicken
1 chicken
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 spanish onion, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup white wine (enjoy the rest)
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp cider vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 450F.
2. Place vegetables in one layer in roasting pan.  Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, nutmeg and fresh thyme.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until browned and tender.
3. Remove backbone from chicken.  Break breastbone and remove.  Turn chicken onto flesh side and flatten.  It is now butterflied.  Season with salt and pepper.
4. Heat a skillet over high heat and add 1 tbsp vegetable oil.  Sear chicken skin side down, about 2 minutes.  Flip when the skin is light golden.  Sear underside.  Add remaining oil and fry a piece at a time.
5. Place onions in roasting pan and add wine.  Place a rack in pan and place bird on rack, skin side up.  Roast 15 minutes.  Combine maple syrup and vinegar and brush liberally over chicken.  Roast another 5-10 minutes and baste again.  Roast another 5 to 10 minutes basting frequently or until juices are clear.  Remove from oven and cover with a clean tea towel.  Cut into quarters.  Strain pan juices discarding onions.
6. To serve:  put one of each kind of vegetable on to a dinner plate.  Place a piece of chicken over the vegetables.  Drizzle some of the strained juices over.

From Food and Drink 2000

Roasted Red Pepper and Cheese Crustless Quiche

This was surprisingly wonderful!  I added some crumbled bacon to the top at the end for a little extra flavour.  The only thing I couldn't figure out is that I baked it in a glass pie pan and it took an hour to bake as opposed to the 35 to 40 minutes that it states in the recipe.  I am posting the recipe with the original baking time and hopefully it doesn't take you as long as it took me.  This was served with a spinach salad. I got this recipe from Todays Parent magazine May 2008.

1/3 cup all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
9 eggs
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar, Asiago or Swiss cheese (I used cheddar)
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1 cup diced roasted red peppers (from a jar is fine)
4 green onions, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Grease a 10 in pie pan.

In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until very fluffy and almost doubled in volume - 3 to 4 minutes.  Add the flour mixture and beat until just blended.  Add the cheddar (or whatever), ricotta and Parmesan cheeses and beat very briefly.  Finally stir in the diced red peppers and green onions.  Transfer to the prepared pie pan and put into the oven.   Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until nicely puffed, lightly browned and a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.  Let sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes before serving.