Butternut Squash Pasta

I love Pinterest because it is a great way for me to find new recipes. Now with Jared being a vegan, he has made cooking for our family even harder. This recipe only had a little parmesan cheese, and butter that can easily be subsituted for olive oil. My kids were nervous to try it but really liked the sweet flavor.

Butternut Squash Pasta
Recipe and picture from: www.skinnytaste.com

13 oz. whole wheat pasta. I used spaghetti
1 medium size butternut squash
1 leek
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 Tbs. butter
2 cloves of garlic, minced
salt and pepper
vegetable or chicken broth, optional

Set your oven to 400 degrees. Cut the stem, and end off of your butternut squash. Slice in half length wise and scoop out all the seeds and strings. Spray, or brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkly lightly with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a cookie sheet and cook 40-50 minutes until squash come away easily from skin. Scoop out the flesh and put in a processor and blend until smooth. If you don't want to cook it this way, you can peel and cube your squash and boil it until tender. I just don't like doing more cutting than necessary. After you puree your squash, set it aside. And set a large pot of water to boil for your pasta.

Slice the leek, using the white part only. Saute it in butter until the leeks have become soft and translucent. Add your garlic, stir for a minute, and add the butternut squash and season with salt and pepper. It will be thick. Thin out the sauce by using some reserved pasta water, or vegetable/chicken broth. Once you have the consistency you want, add the cooked pasta and parmesan cheese. Toss to combine, serve immediately with more parmesan cheese on top if desired.

Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Recipe and Picture from: www.twopeasandtheirpod.com

I made this dish last night, and everyone loved it. My 2 year old practically inhaled it. This was a relief because I have only made spaghetti squash one other time, and I was not a fan and neither was the kids. I think the key is brushing the sides with olive oil, and seasoning before cooking.

To cook the spaghetti squash, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squashes stem off, then cut in half lengthwise. Brush both sides with olive oil then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Cook for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool for a few minutes and then get a fork and scrape the sides, getting all the stringy strands and transfer to another dish.

You can make the sauce while the squash is roasting. For the sauce you will need:
2 red bell peppers
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. oregano
fresh basil (Ijust used dry)
a pinch of red pepper flakes
1/4 cup greek yogurt
salt and pepper to taste
Roast red peppers over gas flame, under the broiler, or on the grill, turning to get all sides until peppers are completely black. Place peppers in a paper or plastic bag to sweat. Peel the charred skins from the peppers and remove the seeds. Chop the peppers and set aside.
 In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the red peppers and diced tomatoes. Add oregano, red pepper flakes, fresh basil, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer on stove for 10 minutes. Stir in the Greek yogurt. Purée the sauce in the pan, using an immersion blender. You can also transfer the sauce to a blender or food processor. Put on top of spaghetti squash and enjoy.

After making this, I may alter the recipe to include more roasted pepper, and less tomato as I enjoy the roasted pepper taste more.

Cilantro Peanut Pesto

I love it when I find new pasta dishes that work out! Pasta is kind of a staple in our house and I am always looking for a good new pasta dish. This Cilantro Peanut Pesto from Our Best Bites was so yummy and light. It was also much cheaper to make than my regular pesto sauce since I had most of the ingredients on hand.

Cilantro Peanut Pesto
Recipe and picture from: http://www.ourbestbites.com/

1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, smashed, peeled, and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
zest and juice from one lime (about 2 tsp zest and 2 Tbs juice)
1/4 cup roasted peanuts (plus more for serving, if desired)
2-3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
3/4 pound (12 oz) linguine or spaghetti, cooked according to box instructions
Instructions
In a food processor, combine cilantro (save a bit of cilantro for garnish), garlic, ginger, vegetable and sesame oils, red pepper flakes, lime zest and juice, brown sugar, and peanuts (basically everything except soy sauce).  Pulse until a coarse paste forms.  Season with soy sauce and pulse to combine.  In a large bowl, toss pesto with hot pasta.  Roughly chop additional peanuts and sprinkle over pasta along with extra cilantro leaves and lime wedges if desired. Serve immediately.

Avacado Enchiladas

I saw this recipe a while back and thought for awhile that that I should try it out. The thing that made me nervous was that I recently tried an avocado pasta recipe and DID NOT like it. I wondered if it was just the fact of eating the avocados warm that was the problem. Well, the avocados are definitely warm in the recipe and they are yummy! I would compare this to honey lime chicken enchiladas and honestly think they are just as good!

Avocado Enchiladas
Recipe source: http://www.ohsweetbasil.com/

3 Large Ripe, but firm Avocados, sliced into cubes (I would double this if you want a large pan of enchiladas)
1 Scant Tablespoon Cumin
2 Large Cloves of Garlic, minced
1/4 Cup Lime Juice
1/3 Cup Honey
1 Heaping Tablespoon Cilantro, chopped
1 Cup Green Enchilada Sauce
1 Cup Heavy Cream
Tillamook Pepperjack Cheese, grated. (I had shredded colby and monterey jack so I used that)
Tortillas

 Pre-heat your oven to 350. In a bowl, whisk together the cilantro, garlic, cumin, honey, and lime juice. Add the avocado and toss gently. In a separate bowl whisk the enchilada sauce and heavy cream together. Pour a little of your enchilada sauce mixture into the bottom of your pan and spread to coat.  Spoon your avocado mixture down the center of a tortilla, top with a little shredded cheese then roll, placing seam side down in the pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Top with more of your enchilada sauce and more shredded cheese. Bake for 25 min.

Pesto Veggie Pizza

This recipe comes from http://www.tasteofhome.com/ and it is a perfect summer pizza. It's a perfect any time of year pizza :) I love pesto and the broccoli and green pepper were perfect!

1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (110° to 115°)

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 to 1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 to 1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour

3-1/2 cups fresh baby spinach

1/4 cup prepared pesto

1-3/4 cups coarsely chopped fresh broccoli

3/4 cup chopped green pepper

2 green onions, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the Parmesan cheese, oil, sugar, basil, salt, all-purpose flour and 3/4 cup whole wheat flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining whole wheat flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky).

Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Roll dough into a 16-in. x 12-in. rectangle. Transfer to a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; build up edges slightly. Prick dough with a fork. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, bring 1/2 in. of water to a boil. Add spinach; cover and boil for 3-5 minutes or until wilted. Drain and place in a food processor. Add pesto; cover and process until blended.

Spread over pizza crust. Top with broccoli, green pepper, green onions, garlic and mozzarella cheese. Bake 10-12 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Spinach and Corn Enchiladas

Hello! This recipe came from http://www.realsimple.com/ and was a yummy new twist on enchiladas. I honestly didn't miss not having chicken, or any other kind of meat like I sometimes do when doing the whole veg thing. Enjoy!

Spinach and Corn Enchiladas

1  10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1  cup frozen corn, thawed

1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

2  4.5-ounce cans chopped green chilies

1  cup  heavy cream

kosher salt and black pepper

8  6-inch corn tortillas, warmed (I used flour)

1. Heat oven to 400° F. In a medium bowl, mix together the spinach, corn, 1 cup of the Cheddar, and 1 can of the chilies. In a small bowl, stir together the cream, the remaining can of chilies, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
2. Dividing evenly, roll up the spinach mixture in the tortillas (about ⅓ cup per tortilla). Place seam-side down in a shallow baking dish. Top with the cream sauce and the remaining ½ cup of Cheddar. Cover with foil and bake until bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden, 10 to 15 minutes more.

African Peanut Stew

I made this about a week ago and even though the ingredient list is quite long, I really enjoyed it and being able to cook it in the crockpot is always a plus! Jared actually told me it is the best soup I have ever made. WOW! It is very flavorful so I strongly suggest serving it with some kind of rice. We used jasmine rice and really enjoyed it.

Recipe from : Simply Love Food
3 – 4 garlic cloves
1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves and stems
1 can of diced tomatoes (14.5 oz size)
2 inch or so chunk of fresh ginger, peeled
2 heaping tablespoons peanut butter (creamy or chunky-I used creamy)
1 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
1 tbsp of curry powder
¼ cup dark brown sugar (light brown is just fine too)
3/4 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper
1 can of Lite Coconut milk (reg sized can 14.5 or so and don’t worry  some brands varry)
2 good sized sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite sized pieces
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, or 2 small ones, chopped
1 can (15-19 ounces) garbanzo beans/chick peas, rinsed and drained
In a blender or food processor add garlic cloves, cilantro, ginger, canned tomatoes, peanut butter, cumin, cinnamon, ground red pepper and curry powder. Blend until everything is nicely pureed. It will look very thick and pasty.
In the slow cooker, add the garbanzo beans, chopped onions, red bell peppers, and sweet potatoes. Add the peanut sauce mixture, brown sugar and the coconut milk and gently stir to incorporate all of the ingredients.
Turn the slow cooker on low and cook for 6-8 hours. If you are able to, stir the stew on occasion. And always taste it when the end is near so you can adjust the seasonings if you feel it needs more.

Shaved Asapragus Pizza

This pizza was so yummy! The only thing I didn't like about it was that it was kind of a pain in the bum to shave the asparagus (mine kept breaking). But I loved how it tasted, and can't wait to make it again soon!

Shaved Asparagus Pizza

Recipe from: www.tastykitchen.com

1 whole Batch Of Pizza Dough - Enough For 1 12-16 Inch Pizza
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, For Drizzling The Dough
8 ounces, weight Fresh Mozzarella (or you can use pre-shredded. That's what I had)
1 bunch Asparagus
Herb and Garlic cheese spread (I used onion and chive whipped cream cheese)
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

Cut the tough ends off of your asparagus and disgard. Cut the tips of asparagus and save for the pizza. Take a vegetable peeler and shave thin ribbons from you asparagus stalk. You will need a lot because they shrink a lot while cooking. Set shaved asparagus aside. Roll or shape pizza dough and put on your pizza stone or pan. Drizzle dough with olive oil and brush to coat. Spread Mozarella slices, or shredded mozarella over the dough. Evenly distribute your asparagus shavings and tips over your pizza. Put teaspoon sized dallops of herb cheese all over the pizza. Top with cracked black pepper. Bake on 450 for about 15 minutes.

Spicy Corn Chowder

This soup is so, so good! I had it at a party and had to get the recipe. I made a few adaptations to make it veg, but it is still excellent. Don't be intimidated by the fact that it says "Spicy" in the title. It has some heat, but not too much. My kids were totally able to eat it. Served it with some yummy bread sticks or rolls!

Spicy Corn Chowder
Recipe Source: Emily at www.atspofsugar.blogspot.com

4-6 slices of veggie bacon crumbled
4 Tbs. butter
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
salt and pepper
1 small jalapeño chopped and seeds removed
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
1/4 c flour
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 large red potatoes well scrubbed and diced
1 cup heavy cream
16 oz corn (I used frozen cause I don't love canned)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

In a large soup pot melt 4 Tbs. butter, add the onions and pepper to pan. Saute until tender and translucent, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the jalapeno and garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the flour until thoroughly combined. Cook the flour until it reaches a slight blond color, about 1 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock and the potatoes and simmer for 10 minutes; potatoes will become soft. Add the cream, corn, and cayenne pepper. Simmer for 15 more minutes. Garnish with chopped bacon bits.