Yummy glazed root vegetables. Photo
courtesy Capitol Grille | Nashville.

While perusing the photo gallery on the restaurant’s website, we were inspired to whip up a batch of glazed root vegetables.* They were so tasty, we at the whole batch in a day, and made them again two days later. We’ll be making them regularly—to Thanksgiving and beyond!

A glaze is glossy coating, often sweet. Glazed meat and vegetable recipes typically use honey or maple syrup. To counter the sweetness, we like to add a tangy bit of vinegar.

What root veggies should you use? This is the time to make a luscious medley: Beets, carrots, celery root, parsnips, rutabaga, salsify, sweet potato and turnip are some options. A medley is a great opportunity to try vegetables you don’t usually cook.

Select five vegetables for your medley. If you can find specialty versions—purple carrots and sweet potatoes, yellow beets—go for it!

GLAZED ROOT VEGETABLES RECIPE

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 425°F.

2. TOSS the cut vegetables in a large bowl with the oil, honey/maple syrup and thyme. Season with salt and pepper.

3. PLACE the mixture on two large baking sheets (ideally with rims). Do not pack the vegetables tightly or they will not caramelize. Cover with foil; roast for 40 minutes until the vegetables are tender. For even roasting, switch the positions of the sheets in the oven after 20 minutes.

4. REMOVE foil and roast for 10 minutes longer, until glazed. Return them to the bowl and stir in the vinegar then season with salt and pepper. Serve right away.
If you prefer melted cheese to honey or maple syrup, take a look at this Root Vegetables Gratin recipe.

*Root vegetables are plant roots eaten as vegetables. Beetroot (beets), carrot, ginger, horseradish, Jerusalem artichoke, jicama, parsnip, potato and sweet potato, radish, rutabaga, salsify, turnip, wasabi, water chestnut and yam are just a portion of the long list of root vegetables consumed in the U.S.

How about an Asian-accented pumpkin pie? This recipe, from Thai Kitchen, adds a bit of flare to the conventional pie. Coconut milk substitutes for the evaporated milk or sweetened condensed milk in many recipes. It adds more flavor and is a boon for anyone with lactose sensitivity.

Not to start a riot among traditionalists, you can serve this pie in addition to a conventional recipe.

COCONUT PUMPKIN PIE RECIPE

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT oven to 425°F. Place frozen pie crust on foil-lined baking sheet.

2. MIX eggs, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and salt in large bowl until smooth. Stir in pumpkin. Gradually add coconut milk, mixing well. Pour into pie crust.

3. BAKE 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake 55 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

4. SERVE warm or refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with shredded coconut and whipped cream. Store leftover pie in refrigerator.

Find more of our favorite pie recipes.

[1] Homemade nachos (photo © Chee Hong | Wikimedia).

[2] You can make them as simple or as layered as you like. This verson has both salsa and crema (sour cream—photo © Natasha Bhogal | Unsplash).

November 6th is National Nachos Day. Who doesn’t enjoy a hearty plate of nachos for a snack, or even for the main course? They’re the easiest Mexican dish to make at home.

At the most minimal, you can simply cover tortilla chips with shredded Cheddar or other semi-hard cheese, with or without salsa; then use the microwave or broiler to melt the cheese.

Serve the nachos with a beer or a Margarita, of course.
 
 
NACHOS FULLY LOADED

You can get creative with your nachos, adding anything you have on hand. You can add a couple of extra ingredients, or go fully loaded.

Our favorite add-ons to nachos:

 
For visual and flavor interest, use a mix of yellow and blue corn tortillas (for Independence Day, use red, white and blue).

And for a more legitimate main course, here’s a recipe for Nacho Stuffed Shells, “nacho pasta.”
 
 
FOOD TRIVIA

In Mexico, nachos are called totopos, the word for tortilla chips (totopos).

French fries, potato chips and even popcorn are sometimes substituted for the tortilla chips.

Nachos are an example of necessity being the mother of invention.

As the story goes, in 1943 a group of Army wives from Fort Duncan, in Eagle Pass, Texas, had gone over the border to Piedras Negras, Mexico, on a shopping trip. By the time they arrived at the Victory Club (Club Victoria) restaurant, the kitchen was closed.

But the accommodating maître d’hôtel, Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya (Nacho is a nickname for Ignacio), threw together a snack for the ladies from what was available in the kitchen: tortillas and cheese.

He cut the tortillas into triangles, added shredded Cheddar cheese, quickly heated them and garnished the dish with sliced jalapeño chiles.

When asked what the tasty dish was called, he answered, “Nacho’s especiales,” Nacho’s Special. It was an instant hit.