Brussel Sprouts with Bacon

This is a GREAT way to eat Brussels sprouts! We had this at Thanksgiving and I'm making them again tonight for our Christmas Eve feast. It's simple and delicious. Enjoy!

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

3 slices bacon, chopped
1 T. olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
1.5 lbs. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
Salt and pepper, to your taste
1 c. chicken broth

Brown bacon in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Remove bacon to a paper lined plate. Add olive oil to the pan with the bacon grease and add the shallots and saute 1-2 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts and coat in oil. Cook 2-3 minutes until they begin to soften. Add the chicken broth and bring to a bubble, then cover and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook about 10 minutes, until tender. Transfer to a serving dish with a slotted spoon and top with cooked bacon bits.

Source: Rachael Ray

Confetti Corn

What? I'm blogging? I know, shocker. Turns out, moving across the country every year is kind of time-consuming. Nevertheless, we still have to eat. And we've been eating well! We are now in the Midwest, home to lots and lots of corn. Now, I LOVE corn on the cob, so I'm always hesitant to do anything with fresh corn rather than slather it in butter, salt and pepper, and devour it while getting it all over my face. BUT, if you're ready for something different, or if you're having company and don't want everyone awkwardly picking corn and pepper out of their teeth, than this is a great use of those fresh ears of corn. Also, if you have leftover corn on the cob you don't know what to do with, this is a great way to use it up. Just reduce the cook time after you add the corn to 1-2 minutes, or until heated through. This dish is fresh and flavorful, and it comes together very easily, which is essential for a side dish. I've made it twice in the last few weeks, and I need to make it again soon! Enjoy!

Confetti Corn
Ina Garten suggests chopping the onion and pepper in 1/2 inch pieces, but I prefer them smaller and I'm pretty sure my kids do too. I've put 1/4-inch on here, but be aware that's a change from the original recipe. 

2 T. olive oil
1/2 c. small-diced red onion
1 small orange bell pepper, 1/4-inch diced
2 T. butter
kernels cut from 5 ears un-cooked yellow or white corn (about 4 cups)
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 T. julienned fresh basil, minced fresh chives and/or minced fresh parsley

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes, until the onion is soft. Stir in the bell pepper and saute for 2 more minutes.

Add the butter to the pan and allow it to melt. Add the corn, salt, and pepper, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes, until the corn just loses its starchiness. Season to taste, gently stir in the fresh herbs, and serve.

Source: Slightly adapted from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

Spaghetti Squash - Two Ways

I have been such a blogger slacker lately, but I have lots of new recipes to add to my "file" here, so hopefully I can get them all up soon.  We've been loving spaghetti squash lately. My kids think it's the coolest thing ever.  A vegetable that turns into spaghetti?!?  Yes, please! We've eaten it two different ways and both have been delicious.  I think the kids favored the traditional spaghetti way, but Jeremy and I thought they were both great. I find if I involve my kids in preparing new things, they are much more likely to enjoy eating it.  I let my boys scrape out the flesh of the squash (the "spaghetti") for me and they thought that was awesome.

Preparing Spaghetti Squash
I've also heard you can roast it whole, but this is the method I've always used.

1 large spaghetti squash
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut spaghetti squash in half, using a sharp knife and lots of muscles, and scrape out the seeds and stringy stuff (think pumpkin).  Brush the insides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place cut side down on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes to an hour, until you can poke through the squash easily with a fork and the inside is soft and tender and strings up easily when scraped with a fork.  Let cool until you can handle it and then scrape out the flesh into a bowl or pot or whatever you're doing with it!

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Parmesan and Herbs

1 T. butter
1 1/2 T olive oil
2 shallots, diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
3/4 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1 roasted spaghetti squash, flesh scraped out into stringy "spaghetti"
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
2 T. grated Parmesan
coarse salt and ground pepper

In a large skillet, melt butter and olive oil.  Add shallots and garlic and cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes.  Stir in thyme and rosemary and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add squash and toss to combine.  Cook until warmed through.  Stir in parsley and Parmesan and season with salt and pepper.  Serve with additional grated Parmesan.

Source: Martha Stewart

Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti
You can do this with any spaghetti/marinara/bolognese/whatever sauce, this is what we did:

1 roasted spaghetti squash
1 lb. ground turkey
1/2 large onion, chopped small
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 14-oz. can petite-diced tomatoes
1 T. dried basil
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. sugar
1 T. dried parsley
1 tsp. salt, more to taste
1 tsp. ground pepper
Parmesan, for serving

In a large saucepan, brown turkey with onion and garlic, breaking turkey up into small pieces as it cooks.  When thoroughly cooked, add remaining ingredients (minus the spaghetti squash).  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer and let cook for 20 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.  Add to the spaghetti squash and mix until evenly combined.  (If you have too much sauce, just reserve extra for something else; it will depend on the size of your squash). Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Roasted Red Potatoes

I make roasted potatoes a lot.  I've never really followed a recipe and so I have never thought to put it on the blog, but they are so delicious I thought you would enjoy them!  They are incredibly versatile - you can use russet or red potatoes (gold don't get quite as crispy) and whatever herbs and seasonings you have around.  We currently have a rosemary plant growing in our backyard, so I use that most often these days, but as you can see in the picture, you can add chives, oregano, parsley, whatever floats your boat.  As long as you have olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper, they'll be delicious!

Sweet Potato "Casserole"

I don't know if we can really call this a casserole, but that's the name my husband's family uses for this favorite Thanksgiving side dish.  But let's be honest here people, we should really be calling this sweet potato "crumble", or "pie", or "crisp" - you get the idea.  Mashed sweet potatoes are combined with eggs, milk, butter, and sugar and then topped with a delicious crumble topping (you know - brown sugar, pecans, more butter, etc.) and baked until browned and oh-so-sweet-smelling.  Everyone I've ever shared this with has fallen in love.  It's sure to be a hit!  I'll let you decide whether it should be served with the turkey or the pies...

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Are you a sweet potato lover?  I used to think I didn't like sweet potatoes, but they have really grown on me over the last few years.  I think I just wasn't used to them, since I never ate them as a kid.  I have come around though.  These are delicious!  I love their vibrant color and their abundance in the stores and markets this time of year.  They have a naturally sweet flavor and roast up pretty quickly in the oven.  We stuck to the basics with this recipe - olive oil, salt, and pepper, but I've seen some that use all sorts of spices from cinnamon to cumin.  Don't expect a crisp crunchy exterior like you get with white potato fries.  These are definitely softer, but the taste they get as they start to caramelize on the pan is delicious!  Enjoy!

Green Beans with Shallots

As of this summer, my kids love green beans.  And if they love a vegetable, we eat it a lot!  I usually do a quick sauté of green beans with some olive oil and garlic, but I saw this Ina Garten recipe using shallots and decided to get a little fancy and try it out.  It was delicious!  We found ourselves scooping up the shallots and eating them even without the green beans, since they were so tasty.  I modified her recipe a bit to use just one pan instead of two (who wants to dirty two pans for a side dish??), and it's so easy it comes together in a flash.  I love that the green beans still have a nice crunch to them and don't get soggy or chewy.  Give them a try!  They make a great accompaniment to just about anything.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

Yum!  I wasn't sure if we would like this soup, but I decided it was worth a shot.  It was delicious!  We've been trying to incorporate more vegetarian recipes into our routine, so this one caught my eye.  It says it's creamy - and it is - but there isn't any cream in it.  It has some cheddar cheese, but other than that, it's loaded with veggies - vegetable broth, cauliflower, a potato, onions, garlic, etc.  My kids were a little afraid to try it, but they liked it once they did!  Especially with the crunchy croutons on top.  I'll definitely be making this again.  Enjoy!

Creamy Coleslaw

Need a side to go with that yummy grilled chicken?  Once again, before it gets too chilly, I wanted to put up one of my favorite summery bbq side dishes.  Coleslaw.  I've tried many a coleslaw recipe and this one is definitely a winner.  It is full of flavor and really easy to whip up.  You need to let it sit at least an hour, but you could easily make it the morning of or even the night before your dinner.  Enjoy!

Spinach Gratin

This picture does NOT do this dish justice, but trust me, this is the way you want to eat your spinach. :) My sister Wendy introduced this recipe to our family last year by giving it to another sister of mine. We ate it at Thanksgiving last year and then I made it this year as well. It's always a hit and really dresses up the spinach. I know it seems like there is a lot of cheese and cream/milk, but really, the star of the dish is the spinach. You can't tell from the top (my picture) but once you break into it, it's very green and spinachy. :) Try this at your next dinner party or holiday gathering. Everyone will love it!

Corn, Avocado, and Tomato Salad

Yum! This salad is perfect for summer. Fresh corn on the cob, cherry tomatoes, avocados, lime juice, etc. Serve it as a side, with tortilla chips, or stay tuned to see what we ate it with this weekend. :) Enjoy!

Apple Walnut Feta Salad

So this recipe stemmed from a need to bring a salad to a church event and having to think of something with what I had on hand. Luckily I had some pretty good stuff on hand. :) Of course you can substitute things with what you have on hand. For the dressing I was just doing a basic oil/vinegar dressing and then I thought it would be fun to juice a mandarin orange to give it a little extra flavor and I really liked it, so I include that. Of course, you could dress it without that, but if you have one around, give it a try.

Chinese Chicken Salad

This recipe is for easy, light, and delicious Chinese Chicken Salad. I thought it would be good to post something lighter before everyone eats their weight in turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes this week. I love this salad. I just kind of throw everything in, so the amounts will vary depending on what you like, but the dressing is measured and very easy. Here you go!