Say sayonara to summer! We’re celebrating the new season with these delicious recipes.

 

1. Roasted Vegetables with Pecans and Parmesan

Photo: Bite Me More

What’s the best way to get everyone to eat their veggies? With this easy and elegant recipe for Roasted Vegetables. Sweet potatoes, carrots and parsnips are roasted to sweet perfection and then topped with a Pecan Parmesan Gremolata, a zesty combination of pecans, parmesan and parsley.

Ingredients

2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 lb carrots, peeled and cubed
1 lb parsnips, peeled and cubed
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Pecan Parmesan Gremolata

1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tbsp olive oil

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.

2) In a large bowl, toss sweet potatoes, carrots and parsnips with olive oil. Transfer to baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables, stirring often, for 1 hour or until tender. Transfer to a serving plate.

3) For the topping, in a small bowl, combine pecans, Parmesan, parsley, lemon juice, lemon zest and olive oil. Sprinkle over vegetables before serving.

Serves 6

 

2. Moroccan Spiced Chicken Soup

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I’m pretty literal. When the Clash tells me to “Rock the Casbah” who am I to refuse this invitation? I called on the conductor (aka Lisa) to compose a big hit—a thick, hearty and full-bodied soup that would deliver all the allure and rich spices of Morocco. Packed with chickpeas, lentils, noodles and North African flavors, this fragrant soup will take you right to the narrow alleyways and bustling bazaars. Gotta go—London’s Calling.

Ingredients

2 tbsp butter
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 large celery stalks, chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 (28oz/796ml) can crushed tomatoes
3 1/2 cups canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
7 cups chicken broth
1 cup dried green lentils
1 cup uncooked angel hair pasta, broken into 1-inch pieces
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cooked and shredded
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley

Directions

1) In a large soup pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add onion, celery and carrots, cooking until softened, about 8-10 minutes. Add cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, salt and pepper and cook, stirring for 2 minutes.

2) Stir in crushed tomatoes, chickpeas, chicken broth and lentils. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low, simmering uncovered until lentils are tender, about 30-35 minutes.

3) Add pasta and cook for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in shredded chicken and parsley, cooking until heated through.

Serves 6

3. Squash, Pecan & Pear Salad

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One bite of sweet roasted squash, spicy pecans and juicy pears and you won’t be able to put your fork down.

Ingredients

Spicy Pecans

1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, optional

Sweet Squash

3 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp maple syrup
3/4 tsp kosher salt

Vinaigrette

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup olive oil
8 cups loosely packed mixed salad greens
2 large pears, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with non-stick cooking spray.

2) For the pecans, in a small bowl, toss pecans with olive oil, cumin, cinnamon, chili powder and cayenne. Spread pecans out on prepared baking sheet. Bake 5 minutes or until lightly toasted. Set aside to cool.

3) For the squash, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with non- stick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, toss cubed squash with olive oil, syrup and salt. Spread on prepared baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, stir and continue to cook for an additional 5-10 minutes until squash is tender and lightly browned. Set aside to cool.

4) For the dressing, in a small bowl, whisk vinegar, Dijon mustard, brown sugar and salt. Continue to whisk, slowly adding olive oil until combined.

5) In a large serving bowl, gently toss salad greens with 2 tbsp of dressing to lightly coat. Add pecans, squash, pears and dried cranberries. Drizzle salad with remaining dressing.

Serves 6-8

4. Turkey Bolognese Lasagna

turkeylasagna
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This Turkey Bolognese Lasagna is some seriously hearty (yet, somewhat light) comfort food. Start with the flavorful turkey bolognese (complete with tomatoes, herbs and white wine) sauce, spoon on the creamy Béchamel and pile up the chopped spinach and you’ve got one luscious lasagna.

Ingredients

Turkey Bolognese

1 large red onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 rosemary stem, leaves removed, chopped
¼ cup chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
2 tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp dried red pepper flakes
2 lb. ground turkey
1½ tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup whole milk
1 cup dry white wine
1 (5.5oz) tin tomato paste
2 (28oz) tins diced tomatoes

Bechamel Sauce

¼ cup butter
¼ cup flour
2 cups whole milk
1 tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 (300g) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed with water and squeezed very dry

1½ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese

12 oven-ready lasagna noodles

Directions

1) For the Turkey Bolognese sauce, combine the red onion, celery, carrots, garlic, rosemary, parsley, oregano and red pepper flakes in a food processor. Pulse 4 to 5 times, scraping down the sides of the bowl until vegetables are chopped well. Place chopped vegetables in a large pot and combine with ground turkey. Cook over medium heat, breaking up the turkey as it cooks. Once turkey mixture comes to a boil, season with salt and pepper and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Increase heat to high and add milk. Reduce for 8 minutes, stirring constantly until most of the milk is absorbed. Add wine and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and diced tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally and cooking until thickened.

2) For the Béchamel, using a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the flour a small amount at a time, whisking quickly and constantly. Add milk, increase heat to medium and whisk constantly until sauce has thickened and is smooth. Season the béchamel with salt and pepper.

3) To assemble the lasagna, preheat oven to 375ºF and coat a 13×9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Spread 1½ cups Turkey Bolognese on the bottom of the baking dish. Top with 4 lasagna noodles, 2 cups Bolognese, ¾ cup béchamel sauce, ½ cup parmesan cheese and ½ of spinach. Top with 4 more noodles, another 2 cups Bolognese, ¾ cup béchamel sauce, ½ cup Parmesan cheese and remaining spinach. Finish with remaining 4 lasagna noodles and cover with 2 cups Bolognese, remaining béchamel and ½ cup Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes.

Serves 8

 

5. Oven-Baked BBQ Ribs

ribs
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We wish we had written the Chili’s baby back rib anthem. You see, these easy oven-baked, tender and flavorful ribs make us want to sing. Marinated in a sweet and spicy dry rub and baked low and slow, the meat on these baby back ribs is so tender it falls off the bone. We want our baby back, baby back, baby back ribs…

Ingredients

2 (2 lb. each) racks baby back ribs

Rib Rub

½ cup brown sugar
2 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

½ cup beef broth

¾ cup of your favorite barbecue sauce

Directions

1) To prepare the ribs, remove membrane from the underside of the ribs. In a medium bowl, mix together brown sugar, paprika, salt, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin and pepper. Generously rub ribs with spice mixture until evenly coated on all sides. Wrap ribs tightly in aluminum foil and marinate in the refrigerator anywhere from 6 hours to overnight.

2) Remove ribs from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat oven to 275ºF and line a shallow roasting pan with aluminum foil. Pour beef broth into the bottom of the roasting pan. Unwrap ribs from aluminum foil and place, meaty side up over broth. Cover pan tightly with 2 sheets of aluminum foil and bake 3 ½ hours until the meat falls easily from the bone. Remove from oven and carefully unwrap foil. Coat ribs with your favorite barbeque sauce and continue to bake uncovered 20 minutes more.

Serves 4-6

Authors of bestselling cookbooks Bite Me, Bite Me Too and Lick Your Plate, saucy sisters Julie Albert and Lisa Gnat love eating, feeding, entertaining and dishing up easy recipes at BiteMeMore.com.