Roasted Butternut Squash

This was a really fun use of my Butternut Squash that I got this week at Abundant Harvest Organics, our local CSA. It made a great side dish and my daughter loved them- if you like Sweet Potato Fries, you will probably like these too! Sorry about the bad picture... don't let it stop you!

Ingredients:

1-2 butternut squash

grape seed oil

sea salt

pepper

Alternative Spices:

cinnamon, ground ginger, and nutmeg

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425. Cut your squash in half (vertically & then horizontally) then peel the outside "skin" off with a paring knife and deseed the inside cavity. Then slice your squash in thin slices, put it in a bowl and drizzle grapeseed oil on top. Sprinkle with seasoning- either sea salt and pepper OR cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Then spread them out on a roasting pan so that none of them are touching and bake for 35-45 minutes or until they begin to brown and edges are crisp. Let cool for a minute or two then begin snacking- YUM!

Sauteed Spaghetti Squash....

So, the other day, my girl Monica posted on FB how excited she was the Spaghetti Squash was back in the season, and she also let me in on her favorite way to cook it.... her recipe is on my meal plan this week, so I look forward to posting it soon- but for now, here is a simple and easy way to cook it as a side dish (or add left over chicken to it and serve it as dinner). Do you have a favorite way to cook it or a stellar recipe you use??? Share it with us!!! Stay tuned for Monica's Spaghetti Squash tips...

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

Grape seed oil

s & p

1 TBSP parsley, chopped

*** (optional) handful of parmesan cheese

*** (optional) chopped (cooked) chicken

Directions:

Cut your spaghetti squash in half length-wise (as in picture above) and scoop out the center seeds. Then turn FACE DOWN on a foil lined roasting pan or cookie sheet. Bake for 40 minutes on 350 until it's tender, but still crunchy . Let them cool for about 5 minutes until you can handle them. In a large skillet, heat some Grape Seed Oil, your red onion and garlic and saute for a few minutes. Then , using a fork, scrape out the insides of the spaghetti squash- which will look like SPAGHETTI!!! Add it to your pan and let it cook for another 5 minutes, turning frequently. Add your parsley, s & p, and chicken and cook for a bit longer. Top with shredded parmesan, let it melt in and then serve!

Roasted Eggplant Soup

Branching out. That's what I am doing.... thanks to my Abundant Harvest Organics Veggies that I get weekly. Because I receive certain things in my box, I am encouraged (or forced if I don't want to be wasteful which is one of my main goals when it comes to my kitchen!) to try new things, things I wouldn't necessarily come up with on my own. So this week, I not only got tomatoes, onions, and eggplant in my box- I also got a recipe for a Roasted Eggplant Soup that I had never tried... and I tried it.... and I liked it.... and I would make it again! So I am passing on the recipe to you, give it a chance, put a little pep in your step and branch out too- you never know what you will come across!

I personally think this soup would be perfect for a dinner party as the appetizer, or a luncheon served along with a light salad. We had it tonight for dinner with a hardier salad and I thought it was perfect, it reminded me of something you would order at a quaint little restaurant! I omitted the crumbled cheese, for preference sake, but it was delicious just the same.

Ingredients:

1 large egg plant or 2 medium ones, halved

3 tomatoes, halved

1 onion, halved

4 large cloves of garlic, peeled

Grape seed oil or Olive Oil

Salt & pepper

1 tsp dried thyme

4 cups chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream

** 3 ounces crumbled cheese of your choice** optional

All your veggies ready to roast, lightly brushed with Grape Seed Oil and sprinkled with S & P.

After Roasting for 40 minutes...

Directions:

Wow, this soup is easy on the prep, it takes awhile as far as actual cooking time, but honestly, it's very little hassle. You are going to wash and half your veggies and peel your garlic, placing them on a foil-lined roasting pan or cookie sheet and pop them in the oven at 400 for 40 minutes until they are lightly browned. Then scoop them up and into a pot they go with the chicken broth and thyme. Bring that to a boil and then let it simmer for another 35 minutes. From there, take and dump it in your Vitamix or Food Processor and puree it, add it back to your pot, add your heavy cream and bring it to a simmer again. Serve it up in soup bowls or mugs and add your crumbled cheese it you'd like!

End of the Summer Tomatoes..

So I had a bunch of tomatoes to use up at the end of this summer before I pulled out my tomato plants and I was in a quandary with what to do with them. So, I looked up on line how to make your own, homemade tomato sauce from scratch and it was surprisingly easy. Here's what I came up with in case you find yourself with tomatoes you don't want to waste.

First, cut a slit down one side of your tomato....

...and then put them in a pot of boiling water for just a minute or two in order to remove the skins.

After they have been in a boiling bath for 1-2 minutes, strain them and rinse them under cold water for another minute. Then peel the skin off of them, it comes right off really easily and put them right into your food processor.

Once they are blended you are going to add them to a stock pot that has some celery, onion, garlic, and a drizzle of Grape Seed Oil (the amount you use with all of the ingredients depends on how many tomatoes you are working with).

Let them simmer on low for about 2 hours. You can add this as your base to any soups (like Minestrone Soup or the like), spaghetti sauce, or any other red sauce. I added red wine and seasonings (like Oregano & thyme, s & p) to mine and used it as a light spaghetti sauce with some ground meat and noodles- so simple and fresh!

The tomatoes cook way down, so the more you use the better. If you find your sauce getting to thick add a bit of water (or wine!) to get it to the consistency you like.You can freeze this or use it right on the spot- you won't be disappointed!

Black Bean and Corn Salad

Here's a great recipe for summertime.... It is quick, easy, and simple.... my favorite kind! I made it with "Chili Lime Chicken Kabobs" and it made for a great complimentary side dish!

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked black beans

1 red bell pepper, diced

1/4 cup red onion, diced

1 & 1/2 cups corn, fresh or frozen

1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

** a handful of cherry tomatoes??? If you are a tomato lover, this would probably be a great accent to the salad... I am not a lover, so I didn't include them in the mix!

Dressing:

2 TBSP olive oil

1 lime, juiced

1 tsp cumin

s & p to taste

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, pour dressing over top and season with s & p to your liking. If it seems like it needs a little sweetening for your liking, add a pinch of sugar. Set aside or refrigerate to allow flavors to blend. This salad can be served at room temp or refrigerated and will last up to 5 days stored in an air tight container.

Roasted Parmesan Parsnips

Here's a new way to cook parsnips, thanks to the fabulous blog Sprouted Kitchen! She has great ideas and AWESOME pictures, take a gander when you have a free minute- she makes cooking meals into an ART! These Roasted Parsnips are soft and gooey thanks to the parmesan cheese, and yet bursting with flavor with all the different herbs--- they were so yummy I could have eaten them all myself!!!

Ingredients:

4 Parnips, peeled & chopped

1 egg white

1/2 TBSP dried Oregano

1 TBSP Rosemary, finely chopped

2/3 cup Parmesan Cheese, fine

s & p

Directions:

Super simple. Peel & chop your parsnips, put them in a bowl. Separate an egg white and toss the parsnip sticks in it, then add your seasoning and give it another toss, then add your parmesan (I had to chop mine be cause it was shredded and needs to be a fine consistency). Toss it all together, pour it out on a roasting pan or cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and cook for 20-25 minutes on 425 until they are golden and done to your liking! You can serve plain or with a marinara sauce.

Kale Chips

This is an idea that has been floating my head for awhile- I have had a few friends tell me about the idea and I have seen it a few times in cookbooks or cooking sites, and well, I am just now getting around to posting it! It's super easy, takes little effort, and is an easy way to incorporate dark green veggies into your diet- NOT TO MENTION that my child ate almost the whole plate herself- they have the crunch and crispy flavor of a potato chip- your little ones will probably like it too!

Raw Kale with Grape Seed Oil and Sea Salt

Baked Kale or "Kale Chips!"

Ingredients:

1 bunch kale, rinsed & patted dry

2 TBSP grape seed oil

1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions:

I rinsed my kale then chopped it into 3 inch pieces (you can chop or tear it) then I through mine in my salad spinner. I removed the tough stems before putting them in a bowl with the oil and salt. Toss them well and then lay them on a roasting sheet or cookie sheet to bake for 20 minutes on 325. Bake them for 12ish minutes, then with a pair of tongs, turn them over and bake for another 8- 10 minutes until the edges are browned and the leaves are crispy. Serve them immediately as an appetizer or a side, they don't stay crunchy for too long, so gobble them up quick!

Cauliflower & Brussel Sprouts....

I adapted this recipe from one I previously posted on Roasted Brussel Sprouts- it's nothing fancy, just threw in another veggie with it- this time it was cauliflower and it was delicious! I quartered my brussel sprouts (because they were huge!) and then cut the cauliflower into small chunks and tossed them all with some Grape Seed oil, 3 cloves of garlic, and s & p. I roasted them on a roasting pan (or cookie sheet lined with parchment paper) on 4oo for about 15- 20 minutes. Then I served them with a drizzle of balsamic over the top- they were delicious! Great combination and great way to introduce more veggies to your pallet!

Delicious Raw Broccoli Salad

Finally A Broccoli Salad with NO MAYO!!!

I have to confess, broccoli isn't my favorite veggie even though I really wish it were because of its great health benefits. If I were really honest, I would 'fess up and tell you, it's in the bottom 3 of my favorites. BUT there is hope on the horizon, I concocted this new recipe that I love so much, I think I could make it once a week!

Ingredients:

3 crowns of broccoli, chopped

1 Granny Smith Apple, chopped

1/2 cup sunflower seeds, toasted

1/2 cup raisins

1/4 of a red onion, diced really small

Dressing:

1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar

1/4 cup Olive Oil

2 TBSP honey or brown sugar

2 tsp Tarragon Vinegar

1 lemon, juiced

Directions:

Prepare all your ingredients by washing and chopping them where needed. I used raw sunflower seeds, so I toasted them on the stove top by adding a 1/2 tsp Grape seed oil in a skillet with the sunflower seeds. I continually turned them until they were toasty brown and added a sprinkle of sea salt to them.... they were so YUMMY! Then I made the dressing, whisked it together and poured it over top, tossed it and served it immediately. This salad doesn't do well to serve it the next day because the apples get mushy, so eat it right away!

Spicy Eggplant

This was so yummy, I could have eaten the whole dish! This recipe tops the charts, I am sure you will love it... the pictures don't do it justice! It is fast and easy to make, it maybe took me 15 minutes!! Great flavor and some spicy kick to heat things up. Serve it over a bed of brown rice.

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

1/2 red onion

3 cloves garlic

3 TBSP soy sauce

3 TBSP rice vinegar

1/4 - 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

3 TBSP grape seed oil

Directions:

Heat your grape seed oil in a hot frying pan with your red pepper flakes (I used 1/2 tsp and it was pretty spicy, next time I would use 1/4 tsp- but if you are a lover of spice, heat it up to 1/2). After that has a minute to heat up, add your chopped eggplant and let it cook for about 3-4 minutes, turning it every minute or so. Next add your chopped bell pepper and onions and minced garlic cloves and cook that for another 3 minutes, turning it as well. Last add your seasonings. Let it simmer for 5 minutes and either leave on low or remove from heat until serving. I let mine sit for about 30 minutes before eating, and everything was really well marinated and juicy... umm umm!

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Thanks to a fabulous family vacation, I took some time off from recipes, but we are refreshed and ready to get back in the saddle with some yummy fall meals!

Roasted Brussel Sprouts drizzled with Balsamic Vinegar...

So up until a few minutes ago, if you were to ask me if I liked Brussel Sprouts, I would have answered without hesitation, without a doubt- NO WAY!!! But things have changed around these parts, I can now (thanks to Natalie's recipe) answer, Yes I do!!!! Check out Natalie's blog for the original recipe and some other tasty ones I can't wait to try!!!

Here's what I did to roast them....

Ingredients:

3 large handfuls of small brussel sprouts (from Costco) for 2 people

a generous amount of Grape Seed Oil (or Olive Oil if you prefer)

1 clove garlic, minced

sea salt

pepper

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425. Wash and trim the bottoms of your brussel sprouts (discard any damaged outer leaves) and cut them in half. Throw them in a bowl, generously drizzle Grape Seed Oil on top (or Olive Oil) then mince garlic and add s & p. Mix well and pour on to a roasting pan or a cookie sheet lined in parchment paper. Quickly with clean fingers, flip them over so the flat side is on touching the cookie sheet. Pop them in the oven for 8-10 minutes (for small sprouts, 10-12 for larger ones). They will be browned on the underside when done. I served them with a sprinkle of balsamic vinegar on top, because, well, everything is better with balsamic :) Enjoy, you are now officially an adult- you ate brussel sprouts!

Brussel Sprouts tossed with ingredients...

Laying flat on the parchment-lined cookie sheet...

Served up with some Teriyaki Chicken Thighs...