Tex-Mex Squash and Bean Bowl

For dinner tonight, I was once again faced with my remaining 3 lbs. of butternut squash. I decided to make a big bowl of comfort, using some pantry items, and combining some new flavors. Organic canned beans were on sale at Whole Foods, so I really stocked up. I thought black beans seemed to pair the best with Butternut. I also had an avocado and queso fresco, so Tex-Mex seemed to be the way to go! This dish was so filling (I assume this is because the squash and beans are so high in fiber), but it was also full of flavor, and very healthy.

Tex-Mex Squash and Bean Bowl

3 cups diced butternut squash

1 tbsp. EVOO

1 tbsp. light brown sugar

Salt and pepper

1 tsp. chili powder or adobo sauce

1 15 oz. can of organic black beans, drained and rinsed

1 tsp. ground cumin

2 garlic cloves, minced

Juice of 1 lime

1 Avocado, sliced

1/2 cup crumbled Queso Fresco (or Monterey Jack, Goat Cheese, anything you have on hand!)

Tobasco sauce

Chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment.

Add squash, oil, sugar, salt, pepper and chili powder. Toss to coat.

Roast for 25-30 minutes, until squash is caramelized.

Add beans to a soup pot with 1/2 cup water or stock.

Season with cumin and salt.

Bring to a simmer over low heat.

When squash is cooked, remove from the oven and plate.

Squeeze lime juice into beans, then spoon over squash.

Top with avocado, cheese, cilantro and hot sauce.

Thai Chicken Salad

If you ventured over to the Bite Club Blog in the past few days, you'll see that my first restaurant profile was of Biscottis. The manager told us that their #1 selling salad is the Thai Chicken. He said that patron's can't get enough of the dressing, ask for extra, even want to bathe in it. I tried the salad, and really liked it, but he was so right about the dressing! Pretty much what happened next was inevitable when I eat at a restaurant, it was a challenge to myself to re-create this amazing dressing.


For weeks now I've been thinking about it... trying to construct it and deconstruct it. What stood out to me the most when I first tried it was the base of coconut milk, tahini and possibly sesame oil, as flavor was so deep and nutty. Allan also told me that the chicken was white meat, but marinated in soy sauce, which made it look dark. There is also a little fresh pineapple salsa on the salad, which is probably my favorite part because it brings some sweetness and fresh flavor to the dish. Biscottis serves this salad chilled completely, but I like my chicken warm-room temperature, so I cooked the chicken, let it cool a bit, then served it.

Biscotti's Thai Chicken Salad

Chicken Marinade:

1 lb. chicken breasts or tenders, trimmed

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 crushed garlic cloves

Juice of 1/2 lime

Pineapple Salsa:

1 cup finely minced pineapple

1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely minced

1/4 cup finely minced green onion

Juice of 1/2 lime

1 tsp. honey

2 tbsp. minced cilantro

Dressing:

1 cup coconut milk, well-shaken

1/4 cup well-stirred tahini

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 tsp. soy sauce

Salt and white pepper to taste

Additional:

Mixed Greens

Snow Peas

Add chicken and marinade ingredients to a tupperware, coat in mixture, refrigerate for an hour.

Add all salsa ingredients together in a mixing bowl, toss, cover and refrigerate for an hour.

Heat a grill pan over medium heat, cook chicken for 6-8 minutes per side, remove from heat, rest for 5 minutes.

Dice snow peas, toss with greens in a salad bowl.

Add dressing ingredients to a dish, whisk well.

Slice chicken, place on greens, top with salsa and dressing.

Spinach/Prosciutto and Butternut/Sausage Stuffed Shells

For the entree portion of my Bertolli meal, I chose to make two varities of stuffed shells. I wanted to try all of their sauces, but settled with two. I let JJ choose one and then I chose one. He wanted to try the Vodka Sauce and I wanted to try the Fire Roasted Tomato with Cabernet Sauvignon.
As I've said time and time again, I love pairing sweet and savory in dishes. When I chose the fillings to pair with the sauces, I took that approach - sweet and savory.

The first variety was Spinach and Prosciutto Stuffed Shells in Vodka Sauce. I didn't think the vodka flavor was very strong, but the sauce was creamy and sweet with a nice tomato flavor. The shells were salty and earthy from the prosciutto and fresh spinach. JJ liked this combination more, I think mostly because he loves prosciutto!

Spinach and Prosciutto Stuffed Shells in Vodka Sauce

1 lb. jumbo shells pasta

1 jar of Bertolli Vodka Sauce

4 cups of spinach, chopped

1/3 lb. thick sliced prosciutto

2 cups ricotta

1 egg

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup grated romano cheese, separated

Parsley, for garnish

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt heavily, drop in pasta.

Cook for about 7-8 minutes, until very al dente (makes stuffing and sitting easier).

Heat a small skillet over medium heat, add spinach, wilt and cook off liquid for about 5 minutes.

Add spinach to a mixing bowl, drain water out of skillet.

Julienne prosciutto, add to skillet and render fat, cook until crisp, about 8 minutes.

Add to the mixing bowl with spinach.

Add ricotta, salt, pepper, egg and half the romano cheese, mix well.

Pour sauce into the bottom of a casserole dish.

Spoon mixture into shells, place in baking dish, top with cheese, cover with foil.

Place in a 400 degree oven and bake for 15 minutes, uncover and bake for another 10 minutes.

For the other type of stuffed shells, I decided to do something a little different. I bought a 6 lb. butternut squash for $2 at the farmers market, and decided to get some squash into the shells somehow. I love pairing pumpkin and sausage, so I thought butternut seemed interchangable. I used turkey sausage to keep the dish healthier. I cooked these shells in the Fire Roasted Tomato and Cabernet Sauvignon sauce. Oh.my.gosh, this sauce is delicious! I rarely buy jarred sauce, but this I would buy again. The flavor was outstanding, it was fresh, sweet, smoky, and the wine added such depth of flavor. It really held up to the butternut and sausage, but didn't overpower them.

Butternut Squash and Sausage Stuffed Shells with Fire Roasted Tomato and Cabernet Sauvignon Sauce

1 lb. jumbo shells pasta

1 jar Bertolli Fire Roasted Tomato and Cabernet Sauvignon Sauce

2 cups small diced butternut squash

1/2 lb. bulk turkey sausage

2 cups ricotta cheese

1 egg

1/2 cup romano cheese, separated

Salt and pepper

Basil or parsley, for garnish

Add squash to a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper, drizzle with EVOO, toss.

Bake for 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt heavily, add pasta and cook for 7-8 minutes.

Drain and set aside.

Brown sausage in a skillet, when cooked through, add to a mixing bowl.

Add ricotta, egg, salt, pepper and half the romano to the bowl. Toss well.

Fold squash into ricotta mixture.

Spread sauce into a baking dish.

Spoon mixture into shells, place in baking dish.

Cover with remaining cheese.

Cover with foil and bake at 400 for 15 minutes, uncover and bake for another 10 minutes.

Serve with parsley or basil.

Caprese Spring Rolls with Pesto Dipping Sauce

Tonight's dinner was a little different than my normal approach. I know many readers of this blog are friends and family, and don't really know all of the opportunities out there for food bloggers. Right now, as I type, BlogHer is going on in SanFrancisco, which is a big event for women with blogs! As much as I'd love to attend one of these blogger events, I just don't have the time or money. There are some bloggers who get scholarships or sponsors to attend, but my blog has no sponsors.
I am a Foodbuzz Featured Publisher though, which has been great for my blog. It gives me many opportunities to meet other bloggers, learn about new products, and now, I have the opportunity to create a meal that Foodbuzz will judge and possibly award me a scholarship to attend the Foodbuzz Blogger Festival in November!
I wasn't sure if I wanted to participate, but now that I'm about 2 years and 750 posts in, I feel confident in my blog and what I've been able to do with it. Win or lose, I'm glad that I even have the opportunity!


Now, for the details! I had to create a meal (appetizer+entree') using Bertolli products (they're funding the scholarships). I love cooking Italian food, so this was right up my alley. For my appetizer, I wanted to incorporate my all-time favorite, Caprese Salad. I've used it so many ways (pasta, pasta salad, burgers, polenta stacks, pizza, etc.) I decided to use Bertolli's Extra Light Tasting Olive Oil in this dish. For some reason, spring rolls stood out in my mind, a little East meets West fusion recipe. For the dipping sauce, I thought pesto would be fitting, and would use the Olive Oil.
The rolls could be fried in olive oil, but I like to brush them in olive oil and then bake them to get crisp with a bit of heart healthy oil, but not too much because the flavor can be strong. The pesto was a little different from traditional because I used walnuts rather than pine nuts, and romano rather than parmesan. I also blended the pesto so it would be extra saucy and dipable.
These spring rolls just might be a new all-time favorite appetizer of mine!

Caprese Spring Rolls with Pesto Dipping Sauce

Spring Rolls:

1 package wonton wrappers

2 cups packed baby spinach leaves

1 8 oz. ball of fresh mozzarella

16 large sun dried tomato halves

1 small red onion

2 tbsp. Bertolli olive oil

2 tbsp. sesame seeds

Pesto:

2 cups packed basil

1 large garlic clove, smashed

1/4 cup walnuts

1/4 cup romano cheese

salt and pepper

1/4 cup EVOO

Splash of water

Slice tomatoes, onion and mozzarella into 32 matchsticks each.

Fill a small dish with water.

Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Lay a wonton wrapper on a cutting board, place in 4-5 spinach leaves, 2 pieces of mozzarella, 2 pieces of tomato and 2 pieces of onion.

Roll up, fold in the sides, brush the tip with water, roll onto tip and press intoa log.

Place on the baking sheet.

Continue and roll 16 total.

Refrigerate until ready to bake (I refrigerated mine for 2 hours).

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Brush spring rolls with EVOO, sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, until crisp and browned on the edges.

To make pesto, add all ingredients (except water) to a blender.

Pulse until pesto is in small pieces.

Turn blender on and puree until it reaches sauce consistency, adding a splash of water or more olive oil to help reach desired viscosity.

Serve with spring rolls.

The rest of my Bertolli dinner will be posted tomorrow!

Chicken and Eggplant Parmesan Skillet

Two of my favorite Italian meals are eggplant and chicken parmesan. Each of the dishes can be time consuming though, and after I get home from work, I just want to eat! I was reminscing about some of the things I ate when I was younger, and one of those things was Hamburger Helper. When I was in middle school and my mom was working, she'd let me cook dinner one night per week. Usually I would make a casserole (similar to Shephard's Pie) or Hamburger Helper with some vegetables or a salad. I eventually graduated onto more complicated dinners in high school, but when I was 12, I could make a mean casserole!

I love one pot/skillet meals because it makes cleaning so much quicker, and sometimes it's nice to have a big bowl of something warm and comforting! At first I was going to make it just chicken parmesan, but I wanted vegetables, so I decided to combine the two. I kind of did this by trial and error because I cooked the pasta right in the skillet, and I wasn't sure how much liquid it would need. I figured the mushrooms (which aren't traditional in either dish, but I love them and I had a pack in the fridge to use, and they're in many Italian meals) as well as the eggplant gave off a little liquid even after I sauteed them, so after adding the pasta and additional liquid, I did go back and check it every few minutes. If you add all of the liquid at the beginning and it's too soupy, you can easily let it simmer uncovered for a few more minutes to cook off, or you can add more if it's too dry. This dish is pretty foolproof!

I'm sure there's some flavor of Hamburger Helper out there that is similar, but I don't want to eat powdered tomato sauce and whatever else is in there that I can't pronounce! I'm sure kids will love this dish as well, the vegetables can be ground in a food processor and hidden, but I love veggies so mine was super chunky. And I love the little Piccolini wagon wheels, but any short cut pasta can be used in this dish. I made a large batch of marinara a few weeks ago and had it frozen in 2 c. containers, but you can also use a nice jarred sauce.

Chicken and Eggplant Parmesan Skillet

2 tbsp. EVOO

1 lb. ground chicken breast

1 red onion, sliced

2 medium eggplant in 1" cubes

2 garlic cloves, minced

8 oz. button mushrooms, quartered

2 c. marinara

4 c. chicken stock

1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning blend

Salt and pepper

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

8 oz. mini wagon wheel pasta

Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat.

Add EVOO and ground chicken, break apart with a spatula and brown.

Add onion, eggplant and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook for 5-8 minutes, until vegetables are browned and soft.

Add Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, marinara, stock and pasta, stir well.

Bring to a simmer, cover, turn heat to low and cook for 10 minutes.

Check for liquid level and pasta doneness.

Add more stock if necessary, or simmer uncovered if too thin.

Spoon into a bowl and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Creamy Roasted Asparagus and Gruyere Soup

I've been fighting cold/flu like symptoms for about a week, so a big bowl of soup sounded perfect. I had asparagus in the produce drawer waiting for be used, so creamy asparagus soup it was! I enjoy the taste of steamed asparagus, but my favorite way to prepare asparagus is to roast it. I had a small knob of gruyere in the freezer, and thought the nuttiness from gruyere would play up the nuttiness asparagus develops when roasted. This soup was delicious as a full meal with a chunk of whole grain bread, but also would be a great starter topped with toasted croutons.

Creamy Roasted Asparagus and Gruyere Soup

1 lb. of asparagus spears, trimmed

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1/4 cup yellow onion, minced

1 tbps. EVOO

Salt and fresh cracked black pepper

4 cups vegetable stock, warmed

1/4 cup half and half

4 oz. shredded gruyere cheese

1 tsp. minced tarragon

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place asparagus, garlic and onions on a foil lined baking sheet.

Drizzle with EVOO, sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss and smooth in an even layer.

Roast for 20 minutes, or until asparagus gets a little charred on the tips (depends on how thick your spears are).

Remove from the oven, heat a large soup pot over low.

Add half the asparagus and stock to a blender, whirl until smooth, pour in the soup pot.

Add the remaining asparagus and stock to the blender, puree or leave small chunks, depending on preference, pour into the pot.

*Note: Set aside a few tips for garnish, if desired

Bring the soup to a simmer, add cream, cheese and tarragon.

Stir to incorporate, taste and adjust seasonings.

Ladle into a bowl, serve with crusty bread and an extra sprinkle of gruyere and cracked pepper.

Sour Cream and Onion Twice Baked Potatoes

I can still remember the first time I had a twice baked potato... It was creamy and full of cheese. I wondered why anyone would ever eat a plain old baked potato when these existed! Then I realized what a process it can be, and understood why my mom only occasionally made them. It's not a difficult process, but it's long! First baking the potatoes, cooling them, scraping out the potato, mixing the stuffing, restuffing them, and baking once again... and hoping none of the skins break when you scoop out the potato! There are a few shortcuts one can take, like microwaving the potatoes in the beginning and broiling them at the end, but I'm usually not looking for short cuts in the kitchen, I relish my time in there! However, this recipe can be made in stages. You can easily bake your potatoes the night before, or make them entirely and refrigerate them until you're ready to bake them off (I've even frozen them and baked them off!)

I decided to take a different approach with these baked potatoes. I recently was at a party and found myself going back to the sour cream and onion dip over and over. Combining sour cream and potatoes isn't very original, but this mixture I stuffed them with was a creation I just sort of winged, and it was a hit! If you're really pressed for time, you can just make these sour cream and onion mashed potatoes, but I love having a mashed potato like filling and then a crisp shell at the end...or two, because JJ doesn't eat his!

Sour Cream and Onion Twice Baked Potatoes

2 medium-large russet potatoes

1 tbsp. butter

1 cup diced onions

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup sherry

1/4 cup sour cream

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Chives, parsley, or any other fresh herb

2 tbsp. grated parmesan

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Scrub potatoes, piece with a fork, wrap in foil.

Place potatoes directly on the oven wrack, bake for an hour.

While potatoes bake, heat a skillet over low.

Add butter, onions, salt and pepper.

Sautee for 15 minutes, or until caramelized, add sherry, reduce and turn heat off.

When potatoes are cooled, about 30 minutes, cut off the top 1/3 and scoop out the flesh, add to a mixing bowl.Add onions, sour cream, garlic powder, herbs and parmesan to mixing bowl.

Mix well, taste and adjust seasonings.

If mixture seems dry, add stock or milk to thin.

Place potato shells on a baking sheet.

Spoon mixture back into skins, place back in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes, until a golden brown crust forms.

Remove from the oven and plate.

A Year in the Kitchen Cookbook Update!

Thank you so much to everyone who placed their order before Saturday, your books went out in the mail over the weekend! Please let me know when you get it and if you have any problems.


To anyone who is on the fence about buying one, you can now preview the entire book here: http://www.blurb.com/books/840345
They make a great Christmas present... at least for my family ;)


You have the choice to either order it directly from blurb or from me, the price is the same, but if you get it directly from Blurb, you might pay more in shipping. I'm always taking orders, and the link to the order form is on the right column.

Pumpkin Pasta with Light Sage Cream Sauce

One of my favorite features of a blog is how it's a working document. You can always change the writing and photography style of the blog, the theme of the blog, even the look of the blog. My favorite feature of blogs is how easy it is to make them seasonal. If you haven't noticed over the past two years, I tend to cook seasonally. I have a few reasons for this. Primarily it's because the produce that is in season tends to be cheapest, and I feel like I can offset buying a $5 log of organic goat cheese buy buying zucchini for .69/lb. in August.

However, I have to say as much as I love zucchini, I'm ready for that season to end. Now that fall is upon us, I am so excited to buy pounds and pounds of butternut and acorn squash, apples and pumpkins. When I began making tonight's dinner, I was torn on whether to make pumpkin ravioli or pumpkin pasta. I love making ravioli, but since I still haven't been able to find ravioli forms in the store, I have been putting it off. Since I have a fantasy football team this year and we have the red zone channel, long, leisurely afternoons in the kitchen are no longer an option, so pumpkin pasta it was!

I think pumpkin pasta tastes best in a light cream sauce, so I used my favorite mock-cream base, pureed cottage cheese! I found this method in the Moosewood Cookbooks months ago, and have used it many times since. I added a drop of skim milk and some pasta water, and it created a really light, but really creamy sauce. I also found organic apricot and rosemary chicken sausage at Whole Foods, which seemed like a perfect pairing, however any sausage would work well. Finally, I served my new favorite way to make Brussels sprouts - Brown Sugar Mustard Roasted Brussels Sprouts alongside the pasta. I ate mine separate, but JJ mixed his right in and loved it. This meal hit many of my favorite fall flavors, was hearty and filling, but also healthy!

Pumpkin Pasta with Low fat Sage Cream Sauce

1/2 cup organic pumpkin puree

1 egg white

1 - 1 1/2 cups organic unbleached all purpose flour

Semolina flour, for dusting and rolling pasta

1 cup 1% cottage cheese

Splash of milk

Splash of pasta water

1 tsp. rubbed sage (dried) or 1/2 tsp. minced fresh

Salt and pepper

4 links of apricot and rosemary chicken sausage, or any other variety

Crumbled goat cheese

Add 1 cup of flour to a mixing bowl.

Make a well in the center, add pumpkin and egg white.

Whisk with a fork and bring flour into the mixture.

Add more flour as necessary to create a stiff pasta dough.

Knead for 5 minutes, roll into a ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for an hour.

Add sausage to a skillet, cover with 1" of water and a drizzle of oil, bring to a boil and cook water off.

When water evaporates, brown in the skillet.

Turn heat off and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, heavily salt.

Roll pasta through a roller and cut.

Drop in boiling water, cook for 3-4 minutes, reserve 1/2 c. of the water, drain the pasta.

Puree cottage cheese, milk, sage, salt and pepper in a blender.

Add pasta back to pot, add cottage cheese mixture, toss and add pasta water if pasta is too dry.

Slice sausage and add to the pasta, toss.

Plate and serve with crumbled goat cheese.

Warm Butternut and Chickpea Salad with Tahini

Lately my posts have been few and far between. I'm not sure that I've really announced much on this blog since it's directed towards cooking, so I'll go ahead and spill the beans... First, I got a new job, second, we bought a house, and third, I am going to be a food blogger and foodie dining club host for Folio Weekly, a magazine here in Jacksonville.
Because I've taken on a job and a half and have been going through the home buying process, I've had little to no time in the kitchen. When I do, I'm not in a creative mood, I just cook my favorite, go-to meals. We'll be closing on the house between October 15 and 23, it just depends on when we get the word from our mortgage company (the sellers of the house would like it sooner, we don't care too much). So in addition to the jobs, I'll be moving....again! Luckily this time it's 2 miles away, not 1000.
The kitchen is not my dream kitchen, but it's great nonetheless because it's MINE! The house is everything JJ and I dreamed out first home would be. It's open and bright, great for entertaining, a lovely yard and a pond that's half ours with ducks! We're both so excited, and so fortunate that the home buying process this far as been so easy and drama-free!
Now about the Folio Weekly job... essentially I will be blogging about 3 times per week on anything and everything food/wine related in Jacksonville. I'll be doing restaurant profiles, going to farmer's markets, tastings, food and wine events, and many other things! The real focus of the blog is to be a central place for members of the Bite Club to chat. You can read all about what the Bite Club is here on the Bite Club Blog. If you're in Jacksonville, please don't hesitate to contact me if you have ideas for the blog!


Now for dinner... I have been meaning to make this recipe for such a long time. I never seemed to remember it when I had tahini on hand though, and at $10 a jar, I didn't want to buy it just for this. Now that I've had it, I will. I could eat this every day and every night. The only problem I had with it was sometimes I love raw red onion, and sometimes I pick one out that's just too strong. Tonight I had one that was too strong. In the future, I'll probably roast my onion in with the squash and garlic. This salad is definitely on my rotation! It's so creative and features one of my favorite fall flavors, butternut squash!
I first saw this recipe on Molly's blog, Orangette, years ago, and was reminded of it by Erin of Dinner and Dessert last week.

Warm Butternut and Chickpea Salad with Tahini

adapted from Molly of Orangette

salad:

3 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2" pieces

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

Pinch of ground nutmeg

Salt

15 oz. can of chickpeas, drained

1/2 of a medium red onion, finely chopped

¼ cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves

Dressing:

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tbsp. tahini

1 tbsp. olive oil

Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil.

Add squash, garlic, salt, and onions, if preferred.

Drizzle with EVOO, toss.

Bake for 20 minutes, remove and cool.

Whisk together dressing ingredients, add chick peas, cilantro and red onion, mix.

When squash cools, add to the salad and gently fold in.

Serve at room temperature.

Cranberry Yogurt Salad Dressing and a Homemade Dressing Primer

After making the cranberry syrup for my pumpkin pancakes a few nights ago, I tried to think of another recipe where I could use the cranberries. I was in the mood for a big spinach salad with dried berries and cheese, and figured making a cranberry salad dressing would be a nice match. I love making salad dressing at home because it's so easy, it's cheap, and you never end up with countless half-empty bottles in the fridge. You also have the opportunity to be creative and use up whatever you have on hand.

I'm not a fan of oily dressings, I prefer a creamy base, however I don't like mayo. I prefer to sub plain or vanilla yogurt, both greek and regular depending on the consistency. I tend to use a 1:1 acid to oil ratio, and use other flavors to balance out the vinegar, but some more traditional dressing recipes call for a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio. Use what you like!

There are a few simple rules I follow when making a dressing, and a few cooking tools have made this so much easier!

My standard dressing is made of:

-oil

-vinegar

-herb/spice

-sugar

-salt and pepper

-special flavor.

OIL elements I use:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Plain or Vanilla Greek Yogurt

Plain or Vanilla Lowfat Yogurt

Tahini

Sour Cream

Coconut Milk

Cottage Cheese

Sesame Oil (use sparingly!)

(Note: I always use at least 1-2 tbsp. EVOO plus one or more of the other oil substitutes, never just a substitute as I find a little oil helps stabilize the dressing)

VINEGAR elements I use:

Balsamic Vinegar

Red Wine Vinegar

Champagne Vinegar

Lemon/Lime/Grapefruit Juice

HERBS/SPICES I use:

Parsley, Oregano, Cilantro, Basil, Rosemary, Chives, Tarragon

Garlic, Red Onion, Scallions

Cinnamon, Ginger, Paprika, Cumin, Corriander

SUGAR I use:

Raw Sugar

Honey

Maple Syrup

Fruit Puree or Juice

SPECIAL FLAVORS are really anything you can imagine. Some special flavors I have used to create dressings are

Fruit: Blueberry, Pear, Cranberry, Mango

Nut: Tahini, Peanut Butter, Pecan, Walnut

Vegetable: Carrot, Avocado, Sun-dried Tomato

Misc: Sriracha, Jam/Jelly, Mustard, Soy Sauce

Cheese: Parmesan, Gorgonzola, Feta, Asiago

From these ingredients, which many people keep on hand all of the time, you can create a million dressing combinations!

Check the dressing tag on my blog for some of the dressings I have created (or found on other blogs, cookbooks, etc.) are:

Coconut Curry Dressing

Moroccan Spiced Lemon Dressing

Creamy Poppy Dressing

Waldorf Salad Dressing

Creamy Walnut Dressing

Blueberry Vinaigrette

Avocado Ranch

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

Ginger Carrot Dressing

Blue Cheese Vinaigrette (this is one of my favorites)

Honey Mustard

Parsley Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

For this salad, I made a simple creamy cranberry yogurt dressing.

1 cup fresh cramberries

1/4 cup water

2 tbsp. raw sugar

3/4 cup plain yogurt

2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

salt and pepper

parsley

Bring cranberries, water and sugar to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes, remove from heat and bring to room temperature.

Add cranberries and remaining ingredients to a blender, puree until smooth.

Now the 2 things that I think make homemade dressing SO easy are:

1. The Magic Bullet - this is a small, food processor/blender that sits on the counter and has a 1 or 2 cup capacity. I use it almost every day, and every time I make dressing to whirl up a small batch for JJ and I.

2. The Aerogarden - When I have a house, I plan to plant a nice herb garden, but for apartment living, or people without garden aspirations, this is a small hydroponic garden system that grows 7 herb varieties at a time. I like the Italian Herb mix, but they're all great. This makes adding fresh herbs to my dressings a pinch, especially when I want 5-6 herbs a week and they're about $2 a bunch. The system is expensive to begin with, but I think it has paid for itself (and it looks pretty cool!)

If you have any questions about the dressing combinations, or want to suggest one that you make at home, please let me know, I love trying new dressings at home!

And please remember, when you make your dressings, TASTE! TASTE! TASTE! You'll have to work with them a bit because there are no true measurements, but err on the side of caution when adding strong flavors, vinegar, spices, salt, etc. You can always add a splash more vinegar or a pinch of salt, but if it's too much to begin with, you'll most likely have to start over.

Spanikopita Pasta Salad

I love spanikopita, but for a weeknight meal, it's a little involved. I took all of the flavors and ingredients and tossed them with some orzo (because I had it on hand, but any pasta will do). I thought this was a great pasta salad. My mom has always added cottage cheese to her spanikopita filling, so I never realized it wasn't a traditional ingredient. I wasn't sure it would work in this dish, but it made it creamy without being too heavy. It can be left out, and more feta added, but I think it adds an interesting flavor and texture to the dish.
This can be served immediatly at a warm temperature, or it can be chilled, or anywhere in between. We had ours immediately, warm, JJ's with a chicken breast and mine with a morningstar farm's chik'n patty (the new italian herb seasoned patties are delicious!)

Spanikopita Pasta Salad

1/2 lb. short cut pasta

2 tbsp. EVOO

1 yellow onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and pepper

4 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped

1 tsp. fresh minced oregano (or 1/2 tsp. dried)

1 tsp. chopped fresh dill

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup lowfat cottage cheese

6 oz. crumbled feta cheese

Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt heavily and add pasta. Cook according to package directions to al dente, drain and add to a mixing bowl.

Heat a skillet over medium heat, add EVOO, onion, garlic, salt and pepper.

Saute' for 6-8 minutes, or until onions are soft and slightly caramelized.

Add spinach, toss and wilt.

Add mixture to the orzo. , stir to combine.

Add herbs, crushed red pepper, cottage cheese and feta cheese, toss and serve or chill and serve later.

Apple Maple Chicken Sausage Patties

When I was writing my weekly menu and chose to make pumpkin pancakes, I thought that my favorite chicken sausage from Trader Joe's would be a perfect match.... but now I have no TJ's! So I decided to make up my own sausage patties with the same flavors. I used ground chicken breast as a base for the sausages then to give them flavor and moisture, I sauteed some apples with onion and garlic and mixed in fennel and sage. Finally, I flavored them with a bit of maple syrup and brown sugar (because all maple syrup would make them too wet).

Apple Maple Chicken Sausage Patties

1/4 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup minced granny smith apple
2 minced garlic cloves
Salt and pepper
1 tsp. whole fennel seed
1 tsp. ground fennel seed
2 tsp. dried rubbed sage
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flake
1 tbsp. pure maple syrup
1 tbsp. light brown sugar

1 lb. ground chicken breast

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp EVOO, onion, apple and garlic.

Season with salt and pepper, toss and sweat out moisture for 5-7 minutes.

Pour into a mixing bowl, cool to room temperature.

Add remaining ingredients except chicken, mix well.

Add chicken and gently toss to incorporate.

Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for an hour to let flavors develop and mix.

Use a cooke scoop to remove 3 oz. balls, press into a patty and then place in a preheated skillet sprayed with canola oil.

Repeat until all chicken is gone, making about 6 patties.

Cover and cook for 6-7 minutes on the first side. Flip and cook for another 3-5 minutes, or until cooked through.

Serve with pumpkin pancakes.

Pumpkin Pancakes with Cranberry Syrup and Cinna-Cran Goat Cheese

I'm not a big breakfast eater. Something about filling myself up early in the morning with carbs and protein (usually high in fat) makes me feel lazy and lethargic all day. It's not until dinner time that I want to eat a full, hearty meal. This fact means that I rarely cook breakfast or brunch dishes.
Now that it's September, I feel as though it's time to go pumpkin crazy. I've been wanting to make pumpkin pancakes for the longest time, so I decided to go for it. I whipped up the pancake batter and it turned out great. The pancakes are spiced with traditional pumpkin pie flavors, and the whole wheat flour adds health benefits but doesn't overpower the flavor.
I found frozen whole cranberries in the freezer section of my new grocery store, and thought a cranberry syrup would be great on these. It was a bit tart, but I loved it. I also topped these with a bit of cinnamon cranberry goat cheese, which I had leftover from my 4-pack and was stumped on how to incorporate it into a meal.
It was an interesting dish, however I think the cranberries and goat cheese overpowered the pancakes a bit, and I think they would be better simply topped with some pure maple syrup.

Pumpkin Pancakes with Cranberry Syrup and Cinna-Cran Goat Cheese

Pancakes:
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
2 tbsp. light brown sugar
3/4 cup skim milk


Cranberry Syrup:
2 cups fresh cranberries (frozen, thawed in fridge)

1/2 cup water

2 tbsp. brown sugar

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flours, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together egg, pumpkin, brown sugar and milk.

Heat a griddle over medium-low.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, whisk until just combined.

Ladle 1/4 cup at a time onto the griddle, cook until bubbles rise then flip (about 4-5 minutes for the first side, 2-3 for the second).

Plate or keep warm in a 200 degree oven.

Place all cranberry ingredients in a small soup pot.

Bring to a boil, turn to low and simmer for 10 minutes, or until thick and berries have burst.

Ladle over the pumpkin pancakes, crumble cinnamon-cranberry goat cheese over top.

Makes about 8 pancakes

Six Bean Chili with Cilantro-Lime Cream

Fall is my favorite season of the year. I love everything about it, the beautiful changing leaves, the crisp, cool air, the flavors of pumpkin, apple, and squash, and football!

It appears as though everyone is feeling the change except for me... because I live in Florida now. While some are now experiencing highs in the 70's, it's still 80 degrees and humid when I head out for my morning run. So rather than sit and wait for fall to come to me, I'm going to force it. How might I do that? By making a big pot of chili. And later this week, apple-maple sausage and pumpkin pancakes. I may not having changing leaves and pumpkin patches, but ask me how much I like Florida in January when I'm wearing flip flops and friends in Indiana are in snow pants!

About the chili.... I love a variety of beans and peppers in my chili, so used that as a base. To add some fun, tex-mex flavor, I spiked the chili with a bottle of Corona and topped it with a cilantro-lime sour cream. This chili was very bright and fresh tasting, still reminiscent of summer, but hearty and warm for anyone who really is experiencing fall-like weather, and wants a warm bowl of something!

Six Bean Chili with Cilantro-Lime Cream

Chili:

1 small red onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 bottle of beer (I used coronoa)

1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained

1 15 oz. can light red kidney beans, drained

1 15 oz. can dark red kidney beans, drained

1 15 oz. can black beans, drained

1 15 oz. can pinto beans, drained

1 15 oz. can lentils, drained

1 tbsp. cumin

1 tbsp. dark chili powder

1 tsp. corriander

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. cayenne powder

Cilantro-Lime Cream:

8 oz. light sour cream

1/4 c. cilantro leaves

1 lime, zested and juiced

Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat.

Add 1 tbsp. EVOO, onion, garlic and peppers.

Saute' for 5 minutes, or until a bit soft.

Add beer, cook off half the liquid.

Add remaining chili ingredients, stir to combine, turn to low and simmer for 30 minutes.

Taste and adjust seasonings.

Add vegetable stock if chili is too thick or cook off liquid to reduce if too watery.

Add all cream ingredients to a blender, puree until well mixed.

Keep chilled.

Ladle chili into a bowl, top with cilantro-lime cream.

Grilled Vegetable and Sausage Lasagna

Over the weekend I made a huge pot of my favorite zesty marinara. JJ said he was in the mood for lasagna, so I whipped this up with what I had on hand. I decided to make homemade lasagna noodles because I didn't want to go buy any. I also decided to grill up some veggies and throw them in the lasagna to bulk it up and make it healthier. I added some bulk vegetarian sausage, but any variety would be great, or you can just leave it out.

Grilled Vegetable and Sausage Lasagna

with Fresh Whole Wheat Pasta

1 batch of whole wheat pasta (recipe below)

3 cups zesty marinara (recipe below)

8 oz. ricotta cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 lb. bulk sausage

1 eggplant, sliced

2 zucchini, sliced

3 summer squash, sliced

3 roasted red bell peppers, quartered

Whole Wheat Pasta:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup AP flour

2 eggs, beaten

pinch of salt

1-4 tbsp. water

Add flour to a bowl, make a well and pour eggs into the middle, sprinkle with salt.

Use a fork and whisk flour into eggs.

Begin kneading with hand, add water 1 tbsp. at a time.

Rest dough for 15 minutes.

Use a pasta roller and run dough through, sprinkling with flour to prevent sticking.

Lay on a cutting board of cooling wrack for 10 minutes.

Zesty Marinara:

1 tbsp. EVOO

1 yellow onion, minced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

Salt and Pepper

2 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. fennel seed

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

½ c. dry red wine

2 28 oz. cans organic crushed tomatoes

1 15 oz. can organic tomato sauce1

5 oz. can organic tomato paste

In a saucepot over medium low, add EVOO, onion and garlic.

Season with salt and pepper.

Sweat onions and garlic for 5 minutes.

Turn heat to high, add red wine, reduce by half, turn to low, add spices and tomatoes.

Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350.

Cook off sheets of pasta.

Grill vegetables, season with salt and pepper.

Spoon sauce into the bottom of a casserole dish, lay pasta sheets on top.

Layer on vegetables, ricotta, sausage and a layer of sauce.

Repeat for 2 more layers.

Top the last layer of noodles with sauce and mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes, or until bubbly and brown.

Strawberry Charlotte

For my bookclub meeting last night, the host asked me to bring a dessert. I wanted to do something pretty and girly as it was a group of women. I have been wanting to make a strawberry charlotte for the longest time, so this seemed like the perfect time!

I looked up quite a few recipes, but couldn't find a comprehensive one that I liked, so I decided to create my own from other recipes. I had planned to make the lady fingers, but some things came up and I ran out of time. However, in the time it took to locate some lady fingers, I could have made them!

This cake was delicious, and the filling was amazing. I always wondered what ingredients were used to make this type of filling, so I'm happy to know how to now many a whipped cream filling that's stabilized and like a pastry cream. In the end, I ran out of strawberries and filled my holes with blueberries, but I wish I had enough strawberries!

Strawberry Charlotte

Cake - Simple White Cake from allrecipes

This is by far my new favorite go-to white cake recipe! It was moist and tender, like a pound cake, but fluffier and more spongey.

2 cups white sugar
1 cup butter
4 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoons baking powder
1 cup milk

Dash of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line 2 10" cake pans with parchment and grease.

In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then vanilla, salt and baking powder.

Alternately add the flour and milk, starting and ending with flour.

Pour into the cake pans, smooth out.

Bake for 28-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Strawberry Cream from the Joy of Baking

3/4 cup strawberry puree (from frozen berries in juice)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 envelope (1/4 ounce) unflavored powdered gelatin

3 tbsp. powdered sugar

Chill your mixing bowl and whisk in the freezer for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small measuring cup stir together the gelatin and 1/4 cup of the strawberry puree.

Let this mixture sit for 5 minutes and then microwave for a few seconds to dissolve the gelatin.

Once the gelatin has dissolved, stir the gelatin mixture into the remaining 1/2 cup of strawberry puree.

Set aside while you whip the cream.

Remove the mixing bowl and whisk from the freezer, and beat the cream until soft peaks form.

Add the strawberry puree mixture and continue to beat the cream until stiff peaks form.

Taste and fold in a little sugar, if needed.

In the future, I'd double the cream recipe so I could use some to stick the ladyfingers on.

I also used fresh strawberries tossed in sugar to mascerate them and top the cake.

For assembly, I cut each cake layer in 2 and had a 4 layer cake with 3 layers of filling.