Roasted Root Vegetables (with Roast Chicken)

I keep telling myself that I need to make the most of this cold weather by using my oven more often. Come May or June, it will become unbearable to use slow and/or high-heat cooking techniques. Before getting to my to-do list of cookies (oatmeal raisin, pumpkin butterscotch, something sweet and salty...), I was itching to roast a whole chicken. Then came a lazy Sunday evening with a nice bottle of chardonnay. Perfect.

These simple roasted vegetables went perfectly with Thomas Keller's simple roast chicken. Parsnips, sweet potatoes, turnips, rutabagas, and even beets would've also been good additions or replacements for what I had on hand.

1 small celery root (celeriac), peeled
1 small waxy potato (red, white, or Yukon gold)
3 small carrots
1 small yellow onion
3-4 garlic cloves, peeled (optional; I meant to add these but forgot!)
1 Tbsp olive oil
generous amounts of salt and pepper
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut vegetables into 1-inch chunks. Toss celery root, potato, and carrots with olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Roast on a foil-lined baking sheet for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, then add onion and garlic. Toss to coat everything evenly. Return pan to oven and roast for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and cooked through.

Winter Panzanella

Panzanella is a bread salad hailing from central Italy, and typically contains bread, tomatoes, herbs, oil, and vinegar. Since it requires no cooking, it's a perfect dish for summer. It's also a perfect dish for getting rid of leftovers, including stale bread and any vegetables you may have, any time of the year. This winter version of panzanella is far from traditional, but it is also wildly tasty.

I added a can of garbanzo beans to make a meal out of this, but you could also omit them completely and serve this as a side dish/bed for roasted or grilled chicken (the bread soaks up some of the chicken juices... drool).

1/2 medium butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
25 small Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
1/3 lb stale bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 Tbsp melted butter
1/2 small red onion, sliced thinly lengthwise
2 Tbsp sherry vinegar
2 Tbsp + 1/2 Tbsp + 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
handful of chopped fresh parsley
1 15-oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp paprika
salt
black pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Toss squash with 1/2 Tbsp olive or vegetable oil, salt, and pepper (optional: add dried herbs such as thyme and/or sage). Toss brussels sprouts with 1/2 Tbsp oil, salt, and pepper. Spread squash out on half of a large baking sheet, and brussels sprouts on other half. (I like to combine these steps and reduce the dishwashing load by tossing the vegetables with oil directly on the baking sheet.) Roast for 20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and browned.

While vegetables are roasting, toss bread cubes with melted butter and either bake at 350 degrees F in the toaster oven for 10-15 minutes, or toast in a large pan over medium-low heat, tossing occasionally.

Heat a large pan with a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add garbanzo beans, minced garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat the beans with the seasonings, and cook a few minutes, just until heated through.

Combine onions with sherry vinegar, some salt and pepper, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Again, I like to do this directly in a large mixing bowl where the rest of the ingredients will end up, but you can also use a separate bowl.

Add vegetables, bread, and garbanzo beans to a large mixing bowl. Pour dressing over mixture if it isn't already in the bowl. Add chopped parsley, and toss until all ingredients are evenly coated. Let the panzanella sit for a few minutes to soak up all the flavors before serving.

Bubble and Squeak

The combination of potatoes and cabbage always seems to conjure images of weary but resilient European peasants who toil all day so that they may enjoy a few starchy, boiled, sulfuric bites of dinner (for me, anyway). Images like the one that Van Gogh famously painted. Pretty appetizing right?

I will answer my own question with an enthusiastic "yes!" thanks to something the Brits call "bubble and squeak." As you may already know, certain traditional British dishes go by names that would make a fourth grader (or, say, an easily amused 26-year-old) giggle. Bubble and Squeak is one that doesn't sound slightly vulgar to American ears, and probably among the easiest to make. It's a practical way to use leftover vegetables from a traditional Sunday roast for breakfast the next day. All it takes is a hot, greased pan, some mashed potatoes, and any variety of cooked vegetables. I mashed my potatoes with yogurt instead of cream and butter, and added cabbage, onions, and chopped apples to round it out.

Spiced Cauliflower and Chickpea Soup

A quick and easy soup that I ad-libbed last night, using pantry items and odds and ends I found in the fridge. Been busy lately? Me too. So busy I can barely write complete sentences! Note that the recipe below uses very approximated measurements.

1 Tbsp oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small potato, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 small carrot, chopped
1/3 medium head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
2 Tbsp pureed tomatoes from a can
1/2 of a 15 oz can of chickpeas, rinsed
2-3 cups vegetable broth
salt and black pepper
couple handfuls of chopped spinach or baby spinach
1/2 fresh lime

Heat oil in a 2-quart pot over medium heat. Add onion, potato, carrot, spices, and a pinch of salt. Cook until onion is translucent but not burnt. Add cauliflower, garlic, and tomato puree. Stir to incorporate evenly. Add chickpeas and enough broth to cover all the ingredients in the pot. Cover and bring to a boil, then simmer just until vegetables are tender. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Put spinach in bowls, and ladle soup over it. Finish off with a few squeezes of lime juice.