Roasted Bell Peppers and Tomatoes

Get some sweet peppers and prepare yourself for a treat!

Ingredients:
4 - 6 peppers (red and yellow and orange)
1 basket of small tomatoes
lots of garlic cloves (4 - 6)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 TBSP red wine vinegar
Italian herbs of your choice: Rosemary, thyme, oregano, tarragon, majoram
1 tsp sugar
Salt, pepper
Basil leaves - chopped into strips

Directions:

• Seed and core peppers then cut into strips
• Take any stems off the tomatoes
  
• Heat oven to 400
• In a large bowl, mix peppers, tomatoes, half of the garlic, half the vinegar, all the Italian spices, sugar, salt, pepper
• Combine remainder of garlic with remainder of vinegar and set aside
  
• Mix veggies well and spread on baking sheet
• Roast for about 20 minutes then turn over (as much as possible) and roast another 5 - 10.
• Remove from oven and sprinkle with garlic/vinegar mixture then mix again
• Let cool then sprinkle basil on top before serving

Yummy! Makes about 3 servings depending on how much you eat.

Best Ever Brussel Sprouts

I know, right? Best ever BRUSSEL SPROUTS??? For all my kid life and most of my adult life I would never have thought to utter the words "best" and "brussel sprouts" in the same sentence. The only brussel sprouts I had ever eaten (either by accident or on purpose) were mushy, overcooked, and tasteless. Yuck! I crossed them off my food list forEVER.

But, then, along came a salad recipe that include brussel sprouts cooked in a certain way (which I will reveal below). The salad was good, but the sprouts were such a big hit that we enjoy them on their own several times each season. Brussel sprouts are now back on my list.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb brussel sprouts (best to cut off any stem left at the end)
  
• 2 cup apple juice (or any sweet liquid would probably work but I have not tried)
  
• 1 cup water
• pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS:

• Place all ingredients in a pan on the stovetop and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
  
• Lower heat and boil 10 - 15 minutes until sprouts are cooked through (but not overcooked).
  

Bang up Baked Tomatoes

Try this for a quick and easy way to enjoy tomatoes of any kind...

INGREDIENTS:
Tomatoes (grape, cherry, or diced larger size)
Olive oil
Garlic or garlic powder
Salt
Parmesan Cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Oven at 400
Cut tomatoes to bite-size pieces then mix with other ingredients to taste
Bake for about 20 minutes and enjoy. Yummy!

I find this works really well placed in a small oven-proof dish (single serving size). Then, you can just take it out of the oven, place a plate or hot-pad underneath, and serve.