Stuffed Acorn Squash 

Ingredients:

-2 acorn squash, halved, deseeded 

-8oz sausage

-1 onion, chopped 

-2 cups packed spinach, chopped

-2-3 cloves garlic, minced

-1/4 cup whole wheat panko

-1/4 cup parmesan cheese

-3 tbsp olive oil 

-salt and pepper

-Italian herb seasoning 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line baking sheet with foil. Cut skin side of acorn squash a little bit so that it can sit skin side up, which it will need to for end of recipe. Drizzle and rub olive oil into acorn squash. Salt and pepper and sprinkle on some Italian seasoning. Place FACE DOWN on baking sheet. Cook for 35-45min.

2.  Cook onion in skillet with olive oil until soft, even better caramelize them for extra flavor. 

3. Add sausage to skillet. Break up as you cook it. Cool until browned

4. Add spinach and garlic. Sautee. 

5. In a separate bowl, mix together panko and parmesan and some Italian seasoning (1tsp of seasoning). 

6. Take out acorn squash from oven. Turn on broiler. Flip acorn squash. Evenly divide sausage spinach mixture into the acorn squash halves. Top with mixture of parmesan and panko. Put back in oven and broil for 2 min.

Recipe Idea- Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacon and Brown Sugar

Ingredients

• 1 Package brussel sprouts, rinsed, ends trimmed, and sliced thinly (about 4 cuts per sprout, kind of like shaved sprouts
• 6 pieces of bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

 Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F
2. In microwave, melt butter with brown sugar, liquid smoke, garlic salt, and soy sauce. About 30 seconds
3. In an oven safe dish, mix together bacon, sliced brussel sprouts, and butter mixture.
4. Cook for 20 minutes, or until bacon is cooked and brussel sprouts are soft.

Slow Cooker Lasagna

 

 

 

 

 

Servings: 10

Prep time: 30 minutes (or less)

Cook time: 6 hours on low

It has been quite a long time since I posted a recipe, so I thought I would share one that I just discovered a couple of weeks ago. The first time I made lasagna was about 2 months ago. My spouse said it was pretty good, but he really wanted some veggies in it to break up the heaviness. Making lasagna in the oven was also a lot of work! Cooking the noodles and all was a little labor intensive, so I went on a search for an easier lasagna. This is when I came across slow cooker lasagna. I've seen quite a few variations on slow cooker lasagna, but not of them were really what I wanted for a lasagna. Most did not have any vegetables, unless you count tomato sauce. After looking through several recipes, I finally put together one that has a beautiful flavor and great texture! Some of the ingredients I have added notes to as there can be a bit of variation from recipe to recipe. This recipe uses a 6-quart slow cooker. This recipe could also be easily adapted to a vegetarian version by cutting out the meat and adding more vegetables such as eggplant!

Ingredients

• 1 or 2 zucchinis (this will entirely depend on the size and how much zucchini you want. I use about two small-medium zucchinis)
• 1 or 2 yellow squash
• 25 ounces marinara sauce (may come in a slightly smaller size, buy the largest one that's closest to 25 ounces)
• 15 ounces ricotta cheese (you could also use cottage cheese, but I enjoy the texture of ricotta more)
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley (or more if you want)
• 4  cups shredded mozzarella
• 1/4 cup parmesan (preference for grated)
• 1/2 bunch fresh spinach (this kind usually has very large leaves)
• 12 ounces spicy sausage (normally comes in 12 ounce packaging, but if it has more that's totally ok!)
• 1 egg
• 9 lasagna noodles (this is not a whole box of lasagna, which means you have some noodles for the next time you make it!)

Directions

1. Using a mandolin slicer (or knife) slice the yellow squash and green zucchini. Spread squash and zucchini on an even surface. Lightly salt. This helps draw out water. Wait about 20 minutes or so and then wipe off the salt from the squash and zucchini and any excess liquid. Separate into 3 piles
2. Combine ricotta cheese with 1 egg, tablespoon of dried parsley, and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.
3. Cook sausage until there is no pink spots. Drain as much oil from the pan as you can. 
4. Spread thin layer of marina sauce on the bottom of the slow cooker.
5. Combine the remaining marina sauce with the sausage in the pan. Mix well.
6. Using three noodles, cover bottom of the slow cooker. You can break apart noodles to fit your crock pot. It is ok if some of the noodles overlap a little bit.
7. Create a layer of zucchini and squash right on top of the noodles.
8. Create a layer of spinach. I usually flatten mine out as it makes it easier to spread the ricotta cheese on top of it. This is where it is useful to have larger leafed spinach. Bagged spinach is typically smaller leafed. Spinach in a bunch is also a better price and you can use the other half of it for salad or for a fritata! 
9. Using a third of the ricotta cheese mixture and a spatula, spread ricotta cheese on top of the spinach. Smooth it out as best as you can.
10. Using 1/4 of the mozzarella cheese, sprinkle on top of ricotta cheese mixture.
11. Using a third of the sausage and marina sauce, spread layer of mixture on top of cheese. Use a spoon to help even it out. It does not have to be perfect!
12. Repeat until you have created 3 layers. On top of the last marina sausage layer, sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese.
13. Set to low heat and cook for 6 hours!

Fritata

 I might say this often, but this is one of my favorite meals to make! It is simple and delicious and can be made under 30 minutes! I make it once a week it's so good. It is also chock full of protein and is fairly low calorie. The reason why I choose to use lunch meat and cook it with all the veggies is because it gives everything a juicy wonderful flavor. Note, sorry for the perpetually dirty stove top!

 Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup cream/half and half/milk
• 12 slices of honey ham (I use Land O Frost Honey Ham)
• 1-2 cups spinach, yes it seems like a lot, but it cooks down a ton
• 6 mini sweet peppers or 1 bell pepper
• 6 green onions/scallions
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2-4 ounces of cheese (really depends on how cheesy you want it.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450

2. Cook the meat, spinach, peppers, and green scallions over medium heat in olive oil in an oven safe pan. Cook until peppers are really soft. 

3. While the veggies are cooking and softening up, whisk together eggs and dairy product. If you want to make this a larger recipe, add 1 tablespoon milk per egg. I choose to use half and half mostly because I have found it gives it all a wonderful fluffy texture!

4. After veggies are super tender and delicious looking, add egg. You will want scramble the eggs until it is a loose wet scramble. This also adds to the texture and cuts down on cooking time

5. Add cheese evenly over top. Stick it in the oven for 15 minutes.

6. Take out of oven, enjoy beauty of fritata. Slice it up. Eat it. Enjoy!

Baklava, The Joyous, Wonderous Treat

Have you heard of baklava?! It's seriously delicious! I only make this recipe a few times a year because even though it has fairly simple ingredients, it is quite a bit of work. It is well worth all the effort and love that goes into it and a very special treat for holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Ingredients:

 

1 pound chopped walnuts (you could also have pistachios if you like, or a mixture of both)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
1 cup butter, melted
1 cup white sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon zest (about zest from one lemon)
2 9x13 disposable pans (they usually come in a two or three pack!)

Directions:

 

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Butter a 9x13 disposable pan (I usually by two because sometimes I cut too deep in the first pan).

If your nuts are whole, chop them up real nice. Add the cinnamon and toss them together.

Unroll phyllo dough and put in the the unbuttered pan and cover with a moist paper towel. You do not want it to dry out because it is very difficult to deal with cracked up dough.

Take about 5 layers of phyllo dough and put it in the bottom of the buttered pan.  Brush melted butter all over the top layer. Sprinkle crushed nut and cinnamon mixture, about 2-4 tablespoons. Add an additional 3 layers of phyllo dough, butter, spread nuts. Continue to do this until there are only 5 layers let. On the top layer, butter, do not sprinkle nuts.

Cut the baklava 4 ways on the short way and 9 times on the long way. This is so when you add the honey mixture on top, it gets to all the layers.

Put baklava in the oven and cook for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown on top. The time will depend on your oven, so make sure to check it occasionally!

While the baklava is baking, add the water, honey, sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla extract into a pot and cook on the stove and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and let it simmer for 20 minutes.

After baklava has reached its golden deliciousness spoon on the wonderful aromatic honey sauce you just made. Let it cool completely before serving it, or don't. It's pretty good when it is warm too! You will want to store it uncovered or with a loose fitting top because it can get soggy with a tight cover. I have frozen the leftovers before and thawing it and warming it up in the oven after freezing it was the best way.

Enjoy your hard labor by yourself or with family and friends!

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Ok this is by far my favorite appetizer and tastes excellent with rosemary bread . I have searched far and wide for an easy to follow recipe that is also delicious   If you are wanting to make a healthier version of this you can substitute fat free cream cheese as well as fat free sour cream.  I adapted the recipe from gimemesomeoven.  They used a slightly healthier version than I made (the fat free stuff).

Recipe

1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 (13.75 oz.) can quartered artichoke hearts, chopped and drained
1 cup sour cream
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
4 oz. (about 1 cup) shredded Mozzarella cheese
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese 
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Stir all ingredients together in a bowl until blended. You can also blend all the ingredients in a food processor if you like it more blended (thing artichokes and spinach in every bite!!!). Transfer to an oven-proof dish, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately with rosemary bread, pita chips, or tortilla chips.

Cheesy goodness right there!

Rosemary Bread

Rosemary Bread

My recipe was adapted from a hint of honey. I changed some things to more of my liking.  This recipe is also for one round loaf (I just doubled the recipe below since there were a lot of people for my McNair class potluck).

Ingredients you will need:

1 cup warm water (100-110 F)
1 Tbsp.  sugar
2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped (or 2 tsp. dried)
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning (or pinch of each ground garlic, dried oregano, and dried basil)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (or regular olive oil works fine too)
1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cup better for bread flour + extra for kneading
1 egg, whisked + 1 Tbsp. water, for egg wash --> you can also top it with olive oil if you want to make it vegetarian
dried rosemary, for sprinkling

Directions 

1. In a large bowl, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let sit 10 minutes to proof.

2. Stir in the salt, rosemary, seasonings, olive oil, whole wheat flour, and better for bread flour. Stir until the dough forms a ball. Knead on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes, adding more flour as necessary to prevent sticking, until smooth.

3. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl; cover; and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.            

4. Punch down the dough and form it into a round loaf. Place it on a cornmeal dusted pizza peel or parchment paper; cover; and let rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 F. Once the dough has risen, gently brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle with dried rosemary.

6. Bake on  baking sheet or pizza crisper (I love my pizza crisper) for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

This is what the loaves look like before being put in the oven

 I had to run to class and I didn't have time to take pictures after they came out of the oven.  But I cut an X across the top to make it look like an artisan bread before I placed them in the oven.