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

Blueberry-Almond Granola

I know I already sent you all this recipe, but I like it so much I think it should be included in the blog.

Ingredients

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1/2 cup sliced almonds

2 T vegetable oil (I use 3)

2 T honey (or agave) (I use 4)

1 cup dried blueberries (I prefer a mixture of dried berries)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss oats, coconut, and almonds. In a small bowl, stir together oil and honey. Pour over oat mixture and toss. Bake, tossing occasionally, until lightly toasted, 12-16 minutes.

2. Place mixture in a large bowl and stir in blueberries. (To store, keep in an airtight container, up to 1 month.)

*This recipe came from Everyday Food Issue 62.

-Sarah

Italian Meatloaf

Italian Meatloaf

1/2 red pepper, diced

1/2 onion, diced

3 cloves chopped garlic

1 lb ground beef or turkey

2 eggs

3/4 cup bread crumbs

1 cup grated parmesan

1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 handful chopped fresh basil

1 handful chopped fresh parsley

salt

pepper

1 cup tomato sauce

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in saute pan and add peppers, onion and garlic. Saute until just soft, about 5 minutes. Cool in another plate.

Combine all of the ingredients together except for the tomato sauce. Pack the meat mixture into an oiled loaf pan, or shape the loaf into a loaf shape and put on an oiked baking dish/tray.Top with the tomato sauce and spread evenly over the top.

Bake for 50-60 minutes until cooked all the way through, or when a thermometer readers 160 F in the middle.

Enjoy!

Lynn

*This is moist and tasty! Key is to use fresh (not dry) herbs.

*Courtesy of the Food Network.

Chicken Torilla Casserole

This is a very easy and yummy recipe if you're in the mood for cheesy goodness.

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, sliced in wedges

2 small bell peppers (we used green), sliced and halved

olive oil

3 chicken breasts

2 cans Cream of Chicken and Mushroom soup (or 1 can cream of chicken and 1 can cream of mushroom)

4-6 torillas

1 bag of Mexican style shredded cheese

salt, pepper

Preparation

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and boil chicken breasts for approximately 10 minutes or until they are cooked. After they have cooled a bit, shred the chicken.

2. Meanwhile, saute garlic, onlions and peppers in some olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

3. Once the onions and peppers are cooked through, add the two cans of soup plus one can of water to the mixer and mix thoroughly.

4. In a greased casserole dish, pour half of the onion mixer, then a layer of tortillas, then a layer of cheese. Repeat the layers, finishing with cheese on top.

5. Bake at 350 for aobut 25 minutes.

*Jeffrey had some homemade salsa that he put on top of his serving and he said that it was really yummy. So if you have some salsa around you can add that as a garnish.

-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

Teriyaki Flank Steak

For this blog's first entry, I thought it fitting to submit a hearty, simple recipe of Teriyaki Flank Steak. This recipe was given to me at my first bridal shower by a family friend, Eileen Arnamente. Enjoy!


Teriyaki Flank Steak

1 lb flank steak
1/4 cup light soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp Ketchup
2 tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp oregano

On both sides of the steak, cut diagonal slashes 1/4'' deep. Place steak in a heavy plastic storage bag. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over the steak. Turn steak in the marindade to coat completely. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Over hot coals (or on a saute pan), grill the steak 5-6 minutes per side ot until cooked as desiered. Slice diagonally across the grain into slices.

Enjoy!

(Serves 6)

~Lynn