Roasted Radishes

I have to admit this recipe is a few weeks old, but it is too good and too simple not to share.

H and I are in our third year of garden attempts, and due to (what I think is) perfect placement as far as sunlight is concerned, raised beds, and a heck of a lot of critter proofing, this year is actually going pretty well. Third time is a charm, right? Our pumpkin, beans, cucumber, squash, and spinach seem to be coming along nicely, and we had a successful crop of peas and radishes a few weeks ago. Now, radishes are notoriously easy to grow, so this isn't a huge feat, but I am taking it as a good sign of things to come.

I enjoy radishes raw in salads, but since we had about 30 of them, I was looking for something different to do with them. I love roasting vegetables- asparagus, tomatoes, beets, carrots, potatoes, green beans, broccoli, you name it- I'll roast it :) So why not try it with radishes?

I am certainly glad I did, I will have to add radishes to my roasting repertoire! The roasting mellows the peppery flavor they have raw, and they end up almost tasting like a less sweet version of a beet.

Roasted Radishes

20-30 radishes, rinsed well, with tops removed and set aside
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

Directions: Preheat oven to 450. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil. Place radishes in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Stir to coat.

Place radishes on the baking sheet, cut side down. Cook for 10 minutes, remove, and give the pan a light shake to mix them up. Place them back in the oven for another 8-10 minutes, or until they are slightly browned and wrinkly.

Slice a couple of the radish tops for a garnish and sprinkle on top of the radishes. Enjoy!

Very loosely adapted from bonappetit.com, original recipe here.

Rustic (aka Non-Fussy) Strawberry Tart

It's officially that time of year- strawberry season. Actually, it has been for about a month now, but I'm procrastinating as always.

For the past 27 years of my life, I actually thought I didn't really care for strawberries. I thought they were too tart and didn't have all that much flavor. I could take them or leave them, I certainly wouldn't go crazy over them. Well, as it turns out, I only dislike out-of-season strawberries shipped from halfway across the world. In season strawberries grown on our CSA farm 15 minutes away- OMG. Totally. Different. Story.

I can't believe it's taken me this long to realize that- I am absolutely kicking myself. And now- let's just say I'm making up for lost time. We've bought about 8 quarts in the past couple weeks.

One of the most especially delicious recipes I've enjoyed with all the fresh strawberries we've had was this rustic strawberry tart from the kitchen sink recipes.

I've always thought tarts were beautiful and tasty, but have shied away from making them. They just seem so... fussy. Overlaying the fruit in a pretty pattern and achieving the perfect crust seems so difficult... that and I don't exactly own a tart pan. So when I cam across this tart recipe, I was sold. I will hereby refer to it as the non-fussy tart.

It was absolutely delicious, and so easy to make. I definitely see more of these in my future. I am excited to try different fillings as well- the dough can be used for both sweet and savory purposes.

Rustic (aka Non-Fussy) Strawberry Tart
Serves 4 (individual tarts)

for the crust:
1 cup of all-purpose flour, leveled off
1/8 of a teaspoon of salt
4 Tablespoons of cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
4 Tablespoons of ice cold water

for the filling:
2 1/2 cups of strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup of sugar
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon of corn starch

for topping:
4 teaspoons of raw sugar
1 egg white

Directions: Place the 1 leveled cup of flour and the salt into a mixing bowl and whisk together. Cut in the butter and mix until it resembles course meal. Add the 4 Tablespoons of water, and mix until just moistened. Knead a few times to bring the dough together. (I found the dough to be pretty crumbly at this stage- like there was too much flour. Don't worry, it all works out.)

Divide the dough into four quarters. Wrap each portion in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

While the dough is refrigerating, combine strawberries, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Allow to sit. Preheat oven to 350 F.

After 30 minutes, unwrap each portion of dough and place on a square of parchment paper. Place the plastic wrap back on top of the dough and press the dough down into a disk. Roll into an approximately 8" circle.

Peel off plastic wrap, and using a slotted spoon, place 1/4 of the strawberry mixture in the center. Leave a couple inch border around the edges to fold over. Fold over the edges and brush with the egg white. Sprinkle a bit of raw sugar on top of the whole tart and place the tart, parchment square and all, onto a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining 3 dough rounds.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Enjoy!

Adapted from kitchensinkrecipes.com, original recipe here.

Naturally-Dyed Easter Eggs

I really enjoyed dyeing Easter eggs when I was younger. I was always getting creative with stripes and layering different colors and drawing on the eggs with beeswax, in the Russian style my family used to decorate eggs (although ours looked nothing like that!). After H and I got married, dyeing eggs sort of fell by the wayside, as Easter isn't a huge holiday for us.

However, when I saw this blog entry from Two Men and a Little Farm (brought to my attention via Pinterest!), I knew we would be dyeing eggs again this year. The gorgeous, oh-so-different-than-the-PAAS-kit colors and all-natural dyes are totally up my alley and I was excited to try it out!

We only did 12 eggs/6 colors and I am really pleased with the way they turned out! It was so cool to see how each item colored the egg. Many of them ended up with a marbled effect, which I was totally digging. In case the picture is too small to see, the spinach and dill made a brown-ish/green, the beets a pink, the red wine a lavender purple, the carrots and turmeric a bright yellow, the coffee an earthy brown, and the purple grape juice a light blue.

And bonus- they are totally easy! Any of the items that aren't liquid to begin with need to be simmered in water for 30-60 minutes (and then strained of the sediment) to allow the color to come out. Then you'll need to add about 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar to every cup of liquid to help the color bond to the egg shell. They need to sit in the liquid for much longer than the fizzy tablet dyes, so I just left them sitting in the color in the refrigerator over night. Taking them out of the dyes was a wonderful Easter surprise!

Soft Sugar Cookies with Frosting

I'll admit it. I'm a total sucker for those grocery store sugar cookies in the plastic container with different colored frosting for every imaginable holiday. Orange and black for Halloween? Yum. Red, white, and blue for Fourth of July? Don't mind if I do. Pink, white, and red for Valentine's Day? Do you even have to ask? Loaded with preservatives and artificial ingredients though, I'm sure they're not the greatest food in the world health-wise. And while I'm sure the home-made version isn't toooo much better for you, at least they are slightly more natural? Maybe? At least that's what I'm telling myself.

These cookies totally live up to their name is softness. They have a rich buttery taste, and are completely satisfying. And with the endless combinations of frosting and sprinkle colors, they can truly work for any holiday!

Soft Sugar Cookies with Frosting
Makes 24 cookies

For the cookies:
4 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
4 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
3/4 teaspoons of salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) of butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups of sugar
3 large eggs
5 teaspoons of vanilla extract

For the frosting:
4 cups of powdered sugar
1 stick of unsalted butter, melted
1 Tablespoon of vanilla extract
5 Tablespoons of milk (and more, if needed)

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together to blend. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat together on medium-high speed until soft and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Turn the mixer to low, and add the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Place dough in non-metal bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for one hour. (I had some straggler dry ingredients at the bowl when I was done, if you do- don't mix them in with the dough.)

After the dough has chilled, scoop a heaping Tablespoon of dough into your hands and roll it into a ball. Place on the parchment-lined baking sheet, and flatten the ball slightly with the bottom of a glass.  Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the cookies 2-3 inches apart. Bake for about 10-12 minutes. You don't want to even let them get to a golden brown- and if so, just slightly. Let cool on the baking sheet for several minutes, and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, place the confectioners sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the melted butter, vanilla, and milk to the bowl and beat until smooth. Whisk in additional milk if icing is too thick, one teaspoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency. Color frosting with gel food coloring, and frost cookies. Top with sprinkles, and store in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Adapted from Annie's Eats, original recipe here.

Pumpkin Cream Sauce with Sage

I love pumpkin in all of its forms- I love it in sweet desserts, I love it savory dishes, I love it in hearty breakfasts. I haven't exactly kept this love of pumpkin I have a secret. And likewise, I can't keep this sauce a secret. I was totally surprised by this one; I threw it together as a one of those "I have these ingredients on hand- it sounds like they could go together- I hope dinner ends up edible" dishes. Oh man, was it edible. I may or may not have eaten the extra sauce up with a spoon.

I've had sauces like this in restaurants, and hoped I could recreate something similar. It has a rich, slightly sweet flavor, and was so good over a mushroom ravioli. We also had it over gnocchi, sausage ravioli, mushroom fettuccine (yes, we had it that many times- it's a great way to use up leftover pumpkin), but the winner was the mushroom ravioli. I'm sure we'll be trying it many other ways as well!

Pumpkin Cream Sauce with Sage

3 heaping Tablespoons of pumpkin puree
1/4 cup of heavy cream (or half and half if you want to keep it lighter)
1 Tablespoon of chopped sage leaves
1 teaspoon of Kosher salt
dash of black pepper

1/4 cup of fresh shaved Parmesan cheese

Directions: Heat pumpkin, cream, sage, salt, and pepper in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir to combine, and bring to a slight simmer. Allow to cook for a couple minutes, and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Continue to stir, as the cheese melts and sauce thickens. Serve over pasta or ravioli, and garnish with a bit of shaved Parmesan. Enjoy!

A Little Domestic Bliss original ;)

Indian Spiced Roasted Squash Soup

I don't think there is anything more comforting than a warm bowl of soup on a cold day. We have been having a freak warm streak lately, but it has finally cooled down enough to properly savor a nice warm bowl. I have been trying to find some different versions- a bit of a twist if you will- on the classic recipes. And since I am still buying squash after squash like it's going out of style, this Indian-spiced roasted squash soup recipe I saw in Cooking Light was perfect!

This is not the greatest picture- soups are so difficult to get a good shot of- but it is definitely better than this picture looks! It had just the perfect amount of spiciness, and the sweet yogurt garnish balanced that perfectly. It is definitely a new twist on an old standby.

Indian Spiced Roasted Squash Soup

1 yellow onion, chopped
8 ounces of carrots, chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
1 medium acorn squash, quartered
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
dash of black pepper

32 ounces of vegetable broth
1 teaspoon of curry powder
1/2 teaspoon of garam masala
dash of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt

6 Tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt

Click to see saving

4 Tablespoons of honey

Directions: Preheat oven to 450. Place the onion, carrots, garlic cloves, butternut squash, and acorn squash on an olive oil-greased jelly-roll pan. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with pepper, and toss to coat. Roast for 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

Put the vegetable mixture into a large stock pot on the stove.  Add the vegetable broth, curry powder, garam masala, cayenne pepper, and salt. Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes.

Combine the Greek yogurt and honey, and stir until smooth. Drizzle over soup and serve. Enjoy!

Adapted from Cooking Light, original recipe here.

Hot Artichoke Dip

I think I found my go-to hot dip recipe.

Last week, one of my co-workers held a vinatge/craft open-house at her place. She does truly amazing things with found materials and vintage "junk." There were cake stands and platters made with vintage plates glued to old candlesticks, wine bottle stoppers made from antique doorknobs and faucet hardware, and rings made from vintage earrings and brooches. Everything was gorgeous! I ended up buying this ring, I absolutely love the colors.

But what does this have to do with dip? Nothing, really, except that she served a dip very similar to this one! I loved it, may have eaten too much of it, and immediately put it on the list of appetizers to bring to Thanksgiving at the in-laws'.

It was a huge hit at Thanksgiving- totally comforting and delicious. I almost felt bad accepting the compliments, it was too easy as well!

Hot Artichoke Dip

1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup of mayonnaise
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
dash of black pepper

2 cans of artichoke hearts, roughly chopped

Directions: Preheat oven to 325. In a food processor, mix the Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, green onions, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until well combined. In a large bowl, mix the mayonnaise mixture together with the chopped artichokes. Stir to combine well.

Spread dip into a 9 x 13 glass pan, and bake for 30 minutes, or until top is slightly golden brown. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, and serve hot with crackers or crostini. Enjoy!

(I kept it warm throughout the afternoon in a mini crockpot, but it is just as good at room temperature!)

Adapted from allrecipes.com, original recipe here.

Pumpkin Chili and October Snow

It snowed yesterday. Not much snow, just a dusting really- maybe a whole inch in the places it actually stuck to the ground. But the amount wasn't the crazy part. The crazy part is that it's still October! It just does not snow around here that early. I remember going up to my great-aunt's house (at a higher elevation) for Thanksgiving when I was little and being amazed that they had snow on the ground already- at the end of November! So having snow here a whole month earlier than that is pretty darn crazy!

I wasn't complaining though- a cold snowy day definitely provided the opportunity I was waiting for to make a batch of pumpkin chili I had my eye on. I am so glad I did, it was absolutely perfect for a blustery day :)

It wasn't very different from regular chili- the pumpkin taste isn't extremely strong. If you didn't know it was in there, you probably wouldn't be able to pick it up. But the pumpkin did provide a rich and just slightly sweet flavor that added a great "je ne sais quois" to the chili. And as most crock-pot dinners are, this is completely easy to prepare and smells amazing all day!

Pumpkin Chili

2 Tablespoons of olive oil, divided
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red (or yellow) bell pepper, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 lbs. of ground turkey
1 (28 oz.) can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes with juice
1 (14.5 oz) can (or 2 cups) of red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 oz) can (or 2 cups) of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup of frozen corn
1 (14.5 oz.) can of pumpkin puree
1 1/2 Tablespoons of chili powder
1/2 Tablespoon of cumin
dash of cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

For serving:
fresh cilantro
Cheddar cheese, shredded
sour cream

Directions: Heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion, green bell pepper, red (or yellow) bell pepper, and garlic until tender, about 8 minutes. When they're done, transfer them to a slow cooker.

Using the same skillet, still over medium high heat, add the other Tablespoon of olive oil. When oil is heated, add the ground turkey, and stirring often to crumble, brown it for about 10 minutes. When it's done, transfer the turkey into slow cooker.

Add the tomatoes, beans, corn, and pumpkin, stir to combine. Add the chili powder, cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper, and stir to mix spices in. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-6. Serve with shredded Cheddar cheese, sour cream, and fresh cilantro. Enjoy!

Adapted from What's Cookin', Chicago? original recipe here.

Moroccan-Style Stuffed Acorn Squash

H and I have been eating a lot of acorn squash lately. We've received a lot of them from the CSA, and they have been tempting me in grocery store as well. I usually roast them with a bit of butter, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and brown sugar- which are delicious, but are getting a bit boring! So when I saw this recipe for a Moroccan-style stuffed acorn squash, it immediately went on the menu. It definitely sounded like a different and delicious thing to do with acorn squash!

We only used one acorn squash, rather than the two the recipe called for, so it definitely made more stuffing than needed, but it was great leftovers for lunch the next day. It is tasty, filling, healthy and easy to make. What else could you ask for?

Moroccan-Style Stuffed Acorn Squash

2 acorn squashes, halved and seeded
2 Tablespoons of olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
1 (15 oz.) can (or about 2 cups) of garbanzo beans, drained
1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 Tablespoons ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups of vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups of uncooked couscous

Directions: Preheat oven to 375. Rub one Tablespoon of olive oil on insides of squash and season with salt and pepper. Place them on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, flesh side up. Roast for about 30 minutes, or until mostly soft.

When there is about 15 minutes left on the squash, heat the other Tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, celery, and carrots, and cook for about 5 minutes. Mix in the garbanzo beans, raisins, cumin, salt, and pepper, and continue to cook and stir until vegetables are tender. Pour the vegetable broth into the skillet, and mix in the couscous. Cover, and turn off the heat. 

Allow couscous to sit for about 5 minutes to absorb liquid. Remove cover, fluff with a fork, and stuff squash halves with the couscous. Place in the oven for about 10 minutes, to get a slight crisp on top. Enjoy!

Adapted from allrceipes.com, original recipe here.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas

I came across this recipe when I was looking for something different to do with tortillas. I was hoping for a roasted vegetable enchilada, but was intrigued (and a bit skeptical!) by this one. The only way to find out for sure though, is to try it of course!

The flavor was complex and interesting: it had the sweet from the sweet potato, the savory from the tomatoes, and the spicy from the poblano. They all blended together really well and it was a tasty, filling, and very healthy meal!

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas

2 large sweet potatoes
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 small poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
1 (14.5 oz.) can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 oz.) can of diced tomatoes, drained
1 Tablespoon of chili powder
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
2 cups of salsa
8 large flour tortillas
1/2 of an onion, chopped
1/3 cup of cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions: Preheat oven to 425. Wrap the sweet potatoes in aluminum foil and roast for about an hour, or until soft when poked with a fork. Unwrap, cut in half, and set aside.

Turn oven down to 350. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Add minced garlic and chopped poblano, stirring frequently until fragrant. Add black beans, tomatoes, chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Scoop out cooked sweet potatoes, add them to the skillet, and simmer mixture 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Spread enough salsa on the bottom of a 9x13" pan to cover. Place tortilla on a flat surface, fill with sweet potato mixture, and roll tightly. Place the enchilada in the pan. Continue with each tortilla shell, until all are filled. If there is any filling left over, spoon it on top of the enchiladas, then top with remaining salsa and sprinkle with onion and shredded cheddar.

Bake until casserole is hot and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Adapted from Care2/Greenliving, original recipe here.

CSA Basket- Week Fifteen

Last week in our basket, we received a kohlrabi, two bunches of red kale, a bunch of radishes, a large head of romaine, two green peppers, one red pepper, four red ripe tomatoes, five heirloom tomatoes, a spaghetti squash, a delicata squash, a pint of cherry tomatoes, and a pint of heirloom cherry tomatoes.

Classic Meatloaf

I sometimes feel like meatloaf gets a bad rap. It's something that people tend to make fun of, as if it's something that no one really wants to eat. That it's dry, boring, and bad. I don't think so! It's something I loved as a kid, but didn't actually have my own recipe for. I was excited to try this one, and when you need something to make with your macaroni and cheese (as I did), meatloaf is a classic choice!

H declared this "the best meatloaf ever" so it has to be doing something right! It was moist and flavorful and very easy to throw together. It will definitely be put on the rotation around here!

Classic Meatloaf
(serves 4)

1/2 Tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
6 tablespoons of ketchup, divided in half
1/2 cup of panko 
1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
3/4 teaspoon of dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper
1 pound ground sirloin
1 egg, beaten

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onion to pan and cook for about 6 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove pan from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Combine the onion, 3 Tablespoons of ketchup, and remaining ingredients in a large bowl, and mix with your hands until just combined.

Coat a 8x8" pan with a bit of olive oil. Shape meat into a loaf, place in the pan, and brush the top with the remaining ketchup. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until a thermometer registers 160. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Adapted from Cooking Light, original recipe here.

CSA Basket- Week Fourteen

There was a bit of a delay in our CSA baskets. Because it was such a rainy August and September, the fall-ier (is that a word?) crops were behind schedule. So we had a few weeks off, and it started back up again this past week.

We received two bunches of green leaf lettuce, an acorn squash, a butternut squash, a spaghetti squash, two white peppers, a red pepper, three heirloom tomatoes, three red ripe tomatoes, a pint of cherry tomatoes, and a pint of cherry heirloom tomatoes. I am so glad that there were more tomatoes to be had! The ones at the grocery store and even the ones from our tomato plants were starting to get that mealy, wintery taste. I'm loving fall in that pumpkin and apple way, but I'm not ready to give up these tomatoes!

Creamy, Lighter Macaroni and Cheese

There is nothing more delicious and comforting than my mom's homemade macaroni and cheese. Now I know a lot of people make that very same claim, but I doubt most of them have ever tried my mom's recipe! I'm kidding, kidding, of course...

But while there are a hundred wonderful things that can be said about my mom's macaroni and cheese, "healthy" is just not one of them. So when I saw this recipe for Creamy, Light Macaroni and Cheese in the September issue of Cooking Light, I was skeptical, to say the least. I may have even scoffed at it a bit- "Really? Butternut squash? Macaroni and cheese is no place for pureed vegetables!"

But nevertheless, it had me intrigued, and I kept going back to it. I finally had to make it just to see if it could measure up. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised! It definitely held up to the claim of "creamy," which is something I have found difficult to achieve in macaroni and cheese without using Velveeta (which is something I try to avoid, since non-refrigerated cheese kind of icks me out!). The original recipe called for Gruyere and since I am not a huge fan, I replaced the Gruyere in the original recipe with a smoked Gouda. The flavor was incredible!

It didn't take two weeks for this one to reappear on the meal plan!

Creamy, Lighter Macaroni and Cheese
(serves 8)

1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
1 1/4 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
1 1/2 cups of skim milk
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon of Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
1 cup of fat-free plain Greek yogurt
6 oz. of Cheddar cheese, shredded
4 oz. of Gouda, shredded
1 teaspoon of dried mustard
1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
1 pound of uncooked pasta (cavatappi, shells, or some other kind that grabs the sauce)
1 teaspoon of olive oil
1 oz. of Parmesan, shredded
1/2 cup of panko

Directions: Place the cubed butternut squash, broth, milk, garlic cloves, salt and pepper in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the squash is soft.

After the 25 minutes, preheat the oven to 375. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.

Remove the squash mixture from the heat, and add the Greek yogurt. With an immersion blender, puree until smooth. (If you don't have an immersion blender, use a regular blender with the center part of the lid removed to allow steam to escape. Cover with a clean towel to avoid splatter, and pour back into the stock pot.)

Add the cheddar, Gouda, dried mustard, and paprika. Stir until cheese is melted and all is well combined. When pasta is done, combine cheese mixture and drained pasta. Stir to cover the pasta in the sauce.

Grease a 9x13 pan with a bit of olive oil. Pour the pasta and cheese mixture in. Top with the panko and Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until top is golden brown and cheese is bubbly. Enjoy!

Adapted from Cooking Light, original recipe here.

CSA Basket- Week Thirteen

This week we received a bunch of collard greens, a spaghetti squash, an eggplant, a bunch of leeks, a bag of small German potatoes, an acorn squash, two red peppers, two purple peppers, a butternut squash, four red ripe tomatoes, and two heirloom tomatoes. I'm excited for all the squash, it means fall is almost here!

Mediterranean Couscous Bake

I'm a huge proponent of meal planning. I think it saves time and money, and helps keep one organized. It also involves making lists, which is something I'm strangely addicted to. However, I usually meal plan on Saturday for the following week and we go grocery shopping on Sunday. Having our CSA pick-up on Mondays sort of throws me for a loop. Since I don't know what we are going to get ahead of time, I am sometimes stuck trying to come up with a way to use something I totally wasn't expecting. And that is exactly how this dinner came about.

I have to admit that I'm particularly proud of this recipe. I wasn't going off of anything, just combining the vegetables that I needed to use up and keeping my fingers crossed. I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. The vegetables have great flavor without much added to them, and it is great as leftovers as well. I might have to try this one again! 

Mediterranean Couscous Bake
(serves 6 as a side, 4 as a main course)

2 green peppers, sliced
1 medium eggplant, peeled and chopped
drizzle of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 cup of dry couscous
1 Tablespoon of butter
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon of dry oregano
1/2 cup of feta cheese

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 x 13 pan with a bit of olive oil.

Cook peppers and eggplant in a large pan with the olive oil and garlic until eggplant is cooked and peppers are soft. Put them in the greased pan, and add the chopped tomatoes. Stir to combine. Cook couscous according to package directions, with the butter and salt in the water. When couscous is done, add it to the pan. Add the oregano and feta, and stir to combine. Sprinkle a bit more feta on top, cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil, and bake for 10 more. Enjoy!

Peach Bars with Crumb Topping

It's hard to believe I had these peaches sitting around the kitchen for almost a week before I could decide what to make with them. I thought about pie, I thought about jam, I thought about peach shortbread cookies, but nothing seemed right. I finally decided on these peach crumb bars, and I am certainly glad I did!

I actually added a couple plums to the peaches in the filling and they gave it a bit of a tangy kick. They are the perfect combination of flavors and texture- a buttery, almost shortbread-y crust, sweet peach filling, and a nice, crumbly top. They went fast!

Peach Crumb Bars

1 1/2 cups of sugar, divided into 1 and 1/2 cup portions
1 teaspoon of baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
zest of one lemon
16 Tablespoons (2 sticks) of cold, unsalted butter cut into 1/4" pieces
1 large egg
5 cups peeled, chopped peaches- about 5 peaches (I used 4 peaches and 2 small plums)
5 teaspoons of cornstarch
juice of one lemon
1/4 teapoon of nutmeg

Directions: Preheat oven to 375.  Grease a 9 x 13 pan with butter, and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup of the sugar, the baking powder and flour. Add the salt and lemon zest, and stir together with a fork. Mix in the butter and egg with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Place about half of the dough mixture in the greased pan and press down to cover the bottom of the pan.

In a separate bowl, stir together the remaining sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and nutmeg. Gently mix in the peaches and stir lightly until combined. Using a slotted spoon, spread the fruit evenly over the crust. Sprinkle the remaining dough with over the top of the peaches.

Bake for about 45 minutes or until the top is slightly golden brown. Cool completely before cutting and serving. Enjoy!

Adapted from Annie's Eats, original recipe here.

CSA Basket- Week Twelve

We had a break from our CSA pick-ups last week, but it resumed this week. I was slacking though and forgot to snap a picture- it was just one of those days. I was held up at work and barely got to the pick-up in time, H had his first night class this semester so he couldn't go for me, it started pouring just as I pulled into the driveway, and the phone started ringing as soon as I got in the house. Oye! That night definitey called for a glass of wine :)

It was quite a haul despite the lack of picture- two yellow tomatoes, three red ripe tomatoes, one pint of heirloom mini-plum tomatoes, two bunches of collard greens, one pint of small German potatoes, two yellow peppers, three Italian roasting peppers, a spaghetti squash, two bunches of sage, and an eggplant.

Zucchini and Spinach Gratin

As soon as I saw this recipe, I knew I wanted to make it as soon as possible. I am one of those people who loves bacon a little too much, and I loved the veggies in it as well. I just had a feeling this one was going to be a winner!

It ended up being a great side for chicken and roasted tomatoes, and it worked great as leftovers too!

Spinach and Zucchini Gratin
(serves 6)

2 large zucchinis
pinch of Kosher salt
drizzle of olive oil
6 cups of fresh spinach

4 slices of thick cut bacon
1 handful of fresh parsley
1 white onion, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced

3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, shredded
drizzle of olive oil

Directions: Grate zucchinis in a food processor, and place grated zucchini in a strainer over a bowl. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible, sprinkle with Kosher salt, and allow to sit over the bowl for 30 minutes. Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan, and add spinach. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until spinach is mostly wilted. Place in another strainer over a bowl, squeeze out as much liquid as possible and allow to sit for 30 minutes as well.

Meanwhile, heat saucepan to medium high and add bacon. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side and remove. Pulse the bacon and with the parsley in a food processor until it's well chopped and set aside. Add sliced onion to the heated pan with bacon grease and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add minced garlic, and cook for another 5 minutes. Place cooked onion and garlic in a large bowl, and add the bacon and parsley. Preheat oven to 350.

After zucchini and spinach are drained well, place them in the large bowl with the onion, garlic, bacon, and parsley and stir to combine. Add beaten egg and half of the Parmesan to the bowl and combine. Grease bottom and sides of a gratin dish with olive oil. Press vegetable mixture into bowl, and sprinkle the rest of the Parmesan cheese on top. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Enjoy!

Adapeted from Simply Recipes, original recipe here.  

CSA Basket- Week Eleven

I can't believe it's been 11 weeks of farm fresh goodness already! Where did the summer go? I'm really going to miss the fresh produce and lower grocery bill in the winter...

This week's bounty includeda canary melon, red kale, a kohlrabi, two beets with greens, two white peppers, four green peppers, an eggplant, a red ripe tomato, a pint of raspberries, and a watermelon.