Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Ingredients:
1 pound Brussels sprouts, rinsed, ends trimmed
1 Tbsp minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:
1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Place Brussels sprouts in a cast iron frying pan (or a roasting pan, but a cast iron frying pan will work great for this recipe). Toss in the garlic. Sprinkle Brussels sprouts with lemon juice. Toss with oil so that the sprouts are well coated. Sprinkle generously with salt (at least a half teaspoon) and a few turns of black pepper.
2 Put Brussels sprouts in oven on top rack, cook for 20 minutes, then stir so that the sprouts get coated with the oil in the pan. Cook for another 10 minutes. Then sprinkle with Parmesan (if using) and cook for another 5 minutes.
The sprouts should be nicely browned, some of the outside leaves crunchy, the interior should be cooked through.
Add more salt to taste. (Salting sufficiently is the key to success with this recipe.)

Gazpacho with Shrimp

Ingredients:
1 hothouse cucumber, halved and seeded, but not peeled
2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded
4 plum tomatoes
1 red onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
23 ounces tomato juice (3 cups)
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup good olive oil
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
grilled shrimp
diced avacado

Directions:
Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onions into 1-inch cubes. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped. Do not overprocess!
After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. The longer gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop. Before serving, top with grilled shrimp and avacado.

Mexican Grilled Corn

Ingredients:

6 ears corn, husked
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
1/4 cup crema Mexicana (can be replaced with low-fat or regular sour cream)
6 lime wedges

Directions:
1. Preheat grill to medium-high.
2. In a small bowl, combine chili powder, salt and pepper.
3. Place corn on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; cook 12 minutes or until corn is lightly browned, turning frequently. Place corn on a platter; drizzle with crema. Sprinkle with chili powder mixture. Spritz with lime juice.
Oven Directions: If you need to roast the corn in the oven, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and place the corn (in its husks) on the middle rack for about 30 minutes.

Grilled Squash

Ingredients:
One large zucchini, sliced
Two small summer squash, sliced
Olive oil
sea salt, pepper, seasoning salt

Directions:
In a large bowl, toss sliced zucchini and squash with olive oil (as much as you'd like), salt, pepper, and seasoning salt. Grill on one side for 3-5 minutes, then turn and cook for another 2-3 minutes. I like to add green chile to this mix and sweet corn never hurts either.

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Ingredients:
2 Portobello mushrooms
Balsamic vinegar
1 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 of an onion, chopped
1 yellow pepper, roasted and chopped
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
2 cups of fresh spinach
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
Italian seasoning
Mozzerella cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the stem and gills from the mushroom. I use a spoon to scoop them out.
2. Brush the mushrooms with balsamic vinegar
3. Heat olive oil in a small saute pan. Add the onions and garlic. Cook until tender. Add in peppers. Cook until tender.
4. Add in tomatoes and spinach. Cook until spinach wilted and "cooked."
5. Divide the filling and stuff the mushrooms.
6. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on the top and add Italian seasoning. Top with cheese.
7. Place on a baking sheet and bake for about ten minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower
3 T olive oil
Kosher salt
pepper
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1/2 cup gruyere cheese, shredded

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the cauliflower into florets and then lay them on a baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil over the cauliflower and add plenty of salt and pepper. Toss and then put in the oven for 30 minutes. About halfway through toss again to keep from burning.
Once the cauliflower is roasted, add the cheese on top and put it back in the oven for another two minutes.

Sweet Potato Chips

Ingredients:
2 medium sweet potatoes (leave the skins on)
Cooking Spray
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Slice potatoes to about 1/8" thickness. Spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Lightly spray the tops of the potatoes with cooking spray too. Sprinkle with seasonings. Bake at 425 for 15-25 minutes. Start checking the chips at about 15 minutes. Remove chips that are browning.

Roasted Butternut Squash

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp butter
2 lbs fresh butternut squash peeled and cut into chunks
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 400ºF. You’ll need a rimmed baking pan lined with nonstick foil.
2. Put butter in pan. Place in oven until melted. Remove pan from oven and add remaining ingredients. Toss to coat and spread into an even layer.
3. Roast 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once or twice, until squash is tender. Transfer to serving bowl.