Winter Squash and Apples

It seems as though I've been making a lot of veggie dishes lately, but veggies are yummy, right? Well, not always, hence the theme this month for all of us to get some good ideas. This is also one I debuted at Christmas which was a huge hit as well. I can't wait to make this again, except peeling a butternut squash isn't exactly enjoyable.

1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled and sliced
2 apples, cored and cut into slices (apple slicer works great - no need to peel the apples)
1 medium onion, quartered and sliced

Combine salt and pepper into small bowl. Set aside. Cut squash into 2 inch pieces and place in slow cooker. Add apples and onion. Sprinkle with salt mixture. Stir well. Cover and cook on low 6-7 hours.

Here's a tip. I actually made this twice at Christmas. The first time I mixed it while it was cooking. It looked a little unpleasasnt, but tasted awesome. The second, I resisted all urges and never once opened the lid or touched it until we served it up. It looked BEAUTIFUL. I can assure you that this one is a definite keeper. Give it a try before all the winter squash disappears.

Sweet-Spiced Sweet Potatoes

There is just something about a warm sweet potato that just tastes like winter. I was challenged to make a healthy sweet potato recipe for Christmas, and this is what I made. It was a HUGE hit!

2 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 c packed dark brown sugar (I think I used light....not sure)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingedients except vanilla in slow cooker. Mix well. Cover, cook on low 7 hours or high 4 hours. Add vanilla and stir to blend.

Of note, you could probably add butter if you want, but only at the end. I added none (big shocker) and nobody could tell.

New Potato Salad

It's been a while since I made this, but it's really quite tasty. I think I made it 3-4 times in a row, and then had to retire it for a few months.

1 1/2 lbs small red potatoes
1/2 c chopped red pepper
1/3 c chopped celery
5 Tb low-fat mayo
1/4 c minced shallots
1/4 c chopped green onions
2 Tb white wine vinegar
1 Tb dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Boil potatoes for 15 minutes, until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water. Cool, then cut into quarters. Cooling really helps here. Combine potatoes and rest of ingredients in large bowl and toss to coat. Enjoy!

Minestrone

This minestrone comes from Jamie Oliver's book, Jamie's Italy. We've had great success with many of the recipes in this book. I served it with whole grain crusty rolls and a selection of cheeses. It was wonderful ... perfect after a blustery cold January day.

Minestrone d'inizio Autunno Serves 4-6
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200g/7oz dried cannellini or borlotti beans, soaked overnight
1 bay leaf
1 tomato, squashed
1 small potato, peeled
olive oil
4 slices smoked pancetta or bacon, chopped (optional ... I left it out)
2 small red onions, peeled and finely chopped (I used 1 leek, thinly sliced)
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 sticks celery, trimmed and chopped
1/2 bulb of fennel, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
small bunch of fresh basil, leaves and stalks seperated
2 x 400g cans of good-quality plum tomatoes (I think they are 15 oz cans in the US)
2 small zuchinis, quartered and sliced
glass of red wine (I used a good Chianti)
200 g/7 oz. swiss chard or spinach, washed and roughly sliced (I used frozen because I had it on hand)
550 ml/1 pint vegetable stock
55 g/ 2 oz dried pasta
Parmesan cheese, for serving

Add your soaked beans to a pan of water with the bay leaf, squashed tomato and potato - this will help to flavor the beans and soften their skins. Cook until tender, about 45-60 min. Drain, reserving about half a glass of cooking liquid, and discard bay leaf, tomato and potato. Season beans with salt and pepper and a splash of olive oil.

While the beans are cooking, make your soffrito. Heat a generous splash of olive oil in a large saucepan and add the onions, carrots, celery, fennel, garlic and finely sliced basil stalks ... (and bacon if you are using). Sweat very slowly on a low heat, with the lid just ajar, for about 15-20min ... until soft but not brown. Add tomatoes, zucchini, and red wine and simmer gently for 15 min.

Now add chard or spinach, stock and beans (along with the cooking liquid you saved). Put the dried past into a plastic bag, squeeze the air out and bash gently with a rolling pin to break the pasta into pieces. Add the pasta to the soup. Stir and continue to simmer until the pasta is cooked. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with torn basil leaves, a drizzle of olive oil and parmesan cheese.

Polenta and Black Bean Casserole

This recipe isn't so much a casserole, as a Mexican polenta lasagna.



Meant to take a better picture, but forgot and started eating. Oops! Anyways, I tried this once a long time ago and wasn't impressed, but rediscovered it after I had my son. This is a fresh tasting dish that really calls for opening a bunch of cans and dumping them in. Plus, clean up is a snap. I leave out the cream the original recipe calls for...it really doesn't make a difference in the final product. I served it with sliced avocado with lime juice and salt and pepper, my current favorite super easy vegetable side.

Natalie's Super Duper Lentil Chili

This recipe is courtesy of my sister-in-law (Natalie). This dish is a winner all around: the ingredients are inexpensive, it makes a TON, it freezes well, it's practically fat-free, low-carb yet super-filling, and it tastes just like chili should. This has been tested on my family and they didn't even complain! In fact, some went back for seconds.

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 white onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
1-pound bag dried green lentils, soaked
1 16 oz can tomato sauce
1 16 oz can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 16 oz can Rotel
1 package Wick Fowler's Chili Kit*

*You can use another kit or add all your own spices (the kit includes dehydrated onions and garlic, cumin, oregano, paprika, chili powder, and cayenne pepper). I've tried other brands and they didn't turn out the same.

Soak lentils for 30 minutes or more. Drain and rinse and add to a large pot. Cover with an inch or 2 of water and bring to a boil. Cook until tender. While the lentils are cooking, saute onion, garlic, cumin, and red pepper (if using) in olive oil. Cook until onions are tender and starting to brown. Once lentils are done, add the onion/garlic mixture to the pot along with the Rotel, tomato sauce, pinto beans, and chili kit spices and let simmer. Depending on how much water you cook the lentils in, you may have to add a little more. If you want a thicker chili, you can add the masa included in many kits, but it will be pretty thick without it. You might want to wait until the end to judge. Taste to see what needs to be added. The Wick Fowler kit comes with about two teaspoons of salt which (just about right) but add the salt according to your taste. If you make the chili too spicy, adding a dollop of sour cream in your bowl will cool the burn. Serve with any of the traditional chili fixin's. I love a little fresh minced white onion on mine--and cheese of course!

Vegetarian January

For January, I am hoping to stockpile some delicious vegetarian recipes. I recently had a meatless eater enter the family and need some dishes that I know she will like!! I hope everyone will share a few of their recipes they know are winners, but also accept the challenge to branch out and try at least 2 new vegetarian meals. Best of luck to everyone this month :) Seafood is out also.