Balancing Act: Roasted Fall Vegetable Salad

While fall is the ideal time of year for comfort food - apple pie, mashed potatoes, stuffing - it's also the easiest time of year to pack on a few extra pounds. Thanks to the cooler weather, it's easy to hide what all that pie does to your middle underneath layers and loose sweaters. And though I'm not one to sacrifice my favorite fall foods for vanity's sake, I don't want to be cursing those extra helpings of cider donuts come next spring. So in order to get the most of the comforting fall flavors we all love, I look to the many hearty vegetables the autumn harvest has to offer.

This salad with roasted butternut squash, brussels sprouts and beets is so satisfying that you won't feel like you're missing out at all. Plus, just look at those colors. If that doesn't look like fall, I don't know what does. And if anything, eat this salad so you can feel a little less guilty about polishing off that bag of candy corn after.

Roasted Fall Vegetable Salad
makes 4 entrée-sized servings

Ingredients:
1 lb butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
1 lb brussels sprouts, halved
2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cups precooked beets, quartered
1/4 cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
16 oz baby spinach (or 2 bags of the pre-washed kind from the grocery store)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Assemble the squash and brussels sprouts on the baking sheet so they're in one even layer. If the pan is too crowded, use 2 baking sheets. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Using your hands, toss the veggies so they're evenly coated in oil. Roast in the oven about 30 minutes, or until tender and slightly browned. Allow the veggies to cool slightly.
3. Top the spinach with beets, gorgonzola, walnuts and roasted veggies. I don't use any extra dressing for this, because I find the beets and roasted veggies help moisten the spinach, but if you want to drizzle with some extra olive oil, more power to ya.

Quick Bites: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

In case you've been living in a ditch for the past couple of weeks, pumpkin season is upon us, and there's no escaping it. From pumpkin lattes, to pumpkin ice cream and pumpkin Hershey's kisses, pumpkin is everywhere and it's taking over the world. Not that I'm complaining, I'm more than willing to succumb to the pumpkin world domination.

So today I bring you a super quick, super simple, and even more delicious recipe for pumpkin chocolate chip bread. A couple years ago, my brother Michael and I went to breakfast at this diner where he ordered pumpkin chocolate chip pancakes. This was before the pumpkin craze was really the phenomenon it is today, so we thought the combination of pumpkin and pancakes was totally brilliant. Now that Michael is all grown up as a freshman in college (sigh), I attempted to recreate that diner breakfast in bread form. Though I'm not able to share this bread with Michael right now, the comforting aromas of pumpkin and chocolate keep us feeling close regardless of the physical distance.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread adapted from Big Girls Small Kitchen
makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup turbinado sugar (raw cane sugar)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 can pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking power, and baking soda.
3. In another bowl, beat the eggs. Add sugar, vanilla extract,  and oil until combined.
4. Fold the egg mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir in pumpkin purée until combined. Fold in chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
5. Pour the batter into loaf pan and bake for 1 hour, or until cooked through and tender in the center.

Before...

...After! Mmm...

One Pot Wonder: Italian Vegetable Soup & Cornbread

Summer is unofficially over, which means it's time to get back to routines and schedules. And I could not be happier. I know, I sound like a total party pooper. Don't get me wrong, I do love summer, but come late August every year, I'm itching for cooler weather, apples and pumpkins, prime time TV, and a week when I can just stay put and get back in the kitchen.

Now I don't want to jinx it, but I think it's safe to say that the dog days of summer are finally past us. The weather in NYC has been just divine, and I've finally had a few weekends where I can stay home and relax instead of living out of a suitcase between graduations, vacations, and beach visits. So with some extra time on my hands, it was about time I got back in the kitchen with one of my favorite Sunday traditions: one pot meals!

As I've said here before, one pot meals are clutch for young, busy and poor folks (like me)! They're a major timesaver during the week, and much healthier and more cost effective than ordering takeout everyday for lunch or dinner. On the menu this week is a big, biiiig pot of Italian vegetable soup. Besides chopping up all the vegetables, you essentially just dump and stir everything into a big pot. And because I always need a little carb-age to truly hold me over, I made a lighter version of hearty cornbread. While it may officially be summer until this Saturday, this Italian vegetable soup and cornbread says fall is here to stay.

Italian Vegetable Soup
serves 6-8

Ingredients:
2 cups escarole, chopped
2 cups baby spinach
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 zucchini, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 fennel bulb, chopped
28 oz can diced tomatoes
6 cups vegetable broth
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

Add escarole, spinach, garlic, onion, zucchini, red bell pepper, fennel, canned tomatoes, vegetable broth, red pepper flakes, thyme and oregano to a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 10-15 minutes until vegetables are cooked through. Season with salt and pepper and top with parsley and basil.

Healthy Cornbread
serves 12

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray an 8x8 inch pan with cooking spray.

Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir in yogurt and eggs until combined and batter is smooth. Pour into pan and bake 20-25 minutes until tender and cooked through in the center.

Brown Bag Lunch: Quinoa with Corn, Tomatoes & Avocado

After a weekend full of indulgences - burgers & milkshakes at Schnipper's, pasta at Piccolo Angolo, and smoked salmon wrapped poached eggs at Penelope - I was craving something healthy and simple for lunch this week. I stumbled upon this recipe at Serious Eats for quinoa with corn, tomatoes and avocado last week, and instantly thought of it as the perfect brown bag lunch.

This quinoa is great to throw together on a Sunday afternoon and have ready for the rest of the week. It's tasty at room temperature or cold, so it makes for a great bring-to-work lunch. Plus, the avocado and quinoa are nice and filling, so you won't be looking for snacks at your desk an hour after lunch.

Quinoa with Corn, Tomatoes, Avocado & Lime
makes 4-5 servings

Ingredients:
2 tbs olive oil, divided
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 cup pre-washed quinoa
1-2/3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 tsp salt, divided
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 cobs of fresh corn, cooked and kernels removed
3 scallions, white and green parts, finely chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tbs lime juice, from 1-2 limes
2 avocados, cut into bite-sized chunks

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in medium pot over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

2. Add quinoa to onions, stirring constantly for 3-4 minutes. Add vegetable broth and stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt. Turn up heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover pot, turn down heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is cooked. Let cool slightly.

3. When quinoa is cool, add remaining olive oil, tomatoes, corn, scallions, jalapeño, cilantro, salt and lime juice. Top with avocado.

To Food With Love

I typically like to switch up my cuisines - sushi one night, Mexican the next. But the theme of this weekend was Italian, and I'm not complaining. Maybe I'm biased because of my Italian roots, but I don't think I could ever get sick of Italian food, even after an entire weekend full of it...

It started with dinner at Il Bagatto in the East Village on Friday night. Hidden on 2nd Street between Avenues A & B, Il Bagatto is old school, no frills, authentic Italian food. After the waiter spewed off a looong list of specials (completely by memorization, too!), I decided on two specials: grilled calamari to start and fettuccine with shrimp, grape tomatoes and pesto. Though simple, the calamari was perfectly tender, not rubbery at all, and very light. The pasta was also not too heavy, yet nicely satisfying for a hot summer evening. Afterwards and very apropos, we saw Woody Allen's To Rome With Love, which I highly recommend for anyone who has a love affair for all things European, like me! 

Continuing the trend, Saturday I spent at an Italian cooking class at The Blue Burner in Midtown. Another Groupon purchase and having taken a cookie baking class there a few months ago that was somewhat unfulfilling, I was a little weary for this one. But we were pleasantly surprised, as this class was much more hands-on and involved. During the 3 hour class, we made a white wine risotto, a red wine risotto, pesto, and chicken cacciatore. It was quite the indulgent meal for a Saturday afternoon, but also made for the perfect excuse to take a long nap after. 

To cap it all off, Sunday's excursion was to L & B Spumoni Gardens in the depths of Brooklyn. I've read about Spumoni Gardens on several "best pizza" round-ups from other food blogs, so it was about time I saw what the buzz was all about. And the buzz is 100% deserved. Also a very old school, no frills place, you order your pizza by the slice or pie at a window and then devour it on several red picnic tables out front. (There's also a sit-down restaurant attached to the pizza window). Spumoni's signature is a tomato pie, which has a thick crust, a little bit of cheese and topped with tomato sauce. A departure from your typical New York slice, this was the best Sicilian style pizza I've ever had. And though it's a bit of a trek into Brooklyn, I'm not one to pass on quality food for the sake of time. 

Vive La France!

As many of you already know, I am obsessed with everything French. French food, the language, French style, French movies. So I am especially excited for the Bastille Day cruise Benchmarc Events is hosting tomorrow, July 10th. We'll set sail from the pier at the World Financial Center at 8pm, and from there it will be 2 hours full of  French tunes, bites and drinks!

If you're in New York and looking for a festive way to celebrate Bastille Day, it's not too late to buy your tickets. And because you're a reader of The Daily Bite you can use our Friends & Family code BIGMARC4 at checkout to receive $15 off the ticket price (normally $60 for $45)!

If you're still not convinced, below are some pictures from last week's Red, White & Blue cruise, which will attest that tomorrow night is sure to be a real fête! Bon voyage!

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/producer/185631

all photos: Jason Shaltz

A Peachy Beachy Weekend

As much as I love New York, an occasional weekend away from the city is necessary, especially in the summer. So this past weekend at my friend's beach house in Rhode Island was the perfect mini vacation. We could not have asked for better weather, having spent all day Saturday and Sunday lounging at the beach.

When we weren't soaking up the sun or swimming in the surprisingly clear Atlantic, we were eating (duh). And the food theme of the weekend was peaches. Peach scones, peaches on the beach, peaches in our sangria, peach pie. Even the name of the farm stand where we did some shopping was Peaches. Not that I'm complaining. There are few things better than sinking your teeth into a peach, juices running down your chin on a sunny summer afternoon.

Strawberry & Peach Sangria adapted from Bon Appetit 

Ingredients:
about 1 and a half bottles white wine
1 1/2 cups peach schnapps
1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup seltzer water
1 large orange, peeled & segmented
3 peaches, sliced
1 1/2 cups strawberries, sliced
1 lemon, cut crosswise into slices

Add fruit to a large pitcher. Stir in wine, peach schnapps, seltzer water and sugar. Add sugar if needed. Chill and serve over ice.

Tomatoes stuffed with mozzarella & basil, served with basil vinaigrette. Recipe here

Grilled chicken with orange & honey glaze. Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit 

Is that not a summer feast, or what?