Lemon Roasted Vegetables

I'm always looking for a way to gussy up some normally plain veggies and lemon zest has been on my mind as of late! Perfect pairing. The original recipe for this was just for lemon roasted potatoes, but I thought I would switch it up a bit and add some less starchy items to the mix. I did use some red potatoes, along with red and yellow bell peppers, and leeks. You can stick with just the potatoes like the recipe, or switch it up with your favorite veggies. This is a great pairing for a fish or chicken dish.

Lemon Roasted Potatoes via Bon Appetit:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lemon-Roasted-Potatoes-364596

Slow Roasted Tomatoes

These are one of those simple delicacies that really make you appreciate the easy things in life! These are great in pasta, as a salad topper, or as a quick snack all by themselves. The recipe says you can use various types of tomatoes. I used grape because I find them a bit sweeter than cherry tomatoes. They worked nicely, but they did take the full three hours of slow roasting. I would venture to say that if you wanted to use Roma they would take far longer than even the stated three hours. These are a lot less oily than the packed sundried tomatoes that I am used to. I can appreciate them for that. For my seasonings I used sea salt, cracked pepper, and an italian seasoning mix.

Slow Roasted Tomatoes via Panini Happy:

http://paninihappy.com/condiment-time-slow-roasted-tomatoes/

Grilled Corn & Chipotle Pepper Salad

PICTURE APOLOGIES! I promise my camera will be back in action very soon. This is another addition to my veggie themed week. I so wish my Blackberry would take better pictures because this salad is so gorgeous. This has an amazing flavor without needing any additions to the original recipe. The only thing I added was some delicious red quinoa to beef up the color contrast and protein. I prepared one cup of uncooked quinoa and just mixed it in with the rest of the ingredients. It didn't even need anything extra. INSANE FLAVOR!

Grilled Corn & Chipotle Pepper Salad via Aaron McCargo Jr.:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aaron-mccargo-jr/grilled-corn-and-chipotle-pepper-salad-recipe/index.html

Smoky Kale Chips

Again, picture apologies. Kale chips have been all the rage on the food blog pages as of late. I figured I should check them out. They were especially appropriate for my veggie themed week. I found this gorgeous purple and green flowering kale at Safeway and decided it was a sign I needed to make these chips. These turned out very crispy and with a prominent smoky flavor. Just a note: I would probably go with the lesser baking time stated in the recipe. These seem to crisp up fairly quickly. Make sure you do an even layer on the cookie sheet. I lined with parchment paper, which also seemed to be helpful in the nonstick process. 

 Smoky Kale Chips via Ellie Krieger:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/smoky-kale-chips-recipe/index.html

Black Bean-Pineapple Soup/Stew/Chili?

Let me start by apologizing for this horrible picture. My camera is on hiatus, but this turned out SO good, I absolutely had to include it on the blog. This combination of black beans and pineapple was an instant intrigue to me when I saw this recipe on foodgawker. Finally got around to trying it last night and I was so impressed! If other veggie/vegan dishes I had tried before tasted THIS good... I might actually consider passing on the meat. This is really simply, hearty, and super healthy. Enjoy.

Black Bean-Pineapple Soup/Stew/Chili via Fat Free Vegan Kitchen:

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2011/04/black-bean-pineapple-soup-stew-chili.html