Moroccan Stuffed Acorn Squash

I made stuffed squash the other night and loved it.  Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of it before we polished it off.  I thought I would write a post anyway, so that anyone who was interested could check out the recipe.

Moroccan Stuffed Acorn Squash Recipe

Blueberry Muffins

I keep on trying to find a GREAT blueberry muffin recipe.  I came across Martha Stewart's recipe and gave it a try because it received a lot of good reviews. I was pretty happy with the results.  I used some whole wheat flour, which gave them a slightly different texture, but overall they were pretty tasty.

Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie takes a bit of time, but it is worth it in the end, especially because it makes excellent leftovers.  I use Rachel Ray's 30 Minute Shepherd's Pie recipe as the framework, but I add or take away different vegetables, depending what I have in the house.  I also always do a mix of sweet potatoes and regular potatoes, which I think, makes the dish.

Bruschetta

Ingredients:

• 6 c cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 bulb of garlic
• 2 T balsamic vinegar
• 2 T maple syrup
• 3 T olive oil
• 1/2 c purple onion, finely diced
• 1/4 c fresh basil, chopped
• ricotta cheese
• artisan bread

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Spread tomatoes evenly on a pan.  
3. Cut top of garlic bulb off and put it in the pan with the tomatoes.  
4. Mix the vinegar, syrup, and oil together and pour over the tomatoes and garlic.
5. Roast for 1-1 1/2 hours and let cool.  Add onions and basil.
6. Toast the bread in the oven by putting it on broil for several minutes on each side.
7. Once the bread is toasted, spread ricotta cheese on it and a spoonful of the tomato mixture.

Spinach Tomato Quiche

 

 Ingredients:

• frozen pie crust
• 4 cups spinach, chopped
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 - 3 onions, sliced
• 2 T oil
• 6 eggs
• 3/4 c milk
• 1 T italian seasoning (or a combination of fresh herbs such as, rosemary, oregano, or basil)
• feta cheese, optional

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a pan on medium heat and add onions.  Cook until they are soft or caramelize if you would like.
2. Add choppef spinach and tomatoes and cook 5 more minutes.
3. Press thawed crust into a 9x13 pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 mins.
4. Whisk eggs, milk, and italian seasoning together.
5. Once crust is cooked, put the fried vegetables over the crust and pour egg mixture on top.
6. Add feta cheese on top, if desired.
7. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until set.

Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze

Our family loves picking wild blueberries.  There's nothing better than getting your own free, healthy, and delicious food!  I found an amazing Blueberry Scone recipe from Tyler Florence that you can find here.  I have tried a number of different scone recipes and this one is definitely the best one I've had.  The lemon glaze tops it off!

Potato Bacon Soup

 

I recently had to make a huge pot of soup because I was taking over meals to several families.  I decided to take a risk and try a soup I had never made before.  The risk turned out to be worth it and the soup was great!  You can find the recipe for Potato Bacon Soup here if you would like to try it.

Roasted Beet Fries and Summer Vegetable Pasta

 

Beet Fries
Ingredients:

• beets
• oil
• sea salt

Directions:

1. Cut beets into fry like strips.  
2. Toss with oil and salt.
3. Bake at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes on each side

I also served these with an aioli dipping sauce that I got from here. These were very tasty, but unfortunately mine were not very crispy.   I would try cooking them at at even higher heat for a shorter amount of time.

Summer Vegetable Pasta
Ingredients:

• 1 or 2 zucchini, cubed
• 2 c of cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 T oil
• salt and pepper
• A few tablespoons chopped basil
• feta cheese
• pasta of your choice

Directions:

1. Fry zucchini and onion in oil for 5 min.
2. Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.  Cook for 5 more minutes.
3. Toss with pasta and add basil and feta.