Brussel Sprouts with Spicy Carrots: Novel, Zesty, FreshBy foodjoyaOur Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Spicy Carrots are soft inside and crispy on the outside. Thanks to the spices and the lime juice, they are zesty and not bitter. We achieve softness by roasting them covered for an extended period of time. We make the outer leaves crispy by finishing our brussel sprouts under broiler. After years of roasting this wonderful vegetable, we've noticed that lime juice - especially in combination with mint and chives - substantially softens its bitterness and brightens up its color. The idea to add carrots came from Food & Wine's America’s Greatest New Cooks 18 (2012). Spices, herbs, cooking methods, and even vegetable cutting methods are entirely ours.Acorn Squash with Coriander, Chili, CayenneBy foodjoyaThis recipe is supersimple. The spices - coriander, chilli pepper, and cayenne - create a savory, hot take on the otherwise sweet acorn squash. Buckwheat honey is optional. So long as you are working with a nice, ripe, and sweet acorn squash, you don't need it. We chose buckwheat honey for this acorn squash recipe because of its earthier flavor. delicata squash salad: unexpected big flavorsBy foodjoyaOf all squashes, Delicata is our favorite. With its velvety texture, honey-like flavor and extraordinarily delicate edible skin, Delicata is the queen of the squashes. In our Delicata Squash Salad, we juxtapose the sweetness and creaminess of Delicata squash with the spicy, crunchy pecan nuts. We use cinnamon and cardamom, cayenne and chili, shallot and cilantro to create a uniquely fragrant, spectacular dish. Even though it's quick and easy to make, this delight tastes as a fancy restaurant dish! When winter squashes are in season, we eat the Delicata Squash salad at least once a week. What is your favorite Delicata squash recipe?Eggplant Caviar (French) with Herbs, Roasted TomatoesBy foodjoyaWhen I was growing up, Eggplant Caviar was our summer staple. We made it with sautéed or fried tomatoes and onion, raw tomatoes and onion, plenty of garlic, or mayonnaise. This version – with roasted tomatoes and herbs – is very tasty and light. Now, why French? After all, we hail from Moldova. Even though we did not know this dish as French, we call it now "Eggplant Caviar (French)" to distinguish from Baba Ghanoush. Baba Ghanoush is a heavier and smoother eggplant dish and more likely to be used as a dip. By contrast, our Eggplant Caviar (French style) is light and chunky, just like a salad. This recipe boils down to just a few steps: (1) roasting the eggplant, (2) letting the eggplant drain, (3) roasting the tomatoes, (4) mashing the eggplant and mixing in the tomatoes. Here are our tips. First, the eggplants for this recipe should be fresh (firm, without shriveling, and with crisp stems), medium in size, and oval in shape (tear-like or round eggplants will not cook uniformly). Second, the traditional method is to grill the eggplant on a gas or charcoal grill. That way you get a nice smoky flavor. But you can certainly roast in the oven instead. Regardless of how you cook your eggplants, though, you must cook them until they are not only soft, but also mushy inside. When the eggplant is ready, its skin is brown (if roasting) or dark (if grilling) and collapses, and its flesh is mushy when pressed with a fork. Finally, this salad serves 4 as a very generous side to any dish. Atlantic salmon roasted in savory glaze: easy and pleasantBy foodjoyaAtlantic Salmon roasted in a savory glaze is easy and yummy. Though this fish tastes mild (and even somewhat bland), the glaze transforms it into a zesty entree. And what's in the glaze? All the ingredients we bet you already have, like coriander, Dijon mustard and fresh oregano. Another secret to this recipe is the high roasting temperature. We've noticed that Atlantic salmon roasted at a higher temperature tastes better. The goal is to accomplish a crispy top with a tender inside. (By comparison, Atlantic salmon roasted at a lower temperature remains soft all over, and its flavors do not fully develop.) This entree makes a delicious dinner for everyone in your family ... in no time at all! delicata squash paleo soup: your new favoriteBy foodjoyaThis autumn-perfect Delicata Squash Paleo Soup is my husband's favorite. Its story will make you smile. Earlier this year, my husband surprised me with a Wolf Sub Zero high-performance blender. It would make our life easier and healthier, he said, because we could eat more soup. So I gave the blender a try. This Delicata Squash Paleo Soup was an early try, and, together with the Tomato Fennel Soup, it convinced us: the high-speed blender wa a keeper! Thanks to the cauliflower and the naturally delicate flavor of the Delicata squash, this soup is creamy and just pleasantly sweet. The shallots add depth, balancing the Delicata squash. The hazelnuts intensify the depth and creaminess. Spoon after spoon, you won’t believe that the Delicata Squash Paleo Soup was made without cream or butter. When you cook our Delicata Squash Paleo Soup, you will notice that it is more like a puree, and it tastes that way best. But if you prefer thinner soups, simply add more broth. For a thicker crème, reduce the broth by 1/4. This recipe makes 4 generous cups of soup/creme.
