Recipes: Roasted Vegetables Glazed With Apple Cider

OVEN-ROASTED VEGETABLES GLAZED WITH APPLE CIDER, DRIED CRANBERRIES AND PUMPKIN SEEDS

Serves 4 to 6.

Note: Roasted veggies are easy, but you'll want to be sure to chop them to the same size so they cook at the same rate. This dish can be made a day ahead -- just reheat before adding the cider glaze. Consider doubling the recipe for pumpkin seeds; they're addictive. Tested by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. From "American Flavor," by Andrew Carmellini.

• 2 c. apple cider

• 1 butternut squash, skinny top half only, peeled and cut into 1-in. chunks (about 2 c.)

• 2 small white turnips, peeled and sliced into 1-in. chunks (about 2 c.)

• 1 small rutabaga, peeled and sliced into 1-in. chunks (about 2 c.)

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1/4 tsp. fresh-ground black pepper

• 2 tbsp. dried cranberries

• Roasted pumpkin seeds (see recipe that follows)

• Handful of fresh celery leaves

Make sauce by cooking apple cider in a small sauté pan over high heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until it reduces to about 1/2 cup and thickens into a syrup.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lay squash, turnips and rutabagas on a rimmed baking sheet and pour olive oil over them. Season with salt and pepper, then use your hands to turn and mix the vegetables so that they're coated with oil all over.

Roast vegetables on middle oven rack. At 8-minute mark, pull baking sheet out and turn vegetables over to make sure they roast evenly on all sides, then put the sheet back in the oven.

Keep roasting vegetables for another 7 to 9 minutes or so, until they've browned up and softened and a knife can go through them easily.

Pull vegetables out of the oven and pile them into a large bowl. Add dried cranberries to the reduced cider. Spoon cider glaze over vegetables, and toss everything together, so the vegetables are coated and shiny. Season with more salt and pepper if needed. Spoon vegetables into a serving bowl, and top with roasted pumpkin seeds and celery leaves.

Calories187Fat11 gSodium260 mg

Carbohydrates21 gSaturated fat2 gCalcium51 mg

Protein4 gCholesterol3 mgDietary fiber3 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1/2 fruit, 1 bread/starch, 2 fat.

ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

Note: Unroasted pumpkin seeds, also called pepitas, can be found in the produce section next to the nuts. Tested by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

• 2 tsp. butter

• 1/2 c. pumpkin seeds

• Pinch of salt

• Pinch of cayenne pepper

Melt butter in a small pan over medium heat.

Add pumpkin seeds, reduce heat to medium, shake seeds around to coat them, and let them toast for a couple of minutes, until they start to puff up and make sharp cracking sounds.

Add salt and cayenne and shake pan to coat the seeds with the spices. Then pull the pan off the heat, but leave seeds in pan. They should be buttery, salty and a little bit chewy -- like really good popcorn.

Nutrition information per 2 tablespoons:

Calories102Fat9 gSodium55 mg

Protein4 gCholesterol5 mgDietary fiber1 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1/2 high-fat meat, 1 fat

SOUR CREAM AND LEEK MASHED POTATOES

Serves 6.

Note: Don't add all the milk at once as you may not need the full amount. From Fine Cooking magazine. Tested by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

• Kosher salt

• 2 tbsp. butter

• 2 medium leeks (white and light-green parts only), halved lengthwise, washed and sliced into 1/4-in.-wide pieces (about 1 c.)

• 1/2 c. sour cream, at room temperature

• 1/2 c. whole milk, heated, more as needed

Directions

Put potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold water by at least 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, add a generous 1/2 teaspoon salt and lower the heat to a steady simmer. Cover pot partially and cook until potatoes are just tender when pierced with a fork, 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and sauté, stirring often, until tender but not browned, about 6 minutes.

Drain potatoes and return to the pan. Steam-dry over low heat, shaking the pan until potatoes leave a light film on the bottom, about 3 minutes.

Mash potatoes with a potato masher. Stir in leeks, sour cream and milk, adding more milk as needed to reach your desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Calories190Fat8 gSodium69 mg

Carbohydrates26 gSaturated fat5 g Protein 3 g Cholesterol22 mgCalcium71 mgDietary fiber3 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 vegetable, 1 1/2 bread/starch, 1 1/2 fat

GREEN BEANS WITH GARLIC

Serves 4 to 6.

• Salt

• 2 lb. small, slender green beans, stem ends trimmed

• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 tsp. minced fresh tarragon or 1/2 tsp. dried tarragon

• 3-oz. piece Parmesan, cut into shavings with a vegetable peeler (about 3/4 cup)

Directions

Have ready a large bowl of ice water. Bring a large pot three-fourths full of water to a boil. Salt water, add green beans and cook them until tender-crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain beans, transfer immediately to ice water and let cool for 1 minute. Drain again and pat dry.

In a large frying pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add garlic and cook, stirring, just until pale gold, 2 to 3 minutes. Add beans and tarragon and toss to coat with garlic butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover partially and cook, stirring occasionally, until beans are heated through, 3 to 4 minutes. Top with Parmesan shavings just before serving. Serve hot.

Nutrition information per each of 6 servings:

Carbohydrates10 gSaturated fat7 gCalcium224 mg

Protein8 gCholesterol30 mgDietary fiber4 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 2 vegetable, 1/2 high-fat meat, 1 1/2 fat.

INDIVIDUAL SWEET-POTATO GRATINS WITH CRÈME FRAÎCHE, ONIONS AND BACON

Serves 4.

• 8 pieces bacon, chopped into 1-in. pieces

• 1 c. chopped onion

• 2 tsp. chopped garlic

• 4 c. sweet potatoes, thinly sliced (1/8-in. thick)

• 4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) butter

• 2 c. whole milk

• 6 tbsp. crème fraîche or sour cream

• 1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

• 2 tbsp. brown sugar

• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions

Lightly grease 4 individual baking dishes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small sauté pan, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove from heat, crumble and toss with onion and garlic.

In a small pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour, and cook until the mixture is well combined but still pale. Stir in the milk and the crème fraîche. Reduce the heat to low and bring to a simmer. Stir in nutmeg, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.

Layer 4 to 6 slices of potato at the base of each of the prepared baking dishes. Top with a few tablespoons of béchamel and a few spoonfuls of the bacon mixture. Repeat with another layer of potatoes, another layer of bèchamel and more bacon. Top with one last layer of potatoes and spoon remaining béchamel over the top. Finish with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake the gratins until they are bubbly around the edges and cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

Calories486Fat27 gSodium620 mgSaturated fat14 g

Carbohydrates48 gCalcium224 mg

Protein14 gCholesterol72 mgDietary fiber5 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1/2 milk, 2 1/2 bread/starch, 1/2 other carb, 1/2 medium-fat meat, 5 fat.

SMOKY SCALLOPED POTATOES

Note: Smoked paprika adds a wonderfully smoky flavor to these cheesy, make-ahead potatoes. There's very little taste difference between white, yellow and orange Cheddar, so feel free to use what you have on hand. From Food Network Magazine. Tested by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

• 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided

• 1 small shallot, finely chopped

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tbsp. flour

• 3 c. half-and-half

• 1 to 2 tsp. smoked paprika

• 21/2 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

• 1 c. grated sharp white Cheddar cheese (see Note)

• 1/3 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9- by 13-inch casserole dish with 1 tablespoon butter. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan. Once the butter foams, add shallot and garlic and sauté until softened, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add flour and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add the half-and-half, smoked paprika and potatoes. Bring to a low simmer and cook for 5 minutes.

Pour half the potato mixture into buttered casserole dish. Shake pan to arrange the potatoes in a single layer. Sprinkle half of each of the cheeses on top of the bottom potato layer. Add remaining potatoes and shake again to arrange in a layer. Sprinkle on remaining cheese, cover with foil and bake 45 minutes, or until bubbling. Remove foil and place back in oven for another 15 minutes, or until potatoes and cheese are golden and browned. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories466Fat28 gSodium276 mgSaturated fat17 g

Protein14 gCholesterol84 mgDietary fiber4 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1/2 milk, 2 1/2 bread/starch, 1/2 high-fat meat, 5 fat.

PAN-ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS GRATIN

Serves 6 to 8.

Note: This is weeknight-easy, so don't limit this to the holiday. Panko bread crumbs are larger and lighter than regular bread crumbs, which could be substituted. From Fine Cooking. Tested by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

• 2 large shallots, halved

• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 11/4 c. heavy cream

• 31/2 oz. (11/4 c.) finely grated Gruyère

• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

• 3/4 c. panko bread crumbs (see Note)

• 1/2 c. finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

• 2 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary

Directions

In a 12-inch oven-safe skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Continue to cook butter until it begins to brown and smell nutty. Set aside 1 tablespoon of the browned butter in a medium bowl.

Add Brussels sprouts, shallots, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to the pan and toss to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sprouts and shallots begin to soften and brown in spots, about 6 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

Meanwhile, in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, combine cream, Gruyère, nutmeg, cayenne and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Heat until cheese is melted, whisking occasionally, about 4 minutes.

Do not boil. Add sauce to sprouts, carefully stirring to combine.

Add panko, Parmigiano, rosemary and a pinch of salt to the reserved butter and mix thoroughly. Top the sprout mixture with panko mixture.

For a more elegant presentation, transfer sprout mixture to a 12-inch wide, 11/2-inch-deep ceramic baking dish before topping with panko and baking.

Nutrition information per each of 8 servings:

Calories316Fat26 gSodium230 mgSaturated fat16 g

Carbohydrates12 gCalcium280 mg

Protein10 gCholesterol85 mgDietary fiber3 g

SWEET SQUASH MATCHSTICKS

Serves 4.

Note: From "Holiday Dinners With Bradley Ogden" by Bradley Ogden with Lydia Scott. Tested by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

• 3 tbsp. butter

• 1 lb. squash, such as banana, acorn or butternut, peeled and cut into 1/4-in. matchsticks

• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh sage

• Salt and pepper

Directions

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add squash, brown sugar and chopped sage. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until squash is tender and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.

Nutrition information per serving:

Carbohydrates12 gSaturated fat5 gCalcium44 mg

Protein1 gCholesterol23 mgDietary fiber3 g