Oven-Roasted Vegetables

• 1/2 medium zucchini, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 medium summer squash, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 medium red bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 medium yellow bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces - I substituted green pepper
• 1/2 pound fresh asparagus, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 red onion - I substituted yellow onion
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• I added lemon pepper seasoning
• I added crumbled feta

Heat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place the zucchini, squash, peppers, asparagus, and onion in a large roasting pan. Toss with the olive oil, salt, and pepper to mix and coat. Spread in a single layer in the pan. Roast for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are lightly browned and tender.

My Review: I love roasted vegetables so much! These were delicious and very filling. The vegetable combo was great together. I added lemon pepper to give it more flavor and feta to make it more filling. Next time I make these, I'll add balsamic vinegar.

Mexican Zucchini Oven Fries

from Rachael Ray

Serves: 4

• 2 medium zucchini cut into 1/4-inch square 3-inch long sticks -- like fries
• Vegetable cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon grill seasoning
• 1 cup chili sauce or mild taco sauce

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Arrange zucchini on nonstick cookie sheet. Spray zucchini with cooking spray. Combine spices and sprinkle over the zucchini fries. Place in very hot oven and cook 15 to 18 minutes. Serve hot. Top with spoonfuls of chili sauce or taco sauce.

My Review: Blech! These were AWFUL. They were soggy and the seasoning was gross. Since zucchini has a lot of water, I even tried salting it and putting in a colander to get rid of some of the excess water. It did not work.

I will not be making these again.

Pot-Luck Pasta Salad

adapted from a recipe posted on the Weight Watchers website

Servings: 12 (about 155 calories, 8 g fat and 3 g fiber the way I made it)

• 4 oz uncooked whole-wheat pasta, corkscrew shape (about 1 1/2 cups) -- I used 8 ounces of uncooked pasta - I didn't feel like 4 ounces was enough
• 1/3 cup(s) olive oil, extra virgin
• 1/4 cup(s) fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp table salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 medium garlic clove(s), minced
• 2 1/2 oz olive(s), canned, sliced, black (about 10 medium olives)
• 1 medium green pepper(s), chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 medium sweet red pepper(s), chopped (about 1 cup)
• 3/4 cup(s) grape tomatoes, or other small tomatoes, halved (about 10 tomatoes) -- I'm not a tomato fan, so I left this out
• 1 medium yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced (about 1/2 cup) -- I diced these because I don't like big strips of vegetables in salads
• 1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced (about 1/2 cup) -- I diced these because I don't like big strips of vegetables in salads
• 1 cup(s) frozen green peas, thawed -- I completely forgot to include these
• 1/2 C reduced fat feta -- I like cheese in pasta salad, so I added this in!

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Rinse pasta with cold water; drain again and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, prepare salad dressing by mixing together oil, lemon juice, oregano, mustard, salt, black pepper and garlic; set aside until ready to use.

In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta with vegetables and feta; pour in dressing and toss thoroughly to coat. Cover and chill about 2 hours.

Review: Personally, I prefer Italian dressing based salads to creamy mayonnaise based salads. I thought this turned out really well. The veggies bulked it up and made it very colorful. The dressing was flavorful. I brought it to a friend's cookout. I think most people liked it but veggie haters probably won't be fans.

Roasted Sugar Snap Peas w/ Green Onions

Recipe from some random healthy cooking message board

2 lbs. sugar snap peas… ends trimmed

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 dash salt

1 Tbsp. green onions… finely chopped (I didn't use these - I don't like green onions)

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Spread the sugar snap peas out on a baking sheet. Brush pea pods with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and onions. Roast the sugar snap peas on the top rack of the oven until they begin to get tender on the outside, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Balsamic Green Bean & Potato Salad

Recipe by For the Love of Cooking.net

2 cups baby Dutch potatoes (I couldn't find these, so I just used baby red potatoes.)

2 cups green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise

3 tbsp olive oil (I couldn't justify this - so I scaled back to 2 T; should have done 1 T and a little more balsamic.)

1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2-3 tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped

Fill a large saucepan with water and season with salt. Add the potatoes and bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender, 10-12 minutes. Add the green beans and cook for 3-5 minutes. Drain and let stand.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, mustard, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste. Whisk in the olive oil until combined.

Toss the potatoes and beans with the dressing to coat and top with freshly chopped basil.

Review: This was good - but it wasn't my most favorite recipe ever. Everything that went wrong was completely my fault. The red potatoes were too big, so I cut them in half, which made them soggy. It was cold - so next time I'll leave it at room temperature. I really liked the vinaigrette. It was delicious!