Today was an absolutely spectacular day! We hit 45 degrees and the sun was bright and warming. I think this is the warmest day we've had since November. Now I officially have spring fever. The days are starting to get longer, the sun is shining...I can't wait for the warm weather!!! I love summer veggies, and I am looking forward to cooking them in my DO. One of the complaints I have about DO cookbooks is that most of the dishes are heavy. I've mentioned this before; but after a month of DO dinners I seriously need to hit the gym. So I am on the lookout for some healthier recipes. I have a few, and I am experimenting with them in the DO--trying to make them work. I'll post them as I get them ready. Today's recipe definitely fits in the healthy category. I wish I could take credit for making this one up, but alas, it is one I have had in my recipe collection for years and never tried until today.Herb-Roasted Vegetables
14" dutch oven
1 24 oz. pkg. frozen California-blend vegetables
4 Tbs. olive oil
3/4 tsp. garlic salt
3/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. pepper
Put the frozen veggies in a single layer in your DO. Combine the oil and the spices; drizzle over the veggies and toss to coat. Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes or until tender, stir occasionally.
I used 38 coals, 13 on bottom and 25 on top.
The Finished Product
Sorry the pics are so dark.
What I Learned
I finally found the temperature chart that I printed off the Internet back in December and I actually used it. It tells you how many coals to use for each size oven to reach various temps. It was a big help tonight. Most things can be cooked at 350 but for the ones that need different heat, this chart is really valuable. I'm glad I found it. I will try to post it on the sidebar of the blog (as soon as I figure out how).
The Review
Where has this dish been all my life? It was made to cook in a DO. Talk about great flavor. I almost needed a funnel to get it in my mouth fast enough. It was so easy, but the result is full of flavor. The spices are subtle so you can still taste the veggies. I can't say enough about how good this simple dish was. I am going to have the leftovers on a salad tomorrow. My mouth is watering already. Grade A+.
Toni,
ReplyDeleteThat looks FABULOUS!!!
I know what you mean about "heavy" dishes in most Dutch oven cookbooks. Keep in mind that a wide variety of cooking techniques lend themselves to the ol' black pot. One of my favorites is Stir Fry. The Dutch oven works well as a wok. This is just one example of "keeping it light". You can do just about anything you would do in your kitchen so don't be afraid to experiment.
Mark Hansen did an article on his Blog last fall on more healthy cooking in Dutch ovens. A few ideas for us there.
I too LOVE summer veggies. Streight from the garden and into the pot is fun and delicious!
By the way, thanks for prompting me to cook up a batch of Biscuits this weekend. Made a pot of Minestrone Soup and cooked up some herb biscuits. Boy was it good.
Toni!
ReplyDeleteI did a colmun in I.D.O.S. News Letter called "Doing Ducth Diabetic Style" See if you can find some old back isues. It was a full meal each time. Three diches. E-mail me and I will try to share.
theoutlawgourmet@hotmail.com
This looks really good, Toni. I'm going to add this one to my recipe binder :)
ReplyDeleteAlso, if you want to practice with biscuits, get a roll of the Pillsbury, or similar, biscuits in a tube. It is a good way to practice cooking breads and bread-like things.
Will--that is a great idea! I'm going to try that. Thanks for the tip!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds so yummy! We usually do the main dish or desserts in our DO, but I love the idea of having a side dish to serve as well!
ReplyDeleteI love all of the organizing you are doing to the blog and your 'baking' conversions are awesome!
Thanks Margaret! It has all been a lot of work, but it helps me find things easier too. :)
ReplyDeleteI've found that I really enjoy doing side dishes in my dutch oven. I'm not sure why. Maybe because they are usually simple and quick to put together.