Lunch/Dinner – re-modelED

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

August 30, 2020

Happy almost Fall!

If you know me, you know I love Fall. Every year, as September approaches, my impatience gets the best of me and I start to jump into all of the Autumn activities I love. One of my favorite things to do during this season is cook. For me, nothing beats homemade pumpkin or apple desserts or a butternut squash based entree.

Today, I decided to make gluten-free Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese. A few years ago, when I tried to avoid eating dairy, I made a similar recipe for Pumpkin Mac & Cheese. You can find the recipe here: Vegan Pumpkin Mac & Cheese.

While it may truly be too early to find pumpkin in grocery stores, luckily for me, butternut squash is always a staple I get from Trader Joes all year around.

Ingredients:

1 package of pasta. I used Trader Joes organic, gluten-free brown rice pasta
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
½ butternut squash (I got the pre-cubed raw butternut squash from Trader Joes)
2 TB butter
⅓ cup vegetable broth
½ cup full-fat canned coconut milk
2 shallots
½ tsp minced garlic
2 TB olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Cube the butternut squash (skip this step if you bought the packaged, pre-cut butternut squash) and finely chop the shallots. Place on a pan and coat with olive oil and salt. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for around 35 minutes or until the butternut squash is cooked through.
In a food processor, add butternut squash, shallots, and vegetable broth. Blend until thoroughly mixed. It should be the consistency of a purée.
In a small pot, sauté butter and garlic on medium-low, making sure the garlic does not burn. Add the butternut squash mixture from the food processor, coconut milk, and cheese to the pot, mixing on medium-low until the cheese has melted and is mixed through.
In the meantime, boil water in a large pot and make the pasta based on the package instructions. I recommend storing the cheese mixture separate from the pasta.
In a bowl, gently stir in the cheese with pasta. Top with a little cayenne pepper if you would like.

Voilà!

Blog, Lunch/Dinner, Recipes

Mimi’s Cornbread Dressing

December 24, 2016

Merry Christmas Eve everyone!

Do you and your family eat stuffing or dressing for Christmas? If you are from the North you probably eat stuffing, but down here in the South most people make dressing. They are actually two totally different recipes and dishes. This is a true southern recipe and one of my family’s favorite.

Cornbread dressing is a Christmas tradition in my family and my Mimi has made this recipe for years. I had such a fun time getting to make it with her this Christmas. She makes it for all of us every year and I can’t imagine Christmas without it.

Ingredients:

3 cups cornmeal
1 cup butter, divided
1 cup flour (if use all purpose, add 2 tbsp sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, 1-1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking soda)
7 large eggs, divided
3 cups buttermilk (add vinegar to sweet milk if dont use buttermilk,)
3 cups soft bread crumbs, I use loaf bread
2 medium onions, diced, 2 cups
Large bunch celery, diced, 3 cups (also use green tops, diced)
1 tbsp dried sage
6 (10 oz.) Cans chicken broth, undiluted
1 tbsp black pepper

Recipe for cornbread:

Place 1/2 cup butter in 13×9 pan, heat in 425 oven for 4 minutes

Combine cornmeal and flour

(if you’re not using self-rising cornmeal, add 2 tsp sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp baking soda)

Whisk in 3 eggs and buttermilk.

Mix buttermilk and eggs into dry ingredients. Pour hot butter into batter, stir until blended. Pour into pan. Bake at 425 for 30 mins. Or until golden brown. Cool.

Dressing recipe:

Crumble cooled cornbread into large bowl, stir in 3 cups soft bread crumbs. Set aside.

Melt remaining 1/2 cup butter in large skillet over medium heat.

Add diced onions and diced celery, including green tops.

Saute until tender. Stir in 1 tbsp sage.

Stir in vegetables, remaining 4 eggs, beaten slightly, and chicken broth, and 1 tbsp black pepper into mixture. Pour into lightly greased 13 x9 and 8 inch square baking dishes.

Bake uncovered at 375 for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.

Blog, Lunch/Dinner, Recipes

Thai Pumpkin Soup

October 22, 2016

It is finally Fall! What is there not to love about this season? We have cold weather, sweaters, changing leaves, and my absolute favorite part… pumpkin. There are so many delicious ways to eat pumpkin. Today, I am giving you a twist on everyone’s fall favorite: Thai Pumpkin Soup.

This recipe has only a handful of ingredients and, believe it or not, takes less than 30 minutes to make.

Ingredients:

2 cans of organic pumpkin
1 can of coconut milk
4 cups of chicken broth
1/4 cup of red curry simmer sauce (or any type red curry paste)
1/2 cup chopped roasted red and yellow peppers
1/2 TB cayenne pepper (or less if you don’t like it as spicy)
cilantro for garnish
1 TB salt or more (or less) to taste.

Instructions:

In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook the curry paste for about 1 minute then add the broth and the pumpkin and stir.
Cook until soup starts to bubble. Add the coconut milk and cook until hot, about 3 minutes.
Chop the peppers and add them to the soup along with the cayenne pepper and salt. Let the soup simmer on low for about 10 minutes.
Serve and add cilantro on top.

Viola!

Blog, Lunch/Dinner, Recipes

Butternut Squash Soup

November 25, 2015

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Obviously, one of the best parts of Thanksgiving is the food. The good thing about making a ton of food is having lots of leftovers to last you a solid few days after Thanksgiving.

Soup is a fantastic way to make use of any leftover roasted vegetables. Here is my recipe for Butternut Squash Soup. The good thing about this recipe is you can add whatever cooked root vegetables you have into the blender and incorporate it into the soup.

Here is how you make it…

Ingredients:

2 butternut squash (I used 1 large bag of Trader Joes pre-cut butternut squash)
1 large onion (diced)
1 cup of carrots (diced)
1 cup of celery (diced)
1 Tb butter
2 Tb olive oil
1/2 cup of half and half
6 cups of chicken (or veggie) stock
salt and pepper to taste
paprika
red pepper flakes

Instructions:

Peel and cube butternut squash (unless you are using pre-cut butternut squash) and coat with olive oil and salt. Roast in oven on 425 for 30 minutes or until golden and tender. While the squash is roasting, sauté veggies with butter and olive oil in a soup pot on the stove over medium heat until translucent and cooked. When butternut squash is done cooking, add to blender along with the cooked vegetables and blend until smooth. Add back to the soup pot and stir in the chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then simmer. Stir in half and half (you can use more depending on how creamy you want it) and add seasoning (I used salt, pepper, paprika, and red pepper flakes).

I made havarti grilled cheese to go along with my soup to make it a complete meal.

Blog, Lunch/Dinner, Recipes

Ceviche

July 12, 2015

Ceviche is so fresh and easy to make. It’s perfect for any summer get together. You can eat it with chips, put it in a tortilla, or just eat it by itself.

Heres how you make it…

Ingredients:

1 pound raw shrimp (peeled and deveined)
Juice of 2 lemons
Juice of 2 limes
Juice of 2 oranges
1 cup diced seeded peeled cucumber
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1 jalapeño pepper (seeded and chopped)
1 cup diced seeded tomato
1 avocado, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

How to make it:

Combine 2 Quarts of water and 1/4 cup salt in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the shrimp and immediately turn off the heat.

Let the shrimp sit until just cooked through for about 3 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Chop the shrimp into 1/2-inch pieces and place in a medium metal bowl.

Add lemon, lime and orange juice, then add the cucumber, onion and jalapeño.Refrigerate for 1 hour.

After refrigerated, stir tomato, avocado, chopped cilantro, oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt into the shrimp mixture.Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving then top with cilantro.

Blog, Lunch/Dinner, Recipes

Falafel Burgers

March 3, 2015

Falafel Burger Recipe

Ingredients:

1 can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
1 cup of breadcrumbs (I used organic whole grain bread)
1 yellow onion (diced)
3 garlic cloves (minced)
1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 tsp of ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp baking powder

Directions:

Turn on the oven to 400 degrees. Grind chickpeas in a food processor until they are smooth. In a bowl, add processed chickpeas, onion, garlic, parsley, cumin, coriander, salt, black, pepper, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and baking soda. Slowly add in the bread crumbs until the mixture holds together like dough. Then shape the dough into patties. Put the patties on a nonstick cooking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes longer, until golden brown.

I topped my falafel burger with sautéed brussels sprouts and roasted peppers.

Blog, Dessert, Lunch/Dinner, Recipes

Happy Thanksgiving!

November 27, 2014

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire.

If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something,

for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.

During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations,

because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge,

because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes.

They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary,

because it means you’ve made a difference.

It’s easy to be thankful for the good things.

A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who

are also thankful for the setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.

Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,

and they can become your blessings.

~Author Unknown

Remember the things you are thankful for today! Hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Chocolate Ice Box Tart

For the crust:

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 TB coconut oil, melted
1 1/2 cups almond flour (you can make your own by grinding almonds in a food processor until its the consistency of flour)
2 TB maple syrup
1/4 tsp salt

In a food processor, combine all ingredients and mix until it forms into dough. Press dough into a pie pan and put into the freezer for a min of 30 minutes.

For the ganache:

1/2 cup canned coconut milk
6 oz. of dark chocolate (min 70% cocao)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Finely chop the dark chocolate and place in a bowl. Bring coconut milk to a boil in a saucepan then pour hot coconut milk in the bowl with the chocolate and let stand for one minute without stirring. Then stir until smooth and creamy and add vanilla. Once the dough is done freezing, pour ganache on the crust and spread until its even on all sides. Put it back in the freezer for 45 min.

For the pumpkin:

3 frozen bananas
1/3 cup of canned pumpkin
3 TB almond butter
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice.

In a food processor, combine all ingredients until it is the consistency of ice cream. Take the pie pan again out of the freezer and pour the pumpkin mixture on top. Top with leftover ganache and coconut chips. Put back in the freezer one last time for around an hour.

Store in freezer.

Sweet Potato Casserole

For the Sweet Potatoes

3lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 cup coconut milk
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and cube the sweet potatoes and put them on a sheet pan. Cook for 35 to 40 minutes and stir midway through cooking. Once they are done cooking, put them in a food processor. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F and add the melted coconut oil, coconut milk, maple syrup, vanilla, spices, and salt. Mix until smooth then pour sweet potato mixture into the bottom of a baking dish (spread until smooth and even in the dish).

For the Topping

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup coconut flakes
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1/2 cup pecan pieces
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
2 tablespoons maple syrup
zest of one orange
pinch of salt

Combine rolled oats, coconut flakes, walnuts, pecans, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, and the zest of one orange into your food processor. Mix until well combined. Crumble the topping on the sweet potato mixture and make sure its spread evenly on top. Bake casserole for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Blog, Lunch/Dinner, Recipes

Roasted Sweet Potato and Kale Salad with Almond Butter Dressing

November 20, 2013

My family and I moved to the Atlanta area a little over a year ago. Some of the first people we met were our neighbors across the street, the Churchills. They were so nice and welcoming and they have become some of our really good friends. Ms. Amy is a personal chef and has an amazing job creating and cooking delicious food for her clients. She has had my family over several times to show us new healthy recipes and has taught us a lot. I love when the doorbell rings and I know it’s one of her girls or her bringing over something yummy for us to try. Her company’s website is http://www.alachef.com/ and you can find her on facebook where she posts a lot of healthy and tasty recipes.

The other night she brought over a salad along with a homemade chocolate cake that her daughter made! It was amazing! (I love living across the street from a personal chef! 🙂 She said the salad was a favorite of a lot of her clients and now I know why! It’s soooo good and I probably could drink the dressing by itself.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Kale Salad with Almond butter Dressing:

2 pounds sweet potatoes cut into 1” pieces

2 TB coconut oil or 1/4 cup olive oil

4 md garlic cloves minced

1/4 cup raw almond nut butter

1/3 cup coconut milk unsweet

zest and juice of 2 large lemons

1 pound organic kale stems removed and chopped

1/2 cup slivered almonds

Toss chopped sweet potatoes and garlic with oil of choice, salt and pepper and spread on baking sheet. Roast at 425 F for 15-20 minutes.

Puree almond butter, lemon juice and zest, and coconut milk in blender. Toss kale with hot sweet potatoes and garlic and almond butter dressing. Toast slivered almonds in a little olive oil or coconut oil on top of the stove for just a few minutes. Watch carefully, they can burn easily. Top salad with roasted almonds and season as needed. *she said she adds in romano cheese to the dressing for some of her clients but you can leave it out for a vegan option

The beautiful wooden spoons were one of our Christmas gifts from the Churchills last Christmas that they brought us back from their trip to Kenya Africa. They are the co-founders of an amazing organization, Just One: Africa.

Here is more about their organization from their website http://justonehope.org/

“The heart of Just One: Africa is to help orphans and widows lead self-sustaining lives by helping provide them with the basic necessities of life: food, water, clothing, shelter and education. These are things that are easily accessible to most of us, but not to many orphans and widows in some parts of the world.

Mission Statement: Just One empowers local leaders to operate sustainable and effective orphanages.

Just One: Africa is a non-profit organization that seeks to help change lives for the better, especially in poverty-stricken areas of Kenya.

Our goal is to provide these necessities by helping widows and orphans improve farming and livestock-raising and providing them with clean water for drinking and washing, proper housing and educations for the children. We want to cultivate a stable foundation of provision for women and children who are in desperate need. The orphans and widows of Africa have lost so much, and we want to provide them with hope in the midst of what often appear to be hopeless situations.

Just One: Africa was birthed out of a visit by the founders to Kisumu, Kenya in 2012. Our hearts became burdened with a love for this country and a compassion for these people. We couldn’t just return to our comfortable lives, knowing that the people we had met and grown to love were struggling simply to survive. So we thought, “What if?”

We decided that we could at least make a difference in Just One life. So that’s what we’re doing? Won’t you help?”

Blog, Lunch/Dinner, Recipes

Vegetarian Chili

November 15, 2013

What’s better on a cold night than a hot bowl of chili?

Ingredients:

2 Tb olive oil
1 medium onion
4 cloves minced garlic
3 TB chili powder (add more if needed)
1 TB cumin
2 tsp oregano
1 TB cayenne pepper
1 large zucchini
2 yellow squash
a red and green pepper
Two 10 oz cans of crushed tomatoes
1 can of tomatoes with chili peppers
2 TB tomato paste
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup spicy vegetarian refried beans
salt and pepper to taste
hot sauce to taste

Chop veggies then heat oil in a large pot. Cook onions and garlic until caramelized in the oil. Add peppers, zucchini, and squash and cook until tender. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, spices, and beans and stir. Cook over medium heat until it boils, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Stir in refried beans to thicken as needed and heat through. Add hot sauce, salt and pepper to taste. You could also cook it in a crock pot on low for 4-6 hours.