Stuffed Acorn Squash

It's a week after Thanksgiving and I still have a ton of squash sitting around my house.  We received a beautiful acorn squash in our CSA box this week and it was just begging to be baked into something delicious. I found this recipe on Pinterest so I can't take the credit. I couldn't find the Rice Select Royal Blend at our grocery store so I substituted with wild rice and it was delicious. If your squash is wobbly once it has been halved, cut a slice off the bottom so it will lay level. One acorn squash makes 2 servings so double the recipe if you are feeding a family. 

Prep time: 10 mins (plus time to make rice)
Cook time: 30 mins
Makes: 2 servings

INGREDIENTS:
1 acorn squash, halved lengthwise and seeds removed
1 tbsp melted butter
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 tbsp butter
1 large shallot or onion
1 cup Rice Select Royal blend, cooked according to package directions
1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
2 tbsp chopped parsley
salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Heat the oven to 450 degrees and arrange a rack in the middle.  Place the squash cut-side up on a baking sheet, brush with melted butter (over the tops and the insides) and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until just fork tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. 

In a medium size skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Saute shallot until slightly tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients, mixing well and heating through. Remove from heat. 

Divide the rice filling among the roasted squash halves and serve immediately. 

Apple Carrot Zucchini Muffins

As a mom, I am basically trying to squeeze as much nutrients into my kids mouths as I possible can at any given opportunity. Sometimes it's easier than others. Can I get an Amen?! These muffins make is so easy. With a cup each of zucchini, carrot and apple these muffins are as healthy as they are delicious. There are hands down my new favorite muffins to bake. They are sweet and soft and don't give any illusion to having anything healthy in them. It's also a great way to use up all that zucchini from the garden. I should also add that this photo is from the original bloggers recipe.  We ate our muffins so quickly that I forgot to take a picture! Will do that soon...

Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 25 mins
Makes: 18 muffins

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 cup oil
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 cup shredded carrot
1 cup shredded apple

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. 

In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, eggs, and oil. In another large bowl whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Slowly add the flour mixture to the sugar and egg mixture. The batter will be very thick. Mix in the zucchini, apple, and carrot. 

Fill the muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick stuck in one of the middle ones comes out with a crumb or two.

Crunchy Asian Ramen Noodle Salad

There is something about Ramen noodle salad that reminds me of my childhood.  I remember my mom making a similar dish to bring to potlucks and neighborhood BBQs and how I loved the crunchy of this salad. It felt so fancy to me even though the ingredients are quite simple. I have been craving this dish lately and when I came across this slightly more sophisticated recipe I literally squealed with delight. It does not disappoint.  It has all the ingredients that I remember loving as a kid plus a few new twists to make it interesting to more discerning palates. This is definitely my new go-to dish to bring to parties!

 

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

Makes:  about 6 servings

INGREDIENTS:

Salad Ingredients:

1 (16-ounce) bag coleslaw mix

2 (3-ounce) packages of ramen noodles, crumbled (you will not use the seasoning packet)
1 cup shelled and cooked edamame
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
1 mango, peeled, pitted, and julienned (or diced)
1/2 cup thinly-sliced almonds
1/2 cup thinly-sliced green onions (scallions)
Asian honey vinaigrette (see ingredients below)

Asian Honey Vinaigrette

2/3 cup vegetable oil (or any cooking oil)

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup rice wine vinegar

2 tsp soy sauce

1/4 tsp sesame oil

pinch of salt and black pepper

Directions:

To Make The Salad:

(Optional first step: Heat oven to 425 degrees. Spread the crumbled ramen noodles and sliced almonds out on a baking sheet, and stir a bit to combine. Bake for about 5 minutes, or until the almonds and noodles are slightly toasted and golden. Remove baking sheet, and give the mixture a good stir to toss. Then return it to the oven and toast for an additional 3 minutes. Keep a very close eye on the mixture so that it does not burn. Remove and set aside.)

To Make The Vinaigrette:

Whisk all ingredients together until combined.

Add ingredients (including the vinaigrette) together in a large bowl, and toss until combined.

Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. (This salad is much better eaten the first day, as the noodles lose their "crunch" the longer it sits, and the avocado may brown a bit. Still, it's perfectly edible and enjoyable even after a few days!)

Blueberry Oatmeal Crumble Bars

I am always on the look out for easy breakfast recipes that my kids will actually eat and will keep them going all morning long. This recipe is so easy and it is beyond delicious.  The bars aren't overly sweet and the blueberry flavor shines through beautifully - they would be a yummy treat any time of day. They take awhile to bake so make them ahead of time for a quick and easy weekday breakfast on the go. The only issue I had with these is the clean up.  The foil I used to line the pan ripped and I was scrapping blueberry goo off my pyrex for days.  Use two layers and spray with cooking spray to be on the safe side.

Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: about 55 mins
Makes: 8 generous wedges

INGREDIENTS:
Crust and crumble topping:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup old-fashioned whole-rolled oats (don't use quick cook or instant)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
pinch salt, optional to taste

Blueberry layer:
12oz (2 cups) blueberries (fresh or frozen; I used frozen and didn't thaw)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp cornstarch

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil (2 layers at least) and spray with cooking spray; set aside. Lining the pan helps with cleanup and is highly recommended.

In a large, microwave-safe bowl melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power. Add the flour, oats, sugars, salt and stir to combine. Mixture will be dry and sandy with some larger, well-formed crumble pieces. Set 1 heaping cup of mixture aside to be sprinkled on later as crumble topping.

Transfer remaining mixture to prepared pan, and using a spatula or your fingers, hand-pack the mixture to create an even, smooth, flat crust; set aside.  

In a large mixing bowl (same one used for crumble is okay), add all ingredients and toss to combine. If sugar hasn't dissolved fully that's okay because it liquefies while baking. Evenly distribute blueberry mixture over the crust. Evenly sprinkle the reserved 1 cup crumble topping mixture. 

Bake for about 55 minutes or until edges are set and center has just set. Crumble topping should appear set and golden. I used frozen berries without thawing and the pan was very cold going into the oven. If using fresh berries, baking time will be reduced. Bars may take longer than 55 minutes if berries are very juicy. Watch your bars, not the clock. Place on a wire race and allow bars to cool completely before slicing and serving. Bars will keep airtight for up to 1 week and in the fridge for up to 10 days.

Chicken Alfredo Baked Ziti

Delicious chicken and ziti are tossed with a lighter alfredo sauce and baked up to cheesy perfection. Once you have all the ingredients prepped this dish is a breeze to make.  It would be a great to make with leftover chicken from another night. 

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6-8

INGREDIENTS:

Chicken Baked Ziti Ingredients:

12 oz ziti (or any pasta shape)

2 cups shredded, cooked chicken (about 2 small chicken breasts)
1 batch alfredo sauce (see below)
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (I used 2% low fat)
Optional toppings: additional shredded Parmesan cheese, chopped fresh parsley

Alfredo Sauce Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp flour

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup low-fat milk (I used 1%)

3/4 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

To Make The Chicken Baked Ziti:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cook the pasta al dente in a large stockpot of well-salted boiling according to package instructions. Drain. Return pasta to the stockpot and add chicken and alfredo sauce. Gently toss to combine until the pasta is evenly coated.

Pour half of the pasta into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup of cheese. Layer the remaining half of the pasta evenly on top. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted and just barely starts to turn golden. Remove and serve immediately, sprinkled with additional toppings if desired.

To Make The Alfredo Sauce:

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute one minute, stirring occasionally, until fragrant. Sprinkle with flour, and stir to combine. Saute for an additional minute to cook the flour, stirring occasionally.

Slowly add chicken broth, whisking to combine until smooth. Whisk in milk, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let cook for an additional minute until thickened, then stir in Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper until the cheese melted. Remove from heat and set aside.