Stuffed Butternut Squash

Although time-consuming, this dish was fun to make and way more fun to eat. I think the second time I make it the process will move much more quickly, but this was the first attempt so it took some extra prep time to get my ducks in a row. I would definitely set aside an hour from start to finish.

Serves up to 4

Shopping List:

1 butternut squash

Half of 1 small onion

1 red pepper (less than half should be sufficient) 

Small bag/container of spinach

4oz crumbled goat cheese

1 box of garlic herbed couscous 

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

Spices for roasting seeds:

Cayenne pepper

Smoked Paprika

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Halve the squash and gut out the seeds, save them for roasting

Place the two halves in a greased oven-safe baking dish

Use a sharp knife puncture the flesh of the squash a few times in the middle

Dress the squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper

Place in oven for 30-40 minutes

While squash is cooking, chop the onions, pepper,  and spinach

Optional – sautee the chopped onion and pepper in a small pan

Add the onion, pepper, and spinach into the oven in the same pan with the squash and cook for an additional 10 minutes

Take out the squash and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before scooping out the squash meat (most of it, but you should leave some buffer room on the sides and bottom)

Combine the meat of the squash with the onion, pepper, spinach and couscous in a large mixing bowl

Add salt and pepper to taste

Stuff the *nearly* empty squash with the contents of your mixing bowl

 

3 Cheese Vegetable Frittata

I decided to try something new for breakfast this week. This is a great recipe for people like me who tend to skip breakfast during the work week. Make this frittata on a Sunday morning and bring a slice to work with you for the next few days- delicious!

Shopping List:

1 Green Bell Pepper

1 Small Yellow Onion

Optional third vegetable: broccoli

Three cheeses: feta, cheddar, and parmesan 

6-8 eggs

Spices: salt, pepper, and a dash of nutmeg 

9 inch glass pie dish or oven-safe metal pan

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees 

Dice the onion and green pepper

In a small frying pan, cook the onions and peppers in a little oil or butter to prep them for the dish

Whisk the eggs in a medium mixing bowl until very smooth (you should be able to trick a friend into thinking it’s a glass of OJ after whisking these eggs. try adding a little skim milk for smoothness) 

Prep the pan: butter the pie dish all around the sides and bottom so that no eggs will stick when you’re ready to remove the frittata 

Add your prepped peppers and onions into the mixing bowl with the eggs

Pour the mixture into the pie dish

Add the crumbled feta, grated parmesan, and grated cheddar to the dish and work it into the pan evenly throughout (you can also add the cheese in the previous step, but I’ve found it easier to evenly distribute this way). 

Cover your dish with aluminum foil and place it in the oven for 35-40 minutes, checking periodically 

You can remove the foil after about 30 minutes, but without it the top of the dish will begin to brown

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Welcome back! I promise that I have been cooking and baking this year, however I’m sorry to say I have neglected to share the fun with my followers! To make it up to you, let’s get back to business with a sweet treat to warm us up in this long winter season. We had more snow in Boston this weekend, and it was the perfect excuse to stay in and get baking. See this delicious apple cinnamon muffin recipe below, and I promise you there will be more to follow!

Thanks for reading,

Ella

Ingredients

1  1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg, 1/3 cup milk

2 apples – peeled, cored and chopped

1/2 cup white sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup butter, cubed

1  1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease six muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
2. Stir together 1 1/2 cup flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt, baking powder and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Mix in oil, egg and milk. Fold in apples. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling to the top of the cup.
3. In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, butter and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix together with fork and sprinkle over unbaked muffins.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easy-apple-cinnamon-muffins/

Easter Dinner

I have decided to adopt the Easter holiday as a a great opportunity to gather up your closest friends and family and share all of your favorite recipes! This year my brother and I decided to get back to our roots and head to an Armenian church in Watertown for the Easter service. It was certainly a welcome reminder of Easters past; and a long morning of misunderstandings with elderly “Armos.”

After the service, there is a reception with the traditional goodies: Choreg (Armenian Easter sweet-bread), Borma/ Baklava, and hard-boiled eggs for cracking.

As you can see (top right), we turned our eggs into the deviled variety; and on the left you see lahmajun (lock-mah-june), which is an Amenian meat-pizza. I don’t eat it anymore unfortunately, but my brother and roommate were happy to do the consuming.

The Choreg was a big hit at dinner of course, and we finished off the meal with grandma’s cucumber salad and a steamy bowl of rice pilaf. (Tip: rice pilaf + sauce from the cucumber salad make a great combination).

Cucumber Sauce:

2 tblsp sour cream

2 tsp garlic powder (to taste)

1 tsp salt

2 tsp dill + garnish

 

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For those of you celebrating next week…

Happy Easter!

Vegetable Lasagna

Lasagna is certainly worth the wait… but if you are interested in saving time during the preparation of this dish, I highly recommend using no-boil lasagna noodles instead of cooking them yourself. I decided to boil the noodles, if only to have the experience, and it was definitely a bit time-consuming. If you do decide to boil, remember to use olive oil in the water so the noodles don’t stick!

Shopping List:

4 zucchini 

1 red, 1 yellow bell pepper

1 yellow onion

3 garlic cloves

8oz ricotta cheese

1 1/2 cups parmesan cheese

2 cans crushed tomatoes/ tomato sauce

 

Directions: 

1. Sauté veggies in olive oil and 1 clove minced garlic 3-4 minutes

2. Simmer sauce with olive oil and 2 minced garlic cloves

3. Combine ricotta and grated parmesan in mixing bowl

4. Layer in baking dish: sauce, noodles, sauce, veggies, cheese, repeat until top layer

5. Cover top layer with remaining sauce and sprinkle parmesan on top

6. Cook at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, checking top for browning 

 

{Recipe via Southern Living} 

15 Reasons To Add Wheatgrass To Your Diet

I don’t know how I made it this long without realizing it, but this stuff is amazing. Name an ailment. Yep, it fixes that too.

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My roommate Kevin has begun growing wheatgrass in his room, and it is quite impressive! I had never even thought of growing and juicing my own wheatgrass before, but now that I know how much closer the stuff brings you to super-human strength, I am glad I can reap the benefits of his sharp ideas.

I can’t say it better than the list can, so here are some facts that got me hooked:

1. Wheatgrass juice is one of the best sources of living chlorophyll available.

2. Chlorophyll is anti-bacterial and can be used inside and outside the body as a healer.

3. Dr. Bernard Jensen says that it only takes minutes to digest wheatgrass juice and uses up very little body energy.

4. Chlorophyll (wheatgrass) rebuilds the bloodstream. Studies of various animals have shown chlorophyll to be free of any toxic reaction.

5. Dr. Ann Wigmore has been helping people get well from chronic diseases for thirty years using wheatgrass.

6. Liquid chlorophyll gets into the tissues, vitalizes and refines them.

7. Chlorophyll helps purify the liver.

8. Chlorophyll improves blood sugar problems.

9. Wheatgrass juice cures acne and even removes scars after it has been ingested for seven to eight months.

10. Wheatgrass juice acts as a detergent in the body and is used as a deodorant.

11. A small amount of wheatgrass juice in the diet prevents tooth decay. Wheatgrass juice held in the mouth for five to fifteen minutes will eliminate toothaches. It pulls poisons from the gums.

12. Gargle wheatgrass juice for a soar throat.

13. Wheatgrass juice keeps hair from graying.

14. Wheatgrass juice improves digestion.

15. Wheatgrass juice reduces high blood pressure and enhances capillaries.

{For 25 more examples of what makes wheatgrass so amazing, and tons more information on the “Living Food Diet” (including instructions on growing and juicing your own wheatgrass), please refer to Wheatgrass, Sprouts, Microgreens, and the Living Food Diet by Living Whole Foods, Inc.}

Remember not to ingest wheatgrass without juicing; because of its high cellulose content, our bodies cannot digest it properly. Drink the juice, and use the byproduct as a skin cream or chew it for the dental benefits (but remember to spit it out).  Wheat grass is best taken right after juicing for high nutritional content. A normal juicing would yield 2 ounces of juice. If you have never drunk wheatgrass juice before, begin with only 1 ounce per day and gradually build to 2.

Sweet Potato Chili & Favorite Apps for The Big Game

Sweet Potato Chili is here at last! {For my fellow Bostonians, I hope that this recipe will lift your spirits}.

 

Ask and you shall receive! I know the suspense has been killing you, and now you can try it for yourself! I will share a secret with you: cinnamon. If you have never tried adding cinnamon to your chili before, you are in for a treat.

For the appetizers, we kept it simple with a cheese plate and some pigs (or Smartdogs) in a blanket. My carnivorous brother didn’t even seem to notice that those piggies were fake–success!

Chili:

Shopping List:

2 Sweet Potatoes/ Yams

2 80z cans diced tomato

1 8oz can black beans

1 8 oz can kidney beans

2 cloves garlic

1 yellow onion

Spices: Cumin, red pepper flakes/cayenne, chili powder, cinnamon 

Cheddar cheese & sour cream for topping

Directions:

Dice the sweet potato into bit-sized pieces

Dice the onion and mince the garlic

Combine sweet potato, onion, and garlic in a large pot and simmer for 10-15 minutes

Add all remaining ingredients and spices to taste

Cook for as long as you can wait, or until the sweet potatoes are cooked all the way through

Taste and add spices as needed

Sweet & Crafty: Painted Mugs & Carrot Cupcakes

Carrot cake is one of my all-time favorite treats, and the combo of that sweet and tangy cream cheese frosting with a hot coffee in my new hand-painted chevron mug just can’t be beat.

Learn how to make your own chevron mug {here}.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes:

• 3 cups grated carrots
• 1 cup raisins
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup of buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 2 cups of sugar
• 1 cup of vegetable oil
• 3 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 teaspoons of ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1/2 cup of butter (1 stick), room temperature
• 8 oz of Philly cream cheese (1 package), room temperature
• 2 – 3 cups of powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup

Directions:

1 Preheat the oven to 350F.

2 Rinse the carrots and peel the rough skins off, then grate the carrots.

3 Place the carrots, raisins, buttermilk, oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract together in a bowl and whisk thoroughly.

4 In another bowl whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cardamom, and cinnamon.

5 Fold the flour mixture into the carrot mixture, being sure not to overmix.

6 Scoop into cupcake papers about  3/4 full and bake for 19-21 minutes at 350F, being sure to rotate the pan after the first 15 minutes of baking. Afterwards allow to cool for 5 minutes before taking the cupcakes out of the cupcake tin and allowing them to fully cool on a wire rack. Frost cooled cupcakes.

Simple Dinners: Bell Pepper & Tomato Penne with Pesto

Alright, so far my posts have consisted of starch, starch, and… a few veggies with starch. I may be continuing that pattern with this recipe, but using whole wheat pasta does change the game a bit. I admit that up to this point we have not really considered the nutritional value that can be added to every day meals, but I am still enjoying spending more time in the kitchen and learning to shop with recipes in mind. With this recipe, we do get our whole grains, which is a very good staple to add to our diet. Here’s what I found out:

Nutrients in whole grain= fiber, protein, healthy fats, and lots of vitamins and minerals.  The straight starch in white flour, in the absence of the whole, is quickly turned into simple sugars in your body.This has two effects:

• Spikes your blood sugar
• Is easily turned into fat for storage

[more info]

We also get our veggies, and if you decide to use pine nuts in the pesto, it turns out those also have major health benefits (great source of vitamins, antioxidants and minerals).

This is a quick and easy dinner that can become lunch the next day, since it is good hot or cold, and travels well. It also makes a great side at a dinner party or pot-luck.

What you’ll need:

1/2 Orange Bell Pepper, sliced or diced
8-10 Cherry/Grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1 box whole wheat Penne

For the pesto:

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
• 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

While boiling water for the pasta, combine the ingredients for the pesto and blend in food processor (see here for specific instructions)
Boil Penne with a little olive oil for 10 minutes
While pasta is cooking, sautee the bell peppers in olive oil until they begin to brown, then add tomatoes and finish sauteeing the veggies
Combine all

Scalloped Potatoes: A Revelation

In case you have not yet made this discovery, this dish is a universal crowd pleaser. You will undoubtedly be the most popular person at any gathering if you arrive with a casserole dish filled with creamy, cheesy, layered potatoes. I brought this to a game night this weekend, and made fast friends. Down side: I am now expected to bring this to every future game night. Oy vey.

Even though I strayed a bit from the original recipe, this dish came out magically-delicious, and that was very reassuring. After countless flavoring failures in my tales of cooking past, I am now very hopeful for my future in the kitchen. I think in order to keep your spirits up, it’s good to get a dish right every other time or so.

More good news: this dish is easy to prepare, and hard to screw up. Mix cream with some spices, add it to your sliced potatoes, top it with cheese, and wait. Easy, right?

Ingredients:

2 lbs golden potatoes

1 qt heavy whipping cream

2 cloves finely chopped garlic

1/2 tsp crushed black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

chopped fresh parsley OR I substituted a little chopped basil and chives

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400

Peel and thinly slice potatoes

Layer potatoes in casserole dish

Mix cream and next 5 ingredients in mixing bowl

Add cream mix to potatoes

Bake 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes

Add cheese topping and bake additional 15-30 minutes

Note: I  doubled the baking time before adding the cheese, and added a sprinkle of flour to thicken the sauce. I recommend making sure the sauce is the desired consistency before adding the topping, and also be sure your potatoes are cooking through if you ended up with thicker slices.

*This recipe came from the “Top 100 Recipes” edition of Southern Living magazine (which has a surprising selection of vegetarian recipes!)