Spaghetti squash with mushrooms, Parmesan and parsley

I don’t normally shop at Whole Foods, but I went the other day because I had a gift card. I was reminded of why I don’t normally shop there. Everything is so overpriced, and for it being a “whole” foods store, their produce section was actually quite small, while aisles of processed foods took over the majority of the store. I couldn’t even find spaghetti squash, which is very in season right now, so I still had to make an extra stop at Kroger.

This is especially weighing on my mind as I recently watched a documentary on GMOs called, “GMO, OMG” that showed how GMOs are still present in one of the largest health food chains, (Whole Foods). You should check it out. The documentary was very eye-opening. In actuality, it’s very hard to shop for non-GMO foods unless you mainly get your produce from a farmer’s market, which I know isn’t an option for our busy schedules or budgets, but it is worth thinking about what you put into your body, and the steps you might be able to take, however small they may be, to a more healthy lifestyle.

OK, now that I’m off of my soap box, we can get to the good stuff. I love spaghetti squash as an alternative to pastas, but I have never made spaghetti squash quite like this before. You might not normally expect all the flavors to go together, but somehow they come together to create pure magic. I could eat sauteed mushrooms all day, but combined with the squash and Parmesan cheese, with just the hint of parsley…. just perfection. I also made ahead the mushrooms and baked the squash on Sunday, so all I had to do for a week night meal was reheat it in the oven to cook it all the way through. It saved me some time, as I’m normally very hungry when I get home.

Ingredients

• 1 small spaghetti squash (about 3lbs)
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups button mushrooms, roughly chopped (about 20 mushrooms, 8oz)
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
• handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 380Fº

Put the spaghetti squash on a baking tray and bake for about an hour, until squash can be pierced with a knife.

In a deep skillet (or large pan), add olive oil, garlic and thyme. Cook for 2 minutes over high heat and add mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms are golden brown. Turn off the heat and set aside.

Take squash out of the oven and let cool to room temperature. Cut in half and get rid of the seeds. Use a fork to scrape the squash into strings.

Add squash to the skillet (or pan), turn the heat to high and quickly fry with mushrooms. Sprinkle parmesan while sauteing for a minute.

Turn the heat off, season with salt and pepper and serve warm.

If you want to make ahead and save for later, I put the squash mixture back into the squash with the mushrooms, and set aside the cheese and the parsley. When I was ready to bake, I put the squash in a baking dish and covered it with foil and let it warm in the oven for about 25 minutes. When it was ready, I mixed in the cheese and parsley.

Quinoa cakes with goat cheese and peppers

I’ve made quinoa cakes before and they are some of the easiest things to make since I usually have quinoa on hand, so it’s really about adding whatever else I have in the fridge or want to go buy. I had some leftover cheeses from other recipes, so I used an assortment of goat, cheddar and parmesan cheeses. All I needed to get from the store were the fresh peppers and jalapenos. The cakes were a bit hot (which is how I like them) so you can definitely tone down the spice according to your taste.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup soft goat cheese
• 1/2 cup dried quinoa
• 1/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese (I also used a blend of cheddar cheese I had a little left of)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons unbleached white flour
• 2 red bell peppers, diced
• 1 jalapeno, diced
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
• fresh cracked black pepper to taste
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions:

Cook the quinoa according to directions.

Mash the goat cheese with a fork in a large bowl. Then combine the quinoa, cheeses, 2 tablespoons of the flour, peppers, onions, spices, herbs, salt and pepper, and eggs and. Stir until well combined, adding more flour or oil as needed to achieve a fairly moist mixture that can be shaped into roughly 6-8 small patties.

Heat the remaining oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. When hot, fry a few patties at a time until golden brown — about 5 minutes each side. Remove and let drain on paper towels.

Turkey lettuce wraps

I love this meal when I’m looking for a light, filling meal. You can adjust based on your serving preferences, like ground beef instead of turkey. Also, if you’re cooking for a group you can also use taco shells for those who prefer it!

Ingredients:

• 1.3 lbs 99% lean ground turkey
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 small onion, minced
• 2 tbsp bell pepper, minced
• 3/4 cup water
• 4 oz can tomato sauce
• 8 large lettuce leaves from Iceberg lettuce
• 1/2 cup shredded reduced fat cheddar

Directions:

Brown turkey in a large skillet breaking it into smaller pieces as it cooks. When no longer pink add dry seasoning and mix well. Add the onion, pepper, water and tomato sauce and cover. Simmer on low for about 20 minutes.

Wash and dry the lettuce. Divide the meat equally between the 8 leaves and place in the center of each leaf and top with your favorite taco toppings! I added some avocado and sriracha sauce…my faves!

Stuffed bell peppers with quinoa and cheese

 

It’s that time…. bikini season. I have been on a real health push, and even signed myself up for a City Surf Fitness membership. City Surf provides a variety of exercises that use The Ripsurfer X, which combines a “paddling element” with a balance board base that recreates the instability of a surfboard on water. My room mate has worked out there for a while, and they were running a promotion so I decided now would be a great time to join. I already have a good running routine, but when it comes to strength exercises, I really need someone to push me. I signed up for a different class every day last week to get a feel for which classes I would like. It was quite a challenge, but I have never felt better and am looking forward to what I will feel AND look like in the coming months!

To go along with this new health kick, I have been on the search for recipes that are high protein and low in fat and sugar. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I am now obsessed with incorporating quinoa into at least one meal per week. I love the amount of protein I know I’m getting with the grain. We had been going through quinoa quite quickly and it’s not exactly the cheapest purchase on our grocery list. Thankfully, we found this four pound bag of quinoa on Amazon that is a great price point per ounce (yes, we did the math). Hopefully it will last us quite a while!

Now for the yummy part of the post….I saw a recipe that called for shredded chicken in stuffed bell peppers, so I adjusted it slightly to use quinoa instead. You can also tone down the spice if you’re not into spicy foods, but I really loved every part of these bell peppers personally. I hope you do to because they’re pretty easy to make and make great left overs.

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 4 ounces monterey jack, grated
• 4 ounces cheddar, grated
• 2 oz goat cheese (optional, I just love adding goat cheese to everything)
• 1-3 seeded jalapeno peppers, finely diced
• 4 ounces chopped green chiles from a can
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4-1/2 cup panko
• 4 red (or any color assortment) bell peppers

Instructions

Cook the quinoa according to directions. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, cream cheese, half of the monterey jack and cheddar, jalapenos, green chiles, cumin, salt and pepper, corn, and salsa. Stir to combine well.

Slice the bell peppers in half from top to bottom. Cut out the stem and remove the veins and seeds as best you can. Stuff with the chicken mixture. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining cheese and the panko crumbs.

Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet for 25-30 minutes in a 350 degree oven. The peppers should be fairly tender and the filling heated through.

Roasted cauliflower soup

I might have found the perfect soup. I’m not exaggerating. I have been eyeing this recipe for a while and don’t know why I never made it before. After getting back from a week in Las Vegas, I needed a light meal, full of veggies. It’s thick and creamy without being full of butter and cream. The fresh rosemary and thyme really make the soup something special. And it’s perfect for a cold January day. But even if you’re not big on veggies, you should try this soup!

• 1 ( 1 1/2 pound ) head of cauliflower, cut into florets
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower and garlic cloves in the olive oil until well coated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Place on a large baking sheet, in a single layer. Roast the cauliflower until lightly golden brown, about 20-30 minutes. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat, add the onion and celery and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Chop up the roasted garlic. Add the garlic, roasted cauliflower, vegetable broth, thyme, and rosemary and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat so that the mixture simmers and cook until the cauliflower is tender, about 20-25 minutes.

Using an immersion blender (or in batches in a blender or food processor), blend the soup until smooth. Add the cheddar cheese and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve warm. We like to serve the bread with crusty bread or homemade croutons.

Turkey and veggie skillet with mozzarella and basil

My mother is a pretty simple person when it comes to food. She loves anything I cook for her and is not hard to please. However I am constantly looking for recipes that are meat or veggie based that she will still love as much as her pastas or scalloped potatoes 🙂 This one did just the trick. I was planning on the dish being more of a skillet dinner, but the juice from the turkey combined with the juices from the veggies made a beautiful, delicious, soup-y broth. That’s what I love about cooking. You don’t have to be so precise, and sometimes you might just surprise yourself and it may come out better than expected! It’s all about trial an error. Now go try this one out for yourself!

• 1 package ground turkey
• 1 small to medium zucchini, chopped
• 3/4 cup sugar sweet or sunshine tomatoes
• 3/4 cup grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1 heirloom tomato, chopped
• 1/3 cup marinara sauce
• 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese
• olive oil and salt and pepper
• basil, chopped

Drizzle a little olive oil in a skillet and heat to medium heat. Add the turkey and cook until brown. Add the zucchini and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes and sauce. Cook until the tomatoes are big and bursting, zucchini is tender and everything is hot, about 8-10 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and add the lid to help melt the cheese, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Serve with fresh basil and more salt and pepper if needed.

Holiday recipes + donation to Feeding America

Oh, how I love the holiday season! I have been blasting Christmas music (sorry neighbors), decorating and holiday shopping since before Thanksgiving. Now that we’re well into December I’m sure there is a lot on everyone’s mind, especially the thought of what you’re going to cook when the family gets together! I thought I would help you along with your planning by providing you with some of my favorite holiday recipes.

Starting with an appetizer, here’s a full menu idea (recipes below):

• Stuffed mushrooms
• Marmalade-glazed ham
• Goat cheese potato gratin
• Cheesy grits souffle
• Peanut brittle
• Pecan-pumpkin pie

Another great tip is to make as much as you can ahead of time. And plan, plan, plan! Read your recipes a couple of days in advance to see how long each dish takes so your recipes can all come out at the same time and still be warm when you are ready to serve! Some parts can even be made the day before, or even the week before if you can freeze and store until you are ready to finish baking or cooking. You can also assign different activities to different people. I have also included a sample time-table below.

As an added bonus, the company I work for, GolinHarris, just launched their holiday site, GHoliday.com. Every time someone submits a recipe, they will donate to Feeding America. So share your favorite recipes – it’s for a great cause!

Stuffed mushrooms

•  1 lb cremini mushrooms (small, bite sized mushrooms that are good for stuffing)
• 2 tablespoons butter, plus more for greasing
• 3 green onions
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Grated Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Remove the stems from the mushrooms by gently turning the stems and pulling them out. Chop the stems up and save for the next step. Chop the green onions and bell pepper. Melt the butter on the stove over medium heat in a 12 inch skillet.

Add the chopped mushroom stems, bell pepper, and onions to the skillet and cook about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

If you want to make ahead of time, you can stop after this step and pick up with the next when you are ready to serve.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use remaining butter to grease a 9×13 inch baking pan. Place mushrooms, open side up, in the pan. Fill each mushroom with the mixture. Sprinkle with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with the parsley and serve immediately.

Total time: 30 minutes

Marmalade-glazed ham

• 3/4 cup orange marmalade
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 gloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, or 3 tablespoons fresh rosemary
• 1 cooked, spiral-sliced, smoked bone-in half ham

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, stir together marmalade, sugar, vinegar, mustard, garlic, and rosemary. Place ham in a 9×13 inch roasting pan. Brush the mixture all over the ham. Place in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted horizontally in the bottom portion of the ham (not touching the bone) reaches 140 degrees. Transfer to a platter and garnish with herbs and fruit if you like!

Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Goat cheese potato gratin

• 2 lbs yukon gold potatoes, peeled
• 1 cup milk (low fat is fine)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 heaping cup soft goat cheese
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• Chives or green onions, chopped, for serving

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease an 11×7 inch baking dish.

Slice the potatoes very thinly.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, cream, garlic, goat cheese, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Layer 1/3 of the potatoes in the bottom of the baking dish overlapping them slightly. Pour 1/3 of the cream mixture over the potatoes, then repeat the layers two more times with the remaining potatoes and cream.

Bake, uncovered, for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the top is browned and the potatoes are cooked through. Allow to stand at least 15 minutes. Sprinkle with chives or green onions and serve.

Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Cheesy grits souffle

• 6.5 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup quick-cooking grits
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 6 large eggs, separated

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a baking dish.

In a saucepan, bring water, margarine, salt, and 1 1/2 cup of milk to a boil. Whisk in grits. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Whisk well, then stir in nutmeg, cayenne, remaining 1 cup milk, and the Cheddar cheese. Whisk in 3 egg yolks; discard the remaining yolks. Transfer to a bowl and cool.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat all 6 egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add one-third of the whites to the grits mixture and stir until blended. Fold in remaining egg whites, stir gently, then transfer to a souffle dish. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until puffed and golden brown on top.

Total time: 1 hour

Peanut brittle

• 1 1/2 cups dry roasted peanuts
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1 pinch salt (optional)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Grease a baking sheet, and set aside. In a glass bowl, combine peanuts, sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Cook in microwave for 6 to 7 minutes on High (700 W); mixture should be bubbly and peanuts browned. Stir in butter and vanilla; cook 2 to 3 minutes longer.

Quickly stir in baking soda, just until mixture is foamy. Pour immediately onto greased baking sheet. Let cool 15 minutes, or until set. Break into pieces, and store in an airtight container.

Total time: 30 minutes

Pecan-pumpkin pie

• 3 eggs, divided
• 1 cup canned solid pack pumpkin
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• dash salt
• 2/3 cup light or dark corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• 1 prepared deep dish pie crust

Preheat oven to 350°.

In small bowl, combine one egg, pumpkin, 1/3 cup sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Spread in pie crust.

In medium bowl, beat remaining two eggs slightly. Stir in corn syrup and remaining 2/3 cup sugar, the butter and vanilla; stir until well blended. Stir in pecans. Carefully spoon over pumpkin mixture.

Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until filling is set around edge. Cool pie completely on wire rack.

Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Time table

Day before:

• Make peanut brittle
• Make pecan-pumpkin pie
• Prepare the filling for the stuff mushrooms and store in the fridge over night

Day of:

• 10:00 am Before guests arrive, set the table, set out wine glasses, etc.
• 12:00 pm Assemble the stuffed mushroom, bake, then serve for guests
• 12:30 pm Mise and place – Prepare the glaze for the ham
• 12:40 pm Mise and place – Prepare the ingredients for the goat cheese potato gratin
• 1:15 Put the ham in the oven to cook
• 1:15 Put the potatoes in the oven to cook
• 1:20 pm Mise and place – Prepare the ingredients for the cheesy grits souffle
• 1:40 pm Put the souffles in the oven to bake
• 2:30 pm Remove the ham from the oven and let rest
• 2:30 pm Remove the potatoes from the oven
• 2:30 Remove the souffles from the oven
• 2:35 Serve!

I would love to hear about your favorite recipes – share them here and also on GHoliday.com!

Slow cooker baked potato soup

At work on Friday we had our big Thanksgiving feast and in true GH fashion we had an absurd amount of food. Everyone volunteered to bring a side dish. I wanted to bring something less traditional than your typical side, so I decided to make potato soup. The soup turned out a bit thicker than I was expecting, but I do like thicker, heartier soup. If you want soup that is more soupy, you can simply add more chicken stock as needed.

I also brought my pumpkin corn bread that I made last year. Which. I. LOVE.

Since we had so much food left over at the party, I was able to bring the leftovers home and enjoy them with my cousin today just before we saw Catching Fire. It was just what we needed on this freezing cold day!

• 5 pounds Russet Potatoes, washed but not peeled and diced into 1/2 in cubes
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 10 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 cups chicken stock or broth
• 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoons seasoned salt
• Bacon, shredded cheese, green onions, etc. for garnish

Add potatoes, onion, garlic, seasoning, and chicken stock to slow cooker.

Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 10 hours.

Add the softened cream cheese and puree soup with an immersion blender until the cheese is incorporated and about half the soup is blended. If you don’t have an immersion blender you can transfer the mixture into a blender, then transfer back into the pot for serving.

Stir well, top with your choice of garnishes & enjoy!

Bell pepper tacos

Happy Friday and TGIF! These bell pepper tacos are perfect to make quickly before going out for Friday night fun, and will last you all weekend!

• 4 bell peppers (any color, I chose an assortment because it looked pretty 🙂 but it’s according to taste because some colors are sweeter than others)
• 1 package ground turkey (or ground beef)
• 1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tomato, seeded and diced
• 1 4oz can diced green chiles
• ¼c cilantro, minced for serving
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp chipotle pepper
• olive oil
• ½c cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 can enchilada sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add ground turkey, add salt, pepper, chipotle pepper and cook until brown.

In the meantime, using a paring knife, cut the stem out of the top of the bell pepper, scoop out any seeds on the inside, and cut the peppers in half. Microwave the peppers for about 3 minutes to soften slightly. (Prepared this way, the peppers should come out crisp-tender. If you want them crisper, you can omit this step.)

Pour cooked turkey into a mixing bowl. Stir in black beans, tomato, green chiles, and enchilada sauce. Sprinkle with cheeses, reserving a bit for serving, if desired.

Arrange the bell pepper halves into a baking dish and using a spoon, scoop the meat mixture into the bell peppers.

Cover the pan with foil and bake at 400 degrees 15 minutes. Serve immediately, topping with additional cheese and cilantro.

Have a great weekend!

Grilled cheese and tomato soup for grown-ups

Sometimes you’re just in the mood for a grilled cheese sandwich and soup. I like to think this is a more evolved version than what I ate as a kid. I made this over a weekend with my mom, and we both enjoyed it. Then I used the leftover ingredients to make dinner for my friends! Which is perfect, because this makes enough sandwich for two. But go ahead, don’t hold back!

For the tomato soup:

• 6 Tablespoons Melted Butter
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
• 1 bottle (46 Oz.) Tomato Juice
• 2 cans (14 Oz. Cans) Diced Tomatoes
• 1 Tablespoon (up To 3 Tablespoons) Chicken Base
• 3 Tablespoons (up To 6 Tablespoons) Sugar
• 1 pinch Salt
• Black Pepper To Taste
• 1 cup Cooking Sherry
• 1-1/2 cup Heavy Cream
• Chopped Fresh Parsley
• Chopped Fresh Basil

Sauté diced onions in butter until translucent. Then add canned tomatoes, tomato juice, chicken base, sugar, pinch of salt, black pepper and stir. Bring to a near boil, then turn heat to low so the soup can simmer. Add in sherry and cream and stir. Add in parsley and basil to taste.

Then prepare the grilled cheese sandwiches!

For the grilled cheese:

• 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard, to taste
• 1 Tablespoon Mayonnaise, to taste
• 1 whole Tomato
• 1 whole Red Onion, Small
• 2 slices Mild Cheddar
• 2 slices Provolone
• 2 slices Rye Bread
• Butter

First make the special sauce. Measure 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard and 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise and mix the together in a small bowl. Mix it together well and then spread a very thin layer onto the inside of both pieces of bread.

Now slice a nice ripe tomato. Thinly slice a red onion. Place two slices of tomato on one piece of bread and two slices of mild cheddar on the other slice. On top of the tomatoes place several slices of red onion followed by two sliced of provolone.

Now very carefully put the two halves together.

Now spread a ridiculous amount of butter on top of the bread and make sure you cover completely. Flip the sandwich over and repeat the process on the other side.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet (non-stick is preferable here) over LOW heat. Place the sandwich in the skillet and cook it for at least 5 minutes. Flip and continue cooking for another couple of minutes, until golden brown. Remove to a cutting board and slice this beautiful little piece of heaven in half and eat.