Recipe for Butternut Squash Cubes:

• 1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Olive oil
• Small amount of water
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Parsley flakes
• Parmesan cheese

Sauté the cut-up squash and minced garlic in olive oil until golden. Add 1/2-inch of water, cover, and cook until the squash is tender. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with parsley and grated Parmesan cheese.
Bon Appétit!

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Submitted by L: 👩🏻‍🍳

I have been anxious to try cooking spiralized veggies so I got a handheld spiralizer to try it out. Here’s my first offering! This was quick and easy to fix and very tasty!

• 1/2 lb bacon
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 1/2 cups half & half
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 medium zucchini, spiralized
• A pinch of nutmeg
• Salt & pepper, to taste

In a large skillet, cook bacon until crispy and drain on paper towels

Reserve 2 tbsp bacon fat in skillet and add onions. Sauté til softened, then add garlic and sauté another minute.

Add wine and simmer until reduced by half

Add half & half and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and stir in Parmesan cheese, nutmeg and salt & pepper. Simmer until thickened to desired consistency

Add zucchini noodles and toss til coated in sauce and warmed through

Remove from heat and add crumbled bacon to serve

Submitted by G ♥️

This soup is quick, easy and d e l i c i o u s !!! Good any day of the week and especially in these cold, damp times!!!

• 6 slices bacon
• 3 ribs celery, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• Seasoned salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 32oz container chicken stock
• 1 head cauliflower, broken into bite-sized florets
• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 1 8oz container of chive & onion soft cream cheese spread
• 1 cup half & half
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

In a soup pot or Dutch oven, fry bacon til crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain. Reserve 2 tbsp drippings in pot

Add 2 tbsp butter or oil and sauté onion, carrot and celery til softened

Add red pepper flakes, garlic and salt & pepper, to taste

Add chicken stock, cauliflower and mushrooms. Cook over medium-high heat til fork tender (@ 10 minutes). Lower heat to medium.

Add cream cheese and cheddar cheese. Stir until fully melted and combined

Add half & half. Cook until heated through to desired thickness.

Serve topped with shredded cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon.

Submitted by G ♥️

Here’s a tasty, quick soup you can make any night of the week!

• 2 tbsp oil
• 1/2 cup carrots, diced
• 1/2 cup celery, diced
• 1/2 cup onions, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 5 cups chicken or vegetable stock (or part stock, part water)
• 3/4 – 1 cup lentils
• 3/4 – 1 cup brown rice
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, sauté carrots, celery and onions in oil til softened

Add garlic, ginger, curry powder and tomato paste and sauté til fragrant

Stir in stock/water, lentils and brown rice with salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer, cover and let simmer for about 15 – 20 minutes, stirring occasionally

Check if lentils and rice are fully cooked. Continue to simmer til done

Submitted by G ♥️

Maybe you’ve been wondering where I’ve been!

December was especially busy, but not for the usual reasons associated with the holidays. Oh, no… my month centered around getting married and moving into a new home.

This house has a great kitchen, but up until the 30th of December, the only refrigerator we had was the one we bought (on a whim) that we had delivered directly to the basement. It was a great way to add cardiac workouts into my day, but incredibly inconvenient.

My new refrigerator is all set up now- the ice and water hookups were done a couple of days ago, have been properly flushed and readied for human consumption, allowing me to prepare meals with ease… at last!

Easy Stir Fry

• 1/2-lb frozen cooked shrimp, thawed and drained
• olive oil
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-lb asparagus, cleaned, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup small carrots, sliced length-wise
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced into circles
• 3/4-lb frozen shrimp, cleaned, tails removed
• Vegetarian option: Seitan strips*
• Creole seasoning, salt, and pepper

Sauté the onions until very soft, add the garlic and sauté two minutes. Add the asparagus, carrots, and tomatoes; sauté for 3 minutes. Cover and cook on very low heat until the vegetables are crisp-tender. Add the shrimp and toss to heat through. Sprinkle with an additional dash of Creole seasoning, if desired. Serve over rice. (*I cooked the Seitan strips in a small amount of olive oil in a separate frying pan. When the vegetables were cooked to order -and before adding the shrimp, I took a portion out of the pan and added it to the Seitan.)

Glad to be back on the blog! Happy (belated) New Year to all! Please stay safe and be well.

Submitted by: L 👩🏻‍🍳

This dish is for all you gardeners or farmers market shoppers out there that have zucchini to use up! Nice and cheesy like we all enjoy!

• 4 medium zucchini, sliced thin (I used a mandolin)
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 med onion, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, divided
• Pepper, to taste (zucchini has been salted,but you can add salt if you like)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease an 8 or 9 inch square casserole dish

Slice zucchini into a large bowl and toss with 1 tsp salt. Let sit for 20 minutes. (Don’t skip this step)

Drain zucchini, then lay out on paper towels and pat dry with additional paper towels

In a large sauté pan, melt butter and sauté onions til soft. Add garlic, then stir in heavy cream and sour cream til it starts to bubble on the sides

Stir in half of the Parmesan cheese and half of the mozzarella cheese until melted

Add zucchini and combine.

Pour into prepared casserole dish and spread evenly

Top with the rest of the cheeses

Bake for 15-20 minutes til golden brown on top and bubbling on the sides

Submitted by G ♥️

While leafing through a “Real Simple” magazine, I came across this seasonally appropriate recipe using butternut squash. A few of the ingredients may seem a bit exotic at first glance, but don’t be put off by that. This dish is real comfort food; flavorful and colorful, with textures ranging from creamy to crunchy.

It is also simple to prepare. While the squash is baking, whisk the tahini sauce ingredients and toast the seeds. Serve it as a side dish with chicken or fish, or as a main vegetarian dish. Give it a try!

Roasted Butternut Squash with Tahini Sauce

• 1 3-lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1-2” pieces
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1¼ teaspoon salt – divided
• ½ cup tahini (sesame paste)
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1½ Tablespoons honey
• 1 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
• 3 Tablespoons toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• 2 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
• ½ cup roughly cut cilantro leave and tender stems
• Shaved Parmesan – optional garnish

Preheat oven to 375°. Toss the squash with oil and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Place on baking sheet; roast until tender and lightly browned and slightly crisped on the edges – about 40 minutes.

Combine the tahini, ¼ cup water, garlic, honey, soy sauce, lemon juice, rice vinegar and ¾ teaspoon salt. Mix well.

Transfer the cooled squash to a serving platter; drizzle with desired amount of sauce. (Save extra for other uses- place in jar and refrigerate.) Top with pepitas, sesame seeds, and cilantro. I added some shaved Parmesan cheese to my serving since it was my main course.

Enjoy! And, let us know how you will use the leftover tahini sauce!

Submitted by L: 👩🏻‍🍳

If you follow this blog, you may remember previous posts of various flatbreads. Well, I’m at it again with this one. Flatbread is a quick and easy way to enjoy a “pizza” in no time! I just happened to have some extra meatballs and this idea sounded really good to me.

Place a flatbread on a sheet pan and preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Spread the top with your favorite “pizza” sauce. Whatever you have is fine, just add some extra garlic powder and oregano for extra pizza taste. And crushed red pepper flakes if you like it spicy!

Slice up the meatballs and place all around the flatbread

Top with shredded or sliced cheese. I like to use Provolone on my pizza. My mom always used it on her homemade pizza when I was a kid. She got the dough from the bakery down the street from our house!

Bake in the oven until cheese is melted and just starting to turn brown.

After baking I drizzled this one with some basil oil and a little balsamic glaze.

Submitted by G ♥️

Today, the weather in WNY was quite changeable – going from a very rainy morning, to brisk winds in the afternoon, and varying temperatures throughout the day. With a chill in the air, I thought breakfast for dinner would be a great idea. These days, how many of us spend a good portion of the day in our jammies anyway?

I made two versions in two small casserole dishes, vegetarian and regular. The ingredient lists are identical except for the meatless sausage, so I did the potatoes in the same pan, and the mixing of the other ingredients in one large bowl. The two sausage varieties were leftovers from dinner last night – already cooked and ready to cut up for their respective casseroles.

Breakfast Casserole (4 servings)

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• A half bag of frozen shredded potatoes
• 4 extra-large eggs, beaten
• ½ cup milk
• 1 tablespoon flour
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 link sausage for each casserole – or 2 links if you are choosing one version – cut into small pieces

Heat the oven to 350°. Spray the casserole(s) with nonstick cooking spray. Heat oil in medium skillet. Fry potatoes until golden. Mix the eggs, milk, flour, cheese, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the potatoes. Put the sausage into a greased casserole dish and pour the egg/potato mixture over the sausage. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the eggs are set.

Cheesy eggs with potatoes and sausage in a casserole – excellent breakfast food, no matter what time of day it is served.

Submitted by L: 👩🏻‍🍳

After making a simple Chicken Cacciatore for the meat-eater in the family, I decided to whip up an order of Veggie Cacciatore using Gardein Homestyle Beefless Tips and a few fresh and canned vegetables.

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Sauté chopped onion, minced garlic, and green pepper strips in olive oil. Add a few chopped fresh tomatoes and cook about 5 minutes. Toss in handful of the “beef” tips and cook 5 minutes on low. Add crushed tomatoes, Herbes de Provence, salt and pepper, a splash of red wine, and the famous pinch of baking soda to cut the acidity of the tomatoes. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 40 minutes to cook the vegetables and allow the flavors to blend. Serve over angel hair pasta with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Buon Appetito!

Submitted by L: 🍷🧅🧄