Oven-Roasted Green Beans

2 lb green beans
4 teaspoons extravirgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven and pan to 425 degrees. Bake for 8 minutes or until crisp tender.

From Cooking Light, November 2005

Tonight we made it with 1 lb green beans, 2 portobella mushrooms, sliced and 2 carrots sliced, 2 garlic cloves minced and a few chopped walnuts. It was wonderful, especially with a little soy sauce sprinkled on top.

Pies and Casseroles

Spinach Pie
Tomato Tart

Spinach Pie

Spinach Pie

Serves 12; Prep time: 25 minutes; Total time: 1 hour 45 minutes

This Greek-style dish can be assembled and then frozen for up to three months. When you’re ready to bake, it can go straight from the freezer into the oven.

1/2 cup olive oil plus 2 tablespoons 4 medium onions, chopped 6 garlic cloves, minced Coarse salt and ground pepper 6 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry 1 pound feta cheese, crumbled 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 cup plain dried breadcrumbs 2 teaspoons dried dill 8 large eggs, lightly beaten 8 ounces frozen phyllo sheets, thawed and thinly sliced 1. Make the filling: In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and 2 teaspoons salt; cook until garlic is tender, 1 to 2 minutes. 2. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; stir in spinach, feta, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, dill, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Fold in eggs until combined. 3. Divide mixture evenly between two 9-inch springform pans or two 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie plates; press firmly to flatten. 4. Make the topping: In a large bowl, gently toss sliced phyllo to separate, then toss with remaining 1/2 cup oil until coated. 5. Divide phyllo between pies, covering the tops evenly and completely. (To freeze, cover pies tightly with plastic wrap, being careful not to flatten topping. Bake within 3 months; do not thaw first.) 6. Preheat oven to 375°. Bake until heated through and topping is golden brown, about 1 hour 15 minutes for frozen pie (30 minutes for unfrozen pie). Note: To assemble the pie, press the spinach mixture into the pans, making even layers; then cover the filling completely with phyllo dough slices.

Spicy Chickpea Puree

This is a great dip/spread from "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone" (pg 99) by Deb Madison.