Summer Vegetable Saute

There are so many good things about summer. One of my favorites is the huge selection of fresh, delicious produce. I love being able to just wash produce and enjoy it raw, with all its nutrients, but cooking truly brings depth of flavor especially when you combine so many complementary tastes. 

This saute was packed with fresh summer flavors and can be adjusted to include all of your favorites! Heating tomatoes brings out their delicious natural sweetness, which pairs beautifully with sweet yellow onion and fresh corn. Savory notes from the garlic and zucchini balance the dish. A little kick of crushed red pepper rounds out the flavors nicely. I added a little protein with some diced summer sausage and topped everything off with a sprinkle of creamy feta cheese. 

And with only about 20 minutes from prep to serving, this dish is great for those in a hurry or for anyone wanting to avoid turning on the stove for too long! 

What You'll Need:

(serves 2)

2 tbsp olive oil or butter, divided 

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 ear of corn

1 zucchini, thinly sliced

1 cup grape tomatoes

1 cup diced summer sausage

sprinkle of feta cheese

1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste 

What To Do:

Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add oil, onion, and corn, stirring frequently until corn is slightly charred and onions are translucent. Add garlic and continue cooking for one minute. 

Add zucchini, tomatoes, and summer sausage. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add crushed red pepper. Add more oil as needed to keep saute from burning. 

Continue cooking, stirring often, for about ten minutes or until tomatoes are slightly charred and zucchini is tender crisp. Sprinkle with feta and serve immediately.

Serve in a bowl as a standalone meal, plate over brown rice/quinoa, wrap it up in whole wheat pita bread or layer over your favorite greens with dressing. This versatile dish can take so many forms!

Quick Mashed Sweet Potatoes

We've discussed before how nutritionally dense the sweet potato is- which is perfect because it is also super tasty and simple to prepare in so many different ways! I love it in this breakfast quinoa hash or stuffed with black beans and corn, but simple mashed sweet potatoes are just as good. You can always cube and boil the potatoes like you would make regular mashed potatoes. But if you need dinner on the table ten minutes ago, this is the way to go. 

What You'll Need:
1 sweet potato
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
dash of cinnamon

What to Do:
Slice potato in half and poke holes all over it. On a microwave safe plate, microwave on high for five minutes. Check the potato to see if it's soft. (Mine was) Continue cooking in 20 second intervals until you reach the desired consistency. Scoop all the potato into a bowl and mash with a fork with butter, salt, and cinnamon. Serve warm.

Spicy Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Here are some fun facts about sweet potatoes. They are fat free, cholesterol free and have a low glycemic index. They are an excellent source of beta carotene, potassium, iron, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, and Vitamin B-6. The Center for Science in the Public Interest rates sweet potatoes as the number one most nutritious vegetable! (source and source). 

Oh and one medium sweet potato is only about 100 calories. 

So, really, you can feel great about eating these fries ;)  With just a touch of olive oil and a tasty blend of spices, these baked fries make the perfect snack or side dish. I made a half serving portion for myself and will definitely be making more. Very soon. Like maybe tonight. 

These go great with avocado cream sauce! 

What You'll Need:

makes 4 servings

• 4-5 sweet potatoes (about 1 1/2 lb.), unpeeled, each cut lengthwise into 8 wedges
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

What To Do:

Preheat oven to 450°. Toss potato wedges, oil, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper on a foil-lined large rimmed baking sheet to evenly coat; season potatoes with salt and pepper.

Roast, turning once, until wedges are golden brown and crisp, 25-30 minutes.

Recipe from Shutterbean, originally adapted from Bon Appetit 

Creamy Chipotle Carrot Soup with Goat Cheese

It really is that bright orange. 

It is probably just me, but even though I love to snack on baby carrots, I tend to have a nearly full bag of drying-out carrots before too long. Well, as to not let these dear orange friends go to waste, I whipped up some carrot soup! I'd never had it before, but it turned out quite delicious and very similar to my butternut squash and pumpkin soup. I read a few different recipes and then just kinda winged it. It was a tiny bit bland for my taste so I kicked it up with chipotle seasoning and goat cheese. Perfection. 

I ate two glorious bowls and thought- this is basically just carrots so it's totally okay to have seconds!

It's naturally gluten free, and can easily be made vegan or dairy free with a couple of substitutions. Sub in vegetable broth for the chicken broth, olive oil for the butter, and coconut or almond milk for the half and half. I really love how versatile it is!

What You'll Need:

1 lb bag of baby carrots, chopped (or one pound carrots, peeled and diced)

1 tbsp butter

1/2 yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups chicken broth 

1/2 cup half and half

1 cube chipotle seasoning or 1 chipotle in adobo sauce, pureed

salt and pepper to taste

goat cheese crumbles 

What To Do:

Heat butter over medium heat and cook onions for 5 minutes or until translucent but not browned. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute. Add carrots, broth, salt and pepper. Bring pot to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for about twenty minutes or until carrots are very soft. Transfer contents into a blender and blend until completely smooth, doing so in batches if necessary. Pour back into pot and add half and half and chipotle. Stir together and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm, topped with goat cheese crumbles. 

Delicious and healthy!

Homemade Green Bean Casserole and Sweet Potato Casserole

Homemade Green Bean Casserole with Fresh Fried Onions

When I was younger, the only way I would eat green beans was if it was green bean casserole. I love this rich, creamy dish! It was one of the first dishes that I learned to make for our family holidays. (But really, how hard is it to mess up a can of beans + a can of soup + a can of fried onions?!) Today it is still one of my favorites! One bite takes me to thoughts of family, holidays and blessed cool weather. 

 This particular recipe is even better than what I grew up on. It's made with fresh green beans, a homemade cream of mushroom soup and fresh fried onions. It is a little more time consuming than the version I first learned, but there is something quite wonderful about knowing exactly what the ingredients of your dish are. As someone who vowed to eat less processed foods this year, this recipe is right up my alley. 

Plus in these individual serving dishes, I will leave some for you, too.

What You'll Need:

• Salt
• 1 pound green beans
• 3 tablespoons Country Crock Original Spread
• a handful baby bella mushrooms, cut into small pieces
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper
• black pepper
• 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup Parmesan breadcrumbs
• 1/4 onion, sliced very thinly
• canola oil 
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup flour

What To Do:

Wash and rinse green beans. Trim the ends and cut beans into small pieces.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil, then add 2 tablespoons of salt and beans. Cook for about 6 minutes, until the beans are bright green and crisp-tender. Drain the beans in a colander and run them under cold water to stop cooking. Place them onto a paper towel lined baking sheet to drain completely.

Add Country Crock Original Spread to pan and melt over medium high heat. Once foaming has subsided, add mushrooms, garlic, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. Cook for about 6 minutes, or until the mushrooms have released their moisture and the liquid has evaporated. Stirring constantly, sprinkle in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Stir in broth and, still stirring constantly, bring to a simmer. Add cream, reduce heat to medium, and continue simmering about 12 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Pour green beans back into pan and stir to evenly coat them with sauce. Pour into individual ramekins. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the beans and bake for 10-15 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and topping is golden brown. 

While the beans are baking, pour enough oil into a pan to cover the surface and heat to medium. Dredge onion in milk and then flour. Fry the onions for 30 seconds on each side or until golden brown. Serve atop baked green beans!

recipe adapted from Cook Like a Champion, originally from The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook

Irresistible Sweet Potato Casserole 

Another classic Thanksgiving dish is sweet potato casserole... believe it or not, I used to be adamantly opposed to even tasting it! Thankfully I have seen the error of my ways. This recipe is sweet and buttery with the perfect added crunch of the topping. It would make an acceptable side dish or dessert.

I loved using Country Crock spread in this recipe because it melted so easily, spread smoothly and added a delicious buttery depth to the dish.

What You'll Need:
for potatoes:
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup Country Crock Original Spread, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, beaten
for topping:
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
a dash of salt
a handful of chopped walnuts
2 tbsp Country Crock Original Spread, melted

What To Do:
Boil sweet potatoes until soft. Drain and mash with a fork. Add sugar, salt, Country Crock Original Spread, vanilla and eggs, and mix well. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, sugar, salt, walnuts, and Country Crock Original Spread until it forms a uniform consistency. Transfer potato mixture into individual ramekins and top evenly with sugar-walnut topping. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until toasted golden brown and set. 

Try not to eat it all at once.
Because it will smell like heaven.

recipe adapted from CD Kitchen

Thank you to Good to Know & Unilever Spreads for being a sponsor. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Maple Sausage and Cranberry Stuffing Shots

I know there's a whole debate on stuffing versus dressing. And I think technically it's only called stuffing if it's cooked while stuffed inside the turkey. But for this post's purposes, stuffing shots sounded better than dressing shots. So there you are. 

This recipe is chock full of sweet and savory goodness, which all blend together to make a fantastic side to any Thanksgiving meal. 

I served it in my kitchen shot glasses with little taster spoons. However, this could always be served family style out of your favorite baking dish. 

What You'll Need:
1 small pkg cornbread mix
1/2 lb maple pork sausage
2 tbsp butter
1/2 apple (I used Granny Smith), diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
1/2 small onion
2 cloved garlic, minced
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chicken broth, plus more as needed

What To Do:
Prepare cornbread according to instructions. Meanwhile, cook sausage over medium heat, until no longer pink. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon. Add butter to pan drippings and cook onion for five minutes or until softened. Add garlic, apple, and celery and cook for two more minutes. 

When cornbread is full cooked, crumble it into small pieces into the pan. Stir in the cranberries until everything is evenly combined. Slowly pour chicken broth over the mixture until moistened. Salt and pepper the mixture to taste.  

Transfer to a baking dish and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. To serve, dip shot glasses directly into the stuffing, using a spoon to readjust it aesthetically. 

Inspired by Epicurious

Thanksgiving Cocktail Party Menu

Set Up

Appetizer

Creamy Butternut Squash and Pumpkin Soup

Entree

Turkey Sliders with Brie and Cranberry Chutney

Side Dishes

Maple Sausage and Cranberry Stuffing Shots

Roasted Fresh Green Beans and Grape Tomatoes

**I'm at camp with my students all this week! Hope y'all enjoy some of these yummy recipes while I'm away. I'll try to respond to comments/emails when I get back!**

This is a perfect summer side! Roasted tomatoes have such a delicious and robust flavor and green beans add just the right crunch. Plus this is so simple to throw together!

What You'll Need: 

1 lb fresh green beans, ends trimmed

1 pint grape tomatoes 

2 tbsp olive oil

freshly cracked black pepper

sea salt 

What To Do:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss together beans, tomatoes and oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Spread evenly over a baking sheet and roast for 12-15 minutes or until the tomatoes have burst.

Recipe inspired by and adapted from Martha Stewart

Easy Guacamole

Fresh guacamole is one of life's most wonderful things. There's just something about the combination of rich avocado with diced onions, tomatoes and jalapenos with just a squeeze of lime juice that begs you to keep dipping tortilla chips into it. 


Okay, so guacamole is my crack.


And sometimes, I don't have onions, tomatoes and jalapenos on hand to mix in. So the trick I learned (from a legit Hispanic family, so don't hate) is to mix in some salsa! It already has all of the flavors you would mix into the guacamole all melded together in its own delicious form.  So if you don't have time to dice up all the fresh veggies, this is a perfectly acceptable and functional alternative. 

What You'll Need: 
3 Haas avocados
salt and fresh cracked black pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
1/2 lime, juiced
3 tablespoons of salsa 


What To Do:
Scoop avocado into a bowl and mash with a fork to desired smoothness or chunkiness. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder to taste. Mix in salsa and lime juice. Adjust to taste. Consume immediately and if, unlike me, you have enough self control to have leftovers, refrigerate for up to 3 days in an airtight container. 


So easy. So addicting. Enjoy responsibly.

Macaroni and Cheese- Panera Bread Recipe

Panera Bread is one of my favorite spots to have a lunch date,

or take my huge backpack and camp out 

while preparing lessons and studying the Word.

Of course, I like that they have wifi and power outlets and booths,

but the best part is their food!

Everything always tastes fresh and is healthier than other fast food options.

Plus, on their website they offer recipes for some of their most popular items

including their mac n cheese.

This macaroni and cheese is rich and creamy and super cheesy! 

I thought it turned out really good and tasted just like the side dish you get there.

What You'll Need:
1 lb. pasta shapes, such as shells
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2½ cups milk or half-and-half
1 tsp. salt
1½-2 tsp. Dijon mustard
¼ tsp. hot sauce
4 oz. white American cheese, finely chopped
8 oz. white cheddar cheese, shredded

What To Do:

• Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente.  Drain well.  Return to the stockpot off the heat.
• Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Stir in the flour and cook until light golden brown, whisking constantly, about 1½-2  minutes.  Slowly whisk in the milk until no lumps remain.  Stir in the salt, mustard, and hot sauce.  Lower the heat to medium and continue to cook the sauce, stirring frequently, until it bubbles and thickens, about 6-8 minutes.
• Remove the sauce from the heat.  Stir in the cheese a handful at a time, mixing until fully melted before adding more.  Once all the cheese has been added and the sauce is smooth, pour the sauce over the pasta in the stockpot.  Mix well until the pasta is fully coated in the sauce.  Serve immediately.

from Annie's Eats, originally from Panera Bread

Beans a la Charra

I'm submerged in Hispanic culture a lot of the time

<3

And let me tell you, it's improved my accent 

on my poorly spoken Spanish

and definitely increased my awareness of and

 cravings for delicious Hispanic foods!

Fajitas

Enchiladas

Botanas 

(only in the Valley- can someone in Austin PLEASE make these?!)

Tamales

Tacos 

Carne Guisada

and the list goes on and on...

But a staple to go with any dish

is a good pot of beans

I used to be satisfied with canned refried beans

but as part of my goal to not used as many processed foods

and because these are just SO much better

I attempted this recipe. 

Besides the bacon/salt pork, the ingredients are super cheap

and the final product is very filling!

What You'll Need:
1 pound of pinto beans (2 cups)
1/4 tablespoons of minced garlic (3 large cloves)
1 cup diced onion (1/2 of a medium-sized onion)
1/4 cup of jalapeno juice (from canned jalapenos)
1/4 pound of salt pork (near the bacon at the grocery store)
Salt to taste

4 slices of bacon, chopped into 1-inch pieces
2 cups fresh chopped tomatoes or one 14 oz. canned, diced tomatoes with sauce
3 jalapenos, chopped
2 chipotles in adobo, chopped
1 cup of chopped cilantro 

What To Do:
1. Rinse and sort your beans
2. First soak the beans. You can either cover the beans with one inch of water and soak overnight or bring water to a boil, remove from heat and cover for one hour. (I did the quick soak and they still turned out fine!)
3. Drain the beans and cover with seven cups of fresh water.
4. Add to the pot the garlic, onion, jalapeno juice and salt pork.
5. Bring pot to a boil and then cover and reduce heat to a simmer, stir occasionally.
6. After about an hour, remove the salt pork and begin prepping the other ingredients.
7. Cook bacon in a skillet until crisp.
8. Add tomatoes, jalapenos, chipotles and cilantro to the skillet, and cook on medium for 10 minutes.
9. Let tomato-bacon mixture cool, add one cup of bean juice (or water) and then puree.
10. Stir puree into beans and let simmer together for 20 minutes.
11. Alternatively, if you prefer a chunkier texture, you could skip the puree step and add the tomato-bacon mixture straight to the bean pot. (I definitely prefer the chunkier version 

And that's it! 

Really, the longer you simmer these, the better they are. 

And they make excellent leftovers!

From Homesick Texan

Scalloped Potatoes

So I love me some potatoes.

I don't know if the past is evidence of that.

I know I say that I love a lot of things

and I say that a lot of things are delicious.

But potatoes are pretty much a staple for

comfort food

fancy meals

easy, cheap meals...

potatoes are good.

I didn't want to do just plain ol' mashed potatoes 

for this dinner party so I started searching 

for a good scalloped potato recipe. 

And my search ended with a fantastic sounding recipe 

from the queen herself.

So here's Martha Stewart's Scalloped Potato Recipe!

What You Need:

• 3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, and sliced paper thin
• 3 cups milk
• 1 clove garlic
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 5 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated

What To Do:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees with a rack set in the lower third of oven. Combine sliced potatoes and milk in a large saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, and immediately reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until potatoes are just tender, about 3 minutes.
2. Place a colander over a large bowl and drain potatoes, reserving milk. You should have 2 cups of thick, starchy milk. If potatoes have absorbed more than 1 cup of milk, add enough milk to bring the reserved milk volume to 2 cups.
3. Rub a 3 1/2-quart oval baking dish with garlic and butter. Arrange sliced potatoes in the baking dish; season with salt and pepper. Dot with remaining butter and pour over reserved cooking milk and cream. Sprinkle cheese over top.
4. Transfer baking dish to oven and bake until cheese becomes deep golden brown and milk has reduced and thickened, 80 to 90 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

A couple of notes:

• To save time, I did not peel the potatoes. I just scrubbed them really clean!
• I used 8oz of Gruyere cheese. And it was really good. But I think you could use a cheaper cheese and it still be just as good. 
• It only took about 1 hr to complete baking when I made it!

You'll notice that there's only one photo of the potatoes

and it's of the scoop on my plate. 

it smelled too good to stop and photograph

Definitely a little more work than I want to do for a normal meal

but it was so worth it for this!

This was the remainder at the end of the night

Harvest Apple Salad

Whenever I made the Scalloped Hassleback Potatoes, 

I served this Harvest Apple Salad along with it.

It made me feel a little bit better about all the 

butter and cream and cheese in the main course.

Along with pumpkins, apples are a fantastic 

in-season fruit to take advantage of this fall. 

This salad is a breeze to throw together and can be 

easily customized to include your favorite ingredients.

The apples really make the salad though!

Here's what I used:

baby spinach greens

crumbled feta cheese

toasted almonds

sliced Jonagold apples

I topped the salad with this sweet vinaigrette. I didn't have any sesame seeds on hand so I left them out and it was still very tasty. I believe next time I may reduce the amount of olive oil I mix in though.

Whisk these ingredients together:

¼ cup finely minced sweet onion

3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

3 tbsp. white wine or champagne vinegar

2 tbsp. sesame seeds

Pinch of paprika

2 tbsp. sugar

Then, slowly whisk 1/2 cup olive oil in until it's all well combined.

This makes a great side salad, but with some grilled chicken this could make a quick and healthy dinner option!

Adapted from Annie's Eats.

Scalloped Hasselback Potatoes

It all started with a picture.

I saw this on Tasty Kitchen and David stumbled upon it. 

And so we needed to try this.

source

These savory sides create a stunning presentation 

and would be great for holidays or entertaining. 

I've never had a regular hasselback potato before so 

I can't compare taste/texture/quality to that. 

I have, however, had scalloped potatoes before!

These have all of the ingredients of scalloped potatoes, 

but don't quite end with the same ooey-gooey, cheesey consistency. 

If you like your potatoes a little firmer this is a great way to do it!

First, scrub down your potatoes really well. Then carefully slice through the potatoes, far enough down to allow the potato to fan out, but not far enough to cut through.

Slice up one stick of unsalted butter and one small block of Parmigiana Reggiano. 

It's easier to handle the butter slices if it's super cold 

so stick it in the freezer for a few minutes first!

Alternating these, fill the slots in the potatoes.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake at 400 for 45 minutes to 1 hour. 

Pour heavy cream over potatoes and sprinkle generously with shredded cheese. Bake another 15 minutes or until cheese has browned on top.

Top with sour cream and serve!

If you want to maintain the beautiful presentation of the potato 

but maybe incorporate more of the flavors put into it, 

I would suggest cooking in a small, contained dish or even thickly wrapped foil. 

Otherwise, the butter melts down into the pain and the cream runs off 

(which makes a great topping!). 

You could also use a smaller potato than the russets I used- 

Yukon golds would work well! 

They could probably bake up softer in the end. 

For some reason, HEB only had crazy monster sized potatoes when I was there. 

Read the full recipe here from Tasty Kitchen.