Butternut Squash, Broccoli and Spinach Mac and Cheese

I have this white board hanging in my kitchen where I always plan out my meals for the week. The planning out of weekly meals probably stems from my mom who has been making menus on the backside of her grocery list for as long as I can remember. This ritual of planning is important to me for several reasons:

First, I can avoid all of those unnecessary trips to the grocery store by only going once a week. This cuts back on impromptu purchases that can make a dent in the wallet. If the menu planning goes along with looking at the grocery ads, it can also save some additional cash.

Secondly, it helps keep variety in my life. You know me and my love of cooking magazines, cookbooks, and food blogs. By planning out my meals I can insure I have the ingredients I need to whip up something new and different each week. It is easy, if you don't have a plan, to fall into the rut of the same recipes day-to-day or week-to-week. For me, that just isn't fun.

Thirdly, it helps me to eat healthy. The stops by a fast food joint or the popcorn for dinner don't happen nearly as often if I am looking forward to my planned dinners. I always make sure to have enough veggies for a side salad or something of the equivalent to enhance my main dish.

Lastly, since I cook for myself, it allows me to plan out what to do with leftovers. Like if I'm going to make a butternut squash for ravioli then I'll most likely have leftovers. And what should I do with that extra squash? Well, make a nice mac and cheese, of course. I came across a delicious looking recipe that used sweet potatoes and spinach in a hearty mac and cheese dish. I adapted it significantly to utilize the butternut squash, add some extra vegetables (like broccoli) and changed up the cheese for my preference (and to use what was in my fridge). It worked out great, I tell ya!

So are you a menu planner? If not, I would suggest trying it out. You'll save some money, add some variety to your life, and maybe even eat a little healthier. What's on your plan for this week?

Butternut Squash, Broccoli and Spinach Mac and Cheese (significantly adapted from Naturally Ella)
Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked pasta (I used whole wheat rotini)
1 cup broccoli florets
1 handful fresh spinach
2/3 cup milk
2/3 cup butternut squash, cooked and mashed
1/2 tbsp butter
1/2 tbsp flour
1 garlic, minced
1/4 small onion, diced
1 oz cream cheese
1 American cheese single

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 F.

Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the pasta and cook for about 4-5 minutes until almost done. Add the broccoli and boil for another 2-3 minutes. Finally add the spinach and cook for about 30 seconds. Drain the pasta and vegetables.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened. Sprinkle in the flour and cook while stirring for 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and cook until thickened slightly. Add the squash and cook until hot. Add the cream cheese and American cheese and stir until melted.

Pour the cheese mixture over the pasta and vegetables in a bowl. Toss to mix thoroughly. Pour into a baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Serves 1.

Butternut Squash Ravioli

Homemade pasta has been on my bucket list for a long time. I like the idea of making the dough, rolling it very, very thin, tossing it in boiling water for such a short time and ending up with a delicious bowl of noodles (of course garnished with some sort of delectable sauce). Aww... it would feel as if I was in Italy...

However, I do not have a pasta roller so although this dream may one day become reality, I rely these days on pre-rolled thin pieces of noodle for my homemade pastas. The first time I came across wonton wrappers as shells for raviolis in a Cooking Light cookbook, I knew I had to try it. Boy did they work great.

This butternut squash ravioli is a perfect use for that squash you picked up during one of the last farmers' markets of the season (the first time I made it I used a squash from my CSA box in NC). The squash and sage compliment each other perfectly, the butter becomes nicely caramelized, and the walnuts add a satisfying texture. You and your guest will feel like you are eating at a 4 star restaurant as you dig in to this dish.

Butternut Squash Ravioli (adapted from Easy Food and Wine)
Ingredients:
For ravioli:
1/2 cup low fat ricotta cheese
1/2 cup cooked and mashed butternut squash* (about 1/2 squash)
dash of nutmeg
16-20 wonton wrappers

For sauce:
2 tbsp butter
1/2 small onion, diced
1/2 tbsp fresh sage, minced
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
Combine the ricotta cheese, squash and nutmeg in a small bowl and mix until combine thoroughly. Working with a few wonton wrappers at a time, add 1-2 tsp filling to the center and then moisten the edges with water. Bring the edges together and twist to seal. Repeat until all the wrappers are filled. Heat a large pot of water to boil.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat. Add the onion, sage, and walnuts and cook until the onion is softened about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese.

Once the water is boiling, add the raviolis and cook until they float to the top of the water, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from water with a slotted spoon.

Serve with the raviolis topped with the sauce.

Serves 2.

*You can roast the butternut squash until soft enough to mash. Or for a quicker cook, cut the squash in half, scoop out seeds, place the cut sides down in a baking dish, add 2 tbsp water and microwave for 7-10 minutes until the flesh is cooked.

Pumpkin Pesto

Well it's official. I had to turn my heat on today. My house was down to 60 degrees and I couldn't handle it. I did bundle myself up and head out to the second to last farmer's market of the season. Either the crops are diminishing or the farmers were cold as well because it wasn't quite as full as normal.

Oh don't worry, I'm actually not complaining. I like the cooler weather especially a cooler house. I love to cuddle up with blankets on the couch to watch a movie or read a book. I like sleeping with extra layers on my bed (yes, I did add my down comforter to the bed last night). 

Have you been wondering what I have been making with that pumpkin puree? Wait no longer, today is pumpkin pesto day! I came across this recipe through one of my daily recipe emails that just knew I had to try it out. I decided to skip the walnuts and substitute in some toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds!) instead. 

Overall, I thought the pesto was good on spaghetti noodles although I didn't get a strong taste of pumpkin. The predominant flavors were definitely the garlic, basil and parsley. However, that being said, I would still suggest trying it out. You can use pesto for so many things including as a sauce for pasta as I did below or as a pizza or calzone sauce or as an appetizer dip.

Stay warm and eat pumpkin pesto!

Pumpkin Pesto (adapted from Diabetic Living)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup packed fresh parsley

1/2 cup pumpkin puree (homemade or store bought)

1/4 cup pepitas, toasted*

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

2 garlic cloves

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp honey

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients except the oil in a food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped, scraping down the sides as necessary. With the motor running, stream in the oil and blend until the desired consistency is obtained. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.

Use as pesto in anything you desire.

To serve with pasta, combine with cooked noodles and 1/8-1/4 cup pasta cooking water to help coat the noodles. Serve garnished with additional parmesan cheese and pepitas.

Homemade Pumpkin Puree (a how to)

I know I've said this a number of times, but sometimes spending the time and effort to make things at home instead of buying canned or prepackaged is great.

This weekend I made pumpkin puree. Yeah, that stuff you normally get out of a can. I spent $3 on two pie pumpkins and got around 5 cups of puree. I think that is maybe about equivalent to what it would cost you from the store. But the great thing is I also got some toasted pumpkin seeds out of the deal. And I supported a local farmer. If you've got the time you should do it; doesn't take a lot of effort, just follow the 6 easy steps below.

Step 1. Go to the farmer's market (or grocery store) and pick out some pie pumpkins. Clean the outsides. And get out a giant sharp knife.

Step 2. Cut the pumpkins in half and scoop out the insides. Place them cut side down on baking sheets. Roast in 400 F oven for 40-60 minutes (give or take some time depending on the size of your pumpkins).

Step 3. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Step 4. Peel off the skin and put the flesh into a food processor.

Step 5. Puree until you get the desired consistency.

Step 6. Use in recipes!!

So simple. Do the darn thang!


Pumpkin Puree
Ingredients:
Pie pumpkins (also known as sugar pumpkins)*

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 F.

Clean the outside of the pumpkin(s). Cut the pumpkin(s) in half using a sharp knife. Scoop out the seeds and strings. Place the pumpkin halves cut side down on baking sheet. Bake for 40-60 minutes (cooking time will vary depending on the size of your pumpkin) until the flesh is cooked completely.

Let the roasted pumpkins cool completely. Peel off the skin and put the flesh into a food processor. Pulse until a smooth consistency is reached.

Use in place of "canned pumpkin puree" for any recipe.

Freeze in freezer safe ziploc bags.**

*I used two pie pumpkins (Sorry I don't know how much they weighed because I got them from the farmer's market) and got around 5 cups of puree. Use as many pumpkins as you want :)

**I packaged some of mine in 1 cup aliquots in quart sized bags. I froze the rest in ice cube trays (about 2 tbsp per cube) then cracked the cubes out and put them in a gallon sized bag. The different amounts will allow me to thaw whatever I need, when I need it.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

I have this sort of "addictive" personality. It manifests when I start watching a TV show on Netflix and I get sucked into too many episodes in a row. Also when I start reading a book and cannot put it down until I figure out how it ends. Apparently it can happen when I'm cooking as well.

Right now I'm loving the flavors of bacon and apples together- salty and tart are quite perfect right now.

I made that kale salad last week and then I made this stuffed acorn squash. It really hit the spot. You could probably make this dish vegetarian by subbing a tablespoon of oil for the bacon grease; but then you'd be missing the bacon apple flavor combo.

Right now I'm thinking an apple pie with a bacon studded crust sounds pretty good. Mmm... I'll get back to you on that.

Stuffed Acorn Squash
Ingredients:
1 acorn squash (about 1-1.5 lb), cut in half
3 strips bacon, cut into small pieces
1/2 apple, diced (about 1/3 cup diced apple)
1/3 cup diced onion
1 celery stalk, diced
2 pieces whole wheat sandwich bread, diced
freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
handful craisins
drizzle of honey

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 F.

Place the acorn squash halves cut side down in a microwavable dish. Microwave on high for 5 minutes or until the flesh of the squash is soft and cooked.

In a skillet over medium heat, brown the bacon pieces until they are crispy about 7-8 minutes. Remove the bacon pieces to a paper towel and discard of all but 1 tbsp bacon grease. Add the onion, celery and apple and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add the bread pieces and stir to coat. Drizzle about 1 tsp honey (more or less to taste) on top of the stuffing and mix in. Add the chicken broth and stir; simmer for about 3-4 minutes until fragrant and the liquid is absorbed. Season with freshly ground pepper. Mix in the craisins and cooked bacon pieces.

Spoon stuffing mixture into the squash halves. If you have extra, spoon it into a ramekin or small baking dish. Bake about 25 minutes until hot.

P.S. What do you think about more pictures? I'm playing around with new things...

Mushroom and Blue Cheese Spaghetti Squash

Remember when I made the last spaghetti squash recipe? Well, I had half the squash leftover and a desire to try something else with it. I decided to test whether or not I could really sub the squash for pasta and so I wanted to whip up a quick and easy sauce to go with it. I looked in my fridge and found mushrooms and blue cheese. I figured I could make a creamy sauce to test the theory.

Side note-- this meal makes me giggle because if Scott had been here, there would have been no way he would have touched this with a ten-foot pole. Blue cheese and mushrooms are two of his least favorite foods and here I am making them the focal point of this meal. I guess sometimes it is nice to be cooking just for yourself. ;)

Well, the verdict from the experiment. #1 - this sauce is delicious. It made my apartment smell great and I could have eaten it with spoon. Pretty good for just winging it, if I do say so myself. #2 - it complimented the spaghetti squash fairly well. Although maybe not the most traditional, I liked it.

Try it out if you are a mushroom and blue cheese person. If you aren't, hold out, I promise I'll experiment with some other spaghetti squash sauces/dishes this fall.

Please note, it certainly isn't the "prettiest" dish I've ever created. I did eat it with a nice green salad topped with assorted veggies so my meal wasn't quite as bland in color as the picture would indicate.

Mushroom and Blue Cheese Spaghetti Squash
Ingredients:
1/2 spaghetti squash
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tbsp corn starch
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 tbsp blue cheese crumbles
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tbsp butter
freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:
Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook until softened, about 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Dissolve the corn starch in the milk and add to the pan. Cook until it begins to thicken, about 2-3 minutes. Add the blue cheese crumbles and mix completely; stirring to melt and continue to thicken. Season with freshly ground pepper.

Place the spaghetti squash cut side down in a microwave-safe dish. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 5-7 minutes until the squash is soft. Use a fork to pull the flesh into thin strands and transfer to a bowl.

Top the squash with the mushroom mixture.

Serves 1.

Summer Pasta Salad

I don't know why, but this year I'm so excited for fall. Maybe it's because I'm back in the Midwest and fall time in Michigan was always my favorite time of the year. I think I have high expectations for fall in central Illinois although I'm guessing it may not be quite as wonderful. There aren't really as many trees and it'll probably be mostly sowed corn fields everywhere. But, nothing beats the weather. I love mornings and evenings when you need a jacket to be outside, but days that warm under the sun. There is a slight breeze, but nothing close to the bone-chilling wind that the winter will inevitably bring. The humidity is almost non-existent.

It makes me want to pick apples, carve pumpkins and go for long walks.

Plus the cooking gets wonderful in the fall. Pumpkins and other fall squashes. Apples. Stews and rich soups. Roasted chicken. Turkey. Casseroles. And more.

But before we jump into fall, we have to celebrate the last few days/weeks of summer produce. Like this summer pasta salad that is full with perfect tomatoes and zucchini. It is a creamy pasta salad, but some of the heavy mayo is replaced with Greek yogurt. It keeps it light and refreshing.

So get out there and stock up on the end of summer produce before autumn completely takes over.

What are you looking forward to most as we change seasons?

Summer Pasta Salad (adapted from SkinnyTaste)
Ingredients:
1 cup mini shells (or other small pasta)
1 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1 small zucchini, sliced and quartered
1/2 small onion, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
3 tbsp light mayo
2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
dash of oregano
dash of freshly ground black pepper
dash of garlic powder

Directions:
Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cool water.

Combine the pasta with the tomatoes, zucchini and onion in a bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the rest of the ingredients. Pour onto the pasta and mix thoroughly to combine.

Chill for at least an hour. Serve cold.

Chicken and Tomato Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Last night I ate popcorn, a yogurt and a spoonful of peanut butter for dinner. No, I'm not sharing that recipe for you. Because, of course, there really is no recipe.

Instead, I'm sharing with you a recipe from the night before


      that was totally delicious


            and I'm so glad I made it


                 and I kinda wish I would have had the motivation to make the second half last night because it  
                 was a square meal


                         certainly more than popcorn, yogurt, and peanut butter


                              and you should totally make it too


                                     then we could swap stories, over popcorn, about how much we loved this meal


                                             it would be a lot of fun


                                                     I promise.


For reallllzzz though, have you had spaghetti squash before? I don't think that you can really approach it as a substitute for pasta because it has a little different texture and flavor, but I do think that it is a great way to make a low carb dinner. This filling is perfect to add some flavor to squash; it is composed of chicken, tomatoes and green olives, plus a little bit of basil and topped off with feta cheese. The chicken, tomatoes and basil make it almost a marinara flavor and the green olives add the perfect amount of salt.

AND it is a fun meal because you get to eat it out of the squash shell.

SO FUN.

SO PRETTY.

Chicken and Tomato Stuffed Spaghetti Squash (adapted from Heat Oven to 350)
Ingredients:
1 cup diced grape tomatoes (or other tomatoes, could be canned)
1/3 cup diced green olives
10-12 basil leaves, chopped
1 large chicken breast, diced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 spaghetti squash, cut in half and seeds removed
3-4 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:
Preheat broiler to high.

Place the two halves of the spaghetti squash cut side down in a microwavable container. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 5-7 minutes, until soft and tender.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and season with black pepper. Cook until browned on all sides and until almost all the pink is gone, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, olives and basil. Simmer on low until the chicken is cooked completely and the sauce thickens, approximately 5 minutes.

Flip the squash halves over and using a fork pull the flesh into thin stands, almost angel hair pasta-like. Make a small hole in the center of the squash and divide the filling between the two halves. Sprinkle the top with feta cheese and season with additional black pepper.

Broil until the cheese is golden brown, about 3 minutes.

Serves 2 (1/2 squash per person).

Italian Vegetable Stew

Ugh. My head is congested. My chest is congested. I slept for almost 48 of the 60 hours between Saturday night and Tuesday morning. It's crazy how you can sleep so much yet still be so tired. I guess that means your body is busy fighting off whatever disease you picked up from the fact that undergrads are back on campus. Don't worry that you have had like zero contact with them, it's just that they are back, bringing in their wake disease and destruction.

Okay, maybe it isn't their fault. But I'm blaming them nonetheless for my completely comatose state during this holiday weekend. I had grand plans of work plus rest and relaxation and updating a few recipes on the blog. Well, I got the rest, just not the relaxation nor the work. I sat on my couch watching episodes of Supernatural on Netflix, drinking Sprite Zero, and eating chicken noodle soup and mini-saltines. I didn't have the energy to open up my computer and come up with witty things about my recipes for y'all.

But before the sickness completely took me over (read, Saturday night at about 9:00 pm when I crawled into bed), I made this stew. I actually want to call it, clean-out-your-pantry-and-fridge-stew because that's totally what I did. I grabbed a half eaten eggplant, a 1/3 leftover zucchini, some mushrooms that wouldn't last another week, and a can of diced tomatoes. I mixed them all together with some seasonings and broth and let them simmer for about 4 hours on Saturday afternoon. I also threw in some browned Italian sausage because I felt like adding some meat to the mix, but that is totally optional, it would have been just as hearty without the meat. The stew turned out great, and it cleaned out my fridge. Which was totally a good idea when I was planning on grocery shopping for the week on Sunday, but in retrospec was a bad idea because now my fridge is practically empty and I didn't have the energy to plan out meals and go to the store.

At least I have leftovers. :)

Italian Vegetable Stew
Ingredients:
1/2 large eggplant, chopped
1/3-1/2 large zucchini, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
5-6 baby portabello mushrooms, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced, more or less depending on how spicy you want it to be
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 lb sweet Italian sausage, optional

Directions:
If using, brown the sausage in a small pan over medium heat, breaking up into smaller pieces. Cook for approximately 5-6 minutes until no longer pink.

Combine all the ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2-5 hours, until the vegetables are soft.

Serve hot with bread.

Serves 4-5.

Sandwich Week- Day Six- Veggie BLT Pita Pockets

I feel like I'm cheating time.

Since last weekend I've been watching episodes of "24" on Netflix. The concept of the show is interesting (and addicting) because, as I'm sure you know, it follows the life of Jack Bauer for 24 hours. It is strange, however, that when you are watching it on Netflix you make it through the entire episode in about 40 minutes. Hence, the cheating time. :)


These pita pockets are delicious. What really makes them is the crispy squash and jalapenos. You could serve the vegetables by themselves with some ranch dipping sauce. However, adding them to the pita pocket to dress up a BLT works well too.

Making and eating this may allow you to kick butt and save lives like Jack Bauer.*

Crispy Pita BLTs (adapted from Taste of Home June/July 2012)
Ingredients:
1/3 cup light mayo
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup milk
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tsp chili powder
2 medium summer squash, cut into 1/4 in slices
2 jalapeno peppers, cut into 1/4 in slices, seeds removed
Cooking spray
4 pita pockets, halved
Romaine lettuce
Tomato slices
8 slices of bacon, cooked to your desired crispiness, halved

Directions:
Preheat oven to 475 F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Combine the mayo, garlic and lemon zest in a small bowl; cover and chill until ready for serving.

Place the flour, milk and panko with chili powder in three separate shallow bowls. Dredge the squash and jalapeno in the flour, followed by the milk, and lastly the panko mixture. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Spray the top of the vegetables with additional cooking spray.

Bake for 12-14 minutes, flipping the veggies halfway through, until golden brown.

Assemble the sandwiches by spreading the mayo mixture on the inside of the pitas, filling with lettuce, tomato, bacon and breaded vegetables.

Serves 4.

*No guarantees. :)

Zucchini Pasta

Imagine this--


You're sitting on your couch on a Sunday evening (after drinking way too much coffee), watching some Breakout Kings (very good show, I would recommend finding it on Netflix), relaxing and preparing for the start of a new week. All of a sudden you hear a loud crash to your left. You look over wondering what in the heck just happened. You sprint to your laundry room thinking that something fell or broke. But no, nothing is out of place. Next you look around your kitchen trying to find the source of the noise. You open up your pantry and the top two shelves have collapsed.

The next couple hours include trying to unload all of the food from the pantry while trying to hold up the shelves and not cause any of the bottom four shelves to break as well, making a trip to Lowe's to find replacement hangers for the wooden shelves (and not finding exact replacements but instead splurging for metal instead of plastic ones in hopes of making them more sturdy), trying to get the shelves to go back in because the metal brackets stick out from the holes more than the plastic ones, and finally putting all of your food back on the shelves.


What a night! I mean, aren't shelves in pantries supposed to support a half dozen types of flour, multiple kinds of pasta and every type of canned bean? Plus you need your tomato soup and chicken 'n stars in case you get sick. And all your cooking oils and vinegars and seasonings and everything. Cheap-o apartment building.

I think I'll put in metal shelves that are soldered to the sides of the pantry when I have my own house.


So if you ever get mad at the inanimate objects in your house when they fail to do their job, make this nice and summer-y "pasta". It'll help you calm down and remember that even though you may have spent the evening yelling at your apartment, you are lucky to have a place to store lots of food and the money to buy that food.

You know, it'll put things in perspective.

Zucchini Pasta (adapted from food.com)
Ingredients:
1 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/8 in slices
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 lb ground turkey
1 large tomato, chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp dried thyme
3 basil leaves, chopped
1/4 tsp sugar
salt and pepper, to taste
parmesan cheese, for garnish.

Directions:
Heat 1/2 tbsp oil over medium heat in a saucepan. Add the turkey and cook until browned, approximately 6-7 minutes. Add 1 clove of garlic, onion, tomato, bay leaf, basil and sugar. Cook, uncovered until moisture has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaf.

In a skillet, heat the other 1/2 tbsp oil and garlic clove over medium heat. Add the zucchini strips and cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes until the zucchini is tender and golden.

Serve the zucchini hot topped with the turkey mixture. Garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese, if desired.

Italian Sausage Stuffed Zucchini

This week on "You Know You're Old When":

You know you're old when you ask for a vacuum cleaner for your birthday. You know you're old when you are excited that you get a beautiful Dyson Ball. You know you're old when you're happy after you've spent an evening putting said vacuum cleaner together and giving it a test run around the apartment.

I almost took a picture of the amount of dirt and hair picked up from around my apartment by the super-vac, but then I thought I probably shouldn't disgust you before I showed some yummy food. I'm not kidding you, it was grrrroooosss! I've known that my old vacuum has been pushing my hair into piles that I get to pick up by hand for a while now, but I didn't quite realize the suck-y sucking power. So, now my apartment (the floor, at least) is clean and beautiful.


Come on over.


I'll make you dinner.


How does stuffed zucchini sound?


It is summer squash time (at the stores and at the farmer's market) and I'm loving it. I could (and do) eat zucchini and yellow squash plain, dipped in ranch dressing, sauteed, stir fried, baked, etc. And certainly, when I find a big zucchini, I can't resist hollowing it out and stuffing it with delicious goodness. Here, I used sweet Italian sausage, green peppers, and tomato sauce sprinkled with parmesan cheese. However, as with so many of my recipes, feel free to get creative and do what you like. The zucchini is your canvas for our culinary art.

Italian Sausage Stuffed Zucchini
Ingredients:
1 large zucchini, cut in half
1/4 lb Italian sausage (mild or spicy depending on your taste)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 cup chopped onion
1/8 cup chopped green peppers
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Hollow out the zucchini halves using a small pairing knife and spoon to remove the seeds and some of the flesh. Chop up about 1/3 of the zucchini "insides" for stuffing.

Cook the sausage over med heat in a skillet, approximately 3-4 minutes breaking into pieces. Add the garlic and onion and cook until the meat is completely browned, about 3-4 minutes more. Add the green pepper, seasonings and tomato paste and mix completely. Add the tomato sauce and heat approximately 2 minutes. Add the zucchini insides to the pan.

Place the hallowed zucchini halves in a baking dish. Scoop the sausage mixture into the halves (it is okay if they mound over the edges a bit). Sprinkle each half with 1 tbsp parmesan cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes until everything is hot and the zucchini is slightly soft.

Serves 1-2 (depending on your appetite and the size of your "large" zucchini!)

P.S. If you come over for dinner, please don't spill this on the carpet. My new vacuum is great, but I'm not sure it would pick up tomato sauce stains.