Roasted Rosemary Turnip Roots

When I was younger, you couldn't get me to eat turnips for nothing!  Nope, nothing!  No way, no how!  Fast forward a gazillion years...I love them!  I cook them with ham seasoning but my very favorite way to eat them is roasted.  Oh. My. These are so good!  I could grab and eat them right out of the oven.  Yes, I love them that much now.   So much so, I cooked them twice, in two days, in my Lodge  15" Seasoned Steel Skillet.  This is perfect to roast vegetables in!  I roasted 1 pound and could easily fit another pound in.  The larger ones were quartered, the smaller halved.  Simply seasoned yet robust in flavor.  Try them...I know you will love them also.  Oh,  just in case you hadn't heard.....I am very honored to be hosting a giveaway sponsored by Lodge Manufacturing.  It's for their amazing 15" Seasoned Steel Skillet.  I have cooked in it every day and l just love the ease of cooking from stove top to oven to grill.  It is large enough to accommodate food for my growing boys and much more.  Perfect!  The giveaway will start sometime in the next two weeks.  Stay connected with me so you won't miss out on this fantastic skillet.

Roasted Caramelized Bacon Asapargus

This has got to be the best asparagus I have cooked!  It is caramelized, has a background taste of bacon cooked in it, a little peppery, a saltiness that is just right and topped with crumbled bacon.  MMMMM...I could have eaten it all!  Next time I will definitely cook two bundles.  <3 and hugs!

Roasted Bacon Asparagus

1 lb asparagus

3 pieces bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

1-2 tablespoon bacon grease

sea salt, to taste

freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400F.  Spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray.  Rinse asparagus and trim the tough ends off by bending at the bottom.  The tough part will break off.  

Place on cookie sheet in a single layer and drizzle with bacon grease.  

Roll asparagus around to coat.

Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Cook at 400F for 10 minutes.  Check and turn asparagus over.

Cook another 5-10, maybe 15 minutes depending how thick the stalks are or until crisp tender and they begin to caramelize.  

Put on serving plate and add more sea salt and pepper if desired. 

Sprinkle with crumbled bacon.

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Roasted Frozen Broccoli

My oldest told me he loved broccoli.  I was actually being to doubt that this is true.  It seemed every way I made it wasn’t the way he liked it.  I cooked it in soup, casseroles and covered in cheese to no avail.  Last night I decided to roast it in the toaster oven. Jackpot! He loved it!  I put the frozen broccoli flowerettes in the toaster oven with only a spray of olive oil and kosher salt. There is so much that can be done with this.  When it comes out of the oven add a splash of lemon juice and fresh ground pepper. Sprinkle it with grated parmesan and/or cheddar.  Cut it up and add to cooked rice.  The possibilities are endless.  Very easy and quite good just as it is.  <3 and hugs!

Roasted Frozen Broccoli

frozen broccoli, no need to thaw

olive oil spray

kosher salt

spray margarine

Spray pan with spray.  

Add frozen broccoli and spray with olive oil  Cook for 20 minutes at 400...preheat if you have time. Turn pan around at 10 minutes.  Cook another 5 minutes and check to see if done.  Cooked but still a little firm..the way we like it.   Give another spray with olive oil or spray margarine and season with kosher salt to taste.  Add additional seasonings, lemon juice, cheeses....if desired.  Enjoy!  <3 and hugs! 

Roasted Asparagus, Portabella and Seafood Alfredo Lasagna

Posting this recipe fast (hope I didn't forget anything) so I can go play with my boys!  I'll edit it later and add additional pictures.  Gotta run!

Note:  This only makes a couple of layers in an 8 x 10 pan.  You may want to increase the recipe.

Roasted Asparagus, Portabella and Seafood Alfredo Lasagna

What you need 

lasagne noodles, I used 6 for an 8x10 pan

bundle asparagus

8 oz portabella mushrooms

8 to 12 oz seafood of your choice, more or less

16 oz jar roasted garlic alfredo sauce, your choice or homemade

1 cup ricotta cheese, homemade

1 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, homemade, or 6 cheese sticks

1 egg

sea salt to taste

freshly ground pepper to taste

olive oil or olive oil spray

What to do

Heat oven to 400.  Spray 2 cookie sheets with olive oil.  Clean mushrooms, slice, put on cookie sheet and spray with olive oil..drizzle if you don't have spray.  Rinse asparagus, bend the bottom of it and it should break where the tough part is.  Cut into 4 or 5 pieces and put on cookie sheet and spray or drizzle, with olive oil.  Sprinkle sea salt and freshly ground pepper on top.  Cook for 8 minutes,  turn vegetables over and cook another 5-7 minutes until starting to brown and not completely cooked.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees.

While vegetables are roasting, heat 2 tablespoon butter in skillet.  Once hot, add garlic and seafood.  Reduce heat and simmer until shrimp are pink, scallops are opaque and firm, canned crab meat or imitation  can be added to the lasagna without cooking.  

While the veggies are cooking, heat water to boil.  Cook lasagna al dente according to directions, place on paper towels to drain. You can skip this by using lasagna that requires no cooking.  

Mix alfredo sauce and ricotta, 1 cup each parmesan and mozarella cheeses in a bowl with egg.  

Spray pan with olive oil.   Put a thin layer of cheese mixture on bottom of pan.  Layer of lasagna noodles next.  Another layer of cheese mixture then 1/2 seafood, asparagus and mushrooms.  Repeat with rest of cheese and noodles, seafood, asparagus and mushrooms.  Sprinkle with 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup parmesan cheeses.  Cover and bake in oven for 15 minutes.  Turn around and cook another 10 minutes or until starting to bubble.  Remove cover and cook another 3-5 minutes until cheese has melted.  Enjoy, <3 and hugs! 

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Thursday's Treasures Week 31

Brined Roasted Chicken

I had never brined a chicken before...that is until a few weeks ago and now I am hooked!  I found the brine on the back of my Kosher Salt box.  :D  I adapted this recipe from it.  


I just love the way it makes the chicken taste and it is oh so moist!  Very simple to do.  Add herbs, fruit, garlic...whatever you wish to the brine.  Enjoy!