Delicious Mashed Potatoes!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound whole russet or Yukon gold potatoes
• 1 stick softened butter
• 1 cup of buttermilk
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• Pepper
• 4 heads of garlic (roast in oven in foil with EVOO on 350 for 1 hour)
• 1 cup smoke Gouda cheese, shredded
• 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard (optional)
• 3/4 cups scallions, diced

What to do:

1. Peel the potatoes. Chop in half and cover with cold water in a large pot. Add 2 tbsp. salt; bring to a simmer over medium low to medium heat and cook, uncovered, until tender, about 45 minutes. Drain the potatoes and let cool enough to handle.
2. Add 1 stick softened butter to the potatoes. Add 1 cup buttermilk (or your choice of dairy), 2 tsp kosher salt, pepper, and mash with masher or blend.
3. Squeeze the roasted garlic or use a garlic press into the potatoes.
4. Fold in the cheese and optional 2 tbsp. of Dijon mustard if desired.
5. Top with the chives or mix them in.

Homemade Stuffing to Die For!

This year at Thanksgiving, I did two variations of this and both were delicious!

Ingredients:

• 8 cups of corn bread sliced into 1/2 cubes (this makes it gluten free!)
• 1 stick of butter
• 2 cups chopped onion/scallion
• 2 cups diced celery
• 1 tbsp. minced fresh sage and thyme
• Salt and pepper
• 3 cups low sodium organic vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups of roasted butternut squash, cubed (roasted with EVOO)--roast on 400 for 35 minutes

       One Optional Version Ingredients:

• Add 1-1.5 cups of cubed apple
• 1/2 of cinnamon Toscana cheese, grated

        Other Optional Version Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of unsweetened cherries, chopped
• 1/4 cup of cinnamon Toscana cheese, grated

What to do:

1. Make your base: heat 1 stick butter in large skillet over medium heat; add chopped onions, celery, sage, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring until the vegetables are tender about 5 minutes. Add the broth, bring to a simmer and remove from the heat..
2. Prep Your Mix-ins: Beat 2 eggs with 1/4 cup chopped parsley in a large bowl, stir in the bread cubes, the vegetable broth mixture and the prepared mix ins (butternut squash). Split mixture in half if you want 2 different stuffing's...otherwise add your additional mix-ins now.
3. Add Mix-Ins: for version one add the additional apple and cheese ingredients into half the stuffing mix and place in a rectangle pan after mixing well. Do the same for the other except add the cherries and less cheese.
4. Bake: Butter the pans and dot the top of each stuffing pan with 2 tbsp. butter. Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden; another 20 minutes.

Spicy Sicilian Pea Pepper Pesto Lasagne

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This recipe combines two different ones found online: one a spicy sicilian pesto with boiled pasta, and the other a pea and ricotta lasagne. The pesto calls for lots of pepper, mint combined with basil, and almond instead of pine nuts, making it a nice alternative to usual well-worn pesto the original pea and ricotta recipe calls for. The ingredients don’t need to be cooked beforehand, just combined, which eases preparation. Your vegetarian friends with a penchant for the piquant will love this one!

Ingredients

For the pesto:

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves, lightly packed, washed and spun dry
• 2 serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed
• ½ cup mint leaves
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 tablespoon hot red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
• ¼ cup sliced blanched almonds
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup freshly grated Pecorino Siciliano plus ¼ cup set aside for garnish

For the pea and cheese filling:

• 3 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1 pound frozen peas, thawed
• 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 ounce)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
• 1 cup heavy cream

To assemble:

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 (8- to 9-ounce) box no-boil lasagna noodles (12 noodles)
• 1/2 cup toasted blanched almond slivers
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
• Olive oil, for coating the foil

What to do

For the pesto:

• Place the basil, mint, garlic, Serrano chilis, red pepper flakes, fennel seeds and almonds in a food processor and pulse 3 times to start the chopping process. Add the ½ cup oil and pulse 4 or 5 times to create a thick paste, (not a thin oily sauce). Add cheese and pulse once to mix in, season with salt if it needs it and remove to a container with a lid. Makes 1½ cups.

For the pea and cheese filling:

• Place all of the measured ingredients except the cream in the bowl of the food processor fitted with the blade attachment. With the food processor running, add the cream in a slow, steady stream until the mixture is almost smooth but some texture remains, about 45 seconds. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Leave the filling in the food processor.

To assemble:

• Pour the cream evenly over the bottom of a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Cover with a layer of 4 lasagna noodles, allowing them to overlap slightly. Using a spoon, evenly spread a third of the pea-ricotta filling over the noodles, then evenly spread half of the pesto over the filling. Evenly sprinkle half of the pine nuts over the pesto.
• Cover with another layer of 4 noodles. Evenly spread another third of the pea-ricotta filling over the noodles. (Do not cover with pesto.)
• Cover with the last 4 noodles. Evenly spread the remaining third of the pea-ricotta filling over the noodles, then evenly spread the remaining half of the pesto over the filling. Evenly sprinkle the remaining half of the toasted almonds over the pesto. Evenly arrange the mozzarella slices over the top. Coat 1 side of a large piece of aluminum foil with olive oil and cover the dish tightly with the foil, oil-side down.
• Bake until the sauce is starting to bubble around the edges, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the top and edges of the lasagna are lightly browned in spots and the filling is bubbling, about 15 minutes more. Let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

Veggie Tuscan Soup!

Looking for a new seasonal hit this winter? This one is pretty tasty!

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of brussel sprouts, halved
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 yellow pepper, chopped
• 1 bunch of kale, chopped
• EVOO
• 1 tbsp Herbs de Provence w/Lavender
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 16 ounce container of organic Tuscan Tomato soup
• 3 cups water
• 1 tsp cracked pepper

What to do:

1. Saute the brussel sprouts in EVOO, top with cracked black pepper, and half the Herbs de Provence with lavendar....cook until slightly browned on the edges for extra flavor (8-10 minutes). Set aside.
2. Saute onion, red and yellow pepper, add cracked black pepper and other half of Herbs de Provence and the paprika. Saute for about 10-12 minutes. Set aside. 
3. In your crockpot combine all ingredients and mix together well. 
4. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. 
5. If you don't have a crockpot, cook on medium to high for 30 minutes, then simmer for 1-2 hours.

Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Ravioli w/Fresh Veggies!

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces of frozen organic butternut squash ravioli (or make your own)
• 1 tbsp coconut butter
• 4 ounces mushrooms, chopped
• Handful of green beans
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2-3 tomatoes chopped
• Italian seasoning
• Salt and pepper
• Marsala wine, approximately 1/4 cup

What to do:

1. Bring a medium sauce pan filled with water to a boil. Cook noodles until done (approximately 8 minutes). Drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the coconut oil and add the veggies, salt and pepper, and Italian seasoning. Saute for 3-5 minutes. Add the Marsala wine and tomatoes, and saute for another 3-5 minutes.  
3. Serve the veggies on top of the ravioli. 

Quick and Easy Veggie Pasta Dish!

Ingredients:

• 2 cans of diced Italian fire roasted tomatoes, sauce included
• 1 zucchini, chopped and skinned
• EVOO, 2 tbsp
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 celery, chopped
• 2 Bella mushrooms, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• Italian seasoning
• Red spiced pepper, to taste
• 8 oz spaghetti 

 What to do:

1. Cook noodles, set aside.
2. Meanwhile, saute the zucchini, carrots, onion, celery, and mushrooms for 2-3 minutes. Add in the tomatoes and tomato paste, add the seasonings to taste. Simmer for 15-20 minutes with the top on. 
3. Top a serving of noodles off with the sauce.

Enjoy!

Creamy Veggies and Rice!

Alternate option: if you're craving meat, you can make this with chicken. All you need to do is season you chicken breasts with salt and pepper, cook in Tuscan EVOO on medium high until browned on the outside (2 minutes per side or so). Transfer to a baking dish and cook at 200 degrees until done (15-20 minutes). Meanwhile, cook your veggies and rice.

Ingredients:

• Salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp EVOO
• 2 scallions, diced
• 8 ounces mushrooms, quartered
• Optional: 1 plum tomato, chopped
• 1.5 low sodium vegetable broth (organic and low sodium)
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups green beans or snap peas (your preference)
• Rice

What to do:

1. Heat your EVOO in a medium skillet over medium high and add your scallions and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally until mushrooms are browned, about 4 minutes. Pour in the veggie broth and bring to a boil, scraping  up any browned bits. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. 
2. Add the cream and boil until the sauce thickens slightly, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the green beans and tomato (optional), season with salt and pepper. Service on top of rice and/or chicken.

Homemade Veggie Pizza!

Ingredients:

• 2 plum tomatoes, sliced
• 6-8 bella mushrooms, sliced
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• Capers
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup pepper jack cheese
• 1 Pillsbury pizza dough package (I use wheat)
• 1 can pizza sauce

What to do:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 (or follow instructions on your package for the dough). Place your pizza dough on a non-stick pan and fit to the edges. Heat the dough alone for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, chop up your veggies and grate your cheese. 
3. Remove the dough from the oven, add 1/2-3/4 cup of tomato sauce and spread evenly across the dough. Top with the cheese evenly and then add your toppings: tomatoes, mushrooms, red pepper, and capers. Feel free to add whatever other veggies you have (tip: if you have hard veggies like carrots, precook them in a skillet to soften them). 
4. Place back in the oven and cook for 8-10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Veggie Bake with Brussel Sprouts!

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of brussel sprouts, bases removed
• 2 carrots diced
• 3 garlic cloves, diced
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 bunch of green onions, chopped
• 6 ounces of cherry tomatoes, halved
• Tuscan EVOO
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 zuccini chopped
• Feel free to add any other veggies you love!

What to do:

1. Preheat your oven to 350.
2. Place the brussel sprouts in the bottom, drizzle with EVOO and add some salt and pepper. Mix in your additional veggies on top, drizzle a little more EVOO and salt and pepper. 
3. Top with juice from the fresh lemon.
4. Cover and bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the veggies are soft. I like to bake uncovered for the last 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

Mushroom Salad!

Great for a healthy mid-day snack or a side dish! Super easy!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound thinly sliced button mushrooms
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp parsley, fresh and chopped
• 2 tbsp dill, fresh and chopped
• 2 tbsp chives, fresh and chopped
• Salt and pepper

What to do:

1. Toss all ingredients together in a medium bowl and mix well. 
2. Serve and enjoy!

Skillet Veggie Lasagna!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup EVOO
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1.5 pounds ripe tomatoes, diced
• 4 tbsp chopped fresh basil and/or parsley, plus more for topping
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 large eggo
• 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
• 6 sheets no bake lasagna noodles
• 1 carrot, peeled into ribbons
• 1 zucchini, peeled into ribbons
• 3.5 cups baby spinach
• 1/4 pound mozzarella cheese, grated

What to do:

1. Heat the 1/4 cup EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, cook until golden, 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, 1 tbsp herbs, 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper to  taste, cook until saucy, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender and puree. Return 1 cup of the sauce to the skillet and reduce the heat to low, reserve the remaining sauce.
2. Meanwhile, mix the ricotta, egg, parmesan, the remaining 3 tbsp herbs, 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper to taste in a bowl. 
3. Place 2 lasagna noodles over the sauce in the skillet. Layer half of the carrot and zucchini on top, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover with half of the spinach, half of the ricotta mixture, a few pieces of mozzarella and 2 to 3 tbsp of the reserved tomato sauce. Repeat the layers, ending with noodles. Top with the remaining sauce and mozzarella. Cover and simmer until the lasagna is cooked and the cheese melts, 20 to 25 minutes. Let rest a few minutes before slicing. Top with more parmesan and fresh herbs.

Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

• Two butternut squashes, halved, deseeded, peeled, and chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 tbsp butter
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 tsp Paprika
• 1/4 tsp cinammon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup heavy cream

What to do:

1. In a pot, heat up the butter on medium high. Add onion and garlic cloves and saute. Then add the butternut squash, broth, and spices. 
2. Boil for 15-20 minutes, until squash is tender. 
3. Put the squash mixture into the mixer and mix until you have the right consistency. Add heavy cream if you want a creamy soup. Taste and add salt, pepper, or additional spices as needed. 
4. Sprinkle cinammon on top of each serving. 

Enjoy!

Butternut Squash Spaghetti!

Ingredients:

• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 yellow pepper, diced
• 4 carrots, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, diced
• 1 cup marsala wine
• 10 ounces mushrooms, chopped
• 2 tbsp tuscan EVOO
• Salt and pepper
• Butternut Squash jar (Dave's)
• Spaghetti noodles

What to do:

1. Saute all the veggies in a medium pan on medium high in the EVOO and add some marsala wine. Saute for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add  the butternut squash sauce and saute for 15 minutes with the cover on. Stir frequently.
2. Meanwhile, bring some water to a boil and cook the noodles until al dente.

Brussel Sprouts and Veggies!

Ingredients:

• 10 ounces of fresh brussel sprouts, end chopped off and cut in half
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• Juice of half a lemon
• Salt and pepper
• 1 zuccinni, chopped
• 1 eggplant, chopped 
• Tuscan EVOO
• Italian seasoning

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Mix together all the veggies and seasoning.Mix in the EVOO.
3. Bake for 20-30 minutes covered with foil until done.

Enjoy!

Spinach-Artichoke Stuffed Shells!

Ingredients:

• Salt
• 20 large pasta shells
• 1 (28 ounce) can whole San Marzano tomatoes
• 7-8 basil leaves, torn
• 3 tbsp butter, melted
• Black pepper
• 2 tbsp EVOO
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 (10 ounce box frozen spinach) or 3/4 pound fresh young spinach chopped
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 (10 ounce) box frozen baby artichoke hearts, defrosted and roughly chopped
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest, 1/2 juice of a lemon
• 1 tbsp thyme leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

What to do:

1.  Preheat oven to 375. 
2. Bring large pot of water to a boil for pasta. Salt the water and cook the shells to just shy of al dente. Set aside.
3. While shells cook, in the bottom of a casserole dish mash up the tomatoes, then stir in the basil and melted butter and season with salt and pepper. 
4. Place a skillet over medium-high heat with the EVOO. Add the garlic to the pan and stir for 1 minute. Add the spinach and nutmeg to the pan and cook to heat through. Transfer to a large bowl and add the artichokes, egg yolk, ricotta, Parmigiano, lemon zest, thyme, and parsley and season with salt and pepper. 
5. Stir and spoon this mixture into the shells and arrange split side up in the sauce. Cover the casserole with foil and transfer to the oven. 
6. Bake for 20 minutes, remove the foil, and continue baking until the filling is golden brown-about 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Spinach and Artichoke Mac and Cheese!

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp EVOO
• 1 pound penne
• 1 onion diced
• 3 garlic cloves diced
• Salt and pepper
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 3 tbsp flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1/3 tsp nutmeg
• 10 oz spinach chopped
• 10 oz artichoke hearts chopped
• 1.5 cups Parmesan Romagiano cheese
• 1.5 cups Gouda cheese

What to do

1.  Cook the pasta. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a frying pan and add the onion and garlic-saute for 10 minutes.
2. Set the oven to broil.
3. Turn up the heat and add the flour. Cook for 1 minute. Then add the dry white wine and cook out the alcohol-about 3 minutes. Then add the milk, artichoke hearts, nutmeg, spinach, and salt and pepper. Heat through. Add 1 cup of each cheese until melted.
4. In a ceramic, oven safe bowl, combine the drained pasta and cheese mixture. Mix thoroughly. Top with the remaining half cup of cheeses. 
5. Place bowl in broiler for 3 minutes until browned on top. 

Enjoy!

Heavenly Vegetarian Lasagna

Ingredients

• Lasagna noodles
• Spaghetti sauce (one jar)
• 2 zucchini, chopped
• 12 ounces mushrooms, chopped
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 10 ounces broccoli
• 12 ounces spinach, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, diced
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups cream-style cottage cheese
• 1 15 ounce carton ricotta cheese
• 2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
• EVOO
• 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 8 oz package shredded mozzarella cheese

What to do

1. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. In a bowl, combine eggs, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, and italian seasoning. Set aside.
3.  In a large skillet, cook mushrooms, onion, zucchini, and garlic until tender. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, carrots, spinach, broccoli, and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Cook through and set aside.
4. In a rectangle 3 quart pan, place a layer of noodles (cut to size) in the bottom of the dish. Spread one-third of the cottage cheese mixture, followed by a third of the spaghetti sauce mixture, followed by a third of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers twice. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. 
5. Bake uncovered at 350 for 15 minutes or until heated through. Let stand for 10 minutes. 

Enjoy!

Autumn Chili in Butternut Squash!

I don't know about you guys but it feels like fall is here! So here is a great recipe for you to kick this season off!

Ingredients:

• 2 medium butternut squash, halved and seeds scooped out (make a little extra room as this will serve as your chili bowl)
• 1 can black beans, drained (14 oz)
• 1 can corn, drained (10 oz) or fresh corn (4 cobs)
• 2 garlic cloves, diced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium red pepper, chopped
• 2 zucchini, chopped
• 1 pound cremini or Bella mushrooms, stemmed and chopped
• 5 tbsp EVOO
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 Dos Equis beer
• 2 ancho chili peppers, stemmed and seeded
• 2 cups vegetable stock (I used progressive low sodium Tuscan veggie stock)
• 1 tsp marjoram
• 2 tbsp smoked paprika
• 3 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 425. Put your butternut squash (halved) on a baking pan, using 2 tbsp of EVOO cover them and season with salt and pepper. Cook face down for 30 minutes and face up for 15 minutes until slightly browned and soft. Set aside.
2.  In a small sauce pan, heat your vegetable stock with you ancho chili's in it to allow for steeping. I did this for about 25 minutes. Then remove and let cool slightly. Then blend the vegetable stock and ancho chili pepper mix in your food processor and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, in a large pot, using 3 tbsp EVOO, start cooking your mushrooms for about 5 minutes. Then add all your veggies: onion, red pepper, garlic, and zucchini. Cook for about 8-10 minutes.
4. Now add in your corn, beans, tomato paste, and spices (marjoram, paprika, and chili powder). Cook for 1-2 minutes.
5. Add your beer, vegetable stock and ancho chili pepper mix, and honey. Bring to a boil for about 5 minutes and then simmer for 10 minutes or until your squash are ready.
6. After removing your squash from the oven, put the oven on broil. Meanwhile, fill your squash with chili in the cups where you de-seeded them. Top these with your 2 cups of cheddar cheese. If you have left over chili, keep it because you may want to add more as you eat the butternut squash itself. 

Enjoy!!

Spaghetti w/Fresh Pesto, Tomatoes, and Butter Lettuce!

Ingredients:

• 2 heads of butter lettuce
• 1/2 cup of fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup of fresh basil
• 2 tbsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
• 1 cup Parmesan reggiano cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp of lemon zest
• Juice of one lemon
• 3 garlic cloves diced
• 1 onion chopped
• 16 ounces of cherry tomatoes
• 1 pound thin spaghetti noodles

What to do:

1. Cook your noodles in salted water until they are al-dente. Reserve 1 ladle of starchy water and set aside.
2.  Meanwhile, chop one head of butter lettuce and set aside in a large mixing bowl. Take the other head of lettuce, basil, parsley, lemon zest, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste and place in food processor and pulse until well blended. Add 2 tbsp of EVOO to make a pesto. Set aside. Add the ladle of starchy water to the pesto and stir together.
3. Heat some EVOO in a medium frying pan and start sauteing your onion, garlic, and some salt and pepper. Saute for about 7 minutes. Then add the cherry tomatoes and place a top on the pan. Cook for about 8-10 minutes to allow tomatoes to burst. Take a masher or you mixing spoon and smash the remaining tomatoes. Add the juice of one lemon
4. Mix together and toss the noodles, pesto sauce, and butter lettuce together for a couple of minutes. Serve on a plate with some Parmesan cheese to top it off. Enjoy!