Roasted Veggies and Orzo

Wow it got cold today, miserable cold and rainy. I guess we got spoiled with beautiful spring weather the past 2 weeks. So I'm ready to warm up the kitchen by turning on the oven and roasting some veggies. I tweak it alot by adding more peppers, sometimes cherry tomatoes and more eggplant. This recipe is great warm, cold or room temp. Enjoy!


Ingredients



1 small eggplant, peeled and 3/4-inch diced
1 red bell pepper, 1-inch diced
1 yellow bell pepper, 1-inch diced
1 red onion, peeled and 1-inch diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound orzo or rice-shaped pasta

For the dressing:

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/3 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Toss veggies and garlic in oil sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Put veggies on 2 stainless steel baking sheets and roast at 425 for about 45 mins, stiring once 1/2 way through. Boil orzo while veggies are roasting.
Put all in a mixing bowl and toss with dressing. After it has cooled add feta cheese crumbles and fresh torn basil leaves.

Cheese Rosti- Potatoes

A friend made these and brought them to our homeschooling International Fair and they were soooo good. Its not often I find something everyone likes- and they all did. So I asked her to email me the recipe and here it goes.....
I'm going to give it a go tonight, I'll let ya know how they came out.

Cheese Rosti-

Ingredients:
6 large potatoes
6 tablespoons butter
8 ounces Swiss cheese, grated salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons hot water

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, and let cool. Once cool, peel and grate potatoes.
2. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in large nonstick skillet, add a layer of potatoes and a layer of cheese, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Repeat layers. Dot each layer with remaining butter. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons hot water over the top layer, cover and saute at low to medium heat until bottom layer browns. Turn with spatula and brown again.

Okay, I made them and they turned out great except I baked mine in my castiron skillet instead of on the stove top The baby was very cranky and there is no way I could have done it but I have to say they were great that way so thats how I will make them from now on. I had the oven at around 375 and just kept checking them till they were browned enough.