My pal My Kids Eat Squid recently posted about Hungry Girl’s 2 ingredient brownie recipe. Obviously I had to try it! The recipe is so simple. Mix one box chocolate cake mix (I used gluten-free) with one 15 ounce can of canned pumpkin (I used organic). Mix it and divide among 12 muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes at 400. Here is the range of opinions in my house:

– College age daughter: “I like these! I can’t tell there’s pumpkin in them.”

– Teenage son: “What is wrong with these? It tastes like bread or something.” Then I disclosed the recipe. He said it did not taste like pumpkin, but he didn’t like it.

– Me: I think these are a decent substitute for brownies if you’re trying to make them healthier. You do NOT taste the pumpkin at all. I kept them in the fridge and I think it made them taste a little better. If you want easy brownies, just make a mix – this isn’t really all that easier and you do have to scoop into muffin tins.

My pal My Kids Eat Squid recently posted about Hungry Girl’s 2 ingredient brownie recipe. Obviously I had to try it! The recipe is so simple. Mix one box chocolate cake mix (I used gluten-free) with one 15 ounce can of canned pumpkin (I used organic). Mix it and divide among 12 muffin cups. Bake … Read more →

I made this dish for dinner one night, but it’s also perfect as an appetizer since it is definitely finger food. The recipe is very easy.

You need 1/2 piece of prosciutto for each stalk of asparagus. Cut the prosciutto the long way. Lay the strip of prosciutto down and spread a small amount of goat cheese on it (see my photo): you don’ t need much. Then wrap the prosciutto around the stalk in a spiral, so it goes from bottom to top. Place the stalk seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Bake on the top rack at 400 degrees until the asparagus is tender and the prosciutto is browned (about 20 minutes), turning the stalks over once halfway through.

The end result gives you tender asparagus, crunchy prosciutto, and a gentle tang from the goat cheese. Truly fabulous.

I made this dish for dinner one night, but it’s also perfect as an appetizer since it is definitely finger food. The recipe is very easy. You need 1/2 piece of prosciutto for each stalk of asparagus. Cut the prosciutto the long way. Lay the strip of prosciutto down and spread a small amount of … Read more →

This simple method of cooking carrots produces silky, sweet carrots without any effort. Here’s the drill. Place your carrots in a small pot – it doesn’t matter if you use baby carrots or carrots you’ve peeled. Put enough water in the pot to come up about halfway up the carrots. Then add some butter. 1/2 tablespoon was what I used for enough carrots for 4 people (add as much butter as you would put on the carrots when serving). Simmer the carrots until the water evaporates and the carrots are shiny and glazed. Stir in some freshly cut herbs (such as chives, mint, or thyme) and season with salt and pepper.

This simple method of cooking carrots produces silky, sweet carrots without any effort. Here’s the drill. Place your carrots in a small pot – it doesn’t matter if you use baby carrots or carrots you’ve peeled. Put enough water in the pot to come up about halfway up the carrots. Then add some butter. 1/2 … Read more →

I did a meatless Monday recently and used Portabella mushrooms for our main course. This recipe is super simple and you can make it in the oven or on the grill. Rub your mushrooms with oil (I had a wild mushroom and sage oil I used that was wonderful) and season with salt and pepper. Grill them or bake them until they are tender.  Place a slice of fresh mozzarella on each mushroom, 2 leaves of fresh basil and 1-2 tomato slices (depending on the size of your tomato). Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and return to the oven or grill to melt the cheese.

I did a meatless Monday recently and used Portabella mushrooms for our main course. This recipe is super simple and you can make it in the oven or on the grill. Rub your mushrooms with oil (I had a wild mushroom and sage oil I used that was wonderful) and season with salt and pepper. … Read more →

This is a fun go-to when you simply can’t face another green salad and you don’t want to cook a vegetable for dinner! I like to use whole carrots for this when I have them, not baby carrots because I think they have more flavor.  When I made this recently though all I had were bagged baby carrots – I used about 3/4 of the bag in this recipe. If you use whole carrots, use one bunch.

Peel the carrots (if using whole) and grate them (I used the food processor to do this job). Put them in a bowl. Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over the carrots – maybe 1 1/2 tablespoons. Season with salt and pepper. Add about 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon sugar (you’ll want to taste it to adjust it to your sweetness factor). One capful of bottled lemon juice (use fresh if you want – about 1 tsp). Then chop up about 2 tbsp fresh mint. Toss it all together. Allow the salad to sit for about an hour to get the most flavor. That’s it!

This is a fun go-to when you simply can’t face another green salad and you don’t want to cook a vegetable for dinner! I like to use whole carrots for this when I have them, not baby carrots because I think they have more flavor.  When I made this recently though all I had were … Read more →

I like to grill shrimp, but I don’t enjoy threading them onto skewers, so I usually end up tossing the shrimp onto a grill pan so they won’t fall through the grates. On a recent night, I doctored my shrimp up to make it into a delicious Italian dish.

 

I like to grill shrimp, but I don’t enjoy threading them onto skewers, so I usually end up tossing the shrimp onto a grill pan so they won’t fall through the grates. On a recent night, I doctored my shrimp up to make it into a delicious Italian dish. Italian Shrimp on the Grill   … Read more →

Recently I found myself rummaging around for something to make for dinner. I had some salmon fillets to use, but plain grilled salmon didn’t sound exciting. I did have about 1 cup of cooked rice (not enough to serve, but I didn’t want to throw it out) and some feta cheese. So I combined the two and came up with a great crust for my salmon. This would also be great with chicken. You could add some olives to the mix if you liked, or some lemon zest.  If you have fresh herbs hanging around, oregano would be my choice. Leftover couscous would work in this dish also.

 

 

 

Recently I found myself rummaging around for something to make for dinner. I had some salmon fillets to use, but plain grilled salmon didn’t sound exciting. I did have about 1 cup of cooked rice (not enough to serve, but I didn’t want to throw it out) and some feta cheese. So I combined the … Read more →

Whenever I make spaghetti and meatballs, I never seem to be able to make the right amount of spaghetti. There’s always some leftover. When the meatballs are gone, it usually will just linger in the fridge until it’s time to toss it. I have found a delicious solution for leftover spaghetti, which got rave reviews at my table.

I tripled my leftover power in this recipe, using leftover chicken and leftover butternut squash. You can poach a chicken breast to use if you don’t have leftovers. The squash can be replaced with leftover acorn squash, or with fresh asparagus.

Creamy Chicken Spaghetti Pie

Serves 4

 

Crust:

1 ½ cups cooked spaghetti

¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon heavy cream

¼ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon lemon juice

 

Filling:
1 clove garlic, minced

½ tablespoon butter

¼ cup heavy cream

¼ cup skim milk

¼ cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese, plus 1 tablespoon for topping

Heaping ½ cup cooked chicken cut into ½ inch squares (this is equal to about one boneless skinless breast)

Pinch of nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup cooked butternut squash, cut into ½ inch pieces

 

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and prepare a 9 inch pie pan with cooking spray or by rubbing with oil or butter.
2. Mix the spaghetti with the mozzarella, 1 tablespoon cream, onion powder, lemon juice, and salt and pepper in a bowl.
3. Add the pasta mix to the pie pan, spreading it around and up the sides. There will be some holes and you won’t have a solid ‘crust.’
4. In a skillet, cook the garlic in the butter over medium heat until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. Stir in the cream and milk and let it bubble, then stir in the cheese and stir until it melts and thickens the sauce.
6. Stir in the chicken and squash.
7. Pour over the crust. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.
8. Bake for 30 minutes.

Whenever I make spaghetti and meatballs, I never seem to be able to make the right amount of spaghetti. There’s always some leftover. When the meatballs are gone, it usually will just linger in the fridge until it’s time to toss it. I have found a delicious solution for leftover spaghetti, which got rave reviews … Read more →

I love to make this acorn squash recipe when I get tired of other veggies. It’s so simple, Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Then cut each side up into about 4-6 slices (depending on how big your squash is). Lay them on a greased baking sheet and drizzle a small bit of olive oil over them and season with salt and pepper. Bake at 400 for about half an hour until the squash is soft to a fork. Take them out of the oven and lightly brush the squash with maple syrup. Return to the oven for a few minutes until the squash begins to brown. How’s that for simple and delicious?

I love to make this acorn squash recipe when I get tired of other veggies. It’s so simple, Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Then cut each side up into about 4-6 slices (depending on how big your squash is). Lay them on a greased baking sheet and drizzle a small … Read more →

 I was turned off at the idea of putting mayo on asparagus, but honestly, this quick little recipe is your savior when you need to dress up asparagus with almost no work. I found this little gem in Family Table by Michael Romano, a book that offers recipes for the dishes top restaurants make to feed their own staffs before service begins. So far I am loving this book.

 

 I was turned off at the idea of putting mayo on asparagus, but honestly, this quick little recipe is your savior when you need to dress up asparagus with almost no work. I found this little gem in Family Table by Michael Romano, a book that offers recipes for the dishes top restaurants make to … Read more →