Last night we tried acorn squash for the first time. My husband and I were more thrilled with it than the kids, but they still ate it. It truly needs the full 50 to 60 minutes to roast and next time I may sprinkle a little cinnamon with the nutmeg. I will definitely be making this again!
Serves 4 (as a side)
1 Acorn Squash (1-1 1/2lbs)
2 Tsp Butter
2 Tbsps Brown Sugar
1/4 Tsp Nutmeg
Preheat the oven to 425.
Slice the squash in half and scoop out all the seeds. Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and place the squash in the dish skin side up. Roast for about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and flip the squash over. Place a teaspoon of butter in each half and a tablespoon of brown sugar in each half. Stir gently as the butter melts to mix the butter and sugar and spread over the squash. Sprinkle with the nutmeg and place back in the oven for another 25 to 30 minutes.
When finished squash should easily pull away from the skin and be eaten warm.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Stuffed Pepper Pasta
This dish probably qualifies for what Rachael Ray would call a "stoup." Too thick to me a soup and too thin to be a stew and too thin to be a pasta dish. We had all of these lovely green peppers still in our garden ready to be used. My husband asked for stuffed peppers. I was dragging me feet to make them because the kids never really like them. While shopping this week I saw orzo on sale and this recipe came to me. And it worked! Everyone ate it, even my super picky toddler!
Serves 4-6
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 or 3 Medium Green Bell Peppers, seeded and sliced into bite sized pieces
10oz Package of Mushrooms
1 Large Onion, diced
1lb Sweet Italian Sausage
14oz Can Diced Tomatoes
Half a Box of Orzo Pasta
Parmesan Cheese
In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the peppers, mushrooms, onions and sausage to the pan. Stir occasionally until sausage begins to brown. Add the diced tomatoes, juices and all and stir. Lower the heat to low and let simmer so all the flavors meld.
While simmering, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the orzo until al dente. Add some of the starchy cooking water to the sausage mixture, about 2 ladles. Drain the orzo and add to the sausage mixture. Combine and serve. Top with some Parmesan cheese and enjoy! Fork or spoon, your choice!
Serves 4-6
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 or 3 Medium Green Bell Peppers, seeded and sliced into bite sized pieces
10oz Package of Mushrooms
1 Large Onion, diced
1lb Sweet Italian Sausage
14oz Can Diced Tomatoes
Half a Box of Orzo Pasta
Parmesan Cheese
In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the peppers, mushrooms, onions and sausage to the pan. Stir occasionally until sausage begins to brown. Add the diced tomatoes, juices and all and stir. Lower the heat to low and let simmer so all the flavors meld.
While simmering, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the orzo until al dente. Add some of the starchy cooking water to the sausage mixture, about 2 ladles. Drain the orzo and add to the sausage mixture. Combine and serve. Top with some Parmesan cheese and enjoy! Fork or spoon, your choice!
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Honey Mustard Chicken with Sweet Potatoes & Bananas
I confess this was our break the fast Yom Kippur dinner. The girls still had gymnastics so I needed a meal I could completely prep ahead of time and this was it. And the only thing we had leftover was some challah!
Serves 5-6 People
For the Chicken:
2lbs Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
2 Medium Yellow Onions, sliced into rings
A good handful of fresh basil
1/2 Cup Newman's Own Lite Honey Mustard Dressing
Place the chicken thighs and onions in a slow cooker. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and top with the basil and honey mustard. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
For the Sweet Potatoes:
3 Medium Sweet Potatoes
2 Tbsp Butter
2 Small Bananas, overripe is best
2 Tbsp Honey
1/4 Tsp Nutmeg
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
Marshmallows
Begin by roasting the sweet potatoes, skin on. Prick the potatoes a couple of times each before roasting. I personally stick mine in the microwave on the baked potato setting and they come out perfect every time!
Once baked/roasted, let the potatoes cool for a couple of minutes. While they are cooling, place the butter and bananas in a baking dish. While potatoes are still hot but able to be handled, peel off the skin and place hot potatoes on top of butter to melt the butter. Using a potato masher, mash the sweet potatoes and bananas. Add the honey, nutmeg and brown sugar and mix.
Sprinkle some marshmallows over top the sweet potatoes. I used large marshmallows, but small ones would work too.
At this point the sweet potatoes can be cooled and refrigerated for later or placed in a 400 degree oven and baked for 15-20 minutes until the marshmallows are roasted and delicious.
Note: The other items pictured are the challah (recipe under Rosh Hashana) and some steamed string beans with seasoned salt.
Serves 5-6 People
For the Chicken:
2lbs Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
2 Medium Yellow Onions, sliced into rings
A good handful of fresh basil
1/2 Cup Newman's Own Lite Honey Mustard Dressing
Place the chicken thighs and onions in a slow cooker. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and top with the basil and honey mustard. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
For the Sweet Potatoes:
3 Medium Sweet Potatoes
2 Tbsp Butter
2 Small Bananas, overripe is best
2 Tbsp Honey
1/4 Tsp Nutmeg
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
Marshmallows
Begin by roasting the sweet potatoes, skin on. Prick the potatoes a couple of times each before roasting. I personally stick mine in the microwave on the baked potato setting and they come out perfect every time!
Once baked/roasted, let the potatoes cool for a couple of minutes. While they are cooling, place the butter and bananas in a baking dish. While potatoes are still hot but able to be handled, peel off the skin and place hot potatoes on top of butter to melt the butter. Using a potato masher, mash the sweet potatoes and bananas. Add the honey, nutmeg and brown sugar and mix.
Sprinkle some marshmallows over top the sweet potatoes. I used large marshmallows, but small ones would work too.
At this point the sweet potatoes can be cooled and refrigerated for later or placed in a 400 degree oven and baked for 15-20 minutes until the marshmallows are roasted and delicious.
Note: The other items pictured are the challah (recipe under Rosh Hashana) and some steamed string beans with seasoned salt.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Cheesy Pasta & Zucchini
I still have an abundance of zucchini to work with these days. My kids are being very good about having zucchini nearly every night. Tonight I just wanted a simple, light pasta dish and happened to have some ricotta on hand. The kids devoured it so my plan worked!
Serves 6 easily
1lb Box Short Pasta (I used nuggets, an unusually shaped pasta my kids love)
Olive Oil
2 Medium Zucchini, sliced into half moons
2 Cloves Garlic
1/4 Cup Dry White Wine
15oz Container Part Skim Ricotta
1/4 Cup Shredded Romano Cheese
Fresh Basil
Bring a salted pot of water to a boil and cook pasta to al dente.
Meanwhile heat a saute pan on medium heat. Add about a tbsp or two of olive oil to the pan and then the zucchini and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook about 5-7 minutes until al dente. Add the wine and lower the heat to low.
In a bowl combine the ricotta and Romano cheese. Add a couple ladles of starchy pasta water to the cheese and mix. Season with salt and pepper.
Drain pasta. Return the pasta to the pot or place in a serving bowl. Remove the cloves of garlic from the zucchini and dump the zucchini on the pasta (including any juices). Mix to combine. Pour cheese mixture over pasta and sprinkle with some torn fresh basil. Stir once more to combine and then serve and enjoy!
Serves 6 easily
1lb Box Short Pasta (I used nuggets, an unusually shaped pasta my kids love)
Olive Oil
2 Medium Zucchini, sliced into half moons
2 Cloves Garlic
1/4 Cup Dry White Wine
15oz Container Part Skim Ricotta
1/4 Cup Shredded Romano Cheese
Fresh Basil
Bring a salted pot of water to a boil and cook pasta to al dente.
Meanwhile heat a saute pan on medium heat. Add about a tbsp or two of olive oil to the pan and then the zucchini and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook about 5-7 minutes until al dente. Add the wine and lower the heat to low.
In a bowl combine the ricotta and Romano cheese. Add a couple ladles of starchy pasta water to the cheese and mix. Season with salt and pepper.
Drain pasta. Return the pasta to the pot or place in a serving bowl. Remove the cloves of garlic from the zucchini and dump the zucchini on the pasta (including any juices). Mix to combine. Pour cheese mixture over pasta and sprinkle with some torn fresh basil. Stir once more to combine and then serve and enjoy!
Pumpkin Banana Bread
To be honest this recipe was developed out of a need for a quiet recipe. Yes, a quiet recipe: one that can be made after children are in bed. So I went for the quick and easy base of a cake mix. I figured that I use a cake mix to make coffee cake and we eat that in the morning so I could use one to make use of my two rotting bananas. This was a seriously yummy result! Besides tasting like fall in a bite, it is also much less dense than a typical banana bread. Please try it and love it too!
Makes a good 12 slices
1 Box White Cake Mix
4 Egg Whites
1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 Cup Pumpkin Puree
2 Overripe Bananas
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Nutmeg
It could not be easier! Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix until combined. The batter will still be a little lumpy. Spray a 9x5 bread pan with nonstick cooking spray and scrape batter into the pan. Bake bread in a preheated 375 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes until cake tester comes out of the center clean. Let cool in the pan for about 10 or 15 minutes and then cool completely on a wire rack.
Makes a good 12 slices
1 Box White Cake Mix
4 Egg Whites
1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 Cup Pumpkin Puree
2 Overripe Bananas
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Nutmeg
It could not be easier! Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix until combined. The batter will still be a little lumpy. Spray a 9x5 bread pan with nonstick cooking spray and scrape batter into the pan. Bake bread in a preheated 375 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes until cake tester comes out of the center clean. Let cool in the pan for about 10 or 15 minutes and then cool completely on a wire rack.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
ATM Salad
Or avocado, tomato and mozzarella salad stacks! Simple, filling and yummy!
Serves 2-3
1 Ripe Avocado
1 Large Tomato
3 or 4 oz Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
Olive Oil
Start with a plate to stack the salad on and the first layer is the cheese! Slice the fresh mozzarella into 1/4" slices and line the plate with them. Then slice the tomato into juicy 1/8" or 1/4" slices and place on top of the cheese. Drizzle with some olive oil and salt and pepper (the salt will enhance the tomato) at this point. Finally, remove skin and pit from avocado and spoon out the flesh. Slice and place on top of the tomato. Enjoy!
Serves 2-3
1 Ripe Avocado
1 Large Tomato
3 or 4 oz Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
Olive Oil
Start with a plate to stack the salad on and the first layer is the cheese! Slice the fresh mozzarella into 1/4" slices and line the plate with them. Then slice the tomato into juicy 1/8" or 1/4" slices and place on top of the cheese. Drizzle with some olive oil and salt and pepper (the salt will enhance the tomato) at this point. Finally, remove skin and pit from avocado and spoon out the flesh. Slice and place on top of the tomato. Enjoy!
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Zucchini "Chips"
The zucchini plants in our garden are almost scary because they have just grown so big! We are eating zucchini everyday! Needless to say, I am trying to come up with some different things to do with zucchini. These are delicious, crispy bites of zucchini! Yummy served with marinara sauce or any other condiment of your choosing!
As a side, serves 4-6
1 Medium to Large Zucchini, sliced into "chips" (about 1/4" thick)
1 Egg and 1 Egg White
1/4 Cup Panko
1/4 Cup Seasoned Breadcrumbs
1/4 Cup Cornflake Crumbs
In a shallow bowl, whisk the egg and egg white to combine. Whisk in some salt and better. In another shallow bowl, place the Panko, breadcrumbs, and cornflake crumbs and mix.
Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Take a couple of pieces of zucchini and place in the egg mixture. Make sure to coat both sides. Move from the egg mixture to the breadcrumb mixture and coat well. After coated, place zucchini chip on prepared baking sheet. Continue the process with each of the pieces of zucchini. (Using tongs can help with the process!)
When finished coating, place the baking sheet full of zucchini chips into a preheated 425 degree oven for about 15 minutes until coating is golden and crisp.
As a side, serves 4-6
1 Medium to Large Zucchini, sliced into "chips" (about 1/4" thick)
1 Egg and 1 Egg White
1/4 Cup Panko
1/4 Cup Seasoned Breadcrumbs
1/4 Cup Cornflake Crumbs
In a shallow bowl, whisk the egg and egg white to combine. Whisk in some salt and better. In another shallow bowl, place the Panko, breadcrumbs, and cornflake crumbs and mix.
Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Take a couple of pieces of zucchini and place in the egg mixture. Make sure to coat both sides. Move from the egg mixture to the breadcrumb mixture and coat well. After coated, place zucchini chip on prepared baking sheet. Continue the process with each of the pieces of zucchini. (Using tongs can help with the process!)
When finished coating, place the baking sheet full of zucchini chips into a preheated 425 degree oven for about 15 minutes until coating is golden and crisp.
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