In this article, we"ll show you the techniques you"ll need to achieve perfect edge profiles, flawless dadoes and rabbets, and precision pattern cutting. The keys to routing clean edges are
using a sharp bit and running the router in a counterclockwise direction around the top of the workpiece. That way, the bit pushes the router toward you rather than pulling it away, so it"s easier to control and safer.
But the counterclockwise technique doesn"t always work perfectly. There"s a tendency for the wood to chip out at the corners. Solve the problem by “climb-cutting” (or cutting clockwise) for a couple of inches on the end grain at the “northeast” and “southwest” corners of the board. Then start anywhere on the workpiece and run the router around the wood counterclockwise. But if you"re edge-routing the inside of something, like a picture frame, rout in a clockwise direction.
Always test your cuts on a similar scrap of wood to confirm proper cutting depth. If the wood burns, sneak up on the final cut depth by making three consecutively deeper cuts (see photos, below). Removing a little wood at a time will prevent burns.
Tip: Sand wood edges smooth before routing with edge trimming bits. Any flaw that the bearing encounters in the edges will be transferred to the new profile.
Making deep cuts in a single pass runs the risk of chipping the board and marring the finished profile. Make deep cuts in several passes, cutting deeper each time. Some wood species ten to chip more than others, so run a test on a scrap board of the same species.
First pass Deeper cut Final pass
Routing a smooth, clean edge profile on narrow pieces of wood is tricky. Clamps get in the way of the router and it"s hard to keep the base from rocking on the narrow surface. Solve both problems by screwing to the workbench a support board that"s the same thickness as the workpiece. Screw a stop to the bench at the end of the board to keep it from slipping. That gives the router a wider surface to rest on, eliminating any rocking, and forces the workpiece against the support board and the stop, so it doesn"t need clamps.
Technique 3: Use a jig to cut dadoes
Dadoes (or grooves) are the cleanest, strongest way to invisibly support shelves on the sides of cabinets or bookcases. Once you try this jig, dadoes will become standard in your shelf-building repertoire. The easy way to make them is with a router and a straight bit plus a simple homemade jig. The jig is nothing more than a T-square made from a straight 2-ft. length of 1x2 screwed to a straight length of 1x6 (Photo 1). Make the 1x6 a few inches longer than the wood you"re routing plus an extra 1-1/2 in. for joining the 1x2. Screw the jig together with 1-1/2 in. wood screws, using a carpenter"s square to keep the jig perfectly square during assembly.
Buy a bit that matches the desired dado width so you can make the cut in one pass. Clamp the jig (front and back) on a test piece of wood, then set the straight bit 1/4 in. deep and make a pass through the right side of the “T” part of the jig and into the wood. Check the new dado with a square to make sure the jig is square and you"re ready for the real thing. Plan and mark the dado locations on the workpiece, then line up the jig"s groove with your layout marks, clamp the jig to the wood and dado away (Photo 2).
Cut only on the right side of the jig and push the router away from you; the turning direction of the router bit will pull the router base against the jig. If you rout on the left side of the jig, the router will tend to wander away from the jig and you"ll wind up with a run-amuck dado.
Rabbets are grooves that are cut into the back edge of cabinet or bookcase sides for insetting plywood backs. Rabbets conceal ugly plywood edges for a cleaner look. The key to good rabbets is to use special rabbet bits that automatically cut the perfect width. They"re available at home centers and woodworking stores individually or in kits (Photo 2) that allow you to swap pilot bearings to adjust the rabbet width with the same cutting bit.
To use a rabbet bit, first select the pilot bearing that will cut a groove the same thickness as the plywood back. That way the plywood back will be flush with the back of the cabinet. Then adjust the depth of the router so the bit will cut about 1/2 in. deep, leaving plenty of surface for gluing and fastening. Cut counterclockwise.
Patterns allow you to make multiple copies of nearly any shape with a router and a bottom-bearing flush trim router bit. The key is a perfect pattern with smooth edges (Photo 2). Use 1/2- or 3/4-in. plywood, particleboard or fiberboard for the pattern. Thinner material won"t give enough depth for the pilot bearing to ride on.
After you finish cutting the pattern and smoothing its edges, trace the shape onto the stock you"re planning to cut. Cut out the shape with a band saw, jigsaw or scroll saw about 1/8 to 1/4 in. outside the line. Don"t worry about getting a smooth, even cut; the flush trim bit will clean up the imperfections.
Attach the pattern to the stock with a few drywall screws, but be careful to select shank lengths that won"t poke through the “show side” of the workpiece. If both sides will show, use thin brads and carefully pry the pieces apart after routing and patch the holes. Then it"s just a matter of flipping over the assembly, clamping, and running the flush trim bit around the pattern to create the duplicates.
You may not be able to finish the edge in one continuous motion. Depending on the shape, the clamps may get in the way. You"ll probably have to stop, shift the piece, reclamp and resume routing to finish the edge.
Router bits come in two types, carbide-tipped and high-speed steel. Don"t waste your money on high-speed steel bits. They"re cheap, but they won"t hold an edge for long and they don"t have ball-bearing pilots, so you"re more likely to burn and tear the wood. Carbide bits cost about three times as much as high-speed steel ones, but they stay sharper at least 10 times longer.
Router bit shanks come in two diameters, 1/4 in. and 1/2 in. Examine the collet (where the bit inserts) on your router to determine the bit shank size(s) it can handle. Some routers will only accept 1/4-in. shanks, while others come with substitute collets or collet-adapting sleeves so you can switch back and forth between shank sizes (photo above). Generally speaking, buy 1/2-in. shank bits (see Technique 3, Photo 3, above) if you can. With that size, there"s less deflection in the shank, which means less wobble and cleaner cuts.
Adapting collet size Carbide-tipped router bit
If your router bit isn"t cutting as clean as it used to, this video is for you. You don"t need to go buy a new one because Gary Wentz, senior editor at The Family Handyman, will show you how to sharpen it. Watch the video and learn how to sharpen a router bit.
Original article and pictures take http://www.familyhandyman.com/tools/routers/router-basics/view-all site
Is there any meal where potatoes feel more at home than they do at Thanksgiving? There’s mashed potatoes, scalloped potatoes, sweet potato casserole, roasted potatoes (and roasted sweet potatoes!), these are just some examples of the wonderful carby potato-ey things we can look forward to every Autumn.
Now for Canadians, Thanksgiving is a mere 9 days away and it’s time to start thinking about the menu!
This year I’m striving for simplicity. If all goes well, I’ll be spending October getting ready to move. This is both super exciting and super stressful because it means I get to spend the month doing things like packing and cleaning. Bleh. I see no reason to add making a big ol’ Thanksgiving feast to my growing list of to-do’s for the month. Plus, it’s only me, William and Lacey, so why bother making a fuss?
This year I came up with this super easy, roasted Thanksgiving bowl inspired by the whole vegan lunch bowl idea.
This Thanksgiving bowl is full of roasted veggies: Brussels sprouts, garlicky broccoli, sweet carrots and acorn squash, plus toasty pecans and lots of mashed potatoes. Top as you please with easy vegan gravy and crack open a can of cranberry sauce. Easy peasy Thanksgiving dinner.
In case you were wondering, The Little Potato Company’s Baby Boomers are SO PERFECT for mashed potatoes. Oh my gosh. I might never go back to regular old russets for my mashed potatoes. For one, no peeling required, the skins are delicate enough to just mash the potatoes whole. Secondly, they require much less extra fat and liquid to create a nice fluffy mash. Bonus!
Now all you need is a quick dessert like our Healthy Pumpkin Pie Parfait to finish off this simple vegan Thanksgiving dinner. Enjoy!
This post is sponsored by The Little Potato Company. We love them for their commitment to simple, healthy whole foods like their delicious Creamer potatoes. Thanks for supporting the brands that support I Love Vegan! Learn more about why we love Little Potatoes SO much at www.littlepotatoes.com
","discussion":{"numPages":1,"confidence":0.35606689453125,"diffbotUri":"discussion|3|-2128271040","pageUrl":"http://www.ilovevegan.com/roasted-vegan-thanksgiving-bowl/","numPosts":30,"type":"discussion","title":"Roasted Vegan Thanksgiving Bowl","posts":[{"date":"Sun, 04 Oct 2015 12:14:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Cheryl says","diffbotUri":"post|3|1111191537","html":"
Mmm…. I love your deliciously easy to prepare meals. When I run out of ideas, I check your recipes and always find something great to cook. Thanks for your inspirations to better living!
","pageUrl":"http://www.ilovevegan.com/roasted-vegan-thanksgiving-bowl/","id":0,"text":"Mmm…. I love your deliciously easy to prepare meals. When I run out of ideas, I check your recipes and always find something great to cook. Thanks for your inspirations to better living!","type":"post"},{"date":"Mon, 05 Oct 2015 21:34:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Brittany says","diffbotUri":"post|3|908831850","html":"
Thanks Cheryl!
","pageUrl":"http://www.ilovevegan.com/roasted-vegan-thanksgiving-bowl/","id":1,"text":"Thanks Cheryl!","type":"post","parentId":0},{"date":"Tue, 06 Oct 2015 10:25:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Annie","diffbotUri":"post|3|1267872574","html":"
I am definitely going to make this this weekend!
","pageUrl":"http://www.ilovevegan.com/roasted-vegan-thanksgiving-bowl/","id":2,"text":"I am definitely going to make this this weekend!","type":"post","parentId":0},{"date":"Tue, 06 Oct 2015 22:46:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Brittany says","diffbotUri":"post|3|1365961121","html":"
Yay! I hope you love it Annie!
","pageUrl":"http://www.ilovevegan.com/roasted-vegan-thanksgiving-bowl/","id":3,"text":"Yay! I hope you love it Annie!","type":"post","parentId":2},{"date":"Thu, 08 Oct 2015 21:07:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Shaina says","diffbotUri":"post|3|-275449208","html":"
Wow. This bowl looks amazing. These pictures are amazing. Your blog is amazing!!!
","pageUrl":"http://www.ilovevegan.com/roasted-vegan-thanksgiving-bowl/","id":4,"text":"Wow. This bowl looks amazing. These pictures are amazing. Your blog is amazing!!!","type":"post"},{"date":"Fri, 09 Oct 2015 10:22:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Brittany says","diffbotUri":"post|3|272447671","html":"
Oh geeze, thank you so much Shaina! I’m glad you like it!!
","pageUrl":"http://www.ilovevegan.com/roasted-vegan-thanksgiving-bowl/","id":5,"text":"Oh geeze, thank you so much Shaina! I’m glad you like it!!","type":"post","parentId":4},{"date":"Fri, 09 Oct 2015 11:51:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Ailish","authorUrl":"https://doucelumiere.wordpress.com","diffbotUri":"post|3|2111299633","html":"
Holy yum this looks so good! I don’t think I’ve ever clicked on a link so fast. Haha! I’m 100% making this soon.
","pageUrl":"http://www.ilovevegan.com/roasted-vegan-thanksgiving-bowl/","id":6,"text":"Holy yum this looks so good! I don’t think I’ve ever clicked on a link so fast. Haha! I’m 100% making this soon.","type":"post"},{"date":"Fri, 09 Oct 2015 20:58:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Brittany says","diffbotUri":"post|3|-347372472","html":"
Haha Thank you SO much Ailish! I hope you love it!
","pageUrl":"http://www.ilovevegan.com/roasted-vegan-thanksgiving-bowl/","id":7,"text":"Haha Thank you SO much Ailish! I hope you love it!","type":"post","parentId":6},{"date":"Sun, 18 Oct 2015 03:53:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Peter","diffbotUri":"post|3|-1913068982","html":"
This looks so good! I can’t wait to try it. The picture shows nuts scattered on the roasted veggies. Are they pecans and are they roasted along with the veggies? Thanks ; )
","pageUrl":"http://www.ilovevegan.com/roasted-vegan-thanksgiving-bowl/","id":8,"text":"This looks so good! I can’t wait to try it. The picture shows nuts scattered on the roasted veggies. Are they pecans and are they roasted along with the veggies? Thanks ; )","type":"post"},{"date":"Sun, 18 Oct 2015 11:05:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Brittany says","diffbotUri":"post|3|720586655","html":"
Thanks Peter! The nuts are pecans and they’re added to the roasting pan about halfway through the cooking time so they get nice and toasty!
","pageUrl":"http://www.ilovevegan.com/roasted-vegan-thanksgiving-bowl/","id":9,"text":"Thanks Peter! The nuts are pecans and they’re added to the roasting pan about halfway through the cooking time so they get nice and toasty!","type":"post","parentId":8},{"date":"Tue, 20 Oct 2015 04:11:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Peter","diffbotUri":"post|3|-1942061995","html":"
Doh! You’ve included pecans in the ingredients. I hadn’t realized until I wrote down my shopping list.
Making this soon. Then again for Thanksgiving.
Thanks again ; )
","pageUrl":"http://www.ilovevegan.com/roasted-vegan-thanksgiving-bowl/","id":10,"text":"Doh! You’ve included pecans in the ingredients. I hadn’t realized until I wrote down my shopping list. Making this soon. Then again for Thanksgiving. Thanks again ; )","type":"post","parentId":9},{"date":"Tue, 27 Oct 2015 11:55:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"ca","author":"Brittany says","diffbotUri":"post|3|107671516","html":"
No problem Peter!
","pageUrl":"http://www.ilovevegan.com/roasted-vegan-thanksgiving-bowl/","id":11,"text":"No problem Peter!","type":"post","parentId":10},{"date":"Thu, 19 Nov 2015 12:57:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Jeri Peratis says","diffbotUri":"post|3|555783921","html":"
Well now I’m so happy!! Looks like I’ve got Thanksgiving all sewed up!! I always wondered what to make for myself on Thanksgiving because my SO isn’t about to give up his meat. But I think this will work out just great! Thank you for posting this. Can’t wait to make it!!
","pageUrl":"http://www.ilovevegan.com/roasted-vegan-thanksgiving-bowl/","id":12,"text":"Well now I’m so happy!! Looks like I’ve got Thanksgiving all sewed up!! I always wondered what to make for myself on Thanksgiving because my SO isn’t about to give up his meat. But I think this will work out just great! Thank you for posting this. Can’t wait to make it!!","type":"post"},{"date":"Fri, 20 Nov 2015 13:43:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Brittany says","diffbotUri":"post|3|1308514644","html":"
Yay!! Thanksgiving can be difficult for vegetarians and vegans so I’m glad I could help!
","pageUrl":"http://www.ilovevegan.com/roasted-vegan-thanksgiving-bowl/","id":13,"text":"Yay!! Thanksgiving can be difficult for vegetarians and vegans so I’m glad I could help!","type":"post","parentId":12},{"date":"Wed, 25 Nov 2015 10:53:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Mary Rose says","diffbotUri":"post|3|1821871575","html":"
I know I will make this recipe often, it all looks incredible! Now I’m craving Brussels sprouts and squash.
","pageUrl":"http://www.ilovevegan.com/roasted-vegan-thanksgiving-bowl/","id":14,"text":"I know I will make this recipe often, it all looks incredible! Now I’m craving Brussels sprouts and squash.","type":"post"},{"date":"Wed, 25 Nov 2015 11:36:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Brittany says","diffbotUri":"post|3|1793594482","html":"
Aw, thanks Mary!
","pageUrl":"http://www.ilovevegan.com/roasted-vegan-thanksgiving-bowl/","id":15,"text":"Aw, thanks Mary!","type":"post","parentId":14},{"date":"Sat, 28 Nov 2015 10:10:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Drew says","diffbotUri":"post|3|1269264933","html":"
My husband and I loved your recipe! We made it two days in a row. The roasted veggies and potatoes were full of flavor. I’m so glad I didn’t skip the pecans or cranberry sauce, we really liked those extra additions!
","pageUrl":"http://www.ilovevegan.com/roasted-vegan-thanksgiving-bowl/","id":16,"text":"My husband and I loved your recipe! We made it two days in a row. The roasted veggies and potatoes were full of flavor. I’m so glad I didn’t skip the pecans or cranberry sauce, we really liked those extra additions!","type":"post"},{"date":"Sat, 28 Nov 2015 11:43:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Brittany says","diffbotUri":"post|3|2031414546","html":"
Oh perfect! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe
","pageUrl":"http://www.ilovevegan.com/roasted-vegan-thanksgiving-bowl/","id":17,"text":"Oh perfect! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe","type":"post","parentId":16},{"date":"Mon, 21 Dec 2015 11:28:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Annie","diffbotUri":"post|3|-2016211250","html":"
I just want to say that I have made this 4 times and it is my FAVORITE holiday meal! I love the simplicity – let everything roast while you make the potatoes and gravy. I *love* adding a bit of fried seitan (fried up in a bit of salt, thyme and onion powder – takes chicken-ey)so complete it but it’s perfect without the faux meat as well!
","pageUrl":"http://www.ilovevegan.com/roasted-vegan-thanksgiving-bowl/","id":18,"text":"I just want to say that I have made this 4 times and it is my FAVORITE holiday meal! I love the simplicity – let everything roast while you make the potatoes and gravy. I *love* adding a bit of fried seitan (fried up in a bit of salt, thyme and onion powder – takes chicken-ey)so complete it but it’s perfect without the faux meat as well!","type":"post"},{"date":"Mon, 21 Dec 2015 11:58:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Brittany says","diffbotUri":"post|3|-266117445","html":"
Thank you SO much Annie! Tempeh sounds amazing in this bowl, too bad I haven’t found anywhere near me that sells it plain That sounds too good!
","pageUrl":"http://www.ilovevegan.com/roasted-vegan-thanksgiving-bowl/","id":19,"text":"Thank you SO much Annie! Tempeh sounds amazing in this bowl, too bad I haven’t found anywhere near me that sells it plain That sounds too good!","type":"post","parentId":18},{"date":"Wed, 10 Aug 2016 06:35:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Jody Francisco says","diffbotUri":"post|3|-1531582224","html":"
Please add me to your email list when you have new recipes to post. I work for a large school system and I’m always looking to expand our vegetarian and vegan options for our students.
","pageUrl":"http://www.ilovevegan.com/roasted-vegan-thanksgiving-bowl/","id":20,"text":"Please add me to your email list when you have new recipes to post. I work for a large school system and I’m always looking to expand our vegetarian and vegan options for our students.","type":"post"},{"date":"Wed, 10 Aug 2016 10:01:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Brittany says","diffbotUri":"post|3|44740275","html":"
Done! You’ll just need to confirm the subscription by checking your email and following the instructions! I hope you have a great day!
","pageUrl":"http://www.ilovevegan.com/roasted-vegan-thanksgiving-bowl/","id":21,"text":"Done! You’ll just need to confirm the subscription by checking your email and following the instructions! I hope you have a great day!","type":"post","parentId":20},{"date":"Thu, 01 Sep 2016 19:08:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Issis says","diffbotUri":"post|3|-1509770903","html":"
It was such a great idea for a meal! Made it for my husband and he fell in love. Now he’s requesting to have it every weekend.
","pageUrl":"http://www.ilovevegan.com/roasted-vegan-thanksgiving-bowl/","id":22,"text":"It was such a great idea for a meal! Made it for my husband and he fell in love. Now he’s requesting to have it every weekend.","type":"post"},{"date":"Tue, 06 Sep 2016 12:36:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Brittany says","diffbotUri":"post|3|-1626609719","html":"
Awesome! So glad you and your husband enjoyed it. Thanks for commenting!!
","pageUrl":"http://www.ilovevegan.com/roasted-vegan-thanksgiving-bowl/","id":23,"text":"Awesome! So glad you and your husband enjoyed it. Thanks for commenting!!","type":"post","parentId":22},{"date":"Thu, 20 Oct 2016 19:13:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"JennO says","diffbotUri":"post|3|-434806536","html":"
Really. Good. Food. A nice fall meal full of flavor and good-for-you stuff! Thanks so much for sharing the goodness.
","pageUrl":"http://www.ilovevegan.com/roasted-vegan-thanksgiving-bowl/","id":24,"text":"Really. Good. Food. A nice fall meal full of flavor and good-for-you stuff! Thanks so much for sharing the goodness.","type":"post"},{"date":"Fri, 21 Oct 2016 01:34:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Brittany says","diffbotUri":"post|3|-50406156","html":"
Thanks Jenn!
","pageUrl":"http://www.ilovevegan.com/roasted-vegan-thanksgiving-bowl/","id":25,"text":"Thanks Jenn!","type":"post","parentId":24},{"date":"Thu, 03 Nov 2016 08:12:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Maunia Luthy","authorUrl":"http://www.sun-kissed-sweets.com","diffbotUri":"post|3|1206355585","html":"
Does this only make enough for one bowl or will it make enough for two? Thanks!
","pageUrl":"http://www.ilovevegan.com/roasted-vegan-thanksgiving-bowl/","id":26,"text":"Does this only make enough for one bowl or will it make enough for two? Thanks!","type":"post"},{"date":"Thu, 03 Nov 2016 10:38:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Brittany says","diffbotUri":"post|3|-2024652087","html":"
Makes enough for 2!
","pageUrl":"http://www.ilovevegan.com/roasted-vegan-thanksgiving-bowl/","id":27,"text":"Makes enough for 2!","type":"post","parentId":26},{"date":"Thu, 03 Nov 2016 14:00:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Linda says","diffbotUri":"post|3|396301541","html":"
I’m not vegan but I am dairy, gluten and nightshade free. This recipe is right up my alley by just changing out those delicious looking potatoes with sweet potatoes or yams! But
tell me…do you eat the skins of the squash?!? Can’t wait to try this, yum!","pageUrl":"http://www.ilovevegan.com/roasted-vegan-thanksgiving-bowl/","id":28,"text":"I’m not vegan but I am dairy, gluten and nightshade free. This recipe is right up my alley by just changing out those delicious looking potatoes with sweet potatoes or yams! But tell me…do you eat the skins of the squash?!? Can’t wait to try this, yum!","type":"post"},{"date":"Thu, 03 Nov 2016 14:14:00 GMT","humanLanguage":"en","author":"Brittany says","diffbotUri":"post|3|-1282474775","html":"
Hi Linda! I’m so glad this recipe will work for you, mashed sweet potatoes would be lovely here! I don’t eat the skin of the squash, it’s just much easier to remove it one it’s cooked!
Original article and pictures take http://www.ilovevegan.com/roasted-vegan-thanksgiving-bowl/ site
Do you even need me to say anything else? Can I be excused? I have a ton of things to do today, like mostly make more goat cheese polenta.
Also high on the list today – get back to my real life! which includes writing this post where I will go on to gush about the goat cheese polenta and tell you about my ten glorious non-internet days at the cabin and then get back to the topic at hand of POLENTA GOALS. Somehow that all doesn’t really feel like a real life. But hey. Back to it.
So yes indeed! After ten restful days away from my very professional home office (which is actually a hand-me-down desk squeezed into a tiny corner by the window of our guest room which is currently also triple-functioning as Sage’s bedroom – small house probs), I’m back in action at the keyboard, bribing myself to get back in gear with a coffee and fresh banana bread this morning – tis a blogger’s life for me!
And it’s a pretty happy life right now considering that I am coming off of ten days where the most important things I did were: sitting on the dock, going for woodsy runs, binge-reading all the best mind-candy books, making dinner for my family, and of course, completing my one annual wakeboarding run to prove to myself that even though I now make a living by being an internet nerd, I still have a slice of cool-person youth left in me. STILL GOT IT. Also important: over the course of the vacation, I averaged a lovely ten hours of sleep a night and it was pretty much EVERYTHING. I know. File that statement under Ways To Get People To Hate You.
But also making this morning happy is the fact that the memory of these roasted tricolor tomatoes and sautéed garlic spinach on a creamy pillow of goat cheese polenta is still very fresh, very vivid, very much burned into my mind in the best possible way.
Alright now. What to even say about this dish? It’s so simple and so SUMMER to me.
Fresh, juicy tomatoes, vibrant green spinach, and a creamy goat cheese polenta – maybe topped off with some Parm and fresh basil from my very own little garden? I dunno. I like to dream big.
We made a few versions of this before settling on this one – and you need to know this: don’t skip the spinach. Since you’ll sauté the spinach with the garlic, it has tons of must must
must have flavor. And without it, the overall combination will be yummy but not WOWS yummy for people like use who need that roasty-garlic-depth packed into every bite.
It’s no surprise to anyone that I looked forward to the leftovers every single day until they were gone, and this is evidenced by my lovingly photographed plastic container of polenta and tomatoes and spinach at the end of this post. Plastic food storage container photos? I’m not above that. I packed it all up post-cooking and it looked so pretty smiling back at me from the container with all its rainbow tomato beauty – I just couldn’t not.
It’s not meatless Monday but it’s going to be a meatless win for dinner tonight in our house involving dangerous amounts of creamy goat cheese polenta.
Original article and pictures take http://pinchofyum.com/roasted-tomatoes-with-goat-cheese-polenta?utm_source=New+Recipes+and+Posts+from+Pinch+of+Yum&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=0aa34f8703-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_term=0_2f62914efd-0aa34f8703-163764053&mc_cid=0aa34f8703&mc_eid=b187379a09 site
Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We did a TON this weekend but I still can’t believe it’s already over – they always go so quickly, don’t they?
Ben and I kicked the long holiday weekend off with a homemade sushi partay after the little man went to bed on Wednesday night. Locals – if you want the best, super-fresh sushi-grade salmon and tuna, head to Waterfront. We are never disappointed. I asked them to give me a little wasabi from their sushi counter and it really turned the at-home experience up a notch. Love that zing!
The next day was Thanksgiving, of course! It was just the three of us plus my Mom and Dad this year, so we took the opportunity to play around with the menu a bit and swapped a roasted bird for a smoked one. It poured all day long, and was about 33 degrees, so while the men sat in the garage tending to the smoker and trying to stay warm with bloody’s, the girls (and baby L!) hunkered down inside where it was dry and warm with fresh mimosas by the fire. I lugged my juicer over to my parents and whizzed through four oranges which we topped our flutes off with. Really made a difference flavor wise.
We sipped while watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, of course! Lincoln went ballistic when the Sesame Street float went by. Too cute. ;)
I sort of thought smoking a turkey would take 10+ hours but since it’s lean meat and doesn’t need tenderizing, Ben kept the heat around 350 and Turkey Tom was done in about two and a half hours. It was GORGEOUS!
He had a pan of vegetables underneath the turkey to catch the drippings, which he used to make a turkey jus for drizzling over the meat when it was done. Mind. Melting.
GO BEN!!
Somehow I ended up on carving dute (never carved a turkey in my life but just pretended it was a big chicken!) under Ben’s watchful eye.
Ta da!!! Honestly I don’t think we’ll ever go back to roasting a bird after this smoked one. It was so tender, just lightly smokey, and seriously THAT. JUS. Just wanted to spoon drink it!
Which she burnt to a crisp three times before hitting the “toasted” mark. She was so upset, but every Thanksgiving needs a recipe mishap, right?! Luckily they were easy to scrape off and try again (and again.) ;)
The rest of the day was very low key. We poured wine by the fire (which I never got around to drinking because I feel asleep in front of said fire – epic!)
And snuggling. Snuggling’s my favorite.
Thanksgiving 2015 is in the books (HOW?!)
I am SUCH a cliche and joined the gym the next very day. True story! A nice walk + run put me in a great mindset for entering the weekend and rest of the holidays in
a healthy way.
Feasting on my new favorite food combo followed. Check this out – avocado mashed with seasoned salt, lemon juice, and fresh garlic, paired with two eggs, and homemade sweet potato fries. UNREAL! I cannot stop eating this meal – it is such a tasty, healthy feast.
I also made a batch of bone broth on Saturday which turned out so well that I’ll for sure be sharing the recipe with you.
And on Saturday night I had way too much fun catching up with my besties! As in, saw an hour that I haven’t seen since Lincoln was a newborn, because we couldn’t part. They say nothing good happens after midnight, which normally I agree with (#GRANDMA,) but catching up with these girls was worth staying up way past my bedtime!
I will say, a Roasted Beet, Orange, and Pomegranate Power Bowl never sounded so good afterwards!
You guys, if you overindulged this weekend (hello whole stick of butter in the mashed potatoes!) these power bowls are going to save your life! Even if you managed to pump the brakes on eating half a pumpkin pie, these bowls are just what you need to keep healthy habits flowing this holiday season. Eating the rainbow has never been more delicious!
Crisp baby spinach is topped with fluffy quinoa, roasted beets, juicy orange slices, tart pomegranate seeds, and a few crumbles of creamy chevre for a little decadence, then drizzled with a 1 minute (or less) Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette. These bowl are PACKED with good for you ingredients!!
Oranges and spinach are full of vitamins, of course, but they’re also anti-inflammatory foods which are good to be eating especially around the holidays when alcohol and fattier foods are being eaten more regularly. There’s nothing quinoa and pomegranate CAN’T do, nutritionally speaking, and beets are full of healthy fiber and vitamins. Each bite of these power bowls is full of nothing but goodness. I can’t wait for you to dig in!
Start by roasting 1 medium-sized scrubbed beet at 400 degrees for 40 minutes to one hour, or until tender. This is the same method I used for my Avocado and Shortcut Beet Hummus Toast, by the way. I think a lot of people are intimidated by beets. They’re kind of snaggly and dirty looking, plus they’ve got a bad rap like brussels sprouts because of parents or grandparents practically force feeding them to us as kids. BUT, beets are absolutely delicious when roasted. Kind of sweet, and really mild tasting, actually. There’s nothing like them!
Once the beet is roasted and peeled, slice or chop it up. Just LOOK at that gorgeous color. You just know something that beautiful has to be good for you!
Meanwhile cook 1/2 cup quinoa that’s been rinsed very well in a fine-mesh sieve in 3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons gluten-free chicken broth then let it cool. You can roast the beets and make the quinoa ahead of time, by the way.
Next, de-seed 1 pomegranate, which is easier than you may think. Pomegranates can be found at almost every regular grocery store these days in the produce section. Look for pomegranates that are heavy for their size, smooth, and wrinkle-free. Once you’ve got it home, get a big bowl of cold water ready then score an “X” into the top of the pomegranate with a sharp knife.
Next, use your thumbs to pry apart the quarters. This is method to opening a pomegranate which produces the least amount of spilled juice (like, none!)
Plunge each quarter under water then use your fingers to pop the seeds out of their resting places. When you’re all done, scoop out the pith then rinse and drain the seeds a few times.
Presto – pomegranate seeds! You’ll have way more than you’ll need for this salad, so keep them on hand in the fridge to snack on, top yogurts, oatmeal, blend into smoothies, etc.
Last step is to segment 1 orange. Just slice off the top and bottom then slice the peel off following the curve of the fruit. Slice between the segments and they’ll pop right out!
Save the orange juice then combine it with balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper to create a luscious, sweet-tart dressing, then divide the ingredients between two bowls, add a sprinkling of chevre (goat cheese,) drizzle with dressing, and dig in. Enjoy, enjoy, and have a great week!
Original article and pictures take http://iowagirleats.com/2015/11/30/roasted-beet-orange-and-pomegranate-power-bowls/ site
