I, just like George Washington, can not tell a lie: These are not Carrot Vichy. If you don’t know what Carrot Vichy is, clearly you’ve never googled it. According to Epicurious, it’s thinly sliced carrots cooked in butter, sugar, and Vichy water(whatever the hell that is) and sprinkled with parsley. Instead I made these with honey and olive oil for a lighter flavor, and swapped the herbs for what I had on hand.

(Almost) Carrots Vichy

Ingredients:

• 1lb large carrots, sliced thin
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1 Tablespoon dried herbs
• salt to taste

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Thinly slice the carrots about 1/4-inch thick and put them in a mixing bowl.

Pour in the olive oil and honey.

Next add in the salt and herbs(I used dill; herbs de Provence would also be good here) and mix it all together. Lay out the carrots on a baking tray and cook for about 45-55 minutes or until the carrots are soft and tender.

I don’t care what you call them; these are tasty. Every other time I’ve made roasted carrots they’ve come out tough, but these were actually soft. But I guess since I used tap water these are Carrots Tap?

Lately there’s been a lot of these hasselback potatoes around the food blog world. As a meat and potatoes person, I knew I had to try these. The recipe is so simple and yet quite different than your regular baked potato. These weren’t quite crispy like potato chips as I was hoping but they were tender and rich.

And, if you’re like me, you’ll be a little disappointed to learn that this isn’t named after a certain View hostess. Next you’ll try to tell me that Whoopi Goldberg didn’t invent the whoopie pie…

Hasselback Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 1 medium baking potato
• 2 pats of butter
• Salt and pepper for seasoning

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Carefully slice the potato ever 1/4-1/2 inch about 90% of the way through, making sure not to cut it completely.

Put a pat of butter over each side of the potato. Bake it for 60 minutes.

Plate and pour the excess melted butter overtop. Season with salt and pepper.

Paula Deen would do good by this recipe, ya’ll. It was definitely a fun and different way to eat a baked potato. Bacon bits on top would have been a great final touch.

If I could have dinner catered by Whole Foods every night, I would. There’s something so fun about going to the salad bar and picking out what you want to eat from so many options. Or at least it’s fun until they weigh it for you and tell you how much you eat and you stop wondering why your jacket’s a little snug.

Last time I was there, I had this roasted squash and onion casserole that made me go back and buy all the ingredients to make my own. It was mind-blowing, and now this recipe is, too. It’s deliciously sweet and could get the pickiest eater to eat their veggies.

Roasted Squash With Caramelized Onions And Craisins

Ingredients(Makes 4 servings):

• 1 butternut squash, deseeded and diced
• 2 large onions, diced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 Tablespoons agave nectar(or maple or honey)
• 1/3 craisins(or raisins)

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees.

If you haven’t already, dice the squash and onion into bite-sized pieces.

Combine the onion and squash in a bowl. Pour in the olive oil and sea salt. Toss all the ingredients together.

Lay the vegetables out on a baking tray and bake for 90 minutes

Add in the agave and craisins and mix the all the ingredients together. Drain any excess liquid and serve hot.

I truly forgot how much I loved caramelized onions until making this, which was gone in a flash. My breath probably still smells from them and it was entirely worth it. I’ve never been a fan of dried fruit in savory dishes but the strong, tart sweetness works really well here. It might be too soon to be planning Thanksgiving dinner, but if I were I’d add this to the list.

As much as I love cooking desserts and brownies, standing over a stove with a  pan of olive oil and garlic and other familiar ingredients is just as comforting. The more garlic the better. The flavors reminded me of Spring and Easter, which is where my mind wants to be when the temperature is negative degrees with the wind-chill. I was a little heavy handed with the lemon when I made this so if you’re not in love with the flavor then I’d suggest going with less as more. 

Lemon-Garlic Asparagus

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of asparagus
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Start by heating heating the oil in a pan with the minced garlic. Let the garlic sauté for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the asparagus into 1-inch long segments.

Add the asparagus to the pan and toss with the garlic and olive oil to coat.

Pour in the lemon juice and continue to cook for 5-7 minutes until the asparagus is tender. If you’re not sure if it’s cooked enough, taste one from time to time.

When it’s ready, sprinkle with salt to finish and serve hot.

I’m not sure what you could serve this with. Or rather, I’m not sure what you couldn’t serve this with. It would be great as a light side dish with some red meat or a perfect flavor pairing with Jenna’s Lemon Brown Sugar chicken and mashed potatoes(OK, I just love mashed potatoes, but who doesn’t?).

Sometimes you just want a lot of warm vegetables, you know? I made this one day that I wanted to bulk up some quinoa and just veg out. It was perfect with some baked tofu thrown on top, and then a few days later as a side dish with roasted chicken. My favorite thing about this is how flavorful it is, and it doesn’t even start with stock. I know vegetable/chicken stock is a great thing to keep in your pantry, but I just don’t. It’s easier that way. And you won’t even notice it’s missing here because there’s already so much to love.

Vegged-Out Quinoa

Ingredients(Makes 4 to 6 servings):

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter or cooking oil
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups fresh or frozen spinach
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon chopped parsley

Start by heating up your butter or oil over medium heat in a large pan.

Chop all of your vegetables and add them into the heated pan. Keep an eye on this and stir for about 10-15 minutes until the onion is translucent and just beginning to caramelize.

While that’s cooking, measure out your quinoa. Rinse and drain it first to remove the saponin.

*If you’re using a rice cooker, add your quinoa and two cups of water in and turn it on to the appropriate setting.

**If you’re using the stove, wait until the vgetables are done coking. Then add the quinoa and water into the same pot and bring it to a boil. Cover the pan and turn off the heat and wait for the quinoa to absorb the water.

Add in your salt, pepper, and parsley right before cooking.

Once the quinoa is fully cooked and the water has been absorbed, add in the honey and spinach and fold them into the mix. Serve hot.

This is sweet, it’s savory, a little bitter and kissed with salt. It has a great flavor all its own and can stand up to any protein on a dish. And it’s a real crowd-pleaser. I think adding all the vegetables just gives you an excuse to eat more because it’s so darn healthy.