Roasted Butternut Squash with Brown Sugar and Toasted Pecans

I was in the mood for a nice fall dinner tonight and loved how it turned out. However, it was absolute chaos while making and eating it... I think at one point all three kids were crying at the same time. The worst is when you work really hard getting dinner made and then it doesn't even turn out. So, even though it was pretty crazy tonight, I was still pleasantly surprised that I didn't destroy it during the many interruptions. 

I never did get to take a picture of the whole meal finished. I found this AMAZING recipe for a Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Apples and Onion from Inspired Taste. I will be making it again, and this dinner would be great for a Fall dinner party. The pork tenderloin is rubbed with dijon mustard and fresh thyme, served over sautéed apples and onion. It is full of flavor, and the pork tenderloin is so tender and delicious! I served it over a colorful multigrain rice, I like to buy the frozen bags of rice at Trader Joe's. They take three minutes to cook in the microwave and I never have to clean an extra pot. 

Along side the pork tenderloin I made this roasted butternut squash. It added beautiful color to the plate and the toasted pecans on top added a great flavor and texture. A bit of brown sugar created a sweet glaze that coated the squash. You can find the recipe for the squash below and follow the link above for the pork tenderloin recipe, you won't be disappointed!

Roasted Butternut Squash with Brown Sugar and Toasted Pecans

Ingredients:

-1 butternut squash, cubed

-2 tablespoons olive oil

-2 tablespoons brown sugar

-Salt and Pepper

-1/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Peel your butternut squash and slice it lengthwise down the center. Scoop out the seeds and strings. Cut the squash into 1/2" to 1" cubes. Place in a baking dish and toss with the olive oil and brown sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Place in the over for 30-35 minutes. Meanwhile, place your pecans in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until lightly toasted. Remove from heat and chop. When the butternut squash is done remove from the oven and add pecans. Toss well to cover the squash and pecans with the glaze that was created from the brown sugar. Serve warm.

Turkey and Orzo Stuffed Peppers

Now that the weather is starting to cool off a bit, I am enjoying making some Fall and Winter meals again. This is a great dinner to make ahead of time and keep in the fridge until ready to bake. It is also a dinner that I will often make for friends in need of a meal. Once it is prepped it is easy to transfer to bake. The recipe makes quite a bit, so if you won't be eating all of it in one night, I will often freeze the stuffing. When you are ready to use, let it thaw, stuff some peppers, and bake as directed below.

Salmon with Cucumber Pineapple Salsa

I typically make a mango salsa with salmon, however tonight i had fresh pineapple on hand, so I decided to try something new. I adapted this recipe from one of Martha Stewart's here. Her original recipe looks really good, however I did not have all of the ingredients. I'm also trying to stay away from anything spicy in my diet while breastfeeding and her recipe called for a jalapeno. I added some spice to the salmon instead, using Emeril Lagasse's Essence seasoning. It's easier to control the spiciness this way. 

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cucumbers, finely diced
• 1 cup fresh pineapple, finely diced
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• Salt and pepper
• 3-4 salmon fillets
• Olive oil
• Essence seasoning

Directions:

In a bowl whisk together the lime juice, honey, and vegetable oil. Add the cucumber, pineapple, and green onion. Stir together and season with salt and pepper.

Place salmon fillets on a baking sheet lined with foil. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with the essence seasoning. Broil the salmon in the oven for about 12-15 minutes. Serve over rice or quinoa and top with the salsa. 

Vegetarian Chili with Avocado Salsa

I realize it is still 110 degrees outside... but I still made chili for dinner tonight. I am ready for some cooler weather and all the Fall food that comes along with it. This is a really yummy chili recipe that is different then most. It's a vegetarian chili topped with a fresh avocado salsa. I got the recipe from my Mom, who always made this for us. However, I think it originally came from Cooking Light. This time I made it I added some corn to the recipe.

Ingredients:

-2 teaspoons canola oil
-1 cup onion, chopped
-1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
-2 teaspoons chili powder
-1 teaspoon ground cumin
-1 teaspoon dried oregano
-3 garlic cloves, minced
-1 4.5oz can diced green chiles
-2/3 cup uncooked quick-cooking barley
-1/4 cup water
-1 15oz can black beans, drained
-1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
-1/2 cup frozen corn
-1 14oz can vegetable broth
-3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
-1 lime, cut into wedges
-Tortilla chips
-Avocado salsa (recipe below)

Directions:

Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat. Add onion and bell pepper and saute until tender. Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic, and green chiles. Saute 1 minutes. Stir in the barley, water, tomatoes, corn and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer. Cook about 20 minutes or until barley is tender. Stir in cilantro. Serve with lime wedges, chips, and avocado salsa.

Avocado Salsa

-1 avocado, cubed
-1/3 cup tomato, seeded and chopped
-1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
-1 tablespoon jalapeno, seeded and diced
-1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
-1/8 teaspoon sea salt

 Toss together in a bowl and serve over the chili.

Tofu Pad Thai

Tofu Pad Thai is always what I order when Casey and I eat out for Thai food. For that reason I was excited to try making it at home, but also wary that I wouldn't be able to make it as tasty as they do at the restaurants. However, I really liked how this recipe turned out! By making it at home I knew, and could taste, that it is was healthier. I followed the recipe from Martha Stewart, however slightly modified it.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces rice noodles
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving (3 limes)
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dark-brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 package firm tofu, drained, thinly sliced
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and shredded
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
• Vegetable oil
• Sesame oil
• Coarse salt
• 5 tablespoons roasted salted peanuts, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped plus more for garnish

Directions:

Soak the rice noodles according to package instructions. Whisk together lime juice, soy sauce, and brown sugar.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat about 1 teaspoon vegetable oil. Add eggs and cook until just set, then transfer eggs to a cutting board and cut into pieces. Next add some vegetable oil and and a little bit of sesame oil to the pan and heat. Add the tofu and cook until golden brown. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

Next add a little more of both oils to the skillet with the carrots, garlic, and scallion whites. Cook until softened. Add the lime-juice mixture and bring to a simmer. Now toss in the noodles, eggs, and tofu until heated through. Place noodles onto plates and top with peanuts, cilantro, and scallion greens. Serve with lime wedges and garnish with extra cilantro.

*If you want it spicy you can add chili sauce such as Sriracha sauce to the lime-juice mixture.

New Dinner Recipes

Mediterranean Style Brown Rice Bake via Food For My Family

Greek Turkey Meatballs via Skinny Taste

Grilled Shrimp with Poblano and Avocado Salsa via Eat, Live, Run

Autumn Chopped Salad via Espresso and Cream

Lemon and Garlic Chicken Kabobs via One Perfect Bite

I stumbled across all of these recipes on Pinterest. I have only made a few of them so far, and they have been soo good! I can't wait to try out the rest of them! I love organizing new recipes that I want to try on Pinterest, and it is easy to pull them up on my phone or computer when it's time to grocery shop or cook.

You can follow my recipe board on pinterest HERE.

Lasagna Cupcakes

I came across this recipe on Pinterest via The Girl Who Ate Everything. This recipe is super easy to follow, I adjusted it slightly to make more of them. These little lasagnas would be great as an appetizer at a party or an easy dinner to prep at home to take to someone for a meal. You can find the recipe here to make 6 cupcakes or follow along below; I made 18 standard sized lasagna cupcakes.You could also alter the recipe to make your favorite kind of lasagna.

Ingredients:

• 16 oz jar of marinara sauce or 2 cups of homemade marinara sauce.
• 1 lb of ground beef or turkey
• 36 wonton wrappers (find in the produce section of the grocery store, in the refrigerated section)
• 8-12 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 1/4 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• Basil, for garnish (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease your muffin tins.

2. Brown your ground beef or turkey over medium high heat until browned. Add Salt and Pepper.

3. Cut wonton wrappers with a drinking glass or round cookie cutter.

4. Start layering your lasagna cupcakes. First place a wonton wrapper into the bottom of each muffin tin. Sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese, Ricotta cheese, and mozzarella cheese on top. Then top with some meat and marinara sauce. You can add the ingredients to your taste. I added about 1-2 teaspoons of the cheeses and about 1-2 tablespoons of the meat and sauce for each layer.

5. Repeat step 4 and once you end with the marinara sauce you will add more Parmesan and mozzarella cheese on top of each cupcake.

6. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the edges are golden brown.

7. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before removing from the muffin tins. Run a knife along the edges to loosen.

8. Garnish with basil and serve.