Roasted Vegetable Manicotti

I was never one to disguise vegetables for my children.

Really, what's the point? Kids should know what their food looks like. And aren't vegetables and fruit so much prettier than meat or a piece of chicken, anyhow? I respectfully disagree with those books like "Despicably Deceptive" and "The Sleazy Chef Mom".

I have nothing against making veggies fun.

Photo by Saxton Freymann

And maybe I just got lucky with kids who actually liked to eat yellow peppers and snap peas, mango chunks and avocado. I am not holding my self up as a paragon of perfect parental nutrition in any way. In fact, I gave my daughter a peanut butter and Fluff sandwich for lunch today.

And then there's this true story: Last week while I was away on vacation, my husband took the kids - the minute I left - to the store and bought them Capt'n Crunch and Ring Dings. 

So, the point is, I thought I could get away with Roasted Vegetable Manicotti, no problem.

Wrong.

I loved it.

Bob loved it.

The kids? Not so much.

The little one deconstructed it, eating just the carrots out of it.

The 16 year old said" Why do you get so mad when I don't love everything you make? Stop looking at me."

Don't care. I would make this again in a heartbeat, because it's delicious and healthy. 

And I'll never try to hide that.

Roasted Vegetable Manicotti

adapted from Canyon Ranch Cooks

1/2 lb. shiitake or crimini mushrooms, thickly sliced

3 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 large zucchini, coarsely chopped

1 red bell pepper, sliced into 1-2" pieces

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced into 1-2" pieces

1 large onion, sliced

2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. olive oil

3/4 cup goat cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped

2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

16 sheets fresh pasta, or no-cook lasagne sheets (I used Barilla)

2 cups marinara sauce, either from a jar or your own

salt, pepper to taste

additional grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place pasta sheets in a boil of very hot water to soften, 15-20 minutes.

Mix together all the vegetables, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper in a single layer on a large sheet pan (you might need two pans). Roast for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned and softened. Keep an eye on them: softer vegetables, such as zucchini, will cook faster. It can be removed from pan before the others.

Cool slightly, then place all vegetables in a medium bowl. Mix in both cheeses, basil and parsley.

Spread a small amount of marinara sauce in a 9 x 13" baking pan.

Place one softened pasta sheet on a work surface, like a cutting board. Spoon 1/3 cup vegetable mixture down one edge of sheet, and roll. Place roll in baking pan, seam side down. Repeat with remaining pasta and vegetable mixture. Top manicotti rolls with remaining marinara sauce and a sprinkling of grated Parmesan, if desired. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until heated through and sauce is slightly bubbling.

Serve in plain sight, not disguised as anything else.

NOTE: These vegetables are merely suggestions. Feel free to substitute any vegetables you (or your children) like - asparagus, broccoli, summer squash. Some kalamata olives might be good too.

What the hell - throw in some chopped spinach too.

Roasted and Toasted

Being relatively new to the world of food blogging (6 1/2 months, 49 posts), I keep thinking I have to provide you with detailed recipes.
Which are nice and make my blog look really legit.

But after reading this recent post , by the very talented Marilyn, I realized that you don't always need a full recipe.
Sometimes all you need is a technique, or simply an idea. I have complete faith that given this idea, you will run with it and make something new and exciting.

One such technique is roasting vegetables. Chances are you've done this before, at least with potatoes. And at Thanksgiving, roasted root vegetables are a favorite.
But have you roasted broccoli? Brussels sprouts ? Asparagus? Or cauliflower?
Even avowed vegetable haters have been pleasantly surprised by the yummy caramelized flavor and crispy texture of roasted veggies.

 This time of year, asparagus is the best.
Trim the ends from a pound of asparagus and lay it on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Roast at 425 degrees until it looks done, about a half hour.
When it comes out of the oven, you can sprinkle on some more sea salt if you like.

You could stop here and serve a delicious side dish.
Or you could go the extra mile.

Make some fresh bread crumbs by grinding just about any kind of bread you have in the house. Stale is good, fresh works too. If you have a baguette or ciabatta from yesterday, you're all set.
Give it a spin in the food processor until you have crumbs.
Then lightly toast the crumbs in a dry skillet set over medium heat. It'll only take about five minutes, at the most.
When they're done, place in a small bowl. Add one or two tablespoons of olive oil (depending on how many crumbs you have). Add about 1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano or Asiago cheese.
Mix in some chopped fresh parsley. Or basil. Or oregano.
A little lemon zest is a good thing too. Or not.

Use the bread crumb topping on your roasted vegetables.
On spaghetti or chicken parmesan. As a crunchy topping for a casserole.
What you don't use today, put in the freezer and use another day.
You get the idea. This bread crumb topping is all yours and you can do whatever you want with it.

Just like this blog. It's all mine and I have decided there will be no recipe today.