Roasted Vegetables- Juicy and Delicious!

About a month ago I was on a grilling kick. I would spend hours standing at the grill (indoor) in my kitchen. The food was delicious, with that smoky grilled flavor, and the juices were incredible, but it just wasn't worth standing there for hours and setting off the smoke alarm not once, but twice. Oops! But still, I just had to have that rich juicy flavor that you get from cooking gorgeous vegetables at a high heat. So I thought, why not try the oven? This recipe tastes just as great as the grill, but is so much easier! AND I guarantee, chances are you won't set the smoke alarm off! So start roasting, and eat up!

Roasted Vegetables

1 red bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1 yellow/orange bell pepper

1 medium onion

A couple handfuls of baby carrots

1 head of broccoli

1 tomato

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Wash the bell peppers and remove the seeds. Slice the bell peppers into about 2 inch strips. Place on a cookie sheet, spray with nonstick spray and drizzle two tablespoons of olive oil on top, 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Toss the vegetables with your hands and make sure that everything is evenly coated in oil and seasonings.

Remove the outside of the onion and slice. Break the onion strings up with your fingers and place on another cookie sheet. On the same cookie sheet place the baby carrots, broccoli that has been cut into florets, and the sliced tomato. Do the same as you did before with the bell pepper and put nonstick spray, olive oil, salt and pepper on the vegetables. Be sure to mix with your hands to coat evenly.

Place both cookie sheets in the oven. Keep an eye on the vegetables being sure to add more oil if they seem dry, or reducing the heat if they brown too quickly. They will take 30-40 minutes to cook.

Suggestion: Cooking is about being creative and staying inspired! If you love other vegetables, go for it! Try zuchinni, eggplant, asparagus, squash, even potatoes. Put whatever it is that inspires you into that oven!

This is no Reese's!

It's summer and it's hot! Every time I step in the kitchen I secretly dread turning on that oven. But as usual, I was craving something sweet, so I thought, why not use the freezer? Yep, it is possible to create a decadent, sinful, delicious dessert with the help of just your freezer. How do dark chocolate (full of antioxidants and can lower blood pressure) peanut butter cups sound? Delicious, right!? These have you leaving the kitchen cool as can be and asking the question, "What's a Reese's?".

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Makes 12-15 mini peanut butter cups

12 oz. any kind of chocolate you like (I prefer dark chocolate)

1/3 cup of creamy peanut butter (try crunchy for a twist)

1/4 cup crushed graham crackers

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Melt the chocolate in a pan over low heat being sure to continuously stir until all of the chocolate is melted. Place mini cupcake liners in a mini muffin pan. Using a pastry brush, brush the melted chocolate on the bottom and sides of the mini cupcake liners. Be sure that there is a good coating, as this will be the base of the candy. Place the muffin pan in the freezer for 5-10 minutes until the chocolate sets.

While the chocolate is setting, mix the peanut butter, confectioners' sugar, and crushed (very fine) graham crackers in a bowl.

Remove the muffin pan from the freezer and place about a teaspoonful of the peanut butter mix into each cup. Press down on the peanut butter mix, so that it spreads a bit. With a spoon, pour more melted chocolate on the top of each cup, so that you can no longer see the peanut butter mixture.

Place back into the freezer for 20 minutes to set, and then remove to enjoy some decadence in a tiny little package!

Suggestion: This is no Reese's! Be creative and try different combinations of ingredients. White chocolate with a raspberry peanut butter filling, dark chocolate pecan, or whatever you seem to be craving. Have fun with it!

Go Gaga for Garlic

Do garlic's bold and intense flavors intimidate you? Are you tired of that lingering flavor that seems to take over your breath forever? Don't worry! I have a solution that makes the garlic mild, creamy, and unbelievable! It's easy, can be prepared in advance, and the garlic can be used for just about anything; a spread for pizza, part of a marinade or salad dressing, or even left whole for some delicious and decadent garlic flavor. And if that weren't sweet enough, garlic has so many health benefits! For starters, it boosts your immune system, can help lower cholesterol, and can help with poor digestion. So seriously, go gaga for garlic!

Roasted Garlic

A head of garlic (or more depending on how much you want)

2 teaspoons of olive oil per garlic head

Pre-heat the oven to 425. Take the head of garlic and cut off the top part so that the garlic cloves are exposed. Next, pour the olive oil on top of the garlic so that the tops of the cloves are covered in oil. Wrap the garlic head in tin foil. Bake at 425 for about 30-40 minutes, until the garlic is soft and a little bit browned. Allow to cool.

Now comes the fun part! Carefully start squeezing each individual garlic clove. As you do this, the garlic should pop out of the skin. Use a fork if you need a little extra help. You can keep the garlic cloves whole, or you can mash them to act as a spread. Be creative!

Suggestion: Currently eating these whole, mixed with whole-wheat penne, tomatoes, asparagus, parmesan cheese, olive oil, salt, and pepper! Mmmmmmm.

A Great Summer Salad

It's summer! That means fresh, delicious, healthy, and inexpensive produce is at your disposal. Summer is my favorite season just for this reason! I wanted to make something light, refreshing, and best of all easy after a long week at work. I chose black beans full of fiber and protein, corn bursting with flavor, juicy tomatoes, an excellent disease preventer, and creamy avocado, high in monounsaturated fats (good fats) to be the stars of this light and refreshing salad. To add a little bit of spice, I added some finely diced jalapeño and some cool lime juice to act as the dressing. This salad shook up my taste buds and left me feeling satisfied. It was the perfect end to my crazy week!

Suggestion: Still hungry? Try some whole wheat Tandoori Bread and Hummus on the side!

Black Bean and Corn Salad

4 ears of corn
2 cans of black beans
2 avocados
3 medium tomatoes
1 or 2 jalapeños (depending on your palate)
2 limes
salt to taste
pepper to taste
A handful of cilantro


Shuck the corn. Cut the corn off of each ear (do this in a bowl to prevent the kernels from going everywhere). Sauté the corn (in a little olive oil) over medium heat until the corn starts to become lightly browned (make sure to stir the corn every once in awhile). After the corn is done (5 minutes or so), put in a bowl to cool, and place the black beans (rinsed and drained) in the pan just to warm through (2 minutes). Place the warmed black beans in the bowl with the corn and place the bowl in the freezer to cool quickly.

While the corn and black beans cool, dice the tomatoes and avocado and place in a bowl. To make the dressing, finely (the smaller the better) dice the jalapeño/s and mix in with the lime juice. Add a good amount of salt and pepper.

Remove the corn and black beans from the freezer and mix the tomato, avocado, and dressing into the bowl. Toss well and taste to season further. Chop a handful of cilantro and place on top to garnish. Happy Eating!