Mediterranean Veggie Roast

I was invited to a birthday potluck this weekend and wasn't sure what to bring . . . but I had this beautiful eggplant, mushrooms, and saw some Mediterranean feta cheese at Trader Joe's (the birthday girl loves feta) so came up with this dish which we really liked. For a vegan version, use toasted pine nuts or dairy-free feta substitute.

Mediterranean Veggie Roast

1 onion, peeled and cut into wedges
8 ounce white mushrooms, halved (or quartered if very large)
2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch slices lengthwise
3 zucchini, sliced
1 large eggplant, quartered and sliced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese or toasted pine nuts
salt and black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, toss onions and mushrooms with a splash of balsamic vinegar and enough olive oil to coat. Place on baking sheet and roast in oven (stirring occasionally) 15-20 minutes, or until slightly browned.

In mixing bowl, toss red bell peppers with just enough olive oil to coat them. Spread on baking sheet and cook about 20 minutes or until edges are browned, turning once or twice so they don’t char.

In a mixing bowl, toss zucchini with a splash of balsamic vinegar and enough olive oil to coat. Place on baking sheet and put in oven. Roast about 10 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

In a mixing bowl, toss eggplant with a splash of balsamic vinegar and enough olive oil to coat. Place on baking sheet and put in oven. Roast about 10 - 15 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

Place roasted vegetables in the mixing bowl, add the remaining ingredients. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold.

Serves 8

Easy Greens

I found the cutest little baby bok choy at the Farmers' Market yesterday and rather than adding them to a soup or stir-fry like I normally would, I decided to let them shine all on their own. I had also been wanting to try my new bottle of Mango Balsamic Vinegar from my last trip to Global Gardens so . . . voila . . . . Mango Balsamic Braised Boy Choy!

Wash and coarsely chop the bok choy. Coat skillet with olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the boy choy and stir a bit. Cover and cook about 5 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Drizzle boy choy with Mango Balsamic Vinegar and sprinkle on some sea salt. That's it! Easy and yummy.

Perfect French Toast

My family loves French Toast and make it a lot, but sometimes it would come out soggy and custardy, especially when using thick white bread and then nobody liked it. However, I found the secret to perfectly crisp French Toast . . . day (or two) old baguettes! While they are too tough to eat plain, they are absolutely great for making French Toast. So hit that day old rack at your bakery and cook up a batch.

As for topping our French Toast, we're not big on maple syrup . . . I find it too sweet first thing in the morning. We usually go for some homemade jam or applesauce . . . but this weekend as a special treat, we tried a thin layer of Trader Joe's Cocoa Almond Spread (an almond version of Nutella). Yummy . . . and along with a yogurt topped fruit salad, it was still a healthy but special breakfast treat.

So what do you like on your French Toast?