Caprese Salad!

I buy Buffalo Mozzarella at Costco, if you can't find it they also have a few different 'fresh' mozzarellas to choose from, just make sure it's fresh and has good flavor.  Find your favorite tomatoes; heirlooms are good but expensive.  I usually buy tomatoes from our local farm stand right around the corner.  They're picked at the peak of their ripeness, organic, and local!  The other key ingredient is a really good balsamic vinegar.  In this demo I used a Fig Balsamic vinegar that is outstanding, or you can 'keep it real' and not use any vinegar.  A few drops of extra virgin olive oil, some salt and pepper...and dig in!!!!!  Enjoy the video...special thanks to Leo for his commentary :)

Golden Beet w/Goat Cheese & Pistachio

Here's an EASY appetizer, that is fast, inexpensive, right out of Creation, and DELICIOUS!!!

3 Beets (Red or Golden)
Goat Cheese (MontChevre or Laura Chenel's)
Pistachios

Cut off the excess roots and stems of beets.  Coat in olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Wrap tightly in foil and roast in oven at 400 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour (depending on how big the beets are).
Let them cool completely and remove the skins with your hands.  Slice them cross-wise into 1/2 inch slices and cut them out with a small bite-size cookie cutter ring.  Top with a small dollop of Goat Cheese and place 1 pistachio (Shelled) on top.  Serve on a nice tray at a party or set out and let your guests pop 'em back!!!

Here's WHY you should eat your veggies

My long-time friend Marilyn Hyder sent this to me yesterday, check this out...

EAT LOTS OF SWEET POTATOES

It's been said that God first separated the salt water from the fresh, made dry land, planted a garden, made animals and  fish... All before making a human. He made and  provided what we'd need before we were born. These  are best & more powerful when eaten raw.   We're such slow  learners...
God left us a great clue as to what foods  help what part of our  body!

God's Pharmacy!  Amazing!
A  sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The  pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye... And YES, science now shows carrots  greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the  eyes.
A  Tomato has four chambers and is red. The  heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research shows tomatoes  are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart  and blood food.
Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound  heart and blood vitalizing food.
A  Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums.  Even the wrinkles or folds on  the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen  neuron-transmitters for brain function.
Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys.
Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak.  These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.
Avocadoes,  Eggplant and Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this?  It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).
Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow.  Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility.
Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.
Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries 
Oranges, Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruits look just like the mammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.
Onions look like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion, Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.

LENTIL SALAD W/ARUGULA & LEMON VINAIGRETTE

This recipe is from the cookbook of one of my favorite restaurants here in Orange County called Zov's Bistro.  Their food is inspired by the flavors of the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines.  I love it because it's so healthy, so flavorful, and all the ingredients are found in Creation.

Stick exactly to the recipe and don't skimp on the ingredients and you will find such an unbelievable balance of flavors that gets better and better with each bite!

Lentil Salad w/Arugula & Lemon Vinaigrette:

by Zov Kabamardian

Lemon Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon minced shallot

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salad:

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups dried green lentils

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 celery stalks, thinly sliced diagonally

2 yellow crookneck squash, thinly sliced diagonally

8 greet onions, thinly sliced diagonally

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into matchstick-size shapes

1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced diagonally

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

2 cups red and yellow teardrop tomatoes, halved

1 1/2 cups baby arugula coarsely chopped

1 cup crumbled feta

To make the lemon vinaigrette: Whisk the lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, shallot, salt and pepper in a large bowl to blend.  Gradually whisk in the oil.  Set the vinaigrette aside.

To make the salad: Bring 3 cups of water to a boil, add the salt.  Add the lentils.  Reduce the heat to medium-low.  Cover and simmer gently until the lentils are just tender, about 15 minutes.  Drain well.  Toss the lentils with the oil in a large bowl to coat.  Cool completely.

Toss the lentils with the celery, squash, green onions, red onion, bell pepper, carrot, cilantro, and parsley.  Add the tomatoes, arugula, and feta cheese.  At this point, the salad will keep for several days, covered and the refrigerated.  To serve, whisk the vinaigrette again to blend, then toss the salad with enough vinaigrette to coat.  Season the salad to taste with a little more salt and pepper if desired, serve!

NOTES:  A few lentils go a long way.  As they cook, they expand to three times their original volume!  Watch the lentils as they cook to make sure they do not overcook, as they tend to become very mushy quickly.

"You cannot reason with a hungry belly; it has no ears.”

"You cannot reason with a hungry belly; it has no ears.”  It's an old famous Greek Saying; so go ahead and fill that empty belly with a Greek Salad that is better than any you'll find.  

Lettuce, Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Red Onion, Grape Tomatoes, Feta Cheese, Pepperocini, Kalamata Olives, Parsley and Pistachios.  The dressing is listed on my previos post, Lemon Vinaigrette.

Watch the video...

Kale! Not just for hippies anymore!

Right out of Creation, try this alternative to typical salad greens.  Watch the video, I'll show you how!

Lemon Vinegarette:

1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon white or red wine vinegar

1 garlic clove crushed

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper

*whisk together vigorously to form an emulsion.  Store in fridge.

True Food Kitchen

Happy Valentines Day everybody!  For lunch, I took Gina to this new restaurant in Newport Beach.  It's a restaurant based off of Dr. Andrew Weil's anti-inflammatory food pyramid (below), which you can also download from his web site.  http://www.drweil.com/drw/ecs/pyramid/press-foodpyramid.html

Oh my gosh!!!!  We couldn't believe how delicious this place was...and SO healthy!  I had Hummus with veggies (instead of pita) and a Farm Vegetable salad with Spicy Chili Sesame dressing.  Gina had the Tempeh Bacon BLT and the Sesame Ginger Tofu Lettuce Wraps.  Everything tasted SO fresh and was bursting with flavor!  

This is not a Vegan restaurant.  There is fish, poultry, and beef on the menu; plus a huge selection of cocktails and beer.  These types of restaurants have failed miserably in the past, remember Skinny Haven back in the 80s?  I can't recommend this place enough, I even think we're going back again tomorrow.  If you're ever in Newport Beach or Arizona (Biltmore, Scottsdale, Tucson) you HAVE to go to True Food Kitchen.  Everything on the menu was Eat What I Created approved!

www.truefoodkitchen.com

Is it REALLY Organic?

Just saw this interesting article from Dr. Mercola.  If you try to buy "organic" there are 3 guidelines you should know about.  Just because the label says "Organic" doesn't mean it's all "Organic".  Here are the rules...

• Products labeled "100 % Organic" must contain only organically produced ingredients
• Products labeled "Certified Organic" must contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients
• The label "Made with Organic Ingredients" can contain anywhere between 70 to 95 percent organic ingredients

In order to ensure you're actually getting your money's worth, you need to make sure the food you buy bears the "100% USDA Organic" label.

My advice is...don't stress about it, do the best you can!

What's in your ketchup?

I was at Vons last night to pick up some vegetable oil and ketchup for French Fries.  I was making cheeseburgers and fries for the boys, their favorite...heck EVEYBODY'S favorite!!  As I was walking to the register I started to read the ingredients on the bottle of Heinz Ketchup.  The third ingredient...THERE IT WAS...High Fructose Corn Syrup.  Now, if there is ONE ingredient you should make sure you never consume its HFCS.  This stuff is awful, and has been an ingredient listed as partly to blame to the rise in obesity in this country...not the ONLY reason, but part of the reason.
HFCS is added because it helps preserve food longer and they don't have to use as much.  That is due to the fact it is sweeter than regular sugar and is a cheaper alternative; thus putting more money on the bottom line of processed food manufacturers, at the expense of our health!
HFCS  is absorbed rapidly in your body causing insulin spikes that lead to diabetes and obesity.  Not to mention that the corn used is genetically modified.  Our bodies were designed to handle a lot, but when we start feeding it food in which man has altered the chemical structure - THAT is altering Creation!
Luckily, it is easier and easier to find foods without HFCS, and it is becoming considerably cheaper too.  Seriously, don't eat this stuff.  Take care of your "temple" and nourish it with what it was designed for!

I bought THIS instead!

The Sandwich!

On "Eat What I Created" the first thing I do is decide if what I'm about to eat is natural, or found in creation.  Next, I look at the ingredients list, hopefully there's no more than 4 or 5 ingredients, otherwise it's loaded with a bunch of chemicals that I can barely pronounce.
The bread for this sandwich is from La Brea Bakery purchased at Stater Bros.   La Brea Bakery is known for their artisan (handmade) breads with very few natural ingredients.  Everything else is pretty much a vegetable, here's the ingredients list:

- Whole Grain Bread
- Boursin Cheese (Garlic)
- Cucumber
- Grilled Red Onion
- Roasted Red Pepper
- Avocado
- Arugula (tossed in balsamic dressing)
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Salt & Pepper

Grill the bread.  Spread a thick layer of Boursin cheese.  Layer a few thin slices of cucumber.  Pile on a few grilled or sauteed Red Onions (I usually cut them in thick rounds and place em on the grill and brush them with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt, grill them until their are nice an soft and a little charred).
Next, pile on the Roasted Red Peppers (I buy them in a jar).  A few slices of Haas Avocado.  Top it off with Arugula (balsamic dressing below).  Serve with something crunchy, like some good all-natural potato chips or pita chips.

Balsamic Salad Dressing:
1/3 cup Balsamic Vinegar
2/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. fresh cracked pepper
with a wire whisk, whip vigorously until an emulsion is formed)

IN THE RAW!

Ahhhhhh, back home in Southern California after 3 weeks in rainy Seattle.  I feel GREAT this morning after breakfast.  I bought everything at Trader Joe's last night.  A few slices of Ezekial 4:9 Bread (Cinnamon & Raisin) with Kerrygold butter, and a few slices of Raw Milk Cheddar Cheese.  The cheese is very mild for a raw milk cheese.  I tend to like mine a little more tangier, but this is good for those who've never experienced raw cheese.  Let me just say, if you've had real Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese before, then you've had raw cheese.  Real Parm-Reg comes from unpasteurized cow's milk.
I was reading up on all the healthful benefits of raw milk cheese, I'll never buy the other kind.  Loads more vitamins, plus CLA (conjugated linoleum acid) which speeds up weight loss.
Just make sure your Raw Cheese comes from a  reliable source, supermarket or specialty cheese store.

Trader Joe's Raw Milk Cheddar!

Man shall not live by Sprouted Grains alone...

I've seen this bread in the stores for years.  I think I even bought it once like 10 years ago and only ate one piece.  Well, I don't know if my taste buds have changed, or this new healthy lifestyle is starving for a good time, but this bread was AWESOME this morning with coffee!!  The ingredients are on the photo below.  Just toast up a few slices, find some good "EWIC" butter, and THAT is good breakfast right out of creation!

Day 5 - Eggplant Parmesan

If you can buy Organic then go ahead, if not do the best you can.  Here's what I use:

2 or 3 Organic Eggplant
1 28oz. Can Tomato Puree (Muir Glen Organic)
2 Cups fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
1 Cup fresh Mozzarella Cheese (Costco has great FRESH Mozzarella)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Get a large saute pan nice and hot.  Pour olive oil in to a bowl.  Slice eggplant crosswise in 1/2 inch slices.  Dip each piece of eggplant in to the olive oil and then place it in the hot pan.  Do this until all eggplant are golden brown on the outside.  Shred or slice the mozzarella and shred the parmigiano cheeses.  Open the can of tomato puree and spoon a thin layer on the bottom of a small baking dish (last time i made this I used a 9 inch glass pie pan).  Place one layer of eggplant on top of the sauce.  Sprinkle with sea salt.  Add half of the mozzarella and half of the parmigiano cheese.  Spoon in just a little sauce scatter all over, very light.  Next, another layer of eggplant, salt, a little more salt, and top with rest of the cheese.  Bake at 400 until lightly browned on top and bubbling!  Mangia!

Day 4 - FREEDOM

We went back to Pike St. Marketplace this afternoon, specifically for a taste of Beecher's Handmade Cheeses.  Gina wanted to try the grilled cheese sandwich, and I noticed that their Mac & Cheese was one of "Oprah's Favorite Things" so I had to investigate.  The Mac & Cheese is SO famous that they have the recipe displayed in the store (http://www.beechershandmadecheese.com/recipes_WBMacncheese.php).  I am here to report that it is one of the BEST mac & cheeses I have ever tasted.   Their own flagship and jack cheese, with swiss gruyere...WHOA!!!
Everything in this recipe is found in creation.  Now granted, the pasta and the sauce both have all-purpose flour, which isn't really found in creation because of the bleaching agents they use.  So, if I was going to make this at home I would find an 100% organic unbleached flour.  Everything else in their recipe is great!  Their cheeses are all-natural and handmade, so just make sure you find all-natural cheeses if you're going to stick to the program and make it yourself.  Or, just save yourself the hassle and order it online and have it shipped to your house :)
So I was thinking, there are a lot of rich foods like this that can be bought or made at home that fall under the "EWIC" plan, but you definitely can't live off of food like this, it's great once in a while but not all the time.  At the same time, the core of this program is not to put you under a bunch of rules either.  We've been given every good thing from the beginning for our bodies to use as food to eat and enjoy in abundance.  We've also been given self-control, we just need to access it!
So, I came up with a tag line, "Eat What I Created: in moderation and temperance".  Moderation is balance and freedom, temperance is self-control.
Eat What I Created means that we have the FREEDOM, and we've been given the SELF-CONTROL to enjoy everything that has been put here on this Earth

Day 3 - Eat What I Created...from Safeway!

I went to the nearby Safeway in North Bend, WA this afternoon determined to find food worthy of the "Eat What I Created" plan.  Also, to show people you don't have to shop at Whole Foods or some other organic all-natural market just to find healthy food.  By all means, if you have money in your budget and there is one of those stores nearby, I highly recommend shopping at an organic market because it eliminates a lot of guess work!
I found SO much good stuff at Safeway (which is the same as Vons) and inexpensive too, especially with a club card.  All natural olive/rosemary bread (wheat flour, evoo, yeast, salt, kalamata olives), of course all of their fresh produce, a big jar of Mario Batali pasta sauce, frozen all natural sausage, Maranatha all-natural peanut butter,  kettle chips with sea salt (potatoes, sunflower oil, salt), fresh wild Alaska Sockeye Salmon, and nice chunk of local artisan cheese made at Beecher's down on Pike St. in Seattle.  I scored!!!
So, be encouraged, you don't have to shop at snooty, organic markets just to stay on the Eat What I Created Plan.  I read the label on all of these items and they ALL contain ingredients simply found in creation!
Enjoy some photo's from Beecher's Cheese on Pike St. in downtown Seattle.  http://www.beechershandmadecheese.com/

Day 2 - Why Didn't I Start This When I Got Home?

Well, Day 2 started out great!  BREAKFAST was as follows:
- Raw Almonds
- Fuji Apple
- A few slices of Mozzarella Cheese

Then at noon we headed to Pike St. Market in downtown Seattle.  If you've never been, you have to go!  It's the nation's oldest farmer's market, open everyday!  It's famous for flying fish being thrown around, a few scenes from Sleepless in Seattle were filmed there, and it's home to the 1st Starbucks coffee.  Besides the history, it's just loaded with produce, meats, cheeses, and all kinds of gifts...it's HUGE!!
We found the coolest Italian market that I've been in since I've been back from Italy, it was awesome!!  Stuff you can't find anywhere, imported cheeses and meats, and tons of authentic ingredients.

So, my LUNCH looked like this:
- 1 artisan potato roll (fresh bread that was SO good, and all ingredients found in creation).
- Artichoke spread (artichoke hearts, eve, lemon juice, parmigiano-reggiano, s&p)
- Giant marinated white beans
- 1 Dolmade
- Fresh Chevre w/Basil (fresh homemade goat cheese and chopped up basil...whoa!)
- 1 Cappuccino

Then came dinner time!  Which brings me to the title of today's blog, "why didn't i start this when i got home"?  My family is up here in Seattle for 3 weeks taking care of my sister and brother-in-law's 3 kids while they're away in Asia.  Anybody who has ever been on an eating program will tell you that it's hard to begin something like this when you're out of your surroundings and your daily routine.  Being in a new city as big and as interesting as Seattle is for 3 weeks has been great up until now.  There are SO many places to eat up here I never knew what a "food town" Seattle was and is.  So, I took my oldest son Jake to a Parkour class (www.parkourvisions.org) just north of downtown tonight.  After class he says he's starving!  So, I jump on my iPhone to find him a good place for his favorite food, cheeseburgers.  I just happened to be 6 blocks away from a place called Red Mill Burgers.  Red Mill Burgers have been featured on Oprah, The New York Times, and GQ for having one of the Top 20 Burgers You Have To Eat Before You Die.  It's the Double Bacon Cheeseburger with Red Mill's special sauce (www.redmillburgers.com).  So, I start running down the ingredients list in my head for things that are "found in creation".  Things like meat, lettuce, onions, tomatoes are all fine.  American cheese definitely is not, mayonnaise is not, and the bun is probably loaded with refined sugars as a well as the special Red Mill Sauce, don't forget the bacon which is loaded with sulfites.  So, I decided to give myself a little leeway for the next week, but only while we are here in Seattle!  I will stick to my plan as scheduled, but should I happen across something as acclaimed as Red Mill Burgers, being a good culinary student, I will have to try it...and then right back on the program!  But it has to be as hyped as this burger was, otherwise I won't...and I won't go looking for it either.  If I just happen to find it by accident, then I will report back.  I felt too guilty to even take a picture of this monster, so you'll have to link over to their website (www.redmillburgers.com) to see pictures.  After all the hype you know what...it was good, but it wasn't worth breaking my eating plan over, and take it from me, should you die before eating a Double Bacon Cheeseburger w/Read Mill Special Sauce, you won't be missing anything.

The First Supper

Just how tomatoes taste better in Italy, the Salmon tastes better up here in Seattle...just kidding, Haha!  It was delicious tonight.  I found a nice big piece of Sockeye Salmon at a local market here in Issaquah and bought a nice bunch of Broccoli.

To prepare the Salmon:

- coat a small saute pan with lots of extra virgin olive oil, and crank the heat up to high until the oil just started to smoke.
- make sure the Salmon is very dry (you may need to wipe with a paper towel) carefully place the salmon in the hot pan skin side up.
- sear it for about 3 minutes then flip it over on the skin side and saute it for about 4 minutes.
- turn the heat off and let it sit in the pan to finish cooking.

The broccoli:

- in a small sauce pan over high heat pour in 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil.
- squeeze 1/2 a lemon in the water, and throw in the rind.
- add a splash of white wine vinegar to the water.
- season the water with a little salt.
- add broccoli florets (approx. 3 cups)
- cover and let it steam for about 3 minutes.
- in the meantime, grate a little parmigiano-reggiano and some mozzarella.
- after 3 minutes, lift out the broccoli with a slotted spoon and place cooked broccoli in to a bowl.
- add the grated cheeses, a little salt, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and toss until everything is combined and the cheese melts.

For the salmon, I'm not a fan of a bunch of fancy marinades because they usually contain a bunch of ingredients and chopping, and they usually take away from the delicate Salmon flavor; and when you have fresh wild sockeye salmon all you need is a drizzle of extra virgin olive, salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon.
Everything in this meal is natural and part of creation, and that makes it taste even better!

Jennie-O-Nooooo!

I fixed these for the kids today for lunch and I even I popped a few back myself, thinking, "turkey, that's found in creation, right?".  Then I read the ingredients on this pack of Jennie-O Turkey Meatballs.  Here are a few ingredients added to these morsels:
Dextrose - It's basically sugar.  Cheap sugar used to add flavor.  When the body has too much dextrose, it is either converted to fat or stored as glycogen to be used later.  This stuff is already manufactured in our bodies, do we really need more of it?
Autolyzed Yeast Extract  -  This is what is created when you add salt to live yeast. According to wisegeek.com, "Autolyzed Yeast enhances the flavor of food by chemically altering the consumer's taste buds.  It contains a substantial amount of free glutamic acid, an enzyme which makes it easier for the taste buds to detect savory or meaty flavors.  Both of these additives may cause allergic reactions in some people."  OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't shred the cheese...cut the cheese!

Breakfast this morning consisted of a few shots of espresso with foamed all-natural half and half, and a big omelet with leftover roasted vegetables and mozzarella cheese.
As I was about to open the pack of Kroger brand finely shredded mozzarella cheese I read the ingredients list on the back.  There were a few additives that made me raise an eyebrow: Calcium Sulfate (to prevent caking) and Natamycin (to prevent mold).  I Google'd both ingredients and found that Calcium Sulfate and Natamycin are "naturally occurring" chemicals, however Natamycin in regular doses causes nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.  Also, both ingredients are not legal worldwide for consumption.  They have strict guidelines in the E.U. as to how they are to be used.  Well, that was enough for me!
Then I took out the 1 pound block of Frigo brand mozzarella cheese and examined the ingredients...Skim Milk, Enzymes (Rennet), and Salt...BINGO!  Of course, there's no substitute for fresh mozzarella when available (you know, the kind that usually comes packed in water...delicious!...and natural).  Sure you have to spend an extra 30 seconds shredding your own cheese, but it tastes better, it melts better and you don't have to be concerned about bizarre chemicals in your body.  So, cut your own cheese, beware when buying it pre-shredded.
By the way, the omelet was AMAZING!!  Check out the pictures.

 

 

Roasted Vegetables

This is my favorite way to eat vegetables.  Lots of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper, and Oregano.  Roasted at really high temperature until they're nice and caramelized.

1 Eggplant
1 Orange Bell Pepper
1 Red Onion
4 Roma Tomatoes (watery center and seeds removed)
4 Small Yellow Zucchini
1 Green Zucchini
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
All Natural Sea Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
Dried Oregano

Crank up your oven as high as it will go, that's usually 550 degrees.  If you have convection, use it!
Wash, dry and cut all vegetables into bite-size 1 inch cubes and place in a large bowl.  Coat with LOTS of extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and dried oregano.  With clean hands, toss it all together really well and turn out on to a half sheet pan.  Roast for approx. 15 minutes.  Keep an eye on them, don't rely on your timer, every oven cooks differenty.  You're looking for the vegetables to get nice and browned (not black) all over.  Remove from the oven, with a spatula toss them together in the pan and serve!