Roasted Delicata, Corn and Black Bean Salad with Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette

I woke up the other morning with this salad on my mind. Well, the roasted delicata squash and corn aspect of it, anyhow. As the day went by, the other components- black beans, avocado, grape tomatoes and a cilantro-lime vinaigrette, based off of a fajita marinade I had a while back- fell into place.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who sometimes spends all day dreaming up a recipe. (Right?) Adding and taking away ingredients in my mind. Of course, there are those days I'm tired or uninspired, and I just want to follow someone else's recipe or make an old standby, but I love when I am so excited to began putting together the meal that I've spent my day pondering over. This was one of those recipes- when Sage came home from work, he was a little surprised to find I had dinner already prepared. I just didn't want to wait any longer.

I'm happy to share that it was every bit as wonderful as I'd imagined it to be. Everything worked so perfectly together. The warm roasted squash, the sweet corn, vibrant tasting vinaigrette and the creamy avocado, it was all just right and definitely worthy of a day spent thinking about it.

Roasted Delicata, Corn and Black Bean Salad with Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette
serves 3-4 as a meal

for the roasted vegetables:
3 ears corn, kernels sliced off
1 pint of grape tomatoes
1 (1 lb) delicata squash, unpeeled, seeded and cut into about 1/2 inch pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

for the vinaigrette:
1 cup (loosely packed) cilantro leaves
1 jalapeno, seeded and coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1/3 cup lime juice (from 2 limes)
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce (use a vegetarian version, if that matters to you)
2 tsp agave or honey
2 tbsp canola oil
1/4 tsp salt

for the salad:
4 cups (loosely packed) baby spinach
4 cups (loosely packed) mixed greens
1 cup (cooked) black beans, drained and rinsed, if using canned
1/2 Haas avocado, sliced

Preheat oven to 425. Toss corn kernels, grape tomatoes, and squash with olive oil and season with several pinches of salt and lots of pepper. Spread in single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, or until squash is tender and tomatoes have collapsed, stirring a few times during roasting. Remove pan from oven and set aside to cool slightly.

Using a food processor or blender, pulse cilantro, jalapeno and garlic together until well minced. Add lime juice, worcestershire, agave, canola and salt and process to blend.

To compose salad, place spinach and mixed greens in serving bowl, top with black beans, roasted vegetables and avocado. Drizzle with some of the vinaigrette. Serve with remaining vinaigrette at the table.

Vegetable and White Bean Chowder

Are you experiencing Autumn weather yet where you live? I keep reading other blogs talking the about the sudden drop in temperatures they are having, with lovely crisp mornings and cooler evenings. I'm a little jealous. Our highs are still up in the 90's, but I was able run errands today without breaking a serious sweat every time I walked out to my car, so that's something, I guess.

I'm looking so forward to being able to wear jeans, sitting around the outdoor fire with friends on weekend nights, and being able to actually go to the park and playground during the middle of the day for a playdate, without being miserable. It is a little ways off, but that hasn't stopped me from buying an obscene amount of winter squash already or making lots of soups.

I've had my eye on this soup for quite a while now. Based off of a Moosewood recipe, it's a vegetable-laden soup with a broth base with just a hint of creaminess. Simple and easy, I love that it contains ordinary, everyday ingredients. Ones that you quite possibly already have in your refrigerator and pantry. And the beauty of it is, it's totally adaptable recipe to whatever veggies you do have on hand or prefer. The original version didn't have the white beans, but I thought the inclusion of them really helped to make this filling enough for a meal in itself.

Vegetable and White Bean Chowder
adapted from Cate's World Kitchen and Moosewood's Very Creamy Vegetable Chowder (sourced from CDKitchen)
serves 4

1 tbsp butter
2 tsp olive oil
2 crowns broccoli, roughly chopped
1 small red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper (I used a Cubanelle), chopped
2 carrots, sliced
2 celery ribs, sliced
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic
3 cups vegetable stock
1 cup 2% milk
3 tbsp Neufchatel cheese (or regular cream cheese)
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil (or 2 tsp dried)
1 15 oz can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup coarsely chopped baby spinach

Heat a Dutch Oven or large soup pot over medium heat. Add broccoli, peppers, carrots, celery and onions and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic (and dried basil, if using), cooking for another minute.

Add stock and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until vegetables are just tender. Add milk and cream cheese, stirring until cream cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Stir in fresh basil, beans and spinach and cook until heated through, another minute or two. 

Roasted Butternut Salad with Spinach, Avocado and Tahini Dressing

As I've reached the end of my pregnancy, I've run out of steam as far as the kitchen is involved. It's not that I haven't been cooking, I just haven't had my typical enthusiasm and motivation. We've had some very simple dinners, quite a few old standbys and a handful of meals that wound up just so-so.

Recently, completely uninspired, I diced up some sweet potatoes and popped them in the oven to roast, figuring it would give me time to decide what else I wanted to make. But once they were finished, the best I could come up with was an extremely simple salad. (Luckily, my family really likes sweet potatoes and salad, so no one complained.) At one point of the meal, I tossed some of my potatoes on top of my salad...and well, it was pretty fantastic. The warm roasted sweet potatoes with the salty feta and creamy avocado and the tangy Lemon-Tahini dressing- somehow that odd combination really worked.

So much that a week later I was wanting it again. I didn't have any more sweet potatoes, but I had a butternut squash. Instead of the bottled dressing I'd use the first time, I made a homemade version (based from this recipe) and scaled the simple salad back even more. It was a little different, as the butternut is a less starchy and the dressings weren't quite the same, but it was just as yummy. Sage liked it in a "perfect for a side dish" kind of way, while I was content for it to be my meal. But I'm more of a salad lover than he is anyhow. I wasn't going to blog it though, since the picture is nothing too special, (I missed the good light) however, after eating the cold leftovers yesterday and loving it all over again, I decided I needed to after all.

Roasted Butternut Salad with Spinach, Avocado and Tahini Dressing
serves 3-4

for the dressing:
1 large clove garlic, minced
juice from 1 small lemon*
2-3 tbsp tahini*
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp olive oil

1 medium butternut squash (about 2.25 lbs), peeled and diced
1 tbsp olive oil
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
8 cups loose packed baby spinach (any tough stems removed)
1/4 cup crumbled feta (I'll bet goat cheese would be good too!)
1 1/2 Haas avocados, diced or sliced
thinly sliced red onion, soaked in ice water for 10 minutes, to garnish (I used a couple tbsps worth)

Preheat oven to 400. Toss squash with 1 tbsp olive oil and a few pinches of salt and several grinds of pepper on a baking sheet. Roast for about 20-25 minutes or until squash is tender, flipping half way through. Remove from oven.

While squash is roasting, prepare the dressing by combining the garlic and lemon juice. Whisk in the tahini. Next whisk in the water and olive oil. Set aside.

Once squash is done, toss with a little more than half of the dressing and set aside.

Assembled salad by arranging spinach in serving bowl and layering with warm butternut squash, avocado and feta and garnish with (well-drained) red onion. Serve remaining dressing on the side.

*I had a very juicy lemon apparently, which produced a 1/4 of a cup of juice, instead of the typical 2-3 tablespoons I'd normally get from a small lemon. Since the brand tahini I bought this time is a little more mild, I added an extra tablespoon of it. My resulting dressing tasted rather tart straight from the bowl, but once on the salad, it did not. Depending on the amount of juice your lemon provides and the strength of your tahini, you may wish to start with less tahini and add to taste.

Red Lentil Vegetable Stew

This recipe is the result of me going in a totally different direction than intended. With a stockpile of carrots in the crisper, I had my mind made up on a creamy carrot soup. All day, that was my intention, and I'd browse a recipe or two for inspiration, think about it some more, look through some more recipes, do a little more brainstorming. You get the idea.

I knew I wanted red lentils in it, and I was also thinking along the lines of ginger, cilantro, coconut milk...but then when I began pulling out the ingredients to make my soup, I completely switched gears. Suddenly it began to have an more Italian influence, with tomato base, more veggies, and a chunky consistency instead of a pureed one.

And it wound up being exactly what I was really in the mood for. Isn't it funny how that works out sometimes?

Red Lentil Vegetable Stew

4-6 servings (it's very hearty and filling, so probably more like 6)

2 tbsp canola or olive oil (I used a blend of the two)

3 large carrots, in medium dice

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 large red bell pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups vegetable stock

1 cup red lentils, rinsed

28 oz. can Italian-style crushed tomatoes

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp crushed red pepper (or to taste)

2 bay leaves

2 1/2 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach (stems removed)

grated parmesan, for serving

Heat oil in a Dutch Oven or large stock pot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, pepper and onion. Season with a good bit of salt and a generous amount of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are becoming soft, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute or two.

Add stock, lentils, crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, oregano, crushed pepper and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until lentils are tender but not mushy. Taste and adjust salt and pepper, if needed. Remove and discard bay leaves.

Stir in chopped spinach and give a few minutes to wilt. Top each serving with grated parmesan, as desired.

Sausage, White Bean and Spinach Soup

When it comes to my slow cooker, I always seem to use it when I'm home, and rarely do I ever cook anything on the low setting for a long period of time. Instead, I set it on high for a few hours in the afternoon and it's ready at dinnertime. This week, I've been helping out at the flower shop for the upcoming holiday and I haven't had a lot of energy once I come home for preparing dinner. It seemed like a perfect time to really utilize my slow cooker.

I was browsing some slow cooker recipes for inspiration, and I came across one for a smoked sausage and bean soup. It made me think of a soup my awesome neighbor brought us right after we had Beckett. Besides the sausage and beans, her's had tomatoes and spinach... and I can't remember what else. I decided to try come up with my own take made in the slow cooker and wound up with one really tasty soup. From the slow cooking, the texture of the sausage was less firm than I'm used to, but it didn't bother us like I thought it might've. It was so nice to come home from work on a gloomy, rainy day and have the house smelling wonderful, and a pot of this hearty, extremely flavorful soup all ready for us.

Sausage, White Bean and Spinach Souparound 4 servings
I pretty much never use frozen spinach, but I had some in the freezer that I bought for a recipe and didn't use. Since my fresh spinach supply for the week had already been depleted, I decided to give it a try. I still would've preferred fresh, but the frozen worked nicely in this. If using fresh, I would just coarsely chop it (removing any thick stems) and stir it in at the end and give it a few minutes to wilt.
2 large carrots, sliced 1/3 inch thick
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 fat garlic cloves, smashed and coarsely shopped
1 (14 oz) pkg smoked turkey sausage, sliced about 1/2 inch thick
1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 (15.5 oz) can of Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 parmesan rind1 tsp Italian Seasoning
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
kosher salt and pepper
1 (10 oz) pkg frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
grated parmesan, for serving

Combine all ingredients, except the spinach and grated parmesan, in crock of the slow cooker. Cook on low for 7-8 hours. Stir in thawed spinach and give a few minutes to heat heat through. Serve topped with grated parmesan, if desired.

Mushroom, Barley and White Bean Soup

I know, right? Another soup. I think just about every other post of mine lately has been a soup. I promise we eat plenty of other things, but most often it's the soups that are the meals we enjoy the most. Especially on chilly or gloomy days, which we had a few of lately. Although earlier this week, it might've gotten so warm that I was wearing shorts, but that's besides the point. It's cold again, and I'm ready for more soup. (Who I am kidding though? I'll eat soup, happily, in any weather.)

I got it in my head that I wanted to make a mushroom barley soup, and while I had no problem finding plenty of vegetarian versions, somehow they just weren't what I was thinking of. The majority contained carrots, celery, mushrooms, barley and broth, flavored with thyme and sherry. I kept picturing something a little different, so I came up with my own- which had white beans, spinach and Italian Seasoning. I hoped that with cooking the barley in the soup (which I've never done before) the broth would come out thick and almost creamy. Luckily, the end result was exactly what I was hoping for. This was a hearty, wonderfully comforting soup, the kind where just a small bowl is enough to fill you up.

Mushroom, Barley and White Bean Soup
serves 4-6

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
2 tsp Italian Seasoning
8 oz. sliced cremini mushrooms
1 cup pearl barley, rinsed
1 (32 oz.) carton of vegetable stock
1 (15.5 oz) can of Cannellini (or other white) beans
2 1/2 cup coarsely chopped baby spinach, any large stems removed
fresh grated parmesan, for serving, if desired

Heat oil in a Dutch Oven over medium heat. Add onion and celery and season with salt, pepper and Italian Seasoning. Cook for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for 3 more minutes.

Add barley to pot, and stirring frequently, toast for a few minutes before adding stock. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat and simmer until barley is tender and much of the broth has been absorbed and thickened. Stir in beans and heat through.

Remove from heat and stir in spinach. Let sit a couple of minutes to wilt slightly, and then serve, grated with parmesan, if desired.

Pasta e Fagioli

This soup is what my mom would call a "happy accident." This wasn't going to be the other night's dinner (or most likely, any night's, any time soon.) Instead, I had quick and easy recipe to try out that I was looking forward to. But those plans came to a halt when I discovered last minute, that the key ingredient had somehow gone bad (and we're not talking questionable, but trashcan bound). I knew I needed to come up with something quickly, working with what I had on hand. I wasn't feeling in a particularly creative mood and at this point, I just wanted a straightforward recipe to work with. My next obstacle was that my biggest source for recipes- and especially when I am pressed for time- is the Internet. Which just happened to be down at the time.

I grabbed the file folder that I keep of recipes torn from magazines and quickly skimmed through it. I stopped at Everyday Food's Pasta e Fagioli, only because I had everything and it looked easy. I got to work, but even as I was making it, I'd already written it off as "something to feed us" and little else. It seemed rather ordinary, and the photo accompanying it wasn't really that impressive, at least not compared to what you normally see in the magazine. As a matter of fact, I'm not even sure why I saved the recipe in the first place. But man, am I glad I did! This might've just been a means to get dinner on the table, but it wound up being something I will make again and again.


Pasta e Fagioli
adapted slightly from Everyday Food, December 2010
serves 4

I want to note that I used a can of diced tomatoes flavored with basil, garlic and oregano and a can of (broken up) stewed tomatoes in this. They were both bought on accident, and have been just hanging out in my pantry, because they contained high fructose corn syrup. While I will make this with my regular diced tomatoes next time, I think the sweetness added to the soup, so I'd suggest adding in a little bit of the sweetener of your choice if the tomatoes you use are not sweet.

1 tbsp olive oil
3 celery ribs, chopped
3 carrots, in medium dice
1/2 large red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp dried oregano
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
2 (14.5 oz) cans or 1 (28 oz) can of diced tomatoes
3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 Parmesan rind, plus additional freshly grated parmesan for serving
1 cup whole grain shells, or other small pasta
1 (15.5 oz) can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
I cup coarsely chopped fresh baby spinach, stems removed

In a good sized heavy pot, such as a Dutch Oven or casserole, heat oil over medium. Add celery, carrots, onion and garlic. Season with oregano, a few pinches of salt and several grinds of pepper. Cook stirring occasionally until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.

Add tomatoes, broth and Parmesan rind. Increase heat to high and simmer rapidly until liquid thickens slightly, 5 minutes. Stir in pasta and cook, partially covered, until pasta is just shy of al dente (for my pasta, this took about 10 minutes).

Add beans and continue to cook for a few minutes, until they are warmed through and pasta is al dente. Remove from heat and stir in chopped spinach. Serve topped with grated parmesan.

Creamy Feta-Spinach Dip

Hope you all had a wonderful evening last night bringing the new year- however it was you chose to celebrate it. As to be expected, ours was pretty low key, but a really enjoyable one. Since I'm pregnant, obviously going out wasn't of interest to me, and going somewhere that required a babysitter seemed silly, so I was really happy to get an invite to spend it, family style, with some of our dearest friends at their home. They have two young children, and there was another couple there that have four, so when you count Beckett, their were more kids in attendance than adults. It made me feel incredibly grown up, but I guess it's time to face that that is very much what I am these days!

We had a really fun time, and there was no shortage of good food. I even got to try brisket for the first time. Like my friend, Jamie, who made it, I'm no beef eater, but I have to admit it was delicious. For my contribution, I brought a dessert, stuffed mushrooms and some crudites and dips. One of the dips I brought was a new recipe to me, a Creamy Feta-Spinach Dip adapted from Cooking Light. Not only is this tangy dip really pretty healthy, it's a very tasty alternative to your traditional Spinach-Artichoke Dip. Plus it's an easy, make ahead dip, so it would be a great addition to your appetizer table for the upcoming Super Bowl.

I served this with bell pepper, carrots and celery sticks, pretzel chips, Triscuit Thin Crisps and crostini. (And in case you are wondering what that other dip is, it's an old stand-by we call "Emily Dip" and it's always a crowd pleaser. I just mix about equal parts Neufchatel Cheese with light sour cream, and add light ranch dressing and cayenne pepper to taste.) I thought the two dips balanced each other out well, and the selection of dippers complimented both nicely. I love yummy dips, so I will definitely be making this one again soon.

Happy New Year!

Creamy Feta-Spinach Dip
adapted from Cooking Light via My Recipes

olive oil mister or cooking spray

3 cups packed fresh baby spinach

1 cup low-fat plain yogurt

1 cup crumbled fat free (or reduced fat) feta

1/2 cup Neufchatel Cheese (1/3 less fat cream cheese)

1/4 cup light sour cream

2 cloves garlic, smashed (or one if you prefer a less strong garlic flavor)

1 tsp dried dill (or 1 tbsp fresh)

fresh ground pepper

Remove and discard any thick stems from spinach and coarsely chop. Mist or spray non-stick skillet very lightly with oil and heat over medium. Add spinach and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Place several layers of paper towels onto a plate, and spoon yogurt over top about a half inch thick. Cover with additional layers of paper towels, and let stand 15 minutes, changing top layer of towels halfway through.

Scrape drained yogurt into the bowl of a food processor using a rubber spatula. Add feta, cream cheese, sour cream and garlic, and process until smooth, scraping the side of bowl with the spatula once. Remove blade and stir in cooled spinach, dill and ground pepper. Once mixed, transfer to small serving bowl, cover and chill before serving with assorted dippers of choice. (I'd like to note that I liked this even better after it had been out of refrigeration for a little bit.)

Roasted Pear & Butternut Salad with Gorgonzola and Apple Cider Vinaigrette

I've never really been big on pears and I'm not sure why. I won't pick them out of something like a Martha's Vineyard salad, but I won't just snack on one as I would an apple. However, lately- and maybe its a pregnancy thing- whenever I see a recipe with pears, I've found them oddly appealing. Shopping the other day, a few made it into my basket with the mindset if I didn't enjoy them, Sage and Beckett would.

I figured I'd probably roast them and serve them in a salad, but the idea to pair them with butternut didn't come to me until I saw the pears and the squash sitting side by side in my fruit bowl. Gorgonzola and toasted walnuts seemed like an obvious compliment, as did a simple apple cider vinaigrette. This was one of those times where I knew this was either going to be amazing or totally not work out. Obviously, this was a winner. It was absolutely delicious, fairly quick to make and surprisingly filling. I'm definitely rethinking the pear thing.

Roasted Pear & Butternut Salad with Gorgonzola and Apple Cider Vinaigrette

serves 2

1 small (1 1/2 lb) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed

2 firm Bosc pears, unpeeled, cored and cut into chunks the same size as the squash

1 tbsp olive oil, divided

kosher salt

1/2 cup walnut pieces, toasted

1/3 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese

salad greens of choice- I used baby spinach

for the dressing:

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp fesh lemon juice

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 425. Toss squash pieces with 2 tsp of olive oil and season with a pinch of salt. Spread in a single layer on one side of a baking sheet. Toss pears with the remaining tsp of olive oil and spread on other side. Roast, flipping squash and pears over during cooking. The pears will be ready at about 20 minutes. Remove them from baking sheet and continue roasting squash until tender, about 5 additional minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the dressing ingredients and set aside.

Once squash and pears are roasted, toss with a small amount of dressing and let cool just slightly. Serve over a bed of greens, topped with half of the walnuts and cheese, and the remaining dressing on the side.

Creamy Broccoli-Cheese Soup

There is nothing like getting very sick (say, something like a horrible stomach virus) to make you really remember and appreciate what a wonderful person you have chosen to share your life with. I just spent 30+ hours in a completely worthless state and another full day trying to recover, and all the while Sage was (not surprisingly) an awesome husband and father. Besides tending to me and taking over all the parenting duties, he did the weekly grocery shopping with a toddler in tow (a task I avoid if at all possible), ran out late night for cupcakes when I wasn't able to bake up the cute ones I'd planned for our son's school party, squeezed in taking Beckett to a fall festival, and even rode his bike to go pick up my car from getting new tires because I couldn't leave the house to drive him there.

I'm aware I've got a pretty fantastic guy, I hope to be able to do some special things in the next few days to show my gratitude. In the meantime, I hope the memory of the soup that I made the day before I got sick will tide him over. He said it was one of the best soups I've ever made, and since I make soup rather frequently, that's quite a claim.

I wanted to give Broccoli-Cheese Soup a try, as I had some broccoli to use up (which never happens in our house), and I thought of the many recipes I've seen for soups that use pureed beans to give a creamy texture. As I was getting my immersion blender out in preperation, it made me think of smoothies, and I decided to sneak some spinach into my soup, figuring like a green monster smoothie it would provide extra nutrients and green color but no overpowering flavor. I was right. If you didn't know, you'd never guess there was beans and spinach "hidden" in this soup. With a handful of crackers, it made for delightful meal that kept us full all night.

Creamy Broccoli-Cheese Soup

serves 2-3 as a meal (maybe 5 as a starter)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 large head of broccoli, cut into small florets (about 4 cups)

1/2 large red onion, copped

3 large cloves garlic, smashed and coarsely chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

kosher salt and pepper

1 (15.5 oz) can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

3 cups torn spinach, stems removed

3 cups vegetable stock

1 cup shredded cheese (I used a blend of cheddar and monterey jack)

Heat oil over medium heat in a large stock pot or Dutch Oven. Reserve 1 cup of broccoli florets, setting aside, and add remaining broccoli to pot, along with celery and onion. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute.

Add beans, spinach and stock and continue to cook over medium until broccoli and celery are tender (5-10 minutes). Remove from heat and process until smooth using a immersion blender.

Return to heat and add reserved broccoli, simmering until broccoli is tender. Stir in cheese. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.

Sauteed Shrimp with Spinach, Couscous, Feta and Toasted Pine Nuts

From the moment I saw the recipe for Shrimp, Kale and Spinach with Couscous, Feta and Toasted Pine Nuts on Florida Coastal Cooking, I knew it would be something I had to make very soon, and that my husband would absolutely love it. And I was right. In the first few bites alone, Sage proclaimed it as both "awesome" and "phenomenal." And other than "the leaves," my toddler devoured it as well. And since this had feta, spinach and couscous in it, I don't need to tell you how much I enjoyed it.

I got a much later start on dinner than I intended, but luckily once you've got your shrimp peeled, your pine nuts toasted, and your ingredients prepped, this comes together in a matter of minutes. I think dinner was ready in about 20 minutes or so from start to finish, although you'd never guess by the taste of it. I did make a couple small changes, eliminating the kale and increasing the spinach (Sage isn't a big kale fan) and omitting the white wine. I was worried it might be lacking without the wine, but the dressing the shrimp was in gave it plenty of flavor.

If you would like to see the original with the kale and wine, please visit Dawn's blog. She also has tons of other wonderful recipes (all with gorgeous pictures) worth checking out. I have loved every recipe of hers I've tried.

Sauteed Shrimp with Spinach, Couscous, Feta and Toasted Pine Nuts
slightly adapted from Florida Coastal Cooking

1 lb wild-caught shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed
Italian or Greek dressing, to cover shrimp (I used roughly 1/4 cup worth of Roasted Red Pepper Italian)
1 cup water or broth
2/3 cup uncooked couscous
1 tsp olive oil
olive oil mister or cooking spray
1 medium onion, chopped (Dawn used a Vidalia, I used half of a yellow and half of a red)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
8 cups loosely packed baby spinach
1 tsp red wine vinegar
fresh ground pepper
handful of toasted pine nuts
reduced fat feta cheese, for serving

Place shrimp in a medium bowl and cover with dressing. Toss to coat.

In a medium saucepan, bring water/broth to a boil and stir in couscous and oil. Cover and remove from heat.

Mist olive oil (or cooking spray) on a large, straight-sided skillet and heat over medium. Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. (If needed, you can add a few tbsps of water or broth to keep them from sticking.) Add garlic and cook for another minute.

Add shrimp with the dressing to the pan and cook for about a minute and until the first side begins to turn pink. Turn over and cook for an additional few minutes, until cooked through. Remove from heat.

Stir in spinach until wilted slightly. Fluff couscous and add to spinach and shrimp mixture. Season red wine vinegar and fresh ground pepper. Toss gently to combine.

Top each serving with some of the pine nuts and a tbsp or two of crumbled feta.

Roasted Delicata Squash and Tomatoes over Spinach Pesto Pasta

While I often prefer to cook without using any kind of recipe, there are definitely times when I'm lazy. Where I'd rather just follow the steps of a tried-and-true recipe, eliminating the guesswork. Because some days, the chopping, mincing, shredding and sauteing is enough work, without having to think. This was the case the other day. All I wanted was to find a quick and easy non-sweet way to prepare the delicata squash that was calling my name. But as ingredients I wanted to use kept popping in my head, I found I was being way to specific in my recipe search.



I'll spare you the wandering thought process that led me to combining the summery flavors of tomatoes and basil along with a winter squash, but I will assure you this was delicious and a fun way to transition late summer and early fall into one dish. Spinach pesto is a favorite of mine because I almost always have lots of spinach on hand, but usually not very much basil (for a florist by trade, I have a surprisingly brown thumb, so growing it is not an option.) I wasn't sure how this meal would all come together, but it most certainly did and I'm glad I didn't find a recipe to follow after all.

Roasted Delicata Squash and Tomatoes over Spinach Pesto Pasta
serves 2-3

1 medium delicata squash (around 1.5 lbs.), unpeeled, halved lengthwise, seeds removed and cut into 3/4 inch thick crescents
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp olive oil
1 large clove garlic, pressed
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 cup grape tomatoes
2 cups hot, cooked long slender pasta of choice (I used whole grain spaghetti, about 1/3 of a box)
shredded parmesan, for serving, if desired

for the pesto:
1 1/2 cups tightly packed baby spinach
1/4 cup loosely packed basil leaves
1/4 cup toasted walnut pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup shredded parmesan
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 tbsp water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Toss squash slices with 1 tbsp olive oil, garlic, a couple pinches of salt and a generous amount of pepper. Spread in a single layer on half of a baking sheet. Toss tomatoes with remaining tsp of oil and a touch of salt. Spread onto other side of baking sheet. Roast for 15-18 minutes, or until squash is tender and tomatoes have collapsed, flipping squash over halfway through cooking time.

Meanwhile, pulse all pesto ingredients in a food processor until smooth, scraping sides down as needed with a spatula. Toss hot pasta with pesto.

To serve, top pasta with roasted squash and tomatoes and sprinkle with additional grated parmesan, if desired.

Spinach and White Bean Pasta with Feta and Tomatoes...and some news

Hello! Long time, no post. The past 6 weeks have been an eventful time for us. There was a visit from my best friend, a wonderful- and much needed- 2 week vacation with family to New England, and lots of fun activities with my little guy. But the biggest reason for my absence was the discovery that we are adding to our family. Exhaustion, queasiness and a complete and unfortunate lack of interest in food kept me out of the kitchen for quite a while. Luckily, I have a hubby that doesn't mind cooking and was happy to take over. I've been back at it for the past couple weeks, but until now I just didn't have the energy to blog about anything I was making.

Maybe not the fanciest of meals for my return to posting, but a tasty one. I've had an aversion to nearly all meat throughout this pregnancy so far (which is no biggie- we ate very little before anyhow,) but I have been trying to be careful that I'm getting enough protein. Beans are a frequent substitute to animal based proteins in our house, but I don't often think to combine them with pasta. I was googling recipes that used spinach, as I had some to use up, with beans, and found many that included pasta. This is a mishmash of several of those recipes, and although it's very simple, it was really good and very filling. I was going to top it with parmesan, but the I remembered I had some feta hiding in the refrigerator, and it was a wonderful addition to this.

Spinach and White Bean Pasta with Feta and Tomatoes
7.25 oz. uncooked multi-grain or wheat penne (about 2 cups)
olive oil (I've recently been using an olive oil/canola blend for sauteing)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 (15.5 oz) can of white beans, drained and rinsed (I used Cannellini)
1 (14.5 oz.) can of diced tomatoes, with juices
1 tsp dried oregano
fresh ground pepper
5 oz. baby spinach
feta, for serving

Cook pasta in salted water until al dente, according to package direction. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, add enough oil to a large skillet to just coat, and heat over medium. Saute onion for 4 minutes, add garlic and cook for another minute or two.

Stir in beans, tomatoes and oregano. Season liberally with pepper. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Top bean mixture with spinach, and place hot, cooked pasta over top. Cover skillet, turn of heat and let sit for 3-5 minutes, or until spinach has wilted. Stir to combine and serve with feta.

Spinach-Peach Salad with Walnuts and Gorgonzola

Lately, I've been having some days where I just have no inspiration for dinner. This happened a few nights ago, despite having a huge selection of seasonal produce from my trip to the market the day before. With the dinner hour approaching, I began randomly googling ingredients, hoping for inspiration. Somehow, I stumbled across a Spinach and Peach Salad, even though I hadn't been searching "peaches." Now, we're not usually big on salad with fruit, but I had bought a basket of peaches, which had become quite ripe overnight, so I decided it was worth a try.

I skimmed through several similar recipes, and noted the many variations. Some were as simple as spinach, pecans, peaches and bottled dressing. Some were much more complex. There were different types of nuts, the addition of soft cheeses and onions, even salmon, and dressings that ranged from Poppy Seed, Italian, Raspberry Vinaigrette, and Red Onion. I had Gorgonzola and walnuts on hand, which I thought would go nicely, and I choose to dress mine with a simple balsamic vinaigrette.

I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this. Sage did too. He admitted that while he figured he would like it, he didn't "expect it to be that good." But it was! The tangy blue cheese kept it from being too sweet, and the walnuts gave a needed crunch. I'd meant to add some red onion but forgot, but now I don't know that it needed it. The only thing I do differently next time, is tossing the spinach with most of the vinaigrette before adding the other salad components, just for a prettier presentation.

Spinach-Peach Salad with Walnuts and Gorgonzola

for the vinaigrette:
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
1 small clove garlic, pressed
2 tbsp good quality olive oil

for the salad:
5 oz. baby spinach leaves
2 small peaches, pitted and diced
1/3 cup toasted walnut pieces
1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola

To make the dressing, combine first four ingredients together in a small bowl. Whisk in olive oil. Set aside.

To assemble salad, in large bowl, first layer spinach, top with peaches, walnuts and drizzle with vinaigrette. Top with Gorgonzola. (Alternately, toss the spinach with most of dressing first, then top with peaches, walnuts, drizzle with remaining dressing or serve on the side, and finish with Gorgonzola.)

Gorgonzola and Spinach Stuffed Mini Sweet Peppers

When I go to the produce market, I will buy just about whatever my 2 year old wants. There's a few random things I'll say no to, but I am happy to encourage his love of fruits and veggies. It also helps keep him occupied since there isn't a shopping cart for him to ride in. (He is awfully adorable and charming, but no one really wants a crazed toddler running around the market.) Last week, he picked out a 2 lb. bag of miniature sweet peppers. They were on sale for a terrific price, so I had no problem buying them.

We typically go through a good amount of bell peppers, but even with using them in meals and slicing them on salads, I still had a half of a bag left by the next trip to the produce store. I thought of stuffing them, perhaps similar to the Spicy Stuffed Peppers from Symon Sundays, but our a/c was being worked on, and it was far too warm in our house to even think of hot foods. So my thoughts turned to a cool dip instead, but then I thought it would be fun to fill the small peppers with the dip, for a perfect little appetizer. I found a recipe on Eating Well for a Blue Cheese Dip, and altered it a tiny bit to include spinach.

Not only were these cute, but delicious too! I just made a small batch for my family to snack on, so if I was going to make them for a party, I'd double it. If you don't have access to mini sweet peppers, the filling is a wonderful dip to serve with cut veggies, and I suspect it would make an amazing hot stuffed mushroom too. If you aren't a fan of blue cheese, Eating Well suggests substituting Parmesan, but I personally loved the Gorgonzola in this.

**I realize this is my third recipe in a row containing cream cheese. This is what happens when Sage and I each pick up a block of it when we already have one in the fridge. Don't worry, this was the last of the third package, so my next recipe should be cream cheese free.

Gorgonzola and Spinach Stuffed Mini Sweet Peppers
Filling adapted from Eating Well's Blue Cheese Dip

1/4 cup Neufchatel/reduced fat cream cheese
1 scallion, trimmed and chopped
1 tbsp chopped parsley leaves
1 small garlic clove, halved
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp tarragon wine vinegar (or white-wine vinegar)
1/2 cup packed coarsely chopped spinach leaves, stems discarded
1 tbsp reduced fat mayo
fresh ground pepper
1/3 cup crumbled Gorgonzola
15 miniature sweet peppers (I used the smaller ones, about 2 inches long)

Using a small food processor, pulse together cream cheese, scallion, parsley, garlic, lemon juice and vinegar until well blended. Add spinach leaves, mayo and pepper and process until smooth.

Transfer contents to a small ziplock bag, add Gorgonzola and gently mix to combine. Taste and adjust pepper if needed. Filling, in sealed bag, can be refrigerated for up to 4 days, at this point.

Prior to serving, trim tops off peppers and remove ribs. Snip a small corner off plastic bag and pipe filling into each pepper. (This step could also be done the night before.)

Baked Eggs with Spinach and Mushrooms

In our house, Sage is the weekend breakfast cook. Not that I can't make it, it just happens to be one of his jobs, like mowing the lawn and fixing stuff. But for Father's Day, I wanted to let him sleep in and make him a nice breakfast. A while back I saw a recipe for baked eggs on Florida Coastal Cooking. I've been wanting to try them and this seemed like a nice time to do so.

I love spinach and mushroom when paired with cream cheese and eggs, so that's what I went with. But you could make it whatever veggies you have on hand- this would be a great way to use any leftover grilled or roasted vegetables. (Provided you actually have leftover vegetables. We never do.) Personally, I'm a fan of using the entire egg, but Sage prefers mostly whites with a touch of yolk. Since it was his day, I used 1 full egg and 3 whites, and found in this particular dish, I didn't miss the yolks.

Sage really enjoyed his breakfast- especially the pocket of cream cheese in the middle- but felt there was a little too much spinach in it. That would never be a problem for me, so I'd say adjust the amount you use according to your preference.

Baked Eggs with Spinach and Mushrooms

adapted from Florida Coastal Cooking

serves 2

olive oil mister/cooking spray

1/2 small onion, diced

4 oz. button or cremini mushrooms, coarsley chopped

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

1 garlic cloved, minced

3-5 cups spinach leaves, stems removed and roughly chopped or torn

1/4 cup Neufchatel Cheese, divided

3 egg whites

1 full egg

Preheat oven to 375.

Mist a medium saute pan with olive oil and heat over medium. Add onion and cook for a couple minutes. Add the mushrooms, season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, and saute for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute and then add desired amount of spinach to pan, and continue cooking until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat.

Spoon mixture evenly into two ramakins that have been misted with olive oil or cooking spray. Top each one with 2 tbsp cream cheese and season with extra salt and pepper. Wisk the whole egg together with the whites and pour over cream cheese.

Place ramakins on a baking sheet and baked for 20-30 minutes or until eggs are set.

Spinach, Mushroom and Tomato Strata

Unlike my husband, who eats within the first 5 minutes of waking up, I have a very hard time eating breakfast in the mornings. I know it's bad, but I just can't eat so early. Which is a shame because I do enjoy so many breakfast foods.

This is why brunch is perfect for me- by kicking the meal back to a later time slot, upping the indulgence level of the food served, and making it acceptable (if not encouraged) to drink an adult beverage, I am all for it.

One of my favorite dishes to make for family brunch get togethers is a strata. I love the convenience of assembling it the night before and then just popping it in to the oven for about an hour in the morning. Torn out from an unidentified cooking magazine several years ago, this recipe was originally for a Ham and Spinach Strata. I'm not a ham eater, but it was such a wonderful base recipe that I've just always adapted it to suit those who will be joining us. I've made several different versions, but this one, with Spinach, Mushrooms and Tomato, is the one I make most often and always is my favorite.

A funny thing happened when I went to make this the night before Easter. Earlier in the day, before going grocery shopping, I skimmed over the ingredients and set the recipe aside. When it was time to prepare it, the recipe was no where to be found. So I wracked my brain and was able to correctly recall the quantities. I did find the magazine page a few days later (on top of the fridge...because that's logical, right?)

Easter morning, I got this into the oven much later than I intended on. Two things happened- in a rush to leave the house, I didn't cook it quite as long as I would've liked, and I also only took three pictures, none of which were good. Take my word that despite the picture, this is always delicious, (even if you slightly under cook it.)

Spinach, Mushroom and Tomato Strata
Besides switching up the vegetable combinations and/or adding in meat, other changes you can make are to substitute French or Italian bread for the croissants and using a different cheese.

3 or 4 large day-old bakery croissants, cut into 3/4 inch cubes (6 cups)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 large tomato, coarsely chopped
5 oz. baby spinach leaves
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
1 1/2 cups egg substitute or 6 large eggs
1 cup reduced fat milk
1 1/4 cup half-and-half
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp dried basil

Spray a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish with cooking spray.

Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, and saute for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the mushroom and tomato, and cook for another 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to low, add spinach and stir frequently until spinach wilts, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Scatter half of the croissant cubes into the bottom of the casserole. Top with the sauteed vegetables and half of the cheese. Next layer the remaining croissant cubes and finish with the remaining cheese.

In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs, half-and-half, milk, mustard, salt, pepper and basil until just blended. Pour evenly over the the casserole. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

Heat to 375. Bake uncovered strata for 50-60 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Barley-Vegetable Stuffed Eggplant

I haven't been blogging much, as we've have family in town, and I haven't done too much cooking. One night we didn't have plans with everyone, and I decided I wanted to make a "me" kind of dish. I had an eggplant that needed a purpose and I chose to stuff it, using some veggies I had on hand, along with a very small amount of leftover barley that's been just hanging around. I kept it meatless, but I think it also would be good with ground chicken/turkey, or some type of sausage.

I originally tried to find a recipe to follow, but couldn't find any one that I loved, so I just came up with my own, piecing together different ingredients and techniques from a handful of different ones. I was happy with how it came together- healthy, filling and delicious. Since Sage and his father were also having grilled chicken, I served them each half a stuffed eggplant, and had a whole one for myself along with salad. I should note that with this preparation, the shell of the eggplant was just for presentation, as it is too tough to eat, so make sure to carefully remove as much of the insides as possible, while still leaving the skin intact.

1/3 cup regular pearl barley
1 cup vegetable stock
1 medium eggplant
1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 small onion, chopped
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 oz. button mushrooms, coarsely chopped
4 cups loosely packed baby spinach
1 roma tomato, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan

Bring barley and stock to a boil in a small saucepan. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes or until barley is tender and water is mostly absorbed. Remove from heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350. Slice eggplant in half, and drizzle cut sides with olive oil. Brush or rub to coat. Lay eggplant halves, cut side down in a baking dish, and bake for 25 minutes or until eggplants are tender. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.

When eggplant is cool enough to handle, scoop out flesh, leaving a scant 1/4 inch thick shell. Transfer the scooped out eggplant to a cutting board and coarsely chopped. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Set aside. Return eggplant shells, skin side down, to baking dish.

Heat a skillet with 1 tbsp of oil over medium heat. Add pepper and onions with salt and pepper and saute for 5 minutes. Add chopped eggplant and cook for 5 minutes more. Add garlic, mushrooms and tomatoes and continue to cook for 3 more minutes.

Add barley and spinach to skillet mixture and stir to combine. Cover and turn off heat. Let sit for a few minutes to wilt spinach a little.

Spoon skillet mixture into eggplant shells, and top each one with half of the cheese. Bake for 12 minutes.

Sweet Potato, Spinach & Peanut Butter Stew

The other day, I woke up with the combination of sweet potatoes and spinach in my head and wanted to pair them together in a soup. While spinach and sweet potatoes can be found together in many recipes, I had a hard time finding one I wanted to try. Either I was missing lots of ingredients, or they were more of an Indian-inspired recipe. I'm not sure why, but I don't usually care for most Indian dishes.

Then I began thinking of a favorite in our household, Peanut Butter Chicken. So I googled "sweet potato, spinach and peanut butter," and found tons of recipes! I found that combo is traditional in West African stews. Again, most of these I was missing ingredients, so I just decided to take my PB Chicken recipe and adapt it. It was a gamble for sure, but one that paid off because it was so good! Even Beckett loved it (but then peanut butter, sweet potatoes and mushrooms all rank in his top favorite foods list.) I will be experimenting with more vegetarian versions of PB Chicken in the future!

I intended garnishing this with cilantro, but forgot. And then forgot again, when we had the leftovers, but I imagine it would go well.

1 tbsp olive oil

1 large carrot, diced

2 medium sweet poatoes, in small dice (around 3 cups)

sea salt and fresh ground pepper

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 oz. sliced button mushrooms

1 3/4 cup vegetable stock

2 oz. (1/4 cup) tomato sauce

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 cup natural peanut butter (I use crunchy, but either will work.)

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (or to taste)

1/2 (9 oz.) bag baby spinach

hot cooked rice (We had ours over Jasmine)

cilantro, for serving

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add carrots and sweet potatoes to the pan, and season with salt and pepper. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add onion, garlic and mushrooms, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes.

Add 1 cup of the stock, tomato sauce, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer until potatoes and carrots are tender, about 5 minutes.

Stir peanut butter into the sweet potato mixture until smooth. It will be quite thick, so add a little extra of the broth to thin the sauce. Add spinach to pan, and wilt. If needed add more of the broth to bring to desired thickness (I didn't measure, but I used somewhere between 1/2-3/4 cup broth to get the consistency I wanted.)

Serve over rice and top with cilantro, if desired.

Brown-rice Salad with Spinach, Tomatoes and Grilled Chicken

After weeks of too-cold weather and hearty wintery foods, this lighter salad (and the much warmer temperatures that occured the day we had it) was a pleasant and welcomed change. Found in the January issue of Everyday Food, it may have seemed almost better suited for the summer time, but with the additional of some grilled chicken, it really was a substantial (and delicious) dinner that we quite enjoyed.

I did reduce the amount of rice by a half cup and added extra spinach, but left most everything else the same. We topped it with two grilled chicken breasts (but I only photographed it with one, so you could see the other elelments.) The chicken really added to this salad- I think it would've been a little boring with out it (and that's coming from someone who really isn't that crazy about chicken a lot of the time,) and the red-wine vinaigrette with its subtle hint of dill was a perfect compliment. As a dinner salad, with the additional of the chicken, this fed 2 adults and 1 toddler perfectly, although as originally written, I believe it is meant as a side dish to serve 4.

adapted slightly from Everyday Food magazine, January issue

for the dressing:

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp red-wine vinegar

2 tbsp chopped fresh dill (I only had about a 1 1/2 tbsp to put in mine)

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp sugar

1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice (room temperature)

1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 in. by 1 1/2 in. pieces

3 cups baby spinach

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

seas salt and fresh ground pepper

2 breasts of chicken, pounded thin and seasoned with salt and pepper

Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl. Set aside.

Add rice, cucucmber, spianch and tomatoes to serving bowl. Drizzle with dressing, season generously with salt and pepper and toss to combine.

Grill chicken until no longer pink inside. Allow to cool slightly, slice and top salad.