Creamed Squash with Cheese Au Gratin

My mother found this recipe in a Bon Appetit magazine years ago and clipped it.  We made it once and it is sooo good!  I love it in the fall.  

In a saucepan, bring to boil 1 cup water, 2 lbs. yellow squash, 1 tsp. salt, 1/8 tsp. sugar.  Cook the squash covered over moderate heat for 20 min. or until tender.  Drain the squash (and redrain) and return to pan.  Add ½ stick of butter (softened) and with a potato masher, mash the squash with the butter until the mixture is well blended.  Mix in 1 ¼ cup cheddar cheese, 1 cup sour cream, ½ cup chopped onion, 1/3 cup fresh parmesan, ¼ c. dry white wine, salt and pepper  to taste.  Pour into 11” gratin dish and toss with either 1 cup cheddar cheese or 1 cup fresh bread crumbs combined with 3 Tbsp. melted butter.  Bake 350 for 20-30 min or until bubbling and golden on top.  

Notes:  When we made this, we noticed that you need to drain the squash like 2 or 3 times because the squash retains so much water.  Also, we tried it with some Jiffy Cornbread mix (about half a box) with some melted butter and used that for the topping instead of the breadcrumbs and it was so good.  The cornbread mix gave it a sweetness with the butter squash, and the flavors were fantastic.

Jen's Power Smoothie

My friend Jen introduced me to these smoothies. She calls them green smoothies, but my sister and I have tweaked the recipe a little bit, and our's are more purple (which to me look more appetizing to eat than the green.) These smoothies have so many vitamins and nutrients in them, if you eat one in the morning, your fruits and veggies are taken care of, along with so many other good things like omega-3 and fiber, etc. These measurements are appoximations, so you can play with it to your taste and liking.

1 cup vanilla or plain yogurt
1/2-1 cup orange juice
1-2 ripe bananas
about 1 cup frozen berries (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, or a combination of all)
1-2 Tbsp. flax seed (whole or ground meal)
huge handful of baby spinach
2-3 large kale leaves, removed from the hard stalk
2-3 large collard greens, removed from the hard stalk
large cup of ice
agave nectar or honey to sweeten

My friend Jen doesn't use yogurt or orange juice, but I feel like it just makes it taste better. Plus the yogurt and o.j. adds protein and vitamin C. I also add a few more berries than she does, and agave nectar because if it doesn't look or taste good, my kids won't drink it! She also adds a scoop of protein powder, and you can do this if you want, but I found it makes it taste grittier or chalkier and it brings out the taste of the greens, which you're trying to mask.

The key is to blend this really really really well so the greens are blended and hidden. Also, another key is the bananas because it makes it smooth and sweet. But you can play with this recipe to your liking, I have a ton of friends who eat this smoothie now and it seems like we all have our own version. But it is really tasty and so good for you, and makes me feel like I'm giving my kids some great nutrition!

Where'd everybody go?

From Real Simple. This soup is absolutely delicious! I also like to add zucchini and a handful of macaroni. It's a very nutrient rich soup, can be frozen, and my 16 month old devours it!

Serves 4
Hands-On Time: 20m
Total Time: 40m

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 14.5-ounce cans low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/4 pound green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces (1 cup)
1 cup chopped broccoli
freshly grated Parmesan
1 baguette, sliced and toasted (optional)
1 cup water

Directions
Warm the oil in a large saucepan or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook until tender but not brown, about 5 minutes.
Add the broth, water, potatoes, thyme, and salt. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, partially covered, 15 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, beans, and broccoli and cook 5 to 10 minutes more or until all the vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Serve with toasted baguette slices if desired.

Avocado-and-Tomato Wedge Salad With Balsamic Vinaigrette

This is a very fast, easy and surprisingly filling lunch. Enjoy!

Avocado-and-Tomato Wedge Salad With Balsamic Vinaigrette

Rich avocados layered with heirloom tomatoes are highlighted in this tasty salad with a simple vinaigrette.
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp. ground mustard
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
1 ripe avocado
2 medium, firm heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 Tbsp. minced fresh basil

• In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic, and mustard. Season with the salt and pepper and set aside. 
• Carefully remove the skin from the avocado. Cut in half and remove the seed. Slice the avocado into 1/4-inch wedges. 
• Place a tomato wedge on a plate and layer an avocado wedge on top. Continue layering to create a fan shape. Do this on 2 plates. 
• Drizzle the vinaigrette over the wedges. Sprinkle the basil on top and serve immediately. 

Makes 2 servings

(And it's vegan!)

Zucchini Bread

i love summer because this bread is just tasty!! i make it with EVOO and it is wonderful!! best and easiest recipe i have found!!


Adapted from several sources
Yield: 2 loaves or approximately 24 muffins
3 eggs
1 cup olive or vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
1 cup dried cranberries, raisins or chocolate chips or a combination thereof (optional)


Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grease and flour two 8×4 inch loaf pans, liberally.
Alternately, line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk. Mix in oil and sugar, then zucchini and vanilla.
Combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt, as well as nuts, chocolate chips and/or dried fruit, if using.

Stir this into the egg mixture. Divide the batter into prepared pans.

Bake loaves for 60 minutes, plus or minus ten, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Muffins will bake far more quickly, approximately 20 to 25 minutes.

Ratatouille

I've never made this, but I want to try!

Ratatouille

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1 small bay leaf
1 small eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into thin slices
1 red bell pepper, cut into slivers
4 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup shredded fresh basil leaves
Freshly ground black pepper

Over medium-low heat, add the oil to a large skillet with the onion, garlic, and bay leaf, stirring occasionally, until the onion has softened. Add the eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until the eggplant has softened. Stir in the zucchini, red bell pepper, tomatoes, and salt, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the basil and a few grinds of pepper to taste.

Best Green Beans Ever!

I made these as a side dish for our Christmas Eve dinner. I LOVED them!

1 lb. fresh green beans
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 T. butter
1 T. olive oil
1 cup vegetable broth (that's what I use cause the hubby is veg. you could use chicken broth)
salt & pepper
Saute onion and garlic in butter and olive oil. Add the green beans and cook until they turn bright green (about 1 minute). Add the veggie broth, salt and pepper. Turn heat to low, cover with a lid, leaving the lid cracked to allow steam to escape. Cook for 20-30 minutes or until liquid evaporates.

My Thanksgiving Must---Yams!

So we all have our own Thanksgiving favorite recipes, you know, the one that if it weren't there it wouldn't feel like Thanksgiving. Mine is yams. My mom has been making these yams ever since I can remember, and they are the BEST!

Now I know what 80-90% of you are thinking...you don't like sweet potatoes, or yams. And this is why I'm posting this recipe, so I can convert the world into yam lovers! But first, a few clarifications: one of the reasons why people don't like them, is because they are buying sweet potatoes, not yams (yams are usually bigger, longer, and deeper in orange color, meaning, more flavor); the second reason they don't like them is because they are made the wrong way. Most people boil them. To think of that makes my stomach turn. The secret is to buy yams and to bake them, just as you would a baked potato. The baking seals in the flavor and doesn't boil it away. Also, too many people make them with too many ingredients: cream, cinnamon, milk, etc etc. For this recipe, you will need the following:

Yams (about 1-2 large per person, if you want leftovers)
Some orange juice
a 2-lb. bag of brown sugar
1 bag mini marshmellows
That's it!

So let's begin!

After piercing your yams with a fork, bake them in a 350-375 degree oven for about 30-40 minutes. Test them with a fork. You want them to be cooked and tender, but not too overdone. You want them to be firm, not mushy. Also, if you haven't already done so, I would line my oven with foil at the bottom, because once the yams start cooking, they drip their yummy juice and it can be a little messy. When they've finished cooking, I usually put them in the fridge for a few hours or overnight so they can firm up before I peel and cut them.

Peel off the skin and slice your yams. I like to slice mine lengthwise, but you can slice them any way you want!

Next, take a casserole dish...

and pour enough orange juice on the bottom just to coat the bottom of the dish.

Next, start layering your yams, and sprinkle brown sugar on them. Now I don't know how much sugar to use, but the more the better. You'll need a lot more than you think you will.

Yummy....

Then sprinkle some marshmellows on top. Repeat this process until all the yams are in the dish.

Now take your dish and bake it in about a 375 degree oven for about an hour or so. The sugar will carmelize, the marshmellows will melt, and it will turn into a sugary-yummy yammy treat.

The finished product. Now you can make this the day ahead, and then just reheat them the day of Thanksgiving dinner. I've also been known to taste them and add more brown sugar, which is what I did here. I like them sweet and when I say sweet, I mean icky sweet.

Gobble gobble! You must try them. Must! I will make a yam-lover out of you yet!