Pineapple Casserole

So good!  This recipe was given to me by someone in college (I can't remember who) when I went to a Thanksgiving party with my Interior Design friends.  Some have scoffed, but be prepared to fall in love.

Photo from: http://www.ezrapoundcake.com/archives/12098

Ingredients

1 (20 oz.) can chunk pineapple, drained (reserve 3 T of juice)
1/2 c. sugar
3 T flour
1 c. cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 c. melted butter
15 crushed Ritz crackers

Preparation

Mix first 5 ingredients together (including pineapple juice).  Put mixture into a 1 quart casserole dish.  Toss Ritz cracker crumbs in melted butter.  Spread cracker mixture on top of casserole.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, until the edges are bubbling.  It's good warm or cold.

- Sarah

Stovetop Macaroni with Edamame

I know I said my previous post would be the last for a while, but this one was so easy I decided to just go ahead and post it.

Ingredients

-1 Box stovetop macaroni of your choice

-butter/sour cream/ milk - whatever you normally put in you mac and cheese

-frozen shelled edamame

Preparation

Prepare macaroni following box instructions, but add the edamame to the water at the same time as adding the noodles.  That's it!  Easy, yummy, healthier!

*From the creative mind of Rachel*

- Sarah

Pommes Anna

YUM!

Ingredients

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 tbsp. butter

1 onion, thinly sliced

1-1/2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/8-inch -thick slices

1 cup reduced-fat Swiss cheese

Preparation

1. Combine salt, thyme and pepper. Reserve. In skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. Remove from skillet, reserve.

2. In same skillet, melt remaining butter over medium heat. Remove from heat. Arrange 1/3 of potatoes, overlapping slightly, in circles. Sprinkle with salt mix. Top with half of onions, and 1/2 cup cheese.

3. Repeat layering, ending with potatoes sprinkled with remaining salt. Mix. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Uncover during last 5 minutes. Run spatula around edge of skillet and under potatoes to loosen.

4. Place serving plate over skillet, invert potatoes onto plate. Remove skillet. Garnish with fresh chives.

*Recipe from www.cooks.com

- Sarah

Sauteed Cabbage

Okay some of you may be saying, "Cabbage? Yuck!" I can't blame you. Most cabbage served in restaurants is boiled making it gross and bitter and slimy. But cabbage is actually delicious if you cook it right.

Ingredients

1 small head of cabbage or 1/2 of a large head, rinsed and chopped* 2 T. butter salt and pepper

Preparation

1. Heat a large pan over medium heat, then melt butter in the pan. Add the cabbage and saute until it reaches your desired tenderness, about 15-20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

That's it! It's easy and so delicious!

*A lot of the times the cabbage sold in the grocery store is HUGE. So I will cut it in half and only cook 1/2 at a time. There are several reasons for this. First, half of a big cabbage is more than enough for two people. Secondly, I have a pretty large pan and even half a cabbage is almost too much for it (maybe if you have a wok you could try cooking the whole thing). Thirdly, although you can reheat cabbage and it's okay, it's much better freshly cooked and I would rather save the other half and cook it later in the week than have to microwave it.

-Sarah

Pimento Cheese

Well... at least my rendition of it!

1/2 lb. sharp cheddar cheese (grated)
1/2 lb. mozzarella cheese (grated)
4 oz. cream cheese (cubed)
1 small shallot, about 1 tsp. (grated)
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonaise (yes, even I have to admit mayo makes it more spreadable)
8 oz. pimintos (drained)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. cayanne pepper
few splashes hot sauce (habanero)
salt
pepper

Mix and Enjoy!!

Few Tips:
1) Buying blocks of cheese and grating it yourself vs. buying already grated cheese produces a smoother consistency
2) Add or take away the ingredients to your liking...
3) Start with less shallot and add as you taste and go -- if you put too much, there is no going back!

Much love my dear foodie friends! Rach

Squash Casserole

This recipe is so good. It's not exactly low fat after I added the Ritz crackers and all the butter, but it's the best squash casserole I've ever had.

Ingredients

2 pounds yellow squash, cut in 3/4-inch cubes

1 cup chopped onion

1 teaspoon salt1

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste

water

7 tablespoons butter, divided

1/4 cup milk

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1 sleeve of Ritz crackers, crumbled

Preparation

Place the squash, onion, salt, and pepper in a large saucepan. Add a small amount of water. Cover and cook the squash until tender, stirring occasionally and adding more water if necessary. Drain the squash and onions; return to the pan and stir in 4 tablespoons of butter. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt and pepper to your taste. Mix in milk and cheese.

Mix Ritz crumbles with 3 tablespoons of melted butter.

Grease a 9 x 13ish size baking dish well. Pour squash mixture into casserole dish. Layer Ritz crumbles over top of casserole. Bake at 350°, uncovered, for 20 minutes, until the squash casserole is bubbly. Serve hot. Serves 4 to 6.

*Recipe adapted from http://southernfood.about.com/od/summersquash/r/bl90814g.htm

-Sarah

Honey Rosemary Carrots

This is a tasty way to cook carrots.

Ingredients

1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound carrots, peeled, cut into 3×1/4×1/4-inch sticks
kosher salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoons honey (such as heather, chestnut, or wildflower)

Preparation

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat and add carrots. Sprinkle with coarse kosher salt and pepper. Sauté until carrots are beginning to brown at edges, about 12 minutes. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill if making ahead. Add butter, rosemary, and honey to vegetables. Toss over medium heat until heated through and vegetables are glazed, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if desired.

*recipe courtesy of http://eatmakeread.com/2009/06/23/sauteed-carrots-with-honey-rosemary/

-Sarah

Moroccan-Style Stuffed Acorn Squash

This recipe is really yummy and different tasting. There are a lot of strong flavors, including 1.5 tablespoons of cumin!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 2 large acorn squash, halved and seeded
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 cup garbanzo beans, drained
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 cup uncooked couscous

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Arrange squash halves cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes, or until tender. Dissolve the sugar in the melted butter. Brush squash with the butter mixture, and keep squash warm while preparing the stuffing.
3. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, celery, and carrots, and cook 5 minutes. Mix in the garbanzo beans and raisins. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper, and continue to cook and stir until vegetables are tender.
4. Pour the chicken broth into the skillet, and mix in the couscous. Cover skillet, and turn off heat. Allow couscous to absorb liquid for 5 minutes. Stuff squash halves with the skillet mixture to serve.

*recipe from allrecipes.com

-Sarah

Roasted Beets 'n' Sweets

If you like beets you should try this recipe. It is also very beautiful to look at.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 medium beets, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 medium sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 large sweet onion, chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. In a bowl, toss the beets with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to coat. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.
3. Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and sugar in a large resealable plastic bag. Place the sweet potatoes and onion in the bag. Seal bag, and shake to coat vegetables with the oil mixture.
4. Bake beets 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Mix sweet potato mixture with the beets on the baking sheet. Continue baking 45 minutes, stirring after 20 minutes, until all vegetables are tender.

Note: I used 4 beets and 2 sweet potatoes and it made at least enough for 5 people.

*Courtesy of www.allrecipes.com

-Sarah

Spanikopita Orzo

Yum! This is soooo good!

Ingredients

1/2 pound orzo

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

3 to 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated

1/2 cup vegetable stock

3 cups spinach, divided

1 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Preparation

1. Place a large pot of water over high heat to boil the orzo. Salt the boiling water and cook the pasta to al dente according to package directions. Drain the cooked pasta and reserve.

2. Meanwhile, place a large skillet over medium-high heat with olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and saute until tender.

3. While the veggies are cooking, add the vegetable stock and about 2 cups of spinach to the bowl of a food processor (I used a blender and it worked fine) and process until smooth. Add the puree to the pan with the onion and garlic to heat through, about 30 seconds. Remove pan from heat and stir in the reserved orzo, remaining whole leaves of spinach, feta, and some salt and pepper.

4. Make yummy food sounds while you eat :)

*Courtesy of www.rachaelrayshow.com

-Sarah

Spaghetti Squash

Well I've never had spaghetti squash before, but it definitely has the right name! It really does look like spaghetti. This dish is very tasty and very healthy. (The pictures are supposed to go in the opposite order, but I'm not very blog savvy!)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
• 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 3 tablespoons sliced black olives
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2. Place spaghetti squash cut sides down on the prepared baking sheet, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance. Remove squash from oven, and set aside to cool enough to be easily handled.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook only until tomatoes are warm.
4. Use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash, and place in a medium bowl. Toss with the sauteed vegetables, feta cheese, olives, and basil. Serve warm.

*Recipe courtesy of allrecipes.com

Enjoy!

-Sarah

Yukon Gold Potato Gratin

I have another very yummy potato recipe to add. With these ingredients there's just no way this could not taste good!

SERVES 4

Ingredients

• 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 lb yukon gold potato
• 1 cup canadian sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, very finely minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup chicken broth or white wine
• 
  
• Directions

1. 1

   Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch round or oval baking dish.

2. 2

   Slice potatoes 1/8-inch thick and combine thoroughly in a mixing bowl with 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, the sour cream, olive oil, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper.

3. 3

   Arrange potatoes in a neat overlapping pattern in the baking dish. Pour chicken broth over potatoes.

4. 4

   Bake 35 minutes, until potatoes are nearly-tender and the cheese and potatoes are starting to brown. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake another 10-15 minutes.

We got this recipe from recipezaar.com.

-Sarah

Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

We make this recipe fairly often because it's a delicious way to eat potatoes. And it's super easy. We used blue potatoes (they are actually purple on the inside!), but you can also use red or new potatoes.

Ingredients:

6-8 blue or red potatoes, chopped with skins on

one onion, chopped

one long sprig fresh rosemary, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

olive oil

kosher salt

pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss the potatoes, onions and garlic in olive oil. Add rosemary and salt and pepper to taste, tossing to mix. Put mixture in a baking dish. Bake 30-45 minutes until tender. Make sure to stir mixture around every so often while it's baking so that all parts can cook more evenly.

-Sarah