Oven Baked Fall Vegetables
Ingredients
2 large Sweet Potatoes, peeled
1 small Acorn Squash
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
½ teaspoon Sea Salt
1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
2 tablespoons Honey
1 large sprig of fresh rosemary
Directions
Cover a large baking sheet or pan with foil. Preheat the oven to 425°F
Cut the sweet potatoes into wedges, and place them in a large bowl. Cut the bottom and tops of the acorn squash, then cut it in half. Remove the seeds with a spoon Cit the acorn squash into wedges, and add to the bowl.
Pour olive oil and salt onto the potatoes and acorn squash and mix well Add in the honey and cinnamon, and mix again.
Spread the rosemary leaves over the foil on the baking pan.
Spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, place in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes, stirring halfway during roasting. Bake until the potatoes and squash are tender. Serve with pork chops.
Chrispy Baked Pork Chops
Ingredients
2 center-cut pork chops, 6 to 8 ounces each, 3/4 to 1 inch thick, trimmed of excess fat
1 cup cornflake crumbs
1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 egg
Olive oil cooking spray
Directions
Place crumbs, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Mix well.
Place the flour in a shallow dish. In another shallow dish, whisk egg and mustard until combined.
Spray a wire rack with nonstick cooking spray and place it on a rimmed baking sheet.
Dredge 1 pork chop in flour; shake off excess. Coat with egg mixture; let excess drip off. Coat all sides of the chop with crumb mixture, pressing gently so that the crumbs adhere to the chop. Transfer breaded chop to a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining chop.
After the vegetables have baked for 15 minutes, place the pork chops in the over,
Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the chops registers 155 degrees, about 30 minutes. Let rest on the rack for 5 minutes before serving.
2 servings
Ingredients
Cooking spray
2 salmon fillets, skin removed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 orange, peeled and cut into segments
2 sweet potatoes, peeled
1/2 cup Teriyaki sauce, store-bought or see recipe below
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Coat a large baking pan with cooking spray.
Cut the sweet potatoes into 1/4-inch slices. Place them in a single layer in the baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Season salmon with salt and pepper and place on top of the potatoes.
Spoon the teriyaki sauce over the salmon in the pan. Arrange oranges on top of the salmon.
Roast salmon for 25 to 30 minutes, until fish and potatoes are fork-tender. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Quick Teriyaki Sauce
Ingredients
¼ cup soy sauce
1 cup water
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
5 tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ cup cold water
Directions
Mix all but the cornstarch and 1/4 cup of water in a saucepan and begin heating.
Whisk the cornstarch and cold water in a cup to dissolve. Add to sauce in the pan.
Heat until sauce thickens to desired thickness.
Sugar Snap Peas
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb fresh sugar snap peas, ends trimmed
1 large garlic clove, sliced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Directions
Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the snap peas and garlic, and toss to coat. Cook snap peas for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the salt, and pepper and cook an additional 3-5 minutes, until the snap peas begin to puff up and are crisp, yet tender.
Serve immediately.
Pork
2 thick-cut bone-in pork chops
olive oil
2 tablespoons pork seasoning
¼ cup honey Dijon mustard
½ cup unseasoned panko crumbs
Directions
Coat the pork with the seasoning and refrigerate for several hours. When ready to cook , brush the mustard on the chope
S and dredge the meat in the panko. Press the crumbs on firmly.
Preheat an oven to 400 degrees.F.
Heat an oven-safe heavy skillet over high heat.add 2 tablespoons of oil and Sear the pork chops for 2 minutes on each side.
Transfer skillet immediately to the oven and cook until the internal temperature of the chop reaches 145 degrees, about 15 minutes.
Let rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Vegetables
1 large sweet potato
2 large yellow squash
5 large carrots
2 tablespoons avocado oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
¼ cup orange juice
2 fresh thyme sprigs
¼ cup chopped fresh chives
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Scrub the vegetables with a vegetable brush,
Trim the ends pff the carrots, squash and potatoes. Leave the carrots whole. Cut the squash into quarters lengthwise and the sweeter potato into sixths lengthwise.
Place vegetables on a 16 x 12 x 1 inch baking sheet or in a baking dish large enough to hold the vegetables.
Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Season with salt amd pepper. Sprinkle with orange juice and place pieces of thyme on top.
Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, remove from the pan from the oven and toss vegetables. Place back in the oven and bake for an additional 10=15 minutes, until fork tender. Place the vegetables on a serving platter and sprinkle with chopped chives.
Roasted Porterhouse Pork Chops
2-3 servings
Ingredients
2 Berkshire Porterhouse (Double) Bone-In Pork Chops
4 teaspoons pork seasoning/rub (If you don’t have this in your pantry, see recipe below.)
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper if your seasoning doesn’t contain these
Olive oil
Directions
Sprinkle one teaspoon of pork seasoning on each side of the pork chops. Rub it into the meat and refrigerate the chops for several hours.
Preheat oven to 400 F. Oil a baking dish just large enough to hold the chops. Drizzle with olive oil.
Place the baking pan in the oven and roast for about 40 minutes, turning the chops over after 20 minutes. A meat thermometer should read 140 F.
Remove from the oven and let the chops rest for 10 minutes.
Pork Seasoning
Combine 1 teaspoon of each in a jar and mix well.
Salt, garlic powder, white pepper, onion powder, ginger, and natural hickory smoke flavor,
Roasted Sweet Potatoes And Pears
Ingredients
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into eighths
2 pears, Peeled, cored, and cut into eights
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/9 Pumpkin Pie spice or
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Oil a 9- inch by 13-inch baking dish.
In a large bowl, toss sweet potatoes with vinegar, seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread into a single layer in the prepared pan. Dot with the butter.
Bake 20 minutes. Add the peas and stir the mixture. Bake 20 minutes more. Serve with the pork.
Add a green vegetable to round out the menu. I made Swiss Chard. Here is my recipe
Fillet of Fish Francese
2 servings
Ingredients
¼ cup olive oil
12 ozs white fish filets cut in half (I used triggerfish)
1/4 cup of flour
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 egg
2 tablespoons of heavy cream
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Directions
Pour flour mixed with salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a shallow dish. Whisk egg, cream, lemon juice, and Parmesan cheese in another shallow bowl..
Heat oil in a large skillet.
Dredge the fillets in the flour, make sure you coat both sides and then dip the fish in the egg mixture, and make sure it’s evenly covered.
Repeat with all of the fillets and add to your skillet. Cook each side for 3-4 minutes; you want the bottom of the filet to get lightly brown,
Squash Saute
2 servings
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 plump garlic cloves, minced
2 medium yellow summer squash, diced
1 small red pepper, diced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat, and add the onion. Stir often and cook until tender, five to eight minutes, then add the garlic, summer squash, red pepper, and about ½ teaspoon of salt. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring, until the squash is translucent and the red pepper tender, about 10 minutes. Add freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust salt. Stir in the parsley, and remove from the heat. Serve with the fish.
Air-Fryer Baked Sweet Potato
You may bake the potato in a regular oven at 400 degrees F for 45-50 minutes.
2 servings
Ingredients
1 large sweet potato
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Directions
Wash the sweet potato and then poke air holes in the potato with a fork.
Sprinkle them with the olive oil, pepper & salt, then rub evenly on the potato.
Once the potato is coated place it into the basket.
Cook potato at 390 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until fork-tender.
Cut in half and top with a pat of butter.
Sea Bass
Ingredients
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 lb sea bass fillets, ½-inch thick, cut into smaller portions
Caper Sauce
3 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons avocado oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 scallion, minced
1 tablespoon capers, drained and chopped
1 seeded jalapeno pepper, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Directions
Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
Season the fish with salt and pepper and brush the fillets with some of the sauce.
Heat a medium skillet and sear the fish on both sides about 2 minutes on each side. Reduce the heat to low and pour the sauce over the fish and simmer for 5-6 minutes until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
Serve immediately.
Creamy Corn Stuffed Tomatoes
Ingredients
4 firm, medium-sized tomatoes
Filling
2 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from 4 ears)
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons minced scallion
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Cut off tops of tomatoes; remove seeds and pulp with a spoon. Leave a 1/2-inch wall of flesh around the inside of the tomato. Invert tomatoes on a paper towel to drain while preparing the filling.
Combine the corn with the rest of the filling ingredients in a medium bowl. Season the inside of the tomatoes with salt and black pepper and fill with a generous amount of corn filling (amount will vary depending on the size of the tomatoes). Arrange stuffed tomatoes in a baking dish.
Bake tomatoes until the filling is hot and the cheese has melted 15–20 minutes.
Sweet Potato Patties
The potato cakes can bake in the oven along with the tomatoes in this dinner menu.
Ingredients
Olive oil cooking spray
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup minced scallions
1/4 cup blanched finely ground almond flour (1 oz)
Cooked and mashed sweet potato (2 sweet potatoes)
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spray it with oil.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, sea salt, black pepper, honey, scallions, and thyme. Mix in the almond flour. Add the mashed sweet potato to the egg mixture. Mix well.
Using a ¼ cup scoop or measuring cup, form six mounds of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Flatten with a spatula. Spray with oil.
Bake the sweet potato cakes for 15 minutes. Turn them over, spray with more oil and bake until browned and set, 10 more minutes. Serve immediately.
Grilled Pork Chops
2 servings
Spice Rub
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 thin bone-in pork loin chops (about 4 oz each)
Directions
In a bowl, mix together garlic, oil, sugar, salt, paprika, pepper, and cayenne until a paste forms. Coat pork chops with the paste and refrigerate 1 hour (or up to 3).
Heat an outdoor grill or broiler to medium-high. Cook pork, covered if grilling, 5 minutes per side. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
Sweet Potatoe Salad
Ingredients
2 large sweet potatoes, about 1 1/2 lb, peeled and diced
Salt
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
Dressing:
½ a large jalapeno pepper or 1 small, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
2 tablespoons pickle relish
1 tablespoon honey
1 garlic clove, grated
2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
Directions
Bring a large bot of salted water to a boil, then add the sweet potatoes. Simmer just until fork-tender, about 10 minutes depending upon the size of the potatoes. Drain, gently, and set aside.
In a serving bowl place the celery, and green onions.
Prepare the dressing in a large measuring cup, whisking together all the dressing ingredients.
Add the sweet potatoes to the bowl with the celery, drizzle with the dressing, then toss gently to combine. Taste and season with additional salt/pepper as desired. Serve chilled. Garnish with extra chopped parsley if desired.
Grilled Japanese Eggplant
What Is the Difference Between Japanese Eggplant and Regular Eggplant?
Their smaller size and thinner shape make them look more like a baby zucchini than a big, globe eggplant! Once you cut into it, you’ll find fewer seeds than most eggplant varieties (which also means they’re less bitter, since the seeds are responsible for creating bitter eggplant). The flesh is sweet and creamy with a spongy texture, meaning they’ll soak up marinades and sauces exceptionally well.
Ingredients
Marinade
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for brushing
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 a jalapeno pepper, minced
Eggplant
3 Japanese eggplants, about 1 lb total, halved lengthwise
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup Asian plum sauce
Directions
Combine the marinade ingredients in a long dish.{lace the cut eggplant in the marinade and turn them over several times. Season the eggplant with salt and pepper. Set aside for an hour.
Heat an outdoor grill or preheat a grill pan. Remove the eggplant from the marinade. Grill cut side down over high heat until lightly charred, about 2 minutes. Turn the eggplant and cook until lightly charred and tender, about 2 minutes. Brush the cut side of the eggplant with the p;u, sauce, and turn them over to grill for another 2 minutes. Transfer the eggplant to a serving dish and drizzle the remaining plum sauce over the slices.
Trout Fillets
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 small clove garlic, cut into thin slices
1/4 teaspoon dried sage or 4 large fresh leaves, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 teaspoon fresh leaves, minced
¼ teaspoon dried thyme or 1 teaspoon fresh leaves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1 whole rainbow trout deboned and cut into 2 fillet halves, skin on
Chopped parsley
Directions
Light an outdoor grill or heat the broiler. In a small stainless-steel saucepan, combine the oil, butter, garlic, sage, thyme, and rosemary. Cook over moderately low heat until the garlic just starts to brown, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately stir in the lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Brush the fish with some of the lemon sauce on both sides of the fish. Grill or broil the fish skin-side down for 4-5 minutes. Pour the remaining sauce over the cooked fish. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve the fillets with the sweet potatoes.
Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds total), peeled and sliced ¼-inch thick
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 sprig fresh rosemary
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Directions
Heat oven to 400° F. Whisk together the vinegar and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.
Toss the potatoes, oil, rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in an 8-inch baking dish. Cover with foil and bake until just tender, 25-30 minutes. Add the butter and reserved vinegar mixture. Continue to roast, uncovered, basting occasionally with the pan juices, until the potatoes are golden brown, 15-20 minutes more.
Sauteed Swiss Chard or Spinach
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 large bunches Swiss chard or spinach, ribs and stems removed, leaves torn into 2”
pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Directions
Wash the chard well in several changes of cold water. Drain in a colander. Heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and half of the Swiss chard, season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing often until wilted. Add the lemon juice and remaining chard and cook, tossing, just until all chard is wilted about 1 minute. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I recently purchased an air fryer. While I used my air fryer for cooking the salmon cakes and sweet potatoes, I also give directions for stovetop and oven baking methods.
Air-Fryer Salmon Cakes
When I make salmon or tuna fillets for dinner, I always make extra so I can make fish cakes at a later time.
Ingredients
Spicy Tartar Sauce:
1/2 cup olive oil mayonnaise
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
1 teaspoon capers
1/4 teaspoon hot Cajun seasoning
Pinch of salt
Salmon Cakes:
Cooking spray
10 oz cooked salmon (or you can use canned salmon)
1 to 11/4 cups plain panko breadcrumbs, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 large egg
Directions
Mix the Tatar sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and refrigerate until needed.
Coat the basket of an air fryer with cooking spray.
Place the salmon in a mixing bowl and break up into small pieces. Add ½ cup panko crumbs, dill, mayonnaise, mustard, egg, and pepper; stir gently until combined. Shape the mixture into four cakes. Lightly coat the outside of the cakes in panko crumbs.
Coat the cakes with cooking spray and place them in the prepared air fryer basket. Cook at 375 degrees F until browned and heated through about 15 minutes. Serve with the Tatar Sauce.
Directions for stovetop:
Heat ¼ cup vegetable oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Place salmon cakes in the skillet and cook without moving until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Carefully turn cakes and cook until the second side is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer cakes to a paper towel-lined plate to drain 1 minute. Serve with the Tatar Sauce.
Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients
16 ounces of sweet potatoes
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons avocado oil
Preheat your air fryer to 375 degrees F.
Slice the sweet potatoes into finger-sized sticks (mine are between 1/4 and 1/2 inch). They don’t have to be perfect but try to keep the size fairly consistent.
Place the potato slices in a ziplock bag or mixing bowl, along with the oil, salt, pepper, and paprika, and toss to coat.
Transfer the sweet potatoes to the air fryer, and cook until tender and crispy (about 20 minutes). Shake the basket a few times to rearrange the fries, and use a metal spatula to turn them. Use your own judgment, cooking longer or shorter, if needed, keeping an eye on the fries to make sure they don’t burn.
Directions for Oven-Baked Sweet Potato wedges
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees K. Spread the coated potatoes in an even layer on a baking sheet. Roast the potatoes, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Quick Saute Of Baby Spinach Leaves
Ingredients
1 clamshell package(5oz) of organic baby spinach leaves
1 large clove garlic, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Heat the oil in a medium skillet. Add the garlic slices and then the spinach leaves. Cover the pan and let the spinach cook on medium for one minute. Remove the cover, reduce the heat to low and cook the spinach, stirring often until wilted, about another minute or two. Serve immediately.
Pork Roulade
Ingredients
2 pork tenderloin filets about 12 oz each, trimmed of fat and silver skin
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
4 oz container unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
4 tablespoons apple cider
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Directions
Slice tenderloins lengthwise, cutting to, but not through the other side. Open halves, laying the tenderloins flat. Place plastic wrap over the tenderloins; pound to 1/2-inch thickness using a meat mallet. Overlap the two tenderloins by about an inch or so to create one piece of meat. Press together.
Combine onion, applesauce, parsley, sage, lemon zest, and garlic in a bowl. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper over the pork. Spread the applesauce mixture over the tenderloins, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the outside edges. Roll up the tenderloin jelly-roll fashion, starting with the long sides. Secure at 2-inch intervals with twine. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper over the roulade. Place the tenderloin in a large zip-top plastic bag, and seal. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the roulade; cook 5 minutes, turning until browned on all sides. Add broth, apple cider, and mustard. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
Remove the roulade from the pan; keep warm. Cook broth mixture until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 10 minutes). Stir in lemon juice. Remove twine from the roulade. Slice crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Place a serving of the potato carrot puree on each serving plate. Place a serving of pork over the puree and drizzle with sauce.
Carrot Sweet Potato Puree
4 servings
Ingredients
1 pound carrots, peeled and chopped
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup buttermilk
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
Directions
Put the carrots and the sweet potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until the carrots and potatoes are tender. Drain and transfer to a food processor. Process until a chunky mixture forms. Add the buttermilk and garlic salt and process until smooth and creamy.
Roasted Asparagus With Creamy Lemon Sauce
Ingredients
Salt and Pepper
2 tablespoon butter, diced
1 bunch asparagus
1 lemon
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Trim the bottom 2-inches from the asparagus, and if desired, peel the lower 2 inches of the stalks. Place the asparagus in a greased baking pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and dot with the butter
Roast the asparagus for 15-20 minutes,
For the sauce:
Grate 1 teaspoon peel from the lemon and squeeze 1 tablespoon juice into a small bowl. Whisk in sour cream, heavy cream, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper. The sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Spoon sauce over asparagus and garnish with chives.
