Now that it is beginning to get colder, I think soup with lots of vegetables. Winter does not allow me to get fresh summer juicy tomatoes, carrots or celery form my garden, but the season is no slouch. It does bring its own excellent vegetable tidings. Winter vegetable are not pretending to be anything other than what they are. And what they are is honest, seasonal eating that is absolutely delicious when prepare correctly.

Winter veggies taste good with little effort. I use strong seasonings such as garlic, citrus, cayenne, lemon pepper and of course grated parmesan cheese. Most of the time I will cut up a lot of winter veggies for soup, but for a change I roast my veggies in olive oil with salt and pepper.
Here are some ideas I have tried. Peppery Parsnips, Roasted Garlic Cauliflower, and my favor Five-spice Carrots. Oh and don’t forget roasted Beets!

You may think – not me I don’t like parsnips but your wrong! If you cook them the right way, they are just as tasty as French Fries.

Peppery Parsnips
1 pound parsnips, peeled
1 tbsp. butter
coarsely ground garlic- pepper seasoning
salt to taste
1. The best when to cut up parsnips is to cut them in half crosswise (where they go from fat to narrow). Quarter narrow pieces lengthwise, and cut fatter pieces lengthwise into thin strips.
2. Put parsnips in a saucepan of salted water and cover. Bring to a boil and turn down heat to simmer, partially covered. I would say about 15 to 20 minutes until they are tender. Drain and par dry.
3. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Arrange parsnips in hot butter in even layer. Season generously with ground garlic and pepper seasoning. Cook until lightly golden brown on both sides, about 3 to 5 minutes. Trust me, you’re going to love them. Enjoy!!

Roasted Garlic Cauliflower

3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 large head cauliflower (I look for about 2 1/2 pounds) separated florets
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease a shallow roasting pan. I use my baking sheet pan that has a lip.
2. Combine oil and garlic in a large bowl, then add florets and toss to coat. Pour into roasting pan and season with salt & pepper.
3. Roast cauliflower until tender- make sure you stir halfway through- about 25 minutes. Turn on the broiler and top cauliflower with cheese, and broil until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley before serving. Enjoy!!

Five-Spice Carrots
7 large carrots (2 lbs.)
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 Tsp. Chinese five-spice powder
Salt to taste

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2.Cut carrots in half lengthwise, then in half crosswise on the diagonal. Then halve fatter parts one more time lengthwise. Put carrots into a baking pan and sprinkle with five spice powder and salt & pepper. Toss lightly to coat carrots with oil seasoning. Then arrange in an even layer.
3. Roast carrots 15 minutes; check for tenderness and sir them around. Continue roasting until tender, 15 to 20 minutes more. Enjoy!!

Sweet Beets Roasted
1 1/2 lbs. beets, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch pieces
2 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut 3/4 inch pieces
1 large sweet onion (12 oz.) cut into 3/4 inch pieces

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss beets with 1/2 Tbsp. oil and 1/2 Tsp salt. Spread beets in a single layer on a rimmed 18×13 inch baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes.
2. Mix remaining 2 Tbsps.. oil, garlic powder, remaining salt, pepper and sugar in a large resealable plastic bag. Put sweet potatoes and onion in the bag, seal, and shake to coat vegetables with oil mixture.
3. Add sweet potato mixture to roasted beets on the baking sheet. Try to keep beets separated from other veggies that way the color will not bleed as much when you combine. Continue roasting, stirring after 20 minutes until all vegetables are tender, about 45 minutes. Enjoy!!

Prep: 10 min.
Total Time: 30 min.
Servings: 8

2 Tsp. melted butter
2 Tsp. flour
1 Tsp. salt
1/4 Tsp. pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup sour cream
2 ( 14.5 oz..) cans French style green beans, drained
1/2 lb. swiss cheese, grated (I get a block of swiss cheese and grate
it myself)
1 can of French onions, for the topping

1. Sauté the onion in butter
2. Add flour, salt and pepper
3. Mix in sour cream, beans and cheese
4. Pour into a 9×13 baking dish
5. Top with the French Onions
6. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes

This is a great recipe for a holiday dinner, Enjoy!!

Prep: 5 min. Cook: 15 min.
1 package (12oz) of fresh cranberries
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup orange Juice
1/4 Tsp. cinnamon
1/8 Tsp. salt
1. Combine sugar, orange juice, cinnamon, salt and cranberries in a medium sauce pan.
2 Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 15 minutes. Enjoy!!

Do you know that you can freeze fresh cranberries for up to 6 months. You don’t have to anything special to them, just take the bag and put them in the freeze. When you are ready, wash them good, and cook them accordingly to this recipe.

Prep: 30 min. Servings: 12
Bake: 350 Total baking: 30 to 40 min.

1 lb. of a good spice (mild) sausage, cooked and browned
1 box of stove top stiffing mix for turkey
1 box of chicken stock
1/2 cup of butter
bread crumbs
1 large onion
1 1/2 cups of celery
1/2 cup slice mushroom (Optional)
2 apples, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/2 to 1 Tbsp. of poultry seasoning
parsley to taste
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large sauce pan cook the sausage. When it is almost done I add the onions, celery, mushroom, and seasoning.
2. When that is tender, I add that to a 9×5 baking dish. Add the apples, apricots, and the stove top stuffing along with the cup of butter. Mix this altogether.

3. Pour in the chicken both to the top of the dish and carefully place this in the oven.
4. Cook this for about 30 to 40 minutes. You can add more chicken broth to keep the stuffing moist.

This was so moist and tasty that we did not have any leftovers! Enjoy!!