Black Bean Salsa

Black Bean Salsa

1 can black beans drained and rinsed
2 C frozen sweet white corn
1 sweet pepper diced (orange, yellow or red...no green)
2 large tomatoes (4 small) diced
3 green onions sliced
1 avocado diced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 Zesty Italian Seasonings dressing - made up with oil, vinegar and water according to directions

Mix in a bowl and season with salt and pepper if needed.  Serve with warm corn tortilla chips.

**I've had a ton of different versions of this recipe, but I like this one best.  And if my avocados are ripe enough, I usually put 2 or 3 in. But for the picture, I was lucky one was ripe.
**And in my opinion, the smaller the dice and slice, the better.

Grilled Yam Salad

Grilled Yam Salad

3 yams
2 red bell peppers (or orange or yellow)
1 sweet onion
olive oil
1 avocado, diced
1 C cherry tomatoes (or more)
3 T cilantro, minced
1 lime juiced
salt

Peel yams and slice length wise, place in large bowl. Slice pepper in 3 big pieces, remove seeds, place in bowl with yams.  Drizzle with olive oil and toss in the bowl with tongs until olive oil covers peppers and yams well.  Slice onion into 1/2 inch thick slices, leave slices together.   Preheat grill on high for a few minutes, then turn heat to low and place yams and peppers on the grill.  Oil onions and place on grill also.  Shut grill to help yams cook well. Watch carefully.  You want a little char, but not too much. When cooked through, remove from grill, dice into desired size pieces and put in a bowl. Add diced avocado, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice and toss to coat.  Salt to taste.

*I'm in love with this salad right now and have made it the last 3 weekends to accompany whatever we are grilling! I even switched up the flavors last weekend and did fresh basil and balsamic vinegar instead of cilantro and lime juice.  Hans liked that even more.  If I'm making a big batch, I store it in the fridge without the avocado and just add the avocado when I serve it.  I prefer it room temp or a little warm, when it's cold, the flavors aren't as lovely.

Zucchini Soup & Zucchini Sauce

Zucchini Soup 

Disclaimer:
This recipe was given to be by my mom and never written down.  I just watched her and did what she did.  Then I added one more step to make it a sauce.

8 C zucchini sliced (if it's over grown and a bit big, just remove the seeds because they can be a bit woody)
2 T butter
1/2 t salt
1/4 C to 1 C milk, half and half or cream

Place zucchini in a large pot and fill half full with hot water.  Put on lid and cook until water has boiled for 5 minutes.  Place zucchini in a strainer and press out extra water.  Put directly into a blender. Add butter and salt and blend.  Add your choice of liquid a little at a time and mix until desired soup consistency. Adjust salt seasoning. Serve while hot!

**So amazing with sweet cherry tomatoes on top.  Grayson could drink a gallon of this soup.

 Zucchini Sauce

To the above recipe, throw in 1 C of fresh basil leaves and blend until smooth.  It turns it into a healthy pesto pasta sauce.

**Truly, I've never measured, so just taste and adjust!  It is so worth it and so good!  And so perfect in August when your zucchini plant is going crazy!

Black Bean, Yam & Quinoa Chili

Black Bean, Yam & Quinoa Chili 
with Chipotle Cream

1 t olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium carrots, diced small
1/2 t turmeric
1/4 t cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
1 t cumin
2 t chili powder
1 t Smoked Chipotle Tabasco sauce
salt, to taste
1 can (15.5 oz) low-sodium tomato sauce
2 cups cooked quinoa
2 can black beans (15.5 oz), drained
4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock, plus more to thin if desired
1 yam, peeled and diced into small cubes

For Chipotle Creme:
1 cup plain greek yogurt
2 teaspoons Smoked Chipotle Tabasco sauce, plus more if desired
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon dijon mustard

Heat the olive oil in  a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrots and salt; saute for 5 minutes or until onions become translucent.  Add the entire can of tomato sauce to the pot. Next add the black beans, vegetarian broth, all spices, and quinoa. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat to medium, add diced sweet potatoes. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

To make the smoked chipotle yogurt, combine tabasco sauce, honey, and dijon mustard in a medium bowl. Mix well. Spoon chili into bowls and add yogurt sauce on top. Enjoy!

**From ambitiouskitchen.com
**This is such a great vegetarian chili! Same satisfaction, without the meat.  The yogurt sauce is a bit spicy, so if you don't like spice, lay off the chipotle tabasco, but the sweet, spicy, tangy sauce is what made this for me, I love the heat!

Roasted Garlic White Bean Hummus

 Roasted Garlic White Bean Hummus

1 whole head of garlic
3 T olive oil (maybe more to change for consistency preference)
1 can white or  cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (15 Oz.)
1 whole small lemon, juiced
½ t cumin
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Slice the head of garlic in half horizontally to expose the cloves. Drizzle with a little olive oil and wrap in foil. Bake 30-40 minutes or until fragrant and cloves are golden in color. Then remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Into the bowl of a food processor, pour in beans, lemon juice, cumin, salt and pepper. Squeeze both halves of the roasted garlic head into the food processor. The roasted cloves should pop right out. Turn machine on and drizzle in 3 Tablespoons of olive oil, processing until desired consistency has been reached. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking-more salt, more cumin, more lemon juice, etc.
Spoon onto serving platter. Top with another drizzle of olive oil, pine nuts and parsley, if desired. Serve with pita bread, vegetables or crackers. Also delicious on a sandwich or wrap.

*From laurenslatest.com ...check it out for beautiful pics of the process.
**This is so light, fresh and yummy! I always make a double batch for a gathering (The gingerbread house ladies love it!)....just beware, you'll smell a little garlicy the next day! :)

Zucchini "Noodles" with Pesto

Zucchini "Noodles" with Pesto

Pesto
2 C tightly packed basil leaves
1/2 C olive oil
3 T pine nuts
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t salt
1/2 C grated parmigiano-reggiano

Zucchini Noodles
3 medium zucchini
1 T olive oil
3/4 lb dried spaghetti
shaved parmigiano-reggiano for serving

First make the pesto.  Put all the ingredients, except the parmigiano-reggiano into a food processor or good blender.  Process to a smooth, creamy consistency, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides.  Transfer to a bowl and stir in the grated parmigiano-reggiano. Set aside.
Put a large pot of salted water over high heat.
Using a mandoline, or a sharp knife, cut zucchini into long skinny "noodles." Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but not mushy. 5-8 minutes. 

When the pot of water boils, drop in the spaghetti.  Cook until al dente.  Using a pair of long handled tongs scoop the pasta directly from the pot into the skillet of cooked zucchini.  Add 1/2 cup of the pesto and toss the mixture well to ensure that each noodle-zucchini and spaghetti alike-has a thin, even coat of sauce.  Serve immediately, with additional salt and lots of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

**From A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg
**Such a fantastic summer side dish and adding the garden cherry tomatoes makes it divine!
**Before I had a mandolin, I would just make the zucchini, as a side dish, so good!

Rosemary Parmesan Polenta

Rosemary Parmesan Polenta

7 1/2 C water
1 1/2 t salt
pinch baking soda
1 t fresh rosemary finely chopped 
1 1/2 C coarse-ground cornmeal (aka polenta)

2 T unsalted butter
2 C grated Parmesan cheese
black pepper to taste

Bring water to a boil in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat.  Stir in salt, baking soda and rosemary.   Slowly pour cornmeal into water in a steady stream, while stirring constantly.  Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, about 1 minute.  Reduce heat to lowest possible setting and cover.  After 5 minutes, whisk polenta to smooth out any lumps.  cover and continue to cook without stirring, until grains of polenta are tender by slightly al dente, about 25 minutes longer. (Polenta will be loose and barely hold its shape but will continue to thicken as it cools.) Remove from heat, stir in butter and parmesan and season to taste with pepper.

**Adapted from Creamy Polenta - America's Test Kitchen
**I love polenta, so does Chloe! It's basically fancy for Grits.  It was a great compliment to these roasted root vegetables, but is also good with dishes like Grilled Pork Tenderloin!

Lemon Asparagus Salad

Lemon Asparagus Salad

1/4 C pine nuts toasted (350 for 5-8 minutes)
1 lb asparagus, rinsed (a bit bigger than I normally buy)
1 lemon
olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
1-2 oz parmesan

On a cutting board, lay a single stalk on its side, and while holding the tough/big end, use a vegetable peeler to shave off thin ribbons from stalk to tip. Peeling away from the tough end in your hand.  Discard the tough ends, and gently pile your ribbons on the serving platter or bowl.  Squeeze some lemon juice over the asparagus, drizzle it with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Toss gently and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and toasted pine nuts. Eat immediately.

**Recipe from Smitten Kitchen.
**A lovely fresh salad that is different and delicious!
**I used a normal peeler and it worked, but a Y-shaped peeler was suggested. And I personally think large shaved pieces of parmesan would be a lot prettier!

Yam Nachos

 Yam Nachos

6 large yams, cut into 8 wedges
3 T olive oil
1 egg white
1/2 t chili powder
1/4 t paprika
3/4 t kosher salt
1 t lime juice

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

3 cups shredded Colby jack cheese

3 green onions, thinly sliced and ends trimmed

Sweet peppers, diced

guacamole

sour cream

salsa

Combine the olive oil, egg white, chili powder, paprika, salt and lime juice in a small mixing bowl and whisk until completely combined.  Toss with the potatoes, ensure to evenly coat them, and spread the potatoes out in a single layer on a well-oiled baking sheet.  Bake at 400 for 45 minutes, or until golden brown with a crispy exterior.

Remove from oven and cover with cheese, black beans and green onions.  Place the pan back in the oven for 5 minutes, or until cheese has thoroughly melted.

Garnish nachos with sour cream, guacamole and salsa...or whatever else you want.

**Thank you Breanna for introducing us to this recipe... Chile Lime Potato Nachos.  I just made it with yams for fun and loved it! The kids still liked the potatoes, but I'll stick with the yams.

**I thought they were yummy on their own, but after topping them with all the goods, they were dynamite! I loved them with Ranchero Sauce! Next time I might even add sweet white corn with the black beans!

**Served 7 people generous portions with some potato/yam wedges left over!

**Grayson:"That was a great dinner!"  Truman:"I love the potatoes!" Me:"Oh my."

Autumn Minestrone

Autumn Minestrone

2 T olive oil
1 C chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 C peeled and cubed butternut squash or acorn squash
2 celery stalks diced (I forgot and just sliced mine)
1/2 C peeled and diced carrots
2 C cubed potatoes
1 t dried oregano
2 t salt
1/2 t ground black pepper
6 C water
3 C chopped kale
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Prepare all vegetables. Heat the oil in a large soup pot on medium heat. Add onions and garlic, saute for 5 minutes. Add the wquash, celery, carrots, potatoes, oregano, salt, pepper and water.  Cook for10-15 minutes until potatoes are almost done.  Add the kale and beans and simmer for 5 minutes.  Serve immediately.

**Recipe adapted from the Moosewood Restauurant.
**So healthy and yummy, great winter meal served along side a whole grain bread.
**Delish with a little parmesan or cheddar cheese on top.

Ranchero Sauce

Ranchero Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup chopped white onion

1 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional...I went more 1/16 t so the kids wouldn't complain)

1 T minced jalepeno  seeded if you want less heat (or I used roasted N.M. chilies)

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 cup chopped tomatoes and their juices

3/4 cup chicken broth

3 tablespoons cilantro

To make the Ranchero Sauce:  In a medium pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and bell peppers, cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.  Add the cumin, salt, cayenne, jalapeno, and garlic, cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.  Add the tomatoes and their juices and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.  Add the chicken broth and simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes.  Remove from the heat, stir in cilantro and puree in a blender until smooth.  Adjust the seasonings to taste. 

**Recipe adapted from Emeril Lagasse

**Breanna turned me onto this liquid gold a few weeks ago and I can't get enough....seriously!  I made 2 gallons of it this weekend with my garden tomatoes and now it's just waiting for me in my freezer.

**It was obviously created for Huevos Rancheros, but we have used it with so much more....omelets, burritos, eat it with chips like salsa.... and I can't wait to try it on enchiladas.  Oh the goodness.  Thanks Breanna!  Check out the Huevos link, her picture is stunning!
**Huevos Rancheros is one of our favorite after church breakfasts!

Marinara #2

Marinara #2

2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes packed in juice
2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, minced (about 1 cup)
2 medium garlic cloves, minced (or 2 t chopped)
1/2 t dried oregano
1/3 C red wine
salt and ground black pepper
1-2 t sugar
3 T chopped fresh basil
1 T extra-virgin olive oil

Pour tomatoes and juice into strainer set over large bowl. Crush tomatoes with hands and remove and discard fibrous cores; let tomatoes drain excess liquid, about 5 minutes. Remove 3/4 cup tomatoes from strainer and set aside. Reserve 2 1/2 cups tomato juice and discard remainder.

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden around edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and oregano and cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add tomatoes from strainer and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring every minute, until liquid has evaporated and tomatoes begin to stick to bottom of pan and brown fond forms around pan edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Add wine and cook until thick and syrupy, about 1 minute. Add reserved tomato juice and bring to simmer; reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally and loosening browned bits, until sauce is thick, 8 to 10 minutes.

Transfer sauce to food processor (or transfer to saucepan and insert immersion blender; see the related article "Do You Really Need a Hand Blender?") and add reserved tomatoes; process until slightly chunky, about eight 2-second pulses. Return sauce to skillet and add basil and extra-virgin olive oil and salt, pepper, and sugar to taste.



**It is, of course, FALL! And in the fall, I always (ok for at least 9 years now) make marinara from my garden tomatoes, which I freeze and we enjoy all year long! I usually make Giada's Marinara, but I still have a bunch in my freezer, and have been dying to try some of these recipes from Cook's Illustrated All Time Best Recipes.  So I adapted this recipe from "America's Test Kitchen," to use my tomatoes.  Which I am convinced made this marinara so yummy!  I wash my tomatoes, make a small X in the skin and drop them in boiling water until the skin starts to split.  I remove them and let them cool.  I peel them and try to remove most the seeds without getting rid of all the liquid.  I put them in my large pyrex measuring bowl and measured about 7 cups before I started crushing the tomatoes, then I followed the recipe exactly.

**Had it tonight for dinner and there wasn't a whole wheat noodle left, yes you read right, whole wheat noodle....the sauce is that good! ;)

Heather's Pioneer Mac & Cheese

Heather's Pioneer Mac & Cheese

6 C hot drained boiled macaroni (approx. 12 oz uncooked)
3 T butter
1 1/2 t slat
1/2 t pepper
3/4 lb shredded sharp cheddar (white Cabot is our favorite!)
3 eggs, beaten
4 C milk

Preheat oven to 350.  Butter a 9x13 baking dish.  Mix butter, salt and pepper in with noodles and place in pan.  Top with cheese.  Mix eggs and milk well.  Pour over cheese and noodles.  Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes until golden.

**Original recipe uses Colby Jack instead of cheddar. Both are great....my kids like the cheddar.
**Such a fun mac and cheese, felt a little quiche-like and not near as greasy as others.  Everyone devoured it! And if it happens to be August and your garden is full of tomatoes, there couldn't be a better combo than tomatoes with mac and cheese. Serious, try it!  Thanks Heather!

Stacked Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas

Stacked Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas

1 poblano chile, cut into matchsticks
2 red bell peppers, cut into matchsticks (I used one red and one yellow for color)
1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 yam, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 medium onion, halved and slivered
1-2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen
3 T olive or canola oil
2 tsp ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and black pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 cups homemade or store bought pico de gallo
6 C fresh spinach
14-18 corn tortillas, halved
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
sour cream and thinly sliced green onions for garnish, if desired

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a large shallow roasting pan or rimmed cookie sheet.

Place poblanos, red bell peppers, cauliflower, yam, onion, and corn kernels into a bowl. Pour olive oil into separate bowl, add the cumin and minced garlic to oil. Add a generous pinch or two of salt (important) and black pepper, then pour over vegetables and mix well, coating all the vegetables with oil.  After everything is coated well, spread the vegetables evenly in a shallow roasting pan or rimmed cookie sheet.  Roast for 30-40 minutes until vegetables are tender and begin to brown in spots. Stir or shake the pan every 10 minutes for even roasting.  Remove pan from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

Prepare an 9 x 13 baking pan with nonstick spray. In a small bowl, stir the cilantro into the salsa. Spread 1/2 cup of salsa into the bottom of the baking pan. Add a layer of tortilla pieces, to completely cover the salsa. Top with 1/3 of the vegetables, 3 C of spinach, and 1 C of the cheese. Make a second layer of tortilla, salsa, vegetables, spinach, and cheese. Top with with a layer of tortillas, salsa, vegetables, and cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and everything is heated through.

Let it sit for 5 minutes and cut into squares. Serve with Guacamole, sour cream and a sprinkle of sliced scallions.


**Adapted from The Roasted Vegetable by Andrea Chesman
**We have this with Lime-Cilantro Quinoa with Pineapple, and it was a great combo for a vegetarian meal!

Acorn Squash and Spinach Egg White Omelet with Apple Salsa

*** Disclaimer...I'm starting a new label on this blog.  It will be MOMO....Meals On My Own....yes, sing the Les Mis song.  The purpose of this blog was to only do family loved, tried and true faves.  But I want to keep track of my faves...healthy faves...so they will be under MOMO.  These are the meals I usually make myself when Hans is working late or out of town and I don't want to eat what you kids are eating and you definitely don't want to eat this. So it really is again, just for me, but maybe some day, one of you kids will like it!

Acorn Squash and Spinach Egg White Omelet
with Apple Salsa

1 C acorn squash, peeled and chopped (probably just as good with butternut)
1/2 C onion chopped
1 big handfuls of spinach chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (I used the jarred)
1/4 t cumin
pinch - 1/8 t cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste
3 egg whites 
1 babybel light cheese round (grated)

Roast the squash in the oven at 350 for 20 min until soft.  Doesn't take long if your pieces are small.  Spray skillet with pam and cook onion for about 5 minutes.  Add garlic, cumin and cinnamon. After about a minute, add the squash and spinach. Cook until spinach is wilted, a few minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Wipe out pan and spray heavily with pam.  Add the egg whites and tilt pan so a nice round is created. Cook through, on med low heat.  I sometimes flip mine.  Add squash mixture back, sprinkle on grated cheese and fold over omelet.  Top with apple salsa (a must).

Apple Salsa
1/2 apple, diced (fuji)
2 T cilantro, chopped
1/4 C onion, diced
1/2 lime juiced
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and serve on top of omelet.

**This is my own creation, adapted from a quesadilla recipe. It is just about the same, except add 1/2 C black beans into the squash mixture, put it in a tortilla and use a lot of cheddar cheese. I also added the cinnamon which is total yum.
** OK, here is the awesome news.  This is 280 calories, 21g of protein, and 12g of fiber.  It is one of the yummiest healthy things I've had in a long time, and I crave it!  Sometimes I double the squash portion and save the 2nd half for the next day lunch or dinner!

Vege or Meat Lasagna

Vegetable Lasagna

10 cooked lasagna noodles
6 Cups favorite marinara sauce
5 cups grated  mozzarella cheese
1 pkg chopped spinach thawed (the one in the box)
1 zucchini diced
6 mushrooms diced
6 artichokes diced (from a can)
1 garlic clove minced (or 1 tsp prepared minced garlic)
1 14oz container of ricotta cheese (I use low fat)
¼ teaspoon of nutmeg
1 C chopped onion
1 C shredded parmesan cheese

Cook noodles as directed. Rinse in cold water and let sit for a few minutes.  Cook onion, and garlic in sauté pan.  After onions are translucent, add spinach and cook until most of the water is evaporated. Turn off the heat and add ricotta cheese, stir until combined. Add nutmeg to the mixture. Mix well.
In a 9 x 13 pan, place a small amount of sauce on the bottom just to prevent noodles from sticking.  Place 5 noodles in bottom of pan, overlapping to fit.  Spread half of the spinach mixture on top of noodles. Top with half of zucchini, mushrooms and artichoke hearts. Sprinkle the vegetables with some salt.  Sprinkle half of mozzarella cheese on top of vege mixture.  Then pour and spread 3 cups of marinara sauce. Repeat noodle, spinach, vegetable, cheese and sauce layers.  Sprinkle parmesan cheese over sauce.  Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Let sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Meat Lasagna
**To make meat lasagna, add 1 lb of ground beef into onion and garlic mixture, with a teaspoon of  Italian seasoning.  Don’t add nutmeg or spinach.  Cook until browned and most of the moisture is evaporated.  Add 6 (or more) cups of sauce to the beef mixture. When layering, put small amount of sauce before noodles, 5 noodles and then half of ricotta container and spread the best you can over noodles. I usually use my hands.  Top with mozzarella and then meat sauce. Repeat layers and then top with parmesan. Bake the same.

***For the picture above (to satisfy all tastes) I used a very large lasagna pan and did 1/3 vege and 2/3 meat.  It worked out perfect. I used about 16 noodles and increased all of my other ingredients.  Also, there are 100's of variations, different vegetables,  using italian sausage with the ground beef, etc. Mix it up and do what sounds good to you.

Our favorite marinara is Giada's Marinara, but a bottled or can sauce works great too!

Giada’s Marinara

Giada’s Marinara

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil           
2 small onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped             
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped         
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper   
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes or equivalent of fresh tomatoes par boiled, peeled & seeded
2 dried bay leaves

In a large pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste. I like to blend the sauce to a creamy texture.  Then return to pan to use on pasta.(The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Re-warm over medium heat before using. Sauce also does very well frozen for a few months and just reheat in microwave or on stove top.)

** I make huge batches of this in the fall with my garden tomatoes and freeze it in single use tupperwares.  We affectionately call this "orange noodles," at our house, because the carrots make it a little more orange than red!

Roasted Veges and Quinoa

Roasted Veges and Quinoa

OK, this is one of those made up ones that can take many different directions....different veges (whatever you have), different dressing (whatever floats your boat) and different add ins (different herbs, cheese or nuts etc), but this was the combination in this picture!

Roasted Veges
1 yam peeled and diced to about 1"
1 onion chopped (a little bigger chops than usual)
1 zucchini sliced thick and slices cut in half
10 mushrooms
10 brussel sprouts
1 red pepper diced to about 1"
1 carrot diced to about 1"
1/2 head cauliflower cut into chunks
1/2 egg plant diced to about 1"
1/4 C olive oil
1 t salt
1 t pepper

Place prepared vegetables in large bowl.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Mix to coat veges with oil. (I use less oil....just depends what the quantity ends up being)
Place veges on two cookies sheets.  Bake at 400 rotating sheets 2 or 3 times to create even cooking (or use convection, but watch them, they burn quickly on the edges) and stirring veges a few times. About 40 minutes. When done, take out and place back in the same bowl and add dressing and add ins.

Dressing
1/4 C olive oil
1/4 C lemon juice
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper

* To punch up the lemon factor a bit, add the lemon zest of 1 lemon!  Or omit the lemon juice and lemon and go with a pesto paste, 2 T or so! Tons of options.

Add ins
4 scallions minced
1/4 C toasted pine nuts
8 fresh basil leaves cut into fine strips
1/4 C feta cheese

Quinoa
Prepare as directed on package. (We cook it in our rice cooker)
Serve veges, dressing and add ins over quinoa or mix all together!

Spicy Mexican Squash Stew

Spicy Mexican Squash Stew

1 1/2 T olive oil
2 C chopped onions
6 cloves minced garlic
1/2 t salt
1 butternut squash
1/2 small jalapeno
1/2 t cinnamon (I put in a little more, closer to a t)
2 t ground cumin
1/4 C brown sugar
3 C vegetable stock or broth
2 C chopped fresh tomatoes
2 C chopped red, yellow or orange bell peppers
2 C frozen sweet white corn
salt and black pepper to taste
sour cream and grated cheese for serving

Place the oil, onions, garlic, and salt in a nonreactive soup pot. Cover and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes.  Stirring often, until the onions are translucent.

Meanwhile, halve and peel the squash, scoop out and discard the seeds, and dice into 1/2 inch cubes (if it's 5 Cor more, you made need to add more stock). Add squash, jalapeno, cinnamon, cumin, and water to the soup pot and simmer for 5-10 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and bell peppers.  Cook for 10-15 minutes or until all of the vegetables are tender.  Stir in the corn and return to a simmer.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve each bowl topped with a dollop of sour cream and cheese if desired!

***My awesome friend Higgy gave me this recipe from a Vegetarian restaurant, but I changed it up a bit!

Tuscan Bean Soup

Tuscan Bean Soup

3 T olive oil
2 onions, chopped
3 carrots, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 celery sticks, sliced
2 large zucchini, sliced
14oz can petite diced tomatoes
2 T pesto (homemade or store bought in a jar)
4 C vegetable stock
14oz can navy beans, drained and rinsed
salt and pepper to taste
fresh spinach (approximately 2 cups)

Heat oil in a large pan.  Ad the onions, carrots, garlic and celery and cook gently for 10 minutes on medium heat.  Add zucchini and cook 2 more minutes.  Add tomatoes, pesto, stock and beans and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat, cover and simmer gently for 25-30 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Just before serving, stir fresh spinach leaves into soup and allow to soften. Yummy served with a little Parmesan!

**My kids don't like the spinach, so I just put it in mine and Hans' bowls and serve the soup over it.  It is so yummy and healthy!