Flourless Fudge Brownies with Butterscotch Chips (Gluten Free)

Published on by Alissa2 Comments

I recently realized that I have been taking something small for granted. My thumbs. Ya. Those puppies are really useful.

This past weekend, I cut myself pretty bad on the knuckle of my thumb on my left hand. My whole left hand is bandaged up with butterfly sutures and gauze. Little things like brushing my teeth, tying my running shoes, and drinking coffee have become quite challenging.

So the lesson of the story, don’t take the little things for granted.

Like black beans, for example. I know, I know, I know….weird comparison, but black beans can be used for more than savory dishes like tacos, side dishes, and salads. They are the magic and secret ingredient in my flourless brownies. Shhhhhhhh!

I swear you would NEVER know if I didn’t tell you.  I adapted this recipe from a Whole Foods recipe and swapped the chocolate chips for butterscotch chips. I also cut down the quantity of butter, adding applesauce instead to keep them moist. The consistency of these brownies is more fudge-like.

These sweet treats taste amazing and have protein and fiber. They are so good that you will want to make these to show that you do not take black beans for granted. It’s also a great dessert to serve if you have any friends that have a gluten intolerance. To make this truly gluten free, make sure you use gluten free vanilla extract and gluten free butterscotch chips. Chocolate chips can be swapped for the butterscotch chips.  But seriously folks, go grab that extra can of black beans in your pantry and whirl up a batch of these.

Flourless Fudge Brownies with Butterscotch Chips (Gluten Free) (adapted from Whole Foods Recipes)

Makes: 16 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 15oz can of black beans, rinsed and rained
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup applesauce
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 sugar (I used turbinado sugar)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup butterscotch chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray an 8X8 dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
  2. Combine black beans, butter, applesauce, cocoa powder, eggs, and salt in a food processor. Puree until smooth.
  3. Remove blade from food processor. Stir in butterscotch chips.
  4. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 35 minutes or until middle is set. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes.

Broccoli, Fig, and Goat Cheese Pasta

Published on by Alissa7 Comments

Happy Food Matters Monday! The fourth week of the Food Matters Project brings a very interesting recipe.

I adapted this recipe from the Food Matters Cookbook. The original recipe was Baked Rigatoni with Brussel Sprouts, Figs, and Blue Cheese chosen by Marcia of Twenty by Sixty. I have to admit that I was very worried about this dish. I mean the combo of brussel sprouts, figs, AND blue cheese was just a bit on the odd side.

Number one, I’m not a fan of brussel sprouts OR blue cheese. But, I do looooove figs, both dried and fresh. A note on figs. The most popular dried fig is the black mission fig, but any variety would taste great. I used dried Conadria Figs from Trader Joes. Dried figs are also a great snack and a fabulous source of fiber.

My variation on the recipe was to use broccoli and goat cheese instead of brussel sprouts and blue cheese. Love!

This really was DELICIOUS. An inspired dinner that was perfect and spot on. The original recipe calls for baking the pasta, but I found that this dried out the pasta dish because the goat cheese ends up just soaking into the pasta instead of coating it like you would want. I personally liked it without baking it.

The other major bonus to this recipe is that you can throw it together in under 20 minutes. I cooked the broccoli in a steamer placed over the pot of boiling pasta. Double duty!

This dish just proves to me that Mark Bittman truly knows how to make food matter. If you are curious at other variations, check out the original recipe by Marcia at Twenty by Sixty and other adaptations by the rest of the FMP food blogging gang.

Broccoli, Fig, and Goat Cheese Pasta

Note: The cheese is easily swappable for what you have on hand, as long as it is easily meltable. Also instead of figs, apples or pears would also work well.

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

  • 8 oz whole wheat pasta
  • 1 head of broccoli
  • 1/2 cup of dried figs, chopped
  • 1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt and cracked pepper
  • red pepper flakes (optional)
  • sliced roasted almonds or pine nuts (optional)

Instructions

  1. Bring pot of salted water to boil. Place pasta in boiling water. Cook for about 6 minutes. While pasta is cooking, place broccoli in a steamer basket and place over pot of boiling water. Steam for about 3 to 5 minutes or until broccoli becomes bright green. Do not overcook. Remove from steaming and run cold water over the broccoli to stop the cooking process.
  2. Drain pasta, reserving about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of pasta cooking liquid.
  3. Combine pasta, broccoli, figs, goat cheese, parmesan cheese, and olive oil back in the same pot that you cooked the pasta. Stir and cook on low heat until cheese melts, adding back pasta water as needed a tablespoon at a time. Pour into serving bowl and top with slivered toasted almonds or pine nuts.

Chocolate Banana Recovery Smoothie

Published on by Alissa3 Comments

There is something that you should know about me. I am very much a type-A personality. But I am working on it. Not that it is a bad thing…it just gets in the way of having fun sometimes. Once I decide on a goal, I’m like a rabid and starving dog…I latch onto it and DO NOT LET GO until I have done it. It’s like the old “hand shake” agreement that I have with my brain. It’s a sick sick sick disease that I have.

For example, a few years back I started running. I had never been a runner. When I think of runners, images of long legged and tall women and men come to my mind. Not me…short and squatty.  I’m short…very short. I lie when I say that I’m 5’3″ on my driver’s license. But I had a goal…I was going to start running. I had previously jogged here and there. I’d even ran a 5k several years before. But I had never kept with it. I was too busy, I thought. Too busy to take just 30 minutes out of my day.

So in an attempt to meet my goal and to shed some of the 10+ grad school pounds that I picked up, I began running. Beginning in January, I couldn’t run a mile. And then I ran two….and then, by April, I ran 6 miles in a relay.

Well, if I could go 6…I could go 13, right? Goal set. I ran a half marathon by June.

Then my head immediately says…”If you can do 13….you can do a full marathon”. Goal set.

My body choked, I got a hip fracture…but by October, I pushed through and finished a marathon, with a hip fracture. 26.2 miles. And yes, those last 0.2 miles are important. Did I mention I’m Type-A? And crazy. I mentioned I was crazy, right? And stupid. But I had a goal, right? Crazy.

Needless to say, I think I have learned my lesson…with running at least. I’m not advocating, at all, my quick way to marathoning. Really, you should be running for over a year before attempting one or even a half marathon at that. And then you probably won’t fracture your hip, like I did. stupid. I mentioned I was crazy, right?

Anyways, I do learn from my mistakes.

Who knows if I will ever run another marathon again, but I’ve been an avid runner now for over 3 years.  I’m addicted. I love the feeling of running in the spring. It’s my “me” time. I now know that you have to eat right to get to where you want to be. During that whole experience, I crashed and burned a lot, but I also learned that meals and snacks are the fuel for the next event.

I still do long runs on weekends, about 6 to 10 miles, depending on the weather. After a long run, bike ride, or even a hard workout (over 45 minutes), it is super important to get protein and carbs back into for body to refuel for the day and for your next run, ride, or workout. Low fat chocolate milk is perfect for this refueling. It has good carbs and plenty of protein (3 to 1 ratio). Usually, I buy the vacuum packed organic chocolate milk that is in simple individual servings. I can take them with me when I travel and they are a perfect single serving.

However, if I am at home, I make my own recovery drink which is a chocolate banana smoothie. I always keep sliced frozen bananas in the freezer because I always have those few bananas that are going bad at the end of the week. Slicing them up and storing them in the freezer is perfect to grab later for smoothies or to defrost and use in breads.

So here is the quick and simple smoothie. In a blender, throw some sliced frozen bananas with a cup of milk and a few teaspoons of dutch unprocessed cocoa powder (Mmmmm antioxidants!). Done. Blend. Drink.

Tastes like a milk shake.  Now that’s fun. I told you I was working on having fun. And even if you don’t do long runs, this is a great healthy start to your day or even as a dessert at night.

Chocolate Banana Recovery Smoothie

Makes: 1 serving

Ingredients

  • 1/2 to 1 cup sliced frozen bananas
  • 3/4 to 1 cup milk
  • 2 teaspoons dutch-processed cocoa

Instructions

  1. Place cocoa in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons of milk or water. Mix milk and cocoa powder to make a chocolate paste.
  2. Add frozen sliced bananas, milk, and chocolate paste to a blender or the cup of an immersion blender.
  3. Blend.
  4. Drink.
  5. Enjoy.

Cheesy Cauliflower and Shells Casserole

Published on by Alissa6 Comments

I have a weakness with melted cheese. I’d eat melted cheese on paper. That might not be the best thing to tell you when I try to sell this latest cheesy casserole adventure to you, because it tastes awesome…and I swear there is no paper in it, just cauliflower.

In college, I used to eat way too much of the boxed variety of mac and cheese. Bleh…and the homemade variety is usually so laden with a literal ton of cheese, that my heart hurts for days. So, I had pretty much sworn away from the dish, until this weekend.  

Although I am a big fan of sneaking veggies into dishes at all times, I have never been a big cauliflower lover (Ear muffs, Mr Cauliflower). I don’t know, maybe I’m not drawn to it at the market because it is all white and always outshined by the bright orange sweet potatoes, the deep green kale, kaleidoscope orange and red and yellow chard, or the brilliant purple and white striped eggplants. 

But now I feel bad that I have left the poor cauliflower out of my vegetable obsessions…merely because it lacks color.

So I decided to include the often forgotten cauliflower in a cheesy mac and cheese dish inspired by recipes from Vegetarian Times and Runner’s World. Like all things american…if you don’t like it, simply smother it in either butter or cheese. Voila!  But honestly folks, that isn’t the intention with this healthy dish.

Cauliflower doesn’t get mushy like broccolie and adds a good firm contrast to the gooey cheese and soft noodles. You could leave the noodles out and make just a cauliflower gratin, if you wanted.  The cheese sauce is basically a bechemel sauce (butter, flour, and milk) with raw milk sharp cheddar and parmesan added. The key ingredient for me in this whole dish is smoked paprika (not plain or sweet hungarian paprika…smoked).  You can find it in most grocer stores or speacialty shops. The smokiness adds a great layer of flavor without adding bacon (gasp, i know).

Cheesy Cauliflower and Shells Casserole

Quantity: 4 to 6 servings 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of dried whole wheat shell pasta
  • 1 head of cauliflower (4 cups)
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons white whole wheat flour (or all purpose)
  • 1 cup of milk
  • 1/2 cup reserved water from cooking the cauliflower or the pasta
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar
  • 1/4 cup shredded parmesan
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
  • 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray an 8X8 pyrex with nonstick spray. Set aside.
  2. Cook pasta in medium pot according to package directions. Reserving 1/2 cup of liquid.
  3. Steam cauliflower for 5 to 7 minutes. Cauliflower should be cooked, but firm and not mushy.
  4. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Once butter is melted, whisk in flour, stirring constantly. Cook on medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Whisk in milk and reserved cooking liquid. Cook over medium heat for 7 to 10 minutes until thickened, stirring frequently to keep from burning.
  5. Remove sauce pan from heat. Stir in cheese, dijon mustard, paprika, salt, and pepper.  Once cheese is melted, stir in beaten egg yolk.
  6. Toss steamed cauliflower and cooked pasta with cheese sauce.
  7. Pour cheesy cauliflower and pasta into sprayed 8X8 pan. Carefully place in oven.
  8. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until top is lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Sprinkle lightly with smoked paprika.

Spicy Roasted Red Pepper and White Bean Spread

Published on by Alissa17 Comments

I love versatile things, like a great cardigan, real vanilla ice cream, pita bread, and mason jars.  These things can take on multiple functions and are a great base. That’s where today’s recipe fits in…a great base or launching point for many other recipes.

Today’s featured recipe is the third recipe from the Food Matters Project, a group of food bloggers focused on cooking through the Food Matters Cookbook by Mark Bittman. The original recipe, featured by Heather of girlichef, is Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut “Pesto”. The original recipe purees 8 roasted red peppers, walnuts, olive oil, and basil to form a pesto-like spread. I decided to do a variation and replace half of the roasted red peppers with cannelini beans and use almonds instead of walnuts (because that is what I had on hand). I wanted to move this recipe more towards hummus and add a kick with red pepper flakes.  The red pepper flakes help balance out the sweetness that occurs from the red peppers. I think the quantity of red peppers is a little much and could be reduced to two peppers.

This spread ends up being like the little black dress of condiments. I used it as a sandwich spread to amp up my veggie sandwich. And because this recipe makes quite a large batch, I had enough left to use as a pesto-like base to a pasta dish with roasted tomatoes, goat cheese, and extra basil (sorry no pictures of that awesomeness).

The primary component of this recipe is roasted red peppers. You can use jarred roasted red peppers, but it is also really easy to roast your own. Simply place them red peppers (whole) on a foil lined roasting pan. Turn your broiler on high or heat your oven to 450F. If using the broiler, the processes will only take about 15 minutes, but make sure your turn the peppers every 4 to 5 minutes, browning on all sides (see picture below). If you decide just to roast them in an oven preheated to 450F, this process will take about 45 minutes. After the skin is slightly charred, wrap in the aluminum foil from the pan and allow to sweat and cool. Unwrap after at least 10 minutes or until cooled off. Run the peppers under cold water and peel the skin off of the peppers. Remove the tops and deseed. And voila, you have roasted red peppers! These are good on pizza, sandwiches, hummus, pasta dishes, and so much more!

If you are intested in other variations on the FMP recipe, check the main website here.

Spicy Roasted Red Pepper and White Bean Spread (adapted from The Food Matters Cookbook by Mark Bittman)

Note: I liked this spread on sandwiches and as a dip for pita chips. It also works well tossed onto fettucini with some goat cheese and roasted tomatoes. The possibilities are pretty limitless.

Ingredients

  • 2 roasted garlic cloves (roast at the same time that you roast the red peppers)
  • 3/4 cup roasted almonds (or walnuts)
  • 1 15 oz cannelini beans (2 cups)
  • 3 roasted red bell peppers, skinned and deseeded
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil or parsley
  • 1 to 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • red pepper flakes to taste

Instructions

  1. Roast red peppers as described above or use jarred roasted red peppers.
  2. Place garlic in food processor and pulse. Add almonds and pulse until a fine meal is formed.
  3. Add beans, basil, red peppers and puree. Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice into the puree. Pulse the food processor until all is combined. Add salt and red pepper flakes to taste.

Healthy Chocolate and Banana Pudding Parfaits

Published on by Alissa3 Comments

This weekend I had a major pudding craving but did not want to resort to making the boxed variety (bleh) or standing over a stovetop trying to make it from scratch with lots of eggs, cream, and chocolate.  So began my search for both a healthy and easy pudding.

I found this interesting recipe for pudding in Mark Bittman’s Food Matters Cookbook. He uses tofu (stop rolling your eyes) instead of milk.  The recipe basically takes a block of firm tofu and divides it in two portions. Half of the tofu is blended with melted chocolate, sugar syrup, and vanilla. The other portion of tofu is blended separately with bananas, sugar syrup, and vanilla.  The food scientist in me was seriously curious. Would it be creamy? Would it be chocolaty? Would it be soy-y? The verdict…YES. YES. and not really.

The chocolate pudding had a slight soy aftertaste, but not near as bad as the aftertaste associated with soy milk. The flavors and thickness of both puddings improved as they chilled in the fridge. My husband liked the banana pudding the best. I liked them both, but actually liked the chocolate one a bit better (even though I’m not a big chocolate fan) only because it was slightly more firm and more “pudding-ish”.

Allow the two puddings to chill for ate least 30 minutes before making the parfaits. 

Adaptations: Next time I think I may replace the sugar syrup with almond milk and maple syrup or honey. I am also dreaming about a butterscotch variation….I will keep you posted on the results of the experiment. If you want to make _all_ chocolate or _all_ banana, then double the ingredients of the flavor that you want and do not include the ingredients of the one that you do not want.

 Healthy Chocolate and Banana Pudding Parfaits (serves 6), slightly adapted from Mark Bittman’s Food Matters Cookbook

Ingredients

  • 1 lb organic silken tofu (divided), drained
  • 1/2 cup sugar (I used turbinado sugar which gave a bit of a carmel flavor)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips, melted
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided
  • 2 ripe bananas
  • salt

Instructions

  1. Place sugar and water in a small saucepan. Heat to boiling over medium heat. Stir constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes.
  2. Drain the tofu and divide in half. Place half of the tofu with the melted chocolate, half of the vanilla, and half of the sugar syrup in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Add a dash or two of salt. Blend in and taste.  Place chocolate pudding in a bowl with a lid. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  3. Clean out the bowl of the food processor.
  4. Place the other half of the tofu in the food processor along with the bananas, the remaining vanilla extract, and the remaining sugar syrup. Puree until well blended. Add a dash or two of salt. Blend in and taste. Place banana pudding in a separate bowl with a lid. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  5. Layer pudding in small individual glasses with chocolate on the bottom and banana on the top.

Homemade Microwaved Seasoned Popcorn – BBQ Style

Published on by Alissa4 Comments

I love love love to snack. I’m a big fan of all things dippable and munchable. I also love bbq, which is especially great here in KC. So popcorn seasoned with my favorite BBQ rub is great snack item for me during the day when I need a good salty and spicey fix. I was pretty excited to find out that the second recipe in the Food Matters Project was Seasoned Popcorn, chosen by CookieandKate.

Years ago to save money, I quite buying bagged popcorn and started buying whole unpopped kernel corn. I began popping my own popcorn in a glass container or small brown paper bag (lunch-size), saving oodles of money and eliminating preservatives. Also, I had a tendency to mow down an entire massive bag of butter-laden popcorn, only to find myself incredibly thirsty with orange-stained fingers and unaware that I had ingested 6-servings in one sitting.

So if you are buying packages popcorn…stop! Popping your own is so simple, easy, and you can change up the seasoning to suit your snacking desires. Use 2 tablespoons of unpopped corn per person. Place the corn kernels and salt in a brown paperbag and fold over a few times. Microwave on high for about 3 minutes, or until there are 4 seconds between pops. Open the bag carefully because steam will build up.

Along with BBQ seasoning, I also like to top popcorn with shredded parmesan cheese, cracked pepper, and salt. I spray the popcorn with nonstick spray to help the topping stick. You can also melt some butter and pour over…so much better than butter flavor!

Check out the featured recipe for Seasoned Popcorn by Kate of CookieandKate. Go to the FMP website to see other great ideas for popcorn seasonings!

Homemade Microwaved Seasoned Popcorn (serves 2), from The Food Matters Cookbook by Mark Bittman

Note: The seasonings for popcorn can be limitless. For a sweet fix, top with cinnamon sugar. For a spicy kick, try curry powder. Cheesy? go for parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast (found in most health food stores, giving a good cheesy flavor).

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup kernel corn
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • topping of choice (shredded parmesan, cracked pepper, cinnamon sugar, bbq seasoning..etc).

Instruction

  • Place popcorn and salt in paperbag or glass lidded container. If in a paperbag, fold the top over several times.
  • Microwave on high for 3 to 4 minutes (or until there are 4 seconds between pops).
  • Be careful when opening the container because steam will have built up. Toss the popcorn with the seasonings.

Winter Thai Curry Stew

Published on by Alissa1 Comment

I have a confession. Some people buy shoes. Some people eat chocolate. Me? I’m weird….I buy food. I love going to a great market and searching out new items or new vegetables. Recently, I stumbled upon a huge and beautiful rutabaga at the market. I’ve never had one, so I decided that she was coming home with me along with some parsnips, carrots, and kale.

Winter root vegetables are great to have on hand because they can store at room temperature or down in your basement for 6 months!  So even if I don’t exactly know what I am going to do with them when I buy them (like the rutabaga), I know that they will wait for me for until the inspiration occurs. Plus, these winter veggies are full of nutrients such as vitamins A and C, calcium, folate, and potassium (just to name a few). Because of all these nutrients, these vegetables are great for warding off cold-weather infections.

So one night the inspiration came, I threw together several root vegetables that I had on hand along with some coconut milk to make this AMAZING stew. Coconut milk is a great staple to keep on hand in your cabinet. It can take any meal and make it an 11. And let me tell you my friends…this stew is a 12! Jam on it. Make it. Love it. Hoard it.

Winter Thai Curry Stew (serves 4 to 6)

Note: The vegetables in this stew (like most soups/stews) are interchangeable and are not set in stone. I simply used what I had on hand and what is currently in season….roots. This would be great with regular potatoes, sweet potatoes, and even broccoli. In the summer, use summer squash, green beans, and spinach. The cooking times will be reduced for these spring and summer vegetables because they are not as hearty as winter vegetables.

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon of coconut oil or olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
  • 1 Tablespoon of Thai curry paste (I used green curry paste)
  • 3 to 4 cups of diced vegetables (I used 1/2 rutabaga [peeled and cubed], 1/2 butternut squash [peeled and cubed], 2 parsnips [sliced thin], and 2 carrots [sliced thin])
  • 6 to 7 cups of low sodium vegetable or chicken broth or water (or combination)
  • 1 teaspoon of low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 to 2 cups of diced kale (1-inch strips), hard stems removed
  • 1 cup of reduced fat unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon honey  (optional)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat oil  in dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook for about 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add garlic, ginger, and Thai paste, stirring constantly for an about 1 minute.
  2. Add vegetables, broth, water, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat until the stew is simmering. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender. For root vegetables, this took about 20 minutes. If you are using spring or summer vegetables, this will take only 10  minutes.
  3. After vegetables are tender, add kale, coconut milk, and honey. Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, or until kale is tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Honey Chipotle-Glazed Roasted Root Vegetables

Published on by Alissa3 Comments

I have been reading through Mark Bittman’s Food Matters Cookbook. It is a large (almost overwhelming) compilation of over 500 recipes that are focused on incorporating more plant-based meals into your diet, reducing meat intake, and eliminating processed foods. If you have never heard of Mark Bittman, I recommend checking him out. He is a seasoned chef that has several cookbooks (including “How to Cook Everything”, “How to Cook Everything Vegetarian”), has a new York Times food column, and is a featured chef in several magazines, including Runner’s World (which is where I first discovered him and his yummy sweet potato muffins).

His recent cookbook is easy to read and leaves a lot of room for personal interpretation. So when I found out about The Food Matters Project, I was pumped to join in on the fun. The FMP is a compilation of several food bloggers that will be tackling a recipe from the cookbook each week. The FMP has a listing of the participating food bloggers and the scheduled recipes that we will be preparing. There will be a featured blogger each week and the rest of us will be doing our interpretations of the recipe, posting on our individual websites. Check in weekly to see the updates.

Today is the official launch of the project. The first recipe from the cookbook is “Chipotle-Glazed Squash Skewers” prepared by Sarah of 20somethingcupcakes. I decided to do a variation by skipping the squash skewers (say that 50 times fast) and applying the glaze to a variety of root veggies, such as parsnips, carrots, and butternut squash.

The result….AWESOME. Roasting the vegetables brings out a carmelized flavor. These are a great alternative to fries. They also would be great served over rice or quinoa, or even with some cheese in a quesadilla! Also, the honey-chipotle glaze was so delicious. It would be wonderful on a variety of veggies, salmon, or chicken.

For the original recipe (Chipotle-Glazed Squash Skewers), check out Sarah’s blog. To see the other participating food bloggers interpretations, check here!

Honey Chipotle-Glazed Roasted Root Vegetables

Ingredients

  • 1 1.5 to 2 lb butternut squash, skinned and cut into 1/2-inch thick by 2-inch long pieces (like french fries)
  • 2 medium parsnips, skinned and cut uniformly like the butternut squash
  • 2 medium carrots, skinned and cut uniformly like the butternut squash
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 to 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, reserving 2 tablespoons of adobo sauce (freeze remaining peppers from can)
  • 1 tablespoon honey (or maple syrup)
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • salt and pepper
  • lime and cilantro (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray a roasting pan with nonstick spray.
  2. Combine olive oil through garlic in a small bowl. Stir well. Start with one chipotle pepper. Taste the glaze, if you want it spicier, add another one.
  3. In a medium-large bowl, toss the diced root vegetables and the glaze together. Spread onto roasting pan in an even layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  4. Roast for 50 minutes. Remove and enjoy warm. Sprinkle with fresh squeezed lime and cilantro, if desired.

Kale and Mushroom Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Published on by AlissaLeave a comment

I love cheese. I especially love MELTED cheese. So a grilled cheese sandwich is one of my all time favorite sandwiches…plus it is super quick. But think outside the box of your normal buttered bread and american cheese. I love melted goat cheese…creamy and tangy. I also threw on some raw milk cheddar.

I’m always looking for a way to sneak veggies into things. It’s a sick obsession that I have. My other obsession being ketchup, but that’s another story. Kale is fresh green that is available in the winter when spinach is scarce. If you boil kale, it will become soft. However, if you roast or grill kale, it takes on a new consistency…crispy and crunchy. To a sandwich, crisp kale adds a great change. But if you don’t have kale, feel free to mix up the veggies with what you have on hand or with what is in season.

Kale and Mushroom Grilled Cheese Sandwich (serves 1)

Ingredients

  • whole grain bread
  • handful of kale
  • baby bella mushrooms, sliced
  • dijon mustard
  • crumbled goat cheese
  • raw milk white cheddar
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  • Spray a griddle pan with nonstick spray.  Spread butter on both sides of bread or spray both sides with nonstick spray.
  • Place veggies on griddle. Mushrooms and kale will take about 5 minutes. Place the bread on the griddle pan. Toast the bread about 1 to 2 minutes. Flip bread. Spread the toasted side with dijon mustard and then sprinkle the cheese on top. Put the hot sautéed veggies on top of the cheese. Salt and pepper. Top with the other slice of bread. Toast the sandwich on both sides for another minute or so.