Winter squash season is in full swing. I have already started to hoard them in all the nooks and crannies around the house. There are sugar pumpkins on the stairs, buttercups on the floor and delicatas all over the counter. Ever meal, breakfast, lunch or dinner needs to have some squash. House rule.
This hear spaghetti squash has been sitting on a stool for about a week, looming in it’s size and just waiting for me to bake it off. The spaghetti squash at farm share have been bigger then a small child so I have been a little hesitant to bake it until the mr was down with eating it with me too.
What I love about this dish is that it is really simple and easy to make.We have been working later these past few days so when we get home, we really just want to eat and go to bed (not really….kinda really) The initial baking of the squash takes a little time, but its zero hands on and can be done ahead of time. And the rest, take like 8 minutes tops. Also a lot of time people forget that you can eat a spaghetti squash with things other then tomato sauce. (although that’s good too) But really, the sky is the limit. Squash goes with everything.
So dinner. I had the squash and went with what I had in the fridge. Beans are great, fresh pico is amazing, all atop a big pile of some warm spaghetti squash. Well that is just what we call a winner. A winner dinner!!!
The stuff. A spaghetti squash (maybe go for a smaller sized one if you don’t want a lot of left overs) precooked or canned black beans, a red pepper, and some red onion. Also need garlic, cumin (crushed or seeds) salt and pepper, olive oil, and fresh cilantro. And lastly some home made or store bought pico de gallo or any of your favorite salsa.
You don’t see it here, but the squash went into the oven about an hour ago to cook. I did nothing to it besides stab it once andjust stuck the entire thing right on in and cranked up the heat. Simple, easy.
Ok, so when the squash has been baking for a while, start getting the rest of thestuff ready. Small dice up the red pepper and the onion and toss it into a lightly oiled hot skillet to sweat down a bit.
Once the pepper and onion are nice and soft, toss in the cumin and minced garlic. Cook a little longer until the seeds and garlic are fragrant and cooked.
Add in the beans and mix it all around. Taste, add a little salt and pepper if it needs it, and set aside.
Spaghetti-ing the squash. I took it out of the oven when it was fork tender, sliced it in half on a baking sheet and let it cool off for just a minute. Scooped the seed out then scraped the cooked squash with a fork. Fun times, just watch you your hands, the squash is hot.
And your ready for food. Squash in a bowl, topped with some black bean mixture and a hearty amount of fresh pico. Serve it with lots (or none if you don’t like it) cilantro and a wedge of lemon(or lime)
This is some good stuff friends, some really good stuff.
Alright, now I have to get ready. We are taking a handful of the little pumpkin picking….A few more pumpkins to add to the stash.
-C
Serves 2-3
1 medium spaghetti squash
2-3 cups cooked black beans (or a can)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (or crushed cumin)
a red pepper
a small red onion
2-3 cloves garlic
olive oil
1 cup fresh Pico de gallo or any of your fav salsa.
salt and pepper
a lemon or lime
fresh cilantro (optional)
To cook the squash. Preheat oven to 400. Grab squash a stab a small hole in it so when its baking it does bot explode (this has happened to me a few times) then stick the whole squash into the oven. Let bake for 45 minutes to an hour (depending on size) It is done when it is soft and fork tender. Once done, pull squash from oven, cut in half and let cool for a minutes. Once cool enough to handle, scoop out the seeds then start scraping the flesh with a fork to create spaghetti like strands.
For the beans. Small chop up the red pepper ans onion and toss into a hot skillet with a little splash of olive oil. Sweat the pepper and onion on medium heat and when they are close to done, mince up the garlic and toss that in along with the cumin seeds and a pinch of salt ans pepper (if needed) Keep cooking until the garlic is cooked and the cumin if fragrant.
To assemble. Grab a bowl and fill with a good amount of the cooked squash, top it with a big scoop of the black bean mixture and you desired amount of fresh pico or salsa. Add lots of extra cilantro and serve with a lemon or lime wedge to squeeze on top.
Now eat it.
Note….Any left overs make a fantastic cold salad or wrapped in a tortilla.
I have been meaning to share the magic of crispy waffle iron tofu for a while, but somehow kind of forgot. Yesterday when talking to my (not quite) mother in law she mentioned the bean waffles I made a while ago and suddenly I had a very real need to go home and bust out the waffle iron and make some tofu. And some of you may be thinking that this sounds weird, but its not. Waffle irons are not just for waffles, you can cook just about anything in them. I compare then to a George Foreman grill (remember those) or even a griddler. . Works the same way, just makes everything waffles shaped.
As for the rest of this open face toast situation, it just makes so much sense. Crispy cumin lime tofu, avocado, mashed up squash…. A heap of things that are so freaking good. I actually made the sandwich for the mr and was a little bit worried he was not going to like it, but worry I need not. He got down with it too. You could even ditch the bread and eat waffled tofu slathered in the squash and tofu alone, or maybe swap out bread for greens (that’s what I did) Whatever you do, it will be good and your tofu will be so nice and crispy (without having to deep fry) that you may never cook tofu anther way again.
The stuff. Tofu, some roasted squash (any squash or sweet potato works), and half an avocado. Going to need a lime, some cumin and a pinch of chili powder, salt and pepper and little olive oil. And some type of bread that is good for toasting.
The cumin and chili powder go into a bowl with lime juice, a little oil ans a pinch of salt ans pepper. Give it a good whisk and set aside.
And now tend to the tofu. You want to get as much water removed from the tofu as you can. I do this by pressing the sliced pieces between a clean tea towel a bunch of times until the tofu is as dry I can get it without falling apart.
While you are doing this, preheat your waffle iron.
Once the tofu is a dried as you can get it, dredge each piece of tofu, front and back, through the cumin lime mixture.
And place it on your preheated, lightly oiled waffle iron.
Close iron and let the tofu iron itself cripsy.
And in about 7-10 minutes, you got yourself some super fantastic crispy, oh so tasty tofu.
Now to put it all together. Bread is toasted and topped with mashed up squash.
Next goes the tofu then top that with the avocado. Finish with a squeeze of lime and a pinch of salt.
And sriracha if you like it..
Not deep fried, but super crispy tofu! And squash! and avocado! and toast!
It’s amazing.
-C
Make 2 pieces of toast
For the tofu
1/2 a block of extra firm tofu cut about an inch thick slices
Juice of half a lime
1 heaping teaspoon cumin
pinch of chili powder
salt and pepper
3 teaspoons oil plus more to brush onto iron
And for the rest of the sandwich
a piece 4-5 inch piece of baguette or 2 slices of thick bread (use gluten free bread if you want)
About a 1/3 cup of cooked or roasted squash or sweet potato
sriracha (if you are into it)
1/2 an avocado
the other half of lime
In a shallow bowl, mix together the juice of 1/2 the lime,the cumin and chill powder, a pinch of salt and pepper and 3 teaspoons of oil. Set aside
Preheat waffle iron to either the on setting or if it has variable setting, high.
Take your tofu and remove as much of the liquid as you can by pressing it between two clean kitchen towels. When you get as much of the liquid out as you can, take the tofu and place into the cumin mixture and coat both sides. Ready the iron by brushing each side with a little more oil just to make sure it doesn’t stick and place the tofu on the iron, close it up, and let it do it’s thing for about 8-10 minutes. (check after 6-7 to see whats what and if is as crispy crunchy as you like, remove. If you think it could use another minute or two, well close it back up and keep ironing it.
And when the tofu is done, it’s time tot make compile it all together.
Toast you bread you are going to use. Once toasted mash a good amount of squash onto toast. Place tofu on top of that and thinly sliced avocado on top of that. Finish with a sprinkle of salt, a squeeze of lime juice and if you are feeling a bit more spicy, a few drizzle drops of sriracha.
Eat right away. Do not share…they can make their own.
The mr. calls them the beached whales of the garden. One day you have these nice little green gems growing in the garden. You see them from a distance and think, “Oh look at those squash, those are oh so lovely” and then you look away. Maybe you leave and let them grow for a day or two. Then when you come back to look, they have turned into humongous squash that, in fact, look like giant green beached whales.
We have been eating a lot of those beached whale these past few weeks..
Take yesterday for example. I made zucchini bread, zucchini relish, zucchini pickles and these here zucchini noodles. And that was before I went to the garden and picked 4 more. And today is farm share pick up which means I’ll be receiving at least another 8-12 squash. And did I mention that there are currently 6 large zucchini sitting on my table.
My new life motto as of lately is ….When life gives you zucchini.. just eat the shit out of them.
These noodles are by far, one of the easiest, and most delicious ways to use up a butt load of zucchini. And you can do it every day. I know people that eat pasta like 5 time a week so I don’t think it’s that weird to be eating zucchini noodles every night. The mr. well he is eating them like a champ. For a guy that really likes his pasta, he really likes when I make these noodle. And as he said last night, “who wouldn’t like a bowl of carb free noodles that taste amazing and you can eat as much as you want and not feel like car?”. My responses was,” maybe some asshole? I don’t know”
So yeah, zucchini noodles is where its at.
The stuff. 2 big zucchinis, a large tomato, a few cloves of garlic, a lemon (or just some lemon juice) and a handful of fresh basil. Also grab a little olive oil and the and salt and pepper.
Firstly, turn you squash into noodles. Do it anyway you like.. I used my mandolin slicer to cut “spaghetti” but you can use a julienne slicer, a noodle maker, or even a box grater. Once made, set noodles aside.
Now chop tomato into chunks and mince garlic. Add to a large skillet with a drizzle of olive oil. Place on medium heat, mix around and cook for a few minutes unit garlic becomes fragrant and the tomatoes are soften.
Now add in the noodles. Just toss right into the pan with the galic and tomatoes. Add a splash of water, the juice of the lemon and salt and pepper. Keep heat on medium and mix noodles around until slightly soft (or cooked to you liking)
Once your happy with the doneness, remove from heat.
Roughly chop or tear the basil into smallish pieces and toss into noodles.
And noodles be done. Now to eating.. and be sure to eat as much as you can, its only zucchini.
Have a good today!
-C
2 medium to large medium zucchinis
a handful of fresh basil
1 large tomato or 2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 lemon
salt and pepper
olive oil
Take zucchini and either with a veggie noodle maker, a juillene peeler, or madoline, a box grater, or just some sweets knife skills, make the noodles and set aside. Mince garlic and chop the tomatoes into chunks add to a large skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and place on medium heat and cook until the tomatoes are soft and the garlic is fragrant.Once that’s cooked, place the noodles into the skillet with about 1/4 cup water and the nice of the lemon. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix noodles around and cook until slightly tender (cook longer for a more well done noodle) Remove from heat. Chop or rip up your basil and toss into the noodles and mix around.
And now it’s time.
Place in bowls and fill you mouth hole.
Happy Friday!
A simple post for the simplest of soups. Minimal ingredients, no fuss, fast to make but can be left all day to simmer……. And oh so very very good.
This has been one of my go to soups this winter. Warming, hardy, comforting….every kind of soft cozy feeling that I need when I can’t leave my house because it’s so cold out that all I want to do is sit on the couch wrapped up in a blanket, with a book, and eat hot soup. (That’s the my plan for the weekend) But it’s also good for any type of weekend activities you might have… it’t kind of the perfect soup.
The Stuff. A medium sized butternut squash, seeded and diced (no need to peel, but go for it if you want) About a pound of broccoli, (fresh or frozen) and a few shallots. Salt, pepper and a few cups of water.
Note.. I didn’t add any spices to this batch because I really love the flavor without anything. With that being said, I have made this same soup with sage, rosemary, turmeric, even curry. Almost any flavor works in this soup.
The chopped squash and broccoli go into a big pot with about 2-3 cups of water. Add about a tablespoon of salt and pepper. Lid up the pot and place on medium low heat for about a half hour, or unitl squash and broccoli is fork tender. Now blend together with either a emulsion stick blender or place in a blender for 3-5 minutes until completely smooth. Add enough water to keep things moving. Add more water if you want a thinner soup, less for a thicker soup. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Once blended, place back in pot on simmer until ready to serve.
When the soup is simmering, thinly slice the shallots and toss into a pan. Sauté until soft and fragrant.
Finish off with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and top with the sautéed shallots.
Soup and a spoon. So simple, so good.
Have a great weekend…..Try and stay warm!
-C
Butternut Broccoli Soup
The Stuff
1 medium butternut squash
1 pound of broccoli (crown and stem and can use frozen)
4 shallots
Balsamic Vinegar
salt and pepper
Split squash in half, remove seeds, and dice into chunks. Place in big pot. Chop up broccoli and add to pot. (or just add frozen chopped broccoli) Add water until stuff is about half way summered. Place a lid on the pot and cook on medium low heat for about 30 minutes or until squash and broccoli are fork tender. Blend together with either a stick blender or place in a blender. Add enough water to keep things moving. Add more water if you want a thinner soup, less for a thicker soup. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Once blended, place back in pot on simmer until ready to serve.
When the soup is on simmer, thinly slice the shallots and place in a pan to sautee until soft and fragrant.
To serve, ladle soup into bowl, drizzle with balsamic vinegar, and top with sautéed shallot.
Eat with a spoon
Lets kick the weekend off right, with a nice warm and hardy salad. Not a frilly little salad, but a salad that fills you up and leaves you feeling warm and cozy. A salad with a lot of squash! So here’s the thing, I eat a lot of winter squash, maybe 4 plus a week. Because I eat so many, I store a good amount in a cold storage area outside of the little warm living space we call home. Last week we had a drastic temperature change and a good few of the my butternut and spaghetti squash froze.. then started to de-thaw. Not good. That was the second bad food experience of the day….. Earlier that day I had bought about 2 dozen super ripe bananas that I had been planing on freezing and what not. There were four bunches and each bunch was wrapped in plastic and were in a bag that I left near the back door. The thought crossed my mind, but I hastily brushed it away. Washer won’t eat those….. Well guess what? The shit ate half of my freaking bananas…plastic and all. Needless to say, I was kind of pissed already so finding my squash on the way out really set me off. I was not about to let more food go to waste.(or be eaten by the dog) I went into rescue mode..Chop chop and dice…boil, roast and steam…and eat eat eat…. and eat. I have been eating butternut for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the past week and that’s ok with me cause man it does taste oh so tasty. But for some people in my life, eating mashed squash out of a jar all day long does not hold the same appeal so I have been sneaking it in where ere I can.
So some of that diced squash tuned into this lovely warm salad. Even the mister liked it and he is not a fan of warm salads(he says he is not, but I think he actually is, as long as I don’t call them “salads”) Any who…This salad hits all the marks…. Fantastically filling, super delicious, fast and healthy. Check, check, and check! I am so good.
Easy peasy….
Diced butternut squash, half a vilalia onion, prepared lentils and a bunch of kale… Nothin else.(salt and pepper, but they don’t count)
Diced butternut and a mediumly sliced onion..(mediumly is a new cooking term) Spritz a bit of oil in a pan and toss the squash and onion in there and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Shove into the hot oven and roast until squash and onion are tender and tasty.
Remove the pan from the oven and toss in finely chopped kale and a big scoop of lentil… Mix it up and let the sit in hot pan for a few minutes…it will make the kale get soft and warm.
Plate it and eat eat… I drizzled a little balsamic vinegar on mine…Nick like his straight up. Do what you will cause either way, it’s going to be awesome!!!!
Hooray for Friday and for winter squash!!!!
-C
Warm Winter Salad
Ingredients (This made one good sized salad…and exact measurements were not used so feel free to add greater or lesser amounts of any of the ingredients)
1 1/2 cup Diced Butternut squash
1/2 Vidalia Onion(or any variety you like)
3-4 large Kale leaves
1/2 cup Precooked Lentils
salt and pepper to taste
Balsamic Vinegar
drizzle of oil for pan
In a 425 degree oven, place diced squash and sliced onions in a slightly oiled pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for about 20 minutes until tender. Remove pan from oven and toss in chopped kale and lentils and let sit in hot pan for a few minutes… Plate and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.
What we got here is an easy one pan meal for the beginning of a hectic(but fun) holiday week . But I am sure that you have your wits about you, that you are not feeling like a stretch Armstrong doll. No, you are all calm and collected… Well that’s nice because I feel like my head going to explode. So what I need this week is easy, fast food with lots of healthy good stuff and maybe to get rid of the meatballs that are in the freezer….. Mission accomplished with this dish. It’s basically a hug pan of veggies with a few left over meatballs from Nicks bday dinner and a little cottage cheese. Nothing fancy… hearty and warm..Nick likes it so it’s a winner.
The spaghetti squash is the main component in this dish so if you want to use other veggies, go for it. You can make this vegan and leave out the cheese and use fake balls or no balls at all (hehe) You can even toss in some beans, lentils, or tofu. I make variations of this dish often… and lentils are a really good addition..
Besides the squash and the meatballs, I used mushroom, onion, kale, tomato and garlic plus about a half cup of cottage cheese, cause that was what I had in the fridge.
THE LOVELY CRAZY
March 19, 2017 by maximios • Blog
Winter squash season is in full swing. I have already started to hoard them in all the nooks and crannies around the house. There are sugar pumpkins on the stairs, buttercups on the floor and delicatas all over the counter. Ever meal, breakfast, lunch or dinner needs to have some squash. House rule.
This hear spaghetti squash has been sitting on a stool for about a week, looming in it’s size and just waiting for me to bake it off. The spaghetti squash at farm share have been bigger then a small child so I have been a little hesitant to bake it until the mr was down with eating it with me too.
What I love about this dish is that it is really simple and easy to make.We have been working later these past few days so when we get home, we really just want to eat and go to bed (not really….kinda really) The initial baking of the squash takes a little time, but its zero hands on and can be done ahead of time. And the rest, take like 8 minutes tops. Also a lot of time people forget that you can eat a spaghetti squash with things other then tomato sauce. (although that’s good too) But really, the sky is the limit. Squash goes with everything.
So dinner. I had the squash and went with what I had in the fridge. Beans are great, fresh pico is amazing, all atop a big pile of some warm spaghetti squash. Well that is just what we call a winner. A winner dinner!!!
The stuff. A spaghetti squash (maybe go for a smaller sized one if you don’t want a lot of left overs) precooked or canned black beans, a red pepper, and some red onion. Also need garlic, cumin (crushed or seeds) salt and pepper, olive oil, and fresh cilantro. And lastly some home made or store bought pico de gallo or any of your favorite salsa.
You don’t see it here, but the squash went into the oven about an hour ago to cook. I did nothing to it besides stab it once andjust stuck the entire thing right on in and cranked up the heat. Simple, easy.
Ok, so when the squash has been baking for a while, start getting the rest of thestuff ready. Small dice up the red pepper and the onion and toss it into a lightly oiled hot skillet to sweat down a bit.
Once the pepper and onion are nice and soft, toss in the cumin and minced garlic. Cook a little longer until the seeds and garlic are fragrant and cooked.
Add in the beans and mix it all around. Taste, add a little salt and pepper if it needs it, and set aside.
Spaghetti-ing the squash. I took it out of the oven when it was fork tender, sliced it in half on a baking sheet and let it cool off for just a minute. Scooped the seed out then scraped the cooked squash with a fork. Fun times, just watch you your hands, the squash is hot.
And your ready for food. Squash in a bowl, topped with some black bean mixture and a hearty amount of fresh pico. Serve it with lots (or none if you don’t like it) cilantro and a wedge of lemon(or lime)
This is some good stuff friends, some really good stuff.
Alright, now I have to get ready. We are taking a handful of the little pumpkin picking….A few more pumpkins to add to the stash.
-C
Serves 2-3
To cook the squash. Preheat oven to 400. Grab squash a stab a small hole in it so when its baking it does bot explode (this has happened to me a few times) then stick the whole squash into the oven. Let bake for 45 minutes to an hour (depending on size) It is done when it is soft and fork tender. Once done, pull squash from oven, cut in half and let cool for a minutes. Once cool enough to handle, scoop out the seeds then start scraping the flesh with a fork to create spaghetti like strands.
For the beans. Small chop up the red pepper ans onion and toss into a hot skillet with a little splash of olive oil. Sweat the pepper and onion on medium heat and when they are close to done, mince up the garlic and toss that in along with the cumin seeds and a pinch of salt ans pepper (if needed) Keep cooking until the garlic is cooked and the cumin if fragrant.
To assemble. Grab a bowl and fill with a good amount of the cooked squash, top it with a big scoop of the black bean mixture and you desired amount of fresh pico or salsa. Add lots of extra cilantro and serve with a lemon or lime wedge to squeeze on top.
Now eat it.
Note….Any left overs make a fantastic cold salad or wrapped in a tortilla.
I have been meaning to share the magic of crispy waffle iron tofu for a while, but somehow kind of forgot. Yesterday when talking to my (not quite) mother in law she mentioned the bean waffles I made a while ago and suddenly I had a very real need to go home and bust out the waffle iron and make some tofu. And some of you may be thinking that this sounds weird, but its not. Waffle irons are not just for waffles, you can cook just about anything in them. I compare then to a George Foreman grill (remember those) or even a griddler. . Works the same way, just makes everything waffles shaped.
As for the rest of this open face toast situation, it just makes so much sense. Crispy cumin lime tofu, avocado, mashed up squash…. A heap of things that are so freaking good. I actually made the sandwich for the mr and was a little bit worried he was not going to like it, but worry I need not. He got down with it too. You could even ditch the bread and eat waffled tofu slathered in the squash and tofu alone, or maybe swap out bread for greens (that’s what I did) Whatever you do, it will be good and your tofu will be so nice and crispy (without having to deep fry) that you may never cook tofu anther way again.
The stuff. Tofu, some roasted squash (any squash or sweet potato works), and half an avocado. Going to need a lime, some cumin and a pinch of chili powder, salt and pepper and little olive oil. And some type of bread that is good for toasting.
The cumin and chili powder go into a bowl with lime juice, a little oil ans a pinch of salt ans pepper. Give it a good whisk and set aside.
And now tend to the tofu. You want to get as much water removed from the tofu as you can. I do this by pressing the sliced pieces between a clean tea towel a bunch of times until the tofu is as dry I can get it without falling apart.
While you are doing this, preheat your waffle iron.
Once the tofu is a dried as you can get it, dredge each piece of tofu, front and back, through the cumin lime mixture.
And place it on your preheated, lightly oiled waffle iron.
Close iron and let the tofu iron itself cripsy.
And in about 7-10 minutes, you got yourself some super fantastic crispy, oh so tasty tofu.
Now to put it all together. Bread is toasted and topped with mashed up squash.
Next goes the tofu then top that with the avocado. Finish with a squeeze of lime and a pinch of salt.
And sriracha if you like it..
Not deep fried, but super crispy tofu! And squash! and avocado! and toast!
It’s amazing.
-C
Make 2 pieces of toast
For the tofu
And for the rest of the sandwich
In a shallow bowl, mix together the juice of 1/2 the lime,the cumin and chill powder, a pinch of salt and pepper and 3 teaspoons of oil. Set aside
Preheat waffle iron to either the on setting or if it has variable setting, high.
Take your tofu and remove as much of the liquid as you can by pressing it between two clean kitchen towels. When you get as much of the liquid out as you can, take the tofu and place into the cumin mixture and coat both sides. Ready the iron by brushing each side with a little more oil just to make sure it doesn’t stick and place the tofu on the iron, close it up, and let it do it’s thing for about 8-10 minutes. (check after 6-7 to see whats what and if is as crispy crunchy as you like, remove. If you think it could use another minute or two, well close it back up and keep ironing it.
And when the tofu is done, it’s time tot make compile it all together.
Toast you bread you are going to use. Once toasted mash a good amount of squash onto toast. Place tofu on top of that and thinly sliced avocado on top of that. Finish with a sprinkle of salt, a squeeze of lime juice and if you are feeling a bit more spicy, a few drizzle drops of sriracha.
Eat right away. Do not share…they can make their own.
The mr. calls them the beached whales of the garden. One day you have these nice little green gems growing in the garden. You see them from a distance and think, “Oh look at those squash, those are oh so lovely” and then you look away. Maybe you leave and let them grow for a day or two. Then when you come back to look, they have turned into humongous squash that, in fact, look like giant green beached whales.
We have been eating a lot of those beached whale these past few weeks..
Take yesterday for example. I made zucchini bread, zucchini relish, zucchini pickles and these here zucchini noodles. And that was before I went to the garden and picked 4 more. And today is farm share pick up which means I’ll be receiving at least another 8-12 squash. And did I mention that there are currently 6 large zucchini sitting on my table.
My new life motto as of lately is ….When life gives you zucchini.. just eat the shit out of them.
These noodles are by far, one of the easiest, and most delicious ways to use up a butt load of zucchini. And you can do it every day. I know people that eat pasta like 5 time a week so I don’t think it’s that weird to be eating zucchini noodles every night. The mr. well he is eating them like a champ. For a guy that really likes his pasta, he really likes when I make these noodle. And as he said last night, “who wouldn’t like a bowl of carb free noodles that taste amazing and you can eat as much as you want and not feel like car?”. My responses was,” maybe some asshole? I don’t know”
So yeah, zucchini noodles is where its at.
The stuff. 2 big zucchinis, a large tomato, a few cloves of garlic, a lemon (or just some lemon juice) and a handful of fresh basil. Also grab a little olive oil and the and salt and pepper.
Firstly, turn you squash into noodles. Do it anyway you like.. I used my mandolin slicer to cut “spaghetti” but you can use a julienne slicer, a noodle maker, or even a box grater. Once made, set noodles aside.
Now chop tomato into chunks and mince garlic. Add to a large skillet with a drizzle of olive oil. Place on medium heat, mix around and cook for a few minutes unit garlic becomes fragrant and the tomatoes are soften.
Now add in the noodles. Just toss right into the pan with the galic and tomatoes. Add a splash of water, the juice of the lemon and salt and pepper. Keep heat on medium and mix noodles around until slightly soft (or cooked to you liking)
Once your happy with the doneness, remove from heat.
Roughly chop or tear the basil into smallish pieces and toss into noodles.
And noodles be done. Now to eating.. and be sure to eat as much as you can, its only zucchini.
Have a good today!
-C
Take zucchini and either with a veggie noodle maker, a juillene peeler, or madoline, a box grater, or just some sweets knife skills, make the noodles and set aside. Mince garlic and chop the tomatoes into chunks add to a large skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and place on medium heat and cook until the tomatoes are soft and the garlic is fragrant.Once that’s cooked, place the noodles into the skillet with about 1/4 cup water and the nice of the lemon. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix noodles around and cook until slightly tender (cook longer for a more well done noodle) Remove from heat. Chop or rip up your basil and toss into the noodles and mix around.
And now it’s time.
Place in bowls and fill you mouth hole.
A simple post for the simplest of soups. Minimal ingredients, no fuss, fast to make but can be left all day to simmer……. And oh so very very good.
This has been one of my go to soups this winter. Warming, hardy, comforting….every kind of soft cozy feeling that I need when I can’t leave my house because it’s so cold out that all I want to do is sit on the couch wrapped up in a blanket, with a book, and eat hot soup. (That’s the my plan for the weekend) But it’s also good for any type of weekend activities you might have… it’t kind of the perfect soup.
Note.. I didn’t add any spices to this batch because I really love the flavor without anything. With that being said, I have made this same soup with sage, rosemary, turmeric, even curry. Almost any flavor works in this soup.
When the soup is simmering, thinly slice the shallots and toss into a pan. Sauté until soft and fragrant.
Soup and a spoon. So simple, so good.
Have a great weekend…..Try and stay warm!
-C
Butternut Broccoli Soup
The Stuff
Split squash in half, remove seeds, and dice into chunks. Place in big pot. Chop up broccoli and add to pot. (or just add frozen chopped broccoli) Add water until stuff is about half way summered. Place a lid on the pot and cook on medium low heat for about 30 minutes or until squash and broccoli are fork tender. Blend together with either a stick blender or place in a blender. Add enough water to keep things moving. Add more water if you want a thinner soup, less for a thicker soup. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Once blended, place back in pot on simmer until ready to serve.
When the soup is on simmer, thinly slice the shallots and place in a pan to sautee until soft and fragrant.
To serve, ladle soup into bowl, drizzle with balsamic vinegar, and top with sautéed shallot.
Eat with a spoon
So some of that diced squash tuned into this lovely warm salad. Even the mister liked it and he is not a fan of warm salads(he says he is not, but I think he actually is, as long as I don’t call them “salads”) Any who…This salad hits all the marks…. Fantastically filling, super delicious, fast and healthy. Check, check, and check! I am so good.
Diced butternut squash, half a vilalia onion, prepared lentils and a bunch of kale… Nothin else.(salt and pepper, but they don’t count)
Remove the pan from the oven and toss in finely chopped kale and a big scoop of lentil… Mix it up and let the sit in hot pan for a few minutes…it will make the kale get soft and warm.
Hooray for Friday and for winter squash!!!!
-C
Warm Winter Salad
Ingredients (This made one good sized salad…and exact measurements were not used so feel free to add greater or lesser amounts of any of the ingredients)
In a 425 degree oven, place diced squash and sliced onions in a slightly oiled pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for about 20 minutes until tender. Remove pan from oven and toss in chopped kale and lentils and let sit in hot pan for a few minutes… Plate and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.
Besides the squash and the meatballs, I used mushroom, onion, kale, tomato and garlic plus about a half cup of cottage cheese, cause that was what I had in the fridge.