Hi there,
Donna Connolly is a fascinating member of our club. Her blog, Retirement Reflections, https://retirementreflection.com, explores the ins and outs of navigating life after retirement. It’s no surprise then that her suggestion for our latest review was the plant-based cookbook, Oh She Glows for Dinner, by Angela Liddon. As we all know, health becomes increasingly important as we age, and Donna’s interest in the book stems from her belief that retirees, in particular, should be preparing more plant-based meals. With delicious recipes and gorgeous photography, this cookbook will inspire even the most dedicated carnivore to try something new. So let’s get cooking!
UNDERCOVER ROASTED VEGGIE TOMATO PASTA
Three years ago, my niece gave me a copy of Angela Liddon’s ‘Oh She Glows for Dinner.’ As someone who frequently seeks tasty, easy-to-prepare, plant-based dishes, this cookbook was the perfect gift.
For this review, I made the Undercover Roasted Veggie Tomato Pasta. This dish was originally designed by Angela to sneak vegetables into the diets of her picky toddlers, but it’s also a wonderful choice for anyone looking for a simple and flavorful pasta that incorporates a variety of vegetables. Roasting the veggies significantly enhances their overall flavor, while blending them at high-speed helps to make picky eaters none the wiser.
Ingredients:
- 1 medium zucchini
- 1 medium sweet onion
- 2 large red bell peppers, seeded.
- 2 medium carrots peeled.
- 5 large garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Fine sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 16 ounces (5¾ cups/450 g) dry pasta
- 1 (28-ounce/796 mL) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, with their juices
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon white wine vinegar, to taste
- ⅓ cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves, finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
1.Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line an extra-large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Chop the zucchini, onion, and bell peppers into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces. Slice the carrots crosswise into ¼-inch-thick (5 mm) coins. Toss the veggies with 2 tablespoons of oil until thoroughly coated. Spread them on the prepared baking sheet. Place the unpeeled garlic cloves, drizzled with oil, in the center of the baking tray. Bake for 40 minutes until tender.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. When the veggies have 10 minutes left in the oven, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
4. In a high-speed blender, add the fire-roasted tomatoes with their juices, the roasted veggies, the peeled garlic, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Blend on medium speed until smooth. The sauce should be thick.
5. Add your desired amount of sauce to the pot with the drained pasta, and stir to combine. Add the vinegar to taste and season with additional salt and pepper. Stir in the basil (if using). Cover and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes to allow the flavours to develop further. Serve and enjoy.
Recipe Timing:
4:07 ingredient laid out.
5:20 dinner served.
Total Active Prep Time: 28 minutes.
Roasting Time: 45 minutes.
Total Time to Make This Dish: 73 minutes.
Was this recipe worth making?
Yes, for the flavour, the simplicity and the sneaky veggies!
Do I recommend this recipe to others?
Absolutely, especially for those wishing to include more (hidden) veggies in their meals served.
Do I recommend owning this cookbook?
If you are looking for creative, plant-based dishes, I highly recommend this book. However, I do suggest giving it a good look over first to see if the recipes appeal to you.
If you’ve already made this dish, or make it in the future, I’d love to know what you think of it!
Undercover Roasted Veggie Tomato Pasta. Copyright: Angela Liddon.
Retirement Reflections
Prior to retirement, I lived and worked in Beijing China for fourteen years (Middle School Principal/Deputy Director at The Western Academy of Beijing). Leaving international life behind, my husband and I retired to Vancouver Island in June 2015. To document both this transition and our new adventures, ‘Retirement Reflections’ was born. I hope that you enjoy reading these reflections, and will be willing to share your own.
Thank you for sharing your insights and recommendations with us, Donna! Your review and this recipe will certainly spark many people to explore plant-based recipes.
17 responses to “COOKBOOK CONFIDENTIAL COOKBOOK CLUB – Donna Connolly reviews Oh She Glows for Dinner”
This looks amazing and a great way to sneak in extra veges. I tend to like my veges to be chunky but for those who balk at eating them, this would be perfect. I might just make it without the blender! The recipes in this cookbook are certainly appealing.
Thanks Darlen. Making it more chunking sounds like a great idea. Have a lovely weekend.
Hi, Darlene – I totally agree that blended, partially-blended or chunky would work very well for this recipe. I am slow with my knife-skills (and Richard was nowhere to be found) so this recipe will likely involve less prep time for you. I highly recommend it! 😀
Hi Bernadette, a lovely post. The recipes in this book didn’t appeal to me enough to buy it or participate in this particular challenge, but I am trying to include more vegetarian food in our diet. This particular recipe sound nice with easy to find ingredients.
Thanks Robbie. I agree that we all should be including more plant based meals in our lives. Have a great weekend.
Hi, Roberta – I totally appreciate that this cookbook is not for everyone. This pasta dish was super simple (despite the long roasting time) with everyday ingredients. I highly recommend it.
This recipe looks nice.
I am appreciating your cookbook reviews!
Thanks so much! I love all of the reviews on Bernadette’s site. I find them very inspiring!
It is interesting so many different reviews of the same book!
Hi, Jenna – I love that about books. My favourite book club discussions are the ones with the most varied opinions! <3
Hi Jenna, yes there are a lot of varied opinions. That is what I hoped for when I formed this Club. It is one of the great pleasures of blogging meeting people from so many different backgrounds and looking at the world through their lens. Have a great week.
I’d definitely make this one too. This book was such a surprise to me…
I’m delighted that it was a good surprise!
Fun way to sneak some extra veggies into dinner! I like that so much of the time involved for this recipe is just roast-and-wait. For me, the anticipation of a great meal as its aromas waft through the house is sometimes more satisfying than the meal itself. 🙂
Hi, Terrie – This recipe is an awesome way to sneak in some extra veggies. I also love when the oven (or slow cooker) do the heavy lifting and I can sit and read (shhhh, don’t tell)!
Oh jeez Terrie, no wonder your thin. The aroma only makes me hungry.